A former assistant principal at Stratford High School in Nashville has told investigators that the school invented classes that were never on the master schedule, then used that fiction to push struggling students toward graduation.
Howard Jones, who served as assistant principal and was responsible for auditing every grade issued at the school, made the allegations as part of WSMV4’s ongoing “Making the Grade” investigation. Stratford High School, located in Davidson County, is currently under investigation by the Tennessee State Board of Education over claims of grade manipulation.
Jones said two former principals, Michael Steele and Dr. Michael Pratt, each allowed grade manipulation in different forms during their tenures. He said he objected early on when Steele proposed a contract under which students would be graded on effort rather than mastery of course material.
What alarmed Jones most, he said, was discovering students enrolled in classes that did not actually exist on the school’s official schedule for that semester.
“And how can I justify, you know, signing off on these grades when this is a fake class?” Jones said.
According to Jones, students were given failing grades in these alleged fake classes, which made them eligible for Edgenuity, an online credit-recovery program. Under Tennessee law, Edgenuity may only be assigned to students who have already failed a class — not to students who never took it in the first place.
Before being placed in Edgenuity, students could first attempt a “test for credit” to test out of the class entirely. Jones said those tests were not administered fairly.
“With teacher assistance,” Jones said, describing how students passed. “…Somebody guiding them, saying, ‘Here’s the answer. Well, that’s not the correct answer. Try again.'”
Jones also described his own reaction upon learning of the alleged scheme.
“I’m not going to look good in orange. I think this is, you know, something we should not, should not do,” Jones said. “I’m not going to jail, sir. I think it’s criminal.”
If confirmed, the allegations mean students received course credit — and grade-point-average boosts — for classes that never existed, with teachers allegedly helping them pass exams meant to certify they had learned the material. The state board of education’s investigation into Stratford High School is ongoing.
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