Few states examine test erasures

Fewer than half the states routinely analyze suspicious numbers of erasures on standardized school tests, a key method of detecting cheating by teachers or their bosses.

Erasure analysis launched a Georgia investigation that uncovered widespread cheating in Atlanta schools and has triggered probes in Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.

A survey by USA TODAY of state education agencies found that 20 states and Washington, D.C., did erasure analysis on all pencil-and-paper tests required during the 2010-11 school year under the federal No Child Left Behind education law.


http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/ ... titialskip

I don't think the erase test makes much sense. But I would like to see a better overview on collecting and storing the tests.
Maybe on test days, teachers should go to different schools to monitor tests and collect them so they would have no incentive to change scores.

Or give the teachers the day off, have neutrals administer the tests, and collect them.

And sidebar: Do any school districts tie the test scores back to the students? I think students would try and study harder if they knew the tests they take contributed to their individual letter grade.

If it catches teachers and administrators committing fraud and MURDERING our kids futures, I am all for it.


http://news.yahoo.com/americas-biggest- ... 34183.html

Award-winning gains by Atlanta students were based on widespread cheating by 178 named teachers and principals, said Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal on Tuesday. His office released a report from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation that names 178 teachers and principals – 82 of whom confessed – in what's likely the biggest cheating scandal in US history.

This appears to be the largest of dozens of major cheating scandals, unearthed across the country. The allegations point an ongoing problem for US education, which has developed an ever-increasing dependence on standardized tests.

The link does not work right now, but I decided to post it anyway. Bold mine. Are they friking kidding, concerns, they have concerns :faint: ! Sub 100 remedial college classes have been common for at least the last 20 years.




"The high school graduating class of 2011 lost ground on every measure of the SAT exam, with reading scores nationally the lowest on record, prompting concern about whether students are being adequately prepared for college, officials said Wednesday.

Average SAT scores for high school seniors dropped three points in reading, one point in math and two points in writing, according to a report by the College Board, a New York-based nonprofit that administers the SAT and Advanced Placement program.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld ... 6612.story [/url]

Sub 100 remedial college classes have been common for at least the last 20 years.

They had them in the mid 60's....

'course, those may be the advanced courses now... :yikes:

These tests are hugely profitable but show little ability to promote student acheivement. Why not just have a final for each grade covering what should have been learned at that grade level for that year. If the kids don't pass they don't advance, if too many kids in a class don't pass the teacher is flagged for possible dismissal. And for heavens sake, stop with the bubbling. Short answer only. That is almost impossible to fake.

chickaree wrote: These tests are hugely profitable but show little ability to promote student acheivement. Why not just have a final for each grade covering what should have been learned at that grade level for that year..

I do not think the tests are meant to promote student achievement but to measure school system performance.

20+ years ago as a Navy recruiter, I was responsible for a rural Michigan high school which had a big sign out front declaring it as an award winning top notch school.

I was required to make regular visits and set up in the cafeteria. I set up my table in the cafeteria set out my brochures and hung out in the teachers lounge. (The kids who might be interested knew how to find my office and I did not care for the hairy eyeballs and dumb sh** comments of the rest.)

Some of the teachers told me they photocopied the grades they sent up to the office so that when parents sued them for kids who had no tools to succeed in society they would be covered from the law suits. (The front office inflated the grade and passed the student up to the next level).

I have never heard of a lawsuit like that going forward but I believe that is because of the increasingly dumbing down of college standards and an increasing acceptance of mediocrity and government hand outs.

standardized testing is a farce --- an outright subsidy to the mega testing and scanning companies (most of which are foreign owned).

(GW) President to teachers --- we expect good test scores ---- OR ELSE.......

The key is the "or else...." there is no "or else." Nobody is going to reduce funding for mediocre urban schools. That's political suicide - even for a Republican.

Take a look at higher education loan default programs --- if you have high loan default rates - and you have a historically black designation - it's okay - we'll let you go.........

There's catch phrases all over virtually every piece of legislation. Nobody's going to get cut --- it's really about making the President look tough...... (and subsidizing the testing companies).

Look at the price record for PSO ----

I don't think the remedial classes are working. I can't tell you how many resumes of college graduates I've read that weren't even coherent.

chickaree wrote: And for heavens sake, stop with the bubbling. Short answer only. That is almost impossible to fake.

While that might be a good idea on the surface, the problems arise in labor intensive grading of the tests, interpretations of the short answers, and the biases of the grader.