Cellphone Photos May Cause a Local High School Some Academic Problems

Last Saturday I administered the SAT to a room full of high school kids, and one thing that's absolutely mandatory is that cellphones can never come out at all, even during the breaks.  That's to protect the integrity of the test and keep people from transmitting test questions to others.  Just seeing a cellphone in a student's hand can cause that kid to have their test voided.  Apparently the same rules are supposed to apply to the state STAR testing, but one local high school has a problem:

A South County high school where about nine students used their cellphones last month to snap photos of state standardized testing materials could lose its ability to compete for state honors for two years, including California Distinguished School, a state education official said.

Tesoro High School in Las Flores reported as many as nine students improperly pulled out their cellphones during the May 16-18 administration of annual Standardized Testing And Reporting, or STAR, exams, said Marcus Walton, a spokesman for the Capistrano Unified School District.

The students were not attempting to cheat, but rather bubbled in their multiple-choice answer sheets in patterns forming slang terms and other short words, including "LOL," Walton said. The students then snapped photos of their answer sheets and posted them online.

"The test questions nor the correct answers were photographed and put out, so the integrity of the test was never at stake," Walton said. "These answer sheets that were bubbled in were used to send joke messages. It's kids who were goofing around being kids."

But John Boivin, administrator for the California Department of Education's STAR program office, said students who improperly use their cellphones during the exam's administration represent a serious violation of testing protocols. Whether the students cheated, or intended to cheat, is irrelevant, Boivin said.

I have a little bit of knowledge about the state testing materials and all the efforts they make to safeguard them. There are very strict rules in who can access the materials and how they're stored and accounted for before the test. They take this stuff pretty seriously.

A few years ago another local high school had 690 AP test scores tossed because of irregularities in how those tests were handled. That one caused all sorts of problems.

Student Hacks Into School's Grading System to Improve His GPA

Updated and bumped...

A couple of local high school students are going to be getting their higher education at the Gray Bar University:

LADERA RANCH – A Tesoro High School senior was charged today with breaking into his high school in a plot to hack into the school computer system and change his grades to better his chances for college admission.

Omar Khan, 18, also allegedly changed grades for 12 other students and once broke into the locked office of a vice principal in an attempt to retrieve a test after he was caught cheating, according to a statement from the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

Khan, of Coto de Caza, is charged with nearly 70 felony counts, including altering public records, computer access and fraud, burglary, identity theft and conspiracy. He could be sentenced to more than 38 years in prison if convicted.

Kahn allegedly broke into several rooms at Tesoro High School in Rancho Santa Margarita between Jan. 23 and May 20 late at night and on weekends to access school computers to change grades. He is accused of altering test scores from Advanced Placement classes and school records from previous semesters, often changing grades of "C," "D," or "F" to "A," according to the DA's statement.

He allegedly stole personal log-in information from teachers to gain access to their computers and grades.

School administrators alerted authorities after noticing a discrepancy in Khan's grades after he requested a copy of his official transcripts.

A second student, Tanvir Singh, 18, of Ladera Ranch, was charged with conspiracy, burglary, computer fraud and attempted altering of a public record after he allegedly tried to break into a classroom to steal a test in advance of the exam. He could get three years in prison if convicted.

Singh allegedly exchanged several text messages with Khan on May 8 detailing a plan to break into a teacher's classroom to steal a test a day before the exam. But that plan apparently went awry when they were interrupted by a custodian while they were attempting to access the teacher's computer.

What kind of a GPA do you need to get into the State penitentiary system? With grades like that they should be able to get into the prison of their choice with a full ride - room, board and fines included! (But not Folsom - I hear that's a total party prison.)

Today's the last day of school for Tesoro and other local high schools, and the first day of Singh and Khan's new career as License Plate Manufacturing Engineers.

So, the question is: Did Khan con Singh? Will Singh sing about con Kahn conned? Stay tuned.

UPDATE: Here's more information from the LA Times story:

Between January and May, authorities contend, Kahn broke into the school using a stolen master key at least six times at night and on weekends. Using passwords stolen from teachers, he allegedly hacked into computers and changed test scores from Advanced Placement classes as well as school records from previous semesters, often changing Cs, Ds and Fs into A's. He also installed software so he could access the system from other locations, prosecutors allege.

Though he is accused primarily of changing his own grades, prosecutors allege that he also altered the grades of 12 other students. District officials say they are investigating whether any other students should be disciplined.

Prosecutors also allege that Khan had master copies of tests and answer keys in his possession, and that he e-mailed some to dozens of students in Advanced Placement classes.

Additionally, after being caught cheating on an English test April 18 and given a failing grade, Khan broke into the assistant principal's locked office to steal the test back and conceal evidence that he had cheated, prosecutors said.

Hours after one late-night grade-changing break-in, authorities said, Khan requested a copy of his official transcript so he could appeal a rejection from the UC system. School officials noticed the grading discrepancy and alerted the Sheriff's Department.

Khan has been charged with 34 felony counts of altering a public record, 11 felony counts of stealing and secreting a public record, seven felony counts of computer access and fraud, six felony counts of burglary, four felony counts of identity theft, three felony counts of altering a book of records, two felony counts of receiving stolen property, one felony count of conspiracy, and one felony count of attempted altering of a public record.

Singh, who is also a senior, allegedly exchanged text messages with Khan on May 19 to plot breaking into the school that night to steal a copy of a test they would take the following day.

Singh was charged with one felony count each of conspiracy, burglary, computer access and fraud, and attempted altering of a public record. He faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison if convicted.

As much fun as I'm having with this story, there certainly is a serious side to it. Some people will try and blame this on the "pressure that today's kids are under to excel". Baloney. These kids are crooks - nothing more, nothing less. They were running a sophisticated criminal organization that tried to steal a college education they didn't earn and anyone trying to defend that is as ethically challenged as these two nimrods are. Anyone who knowingly benefited from these guys' actions should be prepared to pay a similar price. I'm wondering if any other kids may find themselves on the outs tonight as their classmates walk for their diplomas.

Related Tags: Tesoro High School, Omar Kahn, Tanvir Singh