Amid Cheating Allegations, Philadelphia School District Tightens Control on Tests
By Mike DeNardo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- In the wake of allegations of cheating on standardized tests, the School District of Philadelphia is taking additional steps to make sure next week's PSSA exams are on the up-and-up.
With more than 50 schools under investigation or review for testing irregularities (see previous story), the district is tightening controls on how the PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) exams are handled.
At eleven district schools under a state probe, those controls include keeping the tests under lock and key.
"We are going to make sure that those materials are quarantined and not accessible to the school level personnel until the testing occurs," says scool district spokesman Fernando Gallard.
Gallard says the district has also brought on former Temple University president David Adamany as a so-called "testing integrity advisor" to review security procedures. He'll provide monthly reports to the School Reform Commission, and will not be paid.
