In Washington state the public schools have a high-stakes test for high school sophomores. People pay attention to high-stakes tests. If too many sophomores flunked the test, there would be . . . consequences.

So what did the Seattle schools do with sophomores who had been performing poorly, but who hadn't yet taken the test? They "reclassified" them as freshmen. (Not flunked, or held back, just "reclassified".)

Link via Let's Fly Under the Bridge.

Comments

[David Tufte]

Reclassifying them is an Orwellian euphemism. How 'bout they "failed" them.