At 6 Louisiana schools, cheating or potential cheating detected on standardized tests
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| STAFF PHOTO BY TED JACKSON Feb. 10, 2000 Louisiana Department of Education's LEAP test, Science and Social Studies answer sheet. At six Louisiana schools in the 2013-14 school year, school system investigations uncovered cheating or potential cheating on the LEAP and on other state tests. (Ted Jackson) |
A student from Glasgow Middle School in Baton Rouge peeked at a classmate's standardized test last year, then changed his own answers. Another student from Woodlawn Leadership Academy in Shreveport snuck a phone into the testing room, took a picture of a geometry examination then posted it to Instagram for classmates. A teacher reportedly gave students a leg up on an iLEAP test at Lafargue Elementary in Marksville; the teacher resigned soon after.
These incidents and others are highlighted in 65 reported test security lapses at Louisiana public schools during the 2013-14 academic year. They were reported by 25 school systems or institutions to the state Education Department.
Six follow-up investigations concluded that students or administrators cheated on or compromised tests. Other inquiries determined that the irregularities were simple mistakes, which necessitated more test security training. But detailed information on the investigations was not available for about 20 cases, in which school systems simply requested that tests be thrown out or submitted copies of their test security protocol to the Education Department.
The documents, released by the state to NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune, offer new insight into a January report on tossed-out tests. They also show several previously undisclosed testing problems that might have led to tests being invalidated.
The tests included the LEAP, iLEAP and similar exams for elementary school students who struggle with English and who have disabilities. For high schoolers, they include the Graduation Exit Examination, end-of-course exams and the ACT series.
The exams are significant. Students may be held back a grade, educators may lose their jobs and entire schools may be shut down or seized by the state if children don't perform well enough. The pressure, experts contend, could lead to test cheating.
Information on last year's testing irregularities comes as Louisiana schools prep for the next round of standardized tests, and for the security that those tests require. For some high schoolers, ACT series tests begin March 9. Common Core-aligned tests for elementary school students start the following week.
Which schools had problems?
The state's January report on invalidated tests included irregularities at 230 of Louisiana's more than 1,500 public or private schools that accept vouchers that were cited in 2013-14. The new documents released by Education Department show how the schools investigated the irregularities, but they don't cover all these schools even At 6 Louisiana schools, cheating or potential cheating detected on standardized tests | NOLA.com: