699 Texas Schools Suspected of cheating on TAKS-go HP and Southlake

[kaorder1999]

699 Texas schools suspected of TAKS cheating!



By JOSHUA BENTON / The Dallas Morning News

Texas officials have released the names of 241 more schools with suspicious patterns in their test scores. But none are likely to be targeted in the upcoming round of state investigations into possible cheating.

The new list, released Friday, brings the total number of schools with suspicious scores to 699. That's almost one-tenth of all the Texas schools that administered the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills in 2005.

Earlier, the Texas Education Agency had released the names of only 442 schools that had at least one classroom with suspicious scores.

But Caveon – the test-security company the TEA hired to look for cheaters – also looked for schools that had suspicious score patterns schoolwide. Because of differences in the ways Caveon analyzed the scores, some schools were flagged as suspicious schoolwide without raising red flags in any specific classroom.

The TEA had not asked Caveon for the schoolwide list until The Dallas Morning News revealed its existence three weeks ago.

"We wanted to be able to look at all the schools as we think about how to move forward," spokeswoman Debbie Graves Ratcliffe said.

Later this month, a new task force will decide which of the schools with suspicious scores will be subject to on-site investigations by agency staff members. The TEA is tripling its number of investigators in anticipation of inquiries taking months to complete.

The agency will formulate a recommendation on which schools to investigate in the coming weeks. The task force will make the final decision. Investigations are expected to begin in September.

Even with the new schools, Houston – the state's largest district – still has the most suspicious schools in the state, 83. Dallas, the second-largest district, is next with 49 schools.

Here's how many schools in major North Texas districts appeared on the list.

Allen: 3 schools
Arlington: 4 schools
Carroll: 4 schools
Carrollton-Farmers Branch: 4 schools
Charter schools: 10 campuses
Coppell: 3 schools
Crowley: 5 schools
Dallas: 49 schools
DeSoto: 1 school
Fort Worth: 11 schools
Frisco: 3 schools
Garland: 3 schools
Grand Prairie: 4 schools
Grapevine-Colleyville: 5 schools
Highland Park: 3 schools
Hurst-Euless-Bedford: 3 schools
Kennedale: 1 school
Lake Dallas: 1 school
Lewisville: 11 schools
Lovejoy: 1 school
Mansfield: 1 school
McKinney: 6 schools
Mesquite: 4 schools
Plano: 13 schools
Ponder: 1 school
Richardson: 10 schools
Rockwall: 2 schools
Royse City: 1 school
Wilmer-Hutchins: 2 schools*
Wylie: 2 schools

[kaorder1999]

is it just me or is almost every rich North Texas District on there?

[hawkfan]

It just bugs me that they can'yt believe that maybe the teachers are actually teaching well.

[garageoffice]

At this point it's all just pure analysis work and statistics. Most people involved say that certainly there are some around that have cheated, but most of these cases are expected to be instances of teaching methods creating common approaches by some of the kids. In fact, of these 669, only a few are suspected of actually cheating.

[sinton66]

Originally posted by hawkfan
It just bugs me that they can'yt believe that maybe the teachers are actually teaching well.

Don't kid yourself, they're teaching TO the Taks test. They really have no choice.

[Tatum_Fan]

Originally posted by sinton66
Don't kid yourself, they're teaching TO the Taks test. They really have no choice.

Of course they are teaching to the TAKS test! You know why? Because in 1998 the Texas Essiental Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) were implemented.

You don't have a lesson on the water cycle and at the end of the week test on magnetism. The TEKS are the curriculum and the TAKS is the tool to see how well the curriculum was taught.

[CalallenWildcat]

Originally posted by Tatum_Fan
Of course they are teaching to the TAKS test! You know why? Because in 1998 the Texas Essiental Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) were implemented.

You don't have a lesson on the water cycle and at the end of the week test on magnetism. The TEKS are the curriculum and the TAKS is the tool to see how well the curriculum was taught.

And it's not fair to the students on either extreme of education. The exceptional students as well as the disadvantaged students are penalized by curriculum that is standardized by grade level rather than subject area.

[kaorder1999]

as an educator I really take an interest in this. Ive talked to a couple of superintendants and from what I hear its more then just the scores being high across the state. There have been MANY schools where hundreds of their tests were answered the EXACT same way. Eraser marks everywhere with the same correct answers answered in the place of the eraser marks. That throws a red flag up REAL quick.

[BMOC]

Originally posted by CalallenWildcat
And it's not fair to the students on either extreme of education. The exceptional students as well as the disadvantaged students are penalized by curriculum that is standardized by grade level rather than subject area.

Totally agree on this one. As a parent, you don't want just the average standard for your kid, you want more. But it sounds like the State has forced the schools to push towards the average rather then trying to excel in order not to leave anyone behind (hence...No Child Left Behind).

[Sweetwater Red]

Originally posted by BMOC
Totally agree on this one. As a parent, you don't want just the average standard for your kid, you want more. But it sounds like the State has forced the schools to push towards the average rather then trying to excel in order not to leave anyone behind (hence...No Child Left Behind).

Isn't that why they have Honors classes and programs such as
"talented and gifted" for those students?

[Tatum_Fan]

I graduated in 1992, and now I am a teacher in the district that I graduated from. The curriculum that I taught as a 5th grade teacher is what I was doing as a 7th grader in the late 80's. Our state has come a LONG way in aligning our curriculum and making substantial gains ~ so much so that many states are copying our standards.

I teach in a great district, but for those of you complaining that we are just "teaching to the norms" I can almost promise that your child is getting a better education now than what you had years ago. If anything PreAP, AP, GT, LDAA, Dyslexia, ESL, Bilingual, Special Ed, 504, Migrant, etc. make sure that state standards are being met to the INDIVIDUAL NEEDS of each child (that is if the district you live in does things in accordance with the law)

[CalallenWildcat]

Originally posted by Sweetwater Red
Isn't that why they have Honors classes and programs such as
"talented and gifted" for those students?

I take them, and they are jokes. They would be honors classes if they weren't required to go back and review TAKS skills for the test.

i.e. last year I took Calculus in my junior year. Most of the people in my class were seniors so they didn't have to take the TAKS. But because I was a junior, I had to take time out of my regularly scheduled learning to review what would be on the TAKS test because that is what the state mandates I learn in that grade.

[Tatum_Fan]

Originally posted by CalallenWildcat
I take them, and they are jokes. They would be honors classes if they weren't required to go back and review TAKS skills for the test.

i.e. last year I took Calculus in my junior year. Most of the people in my class were seniors so they didn't have to take the TAKS. But because I was a junior, I had to take time out of my regularly scheduled learning to review what would be on the TAKS test because that is what the state mandates I learn in that grade.

I am curious as to how you took time "out of your regularly scheduled" learning to do this. To me this seems like a district decision instead of a state (or else you wouldn't have been allowed to take calculus in the first place). Did they make everyone, including the seniors in the class do this, or did they pull you out? Considering the high stakes (i.e. graduation) it seems that they just wanted you to not be surprised but still allowed you to take calculus.

[AggieJohn]

Originally posted by Tatum_Fan
Of course they are teaching to the TAKS test! You know why? Because in 1998 the Texas Essiental Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) were implemented.

You don't have a lesson on the water cycle and at the end of the week test on magnetism. The TEKS are the curriculum and the TAKS is the tool to see how well the curriculum was taught. well CCISD has even stopped teaching all together anything that's not on that test. all 8th grade matth students will be taught the "TEKsing towards the TAKS" curriculum this year. Know where this was created? Corpus Christi......

[STANG RED]

Originally posted by Tatum_Fan
I graduated in 1992, and now I am a teacher in the district that I graduated from. The curriculum that I taught as a 5th grade teacher is what I was doing as a 7th grader in the late 80's. Our state has come a LONG way in aligning our curriculum and making substantial gains ~ so much so that many states are copying our standards.

I teach in a great district, but for those of you complaining that we are just "teaching to the norms" I can almost promise that your child is getting a better education now than what you had years ago. If anything PreAP, AP, GT, LDAA, Dyslexia, ESL, Bilingual, Special Ed, 504, Migrant, etc. make sure that state standards are being met to the INDIVIDUAL NEEDS of each child (that is if the district you live in does things in accordance with the law)

As far as I can tell, you may be in the minority on this. I have heard nothing but complaints from the teachers, principles, and superintdents I have talked to about this. Most seem to feel they are having to teach towards performance on the TAKS, to satisfying state mandated standards, instead of just concentrating on teaching a well rounded curriculum, that will give children a well rounded eduaction. Many feel, they are having to spend so much time on TAKS test taking preperation, that other equally important parts of their curriculum are being shortchanged, or being ignored all together, in those weeks leading up to TAKS. It seems to me, there has to be a better way. Wouldn't you agree?

[Emerson1]

I had an english teacher last year that quit her old position because all they did the entire year was taks stuff. Schools are more worried about getting the grade and $$$.

[BigTex]

Originally posted by Emerson1
I had an english teacher last year that quit her old position because all they did the entire year was taks stuff. Schools are more worried about getting the grade and $$$. I understand your frustration, but keep in mind that your simplification is the same as saying "football coaches are only interested in scoring more points than their opponents". Teachers like their coaching counterparts must "score" the points in order to continue their employment. I agree that there should be a better way but this is what we are stuck with for now.:doh:

[tigerpride_08]

whoo-hoo...no wharton...:D

[Tatum_Fan]

Originally posted by STANG RED
As far as I can tell, you may be in the minority on this. I have heard nothing but complaints from the teachers, principles, and superintdents I have talked to about this. Most seem to feel they are having to teach towards performance on the TAKS, to satisfying state mandated standards, instead of just concentrating on teaching a well rounded curriculum, that will give children a well rounded eduaction. Many feel, they are having to spend so much time on TAKS test taking preperation, that other equally important parts of their curriculum are being shortchanged, or being ignored all together, in those weeks leading up to TAKS. It seems to me, there has to be a better way. Wouldn't you agree?

Oh yes, I totally agree. I am working on my master's in Education Administration and this is always a "hot topic." I look around and all creativity is going out the door (for the most part). Gone are fine arts programs and now the state will require four years of math at the high school level beginning with the 2008-2009 freshman (with already having a SEVERE shortage in secondary math teachers). The only thing is how do we still make sure that schools, students, teachers are accountable and still provide the well rounded curriculum. My two cents ~ schools are spending too much time on "test strategies" ~ I have no problem with giving a test at the end of the year that should test grade level material but I do agree that we have gone overboard.

[STANG RED]

Originally posted by Tatum_Fan
Oh yes, I totally agree. I am working on my master's in Education Administration and this is always a "hot topic." I look around and all creativity is going out the door (for the most part). Gone are fine arts programs and now the state will require four years of math at the high school level beginning with the 2008-2009 freshman (with already having a SEVERE shortage in secondary math teachers). The only thing is how do we still make sure that schools, students, teachers are accountable and still provide the well rounded curriculum. My two cents ~ schools are spending too much time on "test strategies" ~ I have no problem with giving a test at the end of the year that should test grade level material but I do agree that we have gone overboard.

I am looking forward to the day (which may never happen), when the powers that be, wise up and realize these cookie cutter fixes they are always coming up, while they sometimes look effective on the surface, they usually fail miserably in many aspects, in the end. I don’t pretend to know what the answer is, but I know what we are doing now is not working, and I am hoping some fresh young minds will start coming into power in the education field, that can come up with better answers and techniques for educating our youth, and then somehow convince the short sighted politicians, that there is a better way to go, other than our present path. I have all the faith in the world in our education professionals, but very little, in the politicians that come up with these ridiculous, state mandated, cookie cutter fixes, that do nothing but give them arbitrary numbers to look at, in an attempt to justify their actions. When are they going to realize, each child is unique, and teachers have to be given the flexibility to deal with each one, in a unique way, that addresses their individual needs. While I understand what they are trying to achieve with this “No child left behind” concept, and I am sure it works well with some students. I think it falls well short of meeting the needs of many others, and doesn’t offer the opportunity, for many teachers, to do what they were trained to do best.
I salute all the teachers that are willing to go into their classrooms everyday, and try to do the best job they can do, even when they know their hands are tied from being able to do a better job than they are allowed to do. Personally, I don’t have the temperament or the patience to do what you do.
Sorry for the long post, but I could go on and on and on and on about this subject. I’ll get off my soapbox rant, for now anyway.

[GOFOR2]

Texas continues to put more and more on the plate of teachers and in return continues to strip away at their benefits package, while increasing the retirement age. Texas is a great place to live but not necessarily the best place to teach. With all the bragging going on about how well Texas teachers are doing in relation to the rest of the nation, you would think that they would get paid like it. I think there should be more incentive package for people who decide to teach. Why is it that we have so many shortages in teaching? You want the best to teach you got pay for it, or they may wander off and look for something else.

[Phil C]

Down with the TAKS! :mad:

[Phil C]

Remember the movie Stand and Deliver?

[slpybear the bullfan]

Originally posted by kaorder1999
is it just me or is almost every rich North Texas District on there?

Um... Dallas? Fort Worth?