Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't speak for PG, but I will say that when I was teaching middle school in MD several years ago, there was definitely heat put on teachers to keep the "pass rate" high in their classes and to greatly curtail the number of students per year who have to repeat a grade. At the end of a given school year, I might have 18 to 20 out of 125 kids who failed my course for the year. Within our grade level, there might be 11 or 12 kids out of 125 who were failing MULTIPLE subjects - math, English, Science, History, etc. across the board, including many with year end scores nowhere near the 60% needed to pass with a D. We were told during the last quarter that we could not fail more than 2 or 3 kids maximum for the year, regardless of their grades. The teachers were expected to come in on Saturdays to afford students the chance to redo work they did not turn in the first time it was due, any late work had to be accepted and EXTRA work given to improve their grades. Summer school was offered to all who were failing 3 or more subjects, and even then if 7 or 8 kids did not complete that, guess what? They still passed, usually for "social reasons". Only the absolute worst two or three were retained. I saw more kids passed on to the next grade who had no work ethic, no drive to improve to passing level, and who were far below grade level, who just got pushed along because too many
retentions made the school look bad. Part of the reason many of our high school graduates have marginal skills, at best.

What's the issue with giving the students multiple chances to pass? Is it that the teachers don't want to come in or provide extra credit or makeup tests, or do they think tests and assignments should be a one and done thing? It seems like PGCPS just started doing things the other counties in Maryland already do to help students and help their graduation rates. Nothing about these methods indicates cheating or changing grades to grades the student did not earn. There will always be unmotivated students no matter the interventions offered. Hopefully the unmotivated students will take advantage of an adult education program later in life. High school graduates having marginal skills is a nationwide problem, not unique to PGCPS. Colleges and Universities all over the country have noted more incoming students needing remedial courses.

Do the people complaining not believe the kids are capable of passing with extra intervention? If they can do extra assignments for credit or retake a test after tutoring and get a better grade, they earned it at that point. Do the complainers want to go back to old methods that did not show any improvement? Some kids were not prepared either way, but now some kids on the borderline are being identified and helped to become successful students. They should do this intervention before high school, but it is good it is being done.

I'm not the poster you quoted, but I have had this problem.

I'm not opposed to giving kids multiple chances. The problem is that what's written on paper doesn't align with human nature. The majority of students aren't failing because they just don't understand the concepts despite their best efforts. They aren't trying. They've grown up in this anti-fail culture and now they've figured out how to game the system. They know that the lowest grade they can get is 50%. They know that they don't have to pay attention or study and that I'll still have to let them retake it, so they watch TV or play video games or whatever it is that they do.

Remember when we were kids and you ran to the bathroom during commercial breaks for a show? Kids don't have to do that now. Everything they care about is on demand. They don't even have to watch things live, because they can play it at their leisure. They've taken that on-demand culture and applied it to school. They take tests when THEY want to take them. Sure, they may only get a B since it's a retest, but if they can ask all of their friends for the answers, then it's minimal effort on their part.

The worst offenders don't even retake the test. My last principal wanted us to send work packets home for kids who were failing. 10 assignments max. Worksheets were suggested. If they completed the worksheets, then we were supposed to give them enough credit to pass the class with a D. We were also told that we couldn't fail more than a certain number of students. I had about 30 out of 175 who didn't do anything the whole year. I called parents, I tried to make them stay at lunch (which is no longer allowed due to the Sandy Hook thing and the "appearance of impropriety"). I tried to give them fun things. They wouldn't do any work. I wanted to fail them, but the line was drawn in the sand that I couldn't fail more than 10.

Who can you report it to? It's not like a corporate job where you can just go to another company once you're blackballed. You get fired from one county and you can't work at hundreds of schools. You either go make even less money at the charters (with worse benefits ) or you commute hours away from where you live. Plus, it happens just about everywhere ever since we became driven by test scores and graduation rates. Sure, someone will say "Well just leave the profession." And do what? Teaching is one of the least transferrable skill sets.

Anonymous wrote:I can't speak for PG, but I will say that when I was teaching middle school in MD several years ago, there was definitely heat put on teachers to keep the "pass rate" high in their classes and to greatly curtail the number of students per year who have to repeat a grade. At the end of a given school year, I might have 18 to 20 out of 125 kids who failed my course for the year. Within our grade level, there might be 11 or 12 kids out of 125 who were failing MULTIPLE subjects - math, English, Science, History, etc. across the board, including many with year end scores nowhere near the 60% needed to pass with a D. We were told during the last quarter that we could not fail more than 2 or 3 kids maximum for the year, regardless of their grades. The teachers were expected to come in on Saturdays to afford students the chance to redo work they did not turn in the first time it was due, any late work had to be accepted and EXTRA work given to improve their grades. Summer school was offered to all who were failing 3 or more subjects, and even then if 7 or 8 kids did not complete that, guess what? They still passed, usually for "social reasons". Only the absolute worst two or three were retained. I saw more kids passed on to the next grade who had no work ethic, no drive to improve to passing level, and who were far below grade level, who just got pushed along because too many
retentions made the school look bad. Part of the reason many of our high school graduates have marginal skills, at best.

What's the issue with giving the students multiple chances to pass? Is it that the teachers don't want to come in or provide extra credit or makeup tests, or do they think tests and assignments should be a one and done thing? It seems like PGCPS just started doing things the other counties in Maryland already do to help students and help their graduation rates. Nothing about these methods indicates cheating or changing grades to grades the student did not earn. There will always be unmotivated students no matter the interventions offered. Hopefully the unmotivated students will take advantage of an adult education program later in life. High school graduates having marginal skills is a nationwide problem, not unique to PGCPS. Colleges and Universities all over the country have noted more incoming students needing remedial courses.

Do the people complaining not believe the kids are capable of passing with extra intervention? If they can do extra assignments for credit or retake a test after tutoring and get a better grade, they earned it at that point. Do the complainers want to go back to old methods that did not show any improvement? Some kids were not prepared either way, but now some kids on the borderline are being identified and helped to become successful students. They should do this intervention before high school, but it is good it is being done.

I can't speak for PG, but I will say that when I was teaching middle school in MD several years ago, there was definitely heat put on teachers to keep the "pass rate" high in their classes and to greatly curtail the number of students per year who have to repeat a grade. At the end of a given school year, I might have 18 to 20 out of 125 kids who failed my course for the year. Within our grade level, there might be 11 or 12 kids out of 125 who were failing MULTIPLE subjects - math, English, Science, History, etc. across the board, including many with year end scores nowhere near the 60% needed to pass with a D. We were told during the last quarter that we could not fail more than 2 or 3 kids maximum for the year, regardless of their grades. The teachers were expected to come in on Saturdays to afford students the chance to redo work they did not turn in the first time it was due, any late work had to be accepted and EXTRA work given to improve their grades. Summer school was offered to all who were failing 3 or more subjects, and even then if 7 or 8 kids did not complete that, guess what? They still passed, usually for "social reasons". Only the absolute worst two or three were retained. I saw more kids passed on to the next grade who had no work ethic, no drive to improve to passing level, and who were far below grade level, who just got pushed along because too many
retentions made the school look bad. Part of the reason many of our high school graduates have marginal skills, at best.

Here's something I don't understand.

When teachers were ordered to change grades, or when their principal changed grades of their students or committed other improprieties... when was the superintendent notified so he could investigate? If he was notified and failed to investigate that's a big deal.

But if he was never notified.... how was he supposed to investigate and do something?

When I worked for DCPS, there was a lot of pressure to pass students in order to meet the school's matriculation numbers, but I haven't experienced anything similar in scale since I've been in PG County. There are a few parents here and there who pull out the full arsenal to get grades changed and their kids passed along, but they are the minority.

Anonymous wrote:When you link/incentivize test scores with compensation, you will get fraud. It just like any other business, really.

I'm a teacher in the county, and test scores are not linked to compensation for teachers or, as far as I know, for administrators.

Test score improvement (pre and post test) is linked to our evaluations though.

This discussion is about graduation rates and at least for teachers graduation rates are not linked to pay.

When you link/incentivize test scores with compensation, you will get fraud. It just like any other business, really.

PGCPS has more strict policies than some neighboring school districts and they are allowing themselves to get burned by doing so. For example retaking test and implementing finals.

I hope the superintendent doesn't get burned by this.

He seems to have a lot of faith in his principals; I just hope it is warranted.

If principals know that there is an expectation that graduation rates will increase, it would be very tempting to turn around and put pressure on teachers to increase grades; and if kids are a few hours short on SSL hours, to just add them. If that is what is happening, of course that should be/should have been reported (not anonymous accusations but specific details).

I'm sure Dr. Maxwell didn't tell any principals to go and change grades to passing grades or to make up classes so kids can graduate. That's what the School Board members allege happened, though. I really hope that some principals didn't do this.

Maxwell and 9 Board members have asked to State to reinvestigate " in the interest of transparency and accountability, to bring closure to this matter"


Kevin M. Maxwell, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
June 27, 2017
Karen B. Salmon, Ph.D.
State Superintendent of Schools
Maryland State Department of Education
200 West Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Dear Dr. Salmon:

This letter is to serve as a formal request for a follow-up investigation by the Maryland State Department
of Education (MSDE) into allegations regarding the Prince George’s County Public Schools’ (PGCPS)
high school graduation rates since my arrival.
Prince George’s County Board of Education Members Edward Burroughs, David Murray and Raaheela
Ahmed, joined by immediate past student member Juwan Blocker, made allegations of “widespread
systemic corruption” in a May 30, 2017 letter to Governor Larry Hogan, citing various unconfirmed
reports from unnamed “whistleblowers” with “accomplices and complicity at the highest levels of the
school system.” I categorically deny any accusation of a systemic effort, ordered by me or others acting on
my behalf, to promote students in order to inflate graduation rates.

I appreciate the time and resources spent by MSDE earlier this year, at the direction of the U.S.
Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, to investigate similar allegations
after receiving an anonymous claim. That investigation concluded neither grade manipulation nor bullying
occurred to alter promotion or graduation rates. Although both MSDE and the U.S. Department of
Education considered the matter resolved, the Board Members’ recent claims have been the subject of
media coverage and calls by elected officials for additional inquiry, giving rise to intense public
speculation. As I have stated publicly, PGCPS stands ready and able to look into these concerns. We
continue to look for ways to improve our auditing of credits and to review our student support pathways
and revisions to our grading procedures.

Despite no presented evidence of widespread systemic corruption at the highest levels of our organization,
the undersigned Board Members and I request that you conduct an additional inquiry into this work, in the
interest of transparency and accountability, to bring closure to this matter. Please know that you can expect
full cooperation from me, my Executive Team, and anyone else you deem pertinent. We will provide any
necessary accommodations to ensure that school-based and central office employees can freely come
forward.
Page 2
June 27, 2017
Dr. Karen Salmon
Our students and alumni deserve to embark on the next phases of their lives with full confidence in their
diplomas from Prince George’s County Public Schools. Our community does not deserve unfair scrutiny
or mischaracterizations. I look forward to collaborating with you and MSDE to resolve this matter.
As always, thank you for your service to all Maryland students.
Sincerely,
Kevin M. Maxwell, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer

Segun Eubanks, Ed.D.
Board Chair

Carolyn Boston, District 6
Board Vice-Chair

Lupi Quinteros-Grady
District 2

Dinora Hernandez, Esq.
District 3

Patricia Eubanks
District 4

K. Alexander Wallace
District 7

Sonya Williams
District 9

Mary Kingston-Roche
At-Large

Curtis Valentine
At-Large

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have the four BOE members, who initiated the complaint, commented since the findings have been reported?

There were two different complaints. It looks like, last July, someone sent an anonymous complaint to the US Department of Education. That complaint said that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PGCPS had forced educators to change the grades of ninth and twelfth grade students in order to boost promotion and graduation rates. The US Department of Education sent it to the State of MD Dept of Education to investigate.

Now, the Board of Education members are making the same complaint. They sent a letter to the Governor of Maryland. Nothing yet has come from this letter of complaint.

Gov. Hogan has now requested an investigation by MSBOE.

http://www.fox5dc.com/news/local-news/263729787-story

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Graduation rates are going to plummet, no matter what, in three years.

In the 2019-2020 school year, the pass score on the PARCC exams (a few are required for a MD diploma) will be raised from a 3 to a 4 by the MD State Board of Education.

Right now only 44% of PGCPS 10th graders scored a 4 or a 5 on the PARCC 10th grade English test. Let's say another 20% manage to score a 4 on a retake or after intensive summer school intervention and credit recovery (funding for this coming from... I'm not sure where.)

That brings us to 64% who can pass the 10th grade English PARCC. Leaving 36% who shouldn't receive a high school diploma at all. Including, probably 90% of certain high schools.

I know in Virginia they can retake it as many times as they need too. They have alternatives so not sure if that will change anything.

I was told by an Anne Arundel public school parent that students can retake tests there as well. I don't think this is a new concept, generally. In addition to looking at students are not passing tests or classes, pgcps also needs to examine how the content is being taught. I have heard too many crazy stories from my kids who attend schools in the system.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Graduation rates are going to plummet, no matter what, in three years.

In the 2019-2020 school year, the pass score on the PARCC exams (a few are required for a MD diploma) will be raised from a 3 to a 4 by the MD State Board of Education.

Right now only 44% of PGCPS 10th graders scored a 4 or a 5 on the PARCC 10th grade English test. Let's say another 20% manage to score a 4 on a retake or after intensive summer school intervention and credit recovery (funding for this coming from... I'm not sure where.)

That brings us to 64% who can pass the 10th grade English PARCC. Leaving 36% who shouldn't receive a high school diploma at all. Including, probably 90% of certain high schools.

WOW! Though increasing Standards is a good thing. Hopefully the standards of the curriculum before they get to High school increases as well

Well, instead of worrying about kids getting a D instead of an F on a course required for graduation in high school, people should worry about 4th graders being promoted to 5th grade who aren't working on grade level, aren't identified as special needs, and don't have any other special reason why they aren't performing at grade level.

The kids need summer school, after school tutoring, and other programs in order to get to where they need to be! They are falling behind way before 10th grade when they will fail to pass the PARCC.