Testimonials
The first paper I turned in was rife with material from three sources. I knew that the work was not from the student, but the report made the confrontation quite painless. There simply is no argument, and we can then deal with the issues regarding plagiarism.
James Hunter, North High School
View more testimonialsCHARLES GIBSON INVESTIGATES THE CHEATING CRISIS IN AMERICA'S SCHOOLS: FROM PLAGIARISM TO HIGH-TECH GADGETS, STUDENTS ARE USING OLD METHODS AND NEW TECHNOLOGY TO BEAT THE SYSTEM
The "Primetime Thursday" Report Airs April 29 at 10pm E.T.
In an hour-long "Primetime Thursday" report, Charles Gibson explores a troubling trend that some believe could pose a serious threat to America's education system -- the growing level of cheating by students. During a six-month investigation, "Primetime" visited colleges and high schools across the country to discover how today's students cheat and look at the possible reasons why they do it. To explore the increasing problem of website plagiarism, "Primetime" participated in an experiment with a class at one of the country's best public high schools to find out just how often students' papers include material that is not their own. Gibson interviews students, teachers and ethicists in an effort to determine who may have the upper hand in this intensifying battle between academic integrity and dishonesty. "PRIMETIME THURSDAY" airs APRIL 29 (10:00-11:00PM E.T.) on the ABC Television Network.
"Primetime's" investigation found cheating on campuses everywhere -- from top public high schools and colleges to Ivy League universities. Students describe the powerful temptation to cheat, telling Gibson they are under intense pressure to get good grades -- and keep up with peers who cheat on exams and papers. "It's unfair on your part, if you're studying, you know, so many hours for an exam and everybody else in the class gets an 'A' cheating," says Sharon, a college student. "So you want to get in the game and cheat, too."
Gibson reports that students are utilizing cutting-edge technology for their deception. In a telling experiment, "Primetime" documented what happened when a history teacher at a highly-rated Virginia public high school had her students' papers checked for plagiarism using a state-of-the-art technique. The results were startling -- and sobering. "I really firmly believe that sooner or later in their life, it's going to catch up to them. They haven't learned a lesson at this level and it's going to create problems for them later in life," says the teacher. College students tell Gibson how they use cell phone cameras and two-way pagers to create high-tech crib notes. These practices, they insist, are not out of the norm in academia today.
Comments from several of the students Gibson talks with indicate that the cheating trend may reflect a deep-seated cynicism among students that getting an education is more about learning to work the system than learning math and history. Cheating in school, they argue, is good preparation for a career in the business world, where some do whatever's necessary to get ahead.
The "Primetime" report also features the results of a revealing new ABC News poll about the attitudes of kids and parents toward cheating in school.