Woodland Teacher Accused Of Helping 19 Students On State Test

WOODLAND (CBS13) — A teacher at Douglass Middle School in Woodland has been disciplined after allegedly helping 19 students on a state test in May.

The State Department of Education has declared those 19 students' test scores invalid.

School officials say the middle school has made similar reports in the past for some minor infractions, but nothing like this year, that caused the state to throw out nearly two-dozen students' test scores.

The incident happened on May 2 when a student inside the class reported the incident to another teacher who then notified the district.

The district would not explain what the teacher said or did to prompt an investigation.

"It was just someone who may not have followed the rules as tightly as they should've been followed," said Assistant Superintendent Thomas Pritchard of the Woodland Joint Unified School District.

Pritchard says the 19 students will not be penalized because of the teacher's actions, but the middle school's ranking is on the line.

According to the Department of Education, California rolled out a new statewide, computer-based test in 2015, but there is no accountability system for that test set up yet.

Peter Tira, a spokesman for the Department of Education, says there is still a protocol the department follows for similar situations.

Tira states "there is a very formal process for investigating and dealing with these sorts of issues ...The issue in Woodland was considered an irregularity."

According to district officials, the teacher – who is not being identified -- was given a letter of corrective action, about a week after the incident was reported.

The assistant superintendent says the district plans on training teachers more extensively for the next state exam.