HISD finds testing impropriety at three schools

05:22 PM CDT on Wednesday, May 4, 2005

From 11 News Staff Reports

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HOUSTON -- Twelve Houston schools were cleared of any testing improprieties in a sweeping investigation by the HISD Inspector General, but the probe found that teachers at three schools helped students answer questions on the state TAKS test, HISD announced Wednesday.

Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra said he is moving to fire four school employees. In addition, one principal and an assistant principal will be demoted. Three other employees, including a principal, will be formally reprimanded. The district will move to fire a teacher at Key Middle, two teachers who were employed at Bowie Elementary School in 2004 but now work elsewhere in the district, and one teacher at Petersen Elementary School as a result of the investigation which found clear and convincing evidence that students were helped to answer questions during the TAKS test in 2004.

AP

Dr. Saavedra said the district would report the case to the State Board of Educator Certification, which can revoke their teaching certificates. Evidence from the HISD investigation is being turned over to the Harris County District Attorney for review for possible prosecution.

“Houston families entrust their children to us every day to be educated, not to be cheated,” Dr. Saavedra said. “A small number of teachers and administrators have profoundly harmed children in our care by taking away their right to a good education. We apologize to those children and their parents, and we will punish those responsible for this wrong that has been committed."

“The Houston Independent School District stands for integrity. We will expect good work by our employees to help children learn, and we will not tolerate the willful disregard of HISD’s core values of honesty and integrity.”

HISD’s Office of Inspector General sent teams of investigators into 23 schools after HISD’s review of TAKS scores from 2004 found unusual changes in “scale” scores. Schools with unexpected large changes in test scores were investigated.

The massive and thorough investigation by the newly created HISD Inspector General’s Office took four months to complete. The probe involved 12 HISD investigators who conducted interviews with dozens of students and district employees and inspected thousands of pages of testing documents and data in Houston and in Austin.

Absolutely no evidence of testing impropriety was found at 12 schools: Accelerated Learning and Transition Academy, Community Services, Crawford Elementary, N.Q. Henderson Elementary, the High School for Performing and Visual Arts, Houston Drop Back In, Isaacs Elementary, Las Americas, Sanchez Elementary, Scott Elementary, Sterling High and the HISD/TSU Lab School.

The investigation found “limited, but inconclusive” levels of “testing irregularities”, or failure to follow proper procedures, at seven schools: Burrus, Douglass, Gregg, Hartsfield, Kashmere Gardens and Osborne elementary schools, and E.O. Smith Education Center. Some of those schools were cited only for failure to follow certain testing administration procedures and not for helping students with the test. Dr. Saavedra said HISD reserves the right to re-open investigations at any of these schools if further information becomes available.

HISD announced in February that the investigation had shown evidence that two teachers at Sanderson Elementary School helped students answer questions. The district has moved to fire those two teachers, and demoted the principal.

The Inspector General also issued a report recommending steps to improve HISD’s testing security process, including shortening the amount of time that schools are in possession of test documents before testing begins, and improving security at the Test Materials Center where the tests are kept.

The evidence of testing impropriety was clear at three schools.

Testing Impropriety at Three Schools

Key Middle School:
Four eighth-grade students reported that a math teacher who was not supposed to be administering the TAKS test pulled them out of their regular classrooms and took them to a separate room where he administered the test and helped them answer questions. All four students answered all the questions on the test the same way - all four students answered 96 percent of the questions correctly and all four missed the same two questions and had the same incorrect answers on both questions. A review of the students’ records showed that all four “substantially failed” the 2003 TAKS math exam and either “failed or had marginal performance in their regular 8th Grade Mathematics courses”, the Inspector General reported.

Three of the students said the math teacher had a copy of the answers to the test and gave them answers. One student told investigators the teacher had his own copy of the test and would “look through the test or whatever and he’d say, ‘Number 50 is A’.” Another student said the teacher “started giving us the answers. ... He went down the letters and started calling out answers.” Another student said the teacher gave her answers to approximately 17 math problems.

HISD is demoting the Key principal for failing to exercise strong administrative controls of the process. The district also is moving to fire a math teacher and demote the assistant principal.

Petersen Elementary School:
Student statements and an examination of test materials are evidence that at least two teachers helped fifth-grade students answer questions on the TAKS math test. The HISD investigators’ review of the actual answer sheets used by the students revealed that a number of students, including some not interviewed by investigators, were helped on the test.

The principal and a teacher of Peterson Elementary School will be reprimanded as a result of the investigation. One Petersen teacher is being terminated by HISD, and one resigned from HISD last year.

Eight Peterson Elementary fifth graders told HISD investigators that teachers helped them answer questions on the test. Many of the students had few, if any, computations in their test booklets, which indicates they correctly answered the difficult math questions without working them out. In many cases, answers were simply circled in the test booklet, with no computations done. Sixteen of the Petersen fifth graders interviewed saw their TAKS math scores increase in 2004 by more than 20 percentage points over their 2003 scores, and fourteen other students reviewed showed similar increases.

In interviews with investigators, the teachers denied helping the students. But one teacher and one substitute teacher at the school raised questions about possible testing improprieties at the school.

Bowie Elementary School:
Four students interviewed by investigators reported that a teacher or an associate teacher helped them answer questions on the fifth grade TAKS math test, and another student reported observing others being helped with answers. Of the seven students interviewed, five showed dramatic gains in their TAKS scores from 2003 to 2005, ranging from a 25-point gain to a 43-point increase.

Students said the teacher instructed students to write their answers on scratch paper first before transferring the answers to the answer sheet.

One student said he raised his hand on a number of occasions, and when he did, the teacher read the problem and gave him examples of how to solve it. That student’s passing rate on the TAKS math test jumped by 28 points from 2003 to 2004.

One student said the teacher picked up his test booklet and scratch sheet to review it, another violation of testing rules.

Another student said the teachers tapped students on their shoulders to let them know an answer was wrong. That student’s passing rate on the TAKS test rose dramatically, by 36 points from 2003.

When investigators attempted to interview the teacher, her union lawyer instructed her to refuse to answer any questions about the test administration. The associate teacher denied any wrongdoing. HISD has moved to terminate the employment of both the teacher and the associate teacher, and will reprimand the principal.

There was insufficient evidence to conclude that testing improprieties took place at the other seven schools. Here is a summary of what was found at those seven schools:

Schools with insufficient evidence of testing impropriety

Burrus Elementary: One of nine students reported receiving assistance from teachers during the fourth-grade math test. The other eight students reported no inappropriate assistance.

Douglass Elementary: Two of six students interviewed reported that different teachers assisted them on the third-grade reading test. Two students reported the class left their test booklets on their desks during a restroom break, a violation of testing procedures.

Gregg Elementary: Two of eight students interviewed reported getting help from two teachers during the third-grade math test. Seven students reported they took snack breaks in the cafeteria during the test, a violation of testing procedures.

Hartsfield Elementary: Two students reported that different teachers helped them on the fifth-grade reading test.

Kashmere Gardens Elementary: Two students reported that a teacher helped them on the sixth-grade math test, and one other student reported observing the teacher assisting other students. Two of the three students said the teacher instructed students to write answers in the test booklet first and then transfer their answers to the answer sheet. One of the three students reported that a teacher placed marks in students’ test booklets next to incorrect answers. However, a review by investigators of the test booklets found no evidence to support the students’ claims.

Osborne Elementary: Two of nine students interviewed reported a teacher pointed out incorrect answers to other students, and one other student reported observing another teacher assisting other students with the third-grade reading test.

E.O. Smith Education Center: Two of 10 students reported they received inappropriate assistance from teachers during the third-grade reading test. One of the two students reported that a teacher, who is no longer employed by the district, placed marks in students’ test books. However, a review by investigators of the test booklets found no evidence to support the student’s claims.

Teachers and administrators who possibly violated any testing procedures will be issued directives to follow appropriate testing procedures.

Also on Wednesday, the independent counsel appointed to investigate an allegation by a former Wesley Elementary School teacher of testing impropriety reported finding no conclusive evidence of impropriety.

Attorney Joseph Alan Callier, appointed in November of 2004 by HISD to conduct an independent investigation of the complaints by former Wesley Elementary Teacher Donna Garner, released the results of his investigation.

In a separate report, the HISD Inspector General called for improvements in the testing process to “further reduce the potential for irregularities to occur.” The Inspector General recommended that HISD:
Shorten the time span in which schools have possession of test material before and after testing;
Standardize test administration procedures in the classroom;
Establish a district-wide procedure for test proctoring;
Limit the number of keys to test material storage rooms at schools;
Improve and standardize training on testing procedures;
Improve security at the Test Materials Center;
Develop an inventory control system at the Test Materials Center.

Dr. Saavedra said the district will move to make improvements recommended by the Inspector General.