Data mining causes New York school districts to drop out of Race to the Top

Data collection continues to be the problem as more and more New York school districts are opting to drop out of Race to the Top.

The New York problem has to do with a system called InBloom that is collecting all kinds of student data. While there is no such collection system being talked about in Missouri, when we hear education officials talking more and more about the need for data and when we see districts aligning themselves with the requirements for Race to the Top and Common Core Standards, it is easy to see where things are heading:

The Lower Hudson Council of School Superintendents surveyed 76 districts, including special act districts, in Westchester, Rockland, Putnam and Dutchess counties. Of the 53 districts that responded, more than half have pulled out of Race to the Top since last month — forfeiting mostly small federal grants. Another 10 districts never took part in the program.

“Our concerns have to do with how the state can guarantee the data will be secure in the future,” said South Orangetown Superintendent Kenneth Mitchell, president of the superintendents group.