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View Full Version : Houston schools to fire six teachers in cheating scandal



danceyogamom
05-06-2005, 09:37 AM
HOUSTON, Texas (AP) -- Administrators in Texas' largest school district said Wednesday they plan to fire six teachers and demote two principals and an assistant principal after finding evidence of cheating on state tests at four schools.

Houston Independent School District Superintendent Abe Saavedra said three other district employees, including a principal, will receive formal reprimands.

A Dallas Morning News review of standardized test scores throughout the state prompted a handful of Texas school districts to investigate test results at individual schools from recent years.

The Houston district began an internal investigation four months ago after finding unexplained jumps in scores and statistical irregularities on standardized tests at 23 schools, Saavedra said.

Two months into the investigation, Saavedra announced the district had identified two teachers at an elementary school who assisted students on the state exam. The district has recommended those teachers be fired, and has demoted the school's principal.

On Wednesday, Saavedra said the investigation was over and confirmed cheating occurred at another three elementary schools. At those schools, four teachers have been recommended for firing and a principal and an assistant principal will be demoted, he said.

At one school, investigators found that four eighth-graders were taken from their regular classrooms to another room where a math teacher helped them answer questions. The four answered all of the test questions the same way -- and incorrectly answered the same two questions.

Robert Moore, the district's inspector general who led the review, said all the teachers and administrators accused have denied wrongdoing.

Chris Tritico, an attorney for one of the principals and two of the teachers fighting to retain their jobs, claimed investigators picked a target "and then molded their facts around that target."

Other schools around the nation have faced similar incidents.

In Iowa, science test results for a seventh-grade class have been invalidated and a teacher has resigned after administrators discovered he quizzed students on materials found in the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, the district's superintendent said.

"They were talking about things that were awfully close to the test itself," said Tim Hoffman, Adel-DeSoto-Minburn's superintendent. "Students still had to figure things out, but the public has to depend on us to maintain the integrity of those tests."

http://www.cnn.com/2005/EDUCATION/05/05/houston.schools.ap/index.html

danceyogamom
05-06-2005, 09:40 AM
I've been researching schools a lot ... mefi will start kindergarten in 06, and here in Chicago you have to start the magnet school/testing process a year early.

Everything is based on test scores. Funding, students, ratings ... everything!

So much so that some schools teach off based off the tests. I believe that is really wrong. There is such pressue to make children perform well on these tests - their overall education is suffering as a result!

I'm not at all surprised there have been cheating scandals in this country. In fact - I wonder where the rest of them are

pcteaser
05-06-2005, 10:58 AM
I think one thing parents in my area have become concerned about is that the students are no longer getting a rounded education. Instead they are being taught only the things they need to know to pass these tests. It does put incredible pressure on the students and the teachers as well.

One thing that caught my eye in your post


At one school, investigators found that four eighth-graders were taken from their regular classrooms to another room where a math teacher helped them answer questions. The four answered all of the test questions the same way -- and incorrectly answered the same two questions.

The teacher got the answer wrong too??

danceyogamom
05-06-2005, 12:14 PM
I think one thing parents in my area have become concerned about is that the students are no longer getting a rounded education. Instead they are being taught only the things they need to know to pass these tests. It does put incredible pressure on the students and the teachers as well.

One thing that caught my eye in your post



The teacher got the answer wrong too??

Doesn't say much for our education system does it?

I don't think tests and ratings are the solution to making sure the public schools are up to par