Protester at Pasadena High School for PUSD all-district meeting in February 2016. (Photo: Courtesy of CCEJAM)

Administrator-led cheating has been plaguing public schools around the country since federal policies shifted to put greater significance on standardized testing. States that did not comply with the requirements of the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act risked losing Title I money and were subject to increasing sanctions. Experts say that's where incentives to cheat arose.