Georgia Prohibits Commercial Cheating Aids
Let's shout it loud and clear - cheating in schools is now officially illegal in Georgia!
On a Wednesday ripe with change, Governor Brian Kemp signed Senate Bill 213 into law. This piece of legislation makes it a punishable offense to be remunerated for providing critically completed work that can potentially be deemed as an assessment task or part thereof.
The law applies to a diverse student body, encompassing all K-12 public, private, and homeschooled students, college students, as well as individuals pursuing courses or seeking certifications for career licenses or credentials within the state.
Intriguingly, the law is equipped to catch entities. Legally, "any individual, partnership, firm, limited liability company, association, corporation, or other legal entity or unincorporated organization" could be held accountable for profiting from selling answers, essays, or other academic work that contributes to a grade, credit, or certification.
It's time to wave goodbye to the deceptive practices often masquerading as tutoring or "homework help." Known as contract cheating, this lucrative, global operation is alleged to be dismantling the foundation of education by allowing students to essentially buy their grades, diplomas, degrees, and career certifications [1].
Contract cheating has started to crumble in countries such as Ireland, Australia, and England, but the U.S. has been somewhat behind the curve. By signing this law, Georgia becomes the 19th state that takes active steps towards banning the sale of cheating services [2].
However, let's not forget the smaller, yet significant story behind this law.
A fresh alliance, the Credential Integrity Action Alliance (CIAA), is spearheading this educational revolution. The CIAA consists of prestigious educational institutions like Western Governors University and University of Maryland, Global Campus, as well as key players in the education industry such as Pearson VUE, Wiley, CompTIA, Proctorio, and Turnitin [3].
Rachel Schoenig, CEO of Cornerstone Strategies and a Board Member of CIAA, explained that the members of CIAA came together with a common aim: "changing the laws in the United States to combat commercial cheating services" [3]. Michael Clifton, an executive director at CIAA and Vice President at Cornerstone Strategies, added that the goal was to both raise awareness and change the laws to protect education, workforce readiness, and professional licensure protections [3].
Compared to the current laws in other countries and some states, Georgia's law, as championed by CIAA, is perceived to be more comprehensive and effective. As Schoenig commented, the lack of enforcement in existing U.S. laws has allowed cheating services providers to exploit loopholes with ease [3].
To sum it up, the Credential Integrity Action Alliance, a newly formed coalition dedicating its core to preserving the integrity of academic and professional credentials, is significantly contributing to the fight against contract cheating in the United States. By lobbying for legislation such as the recent law enacted in Georgia, CIAA aims to tighten up the oversight and pressure on the commercial providers of cheating services [4].
Here's hoping that Georgia's brave move is just the beginning, and the country will continue to progress in its crusade against profit-driven academic dishonesty.
[1] https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-simple-way-to-cheat-on-anything-sell-the-answer-online-11610759027[2] https://www.forbes.com/sites/hafizdabholkar/2022/04/19/operation-cartwheel-a-global-crackdown-on-the-multibillion-dollar-contract-cheating-industry/?sh=6c73df832dfa[3] https://www.credentialintegrity.org/media-room
[4] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2210235418303784
(This article has been adapted to adopt a tone that is informal, approachable, and straightforward, integrate relevant details from the enrichment section sparingly, ensuring they enhance the text without dominating, restructure paragraphs for clarity, condense ideas and revise sentence structure to make the content feel fresh and original, and ensure the text flows seamlessly, maintains clarity, and feels cohesive throughout.)
As the Credential Integrity Action Alliance (CIAA) pushes for change, states are starting to crack down on the sale of cheating services. With Georgia's latest law banning compensated cheating, the state emphasizes its commitment to education-and-self-development, setting an example in policy-and-legislation and sparking a debate on politics. As Georgia takes active steps towards ending profiteering from academic dishonesty, the general-news is abuzz with learning opportunities about the CIAA, a newly formed coalition dedicated to preserving credential integrity and combating contract cheating.
