COLUMBUS (AP) - The state's auditor says five Ohio school districts have used questionable attendance policies and practices, putting them at a higher risk for scrubbing attendance data to improve their school report cards.
The districts are Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo, Marion and Campbell. Scrubbing is the practice of removing students from enrollment without lawful reason.
State Auditor Dave Yost released the preliminary findings Thursday as part of his investigation into potentially irregular attendance and enrollment practices.
The data was collected from a sampling of more than 100 school buildings that experienced high withdrawal rates - or about 3 percent of Ohio's 3,688 public schools.
Yost said some schools in the five districts withdrew students based on a pattern of absences, which could have been influenced by lower test scores, without proper documentation.