Faking the Grade -- Columbia Heights Education Campus

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Question for the reporter, can you also evaluate Wilson and other area high schools in the suburbs?

It's very telling that docs have to be leaked to the press!!! Finally folks are finding out what's going on, because phone calls, emails, and whole blogs about the shenanigans at CHEC clearly didn't cut it

[Anonymous]

Not surprised to hear the news about CHEC. Principals Tukeva and Reeves both knew how to play the game and make Central happy. It is all about image rather than substance. Sadly there is no accountability asked of the Chiefs and Deputy Chiefs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only place you can take an AP exam is at a high school. It is not like the SAT.

For example if a home schooled student wants to take an AP exam they have to call around to high schools to find one that will let him join their tusents for test day.

Incorrect. I dropped my son off at UDC last spring to take his AP exam. There were well over a hundred kids waiting outside. This is where Wilson was administering it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only place you can take an AP exam is at a high school. It is not like the SAT.

For example if a home schooled student wants to take an AP exam they have to call around to high schools to find one that will let him join their tusents for test day.

Incorrect. I dropped my son off at UDC last spring to take his AP exam. There were well over a hundred kids waiting outside. This is where Wilson was administering it.

Even when they go to a larger space, DCPS staff is proctoring the exam for DCPS kids — not UDC — and is responsible for test security, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Question for the reporter, can you also evaluate Wilson and other area high schools in the suburbs?

Bump

[Anonymous]

So this was a FOIA-based investigation?

[Anonymous]

What would be the contours of an independent investigation? Something like what was done at Ballou happening everywhere? Or a new contract and new contractor for OSSE for this purpose?

I can see why Mayor Bowser is reluctant to do this. If it was something she could have jumped at in the first few months of her term she could have done it and pointed at Mayor Gray. Now, it reflects on her poorly as a leader or poorly as someone not really in charge. Not sure it reflects well on Grosso’s or his staff’s investigative capacity either. But at least I think Grosso got the point: the kids get to skate by now but lose in the long run. A kid without the knowledge in a real high school program will likely be stuck in a McJob forever and their kids will start off behind.

This makes me certainly more skeptical of DCPS. What else do they know that the public wouldn’t accept? And another problem is the teachers’ union is untrustworthy in this because all they do is shout inarticulate litanies of grievances all day who’s out there to bring the truth to the situation? Our ineffectual toothless school board? Don’t we have student advocates and inspectors general?

Feels to me that Grosso and Mendelson need to write an independent audit into OSSE’s budget, maybe with an enabling authorization. Probably first I’d hold a couple hearings on accountability in comparable situations, e.g., how other school systems set up truthful systems of accountability or investigate academic fraud. Maybe hire an investigator from Committee or Council funds to do this full time for a year.

Maybe what DC needs is state education inspector general, with a writ to investigate and second-guess everyone in the whole constellation from OSSE to DCPS to charter board to individual schools and make recommendations for action like federal IGs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only place you can take an AP exam is at a high school. It is not like the SAT.

For example if a home schooled student wants to take an AP exam they have to call around to high schools to find one that will let him join their tusents for test day.

Incorrect. I dropped my son off at UDC last spring to take his AP exam. There were well over a hundred kids waiting outside. This is where Wilson was administering it.

Even when they go to a larger space, DCPS staff is proctoring the exam for DCPS kids — not UDC — and is responsible for test security, etc.

At least there are multiple proctors for hundred of students.
What about SAT and AP exams being given in HRCS for a dozen or so students and being administered by their own teacher? Some AP exams are being given on make-up days instead of the actual date, but parents aren't saying anything because they know it's for their student's benefit.
The SAT and AP exams have to be administered and handled by proctors who do not teach those students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only place you can take an AP exam is at a high school. It is not like the SAT.

For example if a home schooled student wants to take an AP exam they have to call around to high schools to find one that will let him join their tusents for test day.

Incorrect. I dropped my son off at UDC last spring to take his AP exam. There were well over a hundred kids waiting outside. This is where Wilson was administering it.

Even when they go to a larger space, DCPS staff is proctoring the exam for DCPS kids — not UDC — and is responsible for test security, etc.

At least there are multiple proctors for hundred of students.
What about SAT and AP exams being given in HRCS for a dozen or so students and being administered by their own teacher? Some AP exams are being given on make-up days instead of the actual date, but parents aren't saying anything because they know it's for their student's benefit.
The SAT and AP exams have to be administered and handled by proctors who do not teach those students.

If you’re going to allege something, call the College Board to report it or at least start a new thread.

The College Board allows makeups for APs because some students take two exams that are scheduled for the same time period. The makeup exams have different questions. The other reason why some get makeups is because a student has College Board-issued accommodations that won’t allow them to be complete the tests on the standard schedule. This is all explained on the College Board website.

My kids go to a charter and have never had an AP exam proctored by their AP class teacher. The school also doesn’t allow students to take PARCC or SATs with any teacher they usually have.

If that sort or protocol isn’t happening at your kid’s school — call the College Board. They’d be pleased to take your report and investigate it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there not truancy laws? Why aren’t kids and their parents reported after the max number of absences?

Schools are supposed to call CFSA after so many absences. Parents can get in trouble for educational neglect, in theory. But in reality: how can you force a 16 year old to go to school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What would be the contours of an independent investigation? Something like what was done at Ballou happening everywhere? Or a new contract and new contractor for OSSE for this purpose?

I can see why Mayor Bowser is reluctant to do this. If it was something she could have jumped at in the first few months of her term she could have done it and pointed at Mayor Gray. Now, it reflects on her poorly as a leader or poorly as someone not really in charge. Not sure it reflects well on Grosso’s or his staff’s investigative capacity either. But at least I think Grosso got the point: the kids get to skate by now but lose in the long run. A kid without the knowledge in a real high school program will likely be stuck in a McJob forever and their kids will start off behind.

This makes me certainly more skeptical of DCPS. What else do they know that the public wouldn’t accept? And another problem is the teachers’ union is untrustworthy in this because all they do is shout inarticulate litanies of grievances all day who’s out there to bring the truth to the situation? Our ineffectual toothless school board? Don’t we have student advocates and inspectors general?

Feels to me that Grosso and Mendelson need to write an independent audit into OSSE’s budget, maybe with an enabling authorization. Probably first I’d hold a couple hearings on accountability in comparable situations, e.g., how other school systems set up truthful systems of accountability or investigate academic fraud. Maybe hire an investigator from Committee or Council funds to do this full time for a year.

Maybe what DC needs is state education inspector general, with a writ to investigate and second-guess everyone in the whole constellation from OSSE to DCPS to charter board to individual schools and make recommendations for action like federal IGs?

There must be simpler ways of having DCPS determine if high school students are meeting basic requirements. The electronic student information system tracks attendance. DCPS controls the system and should be easily able to create a list of students who have missed basic attendance requirements in order to compare that list of graduating students. We all understand why DC needed an independent auditor but the cost is $390,000. What will the cost be to investigate all DCPS high schools? Millions? There has to be another way for DCPS to police itself and it's own rules and policies. So sad that money has to be diverted from programs to external audits.

[Anonymous]

NathanBacaABC7 wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why didn't they fake attendance? Why aren't kids kicked out of the school when they have so many unexcused absences? I can see plenty of parents walking them right back in the next day.

DCPS policy states after 10 absences a class, they get a "failure from absence" grade. 30 unexcused absences in a year nets a final failing grade. But those records are not cross-checked with transcipts to see if those policies are being violated. The Chancellor says that changed after the story broke and is in effect this school year.

CHEC does not follow this policy. Teachers are told by Tukeva that they can only fail a maximum of 5-10% of students

[Anonymous]

Interesting comment from Reddit. Does anyone remember the post here about the teacher who left CHEC after two months this fall?

Columbia Heights Educational Campus is an absolutely disaster of a school and I have no idea how DCPS doesn’t do something about it. The principal is a horrible woman with a bad reputation who works her teachers with ridiculous demands and is constantly going against the contract. Their turnover is ridiculous. I know of 3 teachers who left this year before winter break alone. They also have huge gang problems, lots of issues between the ms13 kids and 18th street kids yet the administrators (all young and inexperienced) pretend that nothing is wrong. About half of the students speak no English yet are forced to take AP English language and AP English Lit and teachers cannot fail them. The students know this and take advantage. All of the ESL students have to pass their classes, teachers have been punished for failing more than 5% of their students, even though they don’t turn in work, don’t understand what’s going on, and miss 1-2 days a week. Tons of drugs too. A student was apparently caught using synthetic drugs and tried to throw herself in traffic right in front of the school a few months ago. I would love to see someone do an exposé on what really goes on at Columbia Heights.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What would be the contours of an independent investigation? Something like what was done at Ballou happening everywhere? Or a new contract and new contractor for OSSE for this purpose?

I can see why Mayor Bowser is reluctant to do this. If it was something she could have jumped at in the first few months of her term she could have done it and pointed at Mayor Gray. Now, it reflects on her poorly as a leader or poorly as someone not really in charge. Not sure it reflects well on Grosso’s or his staff’s investigative capacity either. But at least I think Grosso got the point: the kids get to skate by now but lose in the long run. A kid without the knowledge in a real high school program will likely be stuck in a McJob forever and their kids will start off behind.

This makes me certainly more skeptical of DCPS. What else do they know that the public wouldn’t accept? And another problem is the teachers’ union is untrustworthy in this because all they do is shout inarticulate litanies of grievances all day who’s out there to bring the truth to the situation? Our ineffectual toothless school board? Don’t we have student advocates and inspectors general?

Feels to me that Grosso and Mendelson need to write an independent audit into OSSE’s budget, maybe with an enabling authorization. Probably first I’d hold a couple hearings on accountability in comparable situations, e.g., how other school systems set up truthful systems of accountability or investigate academic fraud. Maybe hire an investigator from Committee or Council funds to do this full time for a year.

Maybe what DC needs is state education inspector general, with a writ to investigate and second-guess everyone in the whole constellation from OSSE to DCPS to charter board to individual schools and make recommendations for action like federal IGs?

There must be simpler ways of having DCPS determine if high school students are meeting basic requirements. The electronic student information system tracks attendance. DCPS controls the system and should be easily able to create a list of students who have missed basic attendance requirements in order to compare that list of graduating students. We all understand why DC needed an independent auditor but the cost is $390,000. What will the cost be to investigate all DCPS high schools? Millions? There has to be another way for DCPS to police itself and it's own rules and policies. So sad that money has to be diverted from programs to external audits.

DCPS does not want to track attendance easily. They don't know how to solve attendance, and recognizing the problem gets in the way of their (fraudulently) increasing graduation rates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there not truancy laws? Why aren’t kids and their parents reported after the max number of absences?

Schools are supposed to call CFSA after so many absences. Parents can get in trouble for educational neglect, in theory. But in reality: how can you force a 16 year old to go to school?

I’ve seen kids in juvenile detention for less.