The Aftermath of the Atlanta Test Cheating Scandal

Eleven Atlanta educators convicted of conspiracy in one of the nation’s largest cheating scandals are just now beginning their appeals, more than two years after they were sentenced to prison. Nearly 200 educators in Atlanta public schools were caught up in the scandal, suspected of erasing and correcting student answers on standardized tests, in order to boost scores. They were under enormous pressure from the federal No Child Left Behind law and from their own superintendent, Beverly Hall, who set targets even higher than the federal government. Thousands of students were impacted, and now, many years later, the district has set up a program to offer extra help to those students who remain in Atlanta public schools. We spoke with those at the heart of the case – an educator, the judge, the district attorney, and students who are about to graduate.