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Warrant gives details on Newpoint Pensacola cheating scandal

Newpoint
Inweekly obtained the Warrant Arrest Application for Christopher D. Fowler, the Newpoint Pensacola math teacher who was arrested on four counts of violating the state’s Test Security Rules during the period of January 2013 to June 2014.

A Newpoint student told the State Attorney and School District investigators that Fowler gave her answers to her and other students during the Algebra I End Of Course (EOC) exam (May 2013). Fowler would either whisper the answers to students or use their mouse to point to the correct answer on the computer screen.

During the Geometry EOC (May 2014), Fowler provided her both equations and answers during the test. The teacher was not the test administrator but came into the test room to provide the answers.

He also provided answers during the U.S. History EOC (May 2014). According to the student, when she indicated she was confused with a question, Fowler would state to her “B (be) good or B (be) quiet” or “I can C (see) why you are confused” as a way to provide the correct answers.

Chris Fowler mugshot

A second student told investigators that Fowler also whispered answers to her in the Geometry EOC (May 2014).

A third student said during the Algebra I EOC, Fowler would either give him hand signals or simply give him the answers to questions that he was struggling to answer. He also said that the teacher told the students they could not say anything about him helping them or he could go to jail.

The student (#3) also said Fowler sat next to students and gave answers during the Geometry EOC.

During the U.S. History EOC, he said Fowler used his cell phone to look up and provide answers.

The Department of Education conducted a review of the EOC’s administrated at Newpoint Pensacola and identified multiple anomalies that can be correlated by an examinee’s answers string being extremely similar with that of another.

DOE said the anomalies indicate answer copying, test coaching, proxy test taking, or some other form of collusion.

According to the report, when the school district announced on April 6, 2015 that it was going to conduct a site visit, Fowler resigned from his teaching position later that day.

Read Warrant.

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