European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 7, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday May 7, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 9tests misused at 2 schools in  with real exams invalidates student scores by Vince Crawley staff writer student test scores have been invalidated at two High schools in England after officials Learned that teachers used All or portions of the standardized tests during practice exams a regional school official said monday. The incidents occurred at Lakenheath and Alcon Bury High schools according to Bill Kilty Deputy director of the department of defense dependents schools Atlantic Region. The scores of about 100 students at Alconbury and nearly All the scores at Lakenheath were invalidated Kilty said. He stressed that the teachers and administrators did not realize they were violating rules by using the actual tests. A these Are Good people we re talking about a Kilty said. A they Are not Sleazy types at  at least two teachers at Alconbury who were not identified mistakenly gave the actual tests As practice tests to their classes and most teachers at Lakenheath showed their students portions of actual tests Kilty said. The Alconbury and Lakenheath incidents follow a recent controversy in the Panama Region where at least five Balboa High school teachers used copies of this years comprehensive tests of Basic skills to prepare students for the standardized exam. The president of the Panama education association Brian Mcgee alleged that the controversy is symptomatic of top Dodds officials who Are determined to find ways to boost scores. A there is a consistent pattern of pressuring teachers to increase the scores by teaching directly to tests a Mcgee told the stars and stripes in mid april. But Kilty said a we done to want the teachers getting All uptight about these tests a adding that the tests Are Only a Small portion of the Overall procedure of evaluation. The tests which cover major subjects such As math social studies science and English Are intended to measure the academic performance of Dodds students compared with those who attend stateside schools. Kilty said the Atlantic Region officials discovered that a some teachers at Lakenheath used portions of alternate forms of the tests or tests designated for other Grade Levels As practice tests. A excerpts from actual tests such As a graph or Tim these Are Good people we re talking about. They Are not Sleazy types at All a Bill Kilty Deputy director of the department of defense dependents schools Atlantic Region line were used in questions prepared by teachers. A at least two teachers gave actual exams As practice tests. They stated however that they thought the tests were copies of old tests. Kilty said his office contacted Mcgraw Hill the company that devises the tests after learning what happened at the two schools. A we were told that copying any portion of the tests without their permission represented a breach of copyright and that it was unethical to prepare for the tests using alternate forms of the tests a Kilty said. He was Uncertain of what action if any Mcgraw Hill would take. Both schools have received their test results Kilty said. Scores at Lakenheath Quot Are generally higher than last year a he said but an analysis of Alconbury a results was not yet available. School officials have sent letters to parents of the affected students explaining what happened and Why the scores were invalidated. Kilty said that regional officials have asked officials at Mcgraw Hill to Imal Date All the results at Lakenheath High school with the exception of ninth and loth Grade science Quot due to the fact that the alternate forms of the tests were used As practice tests which at the time the school thought to be an acceptable  regional officials do not a condone any use of actual cubs tests As practice tests a Kilty said. The Atlantic Region a has never suggested that schools use cubs tests old or new As practice  however cubs practice tests Are published for elementary pupils to familiarize younger children with testing formats and procedures Kilty said. This practice is considered acceptable he added. Quot we Are currently investigating the motives of those involved Quot in the incidents and Steps arc being taken to ensure that similar breaches of ethics done to happen in the future he said. A moreover we will be working closely with superintendents principals and teachers to determine if these acts Are related at All to any anxiety among teachers about students performance on standardized tests a Kilty said. His office is checking with Atlantic Region schools to determine if other cubs results need to be invalidated he said. Because the tests Are aimed at measuring the performance of teachers invalidating the scores will not affect the students Scholastic records Kilty said. A this Isnit like the sat a he said. A this is primarily used to improve  new closures announced location eliminated slots closure Date army army Civ in Wertheim area support team 14 9 53 dec. 30.1992 Bundlach area support team 3 24 111 dec. 30.1992 meierhof area support team 1 4 103 dec. 30.1992 Nellinger area support team 2 8 63 dec. 30,1992 forensic toxicology drug tactini/1 1 Karur Fawi 50 i 45 4 sept. 30.1992 i to Kiriy ucurjraiuryrvvi95v/<iu&i 9th material management 1 2 9 79 March 31, 1993 Center Kaiserslautern ludwigs Burg kor Westheim 3 18 116 aug. 30, 1993 area support team we Brocken base support in 15 28 402 sept. 30, 1993 Ukraine finishes turnover of tactical nuclear Arm Susareu closures to Cut 1,166 jobs by october 93 by the stars and stripes Heidelberg Germany a the . Army Europe plans to eliminate eight organizations with a resulting loss of 1,166 positions by october 1993, according to a statement. The closures will affect army operations in Wertheim Bundlach meierhof Nellinger Wiesbaden Kaiserslautern ludwigs Burg kor Westheim and Wei Brincken the statement said. The eliminations Are linked to installation closures and realignments As part of the . Military draw Down from Europe said the statement issued this week. Gen. Crosbie e. Saint Usa eur commander made the decision to eliminate the organizations after meeting with head works Council representatives according to the statement. The 90 soldiers affected by the closures will be reassigned and the 1,076 civilians can apply for priority placement in other jobs an army spokesman said. Moscow a Ukraine turned Over its remaining Short Range nuclear weapons to Russia on wednesday the itar Tass news Agency reported. Ukraine has pledged to become the first country to rid itself of nuclear weapons. The announcement came As ukrainian president Leonid Kravchuk was in Washington for talks with president Bush about arms and economic issues. The news Agency quoted it. Gen. Sergei Zelentsova of the Commonwealth of Independent states joint forces As saying a train with an unspecified number of tactical nuclear weapons arrived in Russia from Ukraine. A the withdrawal of tactical nuclear weapons from Ukraine has thus been completed 25 Days ahead of schedule a itar Tass said in a Brief dispatch. Quot strategic nuclear weapons of the former .s.r. Will be moved next a Zelentsova was quoted As saying. Kravchuk last month ordered a temporary halt in the removal of former soviet nuclear weapons stationed in Ukraine. He said he wanted firmer guarantees the weapons would be destroyed rather than redeployed by Russia. The dispute strained relations Between the two most powerful members of the Commonwealth of Independent states. Ukraine subsequently relented after International criticism and an agreement that ukrainian experts could accompany the weapons to Russia and Monitor their destruction. The soviet nuclear Arsenal of about 27,000 warheads consisted of approximately 10,000 strategic or Long Range warheads and 17,000 tactical weapons. More than 4,000 of the tactical weapons had been in Ukraine according to Western experts. Itar Tass did not say How Many weapons were on the train carrying the last tactical nuclear weapons from Ukraine or to which City they were taken. A Commonwealth military spokesman confirmed to the associated press that the weapons had arrived in Russia. Russia also has agreed to accept and destroy nuclear weapons on behalf of Belarus and Kazakhstan the other two former republics where the soviet Union based its strategic weapons. Relations Between Russia and Ukraine also have been strained by competing claims for control Over the prestigious Black sea Fleet and Over the crimean Peninsula on which it is based. Crimea on tuesday declared its Independence subject to a referendum. Asylum requests drop As Germany debates curbs Bonn Germany up a while the government coalition remained divided Over ways of curbing illegal immigration the Interior ministry announced tuesday that the number of people seeking Asylum in Germany dropped in april for the first time in a year. The ministry said a total of 26,653 people requested Asylum in april 8,000 fewer than the previous month. The figure was the lowest in a year. The number of applicants from Yugoslavia the largest group dropped by 3,000 to 10,215. Other applicants came from Turkey Bulgaria Viet Nam Lebanon and Zaire. The ministry said a total of 73,000 people applied for Asylum during the first four months of the year. It said that 18,675 applications were processed in april and that 706 people or 3.8 percent were recognized As political refugees. The German Constitution guarantees Asylum to anyone fleeing political persecution but the authorities argue that the majority of applicants Are economic migrants. Earlier in the week the social democratic party moved away from its initial rejection of Chancellor Helmut Kohls suggestion that the Constitution should be amended to Speed up the screening process of Asylum seekers. But the free democratic party the Junior partner in the government coalition remained firmly opposed to the proposed changes prompting angry exchanges with the arc conservative Christian social Union the bavarian sister party of Kohls Christian democratic Union. The immigration Issue has stirred emotions and the government has linked it to an increase in violence against foreigners