So not kid-ing.

They’re smart, kids. The first to catch on. The innovators unencumbered by fears and set concepts.

“Let the little children lead you?”

Good idea or not?

Apparently stress and pressure to succeed is really the mother of invention.

College entrance exam companies had to put on their thinking caps because high school kids found a way to bubble in success on those scantron sheets: hire someone else to take those tests.

Testing bubble sheet (image from Italian/American Digital Project)

The test companies given up trying to remind students that:

• The “honor system” is important
• Or “you are only hurting yourself”
• Or that old “honesty is the best policy”

So, ACT and SAT testing companies will now require a photo to be used to confirm a test taker’s ID on the day of the exam.

HA! Problem solved!  No worries about hired “pencils” or inattentive monitors.

Photo ID. No big deal. Most schools have student photo IDs. Even Target requests a photo ID even to use credit cards during Christmas shopping season. (Kids are the experts on shopping!)

So now everyone is sure who everyone is.

No temptation to cheat and pretend to be someone you are not.

(Except, well, maybe at a bar when you don’t want that really annoying person to really know your actual name…..That’s self preservation.)

It’s not like pretending to be someone else in an “official” situation.

Like, say, voting in an election.

 (I hear you snorting. I’m right here.)

“Why would someone want to vote under someone else’s name?”

I don’t know, but I certainly would like to ask the person who voted multiple times using my name.

More disturbing: on one election day, there were 3 other people behind me having the same exact problem: someone voted using their names. So do not tell me voter ID fraud does not happen.

If establishing positive ID is important enough for SAT and ACT tests,

Then it’s certainly important enough for voting in elections.

Follow the trendsetters: kids.

Who dares to tell the Emperor? (Scholastic image from Amazon.com)

 Kids see things with clear eyes.

Like in that story “The Emperor’s New Clothes”.

Only a kid had the guts to say, “Hey, he’s got nothing on!”

Hold that thought.

It’s the “testing season” in Texas schools.

And there’s more state tests than ever now.

Different grades and subjects are tested on different days across the state.

Tuesday, all the 9th graders took the new state English exam.

Orlando Riddick, Houston ISD official, commented to one reporter, “As you increase testing, you get crunched for instructional time.”

What did the other students do?

• Class schedules are disrupted. Students may have to meet in different classrooms.
• Sometimes there’s study halls, optional study sessions – or movies.
• Other schools have students taking “practice tests” on their non-test days.
• In some Texas districts, the kids not being tested got to sleep late: school for them started at 12:30.
• One student says that not much went on in the afternoon after the tests.
• Graduating seniors in various districts may have late arrival times for 5 to 10 days.
• Some have suggested seniors should be taken to visit local colleges during their non-testing times. (Although that will cost and most seniors have already applied to college before the designated test periods in the spring.)

One Houston ISD high school (image: Mellon/WIKI)

Some educators defend the late start schedules.

“It’s easier for the school not to have everyone there,” said on parent group president.

Debbie Ratclif, TEA spokeswoman, commented on late arrival schedules: ” That way they don’t have kids there doing nothing or being disruptive while they need it quiet for the ones taking it “.

She also continued saying sometimes schools need extra teachers to help test administrators and to monitor test taking.

OK, let me get this straight.

• Kids there doing nothing? (Didn’t that guy mention losing instructional time?)
• Schools don’t want the non-testing kids to come because they might be loud and disturb other kids….but they are OK with them all being there during normal school days – when everyone is supposed to concentrating and learning new material?
• Guess normally kids all sit quietly on their best behavior learning every second – except on test days when they go totally berserk?

Kids themselves have made some interesting observations about test days.

• One student liked getting caught up on sleep, homework, and watching TV at home.
• Another agreeded the time was great for sleeping, finishing projects, working on club activities, and meeting friends for lunch.
• Others just plan on skipping the entire day.
• “I feel like I’m learning sometimes and sometimes I feel it’s just a waste of time,” said one girl
• “It’s nice for me, but it’s definitely a huge waste of time,” said a boy.

“Out of the mouths of babes.”

 Oh, that’s silly. Why would anyone listen to them? They’re just kids.

(Although they do say the darndest things sometimes!)

Who’s kidding whom?

Phil, the Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge.

Read more:

• Huffington Post Article: “SAT, ACT Testing To Have Tighter Security in Wake of Cheating”
• Previous Post about Voter Photo ID in TX “Texas votes: simply truth and honesty, please”  (About that voter photo ID being necessary….)
• Houston Chronicle: “STARR- A Break or a Waste for Non-testing Students?”
• Houston Chronicle: “Writing Test Confuses Students. Teachers Told to Intervene”  (What a mess. Teacher instructed to help students because of confusion…now no cheating! Despite your job is riding on student scores!)

---

Discover more from Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge

Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.