Given that so many of her APS colleagues had their careers ruined two years earlier by allegations of cheating, former South Atlanta School of Law and Social Justice principal Charlotte Davis must have felt she had the fates on her side.
Citing an APS report, the AJC says Davis changed more than 100 student grades at her Atlanta Public Schools high school from failing to passing in the 2013-14 school year. Wielding the state public record laws, the AJC obtained an internal district report on the grade changing.
Credit: Maureen Downey
Credit: Maureen Downey
Among the behaviors cited: Davis told teachers to pass students if they passed state End of Course Tests — even if they never came to class.
I found that allegation interesting as I’ve been at several legislative hearings where lawmakers discussed allowing high school students to “test out” of classes by passing the related EOCT.
I would be curious to know how many kids at the South Atlanta School of Law and Social Justice passed the EOCT without going to class. Those students seem less worrisome to me since they’re academically capable of passing a test on the entire course without ever attending classes.
I would also be interested in knowing how students who had grades changed in 2013-14 performed the following year. For instance, did some of the students fail because of low test scores, while others did so because they didn’t turn in assignments? There’s a difference; low-scoring students may not have understood the content. Those who didn’t turn in assignments may just be lazy.
Many teachers tell me they're under tremendous pressure not to fail students. There are private schools in Atlanta that assure parents their children will end up HOPE eligible because every child is “taught to mastery.”
The wobbliness of grading systems is why I still support testing.
Anyway, here is some of the good stuff from the grade changing story by AJC reporter Molly Boom:
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