MCA scores tossed over cheating, St. Paul teacher suspended

Pioneer Press ^ | 7-9-15 | Josh Verges

[TurboZamboni]

Schools in St. Paul and Cannon Falls threw out dozens of Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments results this spring because of cheating by teachers assigned to monitor the standardized tests, according to state Department of Education reports. At St. Paul's Linwood Monroe, the department found, 21 seventh-graders had their math scores invalidated after the exam proctor gave students "direct prompting and direction on test items while they took the test." The teacher was placed on administrative leave, but the district wouldn't comment on any further discipline.

In Cannon Falls, the school district tossed the scores of 26 fifth-graders after a teacher admitted she helped them find the right answers by writing on their scratch paper, defining math terms and telling them what type of problem they were working on. The teacher, a 16-year veteran, resigned. "We take state assessment extremely seriously," Cannon Falls Superintendent Beth Giese said. "Teachers can't do that."

The two cases are among 91 reports of suspected test security violations submitted to the Department of Education during the 2014-15 school year. The department released the reports in response to a Pioneer Press records request.

Most of the submissions concerned the online MCA math or reading tests, which don't affect students' grades but are used to evaluate the quality of schools and their teachers.

[vetvetdoug]

Academic cheating is wrong? Someone needs to inform this to the supporters of MLK,Jr. They are only following the example set aside by the man for which we have a National Holiday.