Saturday, November 30, 2013

Decontextualizing Assessment Policy: Does It Make Economic Sense?

Decontextualizing Assessment Policy
Does It Make Economic Sense? 
by Elyssa D. Durant, Ed.M.

Little discusses the three phases educational development in Africa, and questions whether reform was based on "indigenous needs of the people" or the perceived needs of the colonizers. 

She discusses the new technology being used in assessment and the economic indicators which brought about the rapid "reorientation phase" of African education chanictcri/cd by the rcftppraisul of basic questions such as, access to education, educational inputs and outputs, internal efficiency, 'fractionalization", "lack of coordination, and 'drift' in the educational sector as a whole". 

Within her discussion of policy change and implementation, little reviews the notion that international involvement provides an opportunity to bring advancements in technology and evaluate international ideas to help solve indigenous problems. 

Little also reviews Heyneman and Ransom papers, and ultimately concludes that examinations are a powerful, lowcost means of influencing the quality of teaching and learning in schools. She states that while Heyneman and Ransom give data supporting the existence of a wide gap betweur) developed countries and Third World Nations, they gave no data to support the idea that this gap is getting wider. 

Little reviews the main points Heyneman and Ransom's argumciit, but states it's weakness lies within the foundations of the argument which are based upon qiuititativu ditta frorri ; 1970's. Little questions whether Ihe same analysis can be applied; interpretation has become irrelevant, in today's world. This research concluded that attempts to change curricula failed at the implementation stage because the new Western-inspired chiingcs were inconsistent with national examinations. uses topics for further discussion

(1) Can we generalize the current data to each and every in the world?

(2) Would an external lending agency aiding the aiding the foundation of a centralized examination body in England or France make good examinations a contingency upon the the receipt of external funds?

(3) How would a banking agency revive the issue of notions of "good examination practices"?


Elyssa D. Durant © 1995-2014

Sunday, November 24, 2013

UNWRITTEN: testing 1, 2, 3


Date: Sun, 24 Mar 2002 02:12:16 -0500 (EST)
From: Elyssa Durant
Reply-To: Elyssa Durant
Subject: testing 1, 2, 3
To: ed70@columbia.edu

What else did you think I might be doing on a Saturday night?

A welcome evening at home with Tori, Alanis, and the information
superhighway.

I had a computer virus (I think I mentioned it) "Nimda" and it
completely erased all of my "registry data" and I have to start from
scratch-- I should only be so lucky to lose all of my memory
especially that "RAM."

I'm kind of scared to send you an e-mail-- free-range ranting and
writing helps me to color outside the lines a bit-- I get lost "in
the moment" and some people think it brings out the worst (but some
times the best, too)

This is the dreaded editing that occurs when I lose myself somewhere
between brilliance and madness.

MAll of my journal entries for the past 2 years will be wiped clean
from my computer-- my mother has expressed her satisfaction with the
situation--  as if getting rid of the journals could ever set me
free...
___________________________________________________
Elyssa D. Durant, Ed.M.
E-Mail: ed70@columbia.edu

Those who say it can not be done should not interrupt the person
doing it ~~  Chinese Proverb



----- End forwarded message -----


-- 
Elyssa Durant, Ed.M.
Nashville, Tennessee
E-mail: ed70@columbia.edu
http://thepowersthatbeat.blogspot.com

"You may not care how much I know, but you don't know how much I care"

UNWRITTEN: Uncensored, Naked, Raw and Exposed


Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2002 8:10 AM
Subject: uncensored.


naked.  raw and exposed....   i'm sorry to be me.  i am ashamed and embarrassed and yet I am strangely in control...


******
and such are my insecurities-- for whatever it is worth, and that may be quite a bit, this was the original message I wrote you--  but I sent it to myself and sent you an abbreviated version.

i think the uncensored version was better.  i try to be articulate.  i try to intersting.  i try to be normal.  i need someone to hear what I'm not saying-- sometimes-- I don't like talking in riddles all the time.  I don't like onsessions and ruminations.  i don't like explaining the obvious-- I don't understand why it must be so complicated.  i have one task.  I have no idea how to complete my task so I must keep searching.  I developed new skills last night-- my car is still having problems and then my phone locked up. 

I was completely lost on Sunrise Highway and could not find my way home (though I wasn't quite sure where my final destination would.  I finally realized that I needed to pull over every 20 minutes to plan a short term traffic route.  Forcing myself to stop for about 40 minutes each time I got lost allowed me to get through the emotions of the whole thing.  You see I pulled over at a diner in Longbeach and they were able to reconnect my phone so I could call someone for directions or support or whatever!  As I sat on the phone with tech support for over an hour,I started noticing that there were people sleeping in parked cars in the same lot.  

I couldn't tell if the couple that just emerged from the car 2 spots to the left were conducting an underage indiscretion or committing a felony in the back seat...  as I noticed others around me, I settled in to my home for the night.  I did not feel so paranoid anyomre about shuffling about in my saomewhat respectable Honda Civic.  I almost forgot for a while that I was lost.  So I took a baby step to the next place-- and what an experience.  I was still lost but closer to my destination-- and again, settled into another brightly lit parking lot by a "execu-stay" type of hotel/motel.  This was working, so why rush.  Why so frantic.  Even with the phone, the car situation did not improve because I simply had no one to casll.  Even if someone had come to get me-- where would I go?  Where would I put my things?  

II finally made it over to the closed Starbucks on the perimeters of the Hofstra campus.  I was the only car in the lot-- and I boldly parked facing forward and watched the police race by me wihtout notice.  I became very sad for this world just around then.  They were racing around and it tooks about 30-35 minutes before a cop car drove up to me in the parking lot.  Saddened by the reality that my suspicious activity was did not invite further inquiry, I had already decided to tell them the truth even before the car pulled up next to me in the lot.  I did not even bother to park in a space-- I boldly parked horizontally taking up two or three spaces up front placing myself in an obvious and precarious situation.  Do you think they knew it wasn't the first time?  Do you think they saw through my decidedly in-your-face stance and tactics and saw this as a thinly disguised effort to feign temporary homelessness.  Or would they be back tomorrow night?  To be continued.


this is me.  uncensored.  please don't be scared.  if you don't want to read anymore-- I won't send anymore.

I'm tired.  Time to go to sleep.  But I have no Pepe.  I have no home.  -edd  i want to be normal.  i want to be normal.  i wish I understood the conventional traditions the family unit.  i am strangely unfamiliar to any culture.  I want to be part of your world.  Would they know I am an imposter.  This just got painful.  I'm out--

Elyssa D. Durant  © 2002-2014

Saturday, November 23, 2013

UNWRITTEN: Adding Insult to Injury in Healthcare Reform

Harry & Louise: Adding Insult to Injury? 
 
 
My first spring back in New York, we used to joke about J-School: Were they trying to tweak our skills turning us into experts in public journalism or public relations.
I took my first graduate level class in public journalism on the 4th floor at the infamous J-School located inside the cool steel gates separating surrounding Morningside Heights. 116th street from the homeless and the winos’ asking everyone all the passer by's for money just before we walked through the iron gates leading to the Ivory Tower. 
 
The blocks surrounding 116th-120th where only the young and the talented get ready to take their place in society. 
 
We would pass the men living on the streets each day, enter through the solid stone doors that were 12 ft tall, and write about them.  With such eloquence you would hardly know they were homeless at all.  We exploited them.
 
Just like Tuskegee exploited the Blacks, and the Army exploits the young and the rudderless, we exploited the sick irony of paying more per credit than they earned in one year on Veterans benefits or disability.  We disgust me.  
 
But Karma is a bitch, because less than 2 years later there I was, sleeping in the law school stacks; showering in the indoor pool...  gym because I “looked good enough to pass through the gates.”  I had that Ivy League pedigree. The would-have-been Harvard Law student—maybe even have had it paid in full had I been a boy or born to a different mother.
 
What the fuck did they know?   That cute little Jewish Girl from Long Island, the one from a "good" family... the Harvard Legacy with the beautiful mother always dripping in jewels and fur from her latest boyfriend or husband—that little girl was me.
 
I should have been the perfect example of how a power player in the making the benefits from good breeding.  No one ever needed to know that beneath it all I worked my ass off to get into College and ultimately get a scholarship into the top ranked program in Sociology and Social Policy to effect change.  The fact that I dropped out of high school at 16 could remain my dirty little secret. 
 
 
And to this day, no one has ever come forward to expose that little truth.  Probably because so few people know—Maybe three or four  So would I reveal such an embarrassing little detail of my life and risk my reputation on something I should have left behind me over twenty years ago?
 
Because it matters.   
 
No one needed to know.  I can get by well enough on my looks, I speak quite eloquently, and usually appear normal to most, but it is an important little factoid because people constantly judge ME based upon who they think I am – either the girl with the wealthy parents, or a lazy too stupid too get off welfare. 
 
 
It matters because what appears to be and what is are often two very different things.  I am in fact, an Ivy League Alumnus.  I did in fact get a full scholarship into the PhD program in Public Policy at a leading University. 
 
I am in fact unable to find employment and live on SSI (Supplemental Security Income) the lowest of the low.  I am so far beneath the poverty level (already ridiculous) that I often wonder how I manage to live at all. 
 
So that "legacy," the access I once had to the Ivory tower on the 4th floor we wrote is now gone.  Not because they didn't like my work-- they loved it!  Solid A in Public Journalism. 
 
Well if I were in New York today, I would most likely be one of the people o the streets.  Actually, I would probably be sitting across the street at the Bookstore just so I could stay close to the vast amounts of wisdom and philosophy within the hollowed halls as classes break for the summer. I would be watching people go in and out and be envious that they had the one thing that I don't: access.  
 
 
So I made it through the very Same J-School where Pat Buchanan refused to speak to his Alma-mater because he once punched someone in the face on the 5th floor.  I made it through despite the fact that I often times slept in my car in the middle of winter because I could not afford gas for the commute and eventually lost my apartment.  I made it through having no electricity and frozen water pipes.
 
The question is: can I make it through this?  I paid my dues. I deserve a chance.  Dammit, I deserve a do-over.  I deserve a job.   I deserve a little credit. 
 
Will our policy decision be based upon our need for reform or the ability to perform?
 
We used to joke about all the sell-out Journalist who give up on reporting the news to become speech writers for politicians.  How people like Pat Buchanan (a J-School alum) became so skilled at using their words to  sell ideas in such a way that people actually believed the propaganda they were sinning.
 
I have given much thought to this... the only people who are more arrogant and self serving than politicians and academics are reporters!
 
I think they become addicted to the their own power to manipulate people and they are willing to trade a little tarnished idealism for power and inflated self-esteem.
 
I am not one of those people. I care enough about the issues to take the time to examine them from all angles-- and I fell that the massive amount of money being spent by agencies that I hold in deep respect launching a counter-attack on the insurance companies and their ad execs will have serve to damage their reputation.  I chose to volunteer with these agencies because I believe they are well informed and do a great job to involve the everyday average Americans like myself in the political process. 
 
By spending $750,000 on advertising, these groups now seem to be on the same level as the Insurance Industry and others who exploit the poor and infirm at the mercy of the healthcare marketplace. 
 
So I take issue with this campaign.  Let Rick Scott be heard.  Using such tactics will make the good guys no better than the Insurance Companies that exploit us all.
 
Are these ads showing us: how to reform or how to perform?
 
The large amount of funds being thrown (public or private) being spent on media fluff, and emotional being spent on media propaganda and 'skittles' on both sides of the healthcare debate.
 
I am offended by the huge amounts of money being spent on propaganda and skittles by both sides of the healthcare debate. Excessive, exorbitant monies being spent to manipulate the public through misleading ads, expert analyses, media alerts~ this is insulting at best.
 
Real dollars being used to manipulate the public about real issues: the sick; the poor; the ignorant... We are selling bad data and information to those who need it the most.
 
 
Talk about adding insult to injury?  I do hope HCAN, HealthJustice and others will reconsider this campaign.  I am one foot soldier who is unwilling to participate in this one.
 
 
Bottom line is this: we need to stop manipulating images and perceptions about the reality of healthcare, education, and social welfare in the United States.  All is not well in America.  Not well at all.  And I am here to prove it!
 
 
Elyssa D. Durant, Ed.M. © 2007-2014
Anytown, United States of America


Friday, November 22, 2013

Autism Sensory Integration Therapy for Autism and Aspergers

INTRODUCTION TO SENSORY INTEGRATION THERAPY

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders such as Autism or Asperger's syndrome with frequently have problems with sensory problems, including their sense of touch, smell, hearing, taste and sight. Wearing certain fabrics, tasting certain foods, or normal everyday sounds may cause emotional outbursts. The opposite is also possible - the child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder may feel very little pain or actually enjoy sensations we would dislike: strong smells, intense cold or unpleasant tastes.

Along with this will frequently be difficulties in movement, coordination and sensing where one's body is in a given space. The brain seems unable to balance the senses appropriately in cases of Sensory Integration Dysfunction. The brain may not be able to filter out background stimuli yet admit what is important, so the person with Autism or Asperger's may have to deal with overwhelming amounts of sensory input day and night.

How sensory integration therapy typically works

The main form of Sensory Integration Therapy is a type of occupational therapy that places a child in a room specifically designed to stimulate and challenge all of the senses. During the session, the therapist works closely with the child to encourage movement within the room. Sensory integration therapy is driven by four main principles:

• Just Right Challenge (the child must be able to meet the challenges through playful activities)
• Adaptive Response (the child adapts behavior to meet the challenges presented)
• Active Engagement (the child will want to participate because the activities are fun)
• Child-directed (the child's preferences are used to initiate therapeutic experiences within the session).

Sensory Integration therapy is careful to not provide children with more sensory stimulation than they can cope with. The occupational therapist looks for signs of distress. Children with lower sensitivity (hyposensitivity) may be exposed to strong sensations, while children with heightened sensitivity (hypersensitivity) may be exposed to quieter activities. Treats and rewards may be used to encourage children to tolerate activities they would normally avoid.

For more information on Sensory Integration Dysfunction, see the Sensory Problems fact sheet.

Guidelines for children with heightened sensitivity

Parents can find it very distressing when if their child rejects hugs, cuddles and other demonstrations of affection. This can be interpreted as a personal rejection when it is a discomfort with unpleasant touch. These guidelines may help in more appropriate touch with autistic children who have hypersensitivity:

• The child may find it easier to initiate hugging than receive it

• Touch is often more tolerable when the child anticipates it

• Firm, unmoving touch is better than light or moving touch

• Light touch may be tolerable after firm unmoving touch
• Initial stimulation may be unpleasant but tolerated later.

sensory integration Therapy for different SENSES

Touch

The sense of touch varies widely between children on the autism spectrum. Many kids enjoy the feel of sticky textures. Try experimenting with glue, play dough, stickers, rubber toys, sticky tape. Other things that can be great for tactile sensation are water, rice, beans and sand.

Children with Autism often enjoy a sense of firm overall pressure, such as wrapping them up in blankets, being squashed by pillows and big hugs. These can form a great basis for play, interaction and showing affection. Experiences that may be claustrophobic can be liked, such as being squashed between mattresses, and making tunnels or tents from blankets over furniture. Read Temple Grandin's story and the development of her 'hug machine'.

"Our son hates light touches. But we now play 'monster attacks', where we pick him up, turn him upside down, spin him around, throw him on the couch, bury him under cushions then sit on him, yelling and carrying on the whole time! He loves it, and over time we worked in hugs and strokes at the end of it all. Now we can show him affection normally as well, and he is more comfortable with the rough and tumble play of other young boys". PDC (we strongly suggest caution if 'burying' a child under cushions, to avoid suffocation - Ed.)

Appreciation of firm pressure to light touch seems to be very common on the autism spectrum. Try using deep pressure with the palm of your hand instead of stroking or light touch. Some children love being tickled, while of course others will hate it.

Smell

Be aware of your child's response to the smell of substances too. Experiment with putting different fragrances in play dough or rice. If your child actively likes strong odors, find toys that specialize in this.

Sound

Experiment with talking toys, games on computers, musical instruments, squeaky toys and all sorts of music. Clapping together, rhymes, repeating phrases and tongue twisters are useful activities.Auditory Integration Therapy may help in dealing with sounds.

Some children on the autism spectrum respond to music but not voices, in which case music therapy may help. Try speaking in a melodic or “sing-song” voice and see if the response improves. Try different tones of voice, pitches, and gauge your child' reaction. Loud or unexpected sounds generally won't be liked. Explain noisy toys to the child first then introduce it at a distance. In extreme cases, it may be worth introducing noise-making toys using social stories.

Sight

As you can gather, parents may need to play detective in finding the sensations their child is enjoying. Autistic kids were often reported as staring at nothing when young by their parents, when they were actually entranced by the movement of shadows on a wall, or listening to wind moving through the trees outside. Parents may need to work hard to find the things their child enjoys visually. It could be anything that is long and narrow. I might be things of a precise shade of orange. A preference for looking at straight lines is often reported. There are many toys that aim at stimulating sight with bright color schemes and flashing lights. Remember your child probably won't want to be taken by surprise! In some cases,visual therapy may be able to help.

Proprioceptive system

The Proprioceptive System helps children (and adults) to locate their bodies in space. Autistic children often have have poor proprioception and will need help to develop their coordination. Therapy may include playing with weights, bouncing on a trampoline or a large ball, skipping or pushing heavy objects.

Vestibular system

The Vestibular System is located in our inner ear. It responds to movement and gravity and is therefore involved with our sense of balance, coordination and eye movements. Therapy can include hanging upside down, rocking chairs, swings, spinning, rolling, somersaulting, cartwheels and dancing. All these activities involve the head moving in different ways that stimulate the vestibular system. Be careful to observe the child carefully to be sure the movement is not over stimulating.

Back and forth movement appears less stimulating than side-to-side movement. The most stimulating movement tends to be rotational (spinning) and should be used carefully. Ideally activities will provide a variety of these movements. A rocking motion will usually calm a child while vigorous motions like spinning will stimulate them. Merry-go-rounds, being tossed on to cushions or jumping trampolines can be real favorites with some children. Experimenting and careful introduction of each activity is the way to go!

Learning new skills involving movement

Skills such as tying shoe laces or riding a bike can be difficult as they involve sequences of movements. Therapy to help in this area may use swimming, mazes, obstacle courses, constructional toys and building blocks.

Difficulty with using both sides of the body together

Crawling, hopscotch, skipping, playing musical instruments, playing catch and bouncing balls with both hands are some of the many activities that can help with bilateral integration.

Hand and eye coordination

Activities may include hitting with a bat, popping bubbles, throwing and catching balls, beanbags and balloons.

Is Sensory Integration Therapy a proven treatment?

Although Sensory Integration Therapy is widely used and supported by anecdotal evidence, there is as yet little research that would establish it as an evidence-based treatment. One study found only poor quality evidence providing either no, or at best equivocal, support for Sensory Integration therapy (Dawson and Watling 2000). There have been many studies done but these have not been conducted rigorously enough for Sensory Integration Therapy to be considered an evidence-based treatment, despite it being widely used as an intervention for Autism and other developmental disorders.

I can't afford these therapies, or they don't exist in my area

The good news is that as with many intervention therapies, they can be done at home by the parents. When finances are a problem, you may be able to have one or two sessions with an occupational therapist who is experienced in Sensory Integration Therapy to get advice on home-based therapies. Contact your local Autism or Asperger's association as they will be able to put you in touch with free or low-cost services.

When there are no services in your area, you can still do home-based therapies. This fact sheet offers some ideas and there are many books available on Sensory Integration Therapy. Also, some Autism associations may respond to email enquiries from parents in remote regions.

Sensory issues are explored further in theSensory Problems fact sheet.

Click here to read an interview with Lorna Jean King on Sensory Integration Therapy

Click here for the full range of Asperger's and Autism fact sheets at www.autism-help.org
This autism fact sheet is licensed under theGNU Free Documentation.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

NSA Spooks Tooled Up With Zero-Day Security Exploits from the FRENCH .fr

NSA spooks tooled up with zero-day PC security exploits from the FRENCH

September 17th 2013

Supercharge your infrastructure

The NSA bought specialist computer hacking tools and research from French security outfit Vupen, according to documents unearthed using the Freedom of Information Act.

A contract shows the American spooks paid for a year's supply of zero-day vulnerability information and the software needed to exploit those flaws to attack electronic systems.

The paperwork, obtained by government transparency and accountability site MuckRock, show that the US intelligence nerve-centre signed up to a one-year subscription to Vupen's “binary analysis and exploits service” last September.

Vupen prides itself on advanced vulnerability research as well as selling software exploits for unpatched flaws in systems - known as zero-days - to governments. Several US defence contractors and security startups, such as Endgame Systems, are also in the business of privately researching and selling information about software vulnerabilities and associated attack code.

That US government organisations may be among Vupen's customers is not a surprise. The NSA, even though it has advanced offensive cybersecurity capabilities, not least in the shape of its Tailored Access Operations cyber-espionage unit, might still find it valuable to tap into external help from commercial providers such as Vupen.

"Likely reasons for NSA subscription to Vupen's 0day exploits: know what capabilities other govs can buy, and false flag, deniable cyber-ops," writes Christopher Soghoian, principal technologist and senior policy analyst at the American Civil Liberties Union in an update to his personal Twitter account.

"There are times when US special forces use AK47s, even though they have superior guns available. Same for NSA's Vupen purchase. Deniability," he added.

Soghoian, who delivered a presentation about the exploit vulnerability marketplace at the recent Virus Bulletin conference, has previously likened the trade in software exploits to a trade in conventional weapons - think bullets, bombs and rockets. ®

On Not Being Able to Write: An Excerpt

The essential difference in these dichotomies. Without the maturity my "self" needed, I was in danger of falling in love with being in love. This love is the shallowness that I am so afraid of It exists only in titles and words, and is dependent upon an ideal that can never be met. The additional danger in that for me, is that even the ideal is so incredibly foreign, that I cannot seem to grasp. I needed a self-worthy in and of its self so that I can go into a relationship knowing that I bring as much, if not more than I can take. In my loneliness, the thing I "need" and feel tempted to take, is time. This is time that I can easily find myself lost in my words (such as now) or in his or her absence, I find myself needing something, anything, from anyone who is willing to divert my attention from the realities I would rather not see. In my work, I can forget about everything else. I can feel strong, and I can feel whole, I can feel beautiful, and I can feel love. You once asked me what makes me feel beautiful. I do not know what the "right" answer was to that question, though I remember the clear distinction of the physical, external beauty we see in magazines and soap operas, is opposed to the inner beauty we hear of on Oprah. I told you that I feel most beautiful in the Theatre class I TAd for last spring. We discussed the association between beauty, knowledge, and power. And although I am unsure if I could express the sentiments at the time, I can now clearly see that sitting in front of that Theatre, I did not need to rely on the external. "So this is what a grad student looks like," you told me upon our first meeting at the Houlihans in Long Island back in the summer of '94. You commented how the boys would eat me up at law school. Isn't that the point? I do not wish to compromise your peace in any way. Whether you realize this or not, I write these words mostly for myself, as they clearly reflect the ways that I have tried not to define myself through and by my relationships with others, since I believe that reality and identity is something that comes from within. Perhaps that is why I am intrigued by the social context of evaluation, since it is in perpetual conflict with my belief in subjective reality. [On Not Being Able To Write] So to learn of your incredible distaste for me, which, from my understanding is quite strong; there exists an incredible discrepancy in the relationship we may have had at one point, and your subjective interpretation of events. Though I need no clarification, I will not pretend as though there is no motive beneath this contact. So in the world of business where there a'int no such thing as a free lunch, you have something I need. I am willing to pay for your time, but not your affections.

UWRITTEN

The essential difference in these dichotomies. Without the maturity my "self" needed, I was in danger of falling in love with being in love. This love is the shallowness that I am so afraid of It exists only in titles and words, and is dependent upon an ideal that can never be met. The additional danger in that for me, is that even the ideal is so incredibly foreign, that I cannot seem to grasp. I needed a self-worthy in and of its self so that I can go into a relationship knowing that I bring as much, if not more than I can take. In my loneliness, the thing I "need" and feel tempted to take, is time. This is time that I can easily find myself lost in my words (such as now) or in his or her absence, I find myself needing something, anything, from anyone who is willing to divert my attention from the realities I would rather not see. In my work, I can forget about everything else. I can feel strong, and I can feel whole, I can feel beautiful, and I can feel love. You once asked me what makes me feel beautiful. I do not know what the "right" answer was to that question, though I remember the clear distinction of the physical, external beauty we see in magazines and soap operas, is opposed to the inner beauty we hear of on Oprah. I told you that I feel most beautiful in the Theatre class I TAd for last spring. We discussed the association between beauty, knowledge, and power. And although I am unsure if I could express the sentiments at the time, I can now clearly see that sitting in front of that Theatre, I did not need to rely on the external. "So this is what a grad student looks like," you told me upon our first meeting at the Houlihans in Long Island back in the summerof '94. You commented how the boys would eat me up at law school. Isn't that the point? I do not wish to compromise your peace in any way. Whether you realize this or not, I write these words mostly for myself, as they clearly reflect the ways that I have tried not to define myself through and by my relationships with others, since I believe that reality and identity is something that comes from within. Perhaps that is why I am intrigued by the social context of evaluation, since it is in perpetual conflict with my belief in subjective reality. [On Not Being Able To Write] So to learn of your incredible distaste for me, which, from my understanding is quite strong; there exists an incredible discrepancy in the relationship we may have had at one point, and your subjective interpretation of events. Though I need no clarification, I will not pretend as though there is no motive beneath this contact. So in the world of business where there a'int no such thing as a free lunch, you have something I need. I am willing to pay for your time, but not your affections.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Health Care Reform Requires Regulation

I have a serious problem with the most recent health reform effort. Asking or expecting the health industry to reduce costs through self-regulation without accountability is simply ridiculous. Health care is already completely self-regulated and controlled. A person does not have free choice when choosing a provider. Due to an unholy alliance of provider networks, insurance underwriters, pharmaceutical conglomerates and private for profit hospital corporations such as HCA. By negotiating with providers and developing one-size-fits-all prescription formularies and treatment protocols, we remove the ability for the consumer to make independent informed decisions about the value of various treatment options. We rely upon one the ratings of physicians who have self-interest in controlling access and information to accurate information through their reliance upon Certification and Licensing Boards. By limiting access into the profession, health care costs are inflated and it is near impossible for the consumer to determine the fair value of a health care service. Second, the consumer is far removed from the negotiating process, so we do not have a good sense of the fair, free market value of one particular service in comparison to another. All you need to do is look at any EOB (explanation of benefits) report for your last trip to the hospital. Billing codes are used and assigned through various service departments and the insurance carrier then decides which services are covered and at what rate. They use the terms like "Reasonable and Customary Rates%u201D and then choose to pay 80% of that. Therefore, by definition, that 20% must be built in to the billing rates to adjust for the actual (and expected) rate of reimbursement. Such complicated billing procedures and methods are so complicated and technical that the end recipient of services (the consumer) really has no idea if an X-ray costs $90 or $73. Add into that a separate fee for the radiologist, and sometimes a charge just to use the facility, and even smart people find it difficult to understand. The bills are then processed by an insurance adjuster who must determine primary and secondary (supplemental) plans and determine who is responsible for what, the end cost and intricate design is truly "priceless." Good luck to those people who actually purchased supplemental plans they saw advertised on TV, you have been duped. Giving people (especially the infirm and the elderly) a false sense of security is unfair and unjust. Without regulation, intervention and enforcement, many people will continue to believe they are prepared and protected from that ultimate for "just in case" scenario that results in major, catastrophic medical loss. The administrative cost alone on the part of the "Responsible Party" is probably more costly than the initial service they received at whatever hospital for whatever condition. You cannot apply basic economic theory and free market principles to health care. Health care is fundamentally different and should be considered a public good. I would write more, but unfortunately, I just realized that I have some forms I forgot to file an authorized statement regarding the assignment of benefits form. It only seems fair that the appropriate party is paid for providing services in good faith despite TennCare's history of delayed payment. Elyssa D. Durant, Ed.M. © 2007-2014

Sunday, November 10, 2013

In God We Trust: The Lemon Test and Public Funds for Parochial Schools

In God We Trust: 
The Lemon Test and Public Funds for Parochial Schools

Elyssa D. Durant, Ed.M. 

Guiding Questions
1. How can school vouchers reach a balance between serving the public interest and preserving individual freedoms and rights?
2. What additional arguments can be presented for against the use of school vouchers for parochial schools?
3. How is the issue of school vouchers for sectarian institutions different or similar from issues surrounding prayer in school?
4. What are the common issues relevant to both charter schools and voucher programs?
This article will address concerns regarding the long-term outcomes of school choice and voucher programs. Specifically: do school vouchers exacerbate the inequality between the rich and the poor?
Since I believe that health care and education are both social goods, I have some reservations about letting the free-market run amok during such a critical point in history. Is it wise to allow for-profit market forces to dictate public goods when natural rights are at stake? The shortcomings of the Medicaid managed care programs, Medicare supplemental insurance policies, and demonstration projects such as the privatization of prisons provide sufficient evidence of the dangers of profit driven corporations in American culture. Corporate scandals with food and other suppliers contracted by the Board of Education in New York City in the late 1990's provide excellent examples of how easy it is for private companies to manipulate funds away from the target recipients.
It was not too long ago that private managed care companies offered gifts to boost enrollment by enticing desperate Medicaid recipients to join their plans. This marketing strategy is simply offensive when we are dealing with a social good albeit health care or education. Vulnerable populations are frequently exploited through corporate contracts and there is little reason to believe that for-profit conglomerates would treat public schools or economically disadvantaged students and families otherwise.
Arguments on both sides of the school voucher issue are very similar to those presented for and against charter schools and free-market school choice. Smrekar (1998) presents four key issues that have been at the center of the school choice debate: (1) economic, (2) political; (3) social justice; and (4) pedagogical.
The economic argument in favor of school choice points out that our current public education system resembles a monopoly. Proponents argue that the introduction of choice into the educational marketplace will promote competition and force schools with poor performance records to improve or close (Friedman, 1968).
The political argument is centered on the democratic ideal that the freedom to choose where your child attends school is a fundamental right. The political argument also triggers strong feelings about the role of education in a democratic society. There are those who feel that the public school is intended, at least in part, to create a common set of core values that is best served by the public sector. At the core of the political school choice argument is a debate regarding the benefits of providing a common set of experiences in a democracy versus promoting individual choice and liberty (Smrekar, 1998). This issue, while not dead, was challenged in 1925 when the Supreme Court ruled in Pierce v. Society of Sisters (268 U.S. 510 (1925)) in favor of parents who sent their children to private school. This argument continues today and is at the center of both school choice and curriculum debates.
The social justice argument is a bit more complicated and there is little agreement on any front. Proponents argue that school choice empowers the poor to participate in the education of their children by giving them the same options available to wealthier families in the United States. According to a 1997 poll in USA Today, 47% of parents would send their children to private schools if they had the financial resources (Doyle, 1997).
Information is an essential component to any school choice program. In order to ensure social equity in school choice programs we need to be sure that the "poor" are fully informed of their choices and are not taken advantage of in the open market. Research has shown that the act of "choosing" has positive effects on the school environment and promotes parental involvement in their children's education (Doyle, 1997). Additional components of the social justice argument have focused on the nuts and bolts of choice programs, and point out how there are several different ways that choice programs may (wittingly or unwittingly) promote social inequity (Cookson, 1995). Such arguments focus on transportation problems, admissions policies, the availability of information, and how we define "choice" and implement policies regulating recruitment, enrollment and performance of participating schools, (Cookson, 1995; 1997).
The pedagogical argument points out that school choice programs are better suited for the individual needs inherent to a pluralistic society. Although some feel there is value in providing core curriculum and a common set of basic skills, there is a current trend towards specialty schools that focus on the arts and sciences, technology, vocational training, etc. Educators look towards successful magnet schools as examples of the pedagogical success that demonstrated the importance of school choice and parental involvement as indicators of educational outcomes. Some educators fear that the introduction of school choice and voucher plans would prompt the best students to leave public schools and that this would have a negative effect on the overall climate of public classrooms.
Among the various school voucher programs, there is considerable controversy surrounding the program design that gives qualified individuals the choice to attend parochial schools using public funds. Traditional arguments against this type of school voucher program have focused on the constitutionality of using state funds for sectarian institutions. In theory, public schools are believed to be completely independent of religious institutions and provide a place where young adults can join together and develop a core set of "American" values and "democratic" principles. Just this year, states such as Tennessee have modified the curriculum to include Bible class in publicly funded classrooms. It is not yet known how this will be implemented given the number of students who did not meet the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) benchmarks. They are just now trying designing the course content and have not yet selecting the text to be used next fall (2008).
Historically, the church had a key role in the education of children in America. During the National Period (1780-1830), churches were used to educate children, and the King James Bible was used as a reader in these classrooms (Smrekar, 1998). Derek Neal (1997) points out that much of the current sentiment against Catholic schools is not a reflection of their excellent performance record, but rather an indication of the anti-Catholic sentiment which swept the country during the late part of the 19th Century (Neal, 1997). Neal argues that until that point, there was no contest to religious education as long as it was Protestant.
Catholic schools have traditionally served the children of the working class. They were a major socializing force earlier in the century and continue to succeed with children who might otherwise fall through the cracks in public schools. Despite tapering enrollment, Catholic schools remain a viable force in the private sector providing a reasonably priced private education to American children. Neal conducted a study that looked at the graduation rates of minority children attending Catholic schools compared with children attending public schools in the inner cities. Controlling for demographic variables, (parent's education, parent's occupation, family structure, and reading materials at home) closer analysis revealed graduation rates for urban minorities are 26% higher in Catholic schools compared with public schools in the same communities. Although Neal found similar benefits for whites and in suburban communities, this effect was most profound for urban minorities.
Other studies have focused on identifying the qualities that make Catholic schools successful. A number of factors have been identified by Bryk and Lee, including active parental participation and the benefits of school choice in creating an inclusive community that fosters a common set of values and ideals (Bryk & Lee, 1995). Interestingly, the very same variables found to enhance the performance of Catholic school students are remarkably similar to the reported benefits of magnet schools and choice programs. Despite the excellent performance records of Catholic schools, there are currently no voucher programs that allow parochial schools to participate in state funded voucher programs.
The reason for this is quite simple, but not necessarily correct or in the best interest of our children. The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution prohibits the use of public funds in religious institutions. However, it can also be argued that it is unconstitutional to exclude parochial schools from voucher systems because it violates the student's free expression of religion. In addition, voucher programs require a conscious decision on the part of the student and the parent. The state does not enforce a blanket endorsement of any one religion. I use Catholic schools as an example because they represent the majority of parochial schools in urban America.
Voucher programs typically undergo strict scrutiny for all four reasons mentioned above, but this issue is especially true of any choice or voucher program that channels funds into Parochial schools. For this reason, Catholic schools and other schools with religious affiliations have been excluded from voucher plans up until this point. It is not politically viable to institute a choice or voucher program at any level (at the district, state or national level) since similar plans have historically presented long-standing, hard-fought, legal challenges to the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
Since the Supreme Court has not ruled on this issue, most challenges up until this point have taken place in state courts[1]. These state decisions have been split, and while there are a few voucher programs operating in Wisconsin and Ohio, neither permits sectarian schools to participate in their programs. Milwaukee designed a voucher system that included parochial schools in 1995 but later revised their proposal after the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued a temporary injunction against expansion into religious schools (Kremerer & King, 1995).
School choice programs that involve vouchers have not been tested in the Supreme Court, but there is a long history of court cases that challenge the flow of money from the public sector into private, sectarian institutions. The recent pattern of Supreme Court rulings has lead some legal scholars (Kremerer & King, 1995) to conclude that school vouchers would pass constitutional muster under the following circumstances:
1. Provides payments in the form of scholarships to parents of school age children
2. Allows parents to choose among a variety of public and private sectarian and nonsectarian schools for their children
3. Gives no preference to sectarian private institutions
Voucher programs up until this point have encountered substantial resistance from the legal community and a number of civil rights and political organizations. This becomes more pronounced when the voucher model includes sectarian institutions in the model plan and state court rulings have been inconsistent in decisions surrounding the constitutionality of voucher programs.
The definitive case regarding school voucher programs is Lemon v. Kurtzman (403 U.S. 602 (1971)). The Court's ruling in Lemon was based on three components that came to be known as the "Lemon Test." The Lemon Test applies the following to any Constitutional challenge of the Establishment Clause:
1. The government action must have a secular purpose
2. The primary effect must neither advance, nor inhibit religion
3. It must not result in excessive governmental entanglement with religion
Since voucher programs do not generally provide support directly to the institution, individual freedom and choice remain intact. Individual families are empowered by educational vouchers since they choose the school and religion appropriate for them. Qualified schools are not determined by religious affiliation and all schools are required to adhere to state and federal regulations that increase accountability. Similar issues came before the courts in Pierce v. Society of Sisters (268 U.S. 510 (1925)) as well, however Lemon v. Kurtzman (403 U.S. 602 (1971)) is considered to be both the landmark and test case currently before the courts.
The reason for this is quite simple, but not necessarily correct or in the best interest of our children. The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution prohibits the use of public funds in religious institutions. However, it could also be argued that it is unconstitutional to exclude parochial schools from voucher systems because it violates the free expression of religion. In addition, voucher programs require a conscious decision on the part of the student and the parent. The state does not enforce a blanket endorsement of any one religion. I use Catholic schools as an example because they represent the majority of parochial schools in urban America.
Teacher's unions are resistant to bring in a new system that has the potential to upset their job status and security. It will likely be a number of years before we truly understand the effects of magnet schools and can evaluate the implementation of school choice programs that are already in place. Because we are dealing with such an essential human, social good, it is my recommendation that we do not implement a large-scale voucher program until issues of access and equity are resolved on other public fronts. We must ensure real choices for the students and families who are not information savvy and may be limited in their ability to recognize the real value of their options. We must find a way to ensure the equitable distribution of resources so that education truly does will empower the poor.
Is it time to apply the Lemon Test to school vouchers? 
You decide.
References
Cookson, P.W., Jr. (1994). School choice: The struggle for the soul of American education. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Cookson, P.W., Jr. (1995). ERIC Digests: School Choice.
Doyle, D.P. (1997). Vouchers for religious schools. Public Interest, 127, 88-95.
Haynes, C.C. (1993). Beyond the culture wars. Educational Leadership, 51(4), 30-34.
Houston, P.D. (1993). School vouchers: The latest California joke. Phi Delta Kappan, 75(4), 61-64.
Kremerer, F.R. & King, K.L. (1995). Are school vouchers Constitutional? Phi Delta Kappan, 77(1), 307-311.
Kremerer, F.R. (1995). The Constitutionality of school vouchers. West's Education Law Reporter,101 Ed. Law Rep. 17.
Kremerer, F.R. (1997). State Constitutions and school vouchers. West's Education Law Reporter, 120 Ed. Law Rep. 1.
Neal, D. (1997). Measuring Catholic school performance. Public Interest, 127, 81-87.
[1] Including a decision that was handed down regarding a choice plan in Ohio. (12/18/2000)
Elyssa D. Durant © 2007-2014

My Worst Nightmare: For Pepe, RIP

I am standing in a sea of unfamiliar faces. 

There is violence everywhere. Red. Broken. Bleeding.

I am holding Pepe, and he is broken. Bleeding. Clinging to me, clinging to life.

I rush through the crowd looking for safety. 
There is no way out. Just angry faces in a sea of violence.
In the distance, I see two police officers. 
I run to them believing they will help me find a way out of the madness. Believing they will bring me to safety.
A safe haven. Shelter from the storm.

Free from the madness. Free from the violence. Free from this sea of unfamiliar faces so I can get my bleeding, broken, suffering companion the help he needs to make him well.

The help we need to be whole again.
When I reach the podium, the men were facing the crowd.

They were standing there, backs to me; they just stood there to face to the crowd banging their black, wooden nightsticks while on just standing there. Beating their nightsticks against their fat sweaty palms. 
I call out but no one hears me. 
No one can hear me above the roar of the crowd. I tap them on the shoulder, holding Pepe close to my heart-- hoping they will instinctively see the love and fear in his yellow gold eyes. 
Of course, they would rescue us. Yes, they would rescue us and bring us to safety. 
Free from the violence, free from the madness. 
Free from this hell and take us somewhere safe. 
Somewhere far, far away from here. And then they turn. In unison, they turn around to face me, and I look at them.

I am horrified. I am horrified because these are not police officers at all.

They are clowns. Literally, figuratively, in every way they are simply clowns. Clowns in uniform. In unison. In unanimity. Inhumanity. My worst nightmare. The cops were clowns.
Pepe was "only" a cat, but I made him a promise that I intended to keep. I would give him everything I longed for: keep him safe, keep him fed, make him well, I would give him love. Lots and lots of love.

Unconditional love. Always. Until the day my perfect little angel would return to heaven. And I did. And he did. And we did.

Alone, together, Pepe gave me strength when I was too weak to care for myself. He could not talk, but he sure tried!
After seventeen years, Pepe died the other day, and my worst nightmare did not come true. I loved him until the very end. Even then, he gave me the most perfect and fitting gift.

He gave me freedom.

He gave me comfort.

He gave me hope and he gave me peace.
I know that I can love. I am capable of complete, total, unconditional love.

He was like a child.

Pure, innocent and completely, totally, unconditionally loved.   
Yes, I am capable of love. I am capable of complete, total, and unconditional love. 

Pepe, my precious angel, may you rest in peace... 

There is a better place for you now. There always was.





Elyssa D. Durant © 2007-2014