Page 2 October 1, 2015 Wiseburn Board Approves Contract With Schoolzilla Data Platform By Cristian Vasquez Members of the Wiseburn School Board approved a contract for $85,000 during a twoyear period, with $55,000 being paid in the first year and the remaining $30,000 during the second year, with Schoolzilla. The contract will be paid for by Da Vinci and Wiseburn. Through Schoolzilla, Wiseburn and Da Vinci will have the ability to access data about their students that has already been collected by the district, through other data systems, in ways they have not been able to do so in the past. “Schoolzilla will connect and transform the data so the district can build reports relevant to them,” District Partnership Lead Steve Taylor said. “There are lots and lots of different teachers in the district so personalizing it with just their students would take a lot of staff time without powerful tools like Schoolzilla.” With Schoolzilla, district staff will be able to upload a raw file to the Wiseburn data warehouse, and reports will be automatically personalized to show teachers’ data for only the students in their class. Principals will also be able to access reports that are designed for them. This compilation of detailed information will become a useful tool for teachers, who will be able to tailor their instruction for students on a group and/or individual basis. At Wiseburn and Da Vinci the first phase of the project we will have Schoolzilla partner with the district to unify three different student information systems, nine assessments systems and one database. In one example shown during the presentation at the most recent board meeting, principals can look at grades for each teacher, class, and student all within one dashboard. The data will be updated overnight, so every morning they are looking at up-to-date data, and can help students accordingly. Schoolzilla will only store the compiled data and adheres to the federal guidelines set by The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) in its handling of this data. As a result, Schoolzilla will not be keeping, nor view, any student data. “We transform the data so the district can build reports relevant to them. We don’t see detailed student data in the performance of our core responsibilities,” Taylor said. As Schoolzilla is being set up, Da Vinci and Wiseburn personnel will work side-by-side with implementation managers responsible for coordinating the connection of all data and team training as well as for providing support. Through Tableau training designed specifically for schools, from beginner to advanced, Da Vinci and Wiseburn personnel will learn the best methods to use the data structuring tools for the best data visualization practices. “In another report that was presented, district and school leaders can see how many, and which students are exhibiting warning signs that they will not graduate from high school; these include grades, attendance, and behavior data,” Taylor said. “With access to this data in real time, school staff can intervene before it is too late, and help more students to graduate from high school. College readiness reports will allow Wiseburn/Da Vinci staff to use ACT data to know what percentage of students are college ready. It can be filtered by demographic, by school, by grade.” Data and Accountability Coordinator between Da Vinci and Wiseburn Gloria White looked at six different companies who offer similar services before it was decided to enter a contract with Schoolzilla. With this new data compilation system, Wiseburn and Da Vinci personnel will have the ability to track the academic career of all of their students, well into college and their careers. “The kids are our kids from when they are five until they are 25. Even when they are gone they are still with us,” White said. “That way when kids come to us we can help them along their path using the information from kids who have come before them.” The system will allow for the use of data from Naviance database to provide data from after students graduate from Da Vinci School. With post-secondary data at hand, the district can understand and look at the students’ entire academic career, even after they have graduated from high school. Wiseburn and Da Vinci will be able to analyze college applications, application results, and post-secondary schools of attendance every single year for former students. Wiseburn and Da Vinci are already receiving information on post-secondary enrollment each semester from the National Student Clearinghouse; this contract with Schoolzilla will enable the use of that data to better serve current students and/our alumni, and help support them in their quest for a college degree. The National Student Clearinghouse is a national database that tracks college enrollment. It started as a transcript evaluation service to help colleges and universities manage transfer students, but now provides data to states and school districts about alumni enrollment. It does not reveal student grades or their majors but it does provide useful enrollment information. The goal is to have actionable reports to district and school leaders by the spring and to have a rollout to teachers by the fall of 2016. The district can also add build reports on additional data sources, such as surveys and business information, with the same software used to build academic dashboards and reports. In time, Wiseburn/Da Vinci staff will be able to provide more and more insights to educators by building and refining their reports library. “Teachers need deep insights into their assessment data to make it useful,” Taylor said. “After partnering with Schoolzilla, teachers will be able to use their standards based assessments to help drive instruction more effectively.” • Classifieds The deadline for Classified Ad submission and payment is Noon on Tuesday to appear in Thursday’s paper. Advertisements must be submitted in writing by mail, fax or email. You may pay by cash, check, or credit card (Visa or M/C over the phone). Errors: Please check your advertisements immediately. Any corrections and/or changes in an ad must be requested prior to the following Tuesday deadline in order to receive a credit. A credit will be issued for only the first time the error appears. Multiple runs will only be credited for the first time the error appears. No credit will be issued for an amount greater than the cost of the advertisement. Beware: Employment offers that suggest guaranteed out-of-state or overseas positions may be deceptive or unethical in nature. If you have any doubts about the nature of a company, contact the local office of the Better Business Bureau, (213) 251-9696. Herald Publications does not guarantee that the advertiser’s claims are true nor does it take responsibility for those claims. back unit fireplace, stove, fridge, $1500. No smoking. No pets. Avail Oct. 1st. Month to month rental. Copy of credit report. 310-322-8099. To appear in next week’s paper, submit your Classifed Ad by Noon on Tuesday. Garage Sale 1430 East Oak Ave, ES Sat 10/2 8am-12 noon. Downsized home- furniture, miscellaneous. House for Rent Overlooks Library Park. Two adjacent units for rental together or separately. Two bedroom one bath front house fireplace, yard, 2 car garage, washer/dryer, fridge, stove, new carpet, new paint . $3500. Single Car For Sale 2009 Lexus E350 looks like new f u l l y l o a d e d m i l e a g e 7 8 , 4 2 3 p r i c e $ 1 7 , 9 5 0 call Shane (310)658-0455 For Rent 3 bedroom 2 full bath complete remodel. $4100 10+ location, family room, fireplace, 2 car garage. 527 Sheldon front house. SL Property Management 310-350-4096 Follow Us on Twitter @heraldpub Prophet’s Prey: Shedding Light on Warren Jeffs and His Polygamist Cult By Morgan Rojas for CINEMACY In the early 1800s, a man named Joseph Smith claimed he had been chosen by God to restore the Church of Jesus Christ on earth. For the next ten years, he was said to have received “messages” from above which eventually were translated into the Book of Mormon. Among the messages was the instruction that Mormon men were to have at least three wives to reach the celestial kingdom. Multiple wives bearing many children, known as polygamy, was seen as one of the most important components of the holy doctrine. This belief was just one of the many controversies that surrounded the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), an unsanctioned offshoot of the traditional Mormon Church. When the self-proclaimed “prophet” Warren Jeffs took control of the church and its people in 2002, the patriarchal abuse hit an all time high. Prophet’s Prey trails closely behind private investigator Sam Brower who has dedicated years to monitoring the religious cult, sometimes from a distance and sometimes not. In the film, Brower is confronted, chased and followed by FLDS security in an attempt to expose the group’s deepest and darkest secrets. What results is a riveting documentary, an unintentional horror film that exposes what truly goes on behind the doors of one of the world’s most evasive religious sects. Animated sketches recreate the FLDS history, giving those who are less familiar with the religion and its teachings an opportunity to get caught up to speed within the film’s first three minutes. Acclaimed director Amy Berg captures the innocence and remorse of so many current exmembers and how they feel about the life they lost while brainwashed at the hands of Warren Jeffs’ tyrannical mind control. Warren’s brother Wallace speaks candidly to Berg, expressing the emotional devastation at the loss of his children who, still complying to FLDS rules, remain hateful towards him for breaking out of the church and want no form of a relationship. One of Warren’s wives, Janetta Jessop (#63 for those keeping score at home) tells stories of underage marriage, bearing a child, and an irreparable relationship with her own mother. It is ironic that Berg pairs beautiful sweeping aerial shots of the FLDS’ mountainous compound with the full sound of a children’s choir singing hymns. These moments could be taken from a fairy tale, an innocent scene born out of purity. However what looks like paradise from above is in fact a mirage; one step into the reality of this scene and into the day-to-day life of a Warren Jeffs follower reveals a world void of joy, happiness, and individuality. Dustin Lance Black, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, and Regina Scully are a few of the powerful forces that serve as executive producers, while music by Warren Ellis and Nick Cave round out this who’s who of famous backers. At one time being #2 on the FBI’s most wanted list (next to Osama Bin Laden at #1 and Whitey Bulger at #3), Warren Jeffs was captured in 2006 after years of evasion. Today, Warren’s brother Lyle rules over more than 10,000 FLDS followers on behalf of his brother, who to this day remains locked up in a Texas jailhouse. Despite his capture, however, the worry of Warren Jeffs’ control over his followers has not stopped. Interviewees are concerned that blind obedience will see thousands of people follow Warren to the grave, reminiscent of a Waco or Jonestown. Even though he is behind bars, Prophet’s Prey leaves us with the indication that Warren’s reign is not over yet. Prophet’s Prey is now playing at ArcLight Hollywood and on Showtime VOD, followed by a national rollout. • Film Review Prophet’s Prey. Courtesy of Showtime Documentary Films. Every Visit our Website www.heraldpublications.com issue always available online! New Issues/Old Issues • Out-of-town? Read the Herald newspapers online • Interested in an article from a prior date? See it online • Excited about an ad, photo, or article? Refer your friends, family and associates to the website, so they can see it too • Want to read the Torrance Tribune or other Herald newspapers not in your area? All available on our website! Check it out! www.heraldpublications.com
Lawndale_FB_100115_FNL_lorez
To see the actual publication please follow the link above