School Test Scandal Touches Watsonville

Watsonville High is one of 12 schools in the state caught up in a state Department of Education probe about leaked test questions, San Francisco Bay Area media reported this week.

The investigation has delayed the release of Standardized Testing and Reporting results, or STAR results, by two weeks, according to the Contra Costa Times.

The security breach involves 442 images from tests given at 12 schools, were posted online, the Department of Education announced Wednesday. Some appeared on Facebook.

NBC Bay Area reported that Watsonville High was among the dozen schools involved. Two San Jose-area schools are also on the list.

Pajaro Valley Unified School District administrators were informed of the Watsonville High security breach Thursday. A student apparently took two photos during a test given on April 16, according to Murry Schekman
PVUSD Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education.

The photos were of a test question and the answer sheet. When the post of the photos was found online, the student and the testing location were identified, according to Schekman.

"We will be following up with the student and we will review how this happened and what steps need to be taken to ensure that this doesn't happen again," Schekman said.

Department of Education spokeswoman Pam Slater told the Contra Costa Times that only 36 images showed actual test items; the rest pictured test-taking locations.

The test results, normally released in mid-August, will be delayed until the end of August. The leak will also affect the release of API scores in the fall.