Allegations of cheating at SAT test centers involving students attending Great Neck High School are being investigated by the Educational Testing Service, according to testing service officials.
“ETS is working on a test security case involving students attending Great Neck High School, but for confidentiality reasons, we cannot discuss the specifics of the case,” Education Testing Service administrative manager Albert Brown, Jr. said in a press release. “We can confirm that the alleged incidents did not occur at Great Neck High School test centers, but elsewhere.”
The Educational Testing Service is the corporation that administers the SATs and other college entrance examinations. The SAT examination is owned by the College Board.
Seniors at John L. Miller-Great Neck North High School allegedly tried to improve their college prospects by hiring a third party to take their SAT exams, according to a story in the New York Post.
Among those under investigation, the story said, are two brothers – one a senior and the other already in college.
Great Neck Superintendent of Schools Tom Dolan said in a statement released Tuesday and later repeated at the school district’s regularly scheduled board meeting that he could not discuss the individuals involved in the investigation and was unable to name any of the testing centers in question, but said the probe involved a “handful of students.”
But, he said, “none of the matters being investigated involved tests that were administered at any of our high schools. Our test administrators are consistent with the regulations imposed upon us by ETS. No test administration at a Great Public School is under investigation.”
Dolan added that “in instances where students fall prey to the pressure surrounding such high stakes testing, the district has consistently held students responsible when we have learned of it, and cooperated fully with ETS in determining the validity of the score.”
Dolan’s comments were supported by Brown, who said Great Neck “tests carefully and follows all the rules and guidelines” for administering tests. “Any irregularities or inappropriate behavior is noted by supervisors in the testing rooms and reported to ETS.”
All students who take the College Board’s SAT test are required to provide an official school or government-issued photo ID, a handwriting sample, and an admission ticket. They are also supposed to closely monitored throughout the testing process.
“School officials have been very cooperative during this process,” Brown said.
Dolan, Great Neck Schools Board of Education President Barbara Berkowitz and Great Neck North High School principal Bernard Kaplan spoke Monday night at a Great Neck School board meeting regarding the ETS investigation.
“I make a promise now to every child in this room that I would do everything in my power to protect a child’s anonymity in the event that they made a mistake,” Dolan said.
In response to the article published in the NY Post, Dolan said “The article was awful, I’ve worked very hard today to shape the news, if you will.”
Dolan also said he would only inform the parents of students involved in the investigation and would not disclose their identity to the public.
Great North High School principal Bernard Kaplan said that “If any allegations come to our attention about student dishonesty on an SAT or in any aspect of the school, we approach it very aggressively and very thoroughly with the idea of correcting it and helping that student.
The board meeting’s agenda included honoring students for contributing to the quality of life at Great Neck North High School, an occasion used by Berkowitz to defend the school and its students.
“I am in awe of the students being recognized here this evening.” Berkowitz said. “Unfortunately you have some unwelcome notoriety forced upon you now on several occasions…. And now, when once again, the outside world is focused on the misdeeds of the few we will ignore this tonight as we are here to celebrate you for your fame, your integrity and passion for what you do that is good and right and we honor you for your accomplishments and contributions to the climate from North High.”
