The feud continues over California鈥檚 problem-plagued school data system, with the latest clash coming after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger used his line-item veto authority to cut $6.8 million from the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System, known as .
The governor鈥檚 decision came after he signed the state鈥檚 $87.5 billion fiscal 2011 budget, approved by lawmakers Oct. 8 after a lengthy impasse. His veto drew the wrath of state schools Superintendent Jack O鈥機onnell, who called it 鈥渟hortsighted, ill-informed, and hypocritical,鈥� and said it will hinder the state鈥檚 ability to collect crucial information from schools.
鈥淩ather than maintaining California鈥檚 course toward meeting its education data goals of helping all students reach their full potential,鈥� Mr. O鈥機onnell said in a statement, 鈥渢he governor鈥檚 veto of CALPADS funding just sent California racing to the bottom of the heap.鈥�
The governor's veto ... just sent California racing to the bottom of the heap."
But in a statement explaining his veto, Gov. Schwarzenegger said that the lack of a working data system hurt California鈥檚 application for a share of $4 billion in the federal Race to the Top grant competition, whose final winners were announced in August. Other states, he said in a statement, have put together data systems with few of the woes California has incurred.
鈥淓nough is enough,鈥� the governor said. 鈥淚 am concerned that the resources allocated for this purpose lack necessary accountability to ensure that the citizens of California receive a high-quality longitudinal educational data system.鈥�
Rocky Road
The CALPADS system, built by IBM, is designed to allow for an examination of student test scores, demographic data, teacher assignment by course, and individual students鈥� course enrollment and completion.
Since its rollout a year ago, however, the system has been dogged by technical issues, including complaints from school districts about difficulty in being able to enter student data. Earlier this year, Mr. O鈥機onnell ordered a top-to-bottom review of the system and put a stop to any changes to it until it was complete. (California Data System Struggles to Clear Hurdles, Oct. 13, 2010.)
Since then, however, officials have said they have worked with IBM to improve CALPADS. Mr. O鈥機onnell told reporters in a conference call last week that CALPADS is now collecting valuable information, with more than 90 percent of the state鈥檚 districts and charter schools having successfully submitted data.
Keric Ashley, the director of the California education department鈥檚 data-management division, said the veto would leave many districts without critical help to navigate the system. The state receives 70 calls a day for help with data, Mr. Ashley estimated. The veto also hinders state officials鈥� ability to oversee IBM鈥橲 work, he added.
The governor argued that the state has spent $150 million on longitudinal school data systems in California, but Mr. Ashley said that figure melds money from different sources, with much of that aid flowing directly to school districts. Mr. Ashley also said that the cuts undermine the state鈥檚 ability to compile a four-year cohort graduation rate, which would jeopardize its ability to meet requirements of the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund, which was part of the federal economic stimulus.
The governor does not believe that the ability to collect and report that required data would be weakened by the funding cuts, said a spokesman for his office, Matt Connelly. Mr. Schwarzenegger believes the department has proven 鈥渋ncapable of effectively managing CALPADS,鈥� and he is determined to hold the agency to a higher standard, Mr. Connelly added.
