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)

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.

Schools Superintendent wants pushback of school year

State Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox wants local districts to push back the start of classes to late August. The request is aimed to help Georgia’s place in federal ‘No Child Left Behind’ requirements. The extra time would allow state education officials to include retesting numbers for many students, instead of using the failing marks that many receive the first time they take Georgia’s standardized exams. The request is voluntary for each of the state’s 180 school districts—the change would be effective in fall 2009. Cox will present the proposal at the Georgia School Boards Association meeting this coming weekend in Savannah.