Allegations of cheating hint at stress teachers feel

By Megan Tench, Globe Staff, 12/27/2003

Since the advent of MCAS exams, educators have worried that the tests put too much pressure on students, but now allegations of cheating in a Worcester elementary school are fueling criticism that the tests unduly strain teachers and administrators, as well.

The allegations of cheating, which triggered the state's first investigation into schoolwide cheating by teachers, may suggest that accountability requirements under the federal No Child Left Behind Act are raising the stress level of those in the front of the classroom.

While some educators say that cheating is an extreme and isolated response, everyone is feeling the heat of increased government scrutiny.

"There are 16 different ways to become a low-performing school under federal law," said Joseph O'Sullivan, a 19-year teaching veteran and president of the Brockton Education Association, a teachers' union group. "Nobody should have their whole career measured by a paper and pencil test. It hurts students, and it hurts teachers."

Since the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System tests were introduced five years ago, there have been fiery debates over whether MCAS inspires teachers and students to perform or pushes them to act irresponsibly, out of fear of being labeled failing. Federal performance standards under the No Child Left Behind Act increased pressure.

Some education observers, however, doubt that holding schools accountable for test scores forces teachers to act unethically.

"We often hear people saying accountability will incite some educators to do things that are bad for students, but that is simply not true," said Craig Jerald, policy analyst for the Education Trust, a nonprofit group that monitors the No Child Left Behind Act.

When it comes to the pressure of statewide exams, "the vast majority of teachers respond in ways that are ethical and responsible," he said. "There are always isolated examples of teachers and administrators who make bad choices, but there is no evidence that accountability forces adults to make bad choices."

In Worcester, a principal and teacher at Chandler Elementary Community School were placed on paid administrative leave this week after school officials questioned the school's latest test scores, which skyrocketed after years of mediocrity.

School sources say that the principal, Irene C. Adamaitis, violated state policy by distributing state MCAS exams to teachers days before spring testing began and that special education teacher Gail G. Dufour later helped her students choose correct answers.

State and district officials say more teachers could be implicated. Officials suspect that some teachers coached students by going over subjects covered in the test days before administering it.

State rules, outlined in a 200-page manual, prohibit opening packages containing test materials or discussing the exam before it's given.