Eleven former Atlanta public school educators were found guilty by a jury on Wednesday on charges of racketeering in a sweeping test-cheating scheme.
Prosecutors accused a dozen former teachers, principals and administrators of erasing incorrect answers or instructing students to change their answers in order to secure promotions and cash bonuses in 2009.
Eleven of the 12 educators on trial were found guilty of racketeering, local media reported. Some of the educators were also convicted on lesser charges.
Only one educator was found not guilty on all counts.
The educators were among 35 teachers, principals and administrators indicted in 2013 in one of the largest test cheating scandals in the country.
The 11 educators face prison sentences of up to 20 years.
The cheating was prompted primarily by pressure to meet test-goal targets, a state investigation found.
The jury reached its verdict after hearing nearly six months of testimony in the case.
Former Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Beverly Hall, who was named National Superintendent of the Year during the period when the cheating occurred, was among those indicted.
Hall's case was put on hold for medical reasons, and she died of breast cancer earlier this month.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.