First time I can recall seeing a reference to a Control (process behavior) chart in the local paper.  Expect that it will be more common over the next 25 years.

Test you knowledge in assessing “scores and trends” ?

ISTEP+ Scores: It Depends, On How You Look at Them, by Jeff Abbott, Ph.D., J.D., published in the Indianapolis Star, Dec 23, 2008.

The public does  not understand the statistically valid way of analyzing ISTEP+ test scores. 

To repeat, it is of little statistical use to compare only one year’s test results with the previous year’s results. It is a meaningless comparison, particularly given the fact that the reported scores are from different groups of students, and that the tests compared are not even the same tests.

Test scores must be compared instead over a period of years to determine the trend of the scores. This can be done using an Excel spreadsheet, plotting the scores, preparing a line graph, and then adding a trend line.

The resulting chart shows that ISTEP+ scores for Indiana students are not dropping over the long run but are increasing. The linear trend line is going up from left to right, which indicates a positive trend in scores. Moreover, by using a widely used quality-process tool called a “Control Chart” it can be shown that the scores are increasing because of something other than random chance. (An upcoming issue of the Indiana Policy Review will explore this finding in depth.)

Two  articles in the local paper.  The first one on education and the challenge of identifying indicators for measuring success. The second article recognized a company for successfully applying the Baldrige criteria which provides a model for identifying critical performance measures.

Problem Resolution?  Use the Baldrige criteria to develop the consensus on how to measure the success of charter and public schools.  Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence.

Proposed moratorium on charter schools stirs debate, Whether achievement is better at special schools stirs debate, By Andy Gammill, Posted: December 22, 2008

Same old grind doesn’t apply. Cargill’s corn milling plant wins national Baldrige award for innovation. By Carolyn Duffy Marsan / Star correspondent. Posted: December 22, 2008

The U.S. Department of Commerce selects a handful of Baldrige Award winners each year, and the awards are handed out by the president of the United States. Winning the award shows an organization is committed to constantly improving its performance and the value of its products or services.

“It’s a very rigorous process,” said Harry Hertz, director of the Baldrige National Quality Program, and includes a 50-page self-assessment.

Department of Commerce examiners visited the Indianapolis plant in October during the vetting process for the award. Hertz said the examiners were impressed by Cargill’s process for turning ideas from employees into product innovations.

“One of the big things they’ve done over time is come up with innovative uses of corn,” Hertz said. “Just because you’re in an industry that’s been around forever doesn’t mean you can’t be making innovations and have innovative products. That’s the key to surviving and thriving in this challenging economy.”

Record 2.8 million Hoosiers cast ballots  Nearly 1 in 4 voted early or absentee in ’08 general election, by Mary Beth Schneider, Indianapolis Star, Nov 26, 2008.

On the numbers/facts, the  National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (Motor Voter Law) made it easier for people to register with the expectation that more people would vote.

Trends indicate that the number of registrations did increase as did the number of voters. However, voter turnout as a percent of registered voters (average being 70%) indicate a downward trend.

Information on the total number of eligible voters in Indiana that have not registered, would have been interesting.

So-What?   2.8 million Indiana voters was a record but turnout as a percent was below average. Was the Motor Voter Law effective?

Will the votes make a difference? How will you know?

What standard should be used for interpreting trends?

Year	Total Number of Eligible Voters	Voter Turnout (M)	Registered Voters (M)	Voter Turnout as a Percent of Registered Voters /	AVG Voter Turnout as a Percent of Registered Voters
1964	?	2.09	2.62	80%	70%
1968	?	2.12	3.04	70%	70%
1972	?	2.13	3.02	70%	70%
1976	?	2.28	3.01	76%	70%
1980	?	2.28	2.94	77%	70%
1984	?	2.27	3.05	74%	70%
1988	?	2.22	2.87	78%	70%
1992	?	2.35	3.18	74%	70%
1996*	?	2.19	3.49	63%	70%
2000	?	2.23	3.99	55%	70%
2004	?	2.51	4.3	58%	70%
2008		2.81	4.51	62%	70%

* Motor Voter Law

OPINION: Star needs to dig deeper into critical issues, Dennis Ryerson, July 20, 2008.

Reinforces the important role newspapers play in reporting on the challenging issues facing the community in addition to reporting on incidences of “misfeasance, malfeasance or nonfeasance.”

Don’t hesitate to let me know if there’s something you think we should be digging into. We can’t look into every issue but will do all that we can to probe deeply into the most critical ones.

Prompted me to start thinking about a taxonomy for change.   How do you frame the problem, keep people engaged, provide status on current results, not contribute to a sense of learned helplessness (keep reporting on an issue/situation that never improves), etc.

For example on the issue mass transit, On the road to new transit options, plenty of facts and solutions but facts are not synonymous with problems.  For example, the fact that a gallon of gas is over $4.00 is a problem for some but not for others.  Nelson Goud, in his comments on the Star’s online readers blog illustrates the point:

Fewer traffic fatalities due to less overall driving (research shows 1,000 fewer fatalities per month at $4 a gallon).

Less traffic on the roads (2.1 percent so far this year).

Many companies, colleges and government offices are implementing four-day workweeks to lessen energy costs.

Less air pollution (and related illnesses).

Public transit is at a 50-year high.

Large-vehicle sales are plummeting.

Industries wanting lower shipping costs are locating more work within the U.S. rather than overseas.

It’s been interesting to follow how the Indianapolis Star has been adapting to changes in the marketplace.  Changing demographics and respective preferences on accessing information along with competition from television, cable broadcasts and the Internet have led to a refocus on community issues. 

Kane named Indianapolis Star president and publisher. By Robert King, Posted: July 16, 2008. …  In an interview following the staff meeting, Kane said he came to Indianapolis because he wanted to help the Star and Gannett’s other newspapers in the region make the changes needed to confront challenges from online advertising and other media.

Specifically, he said he wanted to help the newspapers think differently about how they serve advertisers in the digital age.

Indianapolis Star publisher retiring. Star Report, June 27, 2008. Barbara Henry, president and publisher of The Indianapolis Star since 2000, will retire Aug. 1 after a 34-year career in the newspaper business.

In announcing her retirement, Henry said, “I have loved every minute of those three-plus decades. The last eight years in Indianapolis have been especially gratifying. Even as our industry goes through a major transformation, and we operate in a very challenging economy

EDITORIAL: Top job for next top boss: shape up the work force

It’s not hard to come up with a list of key issues that Indiana’s next governor, whether incumbent Republican Mitch Daniels or Democratic challenger Jill Long Thompson, will have to confront.

Indiana’s workers are among the least educated in the nation ….  The state ranks 44th among the 50 states in the percentage of workers with a college degree. …  About three out of 10 Indiana students fail to graduate from high school on time. Fewer than half of the students in the state’s largest district, Indianapolis Public Schools, complete high school. One in three workers, according to an Indiana Chamber of Commerce study, faces obstacles in obtaining better jobs because of poor literacy skills.

All of this adds up to a state in danger of falling further behind in competing for good jobs, attracting and retaining industry, and successfully rebuilding its outdated economy.

Editorial raises awareness and contributes to a community sense of learned helplessness. None of the problems are new and have been addressed in the past. 

Improvement requires fundamental change. To assess if change results in improvement,  knowledge of variation (common, special) is a fundamental competency.  Assess your knowledge of variation?