Bibb Schools Prep for CRCTs, Procedures in Place to Prevent Cheating

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Students are gearing up to take the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCTs) on Tuesday. The recent cheating scandal in Atlanta public schools has the Bibb County school district working to make sure nothing like that happens here in Middle Georgia.

Students and staff at Heritage Elementary are in testing mode for this year’s CRCTs. It is five days of standardized testing in core subjects like math, reading, language arts, science, and social studies.

“It’s extremely important that we follow all our protocols in order for our students to get their true results of their examinations,”Heritage Elementary assistant principal Kristy Graham said.

Graham says some of those protocols have changed since the recent Atlanta public schools cheating scandal. The tests arrived at the school last Monday. Since then, they have been locked in a room in the front office. Its under 24-hour video surveillance and Graham is the only person with a key.

“No one is ever allowed in that room alone. anytime someone goes in that room they must also have a proctor or monitor go in with them in order to be anywhere near the testing materials.”

Each teacher and proctor is trained in testing protocols procedures in order to keep everything secure. And as an extra precaution, “We mix our teachers up. They’re not allowed to test their own students,” Graham said.

In addition to these procedures, Graham says a very thorough process of checking in and checking out the test materials prevents any kind of cheating.

“We have verified it three times going out and three times coming back in and that’s just proper procedure for us to follow in order for us to stay accountable and keep our testing documents accountable as well,” she said.

The CRCT testing period starts Tuesday and goes through Thursday of this week followed by tow more days of testing next week. Third, fifth, and eighth graders are required to pass the reading and math sections of the test with an 800 or above.