The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement officially has closed an investigation into wrong-to-right erasure data for Waldo Pafford Elementary School.
According to a memo from interim Superintendent Dr. Cheryl Conley, the state’s concern was considered “satisfied,” and the case considered closed Monday.
“This is great news,” Conley said Tuesday.
Waldo Pafford Elementary School Principal Dr. Sonia Bacon said the school’s staff, students and parents are pleased to have a final report as evidence that no unethical behavior occurred.  
“Throughout the investigations, students and staff at WPE maintained focus on teaching and learning while allowing the process to reveal that no teacher cheated,” she said.
The Office of Student Achievement launched the investigation in late February after questionable findings emerged in the district’s spring 2012 CRCT scores.
GOSA partners with testing
vendor CTB-McGraw Hill to conduct erasure analysis on all districts, and a high number of erased answers among tests of third- through fifth-grade classes triggered the investigation.
Auditors visited the school, but a preliminary report issued in early March found the results inconclusive.
GOSA Accountability and Data Manager Adrian Neely confirmed the audit March 1.
To avoid further accusations and buffer students and staff, the school also implemented extra precautionary measures during the 2013 CRCT testing period, including not having home-room teachers administer the tests to their own students, Bacon said.
“As expected, students continued to perform well,” she added. “Our students have earned their successes and the right to be proud of their accomplishments — past and present.”