APS high schools: Evidence of cheating and fraud in some schools. Is it happening at your school?
The AJC investigatory team is now turning its attention to high schools, reporting today that, while not as systematic as the CRCT cheating, Atlanta broke rules — cheated on standardized tests, falsified attendance records and changed grades — to meet performance targets in some high schools. (This is a long piece, so please try to read it.)
This story suggests an answer to one of the pressing questions asked in the wake of the CRCT cheating scandal — what happened to elementary and middle school students pushed along who were not performing on grade level?
I want to point out that posters on the Get Schooled blog have cited these same scenarios at other high schools, so I don’t think these practices are limited to a single system. The AJC had a piece not long ago about Hall County shifting kids to alternative high schools to make AYP.
Have you seen any of these practices at your school?
Here is an excerpt of today’s AJC front page story on APS high schools:
After school every day, Chantel and her mother, Deirdre, logged onto test preparation websites. At Carver High School of Technology in Atlanta, where Chantel was a junior, teachers helped her get ready. They believed, Deirdre Cox said, that Chantel could pass.
But the morning of the high school writing test, in September 2009, school administrators pulled Chantel and several other Carver juniors aside. All stood a good chance of failing — and of lowering the school’s odds of meeting its do-or-die performance targets. While the rest of the 11th grade took the test required for all juniors, Chantel and the others worked puzzles in a special-education classroom.
Their absences could be excused, because the school had placed them in a grade all their own: 10 1/2.
The episode reflects the pattern of academic irregularities that emerges in a new investigation of Atlanta’s high schools by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The newspaper reviewed thousands of pages of reports from the school district’s internal investigations, along with other public records, and interviewed educators, parents and students.
The questionable activities in high schools appear to be less systemic than the cheating that has roiled Atlanta’s elementary and middle schools, where attention focused on a single exam: the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test. Nevertheless, the improprieties seem no less insidious: cheating on standardized tests, falsifying attendance records and changing grades, all to award undeserved diplomas that helped administrators meet performance targets.
At one Atlanta high school, failure literally was not an option; the minimum grade for all students was 70. At another, the principal allowed no more than 10 percent of seniors to fail, regardless of their grades. Another principal allegedly ordered teachers to change grades and ignore absences so students could receive diplomas. Teachers at several schools apparently obtained advance copies of state tests and gave students the actual questions during practice exams.
Such transgressions call into question the validity of the high school “transformation” that Beverly Hall, the former superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools, touted for half a decade. The district spent millions of dollars and staked a piece of Hall’s reputation on restructuring high schools to reduce absenteeism and increase student performance.
Superintendent Erroll Davis, who took over last summer after Hall’s retirement, said Friday he has ordered audits of standardized test scores in the district’s 23 high schools and of graduation rates and grading procedures. He also is commissioning a review of the costs and benefits of the high school restructuring.
“One of the first thoughts I had when I came here was if you had discovered testing irregularities in the k-8 system, why should you assume it would automatically stop at the high school system?” Davis said in an interview. “I have no reason to believe there’s any systematic or pervasive cheating going on, although I have taken the appropriate risk-management steps to give me the assurance these things are not going on. I don’t want to leave it to good will or assumptions.”
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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77 comments Add your comment
Beverly Hall
October 24th, 2011
6:40 am
Just because four (4) of my Executive Directors, my Deputy Superintendent, my HR person and over 3 dozen of her principals cheated, doesn’t in any way, shape, or form call into question the integrity of one of the greatest, if not the single greatest leader in the last 100 years, the illustrious Beverly Hall.
I’m just sayin…
BlahBlahBlah
October 24th, 2011
6:40 am
Stories like this affirm my family’s decision to homeschool. In 20 years public education will be a LAST resort, similar to Medicaid in the health care realm. More and more people are doing whatever it takes to keep their children out of that cesspool. The ONLY person that can truly look out for your child’s best interests is YOU. Not a teacher. Not an administrator. Not a principal. Not a superintendant. YOU. Everyone else is at least partially driven by their own self-interests. And if you choose to turn your child over to the government, despite the obvious failings of that system, for seven hours a day, 180 days a year, for 13 years (14 if you toss in pre-K)? You get what you deserve.
ScienceTeacher671
October 24th, 2011
6:46 am
@APS 4th grade teacher & a Proud Cheater!: I’m different, as often stated, I cheat for moral reasons; to provide meaningful instruction, as opposed to teaching to the test all day-everyday-all year.
If your “meaningful instruction” is as effective as you imply, you would have no need to cheat. The CRCT bar is so low that your students should “exceed” without assistance – IF what you do really works. If you really have to cheat, if I were you I would re-evaluate my instructional methods. Seriously.
Inman Park Boy
October 24th, 2011
7:52 am
It is beginning to look like the APS cannot govern itself. What are parents to do with the elected body and the professional staff fail so miserably? Can anything useful be done?
Mike
October 24th, 2011
8:08 am
Bev Hall just didn’t have the right lunch guests!
Just take a look at this article and the accompanying photos of our Hall County school superintendent Will Schofield having lunch with State Superintendent John Barge and First Lady Sandra Deal at Lanier Charter Academy here in Gainesville. They are being served by the school’s principal Cindy Blakely.
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/57326/
This is the same school that AJC reporters discovered was being used to ship students who weren’t going to graduate to a day or two prior to graduation for the last several years. Blakely is on camera saying it was a bad policy and they won’t do it (now that they got caught).
http://www.wsbtv.com/video/27890457/index.html
(For the record, the whistle blower in that video suffered major retaliation attempts from top administrators in Hall County Schools above and beyond being forced to leave his job there)
Was there any investigation from DOE or Governors Office of Student Accountability?
Nope.
Just a lunch date with those responsible.
Now THAT’S how you deal with a cheating scandal!
Mike
October 24th, 2011
8:15 am
Sorry, wrong video link.
Correct one here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6CStUPFq4A
Atlantataxpayer
October 24th, 2011
8:57 am
In the midst of all this scandal and shady leadership, lets not forget to support the good teachers. Many of the educators in APS will be forever tainted by this scandal as well as the students. Some of the best most dedicated teachers work in APS and should not be thrown out with the bathwater in this scandal.
As for the leadership at Carver high school in particular…. They have been abusing the system since the small school model went into affect. the students in that community are the 100% direct casualties of the cheating from Parks middle school on through Carver. Its a shame!!!
Begin with immediate removal of the entire administration…. TODAY!
Occupy Trinity Ave.
October 24th, 2011
9:15 am
.
We must Occupy Trinity Ave. The heinous, ongoing APS attack against children and the total waste of public funds far surpasses corporate greed.
We will have support from all: Mayor Reed; Tea Party; Chamber of Commerce; NAACP; Ministerial Alliance…..Nobody wants to see a continuation of this foolishness. They just don’t have the “balls” to lead the encampment.
It is time to act!
Carver High School Teacher
October 24th, 2011
9:51 am
To repeat Atlantataxpayer’s last comment concerning Carver High School…Its a shame!!! Begin with immediate removal of the entire administration…. TODAY!
Superintendent Davis, make your words mean something. Parents, you have a voice too; use it. Call down to the Superintendent’s office and ask him why hasn’t his pledge to rid Atlanta Public Schools of all cheaters extended to those in the high schools? I love teaching my kids everyday, but I hate some of the ways we are expected/instructed/threatened to stand by while we see the administration break the same rules (laws) and we can not say anything for fear of losing our jobs. If I had known public education would have become what it is now, especially where I work, I would have chosen another a field of work. I cry for my students. They are graduating and too many of them lack the skills to take care of themselves as adults.
Alan Judd & Writer's Cramp
October 24th, 2011
9:54 am
Alan Judd & Writer’s Cramp!
The AJC’s Alan Judd must be careful not to get writer’s cramp. The excellent article is indicative of the prolific amount of dirt there remains to be uncovered. I couldn’t help but notice from the article’s length that there is no end in sight. Only the surface has been scratched. Of course, the weapon that has the APS folks scattering like cockroaches is the Freedom in Information Act.
Alan Judd’s investigative reporting is outstanding! If you’re reading this Alan, please be careful not to harm your fingers…in the jargon of seasoned educators, be sure to “pace” yourself.
Alan Judd & Writer's Cramp
October 24th, 2011
10:01 am
The AJC’s Alan Judd must be careful not to get writer’s cramp. The excellent article is indicative of the prolific amount of dirt there remains to be uncovered. I couldn’t help but notice from the article’s length that there is no end in sight. Only the surface has been scratched. Of course, the weapon that has the APS folks scattering like cockroaches is the Freedom in Information Act.
Alan Judd’s investigative reporting is outstanding! If you’re reading this Alan, please be careful not to harm your fingers…in the jargon of seasoned educators, be sure to “pace” yourself.
Ernest
October 24th, 2011
10:11 am
We should not be naive and think this is only happening at APS. In order to uncover activities like this, a whistle blower is needed. Like Mike pointed out earlier in what happened in Hall County, some whistle blowers are retaliated against. This can discourage others from wanting to speak out of wrong doings. At the end of the day, people work to keep a roof over their head, food on their table, and clothes on their back. If being a whistle blower compromises this (especially if children will be impacted), one can understand why many choose to keep quiet.
Disgruntled Employee
October 24th, 2011
10:36 am
I have taught at three Dekalb High Schools and at each we have the “no more than 20% rule”. If you fail more than 20% of the students you get marked by the bullseye. They will email all members of the faculty and show your grade distribution. This is too intimidate. Those with more than 20% F’s are called to the office to “explain”. You get “punished” with increased classroom visitations, more scrutiny, and blamed. You learn quickly that by simply passing everyone you get left alone. This is often done by the weakest teachers so they do not get scrutinized. Those with integrity and who want to actually hold students accountable get harassed which causes many of the better teachers in low-performing schools to leave it.
I had a principal tell me I had a “delivery” problem yet she never visited my classroom and observed what I was doing. She assumed the classroom was teacher-centered but when I showed the perfromance tasks and rubrics I gave students that were all student-centered I got no response. Everyone from the state down to the district to the individual school simply wants to pretend that they and their students are doing a good job instead of actually addressing the problems and coming up with a real solution. Since they have no solutions they simply spray perfume on the pig.
And?
October 24th, 2011
11:31 am
“She assumed the classroom was teacher-centered…”
Oh my God, the horror. The unspeakable horror. The teacher (the person who teaches) is actually leading the lesson.
Why hasn’t somebody called Amnesty International to alert them to the horror of a teacher teaching in a classroom?
APS 4th grade teacher & a Proud Cheater!
October 24th, 2011
12:06 pm
Moral Relativism????
I teach Sunday school to an adolescent group. This week’s topic was moral relativism. What was considered moral years back is now universally viewed as being immoral. We also have instances of the reverse, from immoral to moral. To list a sampling:
Women were denied the right to vote; Prohibition; Slavery; Segregation; Dog Fighting; Public Hangings; the Lord’s Prayer in tax supported venues;………….
I predict historical context will present the current episodes of cheating to be strives for liberating public education from the pernicious doldruagfms of ignorance. What we now know as cheating will one day be applauded as the revolutionary rebuking of perverted public policy. Sadly, many of those involved are unaware of their being in the forefront of agitating for social change.
I fully understand that my statements may create discomfort for some, however, we must remember, the populace at large frowned upon such notables as Paul Revere, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, & Martin Luther King.
I await vindication!
APS 4th grade teacher & a Proud Cheater!
October 24th, 2011
12:44 pm
As always:
Thank you very much,
Fighting in the Trenches
Good Mother
October 24th, 2011
12:45 pm
We need an anonymous 24 hour tip line. We also need third party proctors to give and grade the exams. The teachers and administrators should not even be allowed in the school at the time the standardizes tests are given. This cheating is too costly for everyone, particularly the students who were denied an education.
In our section of APS, they are giving more exams — standardized tests from the district leveel. This is an effort to catch cheating teachers. If a student fails all the district level tests and then miraculously passes the CRCT, the teacher will be caught.
It is possible for a teacher to try to manipulate and change grades on all the district tests but it is unlikely he or she could be completely successful. Even in the lowest grades of elementary schools, the students are required to take NINE social studies tests. This is a direct result of the CRCT scandal. The district is trying and will likely succeed in catching cheating teachers this way — if students pass the CRCT and still fail the district tests — the teacher is suspect.
To Cheating APS Teacher from Good Mother
October 24th, 2011
12:51 pm
On top of being a cheater you really don’t know your history.
You say “the populace at large frowned upon such notables as Paul Revere, George Washington…”
You’re flat out wrong. Both Paul Revere and George Washington were extremely popular by “the populace.” They were heros both IN their day and in history.
Sunday School!
October 24th, 2011
1:05 pm
@APS Proud Cheater:
I can only imagine you teach Sunday school at New Birth under Bishop Eddie Long.
Observer
October 24th, 2011
1:07 pm
@ the REAL “APS 4th Grade Teacher & a Proud Cheater!” I think that someone has hijacked your memorable moniker, and composed a self-parody in your 12:06 pm entry. How else could you write that you are teaching moral relativism in a Sunday School class? A church (or synagogue or mosque or temple) is the one place where that would never be taught!
Very skillful, whoever you are.
Clueless
October 24th, 2011
1:40 pm
My students regularly pass the EOCT after failing all of my exams. That’s because I require 70% correct to pass, and they only have to get about 40% correct on the EOCT.
AKA
October 25th, 2011
11:58 am
YES, Mr. Davis needs to clean up 130 Trinity starting with Aaron Fernander and his assistants Lillian Harris and Constance Goodson. They have ruined that department by runnning off competent staff and are definitely failing the special education students and any students that need real help. That is because the student support team process is totally ineffective. That whole department needs a total makeover asap!!!
Angry Parent
October 26th, 2011
12:26 am
I am a parent of two students from Carver Health. I had asked the superintendent (Beverly Hall) to look into this principal for two years, over and over again. She did NOTHING! How can you suspend someone for only 10 days for breaking the law and cheating on AYP and then never have them even serve the suspension? Mr. Davis, now that you are the superintendent and have said you will fire anyone who cheated students, when can we expect this man to be gone or were your words just for the cameras like B. Hall? My sister is fighting for her job from one of the elementary schools for being caught up in the CRCT mess. She is not a cheater and is spending her savings to fight for her job and reputation. This pricipal cheated, and he is still working. How is that fair? I will be removing my last child and my nephew out of this school within the next week.
Concerned Atlanta Parent
October 26th, 2011
4:47 pm
Yes I have… My son attends one of Atlanta Public Schools and I know they are moving kids to alternative schools so they are not responsible for failures!!!! I know this to be a fact not something that I think is happening… Check with the alternative school… the evidence is there.
fedupteacher
October 28th, 2011
12:38 pm
I am a high school teacher. Last year I saw students graduate at the school where i teach who had 60 or more absent days. I had student grades changed by admin that I had entered so students could graduate. I was told to give makeup work for senior students who were in class during the assignments but chose to talk, play around, sleep, etc and NOT do the work (this was 4 weeks later). I worked myself into a frenzy getting “makeup” work folders for over thirty students, giving students 5 days to complete the work, and still most students did not turn it in. This “makeup work” was nowhere near difficult and in no way was equal to the original assignments in level of understanding or length. After the 5 days due date was over, I even had parents come to my class yelling at me about giving their kids “makeup work” when I had already given it (students just didn’t do it!). And I was told by admin to give the “makeup work” AGAIN!
I went to my admin and told them I was not comfortable with the way the senior grades were being handled, and was told, “We just want to get them out of here”. I then refused to handle the so called “make up” work any longer, and refused to change grades. I gave the fodlers to my admin and told them they would have to handle it if that was the way they wanted it done. Guess who has been suffering reprecussions all year long from the admin now? They have been on me about every little thing in an effort to create a file on me so they can get rid of me. First time in 11 years I have been told my teaching was not satisfactory. The lesson is: do what you’re told, even if it is unethical, or you won’t have a job.
There were at least 10 seniors who I personally witnessed graduate last year who had failed two courses and had excessive absences, according to district policy. As long as they passed the GHSGT, it didn’t matter how many classes they failed or how many absent days they had…Trying to keep parents happy and making AYP is more important than true education. And teachers get balmed for it all.
maryann
October 28th, 2011
3:22 pm
I thought it would be appropriate to share an experience I had at a school I used to work in. I had some of the students who were failing in class due to various reasons: absence, missed assignments and what have you, and there was no way they could have passed, since they had not covered even 20% of the course. When the EOCT results came out, many of them had got 90% and above. They were as surprised as I was! But at least the school got AYP and about 80% above average result. Miracles do happen in and out of examination halls, I guess!
maryann
October 28th, 2011
3:28 pm
@fedupteacher, I am with you and can relate to what you have experienced. This happened with me too. Surprisingly, the admins do virtually nothing to get these obnoxious seniors to behave all through the year, but when its April and May and time to graduate, the teacher has the worst deal. I think make up work should be banned other than those given for genuine absences. Again, does AYP really prove a school’s worth?