Student Faces Possible Jail For FCAT Phone Cam Photos

[The Straight Story]

Student Faces Possible Jail For FCAT Phone Cam Photos

POSTED: 9:55 am EST March 3, 2006
UPDATED: 10:15 am EST March 3, 2006

BRADENTON, Fla. -- A Manatee County high school student could face up to a year behind bars for using his camera phone to snap photos of the state's standardized test.

Officials at Southeast High School in Bradenton became involved after they found out the boy used his phone to take pictures of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test this week, according to the report.

If the state attorney pursues charges, the student could also face a $1,000 fine along with jail time.

School district spokeswoman Margi Nanney calls the incident "almost hilarious and ridiculous at some level." But Nanney also said that they're serious about the test.

http://www.local6.com/news/7647276/detail.html

[Ron Green]

1. Florida again. What's up with that? n/t

[pitohui]

2. is cheating on tests now a crime?

it is unethical and should result in an automatic F but is this the best use of our criminal court system?

[Systematic Chaos]

8. Well...

As much as I disagree with the whole idea of standardized tests in most cases, I think that when somebody has jeopardized the validity of the results on a statewide level (as opposed to just among a circle of friends), there is just cause to press charges. If those photos were to be posted on the internet they would have spread like wildfire and that would have caused the state of Florida to have to redesign the whole test. That would have cost the state at least tens of thousands of dollars in labor, printing fees, shipping and distribution, etc....

Yeah, the tests suck and all that, but we're talking about a major incidence of theft and fraud in this instance.

[pitohui]

12. more major than the kid who defaced the 1.5m dollar painting?

i don't know how "major" this is compared to the bubble gum boy frankly

[FreedomAngel82]

16. Yep

He could've made tons of money on this too.

[wakeme2008]

3. What is missing from the article is FCAT test are secret and

the questions are secret.

The teachers can only guess what subjects will be asked because (Last I heard) they could not get copies of past years tests.

[i miss america]

4. Fcuk the FCAT and thank goodness for term limits. Hopefully we'll get

a decent governor later this year who will abolish that stupid test once and for all. So much emphasis is placed on it for both principal and teachers' salaries as well as student graduation requirements.

Now they want to send a kid to jail over it? Unbelievable!

[acmejack]

17. You're right, he should be shot.

What's with all this mercy, it's Florida.

Those standardized tests are a gigantic waste of time when they become the point of the school year. They can't or won't understand the difference between training somebody to read and write and educating a person. There is a huge difference between educators and trainers, as well there should be, given their end objectives are entirely different.

[Bandit]

5. I would not be surprised if this test wasn't classified confidential

by the government. Divulging Classified Information might be the charge. Otherwise I can't think what crime could have been committed. School Policy may have been broken and the student suspended but Jail ?????

[TahitiNut]

18. I think it's more mundane - Copyright Violation

If nothing else, they could probably nail him on copyright laws. :shrug:

[acmejack]

19. Sue him for intellectual property infringement!

[baby_mouse]

6. ...

...

...you're joking, of course.

:scared: :hide:

[Wickerman]

7. Widespread distribution of those photos

would lead to the test becoming invalid. Invalidating a test would cost the company that produces the test and the Florida taxpayers millions. Test security is a serious issue.

on edit, adding :scared: :hide: for the inevitable flames. I know testing is unpopular, but I am simply explaining the rationale for charges.

[The Straight Story]

10. I can grasp all that, except

I think this guy should take a number and wait for jail until the person with #1 is in jail - aka bush :)

[Wickerman]

14. lol

well said. :toast:

Hey, I've wanted to ask - what is the story with your avatar and username? I loved that film! Loved the story long before I saw the movie but thought Lynch did a fantastic job with the facts.

[The Straight Story]

20. One of my favorite movies

And that old guy rock(well rocked) as an actor. A tribute to him per se.

[Scurrilous]

9. Leave No Child ...

...Behind Bars.

I'm glad I took my kid out of Florida Public Schools. No more dealing with the FCAT nonsense.

[jmowreader]

11. Send his ass to jail.

We've discussed serial killers quite a few times, and how they get their start by abusing animals.

This is how industrial spies get started--by stealing tests and redistributing them.

And now Florida needs to spend tens of thousands of dollars rebuilding that FCAT. Whose budget gets cut to pay for THAT?

I agree that the FCAT needs to go away, but so long as Jeb's brother is in the White House and we've got NCLB, it will remain.

[pitohui]

15. i have an idea

let's send all kids to jail and be done w. it

c'mon, people, what if it was your kid? there are prob. hundreds of kids who have done this, he just got unlucky and got caught

[jmowreader]

22. If it was my kid he wouldn't have a camera phone in the first place

And if he would have done something this stupid, which is a crime, he would be punished as the law allows.

Moral relativism is what got us Bush. "Oh, everybody does it."

Well, everybody needs to quit doing it.

[gatorboy]

13. These tests are such a waste

Our state is now considering basing a teacher's salary on how well their class does on these tests. It's bad enough that they spend so much time on them as it is (Mys on told me they spend the first two hours of class studying for these)! The real school work gets put on the back burner, so these schools can look good through these AT's. All the while, the students suffer.

These tests only help the adults and I think she be put an end to. :mad:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

21. These questions are used over and over again? WTF?

What if someone just remembers one question (or many, with a good memory) and types it on his/her blog afterwards?