Dist.204 5th grade tests missing

[EagleDad]

Thanks for handling that for me harry - glad to hear you are looking out for we4.

welcome back.

[chicoryowl]

harry hasn't used the "you won't ban people if this board is truly objective" line (or some similar variation) in quite some time. My guess is she was just dying to trot it out...even if it was out of place.

[EagleDad]

chicory - you may have missed it - haven't seen ya around in a bit - I banned harry for a week for slamming everyone on the board, and the whole board in one post. I can understand a little lashing out.

[EagleDad]

eagledad said:

Interestingly the Naperville Sun online still has the lost exams as a front page story and no updates.

Maybe Britt was too busy getting a new haircut

Britt got the story:
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/674255,6_1_NA30_TEST_S1.article

Returned tests a relief for fifth-grade students
District had prepared for exam retake

November 30, 2007
By BRITT CARSON Staff writer
Christmas came early for fifth-graders in Indian Prairie School District 204 when a box of missing tests was found Thursday.

The tests had been feared lost in shipping for the past month after it hadn't arrived at the testing facilities in Texas, said Patrick Nolten, director of instructional services, research and assessment for District 204. Fifth-graders were preparing to take a different test in two weeks, but now that is unnecessary.

Nolten, who declined to name the original shipping company, said he used a different one to ship the box Thursday to the Texas facilities. The tests should arrive there Saturday.

Nolten said the only explanation as to how the problem occurred in the first place was that the shipper-generated electronic barcode never made it onto the box.

Earlier this year, all fifth- and second-graders in the district took the OLSAT, Otis-Lennon School Ability Test. The test is used to determine placement in programs, Nolten said.

The boxes containing the second-grade results reached Texas, but the box with all the fifth-grade tests from all 21 elementary schools vanished along the way. Several attempts were made to locate the box and 2,300 tests inside, but administrators had to move ahead with plans for students to take a different test.

After the box was delivered back to the district office, Nolten sent a letter home to all fifth-grade parents notifying them of the discovery and that there was no need to take another test. The district expects to have the test results back in February.

---

It does seem to me that if the box left the district's hands without the proper labelling and barcode applied to the box it should be easy to determine cause - and correct it.

[scarbroughknight]

Hurrah for something!

[EagleDad]

Yes, what's unfortunate seems to have been the timing. They announced via the newpaper that they had lost the exams, but at 5PM on the same day they had already found them? Too much churn over nothing, and the public probably didn't even need to know. I hope due diligence was done before turning to the media. A lot of unnecessary damage was done to the SD's rep (at a time when they don't need it). Makes 'em look like the Keystone Cops.

I don't know if it was the case in this situation, but if I were Daeschner or the SB I would issue a mandate that no staff speaks to the press unless it is cleared though the super's office. They will need to manage their PR over the next 6 months very closely, I would imagine.

[doctorwho]

eagledad said:

Yes, what's unfortunate seems to have been the timing. They announced via the newpaper that they had lost the exams, but at 5PM on the same day they had already found them? Too much churn over nothing, and the public probably didn't even need to know. I hope due diligence was done before turning to the media. A lot of unnecessary damage was done to the SD's rep (at a time when they don't need it). Makes 'em look like the Keystone Cops.

I don't know if it was the case in this situation, but if I were Daeschner or the SB I would issue a mandate that no staff speaks to the press unless it is cleared though the super's office. They will need to manage their PR over the next 6 months very closely, I would imagine.

agreed, usually within an org only certain people allowed to quote to the press - and we know they are concerned about perception ( hence the A/C survey delay) - as we ramp up to site selection and them op referendum.

but wonder if the SB-SD went to the press, or if someone else inside the schools did and the press called them, in which case they would have to respond.

[gatormom]

doctorwho said:

eagledad said:

Yes, what's unfortunate seems to have been the timing. They announced via the newpaper that they had lost the exams, but at 5PM on the same day they had already found them? Too much churn over nothing, and the public probably didn't even need to know. I hope due diligence was done before turning to the media. A lot of unnecessary damage was done to the SD's rep (at a time when they don't need it). Makes 'em look like the Keystone Cops.

I don't know if it was the case in this situation, but if I were Daeschner or the SB I would issue a mandate that no staff speaks to the press unless it is cleared though the super's office. They will need to manage their PR over the next 6 months very closely, I would imagine.

agreed, usually within an org only certain people allowed to quote to the press - and we know they are concerned about perception ( hence the A/C survey delay) - as we ramp up to site selection and them op referendum.

but wonder if the SB-SD went to the press, or if someone else inside the schools did and the press called them, in which case they would have to respond.

Someone told me that the lost tests were mentioned at the SB meeting. If that is the case, the papers got their information from the SB meeting. I have not had time to view the meeting yet so I could be misinformed.

[momto4]

gatormom said:

Someone told me that the lost tests were mentioned at the SB meeting. If that is the case, the papers got their information from the SB meeting. I have not had time to view the meeting yet so I could be misinformed.

Yes, this was mentioned at the SB meeting and apparently also at IPPC a couple weeks ago.

[EagleDad]

doctorwho said:

but wonder if the SB-SD went to the press, or if someone else inside the schools did and the press called them, in which case they would have to respond.

"It is school district policy to direct all media requests to the superintendents office, you may reach him at 555-1212." is a perfectly valid response.

I know, I do it all of the time

[macy]

eagledad said:

doctorwho said:

but wonder if the SB-SD went to the press, or if someone else inside the schools did and the press called them, in which case they would have to respond.

"It is school district policy to direct all media requests to the superintendents office, you may reach him at 555-1212." is a perfectly valid response.

I know, I do it all of the time

LOL! I'm wouldn't call him... He scares me.

JK

By the way, I got a good chuckle from the "keystone cops" comment. Thanks for that laugh!

[EagleDad]

Caption contest:



Hey gang, its that paper lady wanting to know if we lost any tests.
Whad'ya think we should tell her?

[macy]

HAHA...

That is hilarious!

[Arch]

"Hey Gang, it's the school board. They've reached a decision on the 3rd high school. Guess where they're putting it..."

[macy]

archwinsome said:

"Hey Gang, it's the school board. They've reached a decision on the 3rd high school. Guess where they're putting it..."

Yeah... they just might need to call out the "keystone cops" when they announce that.

In fact, they need them on "stand by" for when the decision is made.