Warren responds to testing accusations
Warren Township High School has filed a formal response with state education officials over accusations it treated students differently for testing purposes last spring.
Gurnee-based Warren District 121 contends it took action early this month "to eliminate any possibility of further confusion, misinterpretation or other problems" connected to stiffer academic standards it wants pupils to meet.
Illinois State Board of Education officials claim Warren improperly prevented 150 of 1,000 juniors from taking the Prairie State Achievement Exam because they didn't meet increased eligibility criteria. A similar, separate complaint filed with the state by retired Warren teacher Rick Bryan is proceeding as well.
Warren board members last year approved an administration recommendation that students must have earned 11 credit hours by the fifth semester - up from eight - and completed other requirements to take the Prairie State exam in April. In July, the state ordered Warren to halt the practice, contending it treated students differently for testing purposes.
District 121 officials maintained there was nothing wrong with the April testing of the juniors, and the plan had been approved by the state education office.
Responding to the state over Bryan's complaint in documents filed last week, lawyer Robert Swain wrote that action by Warren officials at a meeting Sept. 8 should alleviate concerns about its academic initiatives.
Warren's new standards, if approved by the state, would be broader than only determining eligibility for the Prairie State process, which includes the ACT college entrance exam. This year's pupils would need to meet the old requirement of having earned eight credit hours to be juniors.
Higher standards for all four years would begin with this year's freshmen class if Warren's plans gain state approval.
As part of Warren's filing with the state, the school district refers to Bryan's "poison pen allegations." Superintendent Phil Sobocinski noted Bryan was living in Florida and not present at a meeting when the changes were made on the criteria juniors needed to meet to take the Prairie State exam.
"The district believes that it has the authority to designate the criteria for attaining junior status," Warren's reply states.
Bryan contended Friday that District 121's new academic standards for student promotion over four years are because not all juniors would take the Prairie State Achievement Exam for accountability purposes as required.
District 121 officials have stressed the more challenging academic standards applied last spring were not devised to prevent poor students from taking the Prairie State exam to boost annual report card scores. Warren also contends Wheaton-Warrenville South High School and others have used similar systems.
State board of education spokeswoman Mary Fergus said Warren's response is under review. She said there is no definitive timeline on when state schools Superintendent Christopher Koch will rule on the case.