Education - General
by: Jerry Price - Aug 1, 2005 - comment
Almost two-thirds of the nation’s 13- to 17-year-olds say there is either a “great deal” (19 percent) or a “fair amount” (46 percent) of cheating taking place in their schools. Forty-six percent of all teens say they have personally cheated on school work. So who is doing the cheating?
“The data show that teens who define their class standing as ‘below average’ are more likely to admit they’ve cheated than teens who define their standing as ‘near the top’ (44 percent compared with 32 percent). But surprisingly, the teens in the middle of the pack are the most likely to say they have cheated. Fifty-three percent of those who define their class standing as ‘average,’ and 51 percent who say it is ‘above average,’ admit to cheating on a test or exam at some point.
“Substance use also relates strongly to teens’ likelihood to cheat. Teens who say they have consumed alcohol, smoked marijuana, and smoked cigarettes are far more likely than other teens to admit that they have cheated in school.”
Heather Mason, “U.S. Schools: Whole Lotta Cheatin’ Going On,” (Gallup Poll), May 11, 2004 [Subscription required]
In a 2004 study of discipline policies in public schools, both teachers (97 percent) and parents (78 percent) say there is a problem and the discipline policies that are in place in most schools is not working in the best interest of all students. The study found:
- The vast majority of both teachers (85 percent) and parents (73 percent) say the school experience of most students suffers at the expense of a few chronic offenders. Most teachers (78 percent) report that students who are persistent behavior problems and should be removed from school grounds are not removed.
- Students pay a heavy price academically when schools tolerate the chronic bad behavior of a few. Most teachers (77 percent) admit their teaching would be a lot more effective if they didn’t have to spend so much time dealing with disruptive students. Similarly, many parents (43 percent) believe their child would accomplish more in school if teachers weren’t distracted by discipline issues.
- Lack of parental support and fear of lawsuits are ever-present concerns for many teachers. Nearly 8 in 10 teachers (78 percent) say students are quick to remind them that they have rights or that their parents can sue.
- Many teachers say documentation requirements go beyond common sense. Although relatively few teachers (14 percent) reject the need to document incidents of misbehavior as too cumbersome, more than 4 in 10 (44 percent) say the requirements in their own school “go beyond common sense” and are used primarily to protect the schools from potential lawsuits.
- Student discipline and behavior problems are pervasive. More than half of the teachers surveyed (52 percent)—and 43 percent of the parents—report having an armed police officer stationed on their school grounds.
- Student discipline takes a toll on teachers. More than 1 in 3 teachers say they have seriously considered quitting the profession—or know a colleague who has left—because student discipline and behavior became so intolerable.
- Problems with student behavior appear to be more acute in urban schools and in schools with high concentrations of student poverty.
Excerpted from Teaching Interrupted: Do Discipline Policies in Today’s Public Schools Foster the Common Good?, May 2004
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