Daytona Beach assistant principal reprimanded, allowed students phone use while testing

A Mainland High School assistant principal was suspended without pay after a district investigation determined she committed a testing violation while proctoring a Florida Career and Professional Education Act Industry Certification Test.

According to the investigation, it was alleged that Brandy Meadows allowed students use their notes and cellphones while taking an industry certification exam, both of which are prohibited in the security agreements from the Florida Department of Education, which Meadows signed in August.

The investigation — conducted by Sandy Hovis, Volusia County Schools’ manager of professional standards — revealed that Meadows violated that agreement by letting students have and use their phones while testing. There was no evidence to support that students could use their notes during the Mainland High tests, according to the investigation.

Between the two Mainland High Business Ownership CTE testing days — Jan. 25 and 26 — 82 students took the test. Fifty-three students passed, according to the investigation.

However, all of the test scores were invalidated.

Parents were notified of the “testing irregularity,” and all students were allowed a retake the exam, according to Danielle Johnson, Volusia County Schools’ director of community information.

“Opportunities to take industry certification tests take place across various testing dates and times,” she said in an email.

“Additionally, students regularly have three attempts for industry certification tests, and the invalidated test did not count against them,” she continued in an email. “Those who do not pass industry certification tests in general are eligible to retake the test after 20 days.”

Students will not miss any deadlines as a result of the invalidated tests, Johnson confirmed.

Prior to serving in her role as assistant principal of curriculum at Mainland High, Meadows was the testing coordinator at Deltona High School. She was transferred from Deltona to Mainland on Jan. 10.

Meadows acknowledged students were allowed to use their phones for the calculator feature for all industry certification tests she administered while at Deltona High, according to the investigation.

“Industry certification tests took place at various times and for various numbers of students last year. No test results were invalidated,” Johnson said in an email. “Professional Standards has investigated, including interviewing witnesses, and has found no evidence of testing irregularities to invalidate any tests.”

At the time of The News-Journal's request, Johnson said she did not have additional information as to why the Mainland High tests were invalidated while Deltona High's were not

The investigation determined that Meadows violated School Board Policy 418, Standards of Conduct, which states, “All employees are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner when carrying out their assigned responsibilities.”

The investigation also found that Meadows violated Florida Administrative Code 6A-6.0576, Cape Industry Certification Funding List, which notes that cellphones are considered unauthorized materials during the testing, as well as Florida Administrative Code 6A-10.081, The Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession in Florida, which states that Florida educators must be, “Aware of the importance of maintaining the respect and confidence of one’s colleagues, of students, of parents, and of other members of the community, the educator strives to achieve and sustain the highest degree of ethical conduct.”

As a result, it was recommended that Meadows be suspended for five days without pay.

The Volusia County School Board unanimously approved Meadows’ suspension at its April 9 board meeting.

Meadows has been with Volusia County Schools since Jan. 2013, according to Johnson, and her current salary is $68,110.

Meadows did not receive additional payment for proctoring the test, Johnson confirmed.

About the investigation

On or about Jan. 29, Hovis received an Investigative Report of Alleged Employee Misconduct from Mainland High School’s principal, Joseph Castelli, as well as written statements from CTE testing facilitator Michelle Wise and Meadows, according to the investigation.

In her statement, Wise noted that she helped students log into the exam and when she was leaving the classroom, she noticed a student still had a phone out, even though the exam was underway.

“I approached the student and as I was telling the student to put the phone away, Mrs. Meadows told the students that they could use their phones but only for the calculator,” Wise wrote in a statement for the investigation.

Hovis interviewed Castelli, Wise, CTE Coordinator Kristin Pierce and CTE Specialist Tara Gardner on or about Jan. 30, according to the investigation, and also met with teachers David Hansen and Neveen Kahlil as well as Principal Mike Micallef from Deltona High on or about Feb. 9, according to the investigation. Hansen, Kahlil and Micallef said they were unaware of any testing violations that occurred.

Hovis met with Meadows on both occasions, too.

When they met on or about Feb. 9, Meadows told Hovis that she let students use their phones on the industry certificate test at Mainland High and on several occasions while testing students at Deltona High, according to the investigation. She told Hovis that Wise and Gardner agreed that it would be OK for Mainland students to use the phone’s calculator feature on the test; however, Wise and Gardner denied that, according to the investigation.

Meadows did not respond to The News-Journal’s request for comment.

Testing at Mainland High

This is not the first time Mainland High School has been involved in a testing scandal.

In 2019, the News-Journal reported that 336 high school freshmen enrolled in an advanced placement seminar course were given a “placebo” exam instead of the official exam, which would allow them the opportunity to earn college credit.

The News-Journal later reported that Teresa Marcks, the district’s chief academic officer at the time of the incident, permanently lost her teaching license in Sept. 2021 for her involvement because she “failed to protect the health and welfare of students,” according to the Florida Department of Education.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Mainland High School CTE tests invalidated for student phone use