Ethics in Our Schools

With MSAs finishing up and HSAs just around the corner, students and teachers in Baltimore City are all anxious about testing. These high-stakes testing programs have caused debate over their authenticity, their effects on curriculum, and the weight that they carry. The Baltimore Sun recently pointed out, however, that we also must consider the ethical violations that seem to be on the rise with the trend towards high-stakes testing.

According to the article, last year in Maryland there were several reports of teacher-led cheating in Carroll and Charles counties. Across the country, teachers and administrators have been caught giving students answers, changing answers and forging test papers to increase their test scores in order to make adequate yearly progress. The rise in unethical behavior has paralleled the implementation of No Child Left Behind Act and its increased emphasis on test scores. This increase has led to the need for monitors to ensure that tests are given securely.

This article raises the question—what else is being handled unethically in our schools? I would argue that student disciplinary measures have also been compromised. Administrators, teachers and security personnel may be turning their heads or inappropriately handling violent misbehavior to avoid having their school labeled as “persistently dangerous”. Attendance records are also falsified—if a student is seen in the building but never in class, is he present? He is if you are trying to make AYP. While these two examples may seem minor in comparison with cheating on a high-stakes test, to me they represent larger problems within our system. If we, as adults, as leaders, cannot hold ourselves to the most basic of ethical principles, how can we bring about positive change for our children? The results so far seem alarmingly clear.

You can read The Baltimore Sun article here: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.cheating21mar21,1,4025619,print.story