Data Mining/Collection--Common Core, ESEA Flexibility, FERPA, NCLB Waivers--What Data Points and Why

Data Mining/Collection is such a big deal to think about.  Who would want to collect tons of data on children and their families.  What kind of information do they plan to get--data points?  Why would they go to great lengths to data mine or collect?  By the way here is a website with help for Opting-Out.

The above are just some of the questions that many parents across America are trying to figure out.  We just saw the over-reach of the IRS, NSA, Obamacare and now Obamacore (Common Core).  It is as if nothing is sacred or to be protected--not even our children.  The more you find out the more questions you have.  Specially when you see them say in their guide--Grit Tenacity and Perseverance--

"Recommendation 13:
Researchers should investigate systematically the different reasons for demonstrating grit and potential benefits and costs in learning environments with different goal structures. Potential risks should be explored." (xvi)

• So, why aren't we listening to experts?  Computerization--research shows that it limits creativity, mind body coordination, and the human dimension of school that is so crucial to child development.

Ex. Silicon valley executives and engineers are sending their kids to schools that do not use technology in the classroom but rely on old fashioned methods because they do not believe computers and other technology enhance learning.
LOS ALTOS, Calif. — The chief technology officer of eBay sends his children to a nine-classroom school here. So do employees of Silicon Valley giants like Google, Apple, Yahoo and Hewlett-Packard.
They have a message: computers and schools don't mix.

Here are some links to do your own investigations on what happens with computerization:

Education is the new goldmine as a $500 Billion industry--it has been found a worthy place to invest by Bill Gates.

Here are some of the reasons for giving his grants (complete list here):

Council of Chief State School Officers (Supposed Owners of the Copyrighted Common Core)

Date: June 2011
Purpose: to support the Common Core State Standards work
Amount: $9,388,911

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The Aspen Institute

Date: January 2013
Purpose: to support the Aspen Institute’s Urban Superintendents Network, develop resources to integrate Common Core State Standards and educator effectiveness policies and practices, and use lessons from the field to inform national policy
Amount: $3,615,655

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Scholastic, Inc.

Date: November 2011
Purpose: to support teachers’ implementation of the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics
Amount: $4,463,541

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American Federation Of Teachers Educational Foundation

Date: June 2012
Purpose: to support the AFT Innovation Fund and work on teacher development and Common Core State Standards
Amount: $4,400,000

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Khan Academy Inc.

Date: July 2011
Purpose: to develop the remaining K-12 math exercises to ensure full coverage of the Common Core math standards and form a small team to implement a blended learning model
Amount: $4,079,361

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Since it is such a goldmine it is not hard to find others partnering in the goldrush with Gates such as Rupert Murdoch's News Corp's  Amplify Education division that develop the database system.  They then turn it over to inBloom a non-profit to operate and control the information.

The 2009 Stimulus $$

But if all we do is save jobs, we will miss this opportunity – which is why we are also using this recovery money to drive reform in four core areas.  It starts with robust data systems that track student achievement and teacher effectiveness ...(Arne Duncan's speech here is a must read.)

• We need to do a much better job of tracking students from Pre-K through college. Teachers need this data to better target instruction to students. Principals need to know which teachers are producing the biggest gains and which may need more help. 
• We also need to track teachers back to their colleges of education so we can challenge teacher-training programs to raise the bar. 
• There's a lot of money available in the Recovery Act to help improve our data systems and I want to work with you to put the very best technology at the service of education...

"There has never been this much money on the table and there may never be again"

"Once new standards are set and adopted you need to create new tests that measure whether students are meeting those standards. Tonight -- I am announcing that the Obama administration will help pay for the costs of developing those tests."*

"Today, perhaps for the first time, we have enough money to really make a difference."

So Here They Go With The Data System:

1. Start the State Longitudinal Data Systems--Feds prohibited legally from gathering student specific data for a "national database", the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) "Stimulus Bill" -- gave money to the states to develop longitudinal data systems to catalog data generated by Common Core aligned tests.
   
   
2. Race to the Top Application--made states comply when this administration used data system development as the key criteria for awarding additional K-12 funds through RTT.
   
   
3. Changing FERPA-- to allow almost anyone access to student record without parental consent.

Where are our legislators on the FERPA changes?-- One commenter (see page 7) stated that ARRA was merely an appropriations law and did not suggest any shift in Congressional intent regarding FERPA’s privacy protections, information sharing, or the disclosure of student education records, generally.  Great point--please ask your legislator to look into this!!!

The Common Core tests gather student-specific data to be stored by the states in the longitudinal data systems designed to track a student from pre-school through college.  This is a must read as to what they may gather.

Product:  See inbloom video

Problems

Grit Tenacity and Perseverance-

Promoting Grit, Tenacity, and Perseverance:

Critical Factors for Success in the 21st Century

U.S. Department of Education

Office of Educational Technology

-An Experiment on America's Children--"Recommendation 13:
Researchers should investigate systematically the different reasons for demonstrating grit and potential benefits and costs in learning environments with different goal structures. Potential risks should be explored." (xvi)

La Unified takes back Ipads due to students hacking.

Around 120,000 records--hacked information from universities such as Harvard, Cambridge, Stanford and Johns Hopkins. In total, 100 universities were targeted.

Twitter and New York Times still patchy as registrar admits SEA hack

Read Emmett McGroarty's (American Principles Project) warning on Dec. 2011:--As of Jan. 3, 2012, interstate and intergovernmental access to your child’s personal information will be practically unlimited. The federal government will have a de facto nationwide database of supposedly confidential student information.

The department says this won’t happen. If the states choose to link their data systems, it says, that’s their business, but “the federal government would not play a role” in operating the resulting megadatabase.

This denial is, to say the least, disingenuous. The department would have access to the data systems of each of the 50 states and would be allowed to share that data with anyone it chooses, as long as it uses the right language to justify the disclosure.

And just as the department used the promise of federal money to coerce the states into developing these systems, it would almost certainly do the same to make them link their systems. The result would be a nationwide student database, whether or not it’s “operated” from an office in Washington.

The loosening of student-privacy protection would greatly increase the risks of unauthorized disclosure of personal data. Even the authorized disclosure would be limited only by the imaginations of federal bureaucrats. "

The future looks too much like Orwell's 1984--let's stop it now and it involves YOU.  Hear a Mother's concern about data:

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Here's food for thought from Mrs. Lisa Harris--follow it and it will amaze you at what each state is being forced to buy into:

ATTENTION ALABAMA PARENTS BE IN MONTGOMERY TOMORROW IF YOU CAN. THIS IS IMPORTANT INFO!!!
This link is to a public statement by MARY SCOTT HUNTER, ALSDE board member in her support of the resolution to be voted on tomorrow regarding student data and privacy.

This resolution is a smoke screen and DOES NOT PROTECT STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES.

I have broken the resolution down by category and inserted the facts as they apply. This resolution actually confirms the collection and sharing of student data, but because most individuals do not know the legal information, it appears solid.

First, let me say that prior to the release of the Common Core Standards, ALL 50 states agreed to set up SLDS, Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems to collect data and share with the federal government because it is illegal for the Feds to do this themselves. The Obama administration has called for over 400 points of data to be collected on families, very personal information.

THE RESOLUTION begins by stating that ALSDE fully complies with the requirements of FERPA, the federal law which is supposed to protect family privacy in education settings. HOWEVER, THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION GUTTED THE LAW IN DECEMBER OF 2011. On January 3, 2012, changes went into effect that allowed for the collection of student data by third parties and that those parties retain ownership of that data and may share it or SELL IT at their discretion.

The Resolution is broken down in categories.

DATA COLLECTION PROCESS
This states that ALSDE does not collect data. It is collected at the local level. Of course, that is the direct access to the student, academic records, registration for standards tests, etc. HOWEVER, the resolution goes on to state that this data is reported daily to ALSDE and the USDOE. The resolution claims that students are given an individual unique student identifier and no information is shared that is personally identifiable. This is false on two levels. First IT experts state that because of cross data collection from various sources, including multiple government agencies such as USDOE, HHS, Dept. of labor, USDA, and the IRS, that this unique identifier can within a matter of seconds IDENTIFY the child and family. Secondly, there are many situations where the child's data is collected which requires specific personal information to be collected by name, social security number, etc.

DATA CATEGORIES
This is where ALSDE claims that information is only shared using unique student identifiers. Well, because the categories of the types of information shared is so specific, the cross collection easily allows for the breakdown of data privacy here. There are numerous requirements by the Feds and categories by which they collect data. Computer programs have the ability to almost instantaneously sort and match information to be able to isolate individual students.

Data is collected at the federal level from schools to meet requirements of many different federal programs, such as the federal law governing education, ESEA, No Child Left Behind, The ESEA waiver to NCLB, Special Education, Title 1, and various sources of federal funding just to mention a few.

DATA SECURITY
IT experts say that even the best security can be easily hacked. But, the information is so easily accessible, hacking is not really necessary.

EXTERNAL DATA REQUESTS
ALSDE states that it will give out data to outside entities based on certain criteria and in adherence to FERPA. As I have already stated, FERPA has become basically worthless. So, the criteria is usually loosely categorized as "for educational purposes". That could be surveys by Google or Microsoft (Bill Gates), Textbook companies, testing companies, colleges and universities, etc.

THIRD PART DATA USE
The resolution states that data collected will be shared with third parties (who can and will further share it) based on executed agreements and Memorandums of Understanding by third parties (Common Core was adopted in Alabama due to a Memorandum of Understanding). These executed agreements are such as those with ACT, Inc., the company that will provide the Common Core aligned assessments for AL. It is stated in their privacy agreement that they can and will collect student data at their discretion and share it as they see fit. Registration for these tests requires inputting personally identifiable student information,

Furthermore, ACT assessments include components that by a computerized test collect information to be scored using artificial intelligence through psychosocial behavioral assessments to make diagnoses of students' psychological attributes. These components include the ACT Engage component of ACT Aspire, ACT PLAN, and WORKKEYS.

LOCAL SCHOOL/SYSTEM COMPLIANCE
As previously stated local data is shared daily with the state. Alabama collects student data with programs from STI of Mobile, AL. The academic and personal information is collected using their INow program which identifies students by name, photo, and other personal family information. In 2010, AL added a medical component called HealthNOW or InformationHealthNow. This can be accessed by school and medical personnel and retains as a part of the record medical information, disciplinary records, mental health records, legal and criminal records.

Additionally, as a part of COMMON CORE data collection, there are data exchange systems being put into place to collect data and share it across states and regions. In the Southeast to include Alabama is SEEDS, the SE data exchange system. To access student data through SEEDS, one has to enter the child's name, age(grade level) and state. A list of students with those shared details appears. So, not only is one specific student accessed but a list of them having common information.

In early 2012, The Quality Data Campaign identified Alabama as having all required components in place for the SLDS.

So, with these facts how much privacy protection do you think this resolution offers? Be at that meeting in Montgomery at the ALSDE board meeting and let your voice be heard.