DC schools are just finishing up this year's Comprehensive Assessment System (CAS) testing, which brings to mind their recent struggles with testing violations. The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), one of three who reportedly investigated the allegations, requires schools to develop their own test security measures, but schools are not legally bound to follow them.

A relatively new bill, introduced by DC Councilman David Catania, would make those test security measures a matter of law. Consequences for test violations could range from a suspension of teaching license to heavy fines.

While this law may not totally curb cheating, and should be paired with preemptive efforts to improve test security and address educators' concerns about the tests, we applaud the efforts of Councilman Catania in bringing this type of legislation to DC. As of now, 10 states have these types of laws on the books. (Georgia does not--they indicted 34 educators and the superintendent on charges of racketeering under the federal RICO Act.)

Now, if we could only do something about those cicadas...