Chastity Pratt Dawsey, Detroit Free-Press (MCT)
Illegal Grade-Fixing Allegations Swirl in DetroitEducation Week
Published Online: February 10, 2011
Complete URL: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/02/10/21mct_midetroitcheating.h30.html
A science teacher from Detroit’s Durfee Elementary accused the school of illegal grade-fixing. Documents show bad grades Pasqualle gave students were changed to C’s. The article details other evidence to support the claims of grade-fixing. Why would a school take such a risk? “The federal No Child Left Behind law and a state reform law passed in 2009 encourage districts to remove principals and restructure or close schools where students do not meet standards.” That is a huge amount of pressure put on schools. People will do all sorts of things to defend their jobs and incomes. Unfortunately it is the students that suffer. “High failure rates reflect badly on a school, but kids who are passed along wind up losing in the end: DPS has a 59% graduation rate and some of the nation's lowest test scores—partly because of the practice of promoting failing students to the next grade, teachers and experts say.” The article uses the term “social promotion” to describe this practice of passing failing students. “But to move students along who have not learned the subject matter shows "depraved indifference" to their educational future.” I really couldn’t say it any better then that. The intended audience for this article would be practitioners, administrators and possibly policy makers. It is relevant to anyone vested in the integrity of education.
I concur - their days as a "professional" should be numbered. What a disservice to education. I like your point on reevaluating the testing and how it is used. I am by no means saying there is no use or value in testing - just that we might need to revamp it to be sure it is an accurate reflection of the students knowledge and abilities.
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