Here’s to the data system that works | Thoughts on Public Education

Here’s to the data system that works | Thoughts on Public Education

Here’s to the data system that works

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Cal-PASS is attracting attention and foundation dollars

Posted on 5/13/11 • Categorized as CALPADS, Data

By John Fensterwald - Educated Guess

California can’t get a computer system right. Its K-12 longitudinal data system has been a disaster. Post-secondary institutions are squabbling; a P-20 data system, from preschool to post-college, remains a concept.

You’re heard that before; I’ve written it myself.

But that’s not the complete story. Under the radar, Cal-PASS, not to be confused with CALPADS, is working as designed. By sharing data among school districts, communitycolleges, and universities and bringing instructors of all levels together, it’s changing classroom practices and, to an extent, policies.

Run on “budget dust,” as a state finance official calls its budget, it’s attracting smart money – about $4 million from foundations (Hewlett, Irvine, Stuart, Gates, Lumina, Walter S. Johnson) – and is expanding. Next week, it will announce the formal creation of the Institute for

(RE)Ranking New Jersey’s Achievement Gap « School Finance 101

(RE)Ranking New Jersey’s Achievement Gap « School Finance 101

(RE)Ranking New Jersey’s Achievement Gap

by schoolfinance101

1 person liked this

New Jersey’s current commissioner of education seems to stake much of his arguments for the urgency of implementing reform strategies on the argument that while New Jersey ranks high on average performance, New Jersey ranks 47th in achievement gap between low-income and non-low income children (video here:http://livestre.am/M3YZ). To be fair, this is classic political rhetoric with few or no partisan boundaries.

As I have been discussing on this blog, comparisons of achievement gaps across states between children in families above the arbitrary 185% income level and below that income level are very problematic. In my last post on this topic, I showed that states where there is a larger gap in income between these two groups (the above and below the line groups), there is also a larger gap in achievement. That is, the size of the achievement gap is largely a function of the income distribution in each state.

Let’s take this all one more, last step and ask – If we correct for the differences in income between low and higher income families – how do the achievement gap rankings change? And, let’s do this with an average

Suburban Schools and American Public Opinion on Education - E.D. Kain - American Times - Forbes

Suburban Schools and American Public Opinion on Education - E.D. Kain - American Times - Forbes

Suburban Schools and American Public Opinion on Education

by E.D. Kain

Megan McArdle writes:

I find it maddening how many upper middle class parents energetically "support public education" against the depredations of vouchers and other reforms, while moving their own children into better school districts or better programs. Especially parents in Manhattan and a few areas of Brooklyn who proudly note that their experience shows how great public education is, while failing to note that their schools work because these comparatively affluent parents with a great deal of social and political capital fight like hell to divert as many resources as possible–including the best teachers–into a handful of schools in affluent areas. New York’s famed magnet schools are a big part of this dramatic inequality, and yet the middle class parents who sent their kids there somehow thought their kids had more in common with the kids at Samuel J. Tilden than at Dalton.

Graduation rates at Dalton and Stuyvesant are pretty similar. The 4-year graduation rate at Tilden was 37%.

Or as I said a couple of years ago: "Memo to suburban voucher opponents who ‘support public education’: you’re already sending your kid to private school. You’re just confused because your

CTA Pres., 26 Others Await Release from Jail – Arrests Publicize Schools’ Plight « State of Emergency

CTA Pres., 26 Others Await Release from Jail – Arrests Publicize Schools’ Plight « State of Emergency

CTA Pres., 26 Others Await Release from Jail – Arrests Publicize Schools’ Plight Photo: Hundreds of Capitol Insiders cheer CTA Pres. David Sanchez (center) as he prepares to lead teachers Thursday evening to the offices of two Republican leaders: Sen. Bob Dutton and Assembly Member Connie Conway. (SACRAMENTO, Calif.) President ...

San Diego EA members take 500 separate actions during Day of Teacher Celebration On Wednesday, May 11 roughly 200 educators attended SDEA’s Day of the Teacher Action Celebration and participated in an amazing 500 separate actions in the space of two hours pressuring state and local politicians to support our schools. In addition ...

Highlights From Thurs, May 12th – SOE Action Week *THURSDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS* - Sacramento – CTA Insider Drill Team Tells Lawmakers To Stop Passing the Buck - State Capitol – Capitol Insiders Risk Arrest to Protect Children & Schools - San Jose – CTA Berryessa Members Hold Coalition ...

CTA Berryessa Members Hold Coalition Town Hall in San Jose Several dozen parents and other school stakeholders attended a lively town hall meeting tonight held by CTA Berryessa (CTAB), the chapter representing educators in the Berryessa Union School District. Educators, education support professionals, ...

CTA Members Refuse to Leave Capitol and Demand Passage of Tax Extensions to Keep Deeper Cuts Away from Schools, Colleges and Essential Public Services CTA President David A. Sanchez and 26 other educators took a stand for students this evening by refusing to leave the offices of Senate Republican Leader Bob Dutton and Assembly Republican Leader Connie Conway. The educators were peacefully arrested ...

Dutton 13 Thirteen CTA members, including CTA Board President David A. Sanchez and CTA Board member Larry Allen made a strong stand for public education outside the office of Sen. Minority Leader Bob Dutton, chanting, “Hey hey, ho ho, your budget plan has got ...

We Shall Not Be Moved, “Conway 14″ Sing Prior to Arrest Fourteen Capitol insiders, including CTA Board Members Theresa Montano (center, in red shirt) and David Goldberg (in rear at right) sing a chorus of Solidarity Forever as California Highway Patrol officers prepare to arrest them, outside of the ...

Capitol Insiders Risk Arrest to Protect Children and Schools A Highway Patrol officer prepares to take into custody the first 14 Capitol Insiders who refused to leave the building when so directed slightly after 6PM on Thursday evening. These 14 placed themselves outside the offices of Assembly Republican ...

North Orange County Teachers Take On Talk Radio North Orange County United Teachers Rally to Protect Schools Hundreds of educators lined Harbor Boulevard in F

SOE Teach-in: New Republican Budget Proposal Would Further Decimate Schools During a CTA-sponsored teach-in at the state Capitol on Thursday, Finance Expert Stephen Rhoads tells participants the the Republican budget proposal released today would suspend the Quality Education Investment Act (QEIA) and undercut efforts to ...

The SOS Washington March and the issue of collective bargaining. « Fred Klonsky's blog

The SOS Washington March and the issue of collective bargaining. « Fred Klonsky's blog

Endorse Obama this July? At last summer’s NEA convention in New Orleans the delegates voted no confidence in Obama’s Education Secretary Arne Duncan. At this summer’s NEA convention in Chicago the delegates will be asked to endorse Obama. The administration ignored the last ...

House passes anti-teacher law. Goes to Governor’s desk. It would take an unlikely veto by Pat Quinn. The House passed the bill by an overwhelming vote this afternoon. While the Chicago Teachers Union tried to mount a way too late attack on the bill, the leadership of the IEA and the IFT allied with the ...

Teachers, students protest Mayor’s budget cuts at NY rally. Teachers, students protest Mayor’s budget cuts at downtown rally | 7online.com. Thousands are marching towards Battery Park in Manhattan at this hour to protest Mayor Bloomberg’s cuts in teachers and public service employees. Bloomberg has ...

The SOS Washington March and the issue of collective bargaining. It was back in late winter when I first heard about the SOS March and National Call to Action. I was impressed by their list of Guiding Principles and their list of education activists who are endorsing it. But I first read about the March and Call ...

California State of Emergency Day 5 Live Blog | Reflections on Teaching

California State of Emergency Day 5 Live Blog | Reflections on Teaching

My Links on State of Emergency Posts on this blog tagged “StateofEmergency” My Diigo Bookmarks tagged “StateofEmergency” My YouTube State of Emergency playlist My Flickr photoset of pictures from State of Emergency State of Emergency FB Page CTA’s State of Emergency Website ...

California State of Emergency Day 5 Live Blog California State of Emergency Day Five

Twitter, Simply Complicated. « My Island View

Twitter, Simply Complicated. « My Island View

Twitter, Simply Complicated.

by tomwhitby

Twitter’s biggest obstacle to being the number one tool of Professional Development for educators is Twitter. It is a simple tool, based on a simple idea, which is complicated by its simplicity. To use twitter is to get it. To explain Twitter is a losing proposition. Twitter’s reputation as an application is its worst enemy. It has been the brunt of comedians’ jokes since it began. Members of the Hollywood crowd embraced it for the purpose of engaging their fans with a majority of mindless tweets to build a following. Many have a following in the millions. The concept most accepted by the public is that Twitter is used by individuals to broadcast to people the meaningless actions and events in their day-to-day existence. How could this ever be taken seriously, not to even mention being used as a tool for Professional Development for educators?

Social learning is common to all. We learn through social encounters. We pass along information in social settings. We collaborate with others in our social engagements. A committee is simply a gathering of individuals for social interaction for the purpose of learning and creating. This all occurs in our face to face world. This all takes place with people who can assemble in close proximity at predetermined location and a pre-determined,

Schools Matter: The Learn Act: An Expensive Mistake

Schools Matter: The Learn Act: An Expensive Mistake

The Learn Act: An Expensive Mistake

by skrashen

The LEARN Act: An Expensive Mistake

Sent to the Seattle Times, May 12

There is no evidence Sen. Murray's bill to improve literacy will work ("Murray's literacy plan a test of clout, May 11). As the Times notes, Sen. Murray's LEARN Act is a combination of three existing programs. None have been successful.

Reading First only helped children do better on tests in which they pronounced words presented in a list. It had no impact on tests in which children had to understand what they read. The Early Reading First Act is for pre-schoolers. According to Education Week, evaluation of one version of this program produced

“If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention” « Failing Schools

“If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention” « Failing Schools

“If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention”

MAY 11, 2011

by Sabrina

EdWeek is continuing to monitor the outpouring of negative feedback received by the federal Department of Education after Secretary Duncan’s letter to teachers last week. (For more explanation, less question, check out Diane Ravitch’s take on the matter.)

A few people have used various means to try to undermine the critiques that have been leveled at Duncan and Co., including the idea that most teachers basically don’t know what’s going on, and the majority of those people have no problem with Duncan’s letter*. To which the always astute Anthony Cody replies:

I am sure the vast majority of the three million plus teachers in America did not read Duncan’s letter and many of them are not following the ins and outs of education

Arne Duncan's Open Letter Makes Teachers Furious - The Daily Beast

Arne Duncan's Open Letter Makes Teachers Furious - The Daily Beast

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan hoped to gain the goodwill of the nation’s educators with an “Open Letter” to teachers. But as Diane Ravitch explains, many reacted with fury.

The first week in May was Teacher Appreciation Week. On May 2, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan released an “open letter” to America’s teachers, thanking them for their service and saying, in essence, “I hear you, I respect you, I understand your problems, I want to work with you.” It should have been about as controversial as the president’s annual Thanksgiving message, but in this case the letter backfired. Teachers reacted to the letter with outrage, as if it were addressed to the turkey community on Thanksgiving Day.

No one should be surprised. Behind the teachers’ rage and skepticism is the fact that Duncan has time and again said that “bad” teachers cause low test scores, refusing to recognize (as he did, belatedly, in his letter) that low test scores are primarily caused by poverty and lack of family support. Teachers remember that he cheered when the entire staff of Central Falls High School was fired (albeit temporarily). They recall that he was one of the few to applaud when the Los Angeles Times published teacher effectiveness ratings online, based on flawed test score data. They know that his Race to the Top program has encouraged state legislatures to pass laws mandating that

This Week In Education: Media: More Skepticism Needed -- But Not More Paranoia

This Week In Education: Media: More Skepticism Needed -- But Not More Paranoia

Media: More Skepticism Needed -- But Not More Paranoia

by Alexander Russo

Journalists and others will be gathered at Columbia's Journalism School this weekend to discuss the role of foundations both in shaping school reform and in shaping media coverage of education issues. Stories about philanthropic influence are turning into something of a cottage industry what with the Dissent story (Got Dough?), the Newsweek/Center on Public Integrity takedown (Back to School for the Billionaires ) and the Charlotte Observer story (Who's the power behind CMS?). Having written about these topics frequently over the years, I've found them all interesting -- it's important for reporters and others to understand how the media and the reform movement

The Entitlement Hoax | Dailycensored.com

The Entitlement Hoax | Dailycensored.com

The Entitlement Hoax

Written by Ken WikleBusinessMay 11, 2011

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Social Security has nothing to do with the federal deficit. Nothing. It is, has and will be in the black, self-financed and not dependent upon tax revenues. With no congressional action whatsoever, Social Security can pay all benefits on time and in full until 2037 and at least three-quarters of scheduled benefits through 2084.
Social Security is a defined benefit pension plan sponsored by the federal government, funded primarily with dedicated contributions of workers matched by their employers. Social Security has no borrowing authority and so does not and cannot contribute to the federal deficit. It will be in balance for the next 26 years, even if current policy continues unchanged.
The dedicated contributions are part of the payroll taxes that are taken from the paychecks of every working person. The “FICA” people see on their pay stubs stands for Federal Insurance Contributions Act, a law that requires both employees and employers to fund Social Security and Medicare. Federal social insurance taxes are imposed equally on employers and employees, consisting of a tax of 6.2% of wages up to an annual wage maximum of $106,800, plus a tax of 1.45% of total wages. The employee’s

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Will liberals finally jump the Rhee ship?

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Will liberals finally jump the Rhee ship?

Will liberals finally jump the Rhee ship?

by Mike Klonsky

Arne Duncan stumps for Fenty/Rhee in D.C.

This must be embarrassing for liberal Democrats who lauded Michelle Rhee when she was D.C.'s schools chief or who were moved by her anti-public-school demagogy in the film, Waiting For Superman. Now Rhee has planted herself squarely in the camp of the extreme right-wing where she has become a T-Party favorite and the darling of ultra-conservatives like the DeVos family. She recently joined the team of Florida's right-wing governor,Rick Scott, as a high-paid consultant.

On Tuesday, Rhee keynoted the DeVos-sponsored national school voucher summit. Rhee told the audience of

Supporting Schools: Legislator Tells Educators SOE is Making a Difference « State of Emergency

Supporting Schools: Legislator Tells Educators SOE is Making a Difference « State of Emergency

Supporting Schools: Legislator Tells Educators SOE is Making a Difference

by Leonard Feldman

During a Tuesday afternoon visit to CTA’s Camp Inspiration, the Sacramento staging location for Capitol State of Emergency activities, Assembly Member Tom Ammiano (D-SF) tells CTA Board Member Curtis Washington and other Capitol Insiders that the week’s activities are having an impact on lawmakers.

The legislator is one of a number of elected officials who have come to Camp Inspiration to talk with educators.

Ironically, Camp Inspiration is sited in an abandoned bank building, and a key meeting room is in the bank’s

The History of "LIFO" - Dana Goldstein

The History of "LIFO" - Dana Goldstein

The History of "LIFO"

by Dana Goldstein

Mike Bloomberg's plan to lay off 4,100 New York City public school teachers is really about his fight to abolish teacher seniority protections. The mayor hopes that by forcing the first widespread job cuts on the school system since the 1970s, he will build political support around his proposal to lay off teachers according to merit, without regard to how many years they've spent in the system.

I believe a fair layoff system would evaluate teachers based on multiple, clearly-defined measures of effectiveness (classroom observations, lesson plans, student portfolios, student achievement data) and then use seniority as a tiebreaker. Such a system would protect excellent, experienced educators who have demonstrated a longterm commitment to the classroom, while also saving the jobs of the most talented newcomers. That said, I see two major problems with Bloomberg's plan: First, New York's current teacher evaluation system is sub-par and the new system does not take effect until September. The new fiscal year begins July 1, and layoffs would need to get done before then. Second, we're talking about such a massive loss of teachers--a cut of more than 7 percent of the jobs in the system--that every school community in the city will feel the pain, with larger class sizes, fewer electives, and fewer staff to supervise extracurricular activities. At this scale, cuts shouldn't be seen as an "opportunity" (Arne Duncan's term) to cut dead wood from the system; they

solidaridad: Echo Park Moms leading the way. Demand your right to vote! No more LAUSD privatization without representation!

solidaridad: Echo Park Moms leading the way. Demand your right to vote! No more LAUSD privatization without representation!

Echo Park Moms leading the way. Demand your right to vote! No more LAUSD privatization without representation!

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene

First published in EchoParkPatch on 2001-05-10

"Supporters of the controversial [PSC] plan say it is part of a much-needed reform effort that takes decision-making out of the hands of bureaucrats and special interests and puts it in the hands of parents and the community." — Connie Llanos


LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy and Tamar Galatzan — one of Philip Anschutz's preferred LAUSD Board Members — want to remove the last vestiges of democracy from an already undemocratic process that gives public schools away to private charter corporations.

There is now an online petition to sign if you think that removing the public advisory vote from the deceptively named Public School Choice resolution (PSC) is a move that disenfranchises and disempowers communities.

KEEP the Parent Advisory Vote, The Only Voice parents have in the CHOICE process

The first resistance to the removal of the community advisory vote was by non other than Echo Parque's very