Two Tucson charter schools are part of a statewide AIMS-test cheating scandal, after Arizona Department of Education officials found a high number of answers were changed to improve scores.
Both Edge High School and Childrenβs Success Academy were at risk of being labeled failing before making drastic gains on last yearβs AIMS test, sparing both from drastic steps, possibly including a complete overhaul of the staff and other interventions.
The schools are two of seven in the state investigated by the Education Department, resulting in a number of tests being invalidated. The department has asked the Attorney Generalβs Office to review whether further action is needed.
The test scores account for a large portion of the data considered by the Education Department as it issues letter grades. As a result, data for Childrenβs Success Academy had to be recalculated, and the same will be done for Edge.
Despite a high number of wrong answers that were corrected, Childrenβs Success Academyβs C rating will stand. The impact on Edge, which improved to a B, has yet to be determined.
Edge Principal Rob Pecharich said Thursday that βthis is the most devastating thing to have happened at Edge in its 20-year history.β
An investigation conducted by the schoolβs outside legal counsel found the tests were likely altered after they were administered, but it could not identify who gained access to a locked filing cabinet where the tests were held.
The investigation found it was unlikely students or a member of senior leadership was involved in altering answers or directed the action, but it surmised one or more current or former staff members acted alone.
βThe actions of what appears to be a lone individual have cast a shadow over the entire school and have unfairly impacted our students,β Pecharich said. βEdge remains open to additional scrutiny or investigative efforts by ADE or any other agency.β
Childrenβs Success Academy responded to questions by referring reporters to documents released by the Arizona Department of Education, which did not specifically note what led to testing irregularities.
While the Arizona Department of Education has the ability to revoke an educatorβs teaching license for test tampering, any such decision will depend on what the attorney general finds.
The Tucson schools were notified last July about concerns over data irregularities, including having extreme wrong-to-right erasure rates.
The rate for one group of students at Childrenβs Success Academy was 26 times higher than the state average.
The south-side elementary school was given the opportunity to conduct its own investigation or to allow the Education Department to investigate. It chose to handle the matter internally. Though the review was hindered by the fact that a test proctor left for unrelated reasons, the Education Department of noted the school was cooperative and provided its findings in September, which resulted in invalidating four math tests.
In the case of Edgeβs Himmel Park campus, the schoolβs average of wrong-to-right erasures for 16 students in one group was 15 times higher than the state average.
In all, 13 tests were invalidated. Because the school serves high school students, the department said it expects Edge to ensure that the affected students meet all graduation requirements.
Other affected Arizona schools are Red Rock Elementary in Red Rock, Integrity Education Centre in Tempe, James Sandoval High School in Phoenix, Wade Carpenter Middle School in Nogales and Metcalf Elementary School in Morenci.
