Comments on Student Honor Code and School Board Code of Conduct:

By Eric G. Zajac

Radnor must reevaluate its current codes of conduct, from student, teachers, administrators, and board members to prevent the scandals and embarrassments that have recently plagued us.

As regards the student honor code, these improvements could be made through a student-based initiative that engages our students in the enforcement of academic standards. Or one could be put in place by better defining our expectations in a revised set of district-administered standards regarding acceptable academic conduct. It is also possible that our current standards are just fine, but that our internal procedures could do with some "spiffing up".

As candidates for School Board, our reaction to the community's concern on these issues is threefold.

First, the occurrence of two recent events at the High School, both of which implicate academic integrity, suggest that the current District standards and/or procedures may be inadequate for defining and enforcing appropriate conduct. In other words, we should use the lack of broad consensus regarding the outcomes associated with these past incidents to inform ourselves as to "loopholes" or ambiguities in the standards of conduct expected from them. This analysis would then point to what might need improvement.

Second, the School Directors should lead in this review initiative, but not dictate the outcome. Student and broad community participation are to be welcomed. The concept of an Honor Code, which implies a significant measure of student reporting of infractions and even student administration of discipline, is one reform measure that the Board should consider, and one which we support. But it is not the only one.

Teacher Carl Rosin has already "kicked off" an effort to encourage student consideration of an Honor Code. We appreciate his efforts. If the student body at Radnor High School (this is not to suggest that Middle School students might not also want to consider one for themselves), concludes that it is willing to accept an active role in the setting of standards of conduct and administering them, this should be seriously considered by our administrators and Board.

However, students, faculty and administrators also need to consider as an alternative to an "Honor Code" whether the current standards should be revised, as appropriate, for greater clarity and coverage so that the type of incidents that have recently occurred can be more affirmatively addressed if they reoccur.

Third, The School Board, as policy creators for the District and its students, must lead by example. In late 2005, the Pennsylvania School Board Association began a concerted effort to encourage all Pennsylvania School Boards to pass a Code of Conduct. Over two-thirds of the Commonwealth's school districts have since done so, but as of this submission, not yet Radnor. Andrew Duchovnay and Board Director Eric Zajac have led the charge for a Radnor School Board Code of Conduct "with teeth in it," that is, one with an enforcement mechanism.

Recent events only underscore the Board's need to take this opportunity for leadership now. The Board must pass a code of conduct that articulates everyone's expectations of its members, and it must include an enforcement scheme that will hold its members as accountable for infractions as students will be held accountable for infractions of their honor code.

Whatever the outcome of this review, we should all recognize that the setting of rules of conduct is a difficult, but an essential process in a democratic and open society. It is also one of our most important learning experiences. We should use these recent events to improve our academic system, and the Board should lead that effort and welcome the entire community's participation in the process.