EDMONTON, Ky. — A Metcalfe County teacher was fired last month after a state investigation concluded she helped students on state tests last spring.

        As a result, Metcalfe County High School received zeros on math and science tests for 13 juniors, lowering the school's overall score and possibly preventing it from meeting its goal and qualifying for cash rewards under the state's testing and school-rating system.

        “It could make the difference between getting rewards or not getting rewards,” said Lisa Gross, a state Education Department spokeswoman.

        Joyce Leonard, a 27-year veteran who had taught at Metcalfe County High for the past 16 years, allowed “the test environment to be compromised” while supervising testing at the school in April, according to a June 18 report by the Kentucky Department of Education. The Courier-Journal of Louisville obtained the report under the Kentucky Open Records Act.

        Mrs. Leonard has denied most of the allegations, according to the report.

        Frances Steenbergen, president of the Kentucky Education Association, a teachers group, said Mrs. Leonard's case illustrates what can happen when teachers are pressured to make sure students do well on state tests.

        “There is pressure and some of us succumb, and we do some of those things,” Ms. Steenbergen said. “But 99 percent of teachers don't.”

        The state investigation of Mrs. Leonard began after a student told another Metcalfe County High teacher in April that a test “was easy because Mrs. Leonard was helping,” the Department of Education report said.

        Students told investigators that Leonard gave one student an answer, wrote on a test question to help a student come to an answer, wrote some information on the chalkboard before the testing, allowed students to talk to other students and let one student help another, the five-page report said.

        The “testing environment was chaotic,” said the report.

        Mrs. Leonard, of Cave City, Ky., acknowledged writing on the chalkboard before the test, according to the report.

        Mrs. Leonard declined to comment on the advice of her lawyer, Dennis Janes of Louisville.

        “She tells me that she didn't” help students on the test, Mr. Janes said.

        Mrs. Leonard was fired by Metcalfe County Superintendent Byron Jeffries last month. Based on the Education Department's recommendation and a referral from Mr. Jeffries, the state Education Professional Standards Board has opened an investigation.

        Brenda Dinkins Allen, a lawyer for the standards board, said the board already was looking into other allegations against Mrs. Leonard. That case, opened in June 2000, is still pending. Ms. Allen would not elaborate.

        Mr. Janes said Mrs. Leonard will contest the firing and appeal to a three-person tribunal appointed by state Education Commissioner Gene Wilhoit - an option for fired teachers under Kentucky law. A tribunal hearing has been scheduled for December.

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