US Education head: Ga. schools scandal unfortunate

ATLANTA – U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan called the Atlanta schools cheating scandal "unfortunate," saying it highlights the need for transparency in education.

Duncan released the statement Thursday, two days after a state investigation revealed 178 educators had cheated on standardized tests dating back to 2001. Educators told investigators they were under immense stress to raise test scores.

Duncan says other U.S. schools are facing the same pressures but are making progress without cheating.

Interim Atlanta schools Superintendent Erroll Davis is expected Thursday to outline his plan for dealing with cheating in nearly half the district's 100 schools. He said earlier in the week none of the educators will work with Atlanta students again.

The testing problems first came to light after The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that some scores were statistically improbable.