Assessment

Philadelphia Cheating Probe Implicates More Than 130 Educators

By Lesli A. Maxwell — January 21, 2014 1 min read
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Three high school principals have been fired and more than 130 other current and former educators in the Philadelphia school system are facing disciplinary actions for their alleged involvement in cheating on state tests, according to numerous local media accounts.

And the Philadelphia Inquirer reported over the weekend that a state criminal investigation is under way into the allegations that widespread cheating on state exams occurred in city schools during 2009, 2010, and 2011.

Allegations of cheating first cropped up in 2011, and a pair of investigations by the school district and the state education agency have been unfolding ever since.

The scale of the cheating and the numbers of educators implicated are similar to what unfolded in Atlanta, where 35 educators ended up being indicted by a grand jury, including former superintendent Beverly Hall. Many have recently pleaded guilty to lesser charges in exchange for their cooperation with prosecutors.

Ms. Hall, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, is expected to stand trial later this year.

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A version of this news article first appeared in the District Dossier blog.