And integrity varies and some are less interested in what is right or wrong and some are certain what they are doing is right even though they wouldn‘t do it if everybody were watching.

AND
“On more than one occasion my friend was approached by faculty members who were in charge of athletics and who attempted to pressure them into raising a student’s grade so they could participate in sports.”

The fact they asked others to do it for them surely indicates they didn’t mind doing it themselves.

There were recently reports of widespread answer changing in Atlanta by teachers supposed to proctor the students taking standardized tests.

A professor once remarked that some of his students’ homework was in handwriting other than that of the students handing it in and their test grades always showed lack of understanding they would have had if they had actually done the work, but that their other work pulled their grades up enough to pass. That was at college level.

So, even though none of us has ever seen any example of such things, we know of reports they do exist. They can’t all be chupacabras.

David for recognizing reality

” Sometime parents “helped” by doing their work for them.”

Let me just say this on my child’s part, there maybe parents that
Do that,however I have never done my child’s work, dont get me wrong
Yes I have helped work out a problem but never have I done the work,
And as for as the teacher being pressured into giving unearned grades or
Showing pity don’t say much for the teacher, and it really don’t say much
If the child makes it to 12th grade, my child has had some very hard teachers.
Yes we have had a bad experience with a couple but as a parent you have to
Stay involved. My child got a award for the highest Academic in her class
So Im pretty sure she wasn’t just given ” unearned grades ” or shown any pity.

Things have changed since then.
Voters changed them.

People kept seeing examples of two graduates with the same high grades from two different schools yet one could function as expected and the other could not.

That means the taxpayers, parents and children had been cheated out of a good education by someone. Maybe they cheated themselves, maybe the teachers tried but the children simply didn’t learn and the teachers showed pity — figuring it didn‘t matter. Sometime parents “helped” the children by doing their work for them. Still, an unearned grade is a lie to all involved and lies should be avoided.

It was obvious that some teachers were being pressured into giving unearned grades due to certain pressures outside the child’s performance. The attempted solution was to have statewide minimum standards which a child could pass if that child actually had learned the subject as specified.

It’s possible the state set the minimum standards too high or that the test doesn’t accurately reflect whether or not the child met those standards.
That’s worth looking into and seems to be exactly what they are doing.

It’s also possible some children found ways to pass the course without really learning the subject and that the test reflects that fact.
That’s also worth looking into.

David for perfect tests
and better people

I completely agree it starts from home and continues
On, these teachers cannot do it alone, there are a lot
Of resources out there, great web sites, I have even had
Teachers send me extra work sheets home..

They really need to figure things out and stay with it
The requirements seem to change once or twice a year
I just talked to the school two weeks ago and it changed again
They have to pass the FCAT reading, EOC Alegbra, and did have to pass the
EOC in Biology but now the EOC in biology only counts
30% of their grade, however if they pass the course in Alegra
They still get their credit..
It just breaks my heart for my child and others that can’t pass this this, but has a
3.0 GPA and has all the credits but will not get a diploma
Because of this… My child is a hard working student and we work just as hard at home.
Sorry for the way this is turning out, I’m on my cell.

ConcernedMom & Lewis T, you both bring to light some of the difficulties in preparing a measurement of student and school progress.

Discipline begins in the home and that does not mean “time out” and punishments. Discipline starts at a very young age instilling responsibility and accountability into a young person. What they see, hear and live through in the home is what they take to school with them. When there are children beginning school who do not know their alphabet or numbers or even colors and shapes there was a “hole” in the home education system. Without a strong and positive home environment it is difficult for the schools, no matter how good the teacher, to begin from scratch and help produce a schooled and responsible person.

Mr. Thomas, you sure have your work cut out for you and I know you are the man to handle the job.

I feel your pain! I have concern for my daughter too, although I am fortunate that she has passed her EOC’s and was promoted to the 11th grade at her high school.

If your child doesn’t pass the test and just gets a certificate of completion, then enroll them in a good GED program and help them study to pass the test. That is an equally valid educational program with which individual who pass can promote their educational opportunities in college or other vocational programs. I have three daughters with high school diplomas. One was home schooled, one graduated from pubic school and one earned a GED. There’s more than one way to get a diploma! Don’t give up.