Get Schooled

By HS Teacher Too

July 8, 2008 8:43 AM | Link to this

It should be obvious why teachers cheat — they’ve got a class full of kids they don’t think can pass an exam, the results of which may gravely affect all sorts of aspects of the school!

But Laura, you said one teacher is accused of looking ahead and discussing what he/she saw with colleagues. Wasn’t there some discussion of this, or a similar sitation to this, on this blog recently? I tend to think that something like this may be more innocent than some of the other, more blatant ways to cheat.

And, as I’ve said before, I simply do not understand why teachers are not allowed to look at the exam. If it’s a valid exam and teachers don’t conspire to each memorize a question, what’s the harm? Am I being naive?

By Momteach

July 8, 2008 9:03 AM | Link to this

Some teachers cheat to avoid the wrath of their Nazi principals while others cheat simply because they can get away with it. Cheating is probably more widespread than we think. Who knows?

I never look at the test booklets because I’m not supposed to. All of my courses have EOCT’s and I’m content with just reading my little spiel from the teacher booklet. The state provides more than enough old sample tests which I use in the weeks leading up to our test.

By catlady

July 8, 2008 9:35 AM | Link to this

I am aware of worse irregularities than these. I reported them, but nothing done. These involved not following the rules on administering the test.

By luvs2teach

July 8, 2008 9:42 AM | Link to this

Sticky subject, to be sure…

As far as the teacher looking ahead and sharing, I think the problem is that no one knows if anything was done with the information - did it influence how those teachers taught in the next couple days before that section? And, this is just speculation, because we know how the SS exam turned out, but maybe she was sharing because she freaked out that nothing they had taught that year was on it!

Still, like momteach, I don’t look - it’s too tempting and too scary - too tempting to want to say something and too scary if you get caught. I’ll pass. Besides, as momteach said, there are released versions and lots of test prep materials that have questions very similar to what’s on the test, and if you’re covering the standards anyway, you should be ok. We have people who see every test - the SPED teachers who have to read it to be in accordance with kids’ IEPs. They’re very good (at my school anyway) about not saying anything. On the other hand, the kids want to discuss everything on the tests after they’ve taken them - usually proud that they remembered something or concerned that we hadn’t covered it.

Stevn Leavitt, in his book Freakonomics talked about the issue of cheating and high stakes testing - he found the more riding on the test, the greater likelihood of cheating. Maybe someone needs to ask this teachers what pushed them over that point?

By Dragonlady

July 8, 2008 10:54 AM | Link to this

In my school, the students are herded into common areas and the tests are administered by administrators and guidance counselors. I have never even had the opportunity to look at a test booklet.

I realize that probably isn’t feasible for all schools, but it surely is helpful. Teachers serve as proctors, but do not administer the tests.

By WhatWillLauraDo?

July 8, 2008 11:48 AM | Link to this

We know the problem is widespread because Paul Donsky did a story on five Atlanta Public Schools that had CRCT scores so off the charts that the only teacher on the school board at the time said that there was no way they were legitimate.

Of course the higher ups at the AJC went into full cover up mode after that; Donsky was reamed by his superiors, and there was no follow up.

Remind you of anything Laura? Maybe the story you did on the APS teacher at Southside who was brutally assaulted?

You remember, you wrote the story. But even though a mother and daughter were arrested, and there were serious questions raised about APS’s handling of the incident in other media outlets, there has been ZERO follow up.

Where’s the follow up Laura? Or did they get to you, like they got to Paul Donsky?

By jim d

July 8, 2008 12:09 PM | Link to this

All the more reason to end this bull sh$%.

Brings back memories of the James Hope case several years ago. If you are new to the area, google it.

I happen to know that two of these eductors were dedicated caring teachers with years of dedicated service to the system and to their students.

When teachers have had enough of this donkey dung and decide to stand up for themselves and what is right for our students someone let me know so i can walk the lines with you. Until then STFU and quit whinning.

By HS Teacher Too

July 8, 2008 1:43 PM | Link to this

jim d, I’m disappointed. First WFC and now you. It’s no good when two of our best contributors drop “f-bombs” in their recent posts. Just because you use an acronym doesn’t make it any more appropriate.

By thomas

July 8, 2008 2:15 PM | Link to this

This business about teaching cheating on the test is nonsense. This is a nonsense story. Here’s the deal: Gwinnett County, being the Third Reich of school systems that it is, released this information about some teachers (a handful) being referred to the PSC for cheating and a few other things. They did this as a way to intimidate and scare teachers for the upcoming school year. Typical ploy. The school year is starting and they want to put a little fear in all the new teachers and a few other weaklings in the schools. “Do what we say, without question, or this is could happen to you!!!” Oh, I am so scared.

You see people, if you aren’t in the school system or have never taught before, then you would know that ten times worse than this happens and NOBODY is referred to the PSC. In the course of my short career, I know of just testing “irregularities” that were far worse than the little silliness I saw in the paper the other day.

You see my friends, Gwinnett is notorious (which is one reason I will not work there) for using intimidation and fear as a means to control its employees. For them, that’s what it’s all about. Power and control.

By jim d

July 8, 2008 2:24 PM | Link to this

Sorry HST too,

B ut as I said, I know a couple of these teachers and can’t help but feel they are getting screwed over by by a slimey short white headed aS$ that runs the system. and it just Pi#@ me off to see him treat employee’s and teachers the way he does and continue to get away with. He has admittedly falsified federal documents and the very Georgia Professional Standards Commission that will hear the cases against these teachers, determined that his falsifing the reports was not an issue of professional misconduct.

Look at it this way, after 10 years we all know this bogus testing craze is wrong, it accomplishes nothing of benefit and is just a political game. So why do we continue to sacrifice good teachers to a political agenda of a few administrators and politicans? When are people going to stand up?

To be quite honest, I’m not sorry for my previous comment. It needed to be said and more importantly it needs to be heard. So if You want to talk about appropriate. I’d love to set down with you and discuss what would be appropriate for our kids, what would be appropriate for our schools and what actions would be appropriate for parents and teachers to take to stop this crazy merry-go-round!

HAGD.

jd

By HS Teacher Too

July 8, 2008 2:28 PM | Link to this

Thomas,

Amen, Amen, and Amen! That is exactly why I left, and why I’ve often said that the United States Government doesn’t print enough money for me to ever go back!

The shame is that there are so many teachers who do allow themselves to be intimidated. Jim d is right about one thing: until the teachers collectively put their money where their mouths are and do something about it, it’s their own burden to bear.

Speaking of which, Jim D, you probably know: whatever happened to the Gwinnett Teachers’ Alliance? Didn’t they at least try to rise up?

By jim d

July 8, 2008 2:38 PM | Link to this

Gwinnett Teachers’ Alliance?

Hardly an alliance when everyone is too intimidated to step up to the plate. Yes there were some people of moral fortitude involved, but unfortunately they were left standing in the rain by the majority of those they strove to assist.

By thomas

July 8, 2008 2:41 PM | Link to this

Since the topic today is “Who’s Cheating”, I think I will share with you some of my favorite tales (all true stories, or course) of “testing issues”.

1) The special education teacher, who while reading the test and answer choices to her group of students, would raise the volume and pitch of her voice when she would read the correct answer choice.

2) The NUMEROUS, NUMEROUS, NUMEROUS (since the article mentioned this ONE woman who shared a test question with a colleague) times I have HEARD teachers talking about test questions they saw on the CRCT. This one, people, happens all the time.

3) The times people have “lost” test booklets and answer sheets, only to refind them later.

4) Teachers who reviewed course material during days of testing.

5) Teachers who left up posters and other materials that should have been taken down for testing.

6) And here’s the best one of all- THE PRINCIPAL AND LITERACY COACH WHO WENT TO THE SCHOOL ON A SATURDAY TO “WORK”. IN BUILDING, BY THEMSELVES, ALL DAY. The principal, of course, had a key to the room the CRCT tests where were being stored. This was the weekend before the tests were to be turned in to the county warehouse. The tests were to be turned in that Monday afternoon. Strangely enough, this particular school, a school on the Needs Improvement List, had several third grade classes that had a 100% pass rate on the reading section of the CRCT.

I don’t know if you believe in coincidence. However do. Coincidences happen everyday. I just don’t trust coincidences.

The stuff these people talk about is nothing. If you only knew a fraction of what really goes on in the schools……

The strange world we live in.

By hotlanta

July 8, 2008 2:51 PM | Link to this

I am ROTFLMAO because this has been going on in HIGH SCORING Gwinnett for years. Ain’t no way that all the kids in school make A’s and noone has made a D”. Come on. Yall remember when a teacher lost his job because he failed a student who was constantly SLEEPING in class.

By hotlanta

July 8, 2008 2:51 PM | Link to this

I am ROTFLMAO because this has been going on in HIGH SCORING Gwinnett for years. Ain’t no way that all the kids in school make A’s and noone has made a D”. Come on. Yall remember when a teacher lost his job because he failed a student who was constantly SLEEPING in class.

By Lee

July 8, 2008 2:57 PM | Link to this

Get rid of multiple choice or true/false questions, and put in essay questions that actually ask the kids what they know, and their ability to express their comprehension of reading the question, and knowledge in writing. More time, more expense, but you actually get kids to learn, rather than spout off answers they don’t understand, but have memorized because teachers teach to the test. I can teach my dog all sorts of tricks, but he doesn’t really know what he’s doing, besides pleasing me. Kids who want to please their teacher do well. Those that dislike their teachers do poorly. Those kids who know, don’t care about tests. Niels Bohr was once asked on a test to figure out the height of a building using a barometer. His expected answer was to take readings at the base and the top of the building, and figure out the height by the variation of barometric pressure. Instead, he gave a perfectly correct answer, that because it was unexpected, it was marked wrong. He said he would go to the building superintendent’s office in the basement, and say, “Hey, Mister! I’ll trade you this really neat barometer if you’ll tell me how high this building is!” Teach to the test. Yeah. Right.

By jim d

July 8, 2008 3:00 PM | Link to this

Let me just ask how many teachers are even aware of this website? I would venture a guess of not many

By ron

July 8, 2008 3:14 PM | Link to this

I once lived in a state where the school district from whence the State education head hailed was allowed to score their tests differently than other districts.Guess which district had almost perfect scores in all their schools?

In this same state I watched a school attended by American Indians go from woefully inadequate to the top 1% of all schools in the state in one year and stay there.Same background for the children,same teacher.

There are numerous ways to cheat.Do I blame the teachers?No.

By jim d

July 8, 2008 3:15 PM | Link to this

It’s Déjà vu all over again.

Who’s Winking and Nodding? By Patti Ghezzi | Tuesday, April 18, 2006, 03:19 PM

By No Name Yet

July 8, 2008 3:26 PM | Link to this

Lots of good points here. Now what will be done about it?

jimd- Thanks for the Advocate site!

By jim d

July 8, 2008 3:41 PM | Link to this

Who is cheating?

Perhaps it would be easier to ask who isn’t cheating?

But since it is worded as it was—here’s a few that have

By Parent

July 8, 2008 4:07 PM | Link to this

Ok, if it were a kid cheating it would be those “awful, horrible” kids, but if it’s a teacher, it’s a totally different story. What gives??? A cheater is a cheater, no matter who. The teachers who looked ahead and gave the answers knew the rules ahead of time. They cheated. They should be punished, just like a student would be if they were caught cheating. End of story.

By Teacher

July 8, 2008 4:07 PM | Link to this

I went to a seminar given by a principal who says that he puts his teachers on a Professional Growth Plan if their test scores are not good. For those that do not know what that is—it is saying that you are not doing your job and you will have to do things like visit other schools, attend workshop and keep all types of data..among other things. If you are place on the plan it will be very hard for you to get a job any place else—it is seen as a very negative consequence. So bad that if you are placed on one(in many districts) you cannot leave that school until you improve and come off the plan….and you wonder why teachers cheat. I would never ever work for that Principal because I teacher Special Education students and all of my kids come to me below grade level—I wouldn’t stand a chance working for him.

By jim d

July 8, 2008 4:25 PM | Link to this

Dear parent,

Please define cheating.

By Secret Squirll

July 8, 2008 4:32 PM | Link to this

Teachers are the same as Politicians - You cannot and should not trust them. Some will lie and yes cheat to achieve the results they want…Need I say more? Besides if you left a kid in a candy factory, do you honestly think he’s not gonna sneak a few in his pockets? Temptation is hard to resist for some. Teacher who cheat or help students pass as dishonest people from the start and should be fired. They are capable of anythng and therefore should not be trusted!

By Tony

July 8, 2008 4:58 PM | Link to this

jim d is onto something by asking for a definition of cheating. You know why? Because, cheating means different things to different people.

Baseball is plagued with cheating (according to some people) because of the use of steroids. Due to technicalities in baseball contracts and rules, players have not been required to participate in drug screening. Does this constitute cheating on the part of baseball players?

Mortgage brokers have been accused of cheating by allowing people with poor credit to get mortgages they could not afford. But, the rules allowed those mortgages and lenders backed the deals. Did someone cheat?

Enron and WorldCom? Tyco? Weapons of mass destruction? Are these things cheating?

The more a single measure is used to determine success, the more likely it is that measure will become corrupt. (Someone important said this, but I can’t remember who.)

School systems look good when they police their classrooms and report the “cheaters”. Unfortunately, cheating also comes in the form of reports. Public relations staff will gloss over reports, statistics will be presented out of context, excuses for poor performance will be given, … Well, you get the picture.

By catlady

July 8, 2008 5:41 PM | Link to this

Whew, Tony, you just typed a (mouthful? handful?) As long as there are people unsophisticated in one thing or another, such as understanding data and doing fair analysis, you will have the types of cheaters spoken of in your last paragraph. Our supt is very good at being sure the folks in our county see the most clean-spun stuff. If last year 95% of the kids failed the CRCt and this year 90% fail, we would see an article in our weekly paper touting the remarkable improvement in scores. I secretly call him “Maytag.” And the negative stuff does not get in the paper, unless it comes from the state DOE (such as the middle school CRCT debacle). I have written so many great newspaper headlines telling what I think is the true story: Scores for the lowest quarter of students do not drop; Top students fail to make a year’s progress—that would be one. Or : Only the bottom-dwelling students at the bottom again this year (and no one cares about them much anyway since most of them are sp ed and ESOL.)

Parent, I am not defending those teachers, but I understood they told their students what was going to be asked, not what the answers were. It still breaks the rules. However, for many of our kids you could give them the crct and let them work on it with any number of books as reference and they still would not pass it.

I am always assigned to test the kids who have to be read to (many of them I do not teach). I never read ahead because it would make me too mad (and it is against the rules, besides). I mean, how many times should the question about the state bird of Georgia be on the test? And some of the questions are so poorly worded I can justify more than one correct answer.

IMHO, the CRCT in math at the elmentary level is now a test of reading skills. There is no longer any pure computation. So we really don’t know if the kids can subtract with regrouping or not, since many of them cannot read the question.

By TheBlogger

July 8, 2008 5:43 PM | Link to this

As a teacher myself, I am guilty of sharing information on old standardized tests with fellow teachers. I do not see this as “cheating” because all teachers need to understand how the questions are worded and what information is targeted on those tests.

It isn’t that we verbatim share questions and answers at all. The new tests will have different questions with different answers, etc.

It is like when one takes the practice SAT tests. You do it to get used to those types of questions and to understand how to answer them. It isn’t to learn new specific content material from those practice tests.

The state standards are extremely general, but the questions asked on the standardized tests are extremely specific. How else can we reconcile the difference? Any suggestions?

Does anyone think that what I do is “cheating?”

By jim d

July 8, 2008 5:43 PM | Link to this

Tony,

Indeed there remains an extremely large area with shades of gray between absolute right and absolute wrong.

If some of what these teachers did is wrong (cheating) how would we define teaching to a test? I know for a fact that exact questions that appear on these rediculous high stakes tests are often circulated on test prep quizzes that students are grilled with weekly and these questions are provided by the schools. (is that cheating?) How about the fact that parents are not allowed to see these top secret tests or the answers their child provided, so who is to say the testing companies aren’t cheating in order to fail a given percentage of students, thus creating a need for their services?

Unfortunately cheating has become a way of life in America’s business world and testing is BIG Business, my friend. Trusting these companies not to cheat is akin to trusting the fox to watch the hen house.

By Janine

July 8, 2008 5:52 PM | Link to this

jimd I am quite familiar with the MACE website. They had my middle school on there for a pretty long while when they picketed one of the “short term” principals. There actually were very few picketers and didn’t really do anything to change the situation. I read about and hear about MACE from time to time,as in when they got the principal at Stone Mtn. High fired.

By jim d

July 8, 2008 6:08 PM | Link to this

Tony,

Hmm, someone important?

that wasn’t a qoute from John taylors Tyranny Unmasked per chance?

By RamblinLonghorn

July 8, 2008 6:18 PM | Link to this

Damn these cheating teachers! They can’t just fiddle around with the input data we are feeding the robots…er children.

Analytical problem solving methods are the only thing being cheated here.

By Lyn

July 8, 2008 6:57 PM | Link to this

Who really knows what cheating is? Isn’t it kind of like all the lying going on in the election?

By Tony

July 8, 2008 7:29 PM | Link to this

Quality of the test is a critical concern if we are to place such high stakes on the assessment. Last year, I was nearly hauled before the PSC for reporting a bad question. In the beginning of the CRCT, the tests were to be released annually and teachers were given reports indicating which answers students marked on the test. This turned out to be too expensive and the practice was quickly halted. jim d is right about the need for teachers to band together and work to put a stop to this detrimental and unfair practice of high stakes testing.

ps jim d: I’ll have to look up the quote tomorrow in my office.

By TheBlogger

July 8, 2008 7:49 PM | Link to this

Janine and jimd - MACE (as well as the other so-called teacher “organizations” in GA is a crock. They have no real authority or power and will quickly bow to any administration or political BS. They cannot help any teacher being mistreated and certainly cannot help education in GA.

GA needs a real teacher UNION like American Federation of Teachers (www.aft.org). They fight for good education, good teachers, good classrooms, and work to pass laws to promote all of that.

It is my understanding, however, that GA State law makes it illegal for state employees (and teachers in GA are considered as such) to join any real union. We must first fight to change that law for the sake of education in GA.

By TheBlogger

July 8, 2008 7:51 PM | Link to this

Okay, I may be mistaken. Maybe the GA State law doesn’t prohibit joining a real union, but it does prevent any real action that a union can take to help education.

By HS Teacher Too

July 8, 2008 7:55 PM | Link to this

jim d,

I don’t disagree with your take on GCPS, Napoalvin, as you call him, or the GTA. In fact, I couldn’t agree with you more about any of it, and I despise GCPS. That’s a well-known, often-stated fact. I just didn’t think you needed to use the f-bomb to express your frustrations. Call me old-fashioned, but (at least in print — Lord knows I am not one to say I never swear) the f-word seems to lessen your argument, despite all the other swear words or allusions to swear words. But that’s not the point of today’s blog.

As for sitting down and chatting, I’m game — you name the day! I think I would learn quite a bit from a chat with you! I think we’re all but neighbors, anyway, to boot.

By who knows

July 8, 2008 8:38 PM | Link to this

Cheating is really bad on some of the standard exams. At some schools, teachers are changing the student’s answers. Can you blame them? The NCLB is a joke. The intent is good, but what is the difference between a 515 and a 516 on the math part of the GHSGT? Give me a break!

By Janine

July 8, 2008 8:47 PM | Link to this

Lee@2:57..You know there is a school of thought that proposes that multiple choice , i.e. “bubbling in” questions has caused the downfall of real thinking and thoughtful written expression in America.
Back in the day, I never took [high school or college….with the exception of the SAT] or gave a test or exam that did not include essay questions, many exams/tests were totally essay questions. Some included very few multiple choice, some short “”written” answer questions, some fill in the blank. I think these people who believe this may be on to something.!!!!!

By Tony

July 8, 2008 9:03 PM | Link to this

On teachers’ unions - Georgia disallows collective bargaining for teachers, not unions. I, for one, do not believe teachers’ unions to be the answer to improving education in Georgia or this nation, but I do not believe the unions are to blame, either. The role of teachers’ unions in public is frequently distorted for the sake of political argument.

I agree, Janine, that good assessment includes a variety of forms of questions. I always included essay, problem solving (the “show your work” kind), and short answer questions on all my tests.

As I said earlier, the state is not willing to pay the price for these kinds of questions for its statewide, mandated testing program.

By Cobby

July 8, 2008 9:06 PM | Link to this

My admin in charge of testing was shocked that I could not discuss the problems on our 8th Grade Crct——she wanted me to look. I did not feel comfortable and refuse to cheat or do anything unethical. I was made to feel that I was an idiot because I am an honest teacher. I am sure that my scores will be lower than those that cheat. Who is the loser here?? Those that cheat and look good or those of us that refuse to cheat?

By sld

July 8, 2008 9:22 PM | Link to this

All teachers tell what will be seen on the test. We get reprimanded if we don’t. You go to college learning that you never teach to the test then you get a job and the administration makes you spend the month of March giving practice tests. We go to meetings to hear what will be seen on the test. I never do it because I figure as long as we make the kids successful on these stupid tests they will never go away. If they pass they pass, if not, oh well. These stupid tests need to go away. They are stressful to us and the kids and frankly I get sick of my abilities as a teacher being based on test scores. Administrators don’t want to be seen as failurs. They don’t care what the teachers do…they just want good results. Anyone who claims otherwise is lying. They all do it, otherwise schools would never see the results they do.

By lynn d

July 8, 2008 10:01 PM | Link to this

When my mother taught in DeKalb County, 40+ years ago, she was one of two new teachers in her grade level. The other two teachers were veterans. The two veteran teachers would give different portions of the standardized test (whatever it was back then) on different days so that they could tell each other what was on the section and then work with the kids the rest of the day. Back then there was no NCLB, etc, but the teachers use to like to brag that they had the highest test scores in the building. This is not a new problem.

By Lee (the original)

July 8, 2008 10:24 PM | Link to this

Wow.

It’s called FRAUD people.

The three legs of the FRAUD triangle are Motive, Opportunity, and Rationalization.

Reading these posts about “define cheating,” or the evil administrator Nazi forces us to do it is merely rationalizing your actions.

Has the teaching profession stooped so low that we cannot trust these “professionals” to administer a simple test?

Of course, when you consider that the reason the NCLB was passed in the first place is that we could not trust a high school graduate to be literate.

Note to self: start putting away a little extra money to send the grandkids to private school.

By Janine

July 8, 2008 11:02 PM | Link to this

o-o-o-o- Lee,,,,lots of teachers who are at retirement age continue to teach to help pay for their grandchildren to go to private school!!!!Join the group!!!!

By Sp Ed HS Teacher

July 9, 2008 12:33 AM | Link to this

As a Sp Ed teacher, I proctor EOCT and GHSGT several times per year. I do not read the test; sticking to just the manual and samples I am to read and what Dept of Ed has on line.

Ethics training is done by GAE and it reflected my values. Many new teachers lack ethics and do not understand they are breaking the law. They can lose their teaching certificate for a limited time, or maybe forever.

By Margaret

July 9, 2008 1:49 AM | Link to this

When my kids were at Vanderlyn the teachers would take the sheets and make sure all the bubbles were completely penciled in after the children were done with their standardized tests. The principal was totally in agreement with this - I was appalled and suspected that there was a little extra help given - but when would the Dekalb public school system care about ethical behavior and good stewardship? Vote them all out.

By Dr. Craig Spinks

July 9, 2008 2:45 AM | Link to this

We hire election workers to run polling places. Why not train retired teachers and other interested parties to administer our “high stakes” tests? By the way, does anyone else see a conflict of interest in persons’ administrations of tests whose results impact decisions affecting their future employment?

By Martina

July 9, 2008 7:58 AM | Link to this

Margaret - I’m in a different system (not Dekalb) and we also are asked to look over each child’s test booklet to make sure they’ve not invalidated the whole test by making stray marks, etc. Not sure why that would be cheating - it’s just hard to little ones to handle those small answer sheets. I have a friend who just finished teaching 3rd grade summer school for those who didn’t pass the CRCT, and she said she had one who they all said HAD to have marked the answer sheet wrong. He was a great reader and could comprehend and answer everything, but had made a score in the mid 700s. So he spent 3 weeks in summer school because he didn’t fill out the answer sheet correctly!

By Ernest

July 9, 2008 9:42 AM | Link to this

Good suggestion Dr. Spinks but the never ending question would be, how will you pay for them? An alternate to that would be to ‘swap’ staffs of the ‘target groups’ at neighboring schools during the testing period. There would be some logistical issues to work on but this could provide some impartiality of the testing administrators.

By Gwinnett Educator

July 9, 2008 10:58 AM | Link to this

This topic has truly been interesting to read. When it comes to the CRCT, the worst crime I have committed was running across the hall before school started to ask another teacher a question. OF COURSE..I did not have my big container of testing materials w/ me and also, I forgot to have them sitting at my feet instead of behind my desk while greeting the students as they came in that morning.

Other than that, I don’t crack open the first book. To be honest, I despise that CRCT that I do not care to look.

If “cleaning” the test booklets (1st and 2nd grade) is cheating, then that I am guilty of also. We HAVE to do it (orders from the top)…go through, erase stray marks, darken in the circles that were done so lightly, etc. But I have never changed anything. That CRCT is not worth me losing my career over.

By 4students

July 9, 2008 12:41 PM | Link to this

In my school we have teachers who always have high scores regardless of the ability level of their students. We all know they are know they are rephrasing questions and giving little hints. The paras who have proctored with them have verified this. One even reported it to administration and nothing was done. In fact, the administration singles these teachers out in faculty meetings for what a terrific job they are doing with their students. If anything, teachers are encouraged to cheat in my building. It puts and honest teacher at a disadvantage.

By Tony

July 9, 2008 1:01 PM | Link to this

Lee (the original), the reason for my discussion about “what is cheating” was to show that “cheating” occurs more outside of the teachers’ classrooms than inside. The teacher becomes the easy target for others in this high stakes environment. I am not in disagreement that cheating should be dealt with appropriately. What I resent is the widespread manipulations by political and business leaders that are blatant instances of cheating. Our president can declare war based on weapons of mass destruction, yet a teacher can not even question the accuracy of the CRCT without being accused of cheating. Is there something wrong with this picture?