Computers crash at beginning of NWEA math testing...'This is to notify you of a system outage or degraded performance for Web-based MAP. Event time confirmed: Tuesday, May 06, 2014 9:50 am CDT...'
The Chicago Board of Education's $2 million "Office of Communications" hasn't mentioned it as of the morning of May 7, 2014, but on May 6, 2014 the Board of Eduction's testing program was wrecked when computers crashed across the city at the beginning of the NWEA math testing program. So, in addition to the fact that the NWEA MAP testing program is secret and highly controversial, designed more to provide massive amounts of secret data to privatized providers and other corporate school reform types, Chicago now learns that the program is so buggy that it can't even service itself.
"Maybe she was pointing to Ohio, but on thing is certain -- she isn't pointing to herself when it comes to prattle about 'accountability' in Chicago's schools..." Above, Chicago Public Schools "Chief Executive Officer" Barbara Byrd Bennett gesticulates during the April 23, 2014 meeting of the Chicago Board of Education. Never available on weekends (probably because she has fled the city at taxpayer expense to her home in Ohio), the chief of America's third largest school system talks about "pillars of learning" and other stuff but really is just another hack pushing corporate "school reform" despite the crashing and burning of the privatized computer systems upon which a lot of the accountability is based. Substance photo by David Vance.Somehow, no one paying attention was surprised when computers in Chicago elementary schools across the city went "down" as the NWEA testing program began. The real question is where the accountability will be.
The problem of so-called "accountability" in Chicago's public schools increases with each passing month. The Chicago Board of Education tries to expand its "don't nobody bring me no bad news" policy by restricting radically the number of people who can speak for two minutes at Board meetings. And the administration of Barbara Byrd Bennett continues to talk over and over and over and over about "accountability" while evading all accountability to the people of Chicago and Illinois, hiring nothing but out-of-town (and usually not educator) executives, and then evading press conferences like reporters were carrying the MERS virus.
So as the testing program began on May 6, principals and teachers received a message that says, basically, the computer glitches have messed up the test information about your kids, but don't worry because... Because what? The public will never know, because for the 26th month in a row Barbara Byrd Bennett will avoid speaking with the press about major issues, hiding instead behind a wall of highly paid propagandists.
On May 6, among other thing, the Board told principals:
"In addition to the initial notification, we experienced an issue with reports in MARC processing last night. As a result, test results for some students who tested yesterday may not reflect in reports today. We are currently working to address this issue. However, any missing scores for students tested yesterday will not appear in reports until tomorrow. We sincerely apologize for the disruption this has caused and regret any inconvenience..."
In other words, there are missing scores and messed up scores, but the school, principal, teachers and kids will still be held "accountable."
MEANWHILE, HERE IS THE NOTICE THAT WENT OUT ACROSS THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS OF AMERICA'S THIRD LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT AS THE HIGH STAKES NWEA MAP TESTING PROGRAM WAS SUPPOSED TO BEGIN ON MAY 6, 2014.
From: Mina, Kelly Date: Tue, May 6, 2014 at 9:41 AM
Subject: NWEA Service Update Notification - Web-based MAP
To:
SERVICE UPDATE NOTIFICATION. Service Alert for Web-based MAP
This is to notify you of a system outage or degraded performance for Web-based MAP
Event time confirmed:. Tuesday, May 06, 2014 9:50 am CDT
Symptoms You May Experience: When logging into the MAP admin site, users encounter a �website is down for maintenance� message, slow load times, error 500, or not able to log in at all.
Current status
We are investigating issues related to increased latency and extended delays.
Students actively testing are not affected and should be encouraged to complete their tests.
If you encounter slowness, please allow the page to load or attempt to refresh the page manually by clicking F5 on a PC or Command-R on a Mac.
In addition to the initial notification, we experienced an issue with reports in MARC processing last night. As a result, test results for some students who tested yesterday may not reflect in reports today. We are currently working to address this issue. However, any missing scores for students tested yesterday will not appear in reports until tomorrow. We sincerely apologize for the disruption this has caused and regret any inconvenience.
Next Update: The next status update will be sent in 90 minutes.
For Questions: If you have questions, please contact the CPS IT Service Desk at 773-553-3925, Option 6.
