...cheating

Although rising cheating rates in schools have signaled that the hole in our moral ozone is getting bigger, the media seem to have just discovered there's a problem. 

The latest student trick they've uncovered is the use of the Internet and cell phones.

This drives me crazy because the more we focus on all the clever ways youngsters cheat, the more likely we are to ignore the fact that the biggest single factor in escalating academic dishonesty is the failure of parents and teachers to diligently:

• teach, 
• enforce, 
• advocate, 
• model personal integrity.

It's adults, not kids, who have the greatest responsibility to create an ethical culture that nurtures the virtues of honor, honesty, and fairness. Part of that responsibility is to commit to the integrity of exams and grades. 

We can thwart high-tech exam cheating by old-fashioned low-tech methods:

1. Don't let students bring anything into the exam room that isn't essential to the test.
2. If calculators are necessary, assure that they're emptied of any improper information.
3. Prepare alternative forms of exams. 
4. Don't give the same test to different classes throughout the day. 

Have an attentive adult proctor each exam by continually walking among the test-takers.

What message do schools send when these simple procedures are ignored?

The truth is, we'll never solve the cheating problem until those who have the opportunity to instill values and shape attitudes of young people engage in thoughtful, systematic, and comprehensive efforts to promote integrity and prevent cheating.