Report: Short Avenue Elementary Test Scores Tossed Due to Cheating

The California Department of Education has tossed out the test scores of Short Avenue  Elementary in Del Rey after three teachers were accused of changing answers, coaching students on test questions or both, according to a report Monday in the Los Angeles Times.

Los Angeles Unified School District Supertintendent John Deasy told the Times that the Short Avenue teachers' action was gross misconduct.

"Students take tests independent and alone," Deasy told the Times. "We don't coach them and give them answers." He also added to the Times, "It's obviously wrong behavior, but it's more than that.... It's not the behavior we want to model — ever."

The LAUSD conducted internal investigations after the cheating allegations came to light and notied the state Education Department. Short Avenue was removed from this year's Academic Performance Index, a rating used to measure schools in California.

The Times obtained information about Short Avenue through a public records request from the state for the district's report on its internal investigation.

A summary of the district's probe said one third-grade student said she left math questions unanswered, but the correct answers appeared in her test booklet. The student was unable to perform basic addition and subtraction problems in the principal's office, the report said. Two third-grade teachers erased answers and changed most from wrong to right and a second-grade teacher was accused of reviewing questions on the standardized tests after students were done with them for the day, the Times reported.

Students use different parts of the same multiple-choice booklets for the test and the district's report said some students admitted changing their incorrect answers as a result of the previous day's review.

Short Avenue last year had a performance index ranking of 848, well above the state target of 800.

Animo Leadership Charter School in Inglewood, a top performing campus among the Green Dot charter group, also had its tests scores thrown out after a science teacher was accused of fixing wrong answers, the Times reported.