WPPSI - Caught Cheating?

[Anonymous]

There is a new documentary film about the admissions process in NYC - will have to check this out:

http://www.nurseryuniversitythemovie.com/trailer.html

[Anonymous]

And an eye-opening article from NYMagazine:

http://nymag.com/nymetro/urban/education/features/1508/

[Anonymous]

"Just stop the insanity. Sure, you could probably cheat and get away with it. You want to be that kind of parent, go ahead. There will be ample opportunities to cheat in the future and get away with it.

I don't think most parents cheat and I don't care if they do. This is not the kind of person I am and it is certainly not the kind of person I want my children to be.

If you even think this is a tough call, you need to do some soul searching. Seriously."


Ms Genius. You sound smart. Don't advise your children to study for exams. This is immoral. It's cheating and they will go to jail.

By the way, how many exams did you study for...if any? Or did you even attend school?

[Anonymous]

My kids both got in the 99+ percentile overall with NO prepping. This whole thread makes me laugh!

It never even occurred to me to cheat or "prep." Hysterical.

If your child's a dummy, he or she is a dummy, and cheating and prepping won't really help in the long run.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids both got in the 99+ percentile overall with NO prepping. This whole thread makes me laugh!

It never even occurred to me to cheat or "prep." Hysterical.

If your child's a dummy, he or she is a dummy, and cheating and prepping won't really help in the long run.

If your child (who is lucky to have such a well-mannered and polite mother, btw) didn't get a good night's sleep, was irritable on the day of the test, or just had an otherwise 'off' day as every kid has now and again, you would likely not be posting here, feeding your own ego on the back of your child. Hopefully you're not like this in 'real life' or your child is doomed.

[Anonymous]

Ms. Genius again. Seems to me the difference between studying for exams and buying the test your child is about to take on Ebay is pretty obvious. My teachers assumed i would study, and I did. I'm guessing that if you buy your child the test you are going to keep that to yourself.

Prepping seems to me to be not cheating, just a waste of a young child's time. But I don't think it is the same thing as buying a copy of the test.

[Anonymous]

Ms. Genius again. Remember the OP asked about buying the actual test. if that isn't across the bright line of cheating, I don't know what is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ms. Genius again. Seems to me the difference between studying for exams and buying the test your child is about to take on Ebay is pretty obvious. My teachers assumed i would study, and I did. I'm guessing that if you buy your child the test you are going to keep that to yourself.

Prepping seems to me to be not cheating, just a waste of a young child's time. But I don't think it is the same thing as buying a copy of the test.

Yawn. You have an old set of Playskool Color Cubes or your preschool does... and it's OK. But if you buy the blocks on Ebay, it's cheating.

Hey genius, they are IDENTICAL.

So.. which one is cheating?

[Anonymous]

I am talking about prepping or studying for a test.

I am not talking about buying the actual test!

Ms Genius doesn't prep or study for tests because this is cheating. Her children never did and neither did she.

She is a liar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"OP, go ahead and cheat you probably won't get caught now.

A few years ago, a St Albans' senior was caught cheating during the SAT. The school found out from College Board and expelled him immediately that Monday morning. Makes you wonder if his mummy/daddy trained him in test cheating early on."

What scrap is this. The kid was expelled because he took 3 prep courses, studied every night until midnight for 2 years and prepped for the exam? I guarantee you he was not expelled for prepping. This is exactly what you did in school so do not pass this off as cheating. Get your facts straight. Your mom and dad also trained you to study, review and prep for exams. You must be a cheater. You clearly inherited this syndrome....and got away with it!

Actually, he was expelled for cheating while taking his SAT.

Do you prepping parents also teach your offspring to lie to the tester if asked whether or not mummy/daddy or a "special teacher" has taught them certain sections from the test? "Say no Maggie if she asks you if you have seen this before, okay? (With index finger to the lips, looking deeply into each other eyes) Honey, don't forget that our workbooks are our little secret."

[Anonymous]

I assure you, there is no exam in which a well prepared and studied pupil will not have encountered similar questions and concepts (for the bulk of the test). After all, how does one master content and subject matter without prior exposure and study? Yes, if any teacher asked me whether I had seen similar questions, concepts, content in any exam I prepared for why would I be ashamed of admitting so, if this were the case? I'm not ashamed to claim I am an avid reader and problem solver. What's the big deal here. We are talking about educating children. I guess you would since you are a genius and you prefer to study anonymously and have folk foolishly think you get 99% without any prior exposure or studying. You were born with your intellectual neuronal network already laid down!

If you have books and blocks, color boards and computers, polygons and puzzles, pen and paper in your home it's sounds like this is off limits to your children since they would be perennial cheaters, forever condemned to hell. But, then again, since you were raised not to cheat you're an illiterate simpleton in the 99.9 percentile.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I assure you, there is no exam in which a well prepared and studied pupil will not have encountered similar questions and concepts (for the bulk of the test). After all, how does one master content and subject matter without prior exposure and study? Yes, if any teacher asked me whether I had seen similar questions, concepts, content in any exam I prepared for why would I be ashamed of admitting so, if this were the case? I'm not ashamed to claim I am an avid reader and problem solver. What's the big deal here. We are talking about educating children. I guess you would since you are a genius and you prefer to study anonymously and have folk foolishly think you get 99% without any prior exposure or studying. You were born with your intellectual neuronal network already laid down!

If you have books and blocks, color boards and computers, polygons and puzzles, pen and paper in your home it's sounds like this is off limits to your children since they would be perennial cheaters, forever condemned to hell. But, then again, since you were raised not to cheat you're an illiterate simpleton in the 99.9 percentile.

Touche.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have never heard of anyone, ever, getting anything other than the standard computer-generated report...

Not sure what you mean by this, but I think every report comes with an individual write-up--it's not just a list of numbers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for the understanding.. its so hard to know what to do. If this process were more clearly defined, if the materials werent so readily available, if people didn't harp on 99.9's all the time, if public was a real option for us.... there'd be nothing to think about.

I have to admit that this chafes me a little: "If public were a real option for us." Honestly, public is an option for me (my DC is in public) because I made school choice a priority. Do I want to live in the burbs? No. Would I rather be in DC with more fun activities around, better restaurants, shorter commute, etc., etc.? Of course. We chose the burbs for the schools. You made a different choice that prioritized other things over public schools. Sorry about that, but as my mother would say, " you made your bed, now lie in it." The post about giving DC kids priority at privates gave me the same reaction. I don't mean to be bitchy (I know, I am-- flame aaway, it won't change my opinion) but when you all brag about how great it is to live in the city, don't forget the downside. Those of us in the burbs are not all uncultured slobs -- we have just made different choices. Sorry if your kid doesn't get into private unless you cheat . . err, I mean prep for the test.

Also, there are many excellent independent schools in the area. Look beyond the "Big 3" and you'll find some terrific options (where the student bodies, not incidentally, include lots of kids with 99th percentile scores).

[Anonymous]

Ms. Genius again. Goodness, did I say anything about playing with blocks? I think its pretty clear that if you have to lie about what you did, you've crossed a line. Thats all I'm saying and I'm shocked that it is considered so controversial. What I see here are a lot of rationalizations -- oh if playing with blocks is OK, so is buying the test off of Ebay. I'm glad my kids are a bit older and won't be going to school with your kids.

I have two children who both took the WIPPSI and neither was formally prepped. One child went to what is considered a big three school and for the other (whose scores were actually higher) we knew none of those schools would be a good fit, didn't apply, and he goes to a smaller school. After all, isn't it about finding the right school for your child?