Entire class given 0 on test - is this allowed? LCPS high school.

[Anonymous]

DD told me that her entire Physics class will be given a zero on their test because the teacher found a cheat sheet after the exam ended. The teacher said it was found on the floor but won't tell them where exactly. The teacher is giving the culprit until the end of the school day today to confess or else everyone in that period gets a 0 entered in the gradebook.

DD is furious and wants me to complain. I've been looking through the handbook and all I can find is information related to if a single student is found to be cheating. I can't find anything on a whole class. If that makes sense. For a single student caught cheating, they have to take an integrity seminar, watch a powerpoint and answer questions, and can then redo the test/assignment for 50% credit.

If no one confesses, and DD is sure no one will because the teacher doesn't know who it was, DD's grades on tests for the period will be 95, 98, 0, and 1 more test the week of Oct 16. If she gets 100 on the last test for the grading period, her test average for the class will still only be a 73, which is a C. DD has never gotten a C before and is freaking out since everyone has drilled into their heads that the junior year grades are most important for colleges.

[Anonymous]

Team Teacher.

Someone knows.

[Anonymous]

Yeah I would complain for sure. Our school would never support that.

[Anonymous]

Yeah no, the teacher cannot do that. They can give another/new test, they can adjust the weight of that test to be lower since honesty isn't guaranteed, they can drop the test entirely, they can choose to use an alternative assessment like a lab grade or something. They cannot give a 0 for unconfirmed cheating to everyone, and they probably know it.

This is an empty threat that is going to backfire on the teacher when the cheater doesn't come forward and the teacher can't give all 0s.

I would reach out to the teacher and say that you are concerned and can s/he please clarify what he plans to do?

[Anonymous]

I would stay calm and see if that actually happens before I go to the teacher or admin. She may be trying to get a confession or a snitch

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah no, the teacher cannot do that. They can give another/new test, they can adjust the weight of that test to be lower since honesty isn't guaranteed, they can drop the test entirely, they can choose to use an alternative assessment like a lab grade or something. They cannot give a 0 for unconfirmed cheating to everyone, and they probably know it.

This is an empty threat that is going to backfire on the teacher when the cheater doesn't come forward and the teacher can't give all 0s.

I would reach out to the teacher and say that you are concerned and can s/he please clarify what he plans to do?

I can’t imagine how that’s allowed. It’s punishing the entire class for the action of one.

[Anonymous]

Collective punishment is banned in most school districts and grading usually has standard set by the county. I would report the teacher and then tell your kid to tell you if the teacher does anything and then report them again for retaliation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah I would complain for sure. Our school would never support that.

This. They can throw out the test and give a new one. With a starting score of 100.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would stay calm and see if that actually happens before I go to the teacher or admin. She may be trying to get a confession or a snitch

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would stay calm and see if that actually happens before I go to the teacher or admin. She may be trying to get a confession or a snitch

+2

Let this play out. For now, back the teacher. "I dunno, sometimes life isn't fair. Any suspicions on who did it? Can you talk to them and try to get them to confess?"

[Anonymous]

I love that teacher. How refreshing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would stay calm and see if that actually happens before I go to the teacher or admin. She may be trying to get a confession or a snitch

+2

Let this play out. For now, back the teacher. "I dunno, sometimes life isn't fair. Any suspicions on who did it? Can you talk to them and try to get them to confess?"

I agree. Wait to see what actually happens. Teacher is using this to try to get someone to do what’s right and come forward. I would only complain if they actually end up penalizing the entire class with a zero because I don’t think that’s permissible from a grading policy standpoint. I’ll be curious to hear how this plays out!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would stay calm and see if that actually happens before I go to the teacher or admin. She may be trying to get a confession or a snitch

+2

Let this play out. For now, back the teacher. "I dunno, sometimes life isn't fair. Any suspicions on who did it? Can you talk to them and try to get them to confess?"

I agree. Wait to see what actually happens. Teacher is using this to try to get someone to do what’s right and come forward. I would only complain if they actually end up penalizing the entire class with a zero because I don’t think that’s permissible from a grading policy standpoint. I’ll be curious to hear how this plays out!

Half the parents are probably either drafting or hiring lawyers to draft formal appeals from the grades. I would tell my kid that what the teacher is doing isn't allowed and that the grade will not stick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love that teacher. How refreshing.

If the teacher goes through with the threat, they deserve to be fired and sued if any of those grade effect transcripts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love that teacher. How refreshing.

It’s total BS. Only the cheater should be punished.

Something similar happened when I was in high school. The teacher made a new, much harder test for everyone to take. It sucked, but no giving innocent kids a 0.