Test score trouble in Georgia

There is a huge push from the federal government to tie teacher evaluations, tenure decisions and even merit pay to high-stakes test scores. Whenever I hear this and how good an idea is supposedly is I want to know where the research is to support such a plan. If any politician or editor or blogger would show some research that shows test scores are raised when teachers receive more pay I might change my mind. Might. But I won't have to because everytime it's been tried situations like the following in Georgia arise.

Remember, there is no merit pay tied to test scores in Georgia, yet it appears that there are significant testing errors and irregularities.

"More than a dozen school districts are expected to launch investigations after a state review showed possible cheating on standardized tests at about 20 percent of Georgia elementary and middle schools last year.

At least one district - Atlanta Public Schools - announced shortly after Mathers' presentation that it will investigate the data. The 50,000-student district has 43 schools on the list with the most erasures. That's more than any other district.
The other districts where schools had unusually high numbers of erasures were: DeKalb, Dougherty, Clayton, Muscogee, Richmond, Fulton, Quitman, Bibb, Carroll and Spalding counties; the Gainesville city schools; and the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Atlanta was one of four districts in which a handful of fifth-grade math test results were thrown out last year because an audit by Mathers' agency found that someone had tampered with answer sheets once students turned them in to teachers. The audit - which uncovered cheating in four schools - came out about two months after the tests covered in the new report were administered."

Yup, this is a fine idea

Link:

http://www.macon.com/220/story/1017529.html