Under the high school policy, if students don't complete them, they'll fail English and not be able to graduate. However, because of the last-minute rewrite, Mr. Sorrell is recommending the council give this year's seniors an exemption. The council is expected to approve the recommendation at a special meeting Feb. 22. School officials hope the lifted penalty will encourage students to complete the portfolios, which are required by the state and will affect the school's assessment scores. School officials are still investigating why the errors were made, which teachers are responsible and whether other students will be affected.
Some teachers work with various grade levels.
So if a teacher improperly marked seniors' work, the same errors could have been made on younger students' papers, Mr. Gramke said. Faculty members are reviewing the seniors' confiscated portfolios to see if there are pieces that were not marked properly and can be returned to students. All teachers got a refresher course Wednesday on proper portfolio guidelines. Meanwhile, police continue to investigate school vandalism, which was discovered last Friday. No arrests have been made.