Oakland Teachers Under Investigation Over Cheating Allegations
OAKLAND, Calif. (KCBS) - Teachers at two schools in Oakland are under investigation after allegations were made that they helped their students cheat on the state API test.
At least one school will have its Academic Performance Index score thrown out.
According to the California Department of Education, a teacher at Redwood Heights Elementary pointed out wrong answers to some second and third graders, and had students correct their answers.
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A ninth grade biology teacher at Skyline High allegedly let his students use their textbooks during the state test.
Students apparently told their parents, and an Oakland Unified School District investigation confirms that there were lapses. "Students in certain classes were given advantages because the tests were not conducted in the right fashion," said school district spokesman Troy Flint.
According to Flint, the teachers will be given a chance to explain whether they were actually cheating, or made an honest mistake.
Skyline's API score will stand either way, but the results at Redwood Heights have been invalidated. "This is an aberration. Certainly if these allegations prove to be true, it's not behavior that we condone at all," said Flint.
