Need ideas on how to stop CHEATING & start an effective HONOR CODE!

jlauer95
Mon, 27 Mar 2006 10:45:59 +0000

Everyone:

There have been threads in the past and present which vent the frustration of cheating. We need to come up with cohesive ideas on how to stop/prevent/discourage cheating for our schools (frankly, school admins don’t seem to have the time to “brain-storm” and need outside help).

IF this thread can come up with some thoughtful ideas, those who are interested can bring the ideas to their school admins and/or school boards for consideration.

1) First, what is cheating?

a) Test cheating – copying others’ answers, usuing “cheat sheets”, using text messaging, etc.

b) Plagiarism – copying another work without crediting source

c) Homework copying – asking to see a friend’s homework so the homework can be copied.

d) Parents doing an assignment for their child.

e) ??? Please add…

2) What about the “gray areas” of cheating?

a) “Parents input” – is it “cheating” if a parent proof-reads an essay and points out errors? Is it cheating if a parent reviews math homework about points out mistakes?

b) “Group Projects” – is it cheating when each member of a group project doesn’t do his/her “fair share” – how can that be properly and fairly addressed?

c) “phone a friend” – Calling a friend and asking for “help” on an assignment. How much “help” can a friend give without contributing to cheating?

d) What else???

3) What are some of your ideas to stop cheating?
Some methods to stop cheating mentioned below have been copied from another thread (thanks to the teachers who posted them).

a) *Assign papers that make it difficult to cheat (i.e., not a straight biography or book review)

b) *Give open book and open note tests (so everyone can use their notes, not just cheaters)

c) *Not grade homework on anything other than completion, so that students TRY it but don’t have to get it right–it’s supposed to be practice, right

d) Using turnitin.com. The program reads the student’s paper and creates a score as to home much it overlaps published sources. …a high score indicates a lot of copying…[therefore] he better have a lot of quotation marks and foot notes.

e) WHAT ARE SOME OTHER METHODS TO STOP CHEATING – PLEASE POST!

4) What are some effective punishments for cheating?

1) ISS – In-school Suspension

2) ???

5) What about “repeat offenders”? What consequences for them?

1) ???

6) How can we protect the kids who “tell on cheaters”?

a) Anonymous tip line.

b) Ideas?

7) What have some schools done to make their honor code work? (Simply “having” an honor code is not enough. An effective honor code must mean something.)

a) Zero tolerance for cheating.

b) Having kids sign a pledge.

c) Having a way that kids can confidentially report cheating.

d) What else???

When adding, please include an appropriate outline number/letter so I can copy/paste and make a comprehensive outline. Thanks!!!

Also, please list important points as concise as possible. If further writing is necessary, put it in a separate paragraph on the same post.

THANKS :)