80 educators could face discipline in CRCT investigation

By Nancy Badertscher and Gracie Bonds Staples

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

About 80 educators statewide could face disciplinary action in connection with possible cheating on standardized tests last year, the state Board of Education was told Wednesday. In addition, the state publicly pressured the Atlanta school system to wrap up its investigation and report its results.

State officials wouldn’t provide details, such as where the 80 were from, what their jobs were or what specifically they are suspected of doing. The 80 are on top of the 100 Atlanta city school employees that a top official recently said could be reported for possible violations of test security procedures.

On Wednesday, Atlanta Schools Superintendent Beverly Hall was given one day to submit a letter to the state board of education, giving her personal assurance that the school system is about to wind up an internal investigation into possible cheating at 58 of its schools.

The school system has won repeated extensions on its investigation deadline, the last being in June, said Kathleen Mathers, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement. The state board, with a letter from Hall, would extend the deadline to July 30, she said.

“All of the other districts finished their investigations in April and May,” Mathers said. “We felt it was appropriate to give Atlanta Public Schools more time. We didn’t want to sacrifice quality. But with the school year starting just around the corner, we need to identify the kids that were adversely affected and identify the support services they need.”

A report released in February by Mathers' office showed there was possible cheating on the CRCT in about 20 percent of the state’s elementary and middle schools last spring.

Statewide, test results have been scrutinized in 35 districts. In 14 of those districts, about 80 people are expected to be referred to the state Professional Standards Commission, the agency that licenses and has the power to investigate and discipline educators for wrongdoing, Mathers said.

Those referrals are expected to be for a range of violations, including failing to provide training about the test to teachers who were coaching students on the answers, she said. In some instances, some administrators told people not to visit the school during the weekend, presumably because that was when some test results were going to be changed, Mathers said.

The state will not identify the 14 districts with suspected violations until “we’ve gotten all the information and we’re at a final point in our investigation,” Mathers said.

Fran Millar (R-Dunwoody), vice chairman of the House Education Committee, said a potential 180 referrals to the Professional Standards Commission is a startling number, but he said more information is needed.

"We've got to find out if some people were intimidated to go along with this stuff. Did they fear they'd lose their jobs?" Millar said. "You've got to look at each on an individual basis. Some of these people -- where are they coming from? In some areas, the only places you can get a job are hospitals and schools."

Jeff Hubbard, immediate past president of the Georgia Association of Educators, said late Wednesday, "While the number [referred to the Professional Standards Commission for investigation] is higher than anyone anticipated, what people do have to understand is that the majority of people and systems were cleared.

"GAE will monitor the situations for any members accused of potential violations to ensure that their rights to a fair hearing and representation are ensured," he said.

In the Atlanta school system, a blue-ribbon commission independent of the system has taken the lead on the investigation.

“We’re not sure exactly when the commission will conclude their investigation and their report,’ said Keith Bromery, school system spokesman.

About the letter requested of Hall, he said, “Dr. Hall would not be in a position to commit to a deadline because the matter is really in the hands of the blue-ribbon commission. How can we commit for the commission that is charged with doing the investigation and the report?"

Samra Coote, spokeswoman for the investigating commission, could not be reached for comment.