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Tuesday, October 30, 2012

California DOE Strips 23 Schools Of Top Ranking After Cheating

The Los Angeles Times (10/30, Blume) reports that officials with the California DOE has "stripped" 23 schools "of a key state ranking for cheating, other misconduct or mistakes in administering the standardized tests given last spring. The offenses ranged from failing to cover bulletin boards to more overt improprieties, including helping students correct mistakes or preparing them with actual test questions." The piece notes that the paper obtained data on the move through an open records request, and that state DOE officials call such problems "adult irregularities." If such problems "affect at least 5% of students tested at a school, the campus loses its annual rating on California's Academic Performance Index, which was released this month."


 

The Huffington Post (10/30) also covers this story, noting that the API status that the schools lost is "considered the 'cornerstone' of the state's high-stakes student accountability system that determines whether a school meets federal Adequate Yearly Progress requirements under the No Child Left Behind law. A poor API and failure to meet AYP could mean state intervention that range from giving students the option to transfer out to school closures and staff turnover. California submitted an application seeking a waiver from NCLB last month, but its application lacks key reform plans outlined by the president."


 

KSEE-TV Fresno, CA (10/30, Greenwood) reports that after a teacher in Fresno was "caught breaking the rules on state standardized tests...months of studying and preparation for a state test all went down the drain."

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