State Sen. Curren D. Price, Jr., (D-Culver City) gave the keynote address at a meeting of the Information Alliance for Education at the Microsoft offices in Mountain View on Tuesday on the theme:
“From Inputs to Outputs: The Power of Data and Technology to Close the Achievement Gap.”
Sen. Price, up for re-election on Tuesday, called the education gap the civil rights issue of our generation, the most important policy issue facing California and the nation. “The thoughtful use of data and technology can be key in addressing the gap,” he said.
“Data is wanted and needed by educators, policymakers and community members. They believe it will increase the success of every child in our public schools and will close the education gaps for African-American and Latino students.
“Data is necessary to improve outcomes for all children.
“It is needed to inform policy and practice, to track student progress, to tailor instruction, to assist educators in efforts to target and address student needs, to ensure equitable access to excellent teachers and leaders, and to close the achievement and opportunity gaps.” Sen. Price acknowledged that technology is not a silver bullet. Its use has been an accelerator of change for schools and districts that have “thoughtfully” implemented systemic reform to narrow the gulf.
Still, a divide persists. education gap still persists.
In his speech, Sen. Price referenced a recent report published by Ed Trust that found little progress has been made in the gaps.
He called for a greater sense of urgency in advancing the agenda for full educational equality. “There is no more important work in society than educating children,” the senator said. “Nothing should stand in our way, not politics, not fear of change. We must have the courage to do the right thing.”
Not only collecting but knowing how to analyze data and use the information is as important for meeting the ultimate goal.
Sen. Price will support efforts to restore funding vetoed by Gov. Schwarzenegger to provide needed resources for the continued development of the state’s Calpads system and training at the local level.
The Legislative Black Caucus is developing proposals for reforming education in California, Sen. Price said. He promised the agenda would aggressively address the gap crisis while pursuing ways to improve teacher quality, backed by equitable school funding.
Sen. Price’s emailaddress (currenpricejr.com) and website (info@currenpricejr.com)
