30 Percent Of High School Graduates May Not Have Met Requirements

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — A report released by Prince George’s County Public Schools Friday shows that throughout the past two years, one-third of their high school graduates might have graduated without meeting the correct requirements.

A seven-week independent audit for the Maryland State Board of Education randomly selected 1,212 student records to examine out of the nearly 5,500 graduated seniors who had a grade changed after the year-end deadline in 2016 or 2017.

The 211-page report reveals that out of that sample size, six percent of the 2017 class should not have graduated. These students did not meet classroom requirements and/or service learning hours, even with the grade change, according to the report.

The investigation revealed that some student's grades were changed days before graduation, and even after graduation ceremonies. Out of the students whose records were reviewed, 30 percent of them were either clearly ineligible to graduate or lacked documentation that justified graduation.

"Because this sample is selected randomly from the late grade change population of 5,496 students, these findings cannot be assumed to hold true to the larger population of 15,215 students in the graduating classes of 2016 and 2017," the report reads.

According to Chief Executive Officer of Prince George's County Board of Education, Kevin M. Maxwell, the report does not support allegations that "any systemic direction was given to change grades or artificially increase graduation rates."

"The audit also reports no evidence of system-wide intimidation or fraud related to the allegations," Maxwell said in a statement.

Although, he said he is "concerned about the serious errors found at many high schools" and that the audit findings will serve as guidelines for improvement.

The Washington Post reports that Maxwell and Segun Eubanks, the school board's chairman, defended the findings and said the audit was political.

“This is about sloppy record keeping, not teaching and learning,” Maxwell told The Washington Post.

Maxwell believes many of the issues can be resolved with "clearer policies, consistent adherence to those official procedures, better use of technology, improved training and communication and stricter monitoring."

“We’ve said all along there is no effort by my administration or myself to tell people to cheat, to do things wrong,” Maxwell said. “Do we have some people that haven’t dotted I’s and crossed T’s, or not followed all the directions they were given?” he said in late August. “Undoubtedly, in an organization with over 20,000 employees. But that doesn’t make it a systemic issue.”

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