North Carolina officials are trying to get a refund from Pearson because of flaws in the data system that Pearson is running for the state.
Pearson is charging the state $7.1 million for its information system but it doesn’t work.
Here are some of the problems with Pearson’s PowerSchool:
CMS POWERSCHOOL WOES
At the Observer’s request, CMS produced a summary of ongoing problems with PowerSchool.
• Transcripts: Cannot produce transcripts for mid-year graduates. System maintenance has wiped out some data for other students.
• Athletic eligibility: PowerSchool cannot generate eligibility reports. CMS created a local system.
• Driver’s license eligibility: Can’t create reports that verify students’ eligibility.
• Graduates and dropouts: Reporting systems on retention, promotion and graduation don’t work; there is no dropout reporting system.
• School activity reports: CMS has created work-around systems because of flaws in reports that track teacher qualifications and student-teacher ratios.
• Enrollment: Monthly reports that tally enrollment at each school have had glitches. The September report is used as the official snapshot of statewide enrollment. The state reported that this function was fixed in February.
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/02/28/4731119/nc-on-troubled-school-data-system.html#.UxfazMu9KSN#storylink=cpy
On a different North Carolina matter, last night the Cumberland County Board of Education in Fayetteville voted courageously and unanimously, 9-0, to seek legislative repeal of the Act that ended teacher career status and created the demoralizing and destructive 25% contract/bonus rule. The resolution also seeks a fair and equitable pay raise for educators to gain the national average in 5 years–now NC pay is 46th in the nation and starting pay is 48th nationally. Over 200 teachers, clad in red, were on hand in an overflow crowd at the Board of Education to support the resolution. Cumberland is the 4th largest school district in NC and one of the top 100 in the nation. Cumberland’s detailed resolution followed actions in the last several weeks by the Guilford, Durham and Wake School Boards, continuing the cascading effect and nearly unanimous chorus of business, education and public voices generally against the ideological and extremely poorly thought out plan of the state legislature ending career status protection. This legislation pitted teacher against teacher, turning teachers into what our CCAE President called “competitors and not collaborators” for a $500 bonus if they agreed to waive career status and sign a 4 year contract–but only 25% of the teachers in any district could be awarded such a contract. Either by litigation or legislation, hopefully, this unfortunate and deeply flawed legislation will be reversed before it does even more damage. Congratulations to the NCAE and all of the Boards of Education speaking out, in bi-partisan fashion, for teachers and public education in our state. Representative Rick Glazier
good
Rep. Glazier is a voice of hope and reason in NC! There are some legislators in NC who are committed to public education and he is one of them.
Well, at least they are consistent.Pearson’s Envisions math online content is poorly designed and has constant and consistent problems.
Good.
Accountability cannot be a one way street.
Sounds worse than the initial computer problems associated with Obamacare. It least Obama was able to fix his computer glitzes. Why isn’t Pearson being held to account in the public press like Obama was? Why the double-standard?
Wow.. if this were the “real corporate world” .. )and remember those who favor vouchers believe in “choice” but who has that these days… ).. If this were the real corporate world, Pearson would be fired (and for the many other Pearson botches in testing and publications). But alas, this is not the real world. This is the pseudo “reform” world where profiteers lead a false PR “charge” in a do as I say but not as I do fashion ! Hats off to NC for fighting this and for fighting the insulting $500 bonus proposal.
So, it would seem that the only part of Pearson’s system that is working is that the data that will be lost, corrupted or otherwise mishandled can still be entered by keyboard? Seriously though, even if there are parts of the system that are working as intended, the parts that aren’t constitute a fatal error. My advice to NC, don’t let Pearson pro rate the refund.
How many of those graduating seniors have been jilted because of this fiasco?
and.. to NC…You threw the Power School at your teachers claiming it was so awesome and some of it did seem awesome…………but ..you failed to do a pilot program…now you have on your hands incorrect data or lost data..
and…to NC..You threw this CC$$ AT your teachers and are using the students a guinea pigs..
What a Shame that these students in your state can not get the education they deserve nor a clean High School transcript..
Sometimes you have to start over.
CC$$ needs to be thrown out..Teachers are grasping for any material they can find on any one of you Codes in this Maze of Chaos….
As the RTTT money pours in by the millions. it has not in any way helped the students in your state.