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Last updated on Friday, May 18, 2012
(INDIANAPOLIS) - The Indiana Department of Education is investigating a possible ISTEP testing security breach.
The alleged breach is related to North Central's End of Year Assessment. The End of Year Assessment is an ISTEP test high schoolers must past prior to graduation. They assessed at the conclusion Algebra I, Biology I or English 10.
Washington Township is cooperating with the investigation but has not indicated which tests or how many students might be impacted.
This is not the first time Washington Township has had issues administering the standardized test. Last year, a teacher at Spring Mill Elementary School was placed on leave for inappropriately preparing students for the I-STEP. Approximately 26 students were reportedly exposed to material that later appeared on the Language Arts portion of the exam.
Washington Township released the following statement Thusday:
"Indiana's Department of Education has notified Washington Township that DOE is investigating a possible breach of standardized testing security (End of Course Assessment) at North Central High School. District officials are cooperating fully with DOE."
According to the DOE, anyone can file a security breach report. The DOE then contacts the school involved, and the school investigates, which is what it currently happening at North Central.
Eventually the school will report back to the DOE and the DOE will then decide whether or not to invalidate any questions or scores.
Many parents who spoke to Fox59 on Thursday expressed concern, but said they wanted to wait and see how the investigation turned out.
At least one parent said she was confident in the district.
"They have been academically competitive and they have always been right on, so I trust whoever is in charge and I know that they are handling it in the right way," said Terri Menner, who has a daughter who attends North Central.
There is no timeline for the investigation. According to the DOE, each investigation is dealt with on an individual basis.
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