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The first option would allow a two hour review of a random sampling of 150 tests from third through eighth graders in Atlanta.  The second option would require four people to fly to McGraw-Hill’s secure warehouse in Indianapolis to spend eight hours reviewing as many tests as they can for third through eighth graders.

Board members say the options presented to them are unfair and do not allow them the information needed in order to conduct a thorough investigation.   

One of the main issues the board disagrees with is the tests that would be made available to study.   Sixty-three percent of the alleged erasures occurred in classrooms for first and second graders; however they can’t look at those tests.  The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement says “Access will not be given to grades 1-2 answer documents, which contain tst items that will appear on the 2010 CRCT administration” in a letter to the board.

Superintendent Dr. Sally Whatley has formally requested the following three items from the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement: the student documents in the flagged classrooms, student level data in the flagged classrooms, and the information on the officials who conducted the state analysis in order to talk with them and get more information.

The school board voted to choose the option for a full viewing of answer sheets in Indianapolis.  The board is also submitting a letter expressing their dissatisfaction with the information made available to them, information they would like and the reasoning behind the request, and stating the inconvenience of using taxpayer money to fly to Indianapolis.