New Haven Independent

Posted by: JMAC | June 10, 2008 11:36 AM

It is interesting that DeCarlo said: "Somewhat more than half of the households have Internet access, if you include having it at work."

How can they realistically figure that parents can or have time to access this data at their job? They should have actually noted how many households do have internet access.

What happened to New Haven having free wi-fi? Mayor DeStefano cancelled that plan saying that internet services were "affordable" these days.

I want to know what the BOE is going to do to help parents easily access this wealth of information.

Posted by: Sally Tamarkin | June 10, 2008 12:24 PM

This seems like a good tool for folks that have:

1) a computer at home
2) internet access at home
3) Computer skills necessary to utilize the program

I second JMAC's comment. Many people are prohibited from using the internet for personal reasons at work, especially for an extended period of time. Therefore, home access is the only reliable, consistent way many folks can regularly access the internet when they want to do so uninterrupted for as long as they want/need to.

For this reason, the number of parents/guardians who have internet at work is more or less irrelevant. However, it was relevant to Sullivan-DeCarlo, who used those "figures" to bloat the number of people who will realistically be able to make use of the software, which is why it's amusing/troubling that her count was "somewhat" more than half of NHPS parents. This seems somewhat unscientific and like it needs a bit of clarification, particulary if you are using it to justify the usefulness of your expenditure/project.

Posted by: Daniel Sumrall | June 10, 2008 12:54 PM

this is a good step making teaching and learning more full, however the access question is THE question. when I ran for alder, I made free city-wide wi-fi one of my campaign's issues and quite a few people here in the NHI comments section panned the idea as needless. Most people don't understand the scope and ease of wi-fi, thinking dial-up is just as good.

regardless, we should all support this measure and work to expand access in all parts of new haven.

Posted by: Alphonse Credenza | June 10, 2008 1:55 PM

INTERNET ACCESS AT THE PUBLIC LIBRARY!

Posted by: DAFeder | June 10, 2008 2:48 PM

Sally,

Or a library card. It may not be unfettered access, but it's free, easy to get (you can get a library sticker on your New Haven ID card), and brings parents into a community resource which, if I recall correctly, correlates with better school performance for their kids.

David

Posted by: Westvillian | June 10, 2008 3:40 PM

I'd just like to remind/inform everyone that the New Haven Public Library has free internet access available to use with your (also free) library card - not just at the main branch either, but at all the little branches scattered throughout the city.

I was just reading an article about the unfortunate budget cuts at Bridgeport's public library. The mayor thinks that libraries are not "essential services." However, it's a proven fact that libraries have higher usage rates during economic hard times.

Here's another great example of how libraries provide an important, practical function in the community. By offering free services (such as computer access, computer skills classes, job training information and career services, etc.), libraries help to level the socio-economic playing field - even more important during a time when few families will have the extra cash to purchase a computer for the first time, or repair one if it breaks.

Posted by: JMAC | June 10, 2008 4:26 PM

Libraries are great for internet access, sure.

But the Board of Education shouldn't expect parents to go all the way to the library for up to date, important information about their children.

Why make parents jump through hoops?

The BOE constantly calls for more parental involvement but then discourages the parents who do get involved or create unnecessary barriers for their involvement - whether as volunteers at schools, decision-making, or accessing information.

Posted by: Catherine Sullivan-DeCarlo | June 10, 2008 4:28 PM

Let me clarify on the question of how many parent households have access to the Internet. I was drawing from memory at last night's board meeting and I was a bit off, I apologize!

The NHPS Community Engagement Team recently conducted a survey on engagement, with approximately 700 parents responding. One of the questions we asked concerned Internet access. We asked parents how many had access to the Internet at home and 71% told us they do have it at home, 29% do not. We also asked if they have Internet access at work. Half - 50% - said they did and half - 50% did not.

Judging from the web mail we receive, more and more parents are actively using web tools to communicate.

Thanks for the opportunity to clarify - Catherine

Posted by: elmcityguy | June 10, 2008 4:59 PM

I love this idea. I realize there are parents who cannot use the internet at work, or don't have internet access at home, but for those of us that do, this will be awesome.

Posted by: Sally Tamarkin | June 10, 2008 5:07 PM

DAFeder, I agree that the NHPL is a great resource but can you imagine if 29% of parents/guardians (if the 700-person sample is generalizable to the larger parent population. I have no idea if it is) who have children in the NHPS descended on the main branch or their local branches to make use of this software? Could cause some computer use traffic jams. Not to mention the time and expense of getting yourself downtown before or after work or between shifts, etc.

But the larger point is that when you roll out a project or program you want to make sure that it is accessible to the people its intended to serve, particularly when development, support and deployment of the project is a taxpayer expense (I assume it is, I could be wrong.)

I don't want to beat a dead horse or split hairs too much. Clearly anything the BOE/City can do to make parental involvement easier, friendlier, less intimidating and more inclusive and widespread is a step in the right direction. I just would hope that whatever taxpayer or other money gets spent on is actually filling a need/gap in a useful, functional, appropriate way for everyone it's meant to serve.

Posted by: FIX THE SCHOOLS | June 10, 2008 6:26 PM

Interesting development and quotes - and commentary so far. Most readers seem to think it's all about the parents. You'll be happy to know that the mayor agrees with you.

But why, if few parents have access to this, is it still a very positive development? Because to Perkins' uncharacteristically good point, the system has the power to provide meaningful, real-time, feedback on student and teacher performance to the educators. This is good IN THEORY.

IN PRACTICE, it might be a very different story. The effectiveness of the system depends on whether it will be used as intended, which would be to allow instructors, principals, and administrators to drill down to the class or student level which at a minimum will set up a safety net for kids who are constantly absent, don't hand in homework, fail quizzes or tests.

The New Haven district is capable of allowing some children to receive a world class education, and yet far too many children on the other end of the economic spectrum can fall and fall and fall - never to be found again. This new data system in theory should be used to set off alarm bells if children are falling and failing. Lets see if the adults in the system answer the call.

Some other observations:

Surprise! Dave Ciccarelli and the AFT had a positive reaction. The typical union response is, well, kind of the way that Mike Nast put it. Which brings us to Nast. Before Nast made his comment, you think he would have done maybe a little homework beforehand to see how the union was going to view it. Instead he immediately trotted out the old poor burdened teachers excuse. Mr. Nast, how about for once exhibiting some board leadership on behalf of children? It's hard to make the AFT look progressive but you sure did.

Dr. "Show me the money" Mayo with a usual response. It's going to be so great when NHCAN starts to peel back the layers of the onion on the BOE consultant costs. Hopefully Jorge Perez' legislative move for BOE cost transparency will be honored and upheld.

Most revealing was the mayor's reaction, which was very consistent with the way that he seems to view the problem of public education in his own city. DeStefano has always demonstrated that he believes that it's all about the parents - and that his schools have very limited ability to affect any significant positive change in student outcomes.

How else do you explain his tolerance for the failure of his system for so long? DeStefano is not a dumb man (blind maybe, but not dumb). Even though he is faced with DISMAL achievement numbers, he still talks about the system as if it were a success! How is this possible? How can someone see a less than 40% graduation rate from city high schools and still claim that the district is a success? Well, the logic works if you hold a relativist view of urban public education. As long as New Haven is performing a bit better than Hartford or Bridgeport, then that must mean success, right?

In the end, DeStefano's schools legacy will be that he invested $1.5 billion in physical plant improvements without tinkering even slightly with the most important factors of good education: High quality instruction and instilling a high achievement culture in the district.

And as for this data system, it's good, it's necessary, but it's not sufficient.

Posted by: cedarhillresident | June 10, 2008 6:39 PM

Ok what the heck does the BOE have on Johnny that they think he is the key to the vault of tax payers dollars??????? Am I the only one that took this statement..
"... how do we solve this?" There was a long interval of thoughtfulness. Then the mayor said, "Mmm, I see we're working on this."

as more money for another BOE program?? NO MAYO NO MORE MONEY TILL YOU CUT ALL THE FREE LOADERS FROM YOUR DEPARTMENT!! Now how hard was that to say!! Until you cut 10 million of dead weight from your budget you get NO MORE MONEY!

The city shot this down in 2006
http://www.newhavenindependent.org/archives/2006/04/citywide_intern.php
when we had the money and now we don't and they want to start it up....MAKE YALE PAY FOR IT they are the ones that will benifit from it the most!!!
Why should home owners pay for it????? Really I am asking. THE PIGGY BANK IS BROKE AND EMPTY!

Posted by: Wiseman45 | June 11, 2008 1:31 PM

Actually the new system does little to enhance the speed and efficiency of turnning around the testing data. It will still have to be scanned (by someone) the data will still have to sifted through for accuracy then plugged into the new system. All of these things were the liablitiies of the old system but it did not cost 1.5 million. Remember, garbage in - garbage out.

Posted by: Josiah Brown | June 11, 2008 6:28 PM

Readers may be interested in the work of Concepts for Adaptive Learning, led by Curtis Hill:
http://www.eachchildlearns.org

Posted by: Bridget | June 11, 2008 8:56 PM

Ms McCaslin needs to check her work. I found several instances of duplicate panels in her presentation.

Posted by: -fairhavener- | June 11, 2008 10:47 PM

"when I ran for alder, I made free city-wide wi-fi one of my campaign's issues and quite a few people here in the NHI comments section panned the idea as needless."

It's not needless it is against the law (or some regulation?). Should it be? Probably not, but that is the issue you need to contend with.

"But the Board of Education shouldn't expect parents to go all the way to the library for up to date, important information about their children."

Sorry, but that is just pathetic. Something tells me that a trip to the library may be a good thing for some of these parents and their children. Not to mention that it isn't that hard to accomplish, even on a bus.

"as more money for another BOE program?? NO MAYO NO MORE MONEY TILL YOU CUT ALL THE FREE LOADERS FROM YOUR DEPARTMENT!! Now how hard was that to say!! Until you cut 10 million of dead weight from your budget you get NO MORE MONEY!"

Right on cedarhillresident.

Posted by: Ben | June 12, 2008 3:43 PM

We should be thankful that we can afford to get this information to 79% of parents.

The alternative is a phone based system which is not affordable.

I personally am happy to see the City of New Haven ahead of the curve and not waiting for the late adapters. Stopping by a library on the way home from work to see how your kid is doing in school once a week or more if necessary is something that should not be seen as a great inconvenience.

You stop at the grocery store to get food, you stop at a gas station to get gas...the Internet at home is a luxury not a necessity for digital interaction.