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Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Data vs. Evidence | WagTheDog

Data vs. Evidence | WagTheDog:

Data vs. Evidence



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Many people mistakenly believe that the terms “data” and “evidence” are interchangeable, and these words have the same meaning.
Data is factual information such as numbers, percentages, and statistics.
Evidence is data that is relevant and furnishes proof that supports a conclusion.
There is a big difference between independent research, studies, and data collection efforts leading investigators to a conclusion, and cherry-picking data to find “evidence” that will support your predetermined conclusion.
Ed reformers claim many schools are failing to prepare our students for college and careers due to a large number of ineffective teachers working in these schools.
The “evidence” they cite to support their claim/conclusion, is the “high percentage” of first-year college students taking remedial math and reading courses.
Unfortunately, many ed reformers have chosen to ignore and discount plausible evidence that could explain the “high” rate of college students in remedial classes, because this data does not support their predetermined conclusion.
Recent studies have also suggested that standardized placement tests may misidentify students
At a time when more high schools are looking to their graduates’ college-remediation rates as a clue to how well they prepare students for college and careers, new research findings suggest a significant portion of students who test into remedial classes don’t actually need them…
Those high rates of remediation have long been used by education policymakers to suggest that primary and secondary schools do not prepare students adequately for college-level work. They were one of the key arguments behind the development of the common core and other standards-reform initiatives…
To determine whether all those students were really so unprepared for college-level work, Ms. Scott-Clayton examined the students’ actual high school and college credits earned and grades received.
She found that 20 percent of students placed in remedial math and 25 percent of those placed in remedial reading were “severely 
Data vs. Evidence | WagTheDog:

Mayoral Runoff Candidate Post-Forum News Conference | Chicago Tonight | WTTW #‎Chuy2015‬ #OneTermRahm

Mayoral Runoff Candidate Post-Forum News Conference | Chicago Tonight | WTTW:

Mayoral Runoff Candidate Post-Forum News Conference



 Chicago mayoral candidates Rahm Emanuel and JesĂşs "Chuy" GarcĂ­a gave a brief news conference following the forum. Watch the web exclusive videos below.

Cook County Commissioner JesĂşs "Chuy" GarcĂ­a expects to win the April 7 mayoral runoff. In a press conference afterChicago Tonight's candidate forum, GarcĂ­a said voters chose change in February's election, and he thinks they'll choose a new mayor and a slate of new aldermen next week.
Asked what he thought of the forum, GarcĂ­a called it a "fair fight," though he said he didn't receive a fair share of time. While it elicited boos from the audience, GarcĂ­a wasn't asked by English-language media what he thought of questions about his son's gang ties and free legal representation his son received. He did answer three questions on the subject from Spanish-language reporters.
GarcĂ­a also defended his budget record as a legislator and his claims that the city books are cooked, and said he can find up to half a billion dollars of savings in efficiencies and shared city services.
Watch his full remarks below.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel doubled down on his contention that a long-anticipated Chicago-owned casino could help solve the city’s financial woes. In the forum, he stated the city could see $100 million a year in revenue. He says he has been having discussions with the governor and state lawmakers. But a casino bill has been on the legislative docket for years, failing to pass each year.
“I wouldn’t bring it up if the talks weren’t ‘serious’ this time,” the mayor said.
But he refused to answer whether or not the casino would be subject to state gambling oversight. The issue of a separate Chicago casino oversight authority was what did last year’s casino bill in.
Watch Emanuel's full post-forum comments below.

Is NYSUT/AFT Support for NY Opt Out Just the 2013 AFT “Moratorium” Warmed Over? | deutsch29

Is NYSUT/AFT Support for NY Opt Out Just the 2013 AFT “Moratorium” Warmed Over? | deutsch29:

Is NYSUT/AFT Support for NY Opt Out Just the 2013 AFT “Moratorium” Warmed Over?






I have read New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) president Karen Magee’s words regarding opting out of the Pearson tests that New York students currently take in lieu of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) tests. New York is still listed as a PARCC state; however; it has contracted for other Pearson tests than the ones bearing the 2015 Pearson-PARCC label.
What strikes me is Magee’s care in choosing temporal language regarding opting out: Her position on urging parents to opt out is “for now.” As the March 30, 2015, Buffalo News notes:
“I would opt out at this point,” New York State United Teachers President Karen Magee said in an Albany radio interview Monday. “And I think we’re going to see an increased reliance and many more parents engaging in that opt-out movement.” …
“So, are you saying, Karen Magee, that you would urge parents to opt out of testing?” WCNY’s Capitol Pressroom host Susan Arbetter asked in a follow up question during the lengthy interview on education initiatives in the state budget.
“I am saying that I would urge parents at this point in time to opt out of testing,” Magee confirmed. [Emphasis added.]
Magee is still a dedicated supporter of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), the conduit for this unprecedented amount of testing in grades 3 through 8 in the first place. In the March 30, 2015, Times-Union, Magee notes that she is “concerned about the botched roll out of the Common Core.”
So, if the Common Core had already met Magee’s determination of adequate “roll out,” and given that unprecedented hours of testing were meant to be part of the Common Core package before there even was a “Common Core”, then what is Magee really advocating?
Delayed unprecedented hours of Common Core testing, similar to the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) moratorium of April 2013?
AFT president Randi Weingarten is also careful to include language limiting her commitment to “this year” for opting out of New York’s Pearson tests:
. et al have asked what I’d do if I had kids in NYPS—based on what I’ve seen, if I had kids, I’d opt them out of PARCC this yr
And again with the temporary commitment to opting out “this year”:
To clarify: Several pple asked what I’d do if I had schl age kids-based on what I’ve seen this year, I wld opt them out of NY Pearson tests
So, the question remains: Is this “amazing news” of the NYSUT/AFT support for New Is NYSUT/AFT Support for NY Opt Out Just the 2013 AFT “Moratorium” Warmed Over? | 

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 3/31/15 #OneTermRahm ‪#‎Chuy2015‬



Special Nite Cap - Catch Up on Today's Post 3/31/15


Special Nite Cap 

CORPORATE ED REFORM

 
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2015 National Conference – Chicago

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The Network For Public Education | 2015 National Conference – Chicago