Dena Levitz, The Examiner
2007-12-21 08:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

WASHINGTON -

The school system’s office of teaching and learning is getting a failing grade from some parents for spelling errors and grammatical mistakes on practice tests given to elementary students.

The test packets went home with students this week to be completed over the winter break.

Parents quickly began noticing sloppy errors.

Gina Arlotto, a parent who called blunders to the attention of administrators, said when her third-grade daughter showed her the practice materials, she saw within the first few pages the word “device” was erroneously written as “devise” at least twice.

A reading comprehension section in the early pages of the packet also spelled a boy’s name as “Ricky” and then “Rickey,” making it extremely confusing for her daughter, she said.

Some teachers sent notes home pointing out the mistakes while others said they were instructed to administer them anyway and give students credit for correct answers even if the tests listed wrong ones, parents and teachers said.

“It’s outrageous,” Arlotto said. “How could they not proofread these before sending them out?”

Sherry Ulery, the new chief of teaching and learning for the school system, whose office reportedly put together the test practice materials, did not return calls to The Examiner seeking comment.

But in an e-mail to Arlotto, Ulery apologized and explained that the original draft was sent to the printer instead of the final copy.

“Once this was brought to our attention, we sent the correct version to the printer, and those will be delivered to schools to replace the incorrect copies,” the e-mail added.

Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee also wrote in an e-mail that it was a “significant problem.”

“We’ll do better next time,” Rhee wrote.

dlevitz@dcexaminer.com