S.D. misses second No Child Left Behind data deadline
State could be penalized, school districts missing facts
BY BOB MERCERPIERRE—
The state Department of Education is days past deadline already and doesn’t know when results from this year’s round of No Child Left Behind tests can be delivered to South Dakota school districts.
The department and districts could be found out of federal compliance and penalties are a possible result.
School districts were supposed to get their data Friday, with statewide data becoming available today to the general public.
She said it’s unknown when the malfunctions will be cleared. She called the situation “a black eye” for the department.
Million dollar contract
State records show the state Office of Finance and Management engaged the Blaine, Minnesota-based company in a new contract for $5.3 million that runs from July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2014.
Three state officials’ signatures on the contract are dated from a five-day period in September 2010. None are still in their positions from that time.
Infinite Campus was hired to run the student information system at the statewide level and at the district level for all South Dakota school districts.
Schopp disclosed the problem Monday afternoon during a meeting with the state Board of Education.
School districts were promised the data would be delivered to them Monday but that wasn’t possible, she said.
“Due to a number of issues with our vendor, we’re not even close,” she said. “Bottom line, we don’t have the data ready.”
She said DOE staff worked throughout the weekend trying to clear up the latest problems.
Schopp revealed that the department faced problems with the vendor in past years but nothing to the degree of the current breakdown. She said she will “explore” the contract with Infinite Campus going forward.
Success story
Infinite Campus lists the South Dakota Department of Education as a success story on the company’s Internet site.
Featured is a quote from Schopp regarding the use of the Infinite Campus system for determining adequate yearly progress under No Child Left Behind.
“From a state data professional’s perspective, the system has been a lifesaver,” she says on the company’s South Dakota website.
Since she was appointed as secretary by new Gov. Dennis Daugaard in April, Schopp has been alternately defying and working with the U.S. Department of Education regarding NCLB.
She is trying to get federal clearance for South Dakota to keep its annual standards for measuring NCLB progress at 2009-10 levels rather than moving ahead to 2011.
She said she’ll ask the U.S. DOE for flexibility regarding South Dakota’s inability to get the latest adequate yearly progress data delivered to schools.
“But right now, I’m probably not on their favorites list,” Schopp said.
LINK: http://www.aberdeennews.com/news/aan-sd-misses-second-no-child-left-behind-data-deadline-20110725,0,508772.story
