Monthly Archives: February 2013

Concerns

Framework for a Multistate Human Capital Development Data System

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Save a copy of this one. This paper received its funding from …SURPRISE… the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  Titled “Framework for a Multistate Human Capital Development Data System,” this paper outlines the population tracking of people in America. Here’s a few salient quotes.

The rise of a globalized knowledge economy requires us to understand the distribution of skills and abilities in our population.

This “human capital development data system” must be developed to answer “master” policy questions that benefit each of the principal state stakeholders – the K-12 education system, the postsecondary system, and labor/workforce development system – both for accountability purposes and to inform improvements in policy and practice.

A more effective data system for accountability and policy and practice improvements could provide answers to such questions. Integrated to enable large-scale longitudinal analyses to support state educational and workforce development policy, student or individual unit-record data, linked together across K-12 education, postsecondary education, and the workforce, comprise what we call a human capital development data system (HCDDS). An HCDDS should be able capable of:
• Tracking the stock and flow of the skills and abilities (represented by education and training) of various populations within a given state.
• Examining the gaps in educational attainment between population groups, based on demography and socio-economic status.
• Incorporating information from multiple states, given the mobility of the U.S. population and the fact that many population centers are located on state boundaries.

We are all cattle now.  

Given the sensitivity of SSNs and the fact that even they cannot match all individual student records “perfectly,” it is probably wise for states to adopt a broader approach to “identity matching.” Such an approach would link records using a larger group of variables corresponding to student characteristics, including but not limited to the SSN (when available) or statewide student identifier.

Use of Social Security Numbers would pin all tracking data to an individual instead of aggregating it and protecting children’s privacy.

While there is still much work to be done in linking K-12 and postsecondary records, states also should be planning now for how to incorporate workforce data into their longitudinal data systems. Indeed, the federal government has made this a basic expectation for states receiving ARRA funds.

When Utah applied for federal money under Race to the Top and the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA), the feds required us to sign onto a database to track students from preschool through college and into the workforce. Just a year ago the Utah State Office of Education announced their partner in a P20w statewide longitudinal database system that can integrate with other states and federal agencies. <sarcasm>All for research purposes of course.</sarcasm>

Some years ago, Outcome Based Education was shot down by parents when they awoke to what was really going on…the tracking of children and “master” planning for society based on creating good little trained monkeys for the workplace. Children are people. We need to stop treating them like widgets being stamped out at a factory.

Concerned yet? Share this with your legislators and ask them to get us out of Common Core and the Statewide Longitudinal Database System. IT’S NOT GOING TO BE USED JUST FOR RESEARCH. Share fliers with your neighbors. It’s time for an overhaul of our education system that brings it all in-state and gets us off the federal dollars.

 

Reference

What the State Office of Education Isn’t Telling You About Common Core

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Common Core Legislature BookletIn an effort to reach out to legislators, we prepared a 16-page booklet packed with the truth about Common Core and put relevant comics from the Weapons of Math Destruction series on each of the pages. These booklets were passed out to members of the Utah legislature today along with a copy of my op-ed from the Deseret News regarding HJR 8. Will you please email or call your legislator and ask if he/she got the booklet entitled, “What the State Office of Education Isn’t Telling You About Common Core” and ask if he/she agrees that Utah should get out of Common Core.

To get a copy of this booklet, click this link to open it up.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B37_5IjcOBbyQjZuclk1UEJkZ1U/edit?usp=sharing

 

 

News

The Most Laughable Bill of 2013

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The Deseret News has published my op-ed or letter to the editor regarding the most insane bill I’ve ever read. Here’s the text of my letter and a link to the DNews. Please share the DNews link.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765622895/Common-Core-resolution-is-the-most-laughable-bill-of-2013.html

Published Letter

Do we really need to stoop to this level? The legislature is considering HJR 8, “Joint Resolution on the Benefits of Adopting Common Core.” This bill is full of the same lies that get told over and over attempting to propagandize the public into believing they are true.

http://le.utah.gov/~2013/bills/hbillint/HJR008.pdf

“This joint resolution of the Legislature recognizes the significant benefits that have come to Utah’s students due to the adoption of the Utah Core Standards.”

How exactly can someone claim significant benefits when we have NO data on how Common Core is performing yet?

“WHEREAS, the Common Core standards were developed by a state-led effort”

No they were Gates-led, not state-led. The Gates Foundation pumped $20 million into the National Governors Association and Council of Chief State Superintendents Organization to create these standards. They did it to fulfill a contractual obligation stemming from Microsoft’s 2004 contract with UNESCO to create a global education system. Gates has paid $173 million so far to create and promote Common Core. The Utah State Office of Education didn’t even know who was on the drafting committee until the standards were written, which happens to be AFTER Utah adopted them.

“WHEREAS, the process used to write the standards ensured they were informed by the best state and international standards, the best student test scores, the experience of teachers, content experts, states, leading thinkers, feedback from the general public, and the most important international models, as well as research and input from numerous sources, including state departments of education, scholars, assessment developers, and professional organizations;”

You’ve got to be kidding me. First, it’s well established that the Common Core standards were never internationally benchmarked.

Second, does anyone seriously think that the standards were “informed by the best” student test scores?”

“Leading thinkers?” The leading thinkers were on the validation committees and upon reviewing them opted to NOT endorse the standards.

Feedback from the general public? The Utah state office only held a public meeting as a formality due to complaints after they adopted the standards.

“WHEREAS, the Utah State Board of Education began the effort to revise its mathematics core standards in 2007 after concerns were raised about the rigor of the state’s current standards;”

Yes, concerns were raised and the 2007 standards were a great improvement. In fact, those standards had most students finishing algebra 1 in 8th grade so most students could take an authentic calculus class by 12th grade. Unfortunately, Common Core pushes completion of algebra 1 to 9th grade, so most students will never get calculus by the time they graduate, just pre-calculus.

The rest of this bill is so full of nonsense I just can’t even bring myself to comment on it. Here are a couple examples.

“WHEREAS, while Utah Core Standards help teachers organize and prepare for instruction, like building codes help an architect prepare a blueprint, the curricula used to implement the Utah Core Standards varies according to district or charter school needs, like homes built using building standards or codes are not identical, but are built based on the needs and values of the owner while still following the building code;”

“WHEREAS, the Utah Core Standards are based on college, career, and civic readiness that lead to honest labor and are designed for the greater common good of Utah’s citizens:”

My guess is that someone from the State Office of Education drafted this in an attempt to convince legislators and the public that Common Core is really great, magically turning fiction into fact.

Common Core is the biggest education boondoggle foisted upon the American people, and it will prove to be worse as time goes on. How will Utah students be better prepared than anyone else in the United States when they are being commonly trained for the same jobs? Someone needs to jump ahead, and Utah should be that state.

Please contact your legislators and tell them not to be duped by such insanity and to vote against HJR 8.