· June 15, 2012
In August, 2011, it was reported to me that we had identified some inconsistencies in student attendance records as they related to student truancy filings with the Franklin County Juvenile Court. Knowing the potential impact that any irregularities or misreporting of data could have on the District, I immediately contacted our Internal Auditor's Office, as well as a representative from the Auditor of State's Special Review Committee, with whom we have previously worked on other issues. Upon presenting our initial findings to the Auditor of State's Office, they did not believe there was sufficient information to warrant an investigation on their part at that time, however, they stated that we should pursue a review with the District's Internal Auditor. I immediately notified the Board of Education of the situation and officially requested that the Board's Internal Auditor pursue an investigation into the concerns brought to my attention.
I take issues related to the accuracy and the fidelity of data reporting very seriously. During my eleven years as Superintendent of Columbus City Schools, my message to our staff has consistently centered on themes such as student success, and doing what is legally, morally, and ethically right. I have been committed to ensuring that our students receive the best possible education that we can provide, and that we conduct our business the right way. This has become a matter of even greater emphasis to me after hearing about the accusations that some school districts in other parts of the country have misreported student data.
The central issue of the inquiry was to determine whether after the fact changes made in attendance fields within our student information system were documented and appropriate, when the changes were made, and by whom. As a first step in tightening our systems, I directed the District's Information Services Department to restrict those who could make changes in the student information system to our school secretaries, attendance secretaries, guidance counselors and social workers (those who needed access to the system in order to perform their job duties). I directed that there were to be no other staff members authorized to make changes to data in the student information system.
In June, 2012, the Internal Auditor informed me that she believed the issue was a greater concern than first thought (a large number of changes made in attendance records after the fact). She suggested that we should meet with principals and our Accountability Office staff to determine why these changes were being made and to reiterate that no changes are to be made without appropriate documentation. That meeting took place earlier this week.
It is our responsibility to ensure that the data we provide to the Department of Education is as accurate as possible. While there are many legitimate reasons that student attendance records could and should be updated after the fact, my foremost concern is that our data is accurate and that the appropriate documentation is in place to support our decisions and actions.
In a high mobility school district, students frequently move into and out of our schools – and the school district. It's oftentimes hard to keep up with the flow of notes and calls that document a student's absence(s) as "excused." There are also a large number of students who are truant from school for several days or weeks at a time, only to return to school at a later date. Sometimes the data entry just can't keep up with these changes, and those entries are made after the fact. Nevertheless, accuracy and documentation are paramount in defining our actions.
Our teachers, principals, and District staff have worked very hard to improve the quality of education we provide our students, and I will do everything that I possibly can to get to the bottom of this issue. We must remove any doubt about the improvements that have been made. I believe it's in everyone's best interest to again request that the Auditor of State's Office conduct a forensic audit of our practices and procedures related to these concerns. I will offer a full and public accounting of the results.
Gene T. Harris, Ph.D.
Superintendent/CEO
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