March 8, 2016 - Dr. Nancy Chamberlain School Board Testimony

I know you have received copies of the Proposal by Save Our Challenge.  I’d like to explain what it IS, and what it is NOT.

It is NOT a comprehensive research report.  It is a PROPOSAL from your community  - not just the 5 authors, but from the over 1200 people who signed the petition, the scores who participated in 2 community input gathering nights, the dozens of parents and students who have testified to you.

It is NOT a literature review, nor meta-analysis. It is a report that uses both QUANTITATIVE analysis, using the data available to us to examine the School Board’s own metrics for the program; and uses QUALITATIVE analysis as well.

 In qualitative analysis, the researchers acknowledge their inherent biases up front, which we clearly did on the cover page!  As all researcher know, and Malterud has pointed out explicitly, “A researcher's background and position will affect what they choose to investigate, the methods, and the findings considered most appropriate, and the framing and communication of conclusions." The perspective or position of the researcher shapes all research - quantitative, qualitative, even laboratory science, and in no way disqualifies the results. To suggest otherwise demonstrates a profound misunderstanding of the nature of research!

I would like to address one misinterpretation that has already surfaced – that we claim evidence shows that Challenge has closed the Achievement Gap – we make no such claim.  The Achievement gap is real, large and begins in elementary.   There is no measurable effect of Challenge on it YET, because we need to work on increasing ACCESS of FRL and minority populations to more rigorous curriculum AFTER they achieve meeting standard.  We need to apply TARGTED supports before they reach MS so that they are ready for more rigorous work in MS and HS. We feel this is absolutely critical, and dedicate several chapters in our proposal to showing that the self-select aspect has increased ACCESS for FRL and minority students to the more rigorous LEVEL, PACE and PEERS that Challenge offers, and to suggesting ways to support and identify these underrepresented learners before MS.

Finally, a request to have both Save Our Challenge and the NSEA at the table at tonight’s study session has been denied. Save Our Challenge will be present with our proposal, background information, data, articles and other source material. We would be happy to answer ANY questions that arise.