Former APS Principal Accused of Changing Students' Grades

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Credit: Atlanta Public Schools

A former Atlanta Public Schools principal was found to have altered over 100 failing grades for students in her high school to keep the school’s graduation rate at acceptable levels, according to an internal report.

Charlotte Davis of the South Atlanta School of Law and Social Justice changed 144 grades during the 2013-14 school year, an internal investigation obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Davis’ changes kept students from having to retake classes and boosted the school’s graduation rate at a time when APS was focusing on improvements in that area.

The investigation also claims that Davis fired a teacher who blew the whistle on her activities the year after the grade changes were made.

Davis told APS investigators that the grade changes were meant to give students more time with the class material.

The investigation into Davis’ alleged misdeeds comes on the heels of the conviction and sentencing of dozens of APS executives, principals, and other employees for altering students’ standardized test answers.

Investigators found 250,000 test answers were altered during a two-year investigation at 58 Atlanta schools. Ten APS educators were found guilty on racketeering charges by a Fulton County jury April 1. Some defendants were also convicted on charges of making false statements and false swearing.

In 2013, 35 APS employees, including Superintendent Dr. Beverly Hall, were indicted in connection to the case. Twenty-one of the defendants pleaded guilty before trial. One defendant died prior to trial. Hall, who had been battling advanced stage breast cancer, was unable to participate in the trial and died in March.