Not only do students who cheat prosper; they get graduate degrees in school. Cheating is a major issue in certain areas. Teachers and administrators are wondering how long cheating has been going on. Morin the author of “Getting a Grad Degree in Cheating,” states that students aren’t cheating for a grade, just to get something done. The few activities that dealt with cheating, shows different ways to deal with the issue of cheating. Like setting an honor code, allowing the student to retest or involving the parents.
Punishing students for cheating maybe a better path than giving a zero. One student from Lafayette High School states, “it may not be fair to the non- cheater.” If a student is caught cheating they should be able to retest. “It is important to provide a mechanism for re-measuring students mastering of the standards,” states another student. In a recent survey of 18,000 students at 61 middle and high schools 66 percent admitted to cheating in exams. Students who cheat are wasting their time in school, most learning builds on itself. “Our society seems to promote that you should do whatever it takes to win or succeed,” states former student. Being caught cheating and not being about able to retest ending with a zero is the last thing any student wants.
“A student is only cheating themselves out of learning and discovering how good they could really do,” states researchers. “Why rob our children of that opportunity?” states Waterman. West Potomac High School Principal Cliff Harrison last month instructed teachers to allow cheaters to retake tests. The idea was that cheating should result in a disciplinary consequence separate from an academic consequence,’ Harbison said in a Nov. 5 e-mail to all of their teachers. I believe in forgiveness. They should learn from their mistake, and be able to take the test again, which will be a harder version of the original.
Currently there are honor codes being developed in most schools worldwide because the amount of dishonesty. Honor code- a set of rules or principles governing academic community, ideas that define what constitutes good behavior within that group. Honor codes should be taken seriously at all times. There would be less problems with dishonesty if students and teachers set up an honor code, and agreement showing that cheating will not be tolerated. David Callahan states that, “researchers explored the impact of honor codes and found that there was less cheating in honor code environments.” As one can see there are many ways to stop the amount of cheating that is being took in place. Teachers feel that today’s students are apathetic about such, is convinced that honor codes are schools last best hope.
Almost hundred other schools across the country, students sign an honor code. “The only reason I imagine students stop cheating is because their being trusted,” states former college student. There is evidence that honor codes do, in fact, deter cheating. “Behavior research shows that people who are reminded of moral expectations.” The students signing it gives the teachers a reason to trust them in exchange for their trustworthiness. At some schools they have no choice but to comply with their school’s honor code. “As a Trinity graduate, one thing that I have always remembered is the Trinity Honor Code.
Growing up, going through elementary, middle, and high school, we are taught by our parents and teachers to be honest and never to cheat on a test or assignment. I don’t think I truly understood how important those lessons were until I signed the Honor Book, at my Freshman Medal Ceremony during my first semester at Trinity,” states a former student. Cheating and academic dishonesty are issues that are present in all schools. They are issues that are sometimes hard to see and control.
Honor codes are an important part of education because they give the control of those issues to the students themselves. They gain a sense of personal responsibility. It tells them that it is up to them to preserve their own academic integrity and helps push them toward becoming an honest and responsible member of society.
Not only can the teachers help to reduce the amount of cheating going on, but also the parents. Parents could be a big help with their child’s academic honesty at home. Elizabeth kiss states that, “Some parents aren’t focusing their attention on instituting positive values such as honesty and making sure their child does their best.” When students see other students cheating and seeing them not getting caught it makes them question the importance of honesty. “Nearly one third of teens and 25 percent say that their push them way to hard academically,” According to Kiss. One can deduce that parents could be a big help with academic dishonesty.
Parents should provide guidance and support to their child to keep them from cheating. Some parents need to stop and think about if they’re putting too much pressure on their child or not. “Talking to your kids about the importance of ethical behavior and how cheating will hurt them in the long run,” states Brigitte. Staying involved in your child’s academic life is very important to. Parents should be the best role model they can. As one can see kids come to school doing what their taught at home, if your letting them know cheating isn’t tolerated and honesty is very important that could really help.
“Families can discuss what happened in these meetings with the teacher, student and perhaps school counselor,” says Heather Swope, a school counselor at Fairfield Area High School in Pennsylvania. Parents can also help teens ensure they take classes that challenge them appropriately and help teens avoid spreading themselves too thin with school, jobs and extracurricular activities. ‘The biggest thing is let them make mistakes and help them to not make mistakes again,’ states Swope.
Academic cheating is very common today. “A 2012 Challenge Success report by Dr. Denise Pope of Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education reviewed studies that found cheating rates among high school students were well above 70 percent,” states reporter. Getting to the heart of the problem is key. “Getting furious and punishing or taking away privileges without discussing the situation, the result may be that your child will continue cheating and just try harder to avoid getting caught,” says Dr. Eric Anderman, an expert on student cheating and professor of Educational Psychology
The few activities that dealt with cheating shows different ways to deal with the issue of cheating. Cheating and academic dishonesty are issues that are present in all schools. Three ways to deal with cheating in schools are. Letting them retest, make the students sign an honor code or involve the parents. Involving these three points should help reduce the cheating going on around all schools.