Jurors in the Atlanta district’s test-cheating case have begun deliberations in what is believed to be the longest and most complex academic-misconduct trial in U.S. history.
A dozen former Atlanta educators are accused of conspiring to inflate test scores to meet federal accountability requirements by changing answers or guiding students to fill in the correct responses on a 2009 state test. If convicted, the defendants could each face up to 20 years in jail.
The trial began in August and concluded last week.
Supporters gather outside the U.S. Department of Education in Washington to applaud Education Department employees as they depart their offices for the final time on Friday, March 28, 2025. Two organizations representing researchers are suing the department in an attempt to restore the agency's data and research arm, the Institute of Education Sciences.
President Donald Trump, left, holds up a signed executive order as young people hold up copies of the executive order they signed at an education event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, March 20, 2025. The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to permit the cut of funding for teacher training programs.
Donald Trump speaks during a news conference held at Trump Tower on Sept. 6, 2024 in New York. His education actions since returning to the White House in January 2025 have drawn numerous lawsuits alleging he's overstepping his authority.
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