<p>
[quote]
A group of students at a prestigious Long Island high school are being eyed in a college-test cheating ring, The Post has learned.</p>
<p>The kids, seniors at John L. Miller-Great Neck North HS, allegedly tried to improve their college prospects by hiring a third party to take their SAT exams, sources said.</p>
<p>A Great Neck school-board source confirmed the district is investigating the alleged cheaters.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Leave it to the great bastion of journalism , the New York Post to turn a story of several students into “college-test cheating ring”.</p>
<p>actually, Brave, the NYPost was not the first to report this; it was on local TV news here last week and, apparently, it is being investigated as “ring” given the number of students who are allegedly involved…(I can’t believe I am defending the NYPost…haha)</p>
<p>Just wanted to clarify…</p>
<p>What is most interesting about this story is that it was reported, although the students attend GN North, the test was actually administered elsewhere…and not identified to my knowledge…</p>
<p>I live in a nearby district. Actually, we looked in Great Neck when house-hunting but when we realized that the student parking lot had better cars than the teacher’s lot did, we decided the town wasn’t for us.</p>
<p>I do have friends in that district. There has been an investigation going on for awhile - it apparently involves a test administration earlier than last week’s. In addition, it seems to involve a location other than the school, although I am not quite certain about that. I asked my son if they checked ID’s, etc. and he said they did at his school. He used his learner’s permit for ID. </p>
<p>I agree that the NYPost is a true “bastion” of journalistic writing but occasionally these rags get it right. Didn’t the Enquirer bust John Edwards before anyone else?</p>
<p>“Didn’t the Enquirer bust John Edwards before anyone else?”</p>
<p>Touche’…you win!!</p>
<p>I dont see any need to attack the messenger.</p>
<p>I live way south in Florida and I have heard about rich kids doing this for years. Test taking fees can net a proven test taker up to $2000 or more. I don’t think it’s right, but it sure helps explain the scores of some kids.</p>
<p>Rich kids were able to dodge the draft and many other “inconveniences” that the rest of us have to put up with. Why would anyone be surprised?</p>
<p>I’m not surprised but a little taken aback that it can still occur in the age of photo ID. Are these people also making phony IDs to give to the substitute test takers and might not some of these people taking the tests look a little too old to be students? Could the proctors have been bribed? </p>
<p>On another note, the blind since age 8 young lady who took second place in this year’s INTEL competition also attends Great Neck North HS…</p>
<p>Phony ID’s are cheap and many high school students look older than they are. Honestly, what proctor wants to risk holding a potentially legitimate test taker by accusing them of being the wrong person. If the proctor is wrong they will be in a lot of legal trouble.</p>
<p>I don’t know anything about phony ID’s. I never had one, neither did my H and my older kids did not either. My current junior does not even look 16 - he doesn’t shave yet though my 14 year old has a full beard. When my 2 older ones were in HS, they also looked younger. In fact, my DD (19) and I went to the middle school play last week and she was asked if she was an 8th grader!</p>
<p>I made my son take 2 forms of photo ID - his learner’s permit and his school ID. Perhaps that should be required if it turns out that phony ID was at the core of this episode. One piece of phony ID may be easy to acquire but two?</p>
<p>What really gets me is the arrogance of the kids who would do this? If they don’t get caught and wind up in schools that are above their levels, do they then find people to write their papers and sit for their exams? Do they find someone to work their jobs for them?</p>
<p>I’m a firm believer in being the best where you are and cheating to get in to a school that’s too high level for you is not in my mindset.</p>
<p>My S’s only photo id in HS was his passport. I don’t think a photo id is required to get into SATs.</p>
<p>There was an article I read from a much earlier CC post by a writer. This writer makes $60,000 plus a year a writing term papers for college students. I was appalled by his story, but it makes sense when you see so many idiots in high positions until their own stupidity gets them into trouble. </p>
<p>As for fake ID’s. There are many fake ID mills that will churn out very realistic fake ID’s. A lot of illegal immigrants rely on them to get jobs. Every once in a while I will read about one being broken up in south Florida, my stomping ground. When holders are caught they tend to have many, many fake ID’s on them, all with their picture on them. I have been told by law enforcement that it only costs about $5.00 for a good fake ID, one that would easily get by a proctor.</p>
<p>I am also appalled. I remember how stressed my daughter was taking the SAT and I think of all of my students who are honest who work so hard to do well on this test. I really think that those who rely on cheating have grown up in an environment that reinforces that it isn’t how you win, as long as you win. Enron and others come to mind.</p>
<p>I know someone who got caught paying someone else to take their SAT a few years ago. It was reported by another student, the student confessed when confronted and every school the student applied to was notified. For once justice seemed to prevail, am sure there were others who got away with it which is why this student thought they would to. Never did figure out how they got around the photo ID issue.</p>
<p>I proctor SAT and ACT exams and, while we do check IDs, the ID can be in the form of a school ID. I really have no way of knowing if a school ID is real or fake so it would be quite possible for someone to fake their way in.</p>
<p>They probably took the test at a different location because of the phony school ID. I would think that would be easy to fake. I asked my daughter if photo IDs were necessary when she took the SAT and she said yes but they only glanced at it. I think an easy solution would be for them to have to put a thumb print on the test that they took. That would eliminate a lot of the cheating.</p>
<p>I go here and actually only about 5% of the kids can actually afford to do this. The media makes it seem like we’re spoiled brats but we’re not. Just like every other school in the world there are always a couple of bad seeds. In no way, am I or anybody in the majority of the school, are we cheaters who can get away with anything we want with money. While I am priveleged, I try to do everything with integrity and honesty and so does everyone. I appreciate how hard my parents have worked to send me to a school like great neck north. We are not bad kids and we shouldn’t be ridiculed and mocked for affording things that most kids can’t. They make it seem like it’s our fault that we are fortunate. It’s not.</p>
<p>Yenmor -</p>
<p>I had to do a thumprint when I took the bar exam almost 30 years ago. I think it’s a great idea. Thumbprint all of the kids when they sign up for their first college board test and then it’s on file for all exams. The print is done again at the beginning of the test and submitted with the test packet for comparison by ETS/Collegeboard with the ones one file.</p>
<p>Photo ID is one step (my son’s SAT ticket says it was required) but a thumbprint would definitely cut down on cheating. I wouldn’t mind paying a one time fee for my child to be printed.</p>
<p>Yep, fingerprints are required for the bar exam in CA. Also required for a teaching credential in CA. I think the reason for both of those is a protection of the public argument, which is not the case for the SAT (?)</p>
<p>The thumbprint idea is a great one. Readers have become reasonable in cost and and simple reader system aligned with a database stored with CollegeBoard, but accessible with an HTML interface and via a secured VPN connection is very feasible, if the proctoring sites make sure Internet access is available at the check-in point.</p>
<p>Thumbprints can be fixed. Go look on the internet, you can take a picture and then go through a process to put on a thumb. I thought what the LSATs are doing now is digitiable pix on signing in.</p>