LOS ANGELES (CBS) — The state has trashed the test scores of a top-performing Los Angeles school, as well as those from the highest-scoring campus, in the nationally known Green Dot charter group after cheating was uncovered involving several teachers.
According to CBS News in Los Angeles, Short Avenue Elementary in Del Rey and Amino Leadership Charter High School in Inglewood were barred from receiving academic rankings released last week by the California Department of Education.
That action deprived the schools of the state rating that has become the key figure used by parents and officials to judge campuses in California.
Three teachers from Short are accused of changing answers or coaching students to the correct answers or possibly both.
At Amino Leadership, a science teacher is accused of fixing wrong answers.
L.A. schools Supt. John Deasy characterized the Short Avenue teachers' actions as gross misconduct.
"Students take tests independent and alone," Deasy said. "We don't coach them and give them answers." He added, "It's obviously wrong behavior, but it's more than that…. It's not the behavior we want to model — ever."
Deasy said he planned to launch a deeper investigation, including into whether scores from past years are legitimate.
