Use of quotas, GPA unable to be used in selection

Albert Lea Area Schools officials will examine all National Honor Society applications after the results of their investigation into their 2015-16 selection process were released Wednesday.

The investigation identified multiple errors in their selection process, including:

The use of quotas in the selection system

The blind review of candidate packets

The use of grade point averages for selection purposes. The GPA is only used to determine initial NHS eligibility.

Albert Lea Area Schools Superintendent Mike Funk said the investigation uncovered that the high school has been improperly using grades for the selection process for at least the last decade.

As a part of its findings, the school said scholarship, service, leadership and character will continue to be used as selection criteria. Upon completion of the review, all candidates will be notified of their selection status.

Director of Secondary Programs Kathy Niebuhr investigated the process.

“Albert Lea Area Schools takes individual parent concerns seriously,” Funk said.

“The swift response of the district to this concern is an example of how we strive to do what is right for our students. Though it is unfortunate this incident occurred, our Honor Society program will be better for it in the long run.”

The investigation came after the high school had set the number of eligible Honor Society students at 25 to raise the academic rigor at the high school, said Albert Lea High School Principal Mark Grossklaus in a previous interview. Approximately 38 students applied.

Approximately a week ago, school officials realized National Honor Society doesn’t allow quotas on the amount of students inducted each year, Funk said earlier this week.

Grossklaus said the decision was an administrative error on his part.

Funk attributed the mistakes to the inexperience of the administration. Grossklaus is in his second year as principal and National Honor Society Adviser Gina Klennert is in her third.

The selection will be reviewed again in November with the release of the 2016 Honor Society handbook.

According to Grossklaus, school officials have no plan to raise the requirements for the Honor Society, but if they did they would have to inform parents and the public ahead of time.