Podcast Summary
Cheating Teachers Hamper Students’ Learning Outcomes: Cheating by teachers can compromise the integrity of the education system. Policymakers and stakeholders must acknowledge its existence and enforce strict policies to deter it, sending a clear message that cheating is not tolerated. Making it harder to cheat can also help maintain integrity.
Teacher cheating on behalf of students is a reality that policymakers and stakeholders in the education sector must be willing to address. Incentives such as the No Child Left Behind law and the need to maintain high test scores can drive teachers to cheat despite the negative impact on students’ learning outcomes. While only a small percentage of teachers cheat, it’s crucial to acknowledge the existence of cheating and enforce strict policies to deter it. Actions such as holding hearings and firing dishonest teachers can send a clear message that cheating will not be tolerated. Conversely, making it harder to cheat, such as with tests like the LSAT or SAT, can discourage cheating and maintain the integrity of the education system.
Cost-effective ways to combat cheating in schools: By implementing strategies such as using substitute teachers for testing, hiring part-time exam proctors, and addressing the incentives of decision-makers, schools can effectively combat cheating without breaking the bank. However, many institutions show an unwillingness to address the issue.
There are ways to combat cheating in schools without spending a lot of money. For instance, in place of having teachers administer the tests themselves, they could be replaced by other teachers for that day. Additionally, part-time jobs could be offered to exam proctors at a much lower cost. However, the real problem is a failure of incentives. Those who make the choices and spend the money don't want cheating to go away that badly. Steven Levitt tried to start a company offering catching-cheating-teacher skills to school districts, but no one was interested. This highlights the unwillingness of many institutions to address the issue of cheating in a meaningful and effective way.
