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FORT WORTH -- Diamond Hill Elementary School was rated academically unacceptable because of allegations of cheating on TAKS tests, according to state officials.
A Fort Worth school district report found that staff members erased and changed student answers during the May math retests of some fifth-graders, according to state officials. The school will also miss federal accountability standards because of the cheating allegations when those accountability results are released next week."This egregious act of tampering with student responses for this campus directly undermines the test security, confidentiality and validity of the Texas assessment program," Texas Education Agency officials wrote to the district this month.The TEA typically rates a school unacceptable if it is found to have cheated on the state's Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills tests."This is to send a strong message to districts and campuses that we take this seriously," TEA spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson said. "For the individuals who would disregard test integrity, they need to know that their actions have grave consequences far beyond the classroom."Superintendent Melody Johnson said the district is appealing the rating as Diamond Hill met the standard even with the retests not included. Johnson said the district's investigation is ongoing as the state continues its investigation.Last week, trustees delayed a decision on whether to fire a teacher placed on leave because of the cheating allegations. The teacher and several supporters said that she did not alter tests and that they feared others may have been changing answers for years to earn higher ratings.The school on Fort Worth's north side had received the highest rating, exemplary, in 2009 and the second-highest, recognized, the previous two years.The school's principal has resigned.Eva-Marie Ayala, 817-390-7700
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