TAKS scores come under fire

131 Houston area schools are being investigated for possible TAKS cheating.

TAKS scores raise red flags
Outside review of 2005 results finds patterns of possible cheating at 131 area schools
— reported by the Houston Chronicle

An independent review of last year’s statewide testing results flagged 131 Houston and area suburban schools for unusual patterns that could indicate cheating.

Statewide, 609 schools — 8.6 percent of the state’s campuses — were identified for possible cheating by a Utah company hired to review data from the 2005 administration of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills.

Districts have been notified about the anomalies, which include very similar responses, multiple erasures and large score gains.

They are asked to conduct investigations and have been told that a security task force of the Texas Education Agency also is reviewing historical data to identify inconsistencies that might warrant additional investigation.

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