HISD Office of Internal Audit finds no evidence of improper test procedures at Reagan HS

The Houston Independent School District Office of Internal Audit completed its investigation into allegations of improper testing processes at Reagan High School, and found no evidence to support the claims.

The investigation was launched in August 2015 after the Office of Internal Audit learned of allegations made by a retired teacher who indicated students were allowed to re-take failed final exams multiple times until they earned a passing grade. The teacher further alleged that students were allowed to re-test with corrected scantrons to aid in passing.

Auditors spoke with the retired teacher, who reported overhearing other teachers talk about such a grading practice that was taking place during Saturday school tutorials. The retired teacher told auditors he never witnessed the practice nor did he have documentation of it.

During the course of the investigation, the Office of Internal Audit identified one instance in which a teacher allowed students to re-use scantrons that only had marks on one side and were blank on the other. The scantrons were used for later exams covering different course content.

Auditors also discovered an instance five years ago that involved a teacher who was asked to tutor a student who had failed a physics course in the fall, making him ineligible to graduate in the spring. The teacher tasked with tutoring the student was given a copy of the student’s initial final exam. The student attended Saturday school tutorials, passed the class and was able to graduate on time. The investigation found no policy violation in this instance.

View a copy of the Office of Internal Audit’s investigative report.