For many families, the most important reason to opt out of the test is the data collection and tracking of students by data collectors. The AMP is a data element in the P-20W Answers Project. So, while this blog is mainly about the right of parents to refuse or opt out of testing, the data issue is related to it. So Alaska, there is good news and bad news....
The Good News
The Alaska Department of Education has confirmed that the AMP has been suspended for 2016.
The Bad News
However, it seems that Alaskans were misled regarding the P-20W ANSWERS program. Remember being told that the P-20W/Answers project would sunset in 2015?
Guess what? It did not sunset. In fact, it seems to have new life, and a clone program in the Alaska Department of Labor. The clone program through the Department of Labor is yet unnamed, but is discussed here. It is very self explanatory, but a screen shot of what it says is below in case they decide to scrub it from their page.
So, it seems the Alaska Student Loan and the Alaska Commission on Post-secondary Education are committed to keeping this database alive anyway they can.
How did this happen? It was suppose to sunset in June 2015.....
The first reports that met our ears (and later our eyes) happened when the ANSWERS project did not sunset as it was scheduled in 2015. At first it appeared that the original P-20W grant was simply extended to 2016 by the Institute for Education Science as shown here.
You can go to the website and download the grant for yourself and see that it is the same one that was suppose to sunset in June 2015. In August 2015, the Alaska Department of Labor received a generous extension and funds.
It seems they also went hunting for more funds. This time they received funds from the US Department of Labor under the guise of Workforce Data Quality.
So, how long does round 5 WDQI keep ANSWERS going? It appears until 2018 based on their press release from the segment shown below:
What data does it cover? Well, we don't know because it is redacted. What is known is that it will continue to include the PFD data, the wage and occupation codes of every Alaskan who has a pay check, and where that person lives and works. The data is connected to the data held by the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development in the On-line Alaska School Information System (OASIS).
People need to speak up and register their disapproval--or these agencies will take your silence as consent. The people of Alaska have the right to know what data is being collected on them and by whom and how that data is used. This is federal law. The state constitution also has strong right to privacy provisions, and the Alaska legislature is tasked with overseeing that provision of the state constitution.
Please contact your state representatives and state senators. Also, let your school district know that you are opposed to this data mining. Contact ACPE and give them your opinion on tracking your students without your consent. Also, don't forget the Governor Bill Walker at (907) 465-3500.
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