Alleged Tampering Underscores Pitfalls of Testing

By Millicent Lawton

Elementary school educators in several districts around the country have been accused recently of tampering with standardized tests.

Although relatively rare, the incidents flag the pitfalls of testing that may carry rewards or punishments for schools, teachers, or students and the pressure that educators--especially at the elementary level--feel to produce good results, experts said last week.

"Accountability is definitely a factor" in prompting such incidents, said Carole Kennedy, a principal in Columbia, Mo., and the president of the National Association of Elementary School Principals in Alexandria, Va. Such cheating by educators sets "a...