Staff Corner
An issue of great importance has come up at recent staff meetings and has been addressed during one of our recent Advisory Group meetings: academic integrity and personal responsibility. We would like to share our thoughts with you and ask that as a family you discuss the topic and ideas herein at home.
While the majority of students undertake assignments and take tests to the best of their ability, there have been numerous instances of copying homework, plagiarism in written work, and cheating during exams. As a staff we discussed how to address this growing problem and what steps to take to help curtail such behaviors. During the ensuing conversation, we discovered that it is a multi-layered issue and as a teaching staff we deal with infractions in a variety of different ways. Should we have a consistent policy when dealing with issues of personal integrity and cheating? Should the age of the student play a part in the consequences outlined? How do we define “cheating”? Have we made known to the student body what our expectations are with regard to cooperatively preparing for an exam or project and for individual accountability during the evaluation phase? What should the consequence be for each type of “cheating”?
Both teachers and students have a role to play when it comes to creating a safe learning, and testing, environment. Classroom set up during evaluation activities can be important for a student who feels pressured to share his or her work with friends. A clear explanation of what is expected and what is not allowed is another important aid for those students who need concrete guidelines for written assignments and projects. Parameters for cooperative work and individual accountability are another way to help students understand where the line between acceptable assistance and “cheating” exists.
We have asked that the student body come together to form a study group or committee to help determine what we can do together as a community of learners to foster an environment where each student feels comfortable and able to produce their best, honest work. We understand that this is a shared responsibility and look forward to examining the root causes of these behaviors and what we can do to resolve the problem.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:07 am
http://www.stellerschool712.org/steller-philosophy
I see no reason to make individualized cheating a school matter. It feels like you are moving away from the philosophy of self-directed learning. If my child was cheating, I would expect the teacher(s) to speak to my child, then contact me. Having the student body/discussion group/study group, formulate ideas to deal with cheating sounds like Youth Court.
Read the first four paragraphs of the Steller Philosophy.
If cheating is rampant, and it appears it is more common than not, maybe a strong voice should be resonating “revoke the lottery application.” Otherwise, let’s keep this a situation where teacher/student/parents are working together to help the self-directed learner become a more responsible person in the community.