• Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact

Nancy Bailey's Education Website

Revive, Rally and Recover Public Schools

  • Activism
    • Anti-Charter Schools
    • Anti-Common Core State Standards
    • Anti-Corporatization of Schools
    • Anti-High-Stakes Testing
    • State Action Groups
    • School Buildings
  • School Curriculum
    • General Education
    • Educators
    • Parents
    • Reading
    • Writing
    • Math
    • Science
    • Social Studies
    • The Arts
    • Technology
    • Behavior
    • Diversity
    • English Language Learners
    • Special Education
      • Autism
      • Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities
      • Learning Disabilities
      • Developmental Disabilities
      • Gifted
      • Other
    • Early Childhood Education
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Student Careers
  • Other Countries
    • England
    • Finland
    • Australia
    • New Zealand
    • Canada

“Peeping Pearson” and Depersonalizing A Student’s Understanding of Right from Wrong

March 18, 2015 By Nancy Bailey 11 Comments

The superior man understands what is right; the inferior man understands what will sell.

― Confucius

Hidden within this past weekend’s Peeping Pearson spying incident is a problem that is pervasive and increasing across the country—student cheating.

Bob Braun, former education reporter and news editor for The Star-Ledger, blogged about a student being monitored on social media by test publishing company Pearson. A New Jersey superintendent had been notified that a student in their district had tweeted something about the PARCC test on Twitter. This raised countless critical questions and concerns about what constitutes student privacy on social media.

Despite being appalled like most about the surveillance, I was curious about why this student put something about the test on Twitter in the first place. In fairness, the superintendent didn’t think it constituted cheating. But why did the student mention the test? Did someone set them up? Were they just goofing off? Was the student scoffing at the test? Were they trying to help someone who had not taken the test yet? If it wasn’t important, why did Pearson care enough to notify the superintendent?

What concerns me, is the impersonal nature of Pearson, a faraway testing company, playing gotcha with the student. It dismisses what is going on with the student if they are actually cheating. I am not accusing this student of cheating. I have no information to suggest such a thing.

But what happens to students when they get caught cheating this way? The Educational Testing Service (ETS) has a list of facts about cheating and the one that stands out most to me is this: Cheating no longer carries the stigma that it used to. Less social disapproval coupled with increased competition for admission into universities and graduate schools has made students more willing to do whatever it takes to get the A.

So test companies invest a lot of time, effort and money to monitor a student’s behavior, but they do not seem to help them understand why cheating is wrong. And as it seems to be the case here, they falsely accuse students of cheating. They don’t know the students. Put this together with the fact that many students have no respect for the test–they just want to get the scores–this sets a dangerous precedent.

It used to be (and I know it wasn’t perfect) if a teacher caught a student talking about the test, or copying and/or sharing answers, they’d march them to the principal’s office where the student would be reprimanded—maybe their test would be invalidated. Probably parents would get involved. If the adults were compassionate, they would question the student as to why they cheated. Were they afraid they were going to fail? Was the test too difficult? Did they have other problems? Were others involved? They would personally learn more about the student. They would try to understand why they cheated and get them the counseling they needed.

Rarely, there are students with sociopath tendencies who will cheat outright no matter what. I am not talking about that kind of student. I am talking about impressionable kids who, because of over-testing and the calculated cold purpose behind high-stakes testing–namely to shutter schools and fire teachers–convince themselves it is O.K. to cheat. They know the tests aren’t about them.

In his book The Honest Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone—Especially Ourselves, Dan Ariely who is a professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University, discusses cheating. We are all capable of it, most of us do it, even if just a little, and we rationalize to ourselves that it is O.K. He also writes about the positive. He suggests that people who stand up against cheating and corruption stand as role models.

With high-stakes testing in schools today, students have some lousy role models. Look at Atlanta and the Texas Miracle as two of several cheating scandals involving adults and high-stakes testing!

In addition, sometimes the motives behind why students cheat, although still wrong, make sense. In my book, I wrote about cheating and high-stakes testing. One of the examples I used is the 2012 cheating scandal involving students at New York City’s prestigious Stuyvesant High School. Notable graduates from Stuyvesant are too numerous to list, but if you are interested you can find them here.

In 2012, when students were caught sending test answers on their cell phones to other students, many wondered why such bright students would bother to cheat. It seemed uncharacteristic.
An investigation showed there were two interesting explanations for cheating.

  • First, students were tired and didn’t get enough sleep. Many studies show that a teen’s sleep patterns are different than those of adults and children. Few schools are willing to accommodate students by changing their schedules, often citing a lack of funding. But think how such modifications could permit students to get better rest and help them to learn!
  • Second, Stuyvesant students were tested on rote material that could easily be found on charts. They saw this as a waste of their time. Students given meaningless test prep work, who otherwise are rule-abiding, might rationalize that cheating is O.K. It becomes a slippery slope.
  • Third. While cheating shouldn’t be justified, I found it interesting that Stuyvesant students also helped each other cheat by sharing answers. They essentially practiced what Ariely describes as “collaborative cheating.”

The danger in all this is that getting used to rationalizing cheating, creating a climate where cheating makes sense, when it is over high-stakes testing, and where students see it only as a chore to get a score, might carry over to other situations. It could lead to students being disgraced in the future or lead to actual damage–even hurting others. Students could learn to cheat in college and later in their careers.

Take, for example, cheating scandals in colleges. Some of them involve adults!

  • Controversy erupted at Harvard in 2012 when around 125 students were caught cheating. One half of the students received probation. Some felt the punishment was too severe, others didn’t think it went far enough.
  • More recently, Dartmouth College students were caught cheating in an ethics class!
  • The University of North Carolina cheating scandal involved 18 years of permitting students to do little work while they played sports.
  • In 2007, dozens of Indiana University dentistry school students were investigated for being a part of a cheating ring. Nine students were dismissed, 6 suspended, and 21 reprimanded.
  • In 2007, Florida State University saw 61 athletes (25 football players) involved in a cheating ring where tutors gave them answers to the test questions and typed papers for them.
  • In 2007, Diablo Valley College had an alleged “sex for grades” scandal. Dozens of students were suspected of paying school employees $600 to alter their grades, and some were also exchanging sexual favors.
  • Baruch College’s business professors were accused of padding students’ grades for $45,000-$75,000 tuition checks.
  • In 1994, an electrical engineering exam was sold for $50 a copy at the Naval Academy.
  • Thirty-four students from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business collaborated on a take home exam. Fifteen students were suspended for a year and failed the class, while nine students were expelled. Others failed the class and/or the assignment.
  • In 1999 a basketball manager and several tutors at the University of Minnesota wrote  more than 400 papers for students.
  • In 2011, in Long Island 20 people were arrested for paying others to take the SAT test for them. Students paid $250 for an SAT score.
  • Students in medical school cheat. A survey of 2,459 medical students found that 39% had witnessed cheating in their first 2 years of medical school, and 66.5% had heard about cheating. About 5% reported having cheated during that time. Students appeared resigned to the fact of cheating, but lacked consensus about how to proceed when witnessing it. Guidance in intervening in ethical situations is recommended. 

Many cheating scandals involve sports. David Fleming, in a report for ESPN said:  There’s so much cheating going on, in fact, that I had to consciously narrow the focus of this column — no steroids, no PEDs, no point shaving, no bounty scandals, no fake classes or illegal payments to college kids. There simply isn’t enough time or bandwidth to cover it all here. And I, for one, am tired of all the rationalizing. Spying on opponents or deflating footballs isn’t gamesmanship or pushing the envelope, and it doesn’t fall under the ignorant NASCAR creed of, “If you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying.”

Sadly, I could go on writing about cheating scandals. Cheating that frightens me the most involve researchers–especially those who do medical research.

Pearson might not be to blame for creating cheaters directly. But online testing and the tests themselves are creating a cold impersonal school environment.

The good news is that there are more parents and educators standing up and questioning today’s harmful testing and draconian reforms. They represent, in my opinion, the role models Ariely mentions. In some places, students themselves are standing up against harmful tests! Here in Chicago. Here in Hartford. Here in Louisiana. Here in Colorado. I could go on.

Students should be provided the kind of assessment and schooling that will be useful to them in the long-run. Simply put, schools need to respect and care for their students. That might go a long way towards making cheating on tests obsolete.

Ariely, Dan. The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone Especially Ourselves. (New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2012).

Bailey, Nancy. Misguided Education Reform: Debating the Impact on Students. (Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Education, 2013) 36-38.

The 10 Biggest College Cheating Scandals. Business Insider.

 

 

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Cheating, Cheating Scandals, Pearson, Survellience

Comments

  1. susan norwood says

    March 18, 2015 at 7:31 pm

    Students are so used to working with a partner or in a group that they feel this also applies to testing. I will have students “collaborate” during tests, right under my nose, even though they know they aren’t supposed to. Working in groups is fine, but it has been over-emphasized. As I tell my students, “You don’t take the big tests (EOC, ACT, SAT) with a group or partner. You are all on your own.” There’s a paradox here. Teachers have been told that it’s important to have students work in groups, but then when the big test comes, no more group. I don’t have students do much group work. It would be nice, but my job as an English teacher depends upon test scores. My students’ test scores affect my entire faculty of approximately 100 teachers.

    Reply
    • Nancy Bailey says

      March 18, 2015 at 8:22 pm

      Susan, I like groups, but I understand your concerns. Much too high-stakes. And that is so unfair. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
  2. Sheila Resseger says

    March 18, 2015 at 8:03 pm

    Peeping Pear$on is wrong on so many levels. One concern that I think many are overlooking is that without students commenting on the absurd test questions on the Pineapple and the Hare story several years ago, the general public would not have been aware that Pear$on was including such ridiculous and unfair questions on their high-stakes tests. Teachers and students should be able to discuss the test and their reactions to it after the test is completed, especially since they will not have access to the actual questions. In RI, PARCC is requiring districts to have teachers sign a “security agreement” that includes proctors not looking at the screens at all while students are testing, and never discussing the test, even after it is finished, on pain of possible employment and licensing consequences. The RI NEA is contesting this. Nancy rightfully says, “What concerns me, is the impersonal nature of Pearson, a faraway testing company, playing gotcha with the student.” The gotcha that Pear$on is playing is with the test questions themselves, which are convoluted and ambiguous, designed to trick students into wrong answers. The PARCC is a fatally flawed test based on fatally flawed standards and aligned with fatally flawed curricula, also supplied by Pear$on. Light needs to be shed on all of this.

    Reply
    • Nancy Bailey says

      March 18, 2015 at 8:37 pm

      Thank you, Sheila! Excellent points and thanks for reminding everyone about the Pineapple and the Hare! That story should be revived. I agree that the tests are designed to fail students and teachers. See Susan’s post above. There is no proof these tests will make college and career ready kids either. I am tired of hearing those in the media say that like they have proof.

      Reply
      • Leah K Stewart (@LearntSchool) says

        March 19, 2015 at 2:34 am

        Do I understand this correctly: there are no past papers available for PARCC tests? I’ve just tried to find some and only found practice tests. If true, that’s pretty bad. In the UK Pearson (and other exam boards) provide access to all past papers, plus mark schemes and reports. I’m not sure how soon after the exams they come out… but they are available see here: http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/support/support-topics/exams/past-papers.html. If students are forced to take tests that aren’t available for public review afterwards, that’s not OK. That’s not respectful to students or honest to the public. Please say that I’ve just not found the right link or that Pearson do have plans to publish past papers as they do in the UK.

        Reply
        • Sheila Resseger says

          March 19, 2015 at 10:17 am

          At a public forum on the Common Core last November, a RI Dept. of Education presenter said that some versions of the PARCC would be released after the testing, but not all. I’m sorry I didn’t take notes on that, so I’m relying on my memory here. She also said, as reported in the local paper, “There is no state law that says that your kids have to participate in the testing,” … “However, when you agree to have your kids participate in the state schools, you agree to follow the rules of those state schools. You participate in a social compact of sorts. Testing is a part of that school day, and those are part of the expectations, through both informal assessments and formal assessments. By federal law, our schools are held accountable to testing 95 percent of the students and we are asking parents to allow their students to be a part of that 95 percent for a true picture of our practices.” …
          xxxx “reminded parents that there are many other options out there for educating their students that could be explored for a better fit if they weren’t comfortable in public education, including homeschooling and private schooling options.” In other words, if informed parents have decided that the state/district’s decision to administer a test they believe is flawed, they have the freedom to remove their children from public school and educate them elsewhere. Well, many informed parents in RI have decided that the PARCC test is too flawed to allow their children to take them. This has resulted in numerous Refusals and extreme turmoil in the districts due to mixed messages from RIDE and a total lack of foresight to anticipate that parents might actually think for themselves and reject the CC/PARCC package.

          Reply
          • Nancy Bailey says

            March 19, 2015 at 9:24 pm

            Thank you Leah and Sheila. “reminded parents that there are many other options out there for educating their students that could be explored for a better fit if they weren’t comfortable in public education, including homeschooling and private schooling options.” I think that is exactly what they want.

  3. Dorothy McDonald says

    March 18, 2015 at 8:07 pm

    Think about this: “Group learning” projects have been very popular in elementary and secondary schools in the past few decades. Students are encouraged to collaborate by being given projects that require it. Is it surprising, then, that they collaborate when given a take-home test? We teach them to work together, then criticize them when they apply this to a different situation.

    I’m not saying cheating is OK, but we should think about where it comes from. Our testing should reflect our teaching style.

    Reply
    • Nancy Bailey says

      March 18, 2015 at 8:44 pm

      Dorothy, You and Susan remind of how kindergarteners have trouble taking tests because they are taught to share and they yell out the answers. I’m glad to hear of older students working in groups and collaborating. Individual testing–it has always been serious, but when did it get to where students are treated like criminals? And why must it be this way? Well, I know why, but I will ask that question anyway.

      Reply
  4. Leah K Stewart (@LearntSchool) says

    March 19, 2015 at 2:49 am

    On a broader note I recently took an adults language class associated with the local college. My aim was to develop my skills in the language, the teacher wanted to help me and the class …the collage wanted me to earn a certificate. I felt guilty that I found a native speaker and worked through my course assignments with her, but I did it because that’s the best way for me to develop and the best use of my restricted time. My course grades were good, but who cares? The test for me is when I’m using the language with real people; can I make new friends? can I tell a joke? am I brave enough to try? Those are the tests. At best national testing is unnecessary, at worst it’s damaging. If given full reign I wonder how many of our smart and caring teachers would volunteer their students for these tests?

    Reply
    • Nancy Bailey says

      March 19, 2015 at 9:27 pm

      Very good questions again, Leah. I think it involves whether the test is any good, and whether it will be helpful the student.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow me!

Enter your email address to subscribe to my blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

My Books

front cover

NEW BOOK!
An education glossary with an attitude.

Buy Now

front cover

Do we really want an America where we no longer own our public schools?

Buy Now

front cover

This book says “no” to the reforms that fail, and challenges Americans to address the real student needs that will fix public schools and make America strong.

Buy Now

Connect With Me!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Nancy E. BaileyFollow

Nancy E. Bailey
NancyEBailey1Nancy E. Bailey@NancyEBailey1·
17 Apr

Are schools bringing back cursive writing? I know that some children might have motor difficulties & shouldn't be made to do it, but are teachers & parents recognizing its importance to writing and reading?
https://nancyebailey.com/2018/01/13/teach-cursive-writing-why-its-important-for-children-including-those-with-dyslexia/

Reply on Twitter 1383443224262430724Retweet on Twitter 1383443224262430724Like on Twitter 13834432242624307241Twitter 1383443224262430724
Retweet on TwitterNancy E. Bailey Retweeted
susanohaSusan Ohanian@susanoha·
16 Apr

Read this comprehensive survey. Read it & though you'll be tempted to weep, instead, Do Something. FIGHT for children!
Acceleration: The Meaning Behind the Buzzword - https://go.shr.lc/2RFkeUk via @shareaholic

Reply on Twitter 1383043835752763397Retweet on Twitter 13830438357527633974Like on Twitter 13830438357527633974Twitter 1383043835752763397
Retweet on TwitterNancy E. Bailey Retweeted
susanohaSusan Ohanian@susanoha·
16 Apr

You could start by eliminating all forms of the word "accelerate" from your vocabulary.
To address gaps in student learning we must focus on gaps in living wage.
Think of all the ways adults have declined. Are we pushing them to accelerate? https://twitter.com/SecCardona/status/1380542538965254145

Secretary Miguel Cardona@SecCardona

We must implement strategies for accelerating learning and identifying where gaps exist.

Finally, educators are the glue that hold our classrooms together. We must work to support teacher and staff well-being.

Reply on Twitter 1383068332342063105Retweet on Twitter 138306833234206310511Like on Twitter 138306833234206310521Twitter 1383068332342063105
Retweet on TwitterNancy E. Bailey Retweeted
1in5awarenessLisa Nelson@1in5awareness·
16 Apr

“Schools are REQUIRED to locate, identify and evaluate all children with disabilities from birth through age 21.” #ChildFind is a VERY IMPORTANT part of Screening for #DYSLEXIA https://www.wrightslaw.com/bks/dvddp/index.htm #ScreenDyslexia #mapoli #maleg #mahouse #bospoli #MAedu #covid19MA #edchat https://twitter.com/1in5awareness/status/1383033923819732994

Lisa Nelson@1in5awareness

I spy with my little eye: CHILD FIND in the MA DESE #Dyslexia guidelines. https://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/dyslexia-guidelines.pdf #ChildFind #MAedu #screenDyslexia #mapoli #maleg https://www.wrightslaw.com/info/child.find.index.htm #education #dyslexia #advocacy #bospoli #FridayThoughts #education #sayDyslexia #reading #literacy

Reply on Twitter 1383035604930281474Retweet on Twitter 13830356049302814744Like on Twitter 13830356049302814748Twitter 1383035604930281474
NancyEBailey1Nancy E. Bailey@NancyEBailey1·
15 Apr

Will acceleration include realistic age-appropriate expectations? Or will it pressure children to be on a fast track of frustration?
https://nancyebailey.com/2021/04/15/acceleration-the-meaning-behind-the-buzzword/

Reply on Twitter 1382705958237974536Retweet on Twitter 13827059582379745362Like on Twitter 13827059582379745362Twitter 1382705958237974536
Load More...

Archives

Tag Cloud

Arne Duncan Autism Betsy DeVos Bill Gates charter schools class size Common Core Common Core covid-19 Digital Learning dyslexia early childhood education Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Florida high-stakes testing inclusion kindergarten learning disabilities Online Learning parents Personalized Learning phonics preschool private schools privatization public schools reading recess retention School Choice school libraries School Privatization school reform Social Emotional Learning special education students Students with Disabilities Teacher Preparation teachers Teach for America teaching Technology testing the arts vouchers

Copyright © 2021 Nancy E. Bailey · Website powered by Standing Pine Media.