Rotten Apples
An Investigation of the Prevalence and Predictors of Teacher Cheating
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23360274 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Brian Jacob (0009-0003-3794-9850, Harvard University), B A Jacob, Steven D Levitt (American Bar Foundation) |
| Year | 2003 |
| Volume | 118 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 843-877 |
| Publication date | 2003-08-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Quarterly Journal of Economics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0033-5533 • E-ISSN: 1531-4650 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1162/00335530360698441 |
| OpenAlex | W3123468586 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 163 |
| References cited | 15 |
We develop an algorithm for detecting teacher cheating that combines information on unexpected test score fluctuations and suspicious patterns of answers for students in a classroom. Using data from the Chicago public schools, we estimate that serious cases of teacher or administrator cheating on standardized tests occur in a minimum of 4–5 percent of elementary school classrooms annually. The observed frequency of cheating appears to respond strongly to relatively minor changes in incentives. Our results highlight the fact that high-powered incentive systems, especially those with bright line rules, may induce unexpected behavioral distortions such as cheating. Statistical analysis, however, may provide a means of detecting illicit acts, despite the best attempts of perpetrators to keep them clandestine.
Art · Art history · Cheating · Government (linguistics) · Library science · Media studies · Sociology · Accounting Education and Careers · Auditing, Earnings Management, Governance · Computer Science · Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies · Philosophy · Psychology · Social Psychology
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| Unique citing works | 163 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 6,52 |
| Citation span | 2001 - 2026 (26) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | Yes |
| Citation types | Neutral: 151 |