The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

Staff, Wire Reports

Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 07:23 PM

Bearden High School Parents Concerned After School Sends Letter Saying Children Will Not Be Receiving ACT Scores

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (SOURCE: WVLT) -- Parents of students at Bearden High School told Local 8 News they were concerned after receiving a notice that their children would not be receiving their ACT scores.

This information came weeks before most college's scholarship deadline. Donna Boling's son was disappointed to hear his score wouldn't award him extra funds during his first year of college.

"My son needed one point to qualify for the honors scholarships at UT - one point. He crammed and studied and we did additional ACT prep the week before to get one point," Boling said.

The notice from Bearden High School explained that students would have the opportunity to retake the ACT test, but that scores from an October testing date would not be released.

"Our futures depend on this test, the majority of it. For them to push us aside like this is very unfair," said Senior Michael Clubb. He and a fellow student, Mason Stivers, said they are hoping to gather as many voices as they can to stand up against the ACT.

"We're also currently searching for any lawyers that would want to help us," Clubb added.

Alvin C. York Agricultural Institute in Jamestown, Tenn., was another school whose ACT senior retake tests were not scored from October, according to Principal Jason Tompkins. Tompkins told Local 8 News the students would be receiving vouchers to retake the test again.

A representative from the Tennessee Department of Education said she reached out to the ACT board Wednesday to ask that the tests scores be validated. Commissioner Candice McQueen said she expected to hear back from the ACT directly by the end of Wednesday on their position. A representative with the ACT said, "ACT will not be releasing the scores of students deemed to have tested under a misadministration."

According to a letter sent from Bearden High School to senior students who took the exam on Oct. 17, Principal John C. Bartlett said the test would not be scored, "Due to circumstances beyond our control."

The letter went on to say the following:

"ACT has decided that they cannot guarantee the validity of the test given at Bearden High School on this state testing day because the wrong tests were sent to the Bearden High School and administered to BHS students. Because of this, ACT is offering senior students vouchers for any ACT National Test day."

The letter said students were allowed to sign up for the ACT test given on Dec. 9 without paying a late fee and using the vouchers provided.

"I understand how disappointing this news is, I personally apologize for this issue," the letter continued. "Many, many of our students have worked very hard to prepare for this test and I feel it is important that every senior take an ACT test during their senior year as they have had the opportunity to learn more material over the past couple of months. Please remember, it is required by the state that every senior must take the ACT test or SAT test."

Some parents said they were concerned and upset, due to the investment of time and money into taking the October test. Other parents said their kids would be missing out on possible scholarships from the University of Tennessee, as the university's deadline to submit ACT scores for scholarship applicability would pass on December 15. However, Bartlett said ACT scores can be taken past the application deadline, and they will be accepted until Dec. 31.


Principal Bartlett told local news agencies that Bearden High School officials believe they did nothing wrong in this situation. He said the problem arose from tests given on Oct. 17 that were coded to have been given on Oct. 3.

Bartlett said officials with the Knox County Schools system had reviewed the ACT test and had verified that it was the correct one, along with Bearden officials. Bartlett said there was no documentation on the tests that said they should have been administered on Oct. 3 rather than Oct. 17.

A representative from the Tennessee Department of Education said the following of the situation:

"For context, in addition to offering students a no-cost, in-school opportunity to take the ACT their junior year, the state also implemented an in-school ACT retake day for seniors. This year, there were two dates that schools could choose to offer the ACT retake: Oct. 3 (original statewide retake test day) and Oct. 17 (make-up day for districts with a conflict on state date). Our understanding is while all Knox County high schools were scheduled to administer the ACT retake on Oct. 17, ACT's records indicate that Bearden High School inadvertently left their test date as the default of Oct. 3 in the ACT electronic ordering systtem. Therefore, the school was shipped the Oct. 3 version of the test, which they then administered on Oct. 17."

The Department of Education said the office "has been actively advocating for Bearden High School's ACT exams to be validated in scores," but that the final decision "lies with ACT."

Thursday morning, ACT denied that appeal. Spokesperson Ed Colby said, "Our users count on ACT scores to make informed decisions that impact peoples’ lives. It is imperative that ACT be able to stand behind the scores that we send to colleges and scholarship agencies. Our policy stands: ACT will not release scores in instances of a misadministration."

"That doesn't really deter us, and we're really determined to try and get this worked out," insisted Michael Clubb, senior at Bearden High School.

Lynn Benko, a parent of a Bearden High School student, wrote a letter to Ed Colby, Director of ACT Public Relations. The full letter is attached to this web article.

Bartlett said last year, Maryville High School experienced the issue as well. However, a representative with the Maryville City Schools system said they had not experienced problems with the test either this fall or last fall.

"Maryville got lumped in with the state of Ohio and they had a pretty aggressive attorney general who had some contract language that forced ACT to score the test. They've since renewed those contract languages, so it's really hard for a state to force them to do something," he said.

UT reached out to Bearden High School to let them know their admissions office would work with students' deadlines.

As for schools outside of UT, Dr. Bartlett sent out a form for all seniors to list potential colleges that he would personally contact and explain the situation.