Psychological Profiling of Your Child in Utah

In 1964, the Pennsylvania Department of Education contracted with a group of unelected officials from the Carnegie Foundation to develop what became known as the Ten Quality Goals of Education. These goals were based on a theory that public education should address more than academic knowledge and skills - "the three R's." According to this theory, education should address "the whole child," including how he thinks, feels and acts. 

While everyone knows that a well-educated person enjoys the direction of a wise guardian as she learns how to think, feel and act, most people don't think about the proper source of that direction. Prior to the "Ten Quality Goals," it was solidly established that the feeling and acting dimensions of education - what a child is taught to believe - were the territory of families, and Reading, Writing and 'Rithmetic were the territory of schools. But today, most people don't think twice about a school teacher, or counselor, being counted as that wise guardian. 

This is thanks in large part to the shift in thinking that occurred in the wake of the release of these goals. Ever since, educrats have employed countless ways to try to affect more than just academic knowledge in their students.

Here in Utah, the State Office of Education (USOE) is also involved in this effort to influence the way your child thinks, feels and acts - to influence his beliefs. Thanks to Morgan Olsen, we now have a better picture of the kinds of beliefs the USOE tracks and tries to influence - via testing - in our children. 

As you read through her article below (copied from Utahns Against Common Core), ask yourself whether these things are the appropriate role of the school system, or whether it's time to call for a return to academic foundations in education, and leave the transmitting of beliefs to families.


Is the USOE Practicing Psychological Profiling on your Child?

Do you know what Psychological Profiling and Perception Data are?

If…

“Profiling: the use of personal characteristics or behavior patterns to make generalizations about a person, as in gender profiling.” (Dictionary.com)

Then Psychological Profiling is the use of psychological characteristics or behavior patterns to make generalizations about a person.

Perception data is essentially Belief Data. According to the Utah State Office of Education’s (USOE) “Utah’s Model for Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance”

 “Perception data: Perception data answer the question, “What do people think they know, believe or can do?” These data measure what students and others observe or perceive, knowledge gained, attitudes and beliefs held and competencies achieved. These data are often collected through pre- and post-surveys, tests or skill demonstration opportunities such as presentations or role play, data, competency achievement, surveys or evaluation forms.” (pgs. 58-59)

Did you know the USOE outlines Student Outcomes, Standards, and Competencies for your child’s Perception (Belief) Data? (125-130)

“The school guidance curriculum is designed to facilitate the systematic delivery of guidance lessons or activities to every student consistent with the school CCGP statements of philosophy, goals and student competencies.” (48)

The following picture is an example of a few of Utah’s  CCGP Student Outcomes (125-130):

Did you know your child’s success is determined by whether they Master the CCGP outcomes?

“Student monitoring: Monitoring students’ progress ensures that all students receive what they need to achieve success in school. It entails monitoring… standards- and competency-related data.” (33)

“Standards- and competency-related data: These data measure student mastery of the competencies delineated in the Utah CCGP Student Outcomes.” (57)

Did you know School counseling programs’ are evaluated on whether they made progress towards full implementation of the CCGP Student Outcomes?

Even though each school is urged to create its own CCGP Program with its own competencies and the Utah’s CCGP Models says the “117 indicators listed in the Utah Standards for Student Competencies… are not meant to be all-inclusive.” (45), the scoring rubrics (222) for the Program Audits require increasing alignment with Utah CCGP Student Outcomes over time. Under this evaluation method schools will eventually be fully aligned with Utah’s CCGP Student Outcomes, and psychological profiling will become mandatory throughout all of Utah’s CCGP programs.

“The CCGP Student Outcomes: The CCGP Student Outcomes serve as the foundation for the Utah CCG Program.” (32)

“The program review provides evidence of the program’s alignment with the Utah Model for CCGP. The primary purpose for collecting this information is to guide future actions within the program and to improve future results for students. The review aligns with and includes all Utah Model program components for the Utah Model for CCGP.” (77)

From the Performance review scoring rubrics:

“STANDARD IX: School Guidance Curriculum. The program delivers a developmental and sequential guidance curriculum in harmony with content standards identified in the Utah Model for CCGP.” (238)

“Evidence is provided that the guidance curriculum is in harmony with the CCGP Student Outcomes identified in the Utah Model and is supportive of school improvement goals.” (238)

If a school doesn’t score well enough they will lose grant money tied directly to the CCG Program, and some of the Guidance Counselors will lose their job.

Are you aware the USOE tells school Guidance Counselors to collect Perception (Belief) Data from your child to create “programs and activities designed to provide extra time and help to those students who need it”?

“Through the analysis of disaggregated data, educators discover which groups of students need additional help and design interventions specifically geared toward those students’ needs. For example, to help all students learn to the same high standards, teachers may create differentiated instruction, and schools might institute programs and activities designed to provide extra time and help to those students who need it. These intentional interventions are strategically designed to close the achievement gap.”

In the same way, school counselors know that not all students come to school with equal academic and personal/social resources. Disaggregated data help uncover areas where groups of students are having difficulty.”  (60)

“Disaggregated data: Data separated into component parts by specific variables such as ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status.” (Glossary)

Here’s an example the USOE gives of how Perception (Belief) data can be used to create a program:

“To ensure every student achieves high academic standards and masters the Utah CCGP Student Outcomes, it is important to not just look at aggregate, global data from the entire student body, but also to disaggregate the data. To disaggregate data, school counselors separate data by variables to see if there are any groups of students who may not be doing as well as others. For example, although a high school counselor might feel good about seeing that 60 percent of all seniors complete four full years of mathematics, she may not be as happy if she sees that 75 percent of white students complete the four years while only 20 percent of students of color complete four years of math. Disaggregated data often spur change because they bring to light issues of equity and focus the discussion upon the needs of specific groups of students.” (58)

Using factors we know the student databases keep track of, let’s change a few variables around to see how this type of practice could affect a different group of people:

“To ensure every student achieves high academic standards and masters the Utah CCGP Student Outcomes, it is important to not just look at aggregate, global data from the entire student body, but also to disaggregate the data. To disaggregate data, school counselors separate data by variables to see if there are any groups of students who may not be doing as well as others. For example, although a high school counselor might feel good about seeing that 60 percent of all seniors complete CCGP Student Outcome MG:A3.7: respect and protect the environment with a willingness to make necessary changes to accommodate the changing ecosystem, she may not be as happy if she sees that 75 percent of non-seminary students complete the four years while only 20 percent of students in seminary complete student outcome MG:A3.7. Disaggregated data often spur change because they bring to light issues of equity and focus the discussion upon the needs of specific groups of students.” (58)

What kinds of programs do you think a guidance counselor would create to deal with this sort of “problem”?

Do you think it’s okay for the USOE to create desired Student Outcomes for Students’ beliefs without parental input?

“Much gratitude is expressed to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) for permission to base this current Utah Model for Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance on The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs, 2nd Edition.” (3)

Do you think it’s okay for the USOE to create desired Student Outcomes for Students’ beliefs at all?

Do you think it’s appropriate for the state to do this in the name of education?

What can you do about it?

• Know your parental rights and exercise them. See What are my parental rights? For more information.
• Do not sign permission slips allowing schools to collect personal data from your child.
• Exercise your right to review the curriculum before signing anything.
• Teach your child what is appropriate to share with others and what is private information.
• Tell your Educators, and Elected Officials you are against the inappropriate collection and transfer of data by Utah’s State Longitudinal Data System and against the collection and use of perception data in any school system.
• Ask Legislators to defund Utah’s SLDS.
• See our Action List to learn more about how to contact your Elected Officials.

What You Can Do:

Contact the Utah State Board of Education and tell them that psychological profiling and the collection of perception data are not the appropriate role of the education system.