.
. >>>
. >>> WHAT STATE INVESTIGATORS
REVEALED A DECADE AGO THAT
THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS IN THE
PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM WAS
CHEATED OUT OF AN EDUCATION.
THERE WAS COMMUNITY OUTRAGE.
SEVERAL EDUCATORS WERE
PROSECUTED FOR CHANGING THE
TEST SCORES.
TEST SCORES. TEN YEARS LATER, A REVEAL
INVESTIGATION FOUND THE
PROGRAMS MEANT TO HELP THE
PROGRAMS CATCH UP LARGELY
MISSED THE TARGET.
>> I KEEP EVERYTHING.
MY ULTRASOUND PICTURES.
THE DAY THEY STARTED WALKING.
ALL THE ACCOLADES FROM SCHOOL.
.
.
. >>
. >> Reporter: TIME HAS TRIED TO
MAKE ERICA FORGET ABOUT A LOT.
>> WE'VE COME A LONG, LONG WAY.
>> Reporter: THE MEMENTOES
HIDDEN IN BOXES OVER THE YEARS
ARE REMAINDERS.
ARE REMAINDERS. LIKE THE LONG-FADED REPORT
CARDS.
CARDS.
CARDS. >>
CARDS. >> I CAN KEEP UP WITH THEM.
WHEN THEY BECOME FAMOUS, THESE
WILL BE ARCHIVED.
>> Reporter: TWO OF HER
CHILDREN WERE IN ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL AND AMONG THE MORE THAN
3,000 STUDENTS IDENTIFIED AS
VICTIMS OF THE ATLANTA PUBLIC
SCHOOL KEET CHEATING SCANDAL.
STUDENTS AFFECTED BY THE
SCANDAL LOST UP TO HALF A
YEAR'S WORTH OF LEARNING IN
CERTAIN SUBJECTS.
CERTAIN SUBJECTS. >> FOR ME AS A PARENT AND A
PERSON THAT'S WENT TOA.
P.S., IT REALLY WAS SOMETHING
THAT HIT ME IN MY HEART.
IT WAS NOT MEETING STANDARDS.
BUT HE WAS PASSING THE TESTS.
HE HAD C'S.
THE NUMBERS DIDN'T ADD UP.
THEY WERE NOT ON GRADE LEVEL.
>> Reporter: HOW FAR BACK WERE
THEY?
THEY?
THEY? >>
THEY? >> AT LEAST TWO YEARS BEHIND.
>> Reporter: THE 17-YEAR-OLD IN
11TH GRADE TOLD THE COURT SHE
WAS SEVERAL GRADES BEHIND HER
CLASSMATES.
CLASSMATES. >> I'M STILL IN MIDDLE READING,
THE 6th GRADE READING LEVEL.
>> Reporter: THE FORMER
GOVERNOR CHOKED UP IN COURT AT
THE THOUGHT OF IT.
>> THESE KIDS ONLY GET ONE
SHOT.
SHOT.
SHOT. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THEY ON THE
GET ONE SHOT.
I DON'T CARE WHETHER, YOU KNOW,
IF THEY'RE CHEATED ON THEIR
BEHALF, THEY'RE BEING CHEATED.
>> Reporter: WITH THE COUNTRY'S
EYE ON GEORGIA, LOCAL LEADERS
MADE PROMISES.
MADE PROMISES. ONE OF THE PROMISES TURNED INTO
A PROGRAM CALLED TARGET 2021.
THE NUMBER REPRESENTS THE YEAR
THE LAST IMPACTED STUDENTS
WOULD GRADUATE FROM HIGH
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL. FOR THE LAST YEAR, DINA HAS
BEEN THE COORDINATOR FOR TARGET
2021, WORKING OUT INDIVIDUAL
ATTENTION OF THE STUDENTS.
HOW ARE THE STUDENTS COPING?
>> THEY ARE LEARNING AND
THRIVING.
THRIVING.
THRIVING. >> Reporter: THE NEW REPORT HAS
A DIFFERENCE CONCLUSION.
AFTER FIVE SEMESTERS, THE
AFFECT OF THE 2021 PAERPGS ON
ATTENDANCE IS 0. AND IN SOME
CASES, TARGET 2021 STUDENTS HAD
SLIGHTLY LOWER SCORES.
IN OTHER WORDS, THE PROGRAM HAS
FAILED TO HIT THE TARGET.
HASA.
HASA.
HASA. P.S.
P.S.
P.S. ONCE
P.S. ONCE AGAIN CHEATED STUDENTS?
IF THE COURSE FAILED?
>> WELL, THE PROGRAM HAS HELPED
OUR STUDENTS.
OUR STUDENTS. IF YOU LOOK AT HIS STUDY, IT'S
SHOWING THAT THERE WASN'T A
STATISTICAL DIFFERENCE.
STATISTICAL DIFFERENCE. IT DOESN'T MEAN WE WEREN'T
MAKING GAINS.
MAKING GAINS. THE RESULTS WERE EITHER THE
SAME OR IT WASN'T STATISTICALLY
ENOUGH TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
>> Reporter: IN THE FACE OF
THIS, WHAT RESEARCHERS HAVE
DONE, HOW CAN WE SAY THE
PROGRAM IS WORKING?
>> WE MAY NOT SEE THE HUGE
NUMBERS.
NUMBERS.
NUMBERS. BUT THE INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS AND
SCHOOLS ARE BENEFITTING FROM
THE PROGRAM.
THE PROGRAM. >> Reporter: YOU'RE HAPPY WITH
WHAT THE PROGRAM THE DOING?
>> I'M HAPPY.
CAN WE DO BETTER?
YES.
YES.
YES. >>
YES. >> Reporter: AND REDEMPTION
ACADEMY WAS TO TARGET THE
STUDENTS THAT ALREADY GRANTED
WHEN THE CHEATING CAME TO
LIGHT.
LIGHT.
LIGHT. BUT THE FULTON COUNTY DA'S
OFFICE NEVER GOT IT OFF THE
GROUND AS A PROMISE.
>> WHEN WE STARTED WITH WHAT WE
THOUGHT WAS A NOBLE IDEA, WE
DID NOT REALIZE HOW DIFFICULT
IT WAS.
IT WAS.
IT WAS. >> Reporter: THE DISTRICT
ATTORNEY SAID THEY NEEDED $30
MILLION AND COULDN'T FIND THE
PEOPLE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO
HELP.
HELP.
HELP. >>
HELP. >> SOME OF THE CHILDREN MAY BE
IN JAIL, MIGHT NOT HAVE GOTTEN
A JOB BECAUSE OF THE POOR
EDUCATION THEY RECEIVED.
>> Reporter: DO YOU TAKE
RESPONSIBILITY IN THAT?
>> OH, YEAH.
I WISH I COULD HAVE DONE A
BETTER JOB.
BETTER JOB. I'M NOT AN EDUCATOR, I'M A
PROSECUTOR.
PROSECUTOR. >> Reporter: DO YOU HAVE
INTENTIONS OF CREATING THE
PROGRAM OR CONTINUING TO
ATTEMPT TO CREATE IT?
>> MAYBE AFTER THE NEWS STORY
THAT WILL HAPPEN.
>> Reporter: FOR NOW, A FAILED
PROMISE, A MISSED TARGET, AND
NO REDEMPTION.
NO REDEMPTION. >> WE WILL NOT STOP UNTIL THE
STUDENTS ARE SUCCESSFUL.
>> Reporter: THE DATA MIGHT NOT
SHOW IT, BUTA.
P.S.
P.S.
P.S. SAYS
P.S. SAYS PARENTS AND STUDENTS ARE
SATISFIED WITH THE EXTRA HELP
THE KIDS ARE GETTING IN AND OUT
OF THE CLASSROOM BECAUSE OF
TARGET 2021.
TARGET 2021. SHE AND HER SON ARE PRIME
EXAMPLES.
EXAMPLES.
EXAMPLES. >> I THINK IT'S DONE
EXCEPTIONAL FOR THEM.
ESPECIALLY MY CHILDREN.
>> BEFORE I WAS TAKING C'S.
NOW I HAVEN'T HAD A C IN HIGH
SCHOOL AT ALL.
MY FUTURE IS GOING TO BE
SUCCESSFUL.
SUCCESSFUL. >> PEOPLE ARE STILL DIVIDED ON
THE STORY AND IT'S SO
EMOTIONAL.
EMOTIONAL. I'M CURIOUS, WHAT'S UP WITH THE
TEACHER NOW?
TEACHER NOW? >> SHE'S A STAY-AT-HOME MOM AND
AUTHORED HER FIRST BOOK, A STORY