‘Exemplary’ elementary school skipped science, social studies for 3rd-graders

By Tawnell D. Hobbs / McClatchy Newspapers
Monday, November 21, 2011 - Added 3 days ago
2 Comments

DALLAS -- Third-graders at a Dallas elementary school helped propel their school to "exemplary" status, but unbeknownst to their parents, those stellar math and reading scores came at a cost.

The students learned only math and reading for most of the school year, while teachers were pressured to fabricate grades for science, social studies and enrichment courses like music. Some of the grades were given by teachers who had never taught the subjects.

Field Elementary School principal Roslyn Carter is on paid administrative leave after Dallas Independent School District investigators found numerous cases of falsified grades at the school during the 2010-11 school year.

Parents were never told about the phony grades and that their children missed nearly a whole school year of instruction in some subjects.

A school district report, dated July 14, includes investigators’ findings, affidavits from employees and emails between Carter and staff members. The district’s Office of Professional Responsibility began investigating after receiving an anonymous tip in January.

The report details a principal’s determination to have her students pass the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. Third-graders take the math and reading portions of the test.

According to the report, Carter "directed and caused false school records to be created relating to teachers of record, grades of students for subjects not taught, and grades from teachers for students they did not teach."

Carter, who came to Field in the 2008-09 school year, could not be reached for comment but denied many of the allegations in her response to investigators. She told investigators that she was not aware of some rules concerning grading.

Parent Rosie Miller, whose son was in third grade last year at Field, said Carter’s obsession with testing prompted her to move out of the district and enroll her child in another district this year.

"It was an extreme focus, but not in a way that would be beneficial," Miller said. "I got called in and asked, ’Why aren’t you pushing him more at home?’ She made me feel like I was a horrible parent. It was all about the scores, the scores, the scores."

Miller said her son is struggling to pass fourth-grade science and social studies. She wondered if the district is obligated to help her child.

DISD spokesman Jon Dahlander said not much can be done now other than to provide academic help to the students. "The school is providing remediation to students to fill in any gaps in those subjects," he said.

As far as helping students no longer in the district, Dahlander said, "We’ll obviously need to look into that."

After being questioned by The News about how the case has been handled, Dahlander said parents will be officially notified of the matter and administrators will discuss it further in the next couple of days.

Dahlander would not discuss any disciplinary action but said "personnel action has been taken." Carter is on paid leave, usually a sign that an employee found to have committed wrongdoing is appealing a termination with the state.

Ten employees, mostly teachers, were cited in the report for failing to report actions that aided in the creation of false student records. At least eight of them were still at Field in October.

According to the report, some teachers described Carter as being threatening to those who didn’t go along with her plans. She denied the allegations.

(Staff writer Dianne Solis contributed to this report.)

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