Did three Bristol (PA) elementary school teachers help their students just a bit too much on the PSSA (Pennsylvania's standardized test)? PA's Dept. of Education thinks so, and the teachers may be employed at a school that was facing sanctions if test scores did not improve:
Bristol Township School District officials are waiting to hear whether the state determines three Buchanan Elementary teachers cheated on Pennsylvania's standardized assessment test...The investigation was prompted by a discussion between Erin and Justin Darr and their now 9-year-old son, Brandon, who was in third grade on test day during the spring. "My son said that he had spelled 'wolves' incorrectly on his paper and he turned it in to his teacher and she corrected it," Erin Darr said yesterday...
Buchanan Elementary was one of nine Bristol Township schools warned that it could face sanctions if scores did not improve. Darr thinks this pressure played a part in what her children told her.
"This was just absolutely appalling that they would teach the children to cheat to get a better score to keep their hind ends out of trouble," Darr said. "They're telling the children it's OK to cheat so you stay out of trouble," he said.
Exactly.
Posted by kswygert at July 22, 2003 11:44 AM