Dallas ISD Sends Report To TEA Regarding Lang Middle School Testing Irregularities

31 Aug 2009

Report Notes That Tests Were Improperly Secured

DALLAS–The Dallas Independent School District's Office of Professional Responsibility has completed its investigation into testing irregularities this past spring on the eight grade Mathematics subtest at Harold Wendell Lang Sr. Middle School.

The testing irregularities were discovered by Dallas ISD staff and immediately reported to the Texas Education Agency. The district was directed by TEA to conduct an investigation and send results to the agency by September 1.

The findings can be summarized as follows:

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• There is no evidence to suggest that students were involved in changing test answers. Several students were interviewed and investigators are convinced that students were not responsible for the testing irregularities.
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• Although the evidence suggests the violation did not occur during the test administration, there was ample time for answer documents to have been changed subsequent to the exam, since the documents were not returned until the day following the test administration.
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• The report notes that the former Lang testing coordinator, in violation of district TAKS testing policy and procedures, failed to properly secure the TAKS test materials and improperly stored the TAKS test materials.
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• The report states that the school's former principal and testing coordinator elected to resign from the district. The report also states that they have not responded to OPR's e-mail and telephone requests for assistance with the investigation.
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"The students at Lang Middle School have suffered as a result of this situation," said Superintendent of Schools Michael Hinojosa. "Parents, students and the staff at Lang who had nothing to do with these testing irregularities have all endured a lot as a result. Test security is paramount and the district will continue to be vigilant in this area, as evidenced by the fact that district staff first identified and reported the testing irregularities."

Anyone with information regarding the breach in test security at Lang Middle School is encouraged to call the Office of Professional Responsibility at (972) 925-8850. Calls may remain anonymous.

"We believe that engaged parents and guardians impact a student's academic and personal development" is the sixth core belief adopted by the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees. For a complete list of core beliefs, visit the Web site at http://www.dallasisd.org/about/vision.htm.