407 DISD Students Must Retake TAKS Test
Irregularities alleged in middle school math test
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Four hundred middle school students will be heading back to the classroom -- at least long enough to retake the TAKS math test.
All eighth-grade students from Lang Middle School in Dallas must retake the TAKS math test because of "significant and severe" irregularities, the Texas Education Agency announced Thursday.
The extraordinary move, involving 407 students, comes after the district discovered "severe testing irregularities" and reported the problem to state regulators, TEA spokeswoman Suzanne Marchman said.
"Because it’s an ongoing investigation, there’s not a lot I can share," she said. "But (the irregularities) are significant and severe."
The test will be regiven June 30.
Administrators acknowledged it will be difficult to round up many students because of the summer break.
"It's like finding a needle in a haystack," said trustee Ron Price, whose district includes Lang Middle School. "It's unfair to the students."
Those who don't take the test will have to appear before a grade placement committee, said DISD spokesman Jon Dahlander.
The committee will include the student, parents, teachers and administrators, and all must agree the student can advance to ninth grade, Dahlander said.
The preliminary investigation revealed no students were involved in cheating, but Dahlander declined to say the same about teachers or administrators at the school.
Lang Middle School is located at 1678 Chenault Street in east Dallas.
Posted Thursday, Jul 16, 2009 - 9:17 PM CST
