Note: This memo, originally prepared as an agenda item
for the October 27, 1998, Board meeting, was not accepted as an agenda
item, but was, rather, postponed as an item for discussion at the next
scheduled Board "retreat." -- NJ, October 27, 1998
Source: Board Member Nicholas Johnson
Requested Action: Brief, informal discussion among
Board members regarding one aspect of the Board’s information management
systems (news); both those in place, and any possible modifications or
additions; as a preliminary to a future agenda item requesting/establishing
new procedures.
Background and Purpose
"Information," most broadly defined, is central to any board,
or oversight responsibility such as ours. There are at least four categories
of what might be called our "information management" (as distinguished
from "management information").
(a) Board Bits. The Superintendent’s Board
Bits publication is something I find quite useful. It provides
brief notice of inside-the-District items that might otherwise have escaped
my attention – and often would not have warranted an "agenda item" or media
treatment as "news."
In my October 12 memo, I identified a couple of useful/essential
categories of information: (b) an "oversight information reporting system"
(once we have agreed-upon measurable goals for the District), and (c)
supporting relevant data and research for proposed actions and board
policies.
(d) Education-related current news is yet another.
Examples
During no more than a couple of days or so a week ago, the
following news items were mentioned:
(a) the President held a White House mini-conference on school
safety (some of which I later watched on C-SPAN) that made reference to
a number of items (studies, publications, best practices) I thought directly
relevant to our current inquiry.
(b) The ABC (national network) Evening News had a full take
on the methamphetamine "epidemic" in Iowa from Mexican imports (focusing
on Des Moines and Marshalltown), while
(c) local media focused on the substantial increase in meth
made within the state (four times as many labs closed this year as last),
and
(d) the federal government’s National Institute on Drug Abuse
chose Iowa for its latest "town meeting."
(e) What’s represented to be a scientific study (10,000 subjects)
by the Josephson Institute reports nearly half of all high school students
have engaged in shoplifting and 70% have cheated on exams. (The University
announced it was holding an inquiry on the latter subject as it applies
to college students.)
(f) The Iowa Secretary of State is trying to get high school
students registered to vote (an earlier West High publication informed
me Gary Neuzil is participating in this).
(g) A national report indicated Iowa’s fourth graders’ math
scores have slipped.
(h) Some 13 of our West High students were arrested for property
damage to City High.
(i) The number of hepatitis cases continues to increase.
(j) Both candidates for Iowa governor (as well as numerous
other candidates around the country) are making education (class size,
standards/assessment, safety, finance) a major campaign issue.
(k) The President and Congress have approved $1.2 billion
toward a planned "100,000 additional teachers" proposal (emphasizing reduced
class size K-3).
(l) The Council for Basic Education released its latest compilation
of the nation’s best classroom standards, Standards for Excellence in
Education – a 286-page book.
Implications
I don’t mean to highlight any one, or all, of these particular
items. It’s their number. It may have been a heavy couple of
days for education news, but not markedly so.
The point is simply that if a small sampling from very
limited sources (I haven’t even mentioned what was in Education Week
and other "trade publications," the New York Times, etc.) can produce
this amount of education news there is a lot going on out there that is,
at least potentially, of relevance to our responsible oversight of the
schools in this District.
To provide but one example from the stories just cited:
Are we now doing anything more or differently with regard to the potential
problems associated with students’ methamphetamine addiction following
these reports of increased manufacture, availability and use in Iowa? Should
we be? Or is it our collective judgment that any action (or even inquiry)
by us is premature until we first have a significant increase in reported
cases?
Question for Discussion
Again, the point of this agenda item is not to raise the
methamphetamine, or any other, specific substantive question. It
is simply designed to raise the "information management" question.
Is it the judgment of this Board that we would like to
do anything more, or differently, from what we are now doing to follow,
and respond as appropriate, to current news, trends, reports, or other
information that might have implications for Board policies, or District
programs? If not, why not? If so, what would be the most cost-effective
mechanism, practice or understanding?