As AP World History teacher Jeri Bordelon grades the projects assigned to the class, she notices a consistency in the answers the students gave. She recalls events that should have made her suspicious, but for some reason she chose to ignore them until now. After investigation, Ms. Bordelon discovers that the majority of her students used Quizlet and other online resources to copy answers that others placed on these websites.

Cheating not only exists in Ms. Bordelon’s class but in schools all across the nation. According to Dictionary.com, cheating includes actions of fraud, deceit, violation of rules and taking an examination or test in a dishonest way.

”My first reaction was disappointment in my students trying to find the easy way out instead of using their own original thoughts,” Ms. Bordelon said. “Teachers are aware that cheating occurs, and we pick up on subtle clues that lead us to act on our suspicion. This was one of those instances in which my intuition was unfortunately correct.”

In a survey of 24,000 high school students, 95 percent of them admitted to cheating in some way (on a test, plagiarism or copying homework.) According to a study done by the Ad Council and Educational Testing Service, 95 percent of cheaters don’t get caught.

”I think people cheat because they’re not confident in their own abilities, and sometimes time gets the best of them,” Ms. Bordelon said. “Time management is an issue and students become too busy.”

Sophomore Alyssa Crosby used Quizlet for the history project along with 105 other students. Crosby did not know using the Internet would fall under the category of cheating since she used online resources in the past for other assignments. Technology gives a wider variety of ways to cheat, and students learn to use it to their advantage. They can send answers to one another using text or email or look up answers on the Internet.

“Students are given so much work to where they don’t have time to do it themselves, so they resort to taking the easy way out and use the Internet,” Crosby said.

All year in Ms. Bordelon’s class, she encouraged students to use online resources without receiving any consequences. Before Crosby reached ninth period AP World History, she heard rumors about Ms. Bordelon’s plans to give the students a zero for cheating on the project.

”I was worried, but I was more frustrated than worried,” Crosby said. “We’re allowed to copy word-for-word on daily assignments without negative ramifications, but when something like this happens, we have negative repercussions. The punishment wasn’t very fair.”

Below-average students used to be the ones most likely to cheat, but students ranked high in their class cheat as well. Cheaters have higher GPAs, and according to a poll, 80 percent of students cheated to get to the top of their class. To better their chances of getting accepted into a top college, students must develop a well-rounded personality by making high grades, participating in sports and engaging in community service. This amount of pressure leads many above-average students to cheat because they prioritize grades over education. Sophomore Thomas James* cheats often because of academic pressure, lack of time and laziness.

“Grades are everything,” James said. “Since the risk of getting caught is low, it makes it worth it to cheat.”

Cheating not only occurs in average high schools but in more prestigious schools as well. In 2012, a cheating scandal arose at Stuyvesant High School, a nationally-ranked school in New York. A survey taken by their school newspaper showed that 80 percent of the students cheated at some point. One graduate from Stuyvesant believes her classmates still possessed integrity despite how often they cheated, but opinions vary when the question of integrity arises.

“Cheating doesn’t tarnish integrity,” James said. “But I guess I think that because I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t care anymore.”

In a report done by the Josephson Institute, 99 percent of the students surveyed agreed with the statement: “It is important for me to be a person with good character,” but 75 percent admitted to copying another’s homework at least once and over half cheated on a test at least once.

“You don’t look at someone and immediately label them as a cheater. Just if the situation arises, you notice them cheating,” Crosby said.

Students help each other with quizzes and tests during the school day. They don’t consider it as cheating but rather helping a friend out. Those in the earlier classes tell those in the later classes what information will show up on the test. Students also send homework answers to each other. One person sends them to a friend, and it soon becomes a domino effect.

“My theory is with homework, you’re going to help each other anyways,” Ms. Bordelon said. “Anything not done in the confines of the classroom lends itself to that helping/cheating borderline.”

Students justify cheating to make it seem rational as opposed to unprincipled. Rather than fail a test, they would rather cheat to help their grade. Similarly, students prefer to cheat to get an A instead of studying and receiving a B or C. Lack of time persuades students to cheat as well. Students overbook their schedules and prioritize things such as sleep and extracurricular activities before school work.

“Procrastination absolutely, without a doubt, has to do with cheating,” Ms. Bordelon said. “If students would set up a study schedule and stick to it, they’d be much more successful. Academics should always come first before extracurricular activities.”

The immediate benefits of cheating blind students to the possible consequences. Short-term effects include failing the assignment or test, failing the course and suspension. Cheating can go on a student’s permanent record, and when in college, they could be kicked out of the university. One long-term effect includes rejected job offers. People look for honest employees when hiring, for dishonesty causes problems down the road. Companies perform background checks and look at education records and character references which can reveal a person’s past actions of cheating or dishonesty. Resume fraud developed into a problem in the professional world and prevents people from getting hired. No one wants a doctor who cheated on his medical exam.

“By cutting corners, students sell themselves short and don’t realize their full potential,” Ms. Bordelon said. “In doing that, they start to blame others for their lack of success.”

Craig Mertler, a dean at Lynn University’s Ross College of Education, believes “the only thing that ‘prevents’ cheating and plagiarism is a student’s desire to perform ethically and honorably,” but with new technologies making cheating easier and faster, it will continue to be an issue.

“I don’t think the issue of cheating can ever be completely solved until students understand how to think critically,” Ms. Bordelon said.

*Name has been changed.

(Photo by Sterling Greback)