Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Strategic Plan Survey Available Again
I checked the I-SS web site and noticed that the Strategic Plan Survey is live once again. As I did in a previous post, I am recommending that everyone take the time to complete the survey. We are being asked for our feedback on the goals that will determine the direction of the School System for the next year. You may not feel that surveys are important but the survey was mentioned at last week's Committee of the Whole meeting and at this week's Board Meeting. The administration needs to hear from students, parents, teachers, and others. Otherwise it will continue to be business as usual. The administration likes to cite data so let's give them some real data that reflects the wishes of everyone interested in the quality of our schools. Click on the link below to access the survey.
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Forgive me, but I am going to place this comment in two posts. Regarding the Strategic Plan Survey, I think it would be a great service to the community if the Statesville Record and Landmark would write a small column in the paper regarding the importance of the citizen input in responding to this survey.
ReplyDeleteYears ago, I remember how the NC legislators kept making reference to the low performance in North Carolina SAT scores compared to the rest of the 50 states. While the perception of the printed publicized number did seem very dismal, the truth is the comparison was greatly flawed. Please consider the following: How many states west of the Mississippi required students to take the SAT? What particular group of students west of the Mississippi took the SAT? Could it have been that those students in those western states who took the SAT were looking to gain entrance into an university in the east that required that particular score? How many students in NC were encouraged to take the SAT? I remember that at that time there was a strong push to have as many students in Iredell County schools as possible to take the SAT. Would these hidden variables have an overall affect on the final publicized results of SAT comparison across the nation?
Now my point is, does that cause the data to be flawed? You can rest assured that it does.
Now, let us please consider the formula being used to show improvement in I-SS. It is a formula that has been created by the Holliday accountability system. But, does anyone have any clue of the “hidden variables” that are not being compared when arriving at the final printed result? The answer is NO!
Now, here is a challenge for any supporter of the Holliday system of accountability. Would you allow a statistics professor to come in and evaluate the Holliday system of accountability and printed improvement? Again, I ask. Would you? A while back, I had a simplistic discussion with a statistics professor at a local university who is somewhat familiar with I-SS. Our discussion involved the reported improvement in I-SS according to the Holliday system of accountability. He simply laughed and stated that 60% of data is flawed. Now please remember, his reply is a general comment regarding data.
Here is my question. Is the Holliday system flawed or accurate?
Also, I have started to consistently use my name with my posts. I understand why many of the posters do not use there name. We all understand that. Will the Holliday supporters please start using your name with your post? What do you have to lose?
And since there is much “hidden controversy” regarding the previous administration (not current), it would seem that the local newspaper should start reporting the controversy and allow for a more clear public response (called data or imformation gathering) and eventual resolve. That would be a great public service to the community.