BY MICHAEL OLOHAN
OF NORTHERN VALLEY PRESS
OLD TAPPAN, N.J.––Following two-plus hours of emotional testimony, the Northern Valley Regional High School Board of Education told more than 100 students and parents gathered in the Old Tappan high school auditorium that no retroactive changes would be made to student transcripts and no extra grade-point-average (GPA) credit would be provided for so-called “enriched” college-prep courses.
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While some students pleaded for the additional credit and recognition for taking an “enriched” CPE course that could make a difference in future college acceptance, other students and parents pointed out that it was unfair to deny the differences in rigor between college-prep (CP) and college-prep enriched (CPE) courses, and refuse to acknowledge the differences.
Moreover, designating a course as “CPE” on a student transcript, some parents and students argued, could potentially make the difference between a prospective student getting accepted into a college or not.
However, Board President Joseph Argenziano said to alter transcripts to change designations for CPE courses “retroactively here impacts every child unfairly. Right, wrong or indifferent, we have to stick with what you were told,” he said, referring to CP or CPE courses that counselors recommended for individual students to take.
Board attorney Matthew Giacobbe said that a lawsuit was likely from parents of CP students if the board was to grant extra GPA credit for CPE courses.
“Any type of retroactive change will be met with a lawsuit,” said Giacobbe.
He said it’s likely that any retroactive transcript changes that “harm students” with individual education plans, or special education students, by retroactively altering transcripts, will likely be overturned in court and require the district to reverse course.
Argenziano said the board would form an ad hoc committee “representing all sides” with the goal of “eliminating this (CP/CPE) and merge it. At this point, we’re raising the level of education here.”
“Our attorney recommended that we not do anything retroactively,” said Argenziano. He said if transcripts were changed retroactively, it was likely parents opposed to making a distinction between CP and CPE courses would file a lawsuit and “they are likely to win, and then the judge likely will tell you to change” the transcripts back again.
“We are putting everyone in jeopardy if we play this game (changing transcripts) at the 11th hour,” he said.
Argenziano later said that the “CP” and “CPE” designations “were local codes” and “not for colleges.”
In a related lawsuit filed against the district in July by two parents alleging violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty ruled Sept. 6 that the case is “not likely to succeed on the merits of their ADA claim” for a preliminary injunction.
The lawsuit, filed by Karen Leddy and Anna Danon-Reduce, accused the district of “discouraging” their daughters with learning disabilities from taking Advanced Placement (AP) or honors classes and instead recommending “enriched” college-prep (CPE) courses that carry no extra GPA credit.
The lawsuit sought to retroactively modify transcripts to have a “CPE” designated on transcripts and add 0.5 points of weight for CPE classes back to the 2014-2015 school year. Current transcripts only show a “CP” designation whether the course is CP or CPE.
While the judge denied injunctive relief to the parents, the case continues as an active lawsuit. Superintendent James Santana said that the college prep enriched courses (or CPE) would be designated as such beginning on 2017-2018 transcripts.
The board voted at its July 24 meeting to revise 25 course titles as either CP or CPE for 2017-2018. This will give students the time necessary to select the most appropriate CP or CPE courses. No extra GPA credit will be offered for CPE courses, Santana said then.
Previously, former superintendent Geoffrey Gordon sent a letter June 21 saying the district would list CPE courses on transcripts in 2016-2017. However, due to the lawsuit and preliminary ruling, that will not occur, said Santana via a Sept. 15 email.
On Sept. 18, Santana said the course titles (CP or CPE) were “not meant for college (admissions) … at the end of the day, some kids need an aide, a reader. Our goal is to educate all the children. That’s the reason we segregate (CP or CPE). We’re trying to get kids to a certain finish line.”
Santana said the designations to differentiate CP and CPE courses began in 2013 when an ad hoc committee recommended the change “based on the stigma” attached to so-called “scholastic courses” which were renamed as college-prep or CP courses.
Board trustee John Schettino noted the importance of resolving the CP/CPE issue quickly as “approximately 95 percent of NVR students go to college.”
Students and parents speak
Bryce Magarro, a junior at Northern Valley Old Tappan, questioned why there was not “added GPA weight to CPE courses” and urged the board to include GPA credit to every CPE course he took since freshman year.
Brandon Cohen, a senior at NVOT, said the rigor between CP and CPE courses is “night and day.” He said he saw no reason why these two courses “should be weighted similarly.”
Other students questioned why the district would not provide them credit for the extra work and demands of CPE versus CP courses.
“It’s really heartbreaking when they see your transcripts and it’s not reflective of courses you’re taking,” said one senior female student.
Another male student from NVOT said it was “not feasible” to make transcript changes now as courses had already been selected for 2016-2017.
“And if they are different rigor, then why aren’t they weighted differently?”
Other students pointed out that they took AP and honors courses knowing they were more difficult and would reflect a higher GPA. They pointed out it is “not fair, not justice” for students to get extra credit for CPE courses now despite the extra difficulty or rigor of the curriculum.
Karen Leddy, plaintiff in a lawsuit filed against the district, said “there is not a single indication my child has taken college-prep courses” by looking at the transcript. She said her request for an accurate transcript “has turned into a nightmare” and asked “why does the district feel it’s justified to obliterate CPE students?”
Leddy said that CPE students are disadvantaged compared to CP students in the college admissions process. She said it was “unfair” that students who were struggling in CPE courses were not guided into CP courses.
“CPE in this building is a taboo word,” she said.
A Haworth parent of an NVD senior said “the system is not fair” and that “every class has different rigor” that needs to be recognized on a transcript.
Stacey Adler of Haworth said “hundreds of CPE students are being treated so unfairly” and wondered why CPE classes do not receive extra GPA weight and recognition.
Patches Magarro of Old Tappan said the board’s decision to list the designation “CPE” on transcripts “going forward” in 2017-2018 “is a good first step … (but) not accurate and not fair” to not list CPE courses for all high school years. She said it was “detrimental” to only list CPE courses beginning in 2017-2018.
One student from Northvale said “everyone needs to be on the same page before arguing with each other on Facebook.”
Another parent accused the district of “incredible miscommunication” about CPE courses for years.
Many students suggested had they realized that no “CPE” designation would appear on transcripts, they might have preferred to take an honors or AP course to get extra GPA credit, or just take a CP course for less work and the same GPA credit.
Reached Sept. 16, Santana said that both CP and CPE courses “meet the same standards” and that the difference between CPE and CP courses is pace of instruction, depth of material, and level of independent learning required.
“The curriculum and standards are the same” in CP and CPE courses, he said. Santana noted that when the “CPE” designation is added in 2017-2018 “students will be able to elaborate on the level/depth of the course” and “tell a story” to the admissions office about what rigorous coursework was required.
“In a perfect world, these levels (CP and CPE) will be eliminated. The ideal situation would be to eliminate these two levels and just differentiate instruction,” he added.
Photos by Michael Olohan