Report: BX teacher tempered with test results

The New York City School District released a report Wednesday, stating that a teacher in a Bronx high school broke the law by changing answers on a standardized test. Investigators say there is evidence

News 12 Staff

Dec 4, 2008, 12:27 AM

Updated 5,867 days ago

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The New York City School District released a report Wednesday, stating that a teacher in a Bronx high school broke the law by changing answers on a standardized test.
Investigators say there is evidence that Ruth Ralston, assistant principal of the Contemporary Arts High School, was involved in correcting students? answers on the June 20, 2008 algebra Regents exam.
Officials claim Ralston had the multiple choice answer sheets in her possession at the time and lied to investigators about important facts related to the exam.
According to the report, the answer sheets for the multiple choice questions show a ?pattern of significantly more changes from incorrect to correct than could be explained by ordinary student test-taking behavior.? Overall, the investigation found there were 1,013 erasure changes, with nearly 95 percent of them altering the response to correct.
A special commissioner of investigation recommended that Ralston be fired. A spokesperson for the Department of Education says Ralston had been reassigned while the department is seeking her termination.