D.C. to Review High Rates of Erasures on School Tests

Irregularities in public school test scores are set to be investigated by the District of Columbia’s Board of Education. The tests showed an unusually high rate of erasures- answers being erased and changed from wrong to right.
Former chancellor Michelle Rhee defended the integrity of the tests. She claims that the test scores are real and the investigation insults the dedication of teachers and children that worked hard to improve their academic achievement levels.
USA Today held its own investigation that lasted several months. During this investigation, 103 public schools in Washington, D.C. showed a high number of answers that had been changed from wrong to right. USA Today found that since 2008, more than half of the schools in D.C. were flagged for having high erasure rates with answers being changed to the correct ones. In one school, the erasures in one class were so high, the odds of winning the Powerball lottery were better than the erasures occurring by chance.

The current investigations have raised some major questions about previous suspicious erasures that were not investigated. In 2008, there was a remarkable rise in test scores and three-quarters of the classrooms in one school were flagged for erasures. No investigation was held for that case. Parents are showing concern in this case, as well. Many want to makes sure that when these arise, questions are being asked about what is going on in the school system.
The obvious accusation is that school officials are changing students’ test answers to raise their numbers, but the schools are claiming it is simply students second guessing and double checking their tests and coming up with correct answer. The investigation may not come to a concrete answer, but if there is some shady activity in the D.C. school district, hopefully the extra attention will deter any cheating in the future.
Via USA Today