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There’s an old adage that a cheater never prospers. Yet as cheating runs rampant in high schools, it’s clear that this advice isn’t stopping students from trying. In a survey reported by the Josephson Institute, 60% of high school students admitted to cheating at least once within a year’s period, and 33% plagiarized an Internet document in that same time period. But today’s cheating is different than in the past when it consisted of wandering eyes, copying a classmate’s homework or stealing tests. In today’s high-tech world, a proliferation of iPods, MP3s and cell phones are helping students cheat with more efficiency and secrecy. Students have been caught text messaging answers to each other while others have been found downloading formulas and course material onto digital players. Teens have been caught using camera phones to picture-message tests to friends outside the classroom. Plus hundreds of online websites offer canned essays and term papers for a small price. Some even offer to customize a paper on any topic, offering expensive “same-day service” to student procrastinators. “There is definitely more high-tech cheating than ever before,” says Timothy Dodd, executive director of the Center for Academic Integrity, based at Duke University. “But at the same time, the Internet and high-tech gadgetry simply offer different means for those inclined to cheat and plagiarize; they do not cause cheating.” There are many explanations for why increasing numbers of students are cheating in high school. Some educators believe that cheating has become more widespread in schools due to a declining sense of integrity in all of society. Academic dishonesty also has been a huge concern at the college level. In the 2006-’07 school year, many prominent institutions reported students who had plagiarized or cheated. For example: • At the U.S. Air Force Academy, 18 students were expelled and 13 placed on probation for cheating on a test. • Ohio University released a report that numerous graduate students in its mechanical engineering department were guilty of cheating and plagiarism. • Nine students at Indiana University’s dental school were dismissed and 37 given lesser punishments for cheating on an exam. In the high school environment, some feel that cheating occurs because teachers and students are stretched too thin. Teachers have huge classes, so it is often difficult for them to check if essays and papers have been lifted from the Internet. Students are overstressed, taking numerous honors and AP classes to get into the “best” colleges. In addition to these factors, Dodd stresses that many high school administrators have failed to promote the importance of academic integrity within their schools. Adding to the problem is that many teens are confused when it comes to ethical behavior. A recent poll by Junior Achievement Worldwide found that 59% of teens between the ages of 13 and 18 say they would not act unethically to get ahead, even if they knew they would not get caught. But many of them admitted they had done just that, whether it was lying or cheating. “High school educators must address both the underdevelopment of personal integrity in teenagers and a flawed educational system as contributing to the cheating culture,” says Dodd. Many experts believe that honor codes are extremely effective in reducing cheating and plagiarism. Survey data from the Center for Academic Integrity supports this: Schools with honor codes have 33-55% less cheating than non-code schools. Dodds explains that it’s not because honor codes are specific deterrents, it’s because they have a strong and consistent educational component that links academic integrity with personal integrity as well as the culture of the school. “If students embrace, support and promote an honor code, and teachers consistently remind students of their obligations under the code and the importance of its values, the code will have impact,” he says. “Its underlying message – honesty and integrity matter and define who you are – will be heard and will drown out the cynical message that cheating and lying are tools to get ahead.” Parents also play an important role by setting an example of ethical behavior. It’s particularly important for parents to be consistent in their instruction and to not send mixed messages. Many parents will complete their child’s homework when they become too busy with sports or other extracurricular activities. Some edit English compositions well beyond what is considered appropriate help. And then there are those parents who write a note excusing their child from school for a family trip. “These are examples of where the habit of cheating and shortcutting is learned at a very early age,” says Dodd. Ultimately, the solution to stemming cheating and plagiarism is dialogue. Parents need to talk to their teens about the importance of honesty and integrity in living a successful and productive life. If teenagers don’t get the message, it can lead to serious repercussions later in life. “A cheating culture can be nurtured in high school, refined in college, carried through to graduate and professional school and applied in the workplace,” says Dodd. “Do any of us want the dental students who cheated at Indiana University performing our root canals?” Carol Daus is a freelance writer who lives in Huntington Beach with her husband and three teenagers. |
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