forging a signature highschool graduation requirement question

[letfuller]

Well, I am a teacher and my high school has a graduation requirement for our seniors to create a senior project. They must perform or create a project that demonstrates rigor and extension in a career related field of their choice. so, several students created and completed their projects, but instead of meeting with their advisors to sign off completion of their portfolio contents (letter of rec, cover letter, documentation of job shadows, etc) they forged their advisors signature.

My question is what do you think the punishment should be for this? Part of me immediately says, "They receive an F" I hedge, though, as it really wasn't the project and the documents of the portfolio were of their own original work.

Should they have to repeat the course? Should they be suspended from school?

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

~Linda

 

[ChristmasElf]

Why didn't they just schedule the meeting? Was there a good reason?

I would probably just deduct points off the project. Maybe a 500 word paper on forgery and the art of it or something similar is in order as well!

 

[Piecey]

What would be the consequences?

I mean.. for me, my senior project was a MAJOR thing and something I had to pass to be eligible for graduation. It had about 20 different parts and various cross-curriculum parts to it. It was a doozy.

I wouldn't fail them if it meant they wouldn't graduate, since they did the work. I'd maybe talk to the advisor since it was THEIR signature he forged and let them be a part of the process. Someone forging your signature, whether on something that minor or a check, is offensive towards the person. Make sure the advisor plays a part so they feel peachy when everything is over with..

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

Since it is cheating, what is the policy for cheating?

I know that at the college that I teach, a student caught cheating is automatically given an "F" for the course, thus impacting his/her GPA and if the course is a core course, must retake it. Also, the student is put on an academic probation. There are other concequences, depending on the program.

 

[EMom]

Sheesh! At my high school, I'd have gotten an F, been suspended for a few days, AND gotten a "0" on any work missed while I was suspended. Needless to say, no one pulled this crap where I went to school. "Well, I could forge this signature, but why don't I just cut to the chase and drop out today since that F and all those 0s are going to cause me to fail my senior year anyway..." We knew with 100% certainty what the consequences would be, so we didn't even think about trying it if we wanted to graduate.

It sounds like your school has no set policy and that is a shame because that puts you in a very awkward position. Before you announce the consequences, I advise you make sure the administration will back you up if you are challenged and not let you be skewered.

If it were me, I'd fail them in a heartbeat. But then, I always attended schools and universities with an honor code that actually meant something, and I abhor cheating. Forging those signatures showed a complete lack of respect for you as a teacher and for their advisors. Not to mention laziness. Clearly, no one signed off on/approved the work they had done. What's next? Fake transcripts to get into college? Resumes full of lies?

It doesn't even sound like getting the signature was that hard. They just didn't do it. Were they too lazy or did they think the advisor would not sign off on the work? Either way, they flat out cheated. They tried to pull one over on you. Hmmmm...."a project that demonstrates rigor and extension in a career related field of their choice." They can't even make the effort to get a signature, for crying out loud! Heck, they're halfway on their way to a successful future as identity thieves, since they have no qualms about forging someone's name to a document....and someone they KNOW at that!

Anyway, make sure the administration is with you on whatever you decide to do or else your decision is meaningless since they can overrule you. I think the matter of suspension is up to them, isn't it? As for the grade, I'd fail them and lose not a wink of sleep. I'd feel like I was doing them a favor and stopping them from thinking this is an okay thing to do. They should have learned it years ago, but obviously it didn't sink it. Well, better late than never.

 

[graygables]

Since it is cheating, what is the policy for cheating?

I know that at the college that I teach, a student caught cheating is automatically given an "F" for the course, thus impacting his/her GPA and if the course is a core course, must retake it. Also, the student is put on an academic probation. There are other concequences, depending on the program.

My Dad is a professor and just told me today about 3 "spotted cats" ("cheetahs" ) that he's sending up the river. He gives clear and precise instructions and warnings and some students just think the rules don't apply to them. Sorry, but they do and seniors need to be held accountable. They're old enough to know better and the students behind them need them to be an example. Quit dumbing everything down and boiling the frog.

I used to be a HS English teacher (some AP) and I'd give them an F, and suspend them with no credit for work missed if that's in the school's cheating policy. It's a tough lesson to learn, but better they learn it now when they still have time to take summer school.

 

[Forevryoung]

I think that by senior year they SHOULD know right from wrong. Not only that but they didn't sign a parent's name, they signed a teachers name! How stupid do you have to be to not realize that the chances of getting caught are high?

I believe that a 0 should be given for the project AND an F for the class (you shouldn't be able to get a 0 on a major project and still pass the class).

I would also ensure that their future colleges are well aware, in writing, of the students' actions.

If these students "get away" with it easily, they aren't going to learn anything, going to move on to worse things in the future because even if they get caught, "nothing bad" is going to happen (and you are setting yourself up for future students who may do the same thing because the consequences are already set as being not that bad)

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

Part of the requirements for this project were to get it signed off by the advisor. They didn't do that--they cheated instead. These were 17-18yo kids, they knew the requirements and chose not to do them.

Frankly, I would be pretty harsh on them. They knew better. I would check what the official school policy is, and then give them the maximum punishment allowable. Forging a teacher's signature is not a small thing, and it throws suspicion on the rest of their work, not to mention any letters of recommendation they may have in their college portfolios. You would be doing them NO SERVICE AT ALL if you let them off easy.

It sounds like you want to excuse the kids, but they chose this path. If you really want to help them do right, they should receive an appropriate punishment.

 

[java]

Do it again.
It is early enough in the year for them to do another one correct? So guess what you get to do it twice- must be new idea not just a reprint of the old one. And must be signed off on properly.

 

[golfgal]

Tough one alright but how hard is it to meet with their advisor and get a signature. Sorry, I would fail them. I agree with others that said by this time in their life they should know better.

 

[Melissa_E]

several students created and completed their projects, but instead of meeting with their advisors to sign off completion of their portfolio contents (letter of rec, cover letter, documentation of job shadows, etc) they forged their advisors signature.

Part of me wonders if they forged any other part of the senior project? I think before you consider failing them, I'd get their advisor's opinion and possibly the principal's.

 

[scottishduffy]

In my final year of college, 5 of the girls in my nursing class were failed because they forged on their final project. You are worried about flunking them from a class in high school? These girls were flunked in college. The failed the nursing program and were not allowed into their career of choice since forgery is such a big deal in the profession. They all had to find different career paths after this incident.

I also have a colleague who may lose her license because she was too lazy to call a doc and forged an order for a medication. Sure, it was tylenol, but it was forged.

Be tough and teach them the lesson now before they can *really* destroy their entire lives with this behavior. Give the kids an F on the assignment, if they fail the class they can always repeat it. Suspension should definitely be considered for this sort of offense. Make them repeat the entire project (still keeping that original F grade) before they are allowed to graduate. The repeat project will not be for any grade as the original still stands, but will be a stipulation for them to graduate.

 

[golfgal]

In most colleges they would be expelled immediately so high school is a better time to learn this lesson.

Keep in mind YOU are not failing them, they failed themselves. A couple years ago a girl in our old town thought it would be funny to smoke pot in the school bathroom on the last day of school, what can they do to me she thought. Well, they expelled her from school and wouldn't let her graduate, she had to repeat her second semester of her senior year.

 

[agnes!]

Sheesh...how STUPID do these adults think you are?!? (They are adults, you know, in the eyes of the law!) Don't you feel like saying to them "Face it girls, I'm older and I have more insurance"? (A Kathy Bates' line from Fried Green Tomatoes.)

It is actually out of your hands. You need to call an emergency meeting TODAY with the counselor/s for these kids and with the administration. You also need to have at hand and to know the school's published policy on cheating. EVERYBODY who needs to be MUST be on-board with the decision. You do NOT want to run the risk of giving Frank the Forger an "F" and then have the school administration throw you to the parental wolves.

And, besides, even though you stated that these adults did the work, how do you really know that they didn't forge other aspects of their projects? The Internet is a wondrous place to steal information and these high school SENIORS have already proven that they are cheaters...

Ugh. I know what I would like to do, if I were in your shoes. Give them an "F" and however that impacts their graduation or their final grade...TOO BAD. However that "F" impacts their school activities like sports or plays or their future plans like college scholarships?...TOO BAD. They should have thought of THAT before they decided to forge official signatures. And, by the way...was this a group forgery? Does it seem that perhpas there was some kind of collusion going on within this group of students? That aspect would be troubling to me as well.

The ONLY aspect of this that might change my mind is IF for some reason the counselor was impossible to meet with...but that doesn't seem likely.

agnes!

 

[JoyLuck]

I haven't read through every post, so forgive any redundancies. 3 questions......1)Why are they not presenting the Sr. project in front of a panel? The problem would be solved. 2)Also, is this pass/fail, or are they graded? 3)What is the schools policy on cheating?

 

[barkley]

to my way of thinking since part of the assignment included meeting with the advisors, having THEM review the work and sign off-the students flat out did'nt do the assignment and should be given an 'f'. the issue of forging the advisor's signatures is a separate matter and should carry whatever penalty is appropriate within the school's guidelines (and as many have said-in college it could mean expelling as it would in the private k-12 school system my kids attend).

if the school permits the students to re-do the project i feel they should have to start from square one and pick an entirely new topic. allowing them to re-use the material they have already created puts them at an advantage they are not deserving of.

 

[bookgirl]

Well, I am a teacher and my high school has a graduation requirement for our seniors to create a senior project. They must perform or create a project that demonstrates rigor and extension in a career related field of their choice. so, several students created and completed their projects, but instead of meeting with their advisors to sign off completion of their portfolio contents (letter of rec, cover letter, documentation of job shadows, etc) they forged their advisors signature.

My question is what do you think the punishment should be for this? Part of me immediately says, "They receive an F" I hedge, though, as it really wasn't the project and the documents of the portfolio were of their own original work.

Should they have to repeat the course? Should they be suspended from school?

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

~Linda

I think that is one of the lamest requirments for graduation I have ever heard of. My own personal bias but I hate that you get a ked so close to finishing school and then put an arbitrary "project" on them. They need to do course work and pass thier classes. Other than that adding "projects" and "community hours" and all these extra hoops to jump through is not preparing them for anything but putting more stress on kids who are already stressed beyond belief. But since that's a moot point.

I would give them the minimum grade on it. The don't deserve to be held back from graduation (since it was a dubious requirement at best), but I would make sure that they did not do anything but graduate. No honors, no top 10%, no valadictorian/salutatorian, etc.

 

[barkley]

I think that is one of the lamest requirments for graduation I have ever heard of. But since that's a moot point.

I would give them the minimum grade on it. The don't deserve to be held back from graduation (since it was a dubious requirement at best), but I would make sure that they did not do anything but graduate. No honors, no top 10%, no valadictorian/salutatorian, etc.

these types of requirements are becoming more and more common in the public schools.

i first heard of them a few years ago when a friend was telling me about her ds's search to find a topic. he was actualy looking into this the last semester of his jr. year. i don't know if the op's school handles it the same way but-at the schools i'm familiar with doing these the students are being prepped for them from the begining of their freshman year. their english classes are incorporating the writing skills/reporting format necessary, math classes are incorporating the appropriate data gathering, recording and reporting techniques, technology classes are incorperating the proper use and presentation of electronic data. kids know from freshman year it's a requirement, get notice in junior year to have more than one topic to submit for presentation-and at least at some of the schools, since the student has to do the project with a professional in the field overseeing or at least mentoring them-potential candidates for that.

 

[My2Cinderellas]

I think that is one of the lamest requirments for graduation I have ever heard of. But since that's a moot point.

How you feel about the assignment is, as you say, moot. I happen to think the project is a great idea, a wonderful preparation for college and the real world. especially if the curriculum is designed to prepare the student for the project as barkley described.

regardless - the students lied, cheated, committed fraud. not commendable character traits. even if it was not easy to track down the advisor, too bad. welcome to real world challenges. NO credit for the project. if you wrote any letters of recommendation, contact the universities and recscind the recommendation, alerting the university as to why. whatever the subsequent consequences happen to be, too bad. I really hope the administration backs you up, and the students and everyone involved realizes how serious this is.

 

[daisax]

We had to do an "independent project" in 11th grade... back in 1980. They're nothing new. Had to pick a topic, get advisor's approval, meet with the advisor several times over the course of the semester to check in and show progress/outline, etc., then had to do a formal presentation.

I can't imagine that forging the advisor's signature would have resulted in anything but failing. However, I'm still unclear on how they thought they could get past the system set in place -- or is there no system? Because the advisors themselves should have a list of students who need to report to them and should know that they missed their appointment and/or never made one.