Much the same sort of thing occurred recently in Texas, where school officials and politicians like Gov. George W. Bush were brandishing the results of a standardized test to claim victory over ignorance. There, too, a cheating scandal has erupted which calls some of the achievements into doubt. This investigation could conceivably affect the White House race, depending on how widespread the problem may be. At any rate, we hope the Times will pursue the New York City story, and relate it to larger national trends. An aggressive pursuit of this long-ignored story would provide an invaluable service.
Urban systems love gimmicking scores to persuade the public that things are getting better.
So are the interests of urban children sold out by their uncaring friends. We also hope our old pal Bill will follow this story as it unfolds in New York. Nobody ever likes stories like this. Interview teachers who reported this cheating. Search Lexis-Nexis for similar tales.