Reasons I am glad we homeschool: Cheating on tests

Samual (11722) 07 Jan 2009 12:10 PM

Did you know students don't know whats going to be in their exams and their teachers aren't stupid either

Andrea Hermitt (5512) 07 Jan 2009 12:38 PM

Of course they know what is going to be on the test... they are just too lazy to study it. For geometry you have to memorize Theorums, for science, formulas and atom configurations, for history, dates. ... and teachers who don't know the tricks can overlook the cheating.. or perhaps some just don't care.

Samual (11722) 07 Jan 2009 12:41 PM

Lady even the teachers don't know whats on the tests, no one in the whole country does apart from the head examiner until that paper is placed infront of the student and they open it. Every student is searched and every item they have on their persons is checked before they are allowed in the exam hall.

Andrea Hermitt (5512) 07 Jan 2009 12:45 PM

Sir, that may be so in Europe where you are from but here in the US. with the exception of standardized tests that happen once a year, the teachers write the tests which are given on a weekly basis. You know, spelling test, vocabulary tests, chapter tests...

Don't be so sure of yourself, not to mention so rude. REALLY!

Samual (11722) 07 Jan 2009 12:48 PM

I live in Cymru, not Europe.

Andrea Hermitt (5512) 07 Jan 2009 12:50 PM

Ok... my bad... but you are still wrong about how tests are administered in the U.S.A.

lwieler (6) 07 Jan 2009 12:58 PM

Wherever you live Samual, I must agree with Andrea. I do not live in the United States either. However, I have clear memories of teachers dictating, sometimes very specifically, what would be on a test. Also, outside of Final Exams, students carried just about whatever they wanted with them.

Of course teachers aren't stupid, but they aren't even given enough time to do the searches which would be necessary to avoid such extreme cheating as Andrea has suggested is occurring.

I suppose those searches must be left up to the parents, though teenagers do happen to be brilliant and often crafty creatures ;-)

Thank you for that bit of insite Andrea!

Samual (11722) 07 Jan 2009 01:00 PM

No I'm not, where did I state that I was refering to an education system outside of my own? We one teacher at our school that taught in NJ, there the exam system was even stricter than ours, the students weren't even allowed to use their own pens incase something was inside.

Andrea Hermitt (5512) 07 Jan 2009 01:01 PM

Thansk Lweiler.

Andrea Hermitt (5512) 07 Jan 2009 01:04 PM

whatever, Samual... how can you be right when you say that teachers and students don't know wha'ts on tests. Perhaps you don't know what I mean by tests, but teachers here give students, quizes and tests all year long... they don't wait for the yearly, or even bi-yearly standardized tests written by the government!

by the way according to wikipedia, Cymru is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean[4] and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union. That kinda makes it part of Europe. But since you live there and I don't I'm not going to argue about it.

Andrea Hermitt (5512) 07 Jan 2009 01:07 PM

Last word for Samual... (really, I am not about to drag this on)...

While you may not have mentioned that you were talking about a country outside of your own, your comment did not clarify, suggesting that I did not know a thing about testing students here, the country that I am writing from.

Samual (11722) 07 Jan 2009 01:14 PM

There are no European restrictions in Cymru, where as there are in England and N.I a bit like being part of the UN and not having to follow a single rule.Compulsory exams aren't written by the government, non-compulsories are written by a teacher of the same subject at a different school or centre of education, such as a local college or university.

Valorie Delp (49340) 07 Jan 2009 03:28 PM

Oh Samuel--you're arguing in so many circles I'm totally lost. Please stop--it's hurting my head.

alark (51) 07 Jan 2009 08:53 PM

I enjoyed your post, Andrea. It has made me think of many other things, such as student-to-teacher ratios, teacher quality and preparedness, student motivation, parental involvement, and the like. As parents, we really need to take more careful consideration of the environments our children are in but also who is teaching and what is being taught. Thanks for a great article.

kelsea2100 (16) 07 Jan 2009 10:40 PM

Homeschooling is not the way to go, I am sorry I disagree. A student needs to go to school, not just to learn book smarts but also to learn valuable social skills. Even if a child gets bullied, or picked on, they learn how to deal with it. Home schoolign does not cater for every subject like a specialist can. Are you saying that you are a music specialist, a sports teacher, a lote teacher, a maths, english, science teacher etc.. Do you have enough time in the day to fit in all the activites that a school plans for the day? I doubt it.

Pam Connell (2658) 08 Jan 2009 12:42 AM

Some things are so different in different places that we can't even see that we're making assumptions on how things are.

I've gotten the impression from reading and discussing with my international friends that other countries place more emphasis on standardized tests that are administered nationwide

Here in the U.S. we do have a few national exams, and most universities require at least one of them for entrance. Examples are the SAT (Scholastic Achievement Test)and the ACT.

Although the above exams do count toward college admittance, they are not the largest part. The largest part depends on the grades a student receives throughout his or her four years of high school classes. Teachers make up their own tests. Students usually have tests in each subject either weekly or every few weeks.

Also, in the United States most of the power of education depends on the state governments. Most states in turn give most of the power of determining curriculum to local school districts.

My son's teachers (my son is 10 years old) usually give the kids tests every week in math and spelling and every few weeks in social studies (history and geography) and science. These tests will make up a large portion of the grades his teachers will assign him in his three yearly report cards. Homework assignments, projects and papers, and participation in class discussions also earn points towards grades ( which are called marks in some places, I believe).

My son will only have to take standardized tests mandated by Washington state in fourth, seventh and tenth grades (roughly ages 9 or 10, 13 or 14, and 15 or 16 years old). The first two tests are solely to evaluate the school. The only one that matters to my child's future is the one in 10th graded. He must meet standards to receive his high school diploma.

These three tests are the only ones that are written and scored by officials outside the school. But colleges and universities will be much more interested in his report cards from school, where the grades are given by the teachers from tests they write themselves. Most teachers give their students a study guide of what to study, although of course the student won't know exactly which questions are on the test or how they will be worded.

Hope that helps. I can't stress enough that the state governments and local school districts are their own governing bodies, not subdivisions of the national government. They have to abide by a few national regulations (more if they want supplemental funding from the national or state government for certain programs), but mostly they are vastly different in different parts of the U.S.

Valorie Delp (49340) 08 Jan 2009 04:53 AM

Keslea you do realize you stumbled upon a homeschooling blog right? So all you'll find here is stuff on homeschooling. Anyhow, I would encourage you to read a series of articles. . .they answer some of your questions.

http://homeschooling.families.com/blog/why-i-homeschool-an-answer-for-kaye

http://homeschooling.families.com/blog/parenting-gone-wrong-an-answer-for-kaye

I'm not answering the socialization question. It's just a bunch of bunk and that's been proven over and over again. But with regards to teaching what a specialist can yes--actually, my kids get better than their publicly schooled peers as they see world renowned dancers, artists and musicians as part of their instruction. If there is something I don't know. . .I too seek out appropriate help.

You also seem to be forgetting what a colossal amount of time you waste in school--my children do not have to:

wait for anyone else to be done stand in line wait for the class to be quiet do any busywork--ever

So yes--actually there is ample time in my day to do all the things and more that a school does.

You are of course entitled to your own opinion but I just thought I'd educate you a little bit. Good luck!