Grading the MCAS-Alt on a Scale

In the State of Massachusetts, children are subjected to the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) in accordance with federal No Child Left Behind mandates. Assuming that the MCAS tests are state of the art student evaluations, then by it's formulation, which includes exceptions to the rule, the MCAS already accepts that notion that standardized tests cannot adequately evaluate the entire spectrum of pupils. Within the MCAS specification is method for the evaluation of the profoundly disabled student known as the MCAS-Alt. My proposal is that if the bottom of the curve deserves a special method of evaluation, perhaps the top of the curve does as well. I would propose a specification called the MCAS-exception which allows educators to nominate exceptional or gifted children who may not adapt well to standard test environments to be tested according to a more subjective guideline and to provide a method by which students and their parents could apply for this more subjective form of evaluation within the standardized testing framework. Perhaps in "Race To The Top, Part Deux"?

Massachusetts Education Gets High Ranks

In the examination of local and state governance of education, one cannot overlook the increasing role of the federal government in setting broad educational agenda that trickle down to all levels. Strong influence over state educational policy began with the plan to implement national testing standards under the administration of President George H. W. Bush. A decade later, his son, President George W. Bush would sign the No Child Left Behind Act into law and impose a national framework under which State and Local Educators and Politician would be required to operate. (1)

Within the context of a national educational policy, a State Department of Education exists to support, assist and regulate the public schools and academic organizations that comprise the state system. It also acts as a collective bargaining entity interacting with the federal congress for funding of educational services through it's state. (2)

The local school districts operate under the constraints of federal policy as well. It is the local government that is chartered with the daily task of putting teachers in classrooms, face to face with their pupils. The local school district pays the water bill, electric, building maintenance, teachers salaries, chalk, and laser pointers. These are the tasks that underpin my local districts vision of working to "foster academic excellence by implementing best practices, improving facilities, appreciating diversity, and requiring accountability."(3)

When asked to assign a subjective ranking It is rare that I cannot envision room for improvement in our schools. Applying the national standards tests, according to our Governor's website, 8th graders in Massachusetts ranked first in the nation, while our 4th graders tied for first place.(4) Given these statistics I am compelled to deliver a ranking of 8 for the state, "with a bullet". Now it's time to "Race For The Top"



1. (n.d). Obama Administration Education Policy. Retrieved from Facts On File: Issues & Controversies database.

2. Website: Massachusetts Department of Education
http://www.doe.mass.edu/mailings/welcome.html

3. Website: Athol-Royalston School District
http://www.arrsd.org/index.php/about-us/splan/68-vs

4. Website: http://devalpatrick.com/accomp.php?idx=4

Town Support for Schools in Tough Times.

On June 14th, 2010, the citizens of Athol Massachusetts, in an open town meeting, voted 127 to 5 in favor of allocating up to $400,000 dollars toward a feasibility study on the options for managing an elementary school that is literally falling down around the teachers and children who attend it. The cost of the study was hotly debated with the school board and parents organization advocated the expenditure. In dissent were two factions, town residents who have no children and those who feel the limit funds could be better spent elsewhere.

One relevant question was why the town needed to spend so much money to study something so obvious. All one has to do is walk through the building to see the plaster falling off the walls, dust dripping from the ceiling and the exposed wires where hangers and wall board have given way. It is obvious to a casual observer that renovating or rebuilding is critically necessary at this school.

The answer to that question is that the State requires the feasibility study as a first step in considering where to assign educational grant money to the individual local governments.

This is a case where the local residents are so close to the problem that they are, at first, unable to realize that, at the state level, the questions a study would answer are necessary to prioritize the granting of monies to Athol over the hundreds of other places the money might be spent.

A useful explanation for why the study is necessary is written by the National Trust for Historic Preservation which provides a comprehensive white paper on the role of these studies in determining the options, refurbishment vs. rebuilding.

In the state of Massachusetts, these studies, while initially funded by the local government, are, if accepted by the state, reimbursed at a rate of up to 80% of the cost of the study. The means that if successful, the town will only have spent a little less than a quarter of the cost of the study. Once the study is completed, the next step is to apply for funding from the state to address the building, which we hope will result in a new school building for the town.

Google, you're cooler than freedom!

Do we think iGoogle is cool enough to be our active desktop? If we do, why is Google cool but Windows was not? We are all Open Source and X and "roll your own" custom desktops for years and now, Google does it for us and flock yipping like kittens with yarn. Is it just a tool or, like the beetles that are deforesting the north east, is it a slow, very sneaky disease bent on dominating our computers?

Maybe I just need some coffee.

Ethics Start at Home

At first blush, a student of professional ethics might turn to a myriad of professional associations and government agencies in an attempt to locate applicable sources of ethical guidance. These agencies and foundations are not without merit and certainly provide a solid first source from which to start formulating a personal or team ethic. Many professions have associations which provide ethical frameworks; state bar associations for lawyers, medical and teaching boards, societies for certified public accountants, among others.
While the consideration of a professional associations code of ethics is certainly a resource from which to start, "any bureaucratization of what constitutes ethics runs the risk of absolving the student/researcher from moral reflection once the ethics consideration form is approved." (Askins, 2008)

Another source in the formation of a professional ethic is through interactive instruction with ones mentors, teachers and collaborators. In Canada, for instance, students at Ryerson University learn about reviewing protocols
through a variety of processes, including mentorship, consultation with other Board members, workshop participation, independent study and others. (Walton, Karabanow, & Saleh, 2008) At their university, the researcher suggest that the quality of ethical review boards are not only enhanced by a collaboration that include expert faculty and students but that the mix provides better for the spirit of laws governing ethical review boards.

Perhaps the most critical source upon which one must rely to decide a question of ethics is introspective in nature. In the final analysis, one must draw on the cultural teachings, the personal faith and ones own "gut" as the source of ones ethics. Indeed, what leads any individual to make what he or she sees as a reasonable judgement about the truth of a value claim is not evidence such that any reasonable person would find sufficient--but evidence that the individual finds personally sufficient to support or oppose the program put forward. (Broidy & Jones, 1998)

Ethics IS Marketing

I often mention that critical thinking is the "stock in trade" of being a systems analyst and a programming contractor. As such, conducting my business in an ethical manner is a form of marketing, not to mention the right thing to do.

Often, in order to provide a process model for a business, I must have access to a clients proprietary information. I am trusted with accounting data, passwords, personnel information and critical infrastructure upon which the client's business relies. Starting with what exists, I am then asked to help assess and form plans for the future growth of the company. Not only does this require critical thought, but also, an ethical responsibility. The health and longevity of the company and it's employees is, to a sometimes significant degree, dependent upon my performance. This statement is not intended to devalue nor indemnify other team members who share this responsibility as well.

When I bid on a job, I am promising the client that I will protect their confidentiality, use Best Practices and charge a fair but honest price. How I perform and deliver effects my reputation and that of programming contractors in general.

Writing is a Puzzle

My favorite part of writing is the opportunity to articulate my thoughts. Writing assignments are permission to express ones ideas without apology. The challenge of organizing sentences to clearly reflect my thoughts is quite enjoyable. Writing is a puzzle whose solution is the sum of parts the author manufactures. One has an idea what picture will result when the pieces are assembled but the pieces are not all provided.

The hardest part of writing for me is getting started. The transition from the blank page to a rough draft is always difficult. A technique that works well for me is focused free-writing. Once I break the inertia of staring at a blank page and start writing, the thoughts tend to flow like water from a floodgate.

With initial thoughts on paper, I rework the results, often stopping to brainstorm ideas that will support the ideas I wrote during my free-writing exercise. It is not uncommon for me to create several drafts of my ideas and modify my outline many times before I am satisfied.

Ultimately the best tip I have about writing is to avoid second guessing the ideas from the initial brainstorm. The challenge is to surmount the paradox of writing expertly about that which one is far from expert and express myself.