Georgia Enacts Ban on Professional Exam Deception Providers

Georgia Enacts Ban on Professional Exam Deception Providers

Forget about paying for answers in the Peach State. Governor Brian Kemp just signed Senate Bill 213, making it illegal to profit from selling answers, essays, or other academic work to students across Georgia, from K-12 to college, and even those seeking career licenses or certifications[2]. This new law makes it clear that contract cheating, a global, multibillion-dollar industry that experts say is destroying the integrity of education, is no longer tolerated in Georgia[3].

But the Georgia Education Crackdown isn't just a local effort. A powerful alliance has been leading the charge - The Credential Integrity Action Alliance (CIAA)[6]. With members like Western Governors University, University of Maryland Global Campus, Pearson VUE, Wiley, CompTIA, Proctorio, and Turnitin on board, CIAA is dedicated to raising awareness of the harm caused by commercial cheating services and pushing for stricter laws against them[6].

Rachel Schoenig, CEO of Cornerstone Strategies and CIAA Board Member, shared her thoughts, "These members have joined together to change the laws in the United States and to raise awareness of the harm caused by commercial cheating services." Michael Clifton, an executive director at CIAA and Vice President at Cornerstone Strategies, added, "Commercial cheating services undermine education, workforce readiness, and our professional licensure protections. Education and assessment are critical parts of creating a skilled and competent workforce."[6]

What makes the CIAA's efforts unique is their comprehensive approach. Instead of just targeting higher education, they are also working to protect the integrity of credentialing and licensure assessments that support workforce readiness and protect the public's health and safety[5]. As Schoenig explained, "The current laws in the United States are not sufficient to address cheating providers. Commercial cheating services can blatantly advertise and encourage cheating without consequence. The handful of states with laws that address the sale of cheating services have statutes that pre-date the internet and are not designed to address today's issues. Cheating services are taking advantage of these archaic laws for their own profit."[6]

With its carefully crafted model statute, CIAA is aiming to close loopholes and hold entities accountable for any services that undermine academic or assessment integrity [6]. Essentially, they are putting the cheating providers on notice: stop cheating, or face the consequences.

As Georgia leads the way in combating contract cheating, other states are expected to follow suit. Schoenig and Clifton from CIAA are optimistic, saying they are already working on passing similar legislation in other states and holding contract cheating companies accountable[6]. The end goal? To restore the credibility of educational credentials and eliminate fraudulent practices in academic settings.

So, if you're thinking about buying your way to better grades, think again. Georgia's new law just put a stop to it, and the Credential Integrity Action Alliance is making sure it stays that way[1]. Let's call it the beginning of a new era in education - one where hard work and merit matter more than a paycheck.

Key Insights:

1. The Credential Integrity Action Alliance (CIAA) is an alliance of education institutions and leaders that aims to combat educational cheating and fraud.
2. Georgia is the 19th state with laws related to cheating, thanks to CIAA's efforts, making it illegal to profit from selling answers, essays, or other academic work that could be part of an assessment task.
3. CIAA's efforts are expanding beyond Georgia, with the alliance working on passing similar laws in other states.
4. Contract cheating services are seen as a significant threat to education and assessment, undermining education, workforce readiness, and professional licensing protections.
5. The CIAA's model statute is aimed at closing loopholes and holding cheating providers accountable for any services that undermine academic or assessment integrity.

[1] Helping students cheat in school is now illegal in Georgia, https://apnews.com/article/education-business-georgia-public-policy-society-9977331d6551b590428042384fd3c929

[2] On Wednesday, Governor Brian Kemp made that official by signing Senate Bill 213, which makes it illegal to be compensated to "provide or otherwise cause to be provided any work product to a student or examinee in a substantially completed form that could, under the circumstances, reasonably be considered as being, or forming a part of, an assessment task."

[3] According to the law, students covers public, private, and home-schooled K-12 students, all college students, and anyone taking courses or seeking certifications for career licenses or credentials in the state.

[4] Importantly, the law applies to "any individual, partnership, firm, limited liability company, association, corporation, or other legal entity or unincorporated organization" that may profit from selling answers, essays, or other academic work that can be used for a grade, credit, or certification.

[5] Cheating services, often slyly and deceptively branded as tutoring or "homework help," is known as contract cheating.

[6] Interviews with Rachel Schoenig, CEO of Cornerstone Strategies and CIAA Board Member, and Michael Clifton, an executive director at CIAA and vice president at Cornerstone Strategies.

In adherence with Georgia's new legislation (Senate Bill 213), prohibiting the sale of academic work for profit, the Credential Integrity Action Alliance (CIAA) has initiated a nationwide push for policy and legislative changes in the education-and-self-development sector. Following Georgia, the Alliance is actively working on promoting stricter laws against contract cheating services in general-news, aiming to protect learning and workforce readiness.

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