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Schools Stripped Of Key Ranking After Reports Of Cheating, Other Irregularities

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Nearly two dozen schools across California - including several in the Southland - have been stripped of a key state ranking due to cheating and other irregularities in administering standardized tests last spring.

KNX 1070's Ed Mertz reports officials with the California Department of Education alleged teachers did everything from giving actual test questions to helping students while they took the standardized exams.

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A report obtained by the Los Angeles Times found teachers at 23 out of 10,000 schools statewide acted improperly, including using facial expressions to signal correct answers to students, and even one teacher using a "document camera and projector" to display actual test questions to her class beforehand.

In response, state officials stripped the schools of their Academic Performance Index (API) rating, which are used to gauge school performance.

The number of schools with such violations - about two dozen - has remained constant over the past three years, the Associated Press reported.

In addition to school rankings, API scores are also considered a factor in local property values.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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