A Whole New Way to Study for the SATs (See Also: Cheating)
If you’re going to pay $2,299 for an SAT-prep course, you’d expect it to be good, right? The College Board, a not-for-profit group that owns the PSAT and SAT exams, claims Dallas-based Karen Dillard’s College Prep was offering classes that were a little too helpful. And by helpful, they mean obtaining live tests and giving students the questions to study with. (Oopsies!) The College Board is also alleging in a lawsuit that the principal of Jasper High School in Plano provided KDCP with a copy of the PSAT test administered in October. As a result of the allegations, some faultless students’ test scores could be thrown out.
Dillard insists that the test in question was sent to the company unsolicited, and that she has never used “live” exams. She says she fully complied with the College Board’s request to investigate the matter four months ago, and that by doing so, she was promised to be spared a lawsuit. She also says she stopped distributing the suspect exam after the questions arose.
What conclusion can you draw from the story?
A. Karen Dillard is a hard-working entrepreneur being bullied by the big guys.
B. Karen Dillard should invest in a good lawyer.
C. There weren’t any of these prissy “test prep” classes when you were in school—and you had to walk 10 miles in the snow to get there.
D. None of the above.
7 Comments to “A Whole New Way to Study for the SATs (See Also: Cheating)”
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Its ridiculous that this College Board monopoly a supposedly “not for profit” institution can put a person out of business by destroying her reputation. Too bad my business isn’t a monolith monopoly or I could simply make some baseless accusations against my competition, file a lawsuit, and threaten to hurt a lot of people for media attention. Karen is being made a scapegoat and it just isn’t fair.
Dallas Anglo Parent ~ Wow! Seems like you must BE one of those monitors you describe! The focus here is the BOGUS lawsuit from the all mighty college board! They are saying that Dillard set out to obtain and use something she knew was illegal to do…I don’t think so! She said that she complied with the college board on every level in their investigation. How unfortunate for all the kids she has successfully helped. I hope she wins BIG!
So is it ok to cheat, just as long as you do not get caught???
The fact is she did distribute the test. She only complied after being caught. “She also says she stopped distributing the suspect exam after the questions arose.”
She never said she stopped distributing the suspect exam after questions arose- you have your facts wrong. The Dallas Morning News reported College Board says she distributed the test. Karen Dillard denies this - she says it was given to her but she never used it. Kare Dillard is being unfairly found guilty by College Board’s almighty PR department, nothing more.
I hope the College Board is finally exposed for what it really is: a money making machine that won’t stop until all their competitors are squashed. I’m behind KD and hope they give the College Board a taste of their own medicine.
I’m guessing some of you are private school parents who haven’t observed the “lock down” of a TAKS test complete with state monitors. The same desire for integrity is administered with on campus PSAT and AP exams.
A few years ago, our school felt obligated to report that one proctor had allowed a class a few more minutes with the PSAT. School administrators and students provided statements to the College Board, the inquiry went on for several days while students worried that they’d have to retake the test. I respect those controls.
Was it no big deal when an AP test went missing a few years ago at St. Mark’s? Had the test not been found, St. Mark’s would have had to pay a penalty to the College Board - $20,000 if I remember correctly. When a classroom final exam was taken at Jesuit, kids were expelled.
In the Plano ISD - Dillard case, the test was allegedly stolen by a school principal who by position was indirectly responsible for maintaining the integrity of the test yet he gave it to his brother who worked for Karen Dillard. He surely knew testing protocols. Why would he take such a risk?
The lawyers will determine if Dillard knew the origin of the test but she and Plano ISD should have known about the “conflict of interest” between the brothers.
I guarantee, if the principal had been with Dallas ISD, this would have been front page, Brett Shipp would be at the brothers homes and Kent Fisher would be at district headquarters now questioning test protocols, looking for the conflict of interest disclosure form of the principal and also questioning the district’s employee background check process.
Instead you now have to do a search to find this story on the DMN website. The lawsuit was up for a day but can be still found here:
http://www.dallasnews.com/shar.....atsuit.pdf
Google the topic and you’ll find more coverage nationally than locally. My continued interest in following this is to see if DMN gives Plano the same scrutiny it does Dallas. I’m betting not.
Get real. Cheating is not allowed. If you run a business with unethical practices -please know you will pay for your actions. SHE IS!-hopefully.
The bigger issue is fairness-
-so elite private school kids can afford KD to increase their scores by paying a high price to KD - because she unethically exposed them to a live test!
- poor kids dont have this opportunity.
-or kids who just work hard deserve to take the SAT without tainted or inflated scores
The lawsuit alleges- she is supposed to give poor kids the same fighting chance
if you are a poor family - please take advantage of this opportunity and apply for some help