Seattle Schools Community Forum

Final Investigation Report (redacted) on Beacon Hill International School Spring 2014 test booklet issues.

As you may recall, the District had started a six-month investigation of test-tampering at Beacon Hill International School and the investigator could not discern who did it. OSPI had found mass eraser marks in a large number of test booklets.   (The District says this can't happen in the future because testing will all be on computer.) The District did put Principal Po Tang and a teacher, Judy Eng, on leave because the District believed they were part of those who did break the testing rules.  (The associate principal, Michele Nishioka, left the District.) However, it has come to my attention - via public disclosure documents - that the District didn't conduct one investigation.  Here's what Barbara Nahouraii, Senior Human Resources Analyst, said yesterday (bold mine):

The Times has a fairly in-depth story about the Beacon Hill cheating incident. In most cases, it appears someone changed answers from wrong to right on the 20 to 25 multiple-choice questions that make up part of the reading and math exams. But on question No. 3 of the third-grade reading section, the pattern was just the reverse. Four of every five responses on that item were erased and changed to the wrong answer — a bizarre blip in what otherwise looked like an across-the-board attempt to help students get more answers right. Very odd. Did someone get tired? Mixed-up?

Updates: Info from the district:

Update : from KPLU reporter, Kyle Stokes (via Twitter): @kystokes: Tidbits from the state analysis of Beacon Hill tests: 97% of 3rd graders got a perfect math score. Just 12% statewide achieved that.  End of district From the district: Every year, our students take several tests that help us measure their progress in our core subjects. These assessments are used to ensure we are making progress and to help us make sure our students are receiving the support they need. I am proud of the fact we typically outperform the state in these assessments, and that many of our schools are making strong year-to-year gains. In August, while reviewing the Spring 2014 test scores, Seattle Public Schools’ Research, Evaluation and Assessment team noticed unusually high test scores in the state Measures of Student Progress (MSP) for Beacon Hill International School, as compared to the 2013 scores. I want to note that BHIS has made remarkable progress over the years, and we certainly expect t...