WWYD? School grading issue

I think you should support your son in what HE wants to do about it. It is his grade and his accomplishment that is being diminished.

I got to the sentence where you said your son is in grade 11 and said nope out loud. At that age he needs to make the decision/talk to the teacher himself.

Personally, I don't see studying past tests as cheating.

It sounds like your son could have done the same - study the past tests (without memorizing answers if you want to draw a line there).

Grade 11?  No you shouldn't. If your son feels his classmates cheated  then it's up to him to report it himself.

Have you been reading the stories about the SAT's and the study review places having tests so that people know the answers? and the SAT board using recycled exams? The situation is very similar and there are a lot of people crying foul. But the fact is, nothing is going to retroactively change the scores that people have already received so maybe it would a good time to talk about how testing is not always fair.

I agree - Teacher should be told by your son, in confidence. I hate when I hear about teachers who just recycle their tests like this. At least make up a few different tests so kids don't know which one to expect.  

This is a good thing!

My kids always consulted teachers on their own, in a non-confrontational manner. They would stop in for "visit" and talk about things like this. It served them well. They learned how to discuss things in an adult manner. They have no problem going in and talking to their college professors now - and it has made some huge differences on their grades sometimes.

If large numbers of pupils are regurgitating the exact same answers to questions and the teacher is setting the same exam every year, I would be very surprised if they didn't already know what was going on. Maybe it's in the teachers best interest because their pupils achieve a certain grade and that makes them look good. I just cannot believe they are oblivious to what is going on.

This was my experience in college - professors who reused tests didn't hand back the tests. But that was actually pretty rare. Our professors actually gave us old tests to help study because they changed their tests every year.  While some might view it as unethical, I don't think it's actually cheating. If a teacher wants to reuse the same test every year, it's bound to happen. 

You know what? When my girls were in 11th grade (and 10th and 9th and 12th), this exact same thing happened. And I said to myself, it sucks, but this crap happens and they are old enough to deal with it themselves.

And now that they are both freshmen in college and I have a 10th grader at home, I'm going to reverse my thoughts. It would be GREAT if your kid was brave enough to talk to the teacher. It would. I am so impressed with kids who do this. It is hard. Here are two examples of what was done at my girls' school.

1. My DD saw someone cheating on her SAT. She and another girl went forth to report it. We all know the girl and her very wealthy family. Nothing happened. Girl graduated at the top of her class and full ride to her college.
2. My DD's best friend saw someone taking pictures of an exam. She went to the teacher. Nothing happened. Boy (who did it) boasted about it. Did it numerous - so so SO many times for the rest of his HS career.

Neither of the above examples is unusual. The quantity of cheating that goes on at our HS is atrocious. It is why my son is not there.

So I have really revised what I think. I think parents have to go in and say ENOUGH. I absolutely think you need to go in and tell the teacher AND the VP (who is usually in charge of this stuff) exactly what is going on. With or without proof, using the same exam is stupid. If you don't say you've had enough, who is going to do that?

Again, I think it's great to think kids are able to do this, but it is highly unusual. This is where the parents should step in.

OH! I thought of a perfect example of parents stepping in. Last year my girls and a few of their friends were sitting around my dining room table playing a game with me (just in case you think they are great, the friends were great - Sun dinners with a game was my one insistence and my girls always brought reinforcements!!) and one girls was laughing about Jane (name is changed!) who posted a picture of her with her AP exam.

I am like WHAT?!?!?! And all the girls laughed and said Jane posted pictures of kids on the floor, kids with exams, etc. My mouth dropped open. For those of you who know about AP exams, the rules are so incredibly strict. No phones, no floor, no talking, no NOTHING. Even at my girls' horrible HS, the rules were followed because otherwise you'd lose the chance to have AP exams. This happened at a local private school. I called up the school the next day and they had NO IDEA. Everyone in our town knew - everyone! - but the school was unaware. Because they are private, they pay someone min wage to sit and watch the AP exams. Everyone's exams were thrown out and this school was on probation. I don't know that anyone actually cheated, but the fact is that this shouldn't have been done and not one child taking that exam told the proctor or anyone else.

So go in. Tell. Please. It's not fair or right for your son who is honest. One of the few, I'm willing to bet.

I agree, if something happens then it needs to come from your son.


I will add though - is your son mad because they cheated or is he mad because he got a lower grade than the supposed cheaters?

If he is just mad that they got a better grade than he did, I would suggest nothing be done. To me that is the wrong motivation for turning someone in. Call it a life lesson.

BUT if he is upset because they cheated - and he is ok if the entire class has to retake the test (a possible consequence when the teacher finds out), then he should tell.

I just know I would not encourage my boys to tell if it is only because they want a better grade. Your sons motivation for ratting them out would be something I discussed with DS before him going to the teacher.

FWIW, I don't think using old test is cheating. If the tests are around (meaning the teacher didn't take them back) then I call it fair game. There is no guarantee that the test will always be the same. Its a risk.

I spend hours making tests each chapter. I use some test bank questions but I make a lot from scratch. That involves finding or making diagrams that match my material. I will reuse the tests semester after semester. To say I am lazy in doing so is both ignorant and insulting. Because I reuse them, I don't hand them or the answer sheets back. Students are encouraged to come to tutoring to review their mistakes.

Most students and parents understand. Some are upset.

I have had kids tell me that a class mate cheats. Unless I catch someone in the act, I can't change anything. But I do watch that student more carefully and have caught some later.

To the OP, your son's grade is separate from the cheating issue. How he compares to the class average doesn't matter. He did well and others cheating does not impact his grade. Get concerned if it impacts scholarships or honor societies because of competition. But don't get concerned about class averages. I never release those or make them available online.

Way way back in 10th grade I had a US History class. For umpteen years the teacher had used the exact same test. This had gone on so long someone had made up a song of the answers. Due to some shenanigans on my part, the teacher changed the test. He announced that the test had been changed the day before the test. I guess no one believed him, because nearly everyone flunked and I got an A. On the day he handed back our tests, he told the class the test had been changed because of me. Most unliked right here. 5 years later when my sister came along she had the new version of the test and a new song had been written.

J

Same here. I must have done "school" wrong all those years ago (busting my butt *actually* studying for all of the A's I got year after year, even in college) because it was my impression that I was to do the work and learn the material well enough to pass a test without having to look at a copy of last year's test to know what the correct answers are going to be in advance. Maybe it just makes me another one of those old fashioned "Get off my lawn!" old people. Whatever. I own it. But at least every grade I ever got was from my own effort to learn the material for myself and not because I took shortcuts.

I was going to say this too. DH's mom, dad and sister were all teachers and every one of them did multiple versions of every major test. They would change up which version was given out and no one knew which one it would be until it was in front of them. Seemed to be pretty standard practice around here.