Re: okay folks, everyone is on the bandwagon

[George Sheridan <learn@JPS.NET>]

Ya gotta read this! It's hard to believe anybody would pay fifty bucks for
this report, but there's stuff here to confirm any nightmare that paranoid
members of the list might ever have had.

(There is a reference to the use of CRESST's Quality School Portfolio
software in Rochester. Bill Cala might want to elaborate.)

The paragraphs below might raise a few question in your mind. (Emphasis added.)
*****

The Jackson schools' data warehouse is designed around the concepts of
assessment, achievement, and accountability. In simple terms, assessment is
what a student does not know, achievement is what a student does know, and
accountability is what factors influence these.

<SNIP>

First, students are administered a district-level assessment test for each
required subject area. Once these test results are imported into the data
warehouse, decision makers can begin to explore the results according to a
particular student, teacher, grade level, or school. This type of
exploration can tell decision-makers not only what happened-who passed and
who didn't-but also why it happened: for those who didn't pass, what
factors might have influenced this. Eventually, Jackson Public School
District administrators will be able to predict what is going to happen-who
will pass and who will not pass-and identify the causal factors that
influenced this outcome: discipline problems, absenteeism, transiency, etc.

Because the district's own assessment test results are correlated to the
state-level test results, Jackson school officials can know the strengths
and weaknesses of each student before the state administers its subject
area test. This information will empower them to mobilize resources that
address specific discrepancies. Essentially, the decision-makers at Jackson
Public School District can begin to practice proactive, instead of
reactive, decision-making about how best to serve their students.

*****

In addition to scoring traditional "objective" test questions
automatically, the system enables educators to view and score short-answer,
essay, and fill-in-the-blank questions, too. [Computer scoring of essays?]

<SNIP>

A recent upgrade to the original system now gives educators access to
thousands of standards-correlated item banks to create and score
pregenerated quizzes in minutes.

Scantron says the product can be used with any handheld device that runs on
a Palm operating system of version 3.5 or greater, but so far the company
has marketed Classroom Wizard most heavily with Palm's M100 model, because
of its very low price point.

Schools can purchase the Classroom Wizard system, which includes related
hardware and software, starting at under $1,000. Classroom packs of 30
handhelds preloaded with the Classroom Wizard software are available to
schools for about $3,500.

[So those tests don't cost a million dollars?]

*****
One such tool, known as Measures of Academic Progress, or MAP, was
developed by the Portland, Oregon-based Northwest Evaluation Association
(NWEA). It's an example of "computerized adaptive testing," which means it
can create an individualized test that dynamically adapts to the skill
level of every single child, based on where he or she exists on the
learning curve.

<SNIP>

"We have definitely seen an increased interest in [MAP] in light of the
political atmosphere," Stetson added. "With this product, you can actually
report back to the state and show how a whole district, one grade level,
one classroom, or one individual student is doing on a particular subject."

NWEA currently works with 640 districts across the United States, including
some 35 districts in Idaho, where it is preparing to sign a contract for
the entire state. A statewide exit exam is scheduled to roll out in Idaho
this spring.

*****
To generate the data that will help administrators make better decisions,
districts will have to rely on technology-and, more importantly, they will
need to have someone on staff with enough technical knowledge to extract
the data from their original sources, convert them to a format readable by
the analysis tool, and assure that these data don't become contaminated in
the conversion process, Yeagley said.

<SNIP>

Through the company's new High Stakes Management solution, employees will
export data from the SuccessMaker courseware, correlate the results with
students' state assessment scores, and come up with a targeted plan for
getting students to the level of competence they need in order to pass the
exams.
*****


> In a message dated 3/13/02 5:17:47 PM Pacific Standard Time,
> kber@EARTHLINK.NET writes:

For a copy of your free report ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY, please
visit http://www.eschoolnews.com/resources/reports/assessment/

Dear School Technology Professional,
>From data tracking, analysis, and reporting tools to sophisticated
computerized assessments, technology is going to play a key
role in helping your schools meet tough new accountability standards.

That's why, as a school technology leader, you have been selected to
receive, ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY, the latest in the
critically acclaimed eSchool News Special Report series. For a limited
time, this in-depth update is FREE.

Written especially for school leaders like you, this no-nonsense,
landmark report will give you invaluable ideas, jargon-free
insights, and time-saving resources you need to make critical
assessment-and-accountability decisions for your schools.

For example: ...

**You'll discover the importance of data-driven decision making and the
tools you'll need to make the most informed decisions
for your district.
**You'll see why electronic testing is a practical approach to
accountability in your schools and how sophisticated
data-tracking systems can improve your ability to measure gaps and
strengths in your students' learning-BEFORE they face those
high-stakes tests.
...and much more!

This Special Report -- ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY - normally sells
for $49.95, but is available to you FREE for a limited
time only. Get your free report today by visiting
http://www.eschoolnews.com/resources/reports/assessment/

PS This Special Report normally sells for $49.95. Your free offer is
available for a limited time only. I urge you to visit
http://www.eschoolnews.com/resources/reports/assessment/
for your free copy of ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY right now, while
you're thinking about it. I promise after reading it,
you'll be armed with the vital inside information you need to make the
very best assessment and accountability decisions for
your schools.

At 12:29 AM 3/14/2002 -0500, Juanita Doyon wrote:

> > Written especially for school leaders like you, this no-nonsense,
> > landmark report will give you invaluable ideas, jargon-free
> > insights, and time-saving resources you need to make critical
> > assessment-and-accountability decisions for your schools.
>
>
> cough, gag, sputter, eck!  Jargon free my butt!!!  Count the jargon in
> this paragraph alone.  Sheesh!  Here comes -- oh, what's the name of that
> big computer on Desk Set?

George Sheridan
Northside School
Cool, California 95614