CDE extends LEAs’ CALPADS deadline to April 22
State pushes contractor IBM to fix troubled statewide school data system
Published: April 1, 2011
Keric Ashley, director of the California Department of Education’s Data Management Division, insists the troubled California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System is “operational” and recommends that local educational agencies continue submitting required “Fall 2” data about student coursework, teacher assignments and services to English learners in time to meet an April 22 deadline—several weeks later than originally scheduled.
Ashley’s assurances come despite continuing concerns about a system that was launched in 2009 with what state officials now admit were “overly ambitious” expectations. CALPADS—once it’s functional—will be the largest K-12 student data system in the country, tracking the state’s students individually throughout their public school careers. It’s considered an essential tool for accurately gauging what’s going right with California public schools and what needs to be improved—and for preparing those individual students for future success.
In a Feb. 11 letter to the system’s designer, IBM, CDE Chief Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction Richard Zeiger threatened to cancel a $13.9 million contract over IBM’s alleged “substandard work.”
He gave the contractor 15 days to come up with a plan to correct system deficiencies and complete the project. Ashley said late last month that state officials are reviewing the draft plan IBM submitted in response and are talking “in good faith” with the contractor about how to correct the serious performance problems that continue to plague the system.
“We are not letting IBM off the hook,” Ashley said. “We are working with IBM to mitigate problems.” Ashley said CDE is “not completely satisfied” with IBM’s plan for corrective action but that the corporation has allocated additional resources to the project. “I think things are moving in the right direction,” Ashley added.
As part of budget recommendations to restore some 2010-11 CALPADS funding that was cut by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gov. Jerry Brown called for the establishment of an interagency working group—headed by State Board of Education President Michael Kirst—to thoroughly assess the purpose and future of the system.
The group met for the first time on March 2, and Ashley said members agreed that CALPADS was worth salvaging despite past performance problems. “The consensus was that it should move forward,” he said.
Ashley also said he is also optimistic that the Legislature will include funding for CALPADS in the state’s 2011-12 budget.
More than 90 percent of the state’s 1,500 LEAs have successfully certified their Fall 1 enrollment, graduation and dropout data using the system, Ashley reported. However, only 100 have certified their Fall 2 information. Ashley said the state has a “backup” plan that will permit the state to collect aggregate data to satisfy federal reporting requirements.