Is it unfair to describe this as cheating?

[Anonymous]

A student changed answers after the graded work was returned. The parent challenged the score based on the altered grades. I told the parent the answers were edited and I refused to change the grade. The parent involved my department head, a counselor, and an administrator. I got our IT staffer involved and he proved with time stamps that the answers were edited after I graded. Now, the parent wants the term cheating stricken from all records of the incident.

Is it unfair to describe changing answers after grading as cheating?

[Anonymous]

Sounds like cheating to me.

[Anonymous]

May or may not be cheating. Could be a late submission, depending on the assignment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:May or may not be cheating. Could be a late submission, depending on the assignment.

I see your point, but we have a policy that an assignment can be edited and resubmitted up multiple times until the teacher grades it. After the teacher grades it, edits are not allowed. The student changed the answers a long time after the assignment was graded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like cheating to me.

Thanks.

I feel like it’s absurd that the parent is even trying to debate this.

[Anonymous]

Is the student SPED or have a 504 plan? It might not be cheating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A student changed answers after the graded work was returned. The parent challenged the score based on the altered grades. I told the parent the answers were edited and I refused to change the grade. The parent involved my department head, a counselor, and an administrator. I got our IT staffer involved and he proved with time stamps that the answers were edited after I graded. Now, the parent wants the term cheating stricken from all records of the incident.

Is it unfair to describe changing answers after grading as cheating?

With a parent like that? It doesn't matter if there's mention of cheating in the record or not. The child is cooked

IOW, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Do whatever your department head says and move on. That poor kid is stuck with that parent forever.

[Anonymous]

I asked my 14 year old and he said it's not cheating, it's dumba$$ery. No student could think that would work.

[Anonymous]

Cheating. Or attempted cheating, anyway. The kid was clearly hoping to get a better grade.

[Anonymous]

He redid the assignment. Not cheating but if the policy is one shot at the assignment it shouldn't be regraded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is the student SPED or have a 504 plan? It might not be cheating.

Not currently and nothing in the past on record with us.

I am curious though: Why wouldn’t that be cheating? I’ve taught many students with IEPs and 504s without ever seeing an accommodation that allowed surreptitiously changing answers after grading. Is that an accommodation for some students?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He redid the assignment. Not cheating but if the policy is one shot at the assignment it shouldn't be regraded.

Students can resubmit multiple times before grading so they have more than one shot. I even encourage students to edit errors and resubmit before I grade.

The other issue is that the student lied to the parent about editing. The parent believed I incorrectly marked the answers. Luckily, the IT staffer found the edits that took place after I graded and released the score.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A student changed answers after the graded work was returned. The parent challenged the score based on the altered grades. I told the parent the answers were edited and I refused to change the grade. The parent involved my department head, a counselor, and an administrator. I got our IT staffer involved and he proved with time stamps that the answers were edited after I graded. Now, the parent wants the term cheating stricken from all records of the incident.

Is it unfair to describe changing answers after grading as cheating?

With a parent like that? It doesn't matter if there's mention of cheating in the record or not. The child is cooked

IOW, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Do whatever your department head says and move on. That poor kid is stuck with that parent forever.

Thank you. That’s the mindset I need to adopt.

[Anonymous]

In what record? On the student's report card? How old is this kid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He redid the assignment. Not cheating but if the policy is one shot at the assignment it shouldn't be regraded.

Students can resubmit multiple times before grading so they have more than one shot. I even encourage students to edit errors and resubmit before I grade.

The other issue is that the student lied to the parent about editing. The parent believed I incorrectly marked the answers. Luckily, the IT staffer found the edits that took place after I graded and released the score.

Then you have done your job correctly. Let admin and lawyers decide what goes into the record.