California Reviewing Student Data System

Education Week (10/11, Aarons) reported, "The California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System, or CALPADS" is being designed "to allow a comprehensive look at student data across California that can be used to create targeted efforts to improve student achievement." Education Week adds, however, that "shortly after CALPADS was launched a year ago," districts "found technical roadblocks in the IBM-built system that hampered their efforts to enter data." In February, California Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell "ordered a halt to any changes to the system while it underwent a 'top to bottom' review."