GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A math teacher in Gwinnett County Public Schools is facing a state investigation after she allegedly allowed her students to improperly use a formula sheet that could have helped them pass the test without doing the work.
The teacher, who has not been identified, teaches eighth grade math at Grace Snell Middle School. She administered the math assessment part of the Georgia Milestones test to about 110 students; they may have to retake the math portion again next month.
According to the district, the teacher provided her students with the Georgia Milestones Formula Sheet prior to the math portion of the test, giving them the opportunity to make notes on the sheet.
“Then that same sheet was given back to them when they actually were taking the test," said Gwinnett County Public Schools spokeswoman Sloan Roach.
Roach did not confirm whether or not the educator is still at the school, but said, “typically, during an investigation, teachers are not allowed in the classroom.”
The Georgia Department of Education has launched an investigation to learn how many students actually benefited from the alleged testing violation – and how many students will have to retake the test.
“GCPS has launched a Human Resources investigation into this situation. In addition, the Georgia Department of Education is reviewing this situation to determine the status of the students’ tests,” a Gwinnett County Public Schools representative said in a statement. “It is possible that all (tests) could be invalidated. If that occurs, the students would be given the opportunity to retake the math portion of the state assessment in June.”
The Georgia Milestones is designed to provide information about how well students have mastered state-adopted content standards in core areas of English language arts, math, science and social students.
A state Department of Education spokesperson said that the teacher could face consequences.
“Teacher licensure and certification are overseen by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, a separate state agency. As part of our investigation, we will make any necessary referrals to the PSC,” the spokesperson told 11Alive’s Joe Henke.
This comes 10 years after the cheating scandal rocked Atlanta Public Schools, where 11 educators were convicted of racketeering. In total, 178 educators were implicated and 35 were indicted. The Milestones replaced the CRCT test that exposed the APS cheating scandal.
Some of those who are most deeply impacted by the APS cheating scandal were the hundreds of students who fell behind – including one girl who was held back in eight grade twice after she just could not grasp the fundamentals needed in high school, after her grades were changed while she was in the fourth grade.
In a letter to Grace Snell parents, the school’s principal assured parents that Gwinnett County Public Schools is taking action. A district spokesperson said that parents will be contacted individually if their student needs to retake the test.
“We take any allegations regarding questionable testing practices very seriously, as assessment is a key piece of the teaching and learning process,” Principal Allen Craine said in the letter to parents. “Our students are important and we have a responsibility to ensure that they have learned the curriculum and are ready for the future.”
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