With two New Orleans charters accused of standardized test fraud, the Recovery School District is beefing up test security.
An RSD news conference sought to reassure the public that New Orleans test scores will be trustworthy. That's in the wake of investigations on test fraud at SciTech Academy and Landry-Walker High School.
Rhonda Kalifey-Aluise is CEO of KIPP New Orleans Schools, which runs 10 schools in the city. "We believe we owe it to our students, families and the public at large to run a responsible testing process characterized by integrity and transparency," she says.
Kalifey-Aluise laid out new measures to curb cheating and build trust. Outside monitors will oversee state exams and faculty trainings on test security. These monitors will report findings to the public.
Twenty leaders pledged to use independent monitors. That represents all the RSD charters. RSD will pay for monitors at schools whose contracts are up for review, and thus under extra testing pressure. Everyone else has to pay for their own.
Orleans Parish School Board schools are not participating.
