Are We Missing the Signs of Fraud in our Schools?

There is more pressure than ever on teachers to meet district requirements and ensure that students meet standards. So much so that some educators would even risk his or her job if it meant a raise. This type of behavior is a growing trend that leaves our students as victims and our districts with a huge social issue: Fraud.

Recently the staff of Normany Crossing Elementary, outside Houston, eagerly awaited the results of their state achievement test this spring. For administrators higher scores would mean stellar rankings in the state, for 5th grade math & science teachers impeccable scores would equal bonuses upwards of $2,850.

When test results were tallied the scores were even higher than expected. Many in the community thought the outcomes were too good to be true, so an investigation began into the recent testing that had taken place. After the investigation began, the principal, assistant principal and three teachers resigned because of this horrific scandal over test tampering.

Come to find out educators in the district had compiled a detailed study guide on the state science test. However they didn't just rip open the booklet and copy the questions-they 'tubed' it which means they squeezed a test booklet without breaking the paper seal, to form a tube so they could just see the information in the guide and not get caught. Why not spend your time teaching and not think of ways to cheat the system? You might also be thinking this must be an isolated incident, but investigations in Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, Virginia among other places have encountered similar incidents of cheating by educators.

Are higher test scores attained with cheating ever worth the worst case scenario outcome IF and WHEN you get caught? Does anyone else see that we are cheating our students out of an education to win bonuses? Lets get it right we aren't helping our students. This is one of the most selfish acts of adult behaviors against our education system that is already struggling to keep a vast amount of students at grade level.

If this district had a fraud system in place, an administrator or fellow teacher could have put their foot down to stop the reckless behavior. With PublicSchoolWORKS Fraud Reporting System staff could have anonymously reported behaviors and alerted staff to the cheating.

Don't let fraud go unnoticed in your district and remember fraud doesn't just get committed in the accounting office.

Story Courtesy: New York Times

Read all the details here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/11/education/11cheat.html