Pat Nelson voted Yea (Passage With Amendment) on this Legislation.
Title: Authorizes Department of Education to Investigate Cheating Allegations
Title: Authorizes Department of Education to Investigate Cheating Allegations
Vote to pass a bill that expands the Department of Education's power to investigate and discipline cheating in public schools, effective upon passage.
Expands the disciplinary actions the Board of Education is authorized to take with respect to a teacher or administrator’s license, including, but not limited to, refusing to renew the license or placing the licensee on probation (Sec. 2).
Expands the grounds for which the board is authorized to take disciplinary action to include the following (Sec. 2):
The teacher or administrator submits a false certification to the department stating a statewide test was administered in strict accordance with requirements imposed by the board; and
The teacher or administrator fails to comply with the procedures for reporting infractions as required by the board
Authorizes the board to subpoena an individual and to require the production of records and other documents (Sec. 1).
Authorizes the department to take control of the statewide test administration in a school district if there is an allegation of a testing irregularity or unauthorized access to test booklets or answer documents (Sec. 3).
Requires a school principal to certify to the department that a statewide test was administered properly and to report any potential violations to the department (Sec. 3)
Classifies a false certification of proper test administration as a felony punishable by a fine of no more than $15,000 and up to 3 years in prison (Sec. 4).
Requires a school district to reimburse the department for the cost of investigating a confirmed testing irregularity (Sec. 3).
Exempts “investigative reports” from the Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983 (Sec. 1).
Title: Establishes Disciplinary Procedures for Cheating