Students at a classroom at St. HOPE Public School 7 Elementary in Sacramento. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters.
The data management system for California’s K-12 schools has been on the fritz for months after it was updated in April then rolled out with minimal testing, potentially jeopardizing school district funding.
The California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System, or CALPADS, stores information for the state’s 6 million public school students. It’s how the state knows how many students have learning disabilities, are experiencing homelessness or qualify as English learners. The California Department of Education uses this demographic data to calculate how much funding will go to the state’s more than 1,000 school districts. Districts with more high-needs students get more money based on that data.
While one department official said nearly all the state’s schools will still get their full funding, the recent malfunctions have alarmed some district officials.
Earlier this year, the state’s new software update generated reams of inaccurate data about students with disabilities, disrupting standardized testing. Leading up to the new school year, districts that usually might have a few dozen initial errors were seeing thousands when their data specialists uploaded student data into the statewide system. The errors included wrong enrollment numbers, duplicate student information and missing information about accommodations for students with disabilities. Administrators feared they would lose funding due to these inaccuracies.
“Some districts felt at the time they were going to lose funding because of no fault of their own,”said Jeremy Davis, the assistant superintendent of innovation & instructional support at the Fullerton School District. “And it wasn’t being clarified by the CDE.”
“Some districts felt at the time they were going to lose funding because of no fault of their own.” — Jeremy Davis, assistant superintendent of innovation & instructional support at the Fullerton School District
Michael Fine is the chief executive officer of the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team, or FCMAT, a state agency that helps maintain the statewide data system. He said the rollout of the upgrade was “less than satisfactory and did not follow the expectations of the field or FCMAT.”
“Simply put, my opinion is that long-standing protocols and best practices around system revisions and implementation were not followed with fidelity,” Fine wrote in an email to CalMatters. He added that the education department chose to “streamline these processes” and take a “minimalist” approach to testing, which may have further complicated the rollout of an already complex system.
Fine added that not only did the upgraded data system launch with minimal testing, the department could have provided “greater transparency and more information” to districts.
The system upgrade, which both Fine and Davis said was much needed, compromised standardized testing at schools across the state.
For the last several months, Davis said data specialists at California’s school districts have been frustrated by the bugs in the system. At the Fullerton School District, he said his data team members were seeing up to 10,000 errors when they uploaded information, where they would only see about a dozen in previous years. Davis said some districts had hundreds of thousands of errors before the department of education started addressing the issues.
“We just really want to make sure CALPADS is shored up,” said Davis, who is also the president of California IT In Education, a lobbying group for technology workers in education. “We want CALPADS to have tons of funding. We want to lobby for them.”
Malia Vella, a deputy superintendent at the California Department of Education, said about 98% of districts should be able to get all their data certified and secure their funding by the Sept. 16 deadline. Vella said the department is working with districts to address the errors and that California allows districts more time than other states to submit their data.
While Davis said he can’t comment on the accuracy of the state’s prediction, his own team of three data specialists at Fullerton school district will be able to meet the Sept. 16 deadline for districts to submit their data to the state. But he said even though his team and those at other districts are submitting correct data, the statewide system is still experiencing errors like miscounting the number of students with disabilities, which could have repercussions for standardized testing.
“If students didn’t get tested because of the glitches in the system… That’s a piece of data that helps us inform our instruction,” Davis said. “If less kids are tested, there’s a concern there.”
The stakes for reliable data are higher than ever. The state needs to have a clear picture of student enrollment and achievement so it can allocate the necessary resources to help them recover academically, socially and emotionally from the pandemic’s impact.
The information in the statewide system is the basis of accountability platforms like the California School Dashboard, which shows the public everything from enrollment figures to suspension rates at every school in the state. The problems with the data system started in April when the education department updated its software.
In May, the California School Boards Association and the Association of California School Administrators wrote an open letter to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond detailing several issues with the data system. Among them, students with disabilities were not getting the accommodations they needed during standardized testing.
For the past several months, the education department has been fixing the errors. As of this week, there are still nearly 100 known issues with the data system. According to California Department of Education spokesperson Maria Clayton, the deadline for school districts to upload their student data was previously Sept. 9, but the department extended it due to school closures caused by “extreme heat and wildfires.”
Clayton said the department has seven developer positions to run the statewide system, but these are part-time employees that equate to about three full-time staff. There are currently three additional open positions, two of which have been open since November 2021.
“In my perception, the CALPADS team needs enough resources to make sure the system works really well,” Davis said. “It’s hard to find good programmers in the public sector.”
Davis said his data team is struggling with data errors while trying to manage other start-of-the-year responsibilities like adjusting student schedules, making sure all students are in the right classes and getting administrators the information they need for a smooth school year.
“Do we need to hire more teachers? Do we need to change classes?” Davis said. “The first weeks of school, you don’t want to be doing CALPADS.”
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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
Dorothy Marie (Pete) McKinnon (Tolowa), age 97, passed away in her home on August 31, 2022.
Dorothy was born in Brookings to Gladys and Gorman Pete on September 1, 1924. She attended grade school in Gasquet and Riverside Indian School (RIS), where she met and married Carl Melton McKinnon (Yurok) in 1942. After RIS they began their married life in San Diego. Later, they moved to live on the Klamath River and build their home on McKinnon Hill. Carl worked in the logging industry and he and Dorothy spent many years hunting, fishing, gardening, gathering, and canning. Dorothy and Carl raised two sons, Carl (Butch) and Dennis, while living the Native American lifestyle along the Klamath River.
In 1962 their family moved to Blue Lake. Dorothy took a booking position in the office of a local lumber mill. At age 50, Dorothy decided to master the art of traditional Yurok basket weaving. Once a week, for over a year, she would travel the 60 miles to Hoopa to learn from her mother-in-law, Nettie McKinnon. Dorothy had always helped Nettie gather basket materials but had not learned the art basket weaving. Dorothy developed her weaving skills and continued weaving baskets into her 90’s. A video interview with Dorothy on basket weaving is posted on the Blue Lake Rancheria YouTube channel.
Dorothy enjoyed many celebrations with family and friends. She loved putting together delicious meals for all to enjoy. Often these were from the pantry she filled from the work of her hands.
Dorothy loved to laugh and did not enjoy sitting idle. She busied her hands sewing, making jewelry, and crocheting. For all of these Dorothy obtained books and publications to read and researched techniques and design inspiration.
In her mid-70s, when most people have been retired for years, Dorothy started a new career. In January 1999, Dorothy accepted a council position on the Blue Lake Rancheria and served on the council until her death. She always looked forward to performing duties and representing the Rancheria. She thoroughly enjoyed her work with the Rancheria and welcomed coworkers as her extended family. Dorothy’s family wishes to thank the Blue Lake Rancheria for the tremendous support and fulfillment Dorothy received from her years serving the Rancheria community. Blue Lake Rancheria lowered their flags to half-mast in honor of the enduring service Dorothy gave as long-time council member for the Rancheria.
The Rancheria hosted a birthday party for Dorothy’s 90th birthday at the Blue Lake Casino. Many of Dorothy’s family, friends and coworkers joined her in this celebration. Days before the event, her grandson Marc caught many salmon while fishing on the Klamath River. So, the day after her birthday party, as Dorothy had done for decades before, she put on her apron, sharpened her knives and began stripping and filleting salmon for the smoke house and canning.
She is survived by her son Dennis McKinnon and wife Janet Phillips; three grandchildren, Marc McKinnon, Kristine Kaschube (husband Chris McCurtain) and Carol McKinnon (husband Will Meyer); and three great-grandchildren, Mason, Cameron and Alexandria. Dorothy was proceeded in death by her husband, Carl; her mother Gladys and stepfather John Sargent; her father Gorman Pete; and her son Carl Wayne McKinnon and her grandson Scott Murdock McKinnon. She is also preceded in death by two sisters, Thelma and Ethel, and one brother, Donald.
Paul’s Chapel in Arcata is handling funeral arrangements.
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The obituary above was submitted by Dorothy McKinnon’sloved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
On
Wednesday, August 10, 2022, John Allen Mills passed away.
John
was born November 27, 1960 to Roscoe and Ada Grace Mills in Long
Beach, where he grew up and attended Jordan high school. After that
he worked as a mechanic, while spending his spare time rebuilding VW
Bugs, and surfing as much as possible. He met his wife Cathy in
1981. Shortly after they were married and had two children.
Eventually making his dream a reality, they bought property in
Humboldt County and built a home. The last 32 years he and his wife
have spent in that home raising their kids and watching their
grandchildren grow.
John
loved anything that involved wheels and racing. He spent many years
as the track announcer as his kids raced BMX and Motocross. After
his children were grown he found a new passion for Harley’s. He
spent his time proudly rebuilding them, and riding as much as he
could. He also really enjoyed antique shopping for collector Schwinn
beach cruiser bicycles, he would restore and build them from the
ground up making them look brand new again.
He
was best known for his quick-witted humor, stubbornness, telling old
stories and always cracking jokes. He loved children and the sound
of laughter, but most of all he loved to see his grandchildren
smiling.
Jonn
was survived by his wife Cathy, his two children Vanessa and Jimmy,
and three grandchildren Aalyiah, Ryder, and Fiona, as well as his
side kick and best friend his dog Twanky. He will be greatly missed
by all. Services will be announced at a later date.
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The obituary above was submitted by John Mills’ loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
At 1:46 P.M. Humboldt Bay Fire units, including 3 engines, a ladder truck, and two duty
chiefs were dispatched to a reported structure fire in a commercial cabinet shop on Eich
Road in the Humboldt Hill area. The first responding engine reported seeing a column of
smoke from the Herrick Avenue highway on-ramp and upgraded the fire to a commercial
second-alarm. Three mutual aid units responded with two going to the scene and one
providing station coverage.
The first arriving unit reported a working fire in a commercial cabinet shop with an
exposure threat to an adjoining storage unit. They set up for a defensive fire attack
operation after securing a water supply from the hydrant at Country Club Market. The
second arriving unit also secured a water supply and also set up for the defensive attack.
These actions prevented any damage to the adjoining structure, crews were able to
control the fire within 30 minutes. An on-scene employee was able to confirm no-one
was inside the business.
Second alarm mutual aid resources assisted on scene with safety functions and also
covered HBF stations, responding to additional calls within the Humboldt Bay Fire
jurisdiction.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation but initial assessment indicates it was
accidental in nature. PG&E quickly arrived on scene to assist with controlling electrical
and gas utilities, City Ambulance provided on-scene Advanced Life Support transport
assistance.
Damage was estimated at $2,000,000 with the building and all equipment a total loss.There were no injuries to fire personnel on scene nor injuries to any business employees.
Humboldt Bay Fire would like to thank its allied partners for their assistance with
coverage during this incident. Arcata Fire Protection District, Samoa Fire District, and
Blue Lake Fire District helped to ensure the safety of the HBF community while our
resources were committed. Also we would like to thank HCSO and CHP for helping with
traffic control.
The men who killed Hoopa resident Julius Tripp in July 2020 pleaded guilty today, with Bronson Moon Lewis Jr. admitting to first-degree murder and Daniel Armendariz III to voluntary manslaughter.
Under a “package deal” with the District Attorney’s Office, Lewis agreed to the standard prison term of 25 years to life. He must serve the 25 years before he is eligible for parole.
Armendariz will serve the high term of 11 years for voluntary manslaughter, along with an additional four years for personal use of a firearm. He gave up credit for the two years he’s spent in Humboldt County Correctional Facility, meaning a total term of 17 years.
Lewis was 18 and Armendariz was 19 when Tripp, 42, was killed on a roadside bank off state Highway 96. The two teens were with a group of five riding in Lewis’s pickup truck and heading from Hoopa to Weitchpec very late at night. When driver Dale Mabry spotted Tripp’s old truck and camper parked along the side of the road, he pulled off and bumped into it with the pickup.
According to witness testimony, Tripp emerged from the camper furious and there was a physical altercation. The fight turned deadly after Tripp tossed a rock at Lewis’s truck, shattering the windshield. At that point Lewis and Armendariz pursued Tripp over a bank. When they returned to the truck, Lewis said either “I think I chopped off his hand” or “I think I chopped off his arm.”
Then the group drove back to Hoopa, where the two teens entered a house and came out packing an assault rifle. Armendariz had the gun at that point, witnesses said, but Lewis was carrying it when they went down the bank where Tripp lay bleeding and screaming.
At that point, a shot or shots were fired.
Although Armendariz admitted the firearm charge, it is believed Lewis fired the fatal shot. At one point Lewis was charged with torture, a special allegation that can mean life without parole.
This morning Lewis’s attorney, Russ Clanton, told Judge Kaleb Cockrum that Lewis accepted the prosecution’s offer because going to trial would have meant risking a no-parole term.
One witness at a preliminary hearing said Lewis admitted what he had done to Tripp: “Chopped him up and then went back and shot him.”
Lewis, 20, appeared calm during the two-hour wait for the pleas to be taken this morning. Not so for the 21-year-old Armendariz, who seemed jittery and nervous. At times he buried his face in his hands.
According to witnesses, after the killing Armendariz assured Lewis that “We’re in this together.”
Sentencing is scheduled before Cockrum on Oct. 10.
Deputy District Attorney Trent Timm is the prosecutor, with attorney Jennifer Dixon appointed to represent Armendariz.
As the City of Arcata works to develop its own housing initiative to accommodate a big increase in student enrollment expected with the Cal Poly Humboldt transformation, the university is working on a plan of its own. To prepare for growth on campus, Cal Poly Humboldt is developing a Physical Campus Plan that will outline short and long-term development efforts on campus.
Want to share your thoughts with the university? Check out one of the upcoming in-person or virtual forums in the coming weeks.
Here’s a press release from Cal Poly Humboldt:
As Cal Poly Humboldt continues to transition into Northern California’s only polytechnic university, it is important to prepare for physical growth to meet increased enrollment and new and expanding programs.
To accomplish this, Cal Poly Humboldt is developing a Physical Campus Plan, a powerful tool that captures the future vision of the University and outlines near, medium, and long-term capital improvements.
With assistance from SmithGroup and Brailsford & Dunlavey, Humboldt will assess and recommend improvements to academic life, sustainability, campus life, infrastructure, mobility, housing, and open space. The plan will guide the physical development of campus, providing a framework that is visionary and implementable.
Cal Poly Humboldt is committed to a process that is driven by extensive engagement. The University wants to understand campus and community aspirations and challenges that will cultivate a better future and make the campus even more dynamic, connected, usable, and enriching.
In the coming weeks, the campus and local community are invited to a series of in-person and virtual open forums to learn more about the plan and the process, and to help weigh in on the future of the University. Plus, be on the lookout for future surveys.
- Wednesday, Sept. 14, 1–2 p.m. Open Forum, Nelson Hall East - Goodwin Forum Monday, Sept. 19, 2–3 p.m. Virtual Forum
The University previously developed a facilities plan in 2004 and housing plan in 2017. The intent of the new Physical Campus Plan is to guide the University in development and decision making for future campus needs as it relates to the various planning efforts currently underway and the University’s transformation into California’s third polytechnic.
The objectives of the plan include supporting the academic and research purpose of the University, highlighting the campus as a living laboratory, establishing the connection between the University and the Indigenous land on which it resides, optimizing campus facilities and land, creating a welcoming environment for surrounding communities, delivering quality housing, and more.
Ongoing information about the Physical Campus Plan process can be found at physicalplan.humboldt.edu.
Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
On Sept. 9, 2022, at about 2:30 a.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies on patrol on North Bank Road, in McKinleyville, observed a suspicious vehicle parked alongside the road in the area of Hunts Road.
Deputies checked the vehicle’s records and learned that it had been reported stolen out of Eureka the day prior. Upon further investigation, deputies located a woman lying inside the vehicle. Deputies contacted the occupant, 27-year-old Katelynn Elizabeth Jensen, who displayed characteristics of being under the influence of a controlled substance.
Jensen was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of possession of a stolen vehicle (PC 496d(a)) and public intoxication (PC 647(f)).
Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.
