Expert Questions Philadelphia School District’s Response to Cheating

Experts are scratching their heads at the Philadelphia School District’s response to allegations that adults and students cheated on standardized tests. The head of the school district’s test security program reported a dozen infractions at Wagner Middle School back in March as the district tried to buckle down on the issue amid reports of rampant cheating. A new report indicates that monitors weren’t interviewed, their concerns were disregarded, and pertinent information was left off the memo sent to the state Department of Education about the incidents at Wagner. Now, national experts are wondering why.

“It’s baffling to me why [the district] would not have responded more aggressively to a report of this nature,” said Phillip Rogers, the executive director of the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC.)

In a statement, the district stood by its response to the cheating complaints at Wagner.

“The Office of Accountability, Equity and Compliance oversaw this entire process according to protocol and procedure,” said district spokesman Fernando Gallard. [Huffington Post]