Several Georgia districts must now explain why some classrooms had an unusually high number of wrong-to-right answer changes on the 2011 Criterion-Referenced Competency Test.
Dozens of school districts across the state have turned in reports to the Governor's Office of Student Achievement [GOSA] detailing why and how classes at their schools were flagged for wrong-to-right erasures on state tests. The reports come after GOSA's erasure analysis, the third conducted since the CRCT cheating scandal erupted in 2009, flagged schools that had classrooms with an unusual number of wrong-to-right answer changes.
GOSA and the districts have refused to say what's in the reports, pointing out that they are part of an ongoing investigation that could lead to individual cases of discipline.
"Even after these district-level reports are submitted to GOSA, our auditors often issue follow-up questions to districts to gain additional clarity," said Bonnie Holliday, GOSA's executive director. "As a result, all investigations associated with the 2011 CRCT Erasure Analysis are ongoing at this point, and we cannot comment on open investigations."
Based on the number of classes flagged, GOSA has given schools one of four designations: "cleared of concern;" "minimal concern;" "moderate concern" and "severe concern."
Schools with problems had until May 4 to self-report to GOSA. About 61 districts across the state were required to submit reports
Atlanta Public Schools, the epicenter of the CRCT cheating scandal, had seven schools at the "moderate concern" level and has asked for an extension as it conducts its review.
APS spokesman Keith Bromery said the district requested an extension so it could have more time for its review. He said a thorough investigation would be conducted.
Friday, Superintendent Erroll Davis sent a memo to employees directing them to cooperate with any investigation efforts or risk being disciplined. In addition to the 2011 erasure investigation, the district is under scrutiny by the district attorney for cheating that occurred in 2009.
In the past, APS employees have been accused of impeding efforts to investigate cheating by both internal and external groups. One high-ranking APS official was reassigned for allegedly telling principals during a state investigation to pen "go to hell" memos to Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents.
Bromery said the directive from Davis is meant to remind employees of ethical expectations.
The erasure analysis conducted by GOSA uncovered statistically improbable wrong-to-right answer changes on the 2009 CRCT, most notably in the Atlanta and Dougherty County school systems.
It prompted then-Gov. Sonny Perdue to appoint a team of special investigators who ultimately found evidence of massive cheating by educators in both districts. In Atlanta, the investigators said cheating occurred at 44 schools and involved about 180 educators.
Like APS, DeKalb has also asked for an extension as it conducts its review for GOSA. DeKalb has until May 25 to submit its report on four of its schools. Cobb, which had three schools of “moderate concern,” is still working on its investigation.
Gwinnett, which had a pair of schools at the "moderate" concern level, has turned in its review, according to district spokeswoman Sloan Roach. So has the school district in Cherokee County, where erasures at Hasty Elementary were of minimal concern.
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