NYC Schools Chancellor Unveils New Task Force To Combat Cheating, Uphold Academic Integrity
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New York City Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña has announced a new task force to monitor academic integrity following a cheating scandal at a Brooklyn high school.
Fariña said the task force will provide oversight as well as training to ensure that all schools comply with the highest standards.
"Schools violating our academic policies are not giving students the education they deserve, and I have zero tolerance for schools flaunting our policies," Fariña said. "By creating a Regulatory Task Force on Academic Policy and forming dedicated teams to monitor any concerning trends, we are once again sending a clear message that violating academic policies will not be tolerated."
One member from outside the Department of Education will be included on the task force, dubbed the Regulatory Task Force on Academic Policy.
The auditing firm Ernst & Young will also review the task force's work.
The new approach to keeping high standards of academic integrity also includes continuous training for school superintendents, mandatory training sessions for principals, and additional training for guidance counselors and school programmers.
Tuesday's announcement comes on the heels of punitive measures leveled against John Dewey High School for grade fixing, including the firing of the school's principal.
An investigation launched earlier this year uncovered that the principal of the school had allowed students to earn credit for courses they never had to attend, officials said.
The new initiative is expected to cost about $5 million.
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