Former principal faces hearing on test tampering allegations

A former high school principal is facing charges of professional misconduct after being accused of tampering with Ontario’s literacy test.

The Ontario College of Teachers says it conducted an investigation and found that some students were called back to the school to complete parts of the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test after it was supposed to be concluded.

Christine Vellinga, who was then a principal with the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board, is accused of reviewing test booklets to find incomplete tests and telling teachers to do the same.

The Education Quality and Accountability Office, which creates and administers the test, says the results are used to produce annual school board reports. They’re also used to track children’s progress throughout their schooling.

In its notice of a disciplinary hearing, the college alleges that in 2016, Vellinga called 21 students back to school to complete portions of the test they had missed, directing them to specific parts of the booklet — and asked the acting vice-principal to do the same.

Vellinga is also accused of not ensuring that students were properly supervised while in possession of the test and allegedly telling one student, “you were never here.”

She is expected to appear before a disciplinary committee on Jan. 26.