Ballou HS teachers pressured to pass students, says report following grade fixing allegations

WASHINGTON - Teachers at Ballou High School were pressured by the principal and assistant principals to pass students who had not mastered the material and who had excessive absences, according to a report released Tuesday by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education.

The investigation was launched after a report by WAMU/NPR that claimed many students in Ballou High School's 2017 graduating class should have been held back.

Ballou's class of 2017 gained nationwide attention for reaching a huge milestone when every graduating senior received at least one college acceptance letter. The WAMU/NPR report says most of the students may have lacked the requirements to graduate mostly because of poor attendance records.

The investigation resulted in the principal of Ballou High School, Dr. Yetunde Reeves, being reassigned to another function in the school district in December of last year.