Cheating Scandal Rocks Connecticut School

FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Stratfield School, long cited as one of the nation’s best public elementary schools, was rocked Friday by a cheating scandal that called into question the entire state’s testing system.

The school, which has just over 400 students, drew national attention over the last decade as its students consistently scored as much as 40% higher on standardized tests than the next highest-scoring school in the same district.

But officials Friday said evidence was mounting that some of the tests were corrected after the students had submitted them. They said it appeared that someone had erased wrong answers and made corrections before sending in the tests for scoring.

The scandal hit the town hard and ripples were being felt as far away as Hartford, the state capital, where standardized testing is administered.