Accelerated Reader security

[Betsy Razza <BETSYinATL@AOL.COM>]

I am using Accelerated Reader on six stand alone computers.  I would like to
be able to leave the program up on these computers, but fear doing so.  All a
student has to do is hit the escape key and then the letter Y for "Yes, I
want to exit the program" and he/she is at a C prompt.  I am amazed that
Accel. Reader does not require a password to prevent this.  How can a program
which is designed to be used in a school with students have this flaw?
 NewsBank, ProQuest, and my automated card catalog network all require
passwords and special steps to exit their programs as one would expect with
programs being used with students.

I called Accel. Reader to see if this security problem had been corrected in
a newer version since I am using version 2 and they are now up to version 4.
 If so, I planned to buy the updated version.  I was put through to technical
support and told that version 4 had no security protection either.  Upon
inquiring if Accelerated Reader had a suggestion box, I was told that other
schools were not expressing this concern and I would be charged $50 if I
called again since I did not have a service agreement with them and I had now
used up my one free call to technical support.  I was calling with the intent
of purchasing the newer version if it answered my needs, not for techincal
support.  The person I spoke to reluctantly took down my suggestion.  I
wondered after getting off the phone if I am the only one having this concern
about Accelerated Reader.

How do you handle keeping your computers secure with this program? I don't
think a day goes by in my media center that I do not find that someone has
exited to DOS from Accelerated Reader.  I have been lucky so far, that the
students have not done any harm in DOS, but this is making me nervous.  Is
Electronic Bookshelf more secure?

Betsy
Stone Mountain Middle School
Stone Mountain, GA
BetsyinATL@aol.com