2011 marred by test cheating scandals across US
ATLANTA—It was the year of the test cheating scandal.
From Atlanta to Philadelphia and Washington to Los Angeles, officials have accused hundreds of educators of changing answers on tests or giving answers to students. Just last week, Georgia investigators revealed that dozens of educators in Dougherty County either cheated or failed to prevent cheating on 2009 standardized tests.
In July, those same investigators accused nearly 180 educators in almost half of Atlanta's 100 schools of cheating dating back to 2001 -- which experts have called the largest cheating scandal in U.S. history.
Experts say some educators have bowed to the mounting pressure under the federal No Child Left Behind law as schools' benchmarks increase each year. Teachers in Atlanta reported that administrators created a culture of fear and intimidation.
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