A weekly newspaper in Eastern Kentucky has revealed a state Department of Education audit's finding that local school officials jacked up student test scores to some of the highest in the state by putting students in special education classes.
The audit "suggests that some in the district may have been more concerned with test results than the quality of education provided to students," Mary Meadows reports. "The 87-page audit, provided by the KDE in response to an open records request from the Floyd County Chronicle and Times, indicates that the Floyd County Schools District is using special education designations as a 'substitute' for real education so students can get extra help on state tests. It reports that Floyd County schools referred students without disabilities to special education even though they didn’t need those services."
The audit also found "that the district encouraged parents of kindergarteners with 'challenging behaviors' to withdraw their children from school . . . placed kids with behavior problems on home or hospital instruction, and placed disabled students in alternative education settings where they didn’t even have a teacher." Meadows writes.
The audit found numerous other irregularities. The superintendent at the time, who resigned last June, called the audit report “utterly ridiculous and false.” He said special-education decisions were made at the school level, not at his level. The current superintendent "said he has not seen any evidence to substantiate any of the findings in the audit, but he could not say they were not true," Meadows reports.
The audit found numerous other irregularities. The superintendent at the time, who resigned last June, called the audit report “utterly ridiculous and false.” He said special-education decisions were made at the school level, not at his level. The current superintendent "said he has not seen any evidence to substantiate any of the findings in the audit, but he could not say they were not true," Meadows reports.
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