MiSiS: CRISIS WITH LAUSD’s COMPUTER SYSTEM COULD END UP COSTING DISTRICT MILLIONS IN STATE FUNDING

from CBS2 : http://cbsloc.al/1sOIVdX

January 14, 2015 7:26 PM  :: LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The LAUSD’s many woes with its new MISIS could end up costing the district million of dollars in state funding.

There have been well-documented problems with the My Integrated Student Information System from the start with keeping records, grades and enrollment numbers.

CBS2’s Laurie Perez reports that the glitch with attendance records is what has the district most concerned.

LAUSD admits the computerized student records system has had many flaws, including system performance, problems with the program code and a lack of user training, leading to what they call backlogs of attendance records.

The district could not provide CBS2/KCAL9 with a current attendance figure, saying as a backup, some teachers have been taking attendance by hand.

The problem is the state will look for an actual attendance figure this spring.

LAUSD gets most of its funding from the state, and how much it gets depends on how many students there are. If the system hasn’t accurately recorded every student, it’s conceivable the district could lose funding.

In a report to the school board Tuesday, the district CFO said that partly because of the record keeping problems, enrollment numbers will drop. It’s estimated each 3 percent loss in enrollment equals a loss of about $100 million.

The CFO reportedly said the LAUSD’s numbers could drop by as much as 16 percent, which would add up to more than $500 million.

“That would be beyond tragic; it would be catastrophic for the district’s funding,” said Scott Folsom, a member of the California State PTA.

Folsom says even if the district gets a waiver from attendance reporting this year, he has concerns that funding won’t be exact.

“The state is entitled to good numbers from us,” Folsom said.

The district has not said if it will apply for a waiver.

The problem with MISIS for students is having a more immediate effect.

Student Bryan Rodriguez tried to take algebra last semester, and it led to a real-life word problem.

He says because of MISIS bugs, he was reassigned to a math class 10 times with different teachers and different periods.

In the end, when he got his grades yesterday, he got no grades for algebra.

“Just question mark … question mark,” Rodriguez said.

“But you were in that class? Perez asks. “Yes,” he replied.

“And you did all the work,” she says. To which he replied, “Yes.”

He didn’t get a grade or credit, as if he were never in the class at all.