Newsday.com

Bronx HS faces fudged exam charge - BY ELLEN YAN STAFF WRITER

May 18, 2005 Some teachers at John F. Kennedy High School have accused their administrators of tampering with state EnglishRegents test scores and passing students who had failing marks.According to the teachers at the Bronx school, two assistant principals, with the backing of the principal, uppedscores by as much as 11 points. In some cases, the doctored scores allowed failing students to retake parts of the test Monday, the teachers say. Principal Anthony Rotunno, who does have the power to review and adjust scores, called the accusations "justlies.""This is absolutely false," he said. "These are just lies made by vengeful and vindictive people." The Regents exams, given in January, were graded by a committee of teachers. At least 20 score changes,initialed by an assistant principal, were found after a student told a teacher that he didn't need tutoring anymore,said Maria Colon, the teachers union representative."Teachers are outraged," she said. "They feel the integrity of the exam was compromised and their professional judgments were not honored."The Department of Education is investigating the allegations and have impounded the test materials at the requestof the state Education Department, said Michele Higgins, a spokeswoman for city schools.The allegations center on the assistant principal for English and the assistant principal for administration, both cast by Rotunno as people of "very great integrity."Rotunno, who said he has worked hard to make the school safer, said Colon's allegations, contained in a letter toteachers Monday, was a "vendetta.""She's baiting me to roll around in the mud with her," he said. "I'm fighting a culture in a school where people are against kids."There are also allegations of missing tests and other problems with advance placement exams, teachers said.If original marks are restored, students may be in a dilemma because they've lost the chance to retake parts of thetest, teachers said, and it takes time to arrange for students to take the June English Regents. "They get one letter saying 'You don't have to retake the test' and the kid's happy," one English teacher said."Those students have missed their chance to retake the test and graduate in June.”