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Parents, teachers urge Berkeley County to stop grading DFAs amid mounting complaints
Summary
Dozens of parents and teachers told the Berkeley County Board of Education on Oct. 6 that the district's new district formative assessments (DFAs) are harming student wellbeing and are being counted as grades despite district guidance. Speakers cited a petition with more than 2,000 signatures and urged the board to pause grading while the practice is reviewed.
Dozens of parents and teachers told the Berkeley County Board of Education on Oct. 6 that the district's new district formative assessments (DFAs) are being treated as high-stakes grades and are damaging student confidence and teacher morale.
"My son came home saying, 'I'm stupid. I'm an idiot,'" said Adrienne Serpe, a parent and former public school teacher, describing an 11-year-old with ADHD who she said has been traumatized by the exams. Serpe said the DFA rollout has generated "over 2,000 signatures" across "over 40 schools" and called on the district to "stop grading the DFAs" and to give teachers flexibility to reteach and support diverse learners.
Summer Dukes said her eighth-grade gifted-and-talented student scored 50 on a DFA and 90 on a teacher unit test the next day, calling the district's current practice "ludicrous" and saying she has "legal counsel now ready to file litigation." Several parents described children coming home in tears and losing enthusiasm for school.
Teachers and the Berkeley County Education Association (BCEA) president Kathleen Lowe told the board the district's direction conflicts with professional ethics. "Teachers are being told to enter scores from tests they didn't create, some didn't administrate, and some didn't even get a chance to evaluate," Lowe said, adding that the practice forces educators into a conflict with South Carolina's code of ethics for educators.
Superintendent Dr. Dixon acknowledged the concerns and said the South Carolina Department of Education "reviewed our practice and confirmed that our Berkeley County's use of formative assessment is lawful and sound." He described an adjustment to how DFAs will factor into grades: "DFA scores in the first 3 quarters will be included in grades only if they maintain or improve a student's overall average. In the fourth quarter, they will be included for all students, but always alongside other assessments and with opportunities for review, retakes, support, and growth." (Superintendent statement at the Oct. 6 meeting.)
Parents and teachers said that technical and implementation issues — including MasteryConnect auto-scoring, compressed pacing guides, lack of teacher input on pacing, and inconsistent communication to teachers and families — are central to the problem. Amanda Hebel, a classroom teacher, asked who created the pacing guides and whether teachers were consulted; she also raised concerns that MasteryConnect can mark answers wrong if they are not typed exactly as the answer key.
The board did not take immediate action on public comments. Multiple speakers urged the district to publish a clear implementation timeline, to pause grading DFAs while stakeholders review the items and processes, and to include teacher representatives in any advisory group that revises grading or pacing policies. The district has said it will continue community engagement and review policy alignment going into the rest of the year.
The board has not yet scheduled a formal vote specifically on DFA grading policy; members discussed follow-up steps and indicated administrators will provide more details and engage stakeholders before possible formal action.
