By David B. Wangaard, Ed.D.
The recent cheating scandal in the Atlanta public schools provides another wake-up-call for those of us who are concerned with American public education and its mission to advance an educated and ethical citizenry. These two goals have historically been the founding reason for public education. Integrity is a character trait and social asset that links these goals together.
That said, I do not believe the good people of Atlanta are any less ethical than the balance of the country. Yes, there was cheating by school administrators (at multiple levels), Yes, teachers fraudulently tried to improve student standardized test results; and, yes, it was discovered that cheating was identified in 78 percent of the schools investigated. But let’s compare that to the following statistics from a national survey of 40,000 high school students, completed by the Josephson Institute. The survey noted almost 60 percent of students reported cheating on exams. Similarly,The School for Ethical Education surveyed more 3,000 students in the northeast, and 95 percent of the students reported some form of cheating during the most recent school year.
What does all of this tell us? Cheating has become normative in American public education.
The primary factor cited for adult cheating in Atlanta was the pressure placed on teachers and administrators for students to achieve excellent results on standardized tests. Additionally, it was noted a culture of intimidation existed within the adult community to accept cheating practices, which is not meaningfully different from what research has revealed regarding student justifications for cheating. There is great pressure within the education system to show excellent results; furthermore, there is a culture of silence, which accepts cheating as a necessary means to an end. Are these pressures any different in the business, entertainment, and the political world?
Much damage is done when we (students or adults) allow these pressures to compromise our integrity. Authentic learning and measurement of learning is compromised. Trust is violated,and that trust is the bedrock of meaningful collaborations. Cheating leads to more cheating,undermining any attempt to build an ethical community. Ultimately, when our personal character is weakened, we become vulnerable to future ethical compromises.
Fortunately, there are strategies that schools and school districts can implement to support the development of a school culture of integrity. The first and most important step to make any progress in advancing a culture of integrity is for school leaders to make an ethical learning environment a goal for their administration by identifying and publishing core ethical values, and taking specific steps to develop adult and student ethical awareness, judgment, commitment, and action.
There is a critical need for school leadership (administration, teachers, unions, parents, PTAs, and student government) to take up this challenge and pursue ethical school cultures, not only to advance the benefits of academic integrity, but to support the historical mission of education: To advance the development of ethical and educated citizens.
David B. Wangaard, Ed.D., is executive director of The School for Ethical Education, in Milford, CT. He is co-author of Creating a Culture of Academic Integrity: A Toolkit for Secondary Schools, published by Search Institute. More information is available at www.ethicsed.org.
