Garcia orders probe of cheating

Terry Webster

Monday, July 10, 2000 | 11:12 a.m.

Carlos Garcia, the Clark County School District's new superintendent, is ordering a far-reaching probe into test cheating allegations that emerged prior to his arrival last week.

"We're doing an extensive investigation, and we are continuing to interview people," Garcia said. "If it's happening, it's unacceptable. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it. If we find out that it is, disciplinary action will follow."

The investigation is stretching out longer than the two weeks it originally was expected to take.

Garcia, who now leads the nation's sixth-largest school district, said he would like to see a more in-depth study of the way testing and other data is reported.

"One of the problems with our data is that it lacks research," he said. "We need to work with the university or create a division that will do that here."

Garcia arrived on the heels of allegations raised June 26 by Ramona Johnson, a former Robert E. Lake Elementary School fourth grade teacher. With a copy of the fourth grade TerraNova booklet in hand, Johnson claimed the school used the booklets for test coaching.

Johnson raised further questions about why students in her class scored high on the district's internal third grade Curriculum Based Assessment Program (CBAP) exam, then did poorly on the fourth grade TerraNova exam. She uses test scores and student class work from the same 18 students to support her study.

Since the outset of the investigation, school officials said there appears to be no cheating on the TerraNova exam.

Meanwhile, a parent of a Lake Elementary student said she was barred from a Friday press conference at the Education Center on Flamingo Road, which was attended by media, several students, school staff and members of the School Board.

"They told me I could go in if there were enough chairs, but that I couldn't ask any questions," said Miriam Dame, who has been supporting Johnson.

Dame said school staffers then invited her into an office, where they asked if they could answer any questions.

The meeting ended in frustration for Dame. As she left the building while the press conference was still going on, she was heard shouting in the hallway, "Why don't you people do more things to hurt children?"

Edward Goldman, assistant superintendent of administrative operations and staff relations, said one of the questions Dame asked was why she was not notified by the principal that her daughter was being questioned about Johnson.

Goldman said that, generally speaking, principals have the right to talk to students without having to first contact the parents.

Marsha Irvin, area superintendent for east central area elementary schools, is leading the investigation and needs to finish interviewing a few more people before it is completed, Goldman said.

If it is determined that cheating occurred, the district will say disciplinary action occurred. It will not necessarily say what that action was, Goldman said.

Garcia is calling for the district to be more open to public scrutiny.

"One of the things that kills public education is that we are too defensive," Garcia said during the Friday press conference. "We can sit and complain about all of the issues, but what are we going to do about them?"

Garcia also pledged that he will not be a bureaucrat.

"I'm not a bureaucrat," he said. "When I was a principal, I used to hate the district office. I questioned a lot of things that were going on. We need to remember our entire purpose is how to support student achievement. If we can't come up with a clear answer, then we are in the wrong business."

One of the first steps Garcia will take is meeting with his Cabinet members to determine "what the philosophy of the school district is going to stand for."

"I'd also like to have a business think tank, to get an idea of where they want to see the district go," he said.