Allegations that teachers violated security standards in preparing students to take state achievement tests are being investigated in 11 school districts, the Ohio Department of Education said Wednesday. Security breaches could lead to the invalidation of test scores in some classrooms, although no action has been taken because the investigations haven’t been completed, department spokesman J.C. Benton said.

Teachers may have provided test questions or other material to pupils before administering the tests last week, Benton said. He could not comment on the specific allegations because of the ongoing investigations.

Administrators and teachers were given details about security precautions for the new tests, mandated by the federal No Child Left Behind law, and the department has them listed on its Web site, Benton said. The number of suspected breaches is high this year because for the first time, students are being tested in grades 3-8. The tests that began in the 1990s previously tested students only at the fourth-, sixth-, ninth- and 10th-grade levels.

Districts investigate allegations of security violations, and the results are forwarded to the state department for any disciplinary action. The penalty for a violation of test security by a teacher could include suspension, firing or referral for criminal prosecution. About 20 confirmed instances of security violations have been reported since the mid-1990s.

This year’s investigations include one in Marietta, where it’s possible a teacher photocopied an eighth-grade reading test after it was given, a violation of the security rules, Superintendent Doug Baker said. Since the investigation is ongoing, Baker would not provide further details about how the school found out about the possible copying. No tests were compromised, he said. “Unfortunately, we had a problem. But fortunately, our checks and balances caught it,” Baker said.

In the East Knox district in central Ohio, a fourth-grade teacher created a review sheet for students taking a test that included math problems that were “very similar” to ones on the test, Superintendent John Marschhausen said. The math sections of as many as 77 tests were invalid and may have to be retaken, he said. “It’s an unfortunate mistake. He had been told the rules for security and in an attempt to probably provide the students with the best opportunity to succeed, my assumption is he inadvertently crossed the line,” Marschhausen said.

News reports indicated a teacher in Parma also was under investigation over allegations of passing out to students a portion of the fourth-grade math test the day before the test was to be taken. A message seeking comment was left Wednesday for Parma Superintendent Sarah Zatik.

The Ohio School Boards Association said the state should crack down on anyone compromising the tests. “It’s pretty clear you are not allowed to do it and our members would support being pretty strict about this,” said John Brandt, the association’s executive director. “We deplore cheating and I consider that cheating.”

Gary Allen, president of the Ohio Education Association, which represents 131,000 teachers and other school employees, said he had not been contacted by any teacher concerning investigations of the tests. “We’re absolutely committed to working with teachers and districts, whatever it takes, to maintain the integrity of the tests,” Allen said. “We also have a responsibility to ensure that due process is adhered to.”

On the Web:
Ohio Department of Education: http://www.ode.state.oh.us

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