Where are the facts?

A Spectrum, by John Shaw

I ask myself this question after I read your article concerning the $350,000 our school board would set aside to discover how many Mat-Su high school students are dropping out. The only facts that I see is that the Mat-Su Borough School District has not been tracking the reason our students have been leaving our district, and that if we throw money at the problem it will be solved.

I would like to speak up for the current computer system that is available at the district. Having worked for the M.I.S. department for nine years and now currently in the private sector supporting school districts in Alaska and others in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, California, Nevada and Texas, I can testify to the current system's functionality and, more important, its capabilities. These include any statistical enrollment tracking your article reports the Anchorage School District possesses and our district is lacking.

The current software is running on a proven, highly reliable platform that is part of an integrated solution set selected by many districts. Unlike the ASD, both financial and student data reside in the same "box." Plano Independent School District, a district where funding is not an issue, located near Dallas, Texas, has a student enrollment that is close to 50,000, and is running the same packaged programs. I ask myself why the Plano district with its size and money has chosen what they have. Because it works, that's why. Our district's software may not be the flashiest or newest on the block, but it is tried and true. As a whole it is arguably the best package in the state and would hold its own against others Outside. Why? Because it is a system that in the past has been tailored to Mat-Su's needs and desires. As reporting demands were made, the system adapted to them.

Your article states, "The district's current data system does not track individual students," and that the superintendent couldn't say how many of the same students had remained since their freshman year. These statements are simply not true. Whether we talk about attendance, grading, scheduling, special education or food service records, the system is geared toward student activity in the district. Enrollment history records are maintained within the current system to represent the "trail" the student takes as he or she moves within the district. If built correctly, a report could then be generated to answer the superintendent's question. How do I know? Because I've done it before for many other districts using this same software.

What the current system cannot do is report on information that is not captured on the student. However, just because it does not exist now in our system, does not mean that the capability cannot be put in quite easily. No matter what system they utilize they must first get the data into the system before taking it out and beginning analysis. Adding the data to the current database is not a major undertaking since the tools are available to the district.

It would seem that because of this lack of familiarity with the system the administration has pressured the school board to find a new product instead of "dancing with the girl they brought to the ball." If new reports or Web capabilities are desired, let's incorporate this into the system. Why toss it out after 18 years of additional enhancements have been made to their system? Re-creating the wheel for the sake of re-creating should be the last option for a nonprofit organization.

Any off-the-shelf relational database software will be inherently complex. Now imagine what 18 years of alterations can do to a stock product. There just isn't one record containing every shred of information. It is no wonder the administration is having difficulty retrieving data. Should we reduce the system to bare bones in order to minimize the data linking required in periodic complex data retrieval? Should our highly paid administrators be required to comprehend data structure? When the plumbing backs up are they the ones grabbing the plunger? I think not. If this is the case, we'd better rewrite their job description. In-district resources are currently available to assist with any data manipulation on district machines. The district needs to start working smarter and take advantage of the expertise within their employees.

Every year we hear the same battle over funding for our schools. Let's explore for a cost-effective improvement on the current software. If the district would look from within and make use of internal assets first, they may find more funding to spend directly on the student.

John Shaw is a Palmer resident.