Grade Fixing Scandal Alleged At Duanesburg High School

Many students and parents are upset over New York State's new testing regulations, but here's one that's worse...grade fixing by school administrators?

The Albany Times Union is reporting that six high school students claim they had an advanced level science course yanked after the second quarter. They accuse the district of bullying them into agreement, and in exchange would be given a 'P' on their transcript to indicate a passing grade, the report said:

The group, which also includes AMRI Global chemist Brian Bliss, who assisted in teaching the class, provided the Times Union with a copy of a lengthy complaint to the state Education Department which charges that Duanesburg Superintendent Christine Crowleyand others tampered with grades and tried to bully the students into withdrawing from the course on their own after the second quarter ended in January. In the end, the students were assigned to a study hall, and their grades were scrubbed from their transcripts in favor of a "P" for passing, the complaint alleges.

One of the students has indicated that pulling this class may cost her a high honor, salutatorian:

The students, parents and Bliss said that although they can't get the class reinstated, they want two quarters' worth of numerical grades calculated into the students' overall averages to keep the class-ranking system fair.

 

The Times Union's Lauren Stanforth joined WIBX First News with Keeler in the Morning to discuss the story on Tuesday: