36 Substantiated Testing Complaints Over Last Decade

Janet Joyce Wednesday, May 29, 2013

A Newsday report has confirmed that of the 60 complaints investigated by the New York State Department of Education, 36 of them were substantiated. These charges range from failing to keep exam materials in a secure lockbox to improper teacher assistance during tests to scoring irregularities and occurred during the 2002-03 and 2011-12 school years.

Complaints were anonymous and some were made by parents and some were made by staff members. It is important to remember, however, that, “The overwhelming majority of educators in New York State give tests honestly and fairly," says state Education Commissioner John B. King. "We're going to make sure the actions of a few do not taint the reputation of the many."

The public education director of FairTest, the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, Bob Schaeffer, does not agree. He says that the substantiated complaints on Long Island are just the “tip of the iceberg” and “there is a widespread pattern of test manipulation.”

It is important to remember that even amid the complaints, however, that testing integrity has improved over the years. A spokesman for New York State United Teachers, the largest union representing teachers and other school employees, said, “Teachers are professionals who hold themselves up to the highest ethical standards. The fact that the instances of impropriety are so low speaks to the tremendous integrity that teachers have. But having said that, everyone wishes the number was zero."

 

janetj@longislandyellowpages.com

Appears In: Local Events , Education

 

 

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