Renton high school student sues over ‘F’

[QED]

Renton high school student sues over ‘F’
Girl accused of cheating worried failing grade could hurt college chances

RENTON, WASH. -- A Renton high school student accused of cheating on a chemistry test has sued the district, demanding that a failing grade she received be withdrawn.

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The teen was accused of cheating after her chemistry teacher found notes in a pencil pouch accessible to her during the test in June, McBroom said. The attorney said his client wasn’t spotted cheating, but that the teacher assumed she was using a crib sheet.

Over her protests, she received a failing grade as well as a day in detention, a punishment she was to serve during the next school year. Rather than accept the punishment, the teen appealed to Lindbergh Principal Tres Genger and ultimately the Renton School Board.

<snip>

“After careful review, the council finds that the final grade submitted by the teacher, with the reduction for the academic infraction, is upheld by a preponderance of the evidence submitted,” board member Al Talley wrote in the Sept. 23 decision.

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Renton-high-school-student-sues-over-F-5823376.php

[Kalidurga]

1. I think the case for cheating is weak.

She took notes, forgot they were in the pouch. Teacher finds them still in the pouch, was it open or closed? If it was closed it's kind of hard to miss the sound of a pouch opening in a small quiet classroom. They should make her retake the test no pencil pouch in a special testing room.

[sweetloukillbot]

2. why would you have your study notes in a pencil pouch?

I took notes in a notepad, or, more recently, on my tablet. And the article said they were accessible during the test. Did the teacher do a search, or notice an open pouch on the desk with crib notes in it?

[Kalidurga]

3. I put notes in weird places

but, they rarely make it to school with me. I don't do that study thing. Anywho, it seems odd that the teacher didn't see anything. I dunno if it was a zipper pouch or not. Or why it was allowed to be accessible.

If she did cheat they shouldn't remove the F though, that goes without saying.

[mbperrin]

4. The girl is too stupid to go to college.

She thinks any college gives a shit over one individual test grade in a chemistry course. Nope. In fact, transcripts only contain the final grade for any course.

The newspaper is too stupid to write an actual article. Only quotes the attorney suing, then reports the board action supporting the teacher as an anomaly without mentioning a single reason why they did so.

After 20 years teaching at the high school level, I can safely say that the surest way to tell if someone is cheating is if their grade on the assignment in question is totally anomalous to the student's body of work. For instance, a student with a 73 average, who earned grades on tests and homework ranging from 50 to 80, settling at 73, is NOT going to make 100 on the final exam without cheating. Not possible.

The girl and her attorney seem to be ignoring the effect that showing a hyper-litigious attitude may have on her ability to be accepted at a college of her choice - no school voluntarily takes on a known troublemaker.