To Catch a Cheat

Cheating researcher Gregory Cizek, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, says adult-led deception is inevitable. "Good teachers spend their days cajoling correct answers out of reluctant students," he says. "Some find it hard to remain impassive on test day." States need to make—and reinforce—strict testing procedures and punish those who don't follow them, he says. If not, the new transparency that schools get through testing may be clouded by scandal.

© 2007