The Principal-Less School: An Articles of Confederation Simulation
⚖️ The Principal-Less School ⚖️
An Articles of Confederation Simulation
Round
0
Freedom
10
Stability
10
Welcome to Oak Valley High School
The Situation: The principal has left, and no replacement has been hired. The school board decided to try an "experiment in educational freedom" - letting individual teachers and departments govern themselves.
Your Role: You're on the teacher council trying to keep the school running. Each decision you make affects two crucial factors:
FREEDOM: Teacher autonomy and independence
STABILITY: School-wide order and coordination
The Challenge: Just like the Articles of Confederation, a system with no central authority struggles to survive. Too much freedom leads to chaos. But imposing order reduces the freedom that defines the system.
Game Rules:
Start with 10 Freedom and 10 Stability
Each decision affects these values
If either drops below 5, the experiment fails
Your score = Rounds survived + Final Freedom + Final Stability
Can you survive longer than the Articles of Confederation?
A guide to understanding what the test actually asks
Select the correct answer from each dropdown menu, then fill in your information at the bottom and click "Submit" when finished.
The Truth About This Test
Here's what 10 years of released test questions tell us:
What It's NOT: Trivia about random dates and names. Trying to trick you. Impossible to prepare for.
What It IS: Basic facts you can actually learn. Seeing if you can apply what you know.
with facts + common sense.
What Type of Questions Are on the Test?
Every question falls into one of three categories:
Level 1: Pure Recall (about
of test)
These just ask: Do you know the fact?
Example: Which branch of government has the power to declare laws unconstitutional?
If you memorized that
belongs to the Supreme Court (judicial branch), you get this right. No thinking required—just recall.
Level 2: Apply the Fact (about
of test)
These ask: Can you use what you know in a new situation?
Example: Marcus wants to improve emergency response in his community. Which action would be at the LOCAL level?
Enlist in the National Guard
Serve on a volunteer fire department
Sign a petition to the governor
Attend a state legislative hearing
The answer is
. You need to know that volunteer fire departments are
, the National Guard is
, and petitions to the governor and legislative hearings are state level. The scenario is new, but the facts are basic.
Level 3: Read and Think (about
of test)
These give you a passage and ask: What does this mean?
Good news: You can often figure these out just by reading carefully, even without memorizing anything. They test your thinking, not your memory.
The Key Insight: Wrong Answers Are Often TRUE
This is the #1 reason students miss questions. Look at this real example from the 2025 test:
Question: Which statement describes a result of a constitutional amendment affecting the structure of the federal government?
The answer choices:
Residents of D.C. gained Electoral College votes ← CORRECT
D.C. gained nine city council members
D.C. gained a non-voting delegate in the House
D.C. residents gained the right to vote in local elections
Here's the trap: Options B, C, and D are all TRUE statements about D.C.! But the question asked about constitutional amendments. Only the
Amendment (giving D.C. electoral votes) was a constitutional amendment. The others happened through laws or reorganization.
LESSON: Don't just pick the first thing you recognize as true. Ask yourself: "Does this actually answer
?"
How to Approach Every Question
Read the question twice. What is it actually asking? Underline key words like "local," "state," "amendment," or "which branch."
Eliminate wrong answers. Even if something is true, cross it out if it doesn't match what the question asked.
Don't rush. You have plenty of time. Most mistakes happen because students pick the first answer that "looks right" without checking.
Use common sense. Many questions can be narrowed down with logic even if you don't know the exact fact.
Let's Walk Through Another Real Question
Question: A candidate makes a claim during a campaign speech. Which method would BEST help determine if the information is credible?
Check if other credible sources agree
See if the opposing candidate disputes it
Check how many people shared it on social media
Look at the candidate's own campaign website
Think through each option:
A: Multiple credible sources agreeing? That's how fact-checking works. This makes sense.
B: The opponent might dispute it just to win, not because it's false. Unreliable.
C: Social media shares don't mean something is true. Unreliable.
D: The candidate's own website will make them look good. Biased source.
Answer:
. You didn't need to memorize anything for this—just common sense about how to verify information.
The Facts You Actually Need to Know
Based on 10 years of test data, these topics appear the most. You need to know these at a precise level—not just a general idea.
= ended slavery.
= citizenship, due process, equal protection.
= voting regardless of race.
Voting Rights
= race.
= women.
= no poll tax.
= 18-year-olds.
Economic Policy
= government taxing/spending.
= Federal Reserve adjusting interest rates and money supply.
The Bottom Line
This test is
. It's not designed to trick you or test obscure knowledge. It tests whether you know basic facts about American government AND can
to situations you haven't seen before. Learn the facts. Take your time. Read carefully. Use common sense. You've got this.
