THE STATE'S VIEW OF A STUDENT

Traditional educational tracking and reporting systems are no longer adequate to reflect these non-traditional paths of learning. But data systems are evolving.

Through our OPEN-ED framework, IBM is helping states to develop business intelligence systems that offer a 360-degree view of a student and his academic, social services and health records.

In January, California, with the largest student population in the U.S. (six million plus), chose IBM to develop a data system that will collect, maintain and report statewide information about pupil assessments, enrollment, teacher assignments and other elements that will be used to track graduation and dropout rates, provide appropriate student services and better measure student performance over time. Each public school student now has an assigned Statewide Student Identifier number that enables longitudinal tracking.

IBM and Cognos are working with Texas' Region 10 Education Service Center on a data/business intelligence system to gain insights and do comparative analysis of its academic programs. Taking it one step further, Region 10 is planning to share student data with the University of Texas at Dallas to provide a single view of students as they transition from K-12 to higher education. It would provide feedback to school districts about the success of their graduates.

When report cards fail

Kids today routinely shoot and publish videos on YouTube, maintain multimedia blogs and create their own Web sites. A hard-copy report card seems like a relic from another era. While state governments and educational systems are trying to manage data records across a multitude of systems over time, students themselves are looking for ways to create a digital record of their accomplishments.

An ePortfolio allows a student to capture sample work such as an animation video or radio interview, aggregate and manage these artifacts, and "publish" public views of the portfolio depending on the recipient. An ePortfolio can legitimize some of the non-traditional paths of learning, providing proof of accomplishment.

Rhode Island is one of the first states to mandate an e-Portfolio for every high school student. IBM and rSmart are helping the state implement a system using an open source application, Sakai, and its ePortfolio capabilities.