FBI now investigating Ballou High School grade inflation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

NathanBacaABC7 wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does this mean we could have a federal takeover of DCPS? Or could Bowser go to jail? Lordy!

We're not hearing anything about a criminal investigation. Considering the other agencies involved (USDOE & DCOIG) this sounds more like its focusing on appropriation of funds. As for a takeover, its still way to early to tell where this investigation will end.

What kind of investigation does the FBI do that's not a "criminal" investigation? Scientific investigation?

Based on what the reporter said above, the school could be misusing federal special education dollars by using it to pay for school related stuff that was special instruction for children with disabilities. Or falsifying records. That would come with sanctions to DCPS but not the same kind of 'criminal' as a person stealing funds for personal gains or assaulting someone.

Or perhaps simply failing in their contractual duties or violating regulations. Presumably if they take money to educate special ed kids, they are supposed to educate those kids, not just hand out diplomas that in no way meet stated graduation requirements.

No school in America is actually held accountable for failing to educate special education students (if only!). Ballou could, however, be in trouble for paperwork violations if they said students received services / instruction and it turns out the kids weren't even in the building half of the time.

25% of Ballou's 930 students last year had IEPs.

Wow. 25% seems high. I think (someone correct me) that the national range is more like 12%? Anyone with more insight, either DCPS specific or IEPs in general out there?

The DC-wide (charter and DCPS) percentage is 15.8%. Nationally the figure is about 12% (urban areas have a higher rate, and DC's is thought to be higher due to the lead in water problem when today's high school students were babies and toddlers).

The DCPS percentage of students with IEPs is 14%.
For the charter sector it is 16.3%.

The neighborhood high schools (save for Wilson) all have a high percentage. The application schools have hardly any special education students.

Coolidge 24.3%
Dunbar 24.7%
Wilson 12.0%
Eastern 26%
Roosevelt 22%

PP who asked about this coming back to say THANK YOU to person who provided this data!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

NathanBacaABC7 wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does this mean we could have a federal takeover of DCPS? Or could Bowser go to jail? Lordy!

We're not hearing anything about a criminal investigation. Considering the other agencies involved (USDOE & DCOIG) this sounds more like its focusing on appropriation of funds. As for a takeover, its still way to early to tell where this investigation will end.

What kind of investigation does the FBI do that's not a "criminal" investigation? Scientific investigation?

Based on what the reporter said above, the school could be misusing federal special education dollars by using it to pay for school related stuff that was special instruction for children with disabilities. Or falsifying records. That would come with sanctions to DCPS but not the same kind of 'criminal' as a person stealing funds for personal gains or assaulting someone.

Or perhaps simply failing in their contractual duties or violating regulations. Presumably if they take money to educate special ed kids, they are supposed to educate those kids, not just hand out diplomas that in no way meet stated graduation requirements.

No school in America is actually held accountable for failing to educate special education students (if only!). Ballou could, however, be in trouble for paperwork violations if they said students received services / instruction and it turns out the kids weren't even in the building half of the time.

25% of Ballou's 930 students last year had IEPs.

Wow. 25% seems high. I think (someone correct me) that the national range is more like 12%? Anyone with more insight, either DCPS specific or IEPs in general out there?

Sad to say, but that sounds like the low end for what I had in my classes. I taught seven periods altogether with our A/B blocks and skinny period. I had around 25 on the roster for every period and there were between seven to ten with IEPs in every class. Most classes had co-teachers because the population was so high. The saddest part is that there were at least another 10-15% who needed IEPs but were never diagnosed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

NathanBacaABC7 wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does this mean we could have a federal takeover of DCPS? Or could Bowser go to jail? Lordy!

We're not hearing anything about a criminal investigation. Considering the other agencies involved (USDOE & DCOIG) this sounds more like its focusing on appropriation of funds. As for a takeover, its still way to early to tell where this investigation will end.

What kind of investigation does the FBI do that's not a "criminal" investigation? Scientific investigation?

Based on what the reporter said above, the school could be misusing federal special education dollars by using it to pay for school related stuff that was special instruction for children with disabilities. Or falsifying records. That would come with sanctions to DCPS but not the same kind of 'criminal' as a person stealing funds for personal gains or assaulting someone.

Or perhaps simply failing in their contractual duties or violating regulations. Presumably if they take money to educate special ed kids, they are supposed to educate those kids, not just hand out diplomas that in no way meet stated graduation requirements.

No school in America is actually held accountable for failing to educate special education students (if only!). Ballou could, however, be in trouble for paperwork violations if they said students received services / instruction and it turns out the kids weren't even in the building half of the time.

25% of Ballou's 930 students last year had IEPs.

Wow. 25% seems high. I think (someone correct me) that the national range is more like 12%? Anyone with more insight, either DCPS specific or IEPs in general out there?

Sad to say, but that sounds like the low end for what I had in my classes. I taught seven periods altogether with our A/B blocks and skinny period. I had around 25 on the roster for every period and there were between seven to ten with IEPs in every class. Most classes had co-teachers because the population was so high. The saddest part is that there were at least another 10-15% who needed IEPs but were never diagnosed.

[Anonymous]

Excellent news! Perhaps just like the Trump investigation has morphed from collusion to money laundering to obstruction of justice, this is the just tip of the DCPS iceberg to be in investigated. Perhaps the FBI can also look at how Kay-uh traded favored school lottery slots to cronies. Or if Duke Ellington's hideous cost overruns mask kickbacks and other procurement fraud.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Excellent news! Perhaps just like the Trump investigation has morphed from collusion to money laundering to obstruction of justice, this is the just tip of the DCPS iceberg to be in investigated. Perhaps the FBI can also look at how Kay-uh traded favored school lottery slots to cronies. Or if Duke Ellington's hideous cost overruns mask kickbacks and other procurement fraud.

+1. This is long overdue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

NathanBacaABC7 wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does this mean we could have a federal takeover of DCPS? Or could Bowser go to jail? Lordy!

We're not hearing anything about a criminal investigation. Considering the other agencies involved (USDOE & DCOIG) this sounds more like its focusing on appropriation of funds. As for a takeover, its still way to early to tell where this investigation will end.

What kind of investigation does the FBI do that's not a "criminal" investigation? Scientific investigation?

Based on what the reporter said above, the school could be misusing federal special education dollars by using it to pay for school related stuff that was special instruction for children with disabilities. Or falsifying records. That would come with sanctions to DCPS but not the same kind of 'criminal' as a person stealing funds for personal gains or assaulting someone.

Or perhaps simply failing in their contractual duties or violating regulations. Presumably if they take money to educate special ed kids, they are supposed to educate those kids, not just hand out diplomas that in no way meet stated graduation requirements.

Why just urban schools. Why not investigate grade inflation at rural and suburban schools, too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Excellent news! Perhaps just like the Trump investigation has morphed from collusion to money laundering to obstruction of justice, this is the just tip of the DCPS iceberg to be in investigated. Perhaps the FBI can also look at how Kay-uh traded favored school lottery slots to cronies. Or if Duke Ellington's hideous cost overruns mask kickbacks and other procurement fraud.

+1. This is long overdue.

Once the FBI starts digging into the sketchy procurement/construction contacts and Lotto-gate favors on Henderson's watch, Kaya had better hope that she looks good in orange.