Jackson Public School officials have disciplined more than 40 employees following an investigation into Spring 2023 testing irregularities. The Mississippi Department of Education identified and brought the improprieties to the attention of Superintendent Erick Greene.
“We are really disappointed that some of our folks chose to behave in this way,” the superintendent told the school board on September 5, 2023. “We believe that we are sending a message today that we will manage and address misconduct.”
The investigative team interviewed a third of the affected student population in each school and school staff. The team then summarized their findings and suggested follow-up interviews. They reported those findings to the deputy superintendent and general counsel. The district test coordinator also compared the MDE forensic data with each school’s testing plan.
The district cited violations of the Requirements of the Mississippi Statewide Assessment System Standard 16 Section 8-9 and terminated 17 staff members that they found to have committed flagrant violations or to have led other staff in committing violations. Three staff members will serve a 10-day suspension for lesser offenses and another 24 whose behavior was of concern received letters of reprimand. The district has submitted the names of all identified personnel to the Office of Educator Misconduct.
“As egregious, as concerning, as serious as these issues are, they are located in seven of our schools, four of which are located in an isolated grade and/or subject,” Greene told the school board. “It is not a district-wide issue and we stand on that and our data have revealed and supported that.”
“At the same time, we’re very concerned that this happened anywhere in our district. We believe very strongly in our responsibility to move children to high levels of performance,” he continued. “In this district, we will achieve at high levels. We say that and we believe that while also believing that we have the capacity to do that and that our scholars have the capacity to achieve at high levels and that we don’t need to cheat. We don’t need to skirt the lines or blur the lines in order