School board may toss altered tests

The state Board of Education is expected to vote on whether to toss out standardized tests that were altered last summer after students submitted them.

The outcome of Wednesday and Thursday’s board meetings could mean the four elementary schools where tampered exams were found no longer meet federal standards. Schools that consistently fall short of No Child Left Behind benchmarks face sanctions, ranging from offering tutoring to a state takeover.

The cheating was revealed by a state audit last month. A DeKalb County principal has resigned after admitting to changing students’ answers on tests to improve their scores.

He and another administrator have been charged with tampering with state documents, which is a felony.

The Georgia Professional Standards Commission, which oversees the licensing of educators, is expected to investigate.