FBI now investigating Ballou High School grade inflation
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NathanBacaABC7
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http://wjla.com/features/faking-the-grade/faking-the-grade-fbi-now-investigating-dcs-ballou-high-school
WASHINGTON (ABC7) — The Federal Bureau of Investigation is now investigating alleged grade inflation at one DC high school, multiple sources close to the investigation revealed to the ABC7 I-Team. The I-Team learned an FBI special agent is meeting and interviewing current and former teachers of Ballou High School. The FBI is joined in these meetings with investigators from the US Department of Education and the DC Office of Inspector General. Sources tell the I-Team these teacher interviews began in December. Sources add the topics of the investigation include allegations that teachers were pressured to change grades to pass students, allegations that administrators altered grades or attendance records, and whether students receiving special federal funding had grades or attendance records altered. The I-Team has not heard of any other DC Public Schools involved in the FBI investigation. The FBI and DCPS declined to comment. DC Public Schools also confirmed that Ballou High assistant principal Shamele Straughter is on administrative leave and is no longer reporting to work at the high school. |
Anonymous
| Interesting. How does this fall under FBI jurisdiction? I'm not objecting, just curious... |
Anonymous
| Does this mean we could have a federal takeover of DCPS? Or could Bowser go to jail? Lordy! |
NathanBacaABC7
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The feds have very specific rules about how funds are spent for special education students. We're hearing they're very curious about that right now and whether grade inflation affected those students. |
NathanBacaABC7
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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. |
Anonymous
This is great though. First because special ed students have enough challenges and second it would be like getting Al Capone on tax evasion (he did it but it wasn't his primary offense.) |
Anonymous
What kind of investigation does the FBI do that's not a "criminal" investigation? Scientific investigation? |
Anonymous
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. |
Anonymous
| The FBI and other federal agencies SHOULD investigate. ALL DC schools. Start with DC the work their way to other urban school systems. This is a systemic issue that’s happening at all of DC’s high schools. Don’t forget Dunbar! I left the school because they did the exact same thing. |
Anonymous
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. |
Anonymous
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. |
Anonymous
| FBI? Wow. Well, the more visibility this nonsense has the better. |
Anonymous
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? |
Anonymous
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% |
Anonymous
| KIPP Collegiate 24.6% special education |