More information surfaces on ACT test cheating in Perry County schools

The Hazard-Herald reports on new details in the cheating scandals at the Perry County Central High School and the Buckhorn High School in Perry County.

According to a letter from ACT to Perry County school officials, ACT found evidence that answers on the multiple choice test were erased and then changed by persons other than the students. The answer sheets also apparently had evidence of multiple persons’ writing on them. Finally, ACT talked to students, as well.

ACT found problems on both the ACT college entrance test and on the ACT PLAN test, which is given to all 10th grade students in Kentucky.

The Perry County Superintendent, John Paul Amis, is still denying anything is wrong. The Hazard-Herald outlines his comments in some detail. Somehow, those comments don’t seem very convincing.

The facts are that once the Perry County students were retested, significant numbers of them had notable drops in their scores.

ACT says they don’t engage in punitive action (other than cancelling test scores) when testing abnormalities are discovered. However, that doesn’t mean Perry County educators are off the hook. Apparently, the Kentucky Department of Education forwarded the ACT findings to the Kentucky Attorney General, the Office of the Inspector General and the Kentucky Educational Professional Standards Board. The latter office could take actions against the professional certificates of teachers and principals if misconduct is found.