Slashdot Mirror
Predicting H.S. Dropouts With Pervasive Databases
rhadamanthus writes "As seen on the Houston Chronicle: 'With a new computer database available at every campus this fall, teachers can keep a virtual eye on every student and identify those at risk of leaving. For the first time, educators can look up a student's attendance, discipline, immigration status, grades, and test scores at one source and use that information to predict dropouts. ... "All students will know someone is watching them, tracking them, and is interested in their success," school board member Laurie Bricker said at a press conference today.' Hooray for surveillance in the HISD."
"This will go on your permanent record!", for years just an idle threat, may finally have some real meaning.
And for any HS'ers reading this and wondering if I tell the truth... I had less than stellar grades (before college, where I did very well). Got suspended once. Due to moving, I may not actually have ever completed 5th grade. Yet, I got accepted to every college to which I applied (including a few "big name" ones, of which I actually went to WPI my first year. Hated it and left, but that goes beyond my intended point).
Though, I do have to wonder about the darker side of such tracking. Already, we have students removed from regular classes for so little an offense as acting different, for writing "dark" poetry, for daring to speak against the system even on private websites. I see this finding more use in eliminating MORE people from the regular education system than it will in keeping potential dropouts in school.
Conform. Or else.
Sigh.
on another note the hackers will have a ball with this WOOOHOOO fuck with records all day loing. endless possiblitys scuse my spelling for i am a retard who dropped oiut of shcool beachws i was to chool for shool. BTW bite me on the school aspect i went to one of the nicest shools in the county Aspen High School FEK off that is about the most up to date highschool or was when i went there had millionare donations. so there kids could get better shcoolin but yet i seemd to drop out hmmm gee geewilliagers. "end of spelling errors" Its not the school that matters. Its the the individual that makes the choice. If i had a database on me when i was growing up and had been tryed to be convinced of not dropping out. hmmm do you think somebody who knows as much as i did about computers at that time would give a rats ass what some database said? Not hardly i would have gone and showed them how to truly operate the database for good uses. Gameing Databases!!!! har har seriously add it up when will they stop hireing teachers that dont know shit from apple butter? when will they stop this nonsence ADD bullshit. "coming from a SO Called ADD Bipolar/Manic Depressiant fuck up of a human being" all give a shout now dont be shy how may of us are some form of reject here? that is my question "btw i beat the shit out of most people for fun, even once threw a chair at the teacher (whacked his ass hard to) put my head through a window in the classroom. busted desks with other desks. threw mashed potatos at campus guards. called my teachers peices of shit. started fires in my desk. smoked weed on campus in bathrooms. sprayed mace in the hallways causeing mass panic. jeez i was a child from hell well not really i just was fed up with the bullshit and wanted out so i got out. Glad i did. I live a much better life now Live half the year in Australia and half in USA own houses both places FUCK YOU Mr. Antonelli BWA HA HA HA
Sorry was in bad mood when made account