Cover story (Issue 5) by The Muse at Dreyfoos

with some perfect

students, it might be the

punishment or it might really hurt somebody terribly. -Assistant Principal Leo Barrett

of their class who do the most cheating because they want to maintain that reputation.” The following results from a Muse survey of 999 students were distributed and collected in confidentiality in order to ensure the accuracy of results. • 85 percent of students do not think teachers report every student they catch cheating. • 80 percent of students report that their do not teachers require the honor code on every test and assignment. • 54 percent of students have looked at another student’s paper during a test. • 92 percent admitted that they would not report a fellow student for cheating. “I feel like [cheating] goes unpunished a lot and I feel like in some circumstances, because it’s not punished, it’s almost like it’s hurting yourself to not cheat,” communications senior Donald Meyers said. “It feels like if you’re not cheating, you’re doing yourself a disservice because you never get caught and you never get in trouble for it anyways.”

Why is Cheating Controversial? Although the integrity policy and its disciplinary course are

both controversial, perhaps the definition of cheating is, in fact, the root of the controversy. In a survey of 999 students, 60 percent consider copying another student’s homework cheating. “We are looking at cheating as just plagiarism; there are so many other aspects that gives a place for people to disagree,” social studies teacher Danielle Edwards said. While some teachers endorse the use of websites such as AP Central and Spark Notes, others find that students abuse the supplemental aspect of such resources. “A condensed version of notes for anything is great, but if a teacher tells you to read an entire work and you use those sources inappropriately, then you’re cheating,” science teacher Stephen Anand said.

Teachers In a survey of 32 academic teachers, 66 percent of teachers have reported students for cheating and 63 percent of teachers admit that they have caught students cheating but did not report them. Based on the school wide Integrity Policy, teachers must report a student who was caught cheating and

write a referral. “I don’t think the honor code is being enforced. I know of teachers who have followed all of the disciplinary procedures and, for some reason, penalties were not given,” said communications teacher and Quill and Scroll Honor Society Stephen Moore. “Teachers are supposed to make reports and it is not sure to me where it goes from there. Something is broken: there is inconsistency.”

The Integrity Policy

encompasses the honor code and specifically details the disciplinary actions for students who are caught committing “academic dishonesty and/or cheating.” “[The current disciplinary system] is disjointed in some areas, with who handles the incident and how. It’s hard for us [teachers in charge of honor societies] to be involved and know when a student has been reported for cheating,” Ms. Stout said. “How are we supposed to know unless administration lets us know?”

Implications/Effects For many students, the second level of the integrity

8% 74% 18%

policy, which states that, “the student will be removed from all Honor Societies for the duration of high school,” is the most contentious. Fifty-six percent of students disagree with the consequences of cheating and believe that students who have been reported for cheating just once should not be able to join or remain in honor societies. In fact, there are students who have been reported for cheating at least once and continue to remain members of these honor societies. In Art, French, Dance and Quill and Scroll Honor Society, two percent of students have been reported for cheating. In Spanish and National Honor Society, four percent of members have been reported for cheating. Additionally, in the English Honor Society, 6 percent of students have been reported for cheating. “You can’t call it an honor society and put somebody in

Do you consider copying another student’s homework cheating? SHOULD STUDENTS caught cheating BE ALLOWED TO Be IN AN HONOR SOCIETY?

SHOULD STudents caught cheating BE ALLOWED TO Be IN THE TOP 20%?

44%

35%

56% NO

DO you think the honor code prevents cheating?

an honorable position if they are caught being dishonorable,” social studies teacher Danielle Edwards said. Ninety-four percent of teachers agree with Ms. Edwards and the student body that students who have been reported for cheating at least once should not be able to remain or join any honor society for the duration of their high school career.

Students

YES

According to the same Muse survey of 999 students, 92 percent admitted that they would not report a fellow student for cheating. “There’s such a social pressure to be accepted that to say ‘no this is my work and you can’t have it’ almost seems comical,” Ms. Edwards said. “[Cheating] has become the norm that you know doing it must not be that bad.” Because such a culture exists at Dreyfoos, cheating has become

65%

YES

ENT

D STU

60% 100% SAID YES

SAID YES

che Tea

TheresultsfromaMuse surveyof999students were distributed and collectedinconfidentiality inordertoensureaccuracy of results. To see more resultsfromthesurvey, check out the banner wrappingthelowerportion of the pages.

YES

92% NO

an issue that administrators cannot find the perfect solution to. “There’s no perfect punishment; with some students, it might be a perfect punishment or it might really hurt somebody terribly so just the punishment side is not always the right way to go,” Assistant Principal Leo Barrett said. “It’s got to be a balance of the right steps with punishment and consequences.” Eighty-seven percent of students believe that teachers do not catch most cheating. Based on these results, it would indicate that the current disciplinary action and Integrity Policy together are ineffective in regards to decreasing and preventing cheating. “[Students cheat at Dreyfoos] because there isn’t sufficient punishment to deal with it and because our school is more competitive than other schools. So when you have that competitive environment, kids will use whatever edge

they can to get ahead,” said Meyers. “And if they feel like they can get ahead without any consequences, by using illegitimate means, they’ll sometimes resort to those means.” The Integrity Policy was created and designed five years ago in order to prevent, decrease and hinder the amount of cheating at Dreyfoos. Although some may believe the current system is effective, due to the survey results, it is clear that there are flaws in the policy. Many students and teachers alike will continue to express concern about the issue of cheating, but to math teacher Olive Bryan, students who participate in dishonest activity will reap the consequences in the long run. “Cheaters never win, and winners never cheat,” Ms. Bryan said. g

Contributors:MuseStaff

Yes (74)No(726)Ihavenevercheated(171)10.Ifyousawastudentcheating,wouldyoureporthim/her?Yes(89)No(894)11.Doallofyourteachersrequireyoutowritethehonorcodeoneveryassignmentandtest?Yes(197)No(800)12.Haveallofyourteachersexplainedtheexactdisciplinaryconsequencesforcheating?Yes(477)No(521)

punishment;

TEST

perfect

Ahala pulicis pubis prore, di, cuperum nostrorum iam cres mus territ Catum prei perem supicon untribus ela int. Artiu conequam patissim plin Etrae patis. Me nos is ficaet; hilicae perfirtum dem, nicae nit; no. Adhus. C. Quam oc, nos conditribus, se periu egerractam, cont pos consEx-

There’s no

TEST

1.Isconsultingonlineresourcesforanessayorhomeworkassignmentcheating?Yes(72)No(912)2.Istellingotherstudentsabouttopics/questionsonatestcheating?Yes(306)No(660)3.Haveyouevercopiedanot

he Integrity Policy was created in 2006 to effectively prevent and manage cheating. The Honor Code, a key aspect to the Integrity Policy, is one of the steps taken by administration to prevent and reduce cheating at the source. According to a survey of 999 students, 92 percent do not believe that the honor code prevents cheating. Due to a lack of a clear definition of cheating, inconsistency among teachers when reporting students for cheating and a competitive culture, students are cheating at Dreyfoos. “Students are pressured, I believe, to do well by their parents, and they’re very competitive,” math teacher Olive Bryan said. “They feel the need to cheat to get ahead. I think it’s students who are at the top

AND I HAVE BEEN REPORTED Ahala pulicis pubis prore, di, cuperum nostrorum iam cres mus territ Catum prei perem supicon untribus ela int. Artiu conequam patissim plin Etrae patis. Me nos is ficaet; hilicae perfirtum dem, nicae nit; no. Adhus. C. Quam oc, nos conditribus, se periu egerractam, cont pos consEx-

cheatED?

YES AND I HAVE NOT YES BEEN CAUGHT I have never NO cheated

TEST

Have you ever

YES

Cheating SUCCEEDING

DO YOU THINK TEACHERS CATCH 87% MOST CHEATING NO

13%

her student’shomework?Yes(823)No(156)4.Haveyoueverlookedatanotherstudent’spaperduringatest?Yes(537)No(457)5.Haveyoueverusedatechnologicaldeviceduringaquizortest?Yes(333)No(663)6.Haveyoueverhiddeninformation(i.e.writtenanswersonyourbody)duringatestorquiz?Yes(426)No(564)7.Haveyoueverexchangedtestanswersduringatest?Yes(402)No(580)8.Haveyouevertoldanotherstudentaboutatesttopic/questionbeforetakingatest?Yes(850)No(132)9.Haveyoueverbeenreportedforcheating?