State probes test fraud in Uniondale (NY) schools

The state is investigating potentially large-scale test fraud in the Uniondale school district, including alleged tampering with Regents exams required for graduation, state and local officials said.

Investigators from the state attorney general's office questioned both school administrators and teachers last week, according to Uniondale officials who expressed anguish about the situation. The district plans to send out letters Monday to parents of the district's 6,400 students, acknowledging the state probe.

Findings could be announced this week. Education Department officials said if any district staffers are implicated, students' scores on past tests would not be affected -- unless students themselves also are found culpable.

Like other districts across the state, Uniondale in recent years has faced rising pressures to do well on exams mandated by Albany. But local authorities said any malfeasance is inexcusable.

"I think there are pressures. But if an adult took part in this, this is reprehensible," said William K. Lloyd, the district superintendent, who pledged full cooperation with the state's inquiry. "It goes against basic morals and ethics and everything we want to teach our children."

John Milgrim, a spokesman for the attorney general's office, said he could not comment on the investigation. The probe was confirmed by Jonathan Burman, a representative of the state Education Department that also is reviewing the case.

"I can confirm that there is an investigation into alleged testing irregularities in Uniondale," said Burman, who declined further comment.

Lloyd, in a phone interview, said he hadn't been told whether the alleged fraud involved premature distribution of exam questions to students or some other violation. The superintendent added that the district already has taken precautions to avoid repetition of any fraudulent activity.

Specifically, he said, the district now prohibits administrators from handling exam papers when they are alone. Instead, administrators must work in groups of two or three, first when they receive sealed boxes of exams from Albany, and later when they collect completed exams for grading.

State authorities declined to say whether Uniondale faces any penalties. Those authorities noted that schools in other districts, such as Yonkers, recently were placed on a form of academic probation after school staffers there were accused of erasing incorrect answers on tests and penciling in corrections.

Uniondale authorities said they first learned of the probe in January, when they were visited by two investigators from the attorney general's office.

At that time, the district was told that investigators were looking into allegations of a security breach last year on state tests, including Regents Math A exams that students must pass in order to earn their diplomas.

State investigators followed up by questioning Uniondale staffers last week, local officials added. No charges have been announced, and no employees have been suspended or fired.

Uniondale is rated by the state as a district in good academic standing and several of the district's schools recently won praise for improving test scores. In 2005, Uniondale High School was removed from the state's poor-performance list, following a rise in achievement there.