If you recall, I posted a visit to the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium at UCLA and there was no one home, just empty offices and empty bookshelves.
But happily, SBAC has found a new home: the University of California at Santa Cruz. This is a strange marriage because I remember visiting Santa Cruz and discovering it to be the least likely place in the world to house an agency for standardized testing. It was the most non-standardized, singular, individualistic campus I have ever visited. It is the campus of the Free Spirit. At that time–maybe 15 years ago, there was a Department of the History of Consciousness. I think there still is. What an odd marriage this is. Maybe SBAC might make ties with that department and turn the testing into something new and enthralling.
According to Politico Pro:
UC Santa Cruz is taking over as the fiscal agent for the Smarter Balanced test consortium, the two announced today.
The university’s work with the consortium begins immediately and will be conducted by its UCSC Silicon Valley Extension. In its new role, the university will provide administrative support in human resources, financial resources, purchasing and other areas.
Smarter Balanced is a public agency that developed a Common Core-aligned test used in 15 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands and by the Bureau of Indian Education.
It, along with PARCC, was one of two testing consortia started with the help of federal funds. Both have lost support from some states in recent years amid political discourse over the Common Core standards and standardized testing.
In October, UCLA’s Graduate School of Education and Information Studies said it would not renew its contract to do the work with Smarter Balanced. And the three-year deal between Smarter Balanced and UCLA ends June 30.
“We are excited to partner with UC Santa Cruz Silicon Valley Extension,” said Tony Alpert, the director of Smarter Balanced. “UCSC Silicon Valley Extension is in the heart of one of our nation’s most innovative regions. We see this as a true partnership where we will both benefit from each other’s expertise.”
Lynda Rogers, dean of the extension, said its mission includes supporting K-12 education with high-quality curriculum and supports for educators.
“It was clear to us that the Smarter Balanced mission and the Division of Continuing Education are aligned,” Rogers said.
To view online:
https://www.politicopro.com/education/whiteboard/2017/04/uc-sant-cruz-to-partner-with-smarter-balanced-testing-consortium-086850
Diane Ravitch's blog 
UC Santa Cruz has a Silicon Valley extension? No wonder they did this. What a terrible move.
LikeLike
Having visited the SBAC UCLA offices 3 weeks ago, the 3000 sq. ft. office was 90% dark and only 2 staff members working. Paisha Allmendinger, the Finance Director of SBAC stated that only 1 bid have been received from a County Office of Education.
So far UCLA has refused to release any information on those bidding to be the new fiscal agent.
Since Santa Cruz Has a Silicon Valley Extension why not just Bill Gates to be the fiscal agent and make it crystal clear who is running the SBAC?
And yes Santa Cruz is home to hippies and free spirits.
The opposite of the SBAC behavioral tests.
Maybe Santa Cruz will be the new 1960’s march against SBAC city.
Clearly the Santa Cruz we know here in CA is not a fit for SBAC.
Wow…..
LikeLike
The trash can????
LikeLike
“Lynda Rogers, dean of the extension, said its mission includes supporting K-12 education with high-quality curriculum and supports for educators.
“It was clear to us that the Smarter Balanced mission and the Division of Continuing Education are aligned,” Rogers said.”
Shows that having a PhD doesn’t necessarily mean someone is intelligent.
LikeLike
But then again, she’s an adminimal, a high falutin one at that, so I wouldn’t expect her to be intelligent, to be a toady, yes, intelligent no.
LikeLike
Next stop: The Learning Annex.
LikeLike
Sorry. I don’t get the joke.
LikeLike
UCSC doesn’t give grades, at least it didn’t when I was shopping for universities, years ago. Then, profs wrote prose evaluations instead of giving A’s, BS, and C’s. The fighting Banana Slugs of UC Santa Cruz are diametrically opposed philosophically to categorical evaluation. At least, they were.
LikeLike
Not speechless. The conservatives are putting deformers in positions of power at Universities. It’s SICK.
LikeLike
As a public university, the communications to/from Lynda Rogers or other administrators at the UCSC Silicon Valley Extension program are covered by California Public Records Act.
In which one is likely to find the broker of the donations – likely washed through the Silicon Valley Community Foundation – that greased the skids for SBAC to land there.
On Reed Hastings making exactly that choice, see Alternet’s Steven Rosenfeld piece from last January
http://www.salon.com/2016/01/17/netflix_founder_drops_100_milli_on_the_silicon_valley_led_crusade_to_destroy_our_public_schools_partner/
On Tuesday, Netflix founder and CEO Reed Hastings announced on Facebook that he was creating a $100 million foundation to fund education, which mostly means bankrolling the charter school industry.
“I’m thrilled to announce that I’m funding a new $100m philanthropic fund for education, creatively named the Hastings Fund, through the Silicon Valley Community Foundation,” he wrote. “Neerav Kingsland is the CEO of this fund, and will donate these funds in the best way possible for kids’ education.”
LikeLike