Oversight Group Gets Cheating Complaints

Georgia's teacher certification agency has received complaints for the four school districts where a state audit found cheating on standardized math tests. John Grant with the Georgia Professional Standards Commission said Wednesday that formal complaints have been filed for elementary schools in Atlanta, Fulton County, DeKalb County and Glynn County. The commission will vote in September whether to investigate educators named in three of the complaints. A commission probe is already under way for DeKalb County's Atherton Elementary, where the principal resigned and the assistant principal was reassigned after admitting to changing students' answers on fifth-grade math tests. Both have been charged with tampering with state documents, a felony. Educators found to be involved in the cheating could lose their teaching licenses.

(Associated Press)

All Things Considered Thursday, July 9, 2009

Join Rickey Bevington tonight for All Things Considered. Four schools may have to give back money after the state tosses altered test scores. Plus, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi talks about the CIA and the healthcare debate. These stories and more tonight on All Things Considered starting at 4 PM on GPB Radio. Join us!

County Confirms 'Test Improprieties'

An investigation by the Glynn County school district has confirmed "test improprieties" at an elementary school that is part of a statewide probe into allegations of cheating on standardized tests. District spokesman Jim Weidhaas said Wednesday the district has identified the employees who had direct access to the tests administered at Burroughs-Molette Elementary last summer. He says the employees' names will be submitted to the state for further investigation. Weidhaas declined to identify the employees because it is a personnel matter. A state audit released earlier this month showed a high number of answers had been changed on the fifth-grade math tests at four elementary schools after students turned them in last summer.

(Associated Press)

Commission Investigates Test Cheating

The Georgia Professional Standards Commission is investigating allegations that two DeKalb County school administrators changed answers on a standardized test to improve students' scores. Commission executive secretary Kelly Henson said the school district has filed formal complaints about former Atherton Elementary principal James Berry and assistant principal Doretha Alexander. The two could lose their teaching licenses if they are found guilty by the commission, which oversees educator certification. Berry and Alexander were arrested late last week by DeKalb County police and charged with tampering with public documents. A state audit released two weeks ago revealed cheating at Atherton and three other elementary schools in Georgia.

(Associated Press)

District Attorney Investigates Test Cheating

The DeKalb County district attorney's office is investigating allegations that two elementary school administrators changed answers on Georgia standardized tests to improve students' scores. Don Geary, assistant to the district attorney, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday that those responsible could be charged with tampering with state documents, which is a felony. The cheating came to light in a state audit released last week, revealing discrepancies on the fifth-grade math Criterion-Referenced Competency Test answer sheets in four school districts. State officials do not believe students are to blame. The audit led to the resignation of Atherton Elementary principal James Berry and the reassignment of assistant principal Doretha Alexander. Neither has returned repeated requests for comment.

(Associated Press)

Senator: Make Tampering w/ CRCT Scores a Crime

The CRCT testing scandal has officials considering whether to make it a crime to tamper with standardized test scores. Head of Georgia's Senate Education committee Dan Weber wants educators to know just how serious it is to mess with them.

"If you cheat and change answers... there should be criminal sanctions for that," said Senator Weber(R-Dunwoody), "These people, they're professionals. They're put in a position of trust and these families and our state rely on them to do the right thing or else the kids are cheated."

The Republican from Dunwoody is calling for the new law after a state audit of four schools revealed answers were changed on 5th grade CRCT tests to improve scores.

The Governor's office is evaluating whether a new law is necessary.

"There's clearly a law on the books that makes it illegal to tamper with government documents," said Governor's spokesperson Bert Brantley. "There's not one specifically for school documents and if we need to look at that we'll be glad to work with Senator Weber."

The investigation continues. So far, one principal has resigned from a Dekalb County school where tampering is suspected.

Georgia Gazette Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Join host Rickey Bevington tonight for Georgia Gazette. On tonight's show … Can the Public Service Commission defy a 16 year election law? The debate continues today. More CRCT fallout… one senator wants to make it illegal to cheat. And we take you back to the day Six Flags over Georgia opened. These stories and more tonight on Georgia Gazette at 6, 7 in Athens, re-broadcast at 11, hear our show any time at www.gpb.org/georgiagazette, and download a free podcast on iTunes.

Cheating Sparks Law Debate

The head of the state's Senate education committee wants to create a law that would levy criminal charges against educators who change answers on standardized tests. Sen. Dan Weber is calling for the new law in response to an audit released last week by the state showing that someone altered answers on the fifth-grade Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests to improve scores at four elementary schools last summer. At one of the schools - Atherton Elementary in DeKalb County - the principal resigned and the assistant principal was reassigned late last week after officials discovered they tampered with the tests. The higher scores helped all four schools meet federal No Child Left Behind standards.

(Associated Press)

CRCT Cheating Scandals Sparks Rule Change

The CRCT cheating scandal ensnaring four public schools has sparked a rule change. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Dekalb County School officials have tightened tracking procedures, so that answer sheets can no longer be kept over the weekend.

The test scandal erupted when the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement reported Wednesday that someone deliberately changed students’ answers last summer on fifth grade standardized math retests at schools in Fulton, Glynn, Dekalb and Atlanta school systems. The scores improved dramatically with the changes.

Federal funding for public schools in Georgia hinges on the scores of the standardized test.

(The Atlanta Journal Constitution)

CRCT Cheating Probe Leads To Resignation

The principal of one of the schools under state investigation for cheating on Georgia standardized tests has resigned. James Berry gave up his job as principal of Atherton Elementary in DeKalb County. In addition, the school’s assistant principal has been reassigned pending the probe’s outcome. A DeKalb County school official says the two administrators changed answers on fifth grade CRCT math tests last summer to help students improve scores and help the school meet federal standards. The DeKalb school is one of four being investigated by the state for cheating.

Georgia Gazette Thursday, June 11, 2009

Join host Rickey Bevington tonight for Georgia Gazette. On tonight's show … Suspicion over cheating fifth graders… Inside the state investigation. Re-branding Macon as the birthplace of southern rock. And classical music from two living American composers. These stories and more tonight on Georgia Gazette at 6, 7 in Athens, re-broadcast at 11, hear our show any time at www.gpb.org/georgiagazette , and download a free podcast on iTunes.

CRCT Cheating Alleged In Some Schools

Four schools are being investigated by state officials for possible cheating on standardized tests—the CRCT’s. An official with the Governor’s Office for Student Affairs says the schools in question had high numbers of changed answers on more than 100 of the fifth-grade math tests. From there, the scores improved dramatically with the changes. The schools under investigation come frmo the Fulton, DeKalb and Glynn County school systems, along with from the Atlanta school system.

Georgia Gazette Friday, June 5, 2009

Join host Rickey Bevington tonight for Georgia Gazette. On tonight's show... The state's top judges decide whether to sue Gov. Sonny Perdue over court funding. And, as Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears retires, how a Republican replacement could reshape the court. Where you can view Monet's water lilies. We find out how Georgia public school students performed on standardized tests. Plus, Athens band The Curdory Road has found a following in a town already filled with big-name acts. These stories and more tonight on Georgia Gazette at 6, 7 in Athens, re-broadcast at 11, hear our show any time at www.gpb.org/georgiagazette , and download a free podcast on iTunes.

Single-sex Ed Could Expand

In northeast Georgia, Barrow County schools are adding more single-gender classes. After seeing success with a pilot program this year at Winder-Barrow Middle School, the superintendent says he is considering starting all-girl and all-boy classes at three other schools. District officials say students in the single-sex classes improved their math scores on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests, while students from mixed-gender classes did not do as well. About 10 districts in Georgia offer single-gender classes.

(Associated Press)

DoE testing educator rating system

Georgia’s Department of Education is piloting a statewide program to professionally rate teacher educational skills.

The field study will include some 190 elementary, middle and high schools, and is meant to improve teaching performance standards.

A Department of Education official says the training program was developed over the past two years, in part, by the Board of Regents.

The training will enable administrators to rate teachers’ professional skills according to established criteria, rather than according to a supervisor’ subjective impressions.

Sessions will bring school principals and administrators together with a cross-section of teachers with varying experience, and in various subjects, including music, art and physical education.

The field testing will continue until April 2009, after which it may be implemented statewide.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of education issues.

State Ed Board to approve new social studies curriculum

Today, the state school board is expected to approve a new curriculum for social studies. Education officials hope the revisions will help turn-the-tide on the more than 70-percent failure rate of 6th and 7th graders last year. Over the summer, on-line public comment was taken on the proposed update. Dana Tofig with the Department of Education:

"Some people may say, 'well, the school year has begun and how can you introduce new standards when the school year has begun?'. These standards aren't so radically different. It's a lot of the same material covered in the 6th and 7th grade before...it's just a little more precise".

Training on the new material for teachers begins later this month.

Meanwhile, numbers in from summer re-testing on the math portion of the CRCT show another 19,000 rising high school freshmen passed. That improved the statewide pass-rate from 62, to 77-percent for the year.

Scores trickling in from CRCT re-tests

State officials say they will soon determine how Georgia eighth graders performed on standardized tests in a second try after failing the first time.

These results are important because another failing grade means the eighth graders will be held back.

Scores from those re-tests are starting to trickle in to individual school systems.

About 40 percent of eighth graders in Georgia had failed the math portion on the first try.

Education officials say that's because this year's test was harder than in years past. However, some parents and other critics say teachers were not adequately trained to prepare students for the tests.

The tests measure how well students are mastering concepts taught in the classroom.

The high failure rate caused a surge in the number of students attending remedial summer school classes this year.

State officials will release the results once they hear from all of the school systems in Georgia.

Georgia educators in DC

Over 160 state educators are in Washington this weekend to press for Georgia’s needs at the National Education Association convention. Edgar Treiguts reports.

The topic of the No Child Left Behind law will get heavy discussion at the national gathering.

Jeff Hubbard is president of the Georgia Association of Educators, a teacher advocacy group. He says pressing for changes to NCLB will be a main focus of the Georgia delegation.

"The political campaign for 2008 very crucial for the next 4 years and regards to talking about the re-authorization of NCLB. Health care has been a very dramatic issue-or the lack thereof-, for our children and education employees. These are 2 things we’re going to very carefully be looking at".

Hubbard says he’s thrilled with this week’s announcement that Georgia and some other states will get more flexibility in the implementation of NCLB.

However, concerning recent state CRCT scores, Hubbard says teachers need more training on the new math curriculum.

New state social studies curriculum open for public comment

The Georgia Department of Education is collecting public comments on changes to the state’s social studies curriculum. This after thousands of students failed a state-mandated exam this year, the CRCT.

State schools Superintendent Kathy Cox threw out the results after discovering 70-80 percent of sixth and seventh graders failed the test.

Cox pointed to a disconnect between test questions and what was being taught, and called for a revamping of the state’s curriculum. That revised curriculum is open for on-line public comment until August 11.

A new curriculum will take effect in 2008-2009 school year; however, the CRCT in spring 2009 won’t count. They will serve as a pilot test.

Georgia Dems want probe of CRCT's

Georgia's Democratic leadership is calling for an investigation into Republican Superintendent Kathy Cox's handling of state-mandated tests this year.

38-percent of Georgia's 8th graders did not pass the math test this year. Many are in summer school hoping to pass and move on to 9th grade. Superintendent Cox says the failure rate was expected because Georgia has a tougher curriculum and a more rigorous test. House Minority Leader DuBose Porter called for an independent investigation, saying teachers did not get enough training.

"If we don't get it straight going to this fall, we're going to have the same results next year because teachers still have not been prepared to teach by that new curriculum or the new rigor of this CRCT test".

Cox says teachers are prepared and she makes no excuses for raising the bar in math so quickly.

"I think we've got to say we have not had a rigorous math curriculum and we haven't had the expectations, and our teachers are doing a heck of a job and they'll get there".

Cox says she's been forthcoming with information and expects most kids to pass the math test after summer school.