The Atlanta Testing Scandal

By Katherine Schulten
Pat Crawford, with assistance from her niece Sharnae Muhammad, worked on her hallway board last week at Toomer Elementary.T. Lynne Pixley for The New York TimesPat Crawford, with assistance from her niece Sharnae Muhammad, worked on her hallway board last week at Toomer Elementary School in Atlanta. Go to related article »


6 Q’s About the News

Use the photo and related article to answer basic news questions.

HOW many teachers and principals in Atlanta have admitted to tampering with standardized tests to raise students’ scores?

WHEN was a 413-page report about the cheating scandal by special investigators for the Georgia governor’s office released to the public?

WHAT, according to this article, was “the most egregious cheating”?

WHY has this scandal reignited the larger national debate over the reliance on test results?

WHERE else have there been recent cheating scandals?

WHO are some of the people that the reporter Alan Schwarz interviewed about how the scandal is affecting Toomer Elementary School as it opens for the new school year?
WHO is the last person this reporter quotes, and WHY do you think he ended his article that way?

Related: Our 2010 lesson, “Schools of Thought: Localizing National Education Stories”

Comments are no longer being accepted.

Kate August 9, 2011 · 10:46 am

A lot to learn about.

richard mangone August 9, 2011 · 2:40 pm

I suspect that scandals such as this are now common in many school districts throughout the country. The competition for funding that NCLB and RTT have created places immense pressure on districts and administrations to produce higher and higher test results. Add to that equation the push for employee evaluations tied to student test scores and the environment becomes toxic. Principals, teachers, students all are pressured as test prep becomes the end with all and love of learning is replaced by a frenzied attempt to go over test materials again and again. Will investigations lead to reform of the reformers?

Rachel August 10, 2011 · 12:17 am

The competition in schools in the U.S. is increasing with what we call “The Race to The Top.” Because of parent and government pressure to PERFORM than to LEARN, it has been presurizing students. That is why I think there was an Atlanta testing scandal. If governments and parents don’t realize this now, this kind of scandals are going to increase in numbers. So, to stop this issue from increasing in the U.S. students shouldn’t be pressured to be the top in the grade, but to learn and benefit from it.