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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
At least half of Hilliard students exempt from some final exams under state test policy
HILLIARD, Ohio (WCMH) — Hilliard City Schools students who score well on their state tests do not have to take final exams, a district spokesperson confirmed. District announcements show the program began as an incentive for students to do well on Ohio's state tests. Any student who got a proficient score, or 700 and higher, in Algebra I, Biology, English II, Geometry, U.S. History and U.S. Government could choose to be exempted from that course's end-of-year exam. According to state records, this policy would exempt more than half of the students from these exams. Ohio has five levels of performance for its state exams: limited, basic, proficient, accelerated and advanced. Ohio Department of Education Press Secretary Lacey Snoke said students must score competently enough on state tests — a 684 or higher — to graduate. DEI law cosponsor calls Ohio State's Juneteenth guidelines an 'intentional overreaction' 'Ohio's State Tests provide valuable insights into how well our students are growing in the knowledge and skills outlined in Ohio's Learning Standards,' Snoke said. 'They also help guide and strengthen future teaching, ensuring that we are preparing our students for long-term success in school, careers and life.' Snoke said districts have control over their daily operations, including things like final exams, so Hilliard is able to offer incentives like this one. According to state data, the policy would exempt more than half of Hilliard's students from these exams. Hilliard students had their worst scores in Geometry, with 53.8% of students earning a proficient score. In the 2023-2024 school year, as many as 80% of students could have skipped their final exams thanks to the incentive. Hilliard scores better on these tests than most districts, but it lags behind similar districts in its scoring. The state identifies similar school districts for easy comparison, and Hilliard is grouped in with other suburban schools with low student poverty rates and large student bodies. The state considers Worthington, Gahanna-Jefferson, Pickerington, Dublin and Westerville similar districts. A Hilliard spokesperson said the incentive was common practice among central Ohio schools. At Columbus City Schools, district policy exempts most students with an 'A' in a course from the final, and many districts — including Hilliard — exempt students from end-of-year exams if they take a relevant AP test. South-Western City Schools teachers, board clash over contract However, none of the five central Ohio districts that the state qualifies as 'similar' to Hilliard appear to offer the same exemption. Gahanna allows individual instructors to choose if they will have an exam and don't have an adjusted schedule. Westerville requires exams at the end of each semester, exempting only seniors in good standing with an 80% or higher in the class. Dublin City Schools requires teachers to administer exams at the end of the semester, and all students are required to take them unless they have a specific approved exemption. 'Examinations of this type are excellent tools for determining the degree of knowledge obtained from a course,' Dublin schools said. 'They also provide excellent preparation for the type of examinations encountered in higher education.' Hilliard students who scored proficient or higher on the state test but had a near-failing grade in the class were 'highly encouraged' to take their exams as a chance to improve their grades, but not required. Any student who wanted to take their final exam was allowed to. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Fired Clinton High School teacher charged after grade manipulation investigation
CLINTON, Tenn. (WATE) — A former Clinton High School teacher who was fired after an investigation into grade manipulation at the school is now facing criminal charges in connection to that investigation. On Friday, 6 News obtained arrest warrants that state Clay Daniel Turpin is facing 22 felony counts of destruction or tampering with government records in connection with the grade manipulation investigation. Turpin and another teacher were fired in May 2024 by the Anderson County Schools Board of Education after the investigation. THP troopers, rangers working to rescue injured hiker in Great Smoky Mountains National Park The charges against Turpin all stem from the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years, according to affidavits of complaint for each charge. The charges appear to be broken apart by individual students in separate classes, however, because student information was redacted from the affidavits, a single student could be referenced in multiple charges. Each of the charges alleges that Turpin changed at least one grade a student received using his login to the Anderson County School System online system that contained student grades and assignments. Five of the charges involve allegations that a 0 grade was changed to a 100, and at least three involve changes on multiple unit tests. One affidavit alleges that Turpin changed 10 of a student's final grade unit test scores from scores ranging between 16 to 36 up to 90 each. Previously, 6 News reported that during an interview with administrative staff, Turpin said he taught credit recovery but was not trained. Two of the 22 charges stem from grade changes in credit recovery courses. The first of those involved a student that should not have been placed in the credit recovery course because of their low grades. The affidavit alleges that Turpin changing the student's grade allowed for them to pass in both English I and II courses. Sex offender charged with child abuse after deputies respond to Knox County home The second charge involving a credit recovery course involved a student in English II who had four individual scores ranging between 20 and 32. The affidavit alleges that Turpin changed each of the grades to a 90, which allowed the student to pass the course and move on to take English III and IV in the subsequent school years. 'Shocked' Community reacts to Clinton High School grade manipulation as DA commits to thorough investigation New principal named at Clinton High School after grade manipulation investigation ACSO investigation underway after two Clinton High School teachers fired after grade manipulation investigation Teacher suspended, principal resigns amid grade manipulation investigation at Clinton High School The second teacher who was fired following the investigation, Rachel Jones, is listed as a witness on each arrest warrant. Among other witnesses listed, there is also someone who worked for IT at Anderson County Schools District. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
