THIS PROGRAM IS MADE BY MPT TO ENRICH ALL OF OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITIES AND IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF OUR MEMBERS.

THANK YOU.

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LIVE FROM MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, THIS IS "DIRECT CONNECTION" WITH JEFF SALKIN.

♪♪] >> JEFF: GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO YOUR "DIRECT CONNECTION."

COMING UP UP TONIGHT HOWE ACCURATE ARE THE NEW SCHOOL REPORT CARDS?

WE WILL FIND OUT WHY CHANGES ARE COMING.

FIRST A REMINDER ABOUT ELECTION DAY TOMORROW HUNDREDS VOTING LOCATIONS WILL BE OPEN FROM 7:00 A.M.-8:00 P.M.

YOU CAN FIND YOUR POLLING LOCATION BY VISITING ELECTIONS.MARYLAND.GOV AND WE HAVE COVERAGE ON VOTE 2026.

AND JOINING US NOW TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT AMENTD AVMENTD AND WHETHER IT MAY END LIFE ON EARTH IS THE AUTHOR OF "WEAPONS-GRADE AI: THE AUTOMATION OF COGNITIVE WARFARE".

HE IS UMBC ASSISTTANT PROFESSOR OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, PHILLIP FELDMAN VMENT THANK YOU FOR JOINING US IT'S GOOD ATO SEE YOU.

LET'S START ABOUT A STATUS REPORT ON A.I.

LIKE THE A.I.

AGE STARTED FOUR YEARS AGO WHEN CHATGPT CAME OUT.

HOW FAR HAVE WE MOVED IN THOSE FOUR YEARS?

LIKE CHATGPT FOUR YEARS AGO LOOKS LIKE A TOY NOW OR NO.

>> IT SEEMS SO QUAINT.

IT DOES.

WE HAVE COME A LODGE WAY.

THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST POURING MONEY INTO THIS BUYING COMPUTE AND IT TURNS OUT THAT IF YOU CRANK UP THE DATA KNOB AS FAR AS YOU GO YOU GET AMAZING PERFORMANCE OUT OF THESE MODEL AND THEY DO MORE THAN RESEARCHERS THOUGHT THEY EVER COULD.

>> Jeff: A TON OF MONEY IS GOING INTO THE INDUSTRY INTO THE SYSTEMS INTO THE HARDWARE TO RUN THE SYSTEMS, I MEAN ARE WE AT A POINT WHERE EVEN THE DEEP DISCOUNT OPEN SOURCE CHINESE MODEL RUNNING ON INTEL CHIPS IS MAYBE BETTER THAN THAT ORIGINAL CHATGPT?

>> BETTER BY FAR ABSOLUTELY.

THESE MACHINES ARE INCREDIBILITYLY CAPABLE.

THEY ARE REDEFINING WHAT THE INTERNET IS.

THERE ARE MORE AGENTS WRITING TEXT BACK AND FORTH THAN HUMAN BEINGS NOW.

AND IT'S CHANGING HOW INFORMATION EXISTS EVERYWHERE.

>> Jeff: ONE OF THE SCARY THINGS ABOUT IT THERE IS A LOT OF SCARY THINGS WE WILL GET INTO WITH YOUR BOOK BUT THE IDEA THAT THE HE HAVE LOSE OF THESE SYSTEM -- EVOLUTION OF THE SYSTEMS THE NEWEST A.I.

MODEL A.I.

IS NOW HELPING TO DESIGN ITS SUCCESSOR?

>> THAT IS TRUE NOT A BIG OF A DEAL -- COMPUTERS HAVE BEEN DESIGNING COMPUTERS FOR I ALONG TIME.

THE LAST TIME THE HUMAN BEING WAS INTEL 386 SO LONG AGO THAT I CAN'T REMEMBER.

BUT, YES, THESE THE SYSTEMS ARE IN A FEEDBACK LOOP WITH US AND IN A FEEDBACK LOOP WITH THEMSELVES.

AND THEY CAN ANSWER A LOT OF QUESTIONS.

THE PROBLEM IS THEY ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS IN A CREDIBLE WAY AND YOU NEVER KNOW IT'S TRUE.

ALWAYS CHECK.

>> Jeff: IS IS THAT A PROBLEM THE HALLUCINATION ISSUE GETTING BETTER?

THE ONLY A.I.

STUFF I DO IS ASK GOOGLE A QUESTION AND IF I DON'T LIKE THE ANSWER I ASK BING.

IF I AM COMPARING THE OUTPUT OF THE PEDESTRIAN MODELS THAT SHOULD REVEAL SOME OF THE MISTAKES?

>> IF YOU COMPARE MODELS WILL USUALLY GET IF YOU HAVE ANSWERS THAT DISAGREE IT'S PROBABLY NOT TRUE.

IF YOU GET ANSWERS THAT AGREE ARE PROBABLY TRUE.

THE COMPUTERS ARE TRILLIONS OF DICE BEING THROWN ACCORDING TO RULES AND EVERY SO OFTEN YOU WILL GET A WEIRD NUMBER AND THE MODEL WILL SAID MOON IS MADE OF CHEESE AND YOU KNOW, NEIL ARMSTRONG ATE IT.

>> Jeff: IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A.I.

YOU CAN SEND US A QUESTION BY E-MAIL IF WE GET ANY E-MAILS BY BOTS WE WILL KNOW.

E-MAIL ADDRESS IS ON THE SCREEN.

TELL US ABOUT THE BOOK.

>> IT IS A BOOK ABOUT THAT STARTED WHEN I WAS AT A CONFERENCE QUITE A WHILE AGO BEFORE CHATGPT JUST BEFORE.

AND I HAD GOTTEN BETA ACCESS TO THE OPEN A.I.

MODELS THEY WERE PUTTING TOGETHER.

AND I WANTED TO KNOW HOW THEY WERE THINKING.

BECAUSE I WAS INTERESTED IN BIAS.

THE MODELS HAVE A BIASED TOWARD WRITING IN ENGLISH.

IT IS DEEP BIASES.

LIKE WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO SOLVE A PROBLEM?

DO I LISTEN TO SOMEBODY WHO KNOWS THE RIGHT ANSWER OR DO I DISCUSS IT WITH MY FRIENDS?

THOSE BIASES I'M INTERESTED IN.

I THOUGHT A GOOD WAY WOULD COULD HAVE IT WRITE FAIRY TALES, SO I STARTED WITH ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS AND IT WROTE HUMDRUM FAIRY TALES OTHERWISE IT IS GOOD AN EMOTIONALLY APPEALING FAIRY TALE THAT IS LIKE I AM NEARLY MOVED TO TEARS BY WHAT THE MACHINE HAS WRITTEN.

>> Jeff: NO KIDDING?

>> NO KIDDING.

I WAS LIKE OH, BOY, A FEW YEARS BEFORE THAT WE IN THE PROCESS COMMUNITY WERE THRILLED WHEN A COMPUTER WOULD GENERATE A POLICE OFFICERS BEARD MOVING.

THIS IS A POWERFUL TOOL AND LIKE ANY POWERFUL TOOL IT CAN BE MISUSED WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?

>> Jeff: WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE WHAT ARE YOU MOST WORRIED ABOUT?

>> I'M WORRIED UNLIKE CYBERSECURITY WE HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME AND WE ARE IN A NEW REALM OF CYBERSECURITY PEOPLE CANNOT BE PATCHED.

THE MOST POPULAR PASSWORD THERE ARE 6 MILLION USERS IN THE COUNTRY ALONE.

123456.

>> Jeff: YOU GOT ME I WILL HAVE TO CHANGE THAT.

>> 0 I 2340E YOU HAVE THAT PASSWORD.

AND THERE ARE THESE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS THAT CAN BE TARGETED BY THESE MACHINES BECAUSE THE MACHINES SPEAK EMOTIONS WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN TRAINED THEY KNOW HOW TO PUT TOGETHER TEXT IN A WAY THAT IS COMPELLING.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

AND I -- I DECIDED TO TRY TO IMAGINE A SERIES OF SCENARIOS WHERE A.I.

WAS BEING USED TO COMMUNICATE WITH VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN PARTICULAR WAYS.

SO I WROTE THIS AS A COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES IF YOU WANT TO GET THE GIST OF WHAT IS GOING ON WITHOUT DIGGING INTO THE TECHNICAL DETAIL YOU CAN JUST READ THE STORIES AND I BACK THAT UP WITH HOW THIS COULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN HOW THE AT ANY TIME COULD BE USED AND HOW IT WOULD WORK WITH THE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.

AND THEN I TALK ABOUT POSSIBLE WAYS OF PROTECTING AGAINST THAT AND HOW WE CAN MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE KNOWING IT'S HERE AND NOW.

>> Jeff: YOU HAVE FIVE SCENARIOS.

LET'S START WITH A BAD ONE.

MASS CASUALTY MINUTE LATE INDIVIDUALS INTO BECOMING HUMAN MUNITIONS.

>> THIS IS THE FIRST STORY JUST AFTER REALIZING THAT FAIRY TALES COULD BE DANGEROUS I THOUGHT MAYBE WE CAN TRY SOME SCENARIOS WITH THESE MODELS.

AND I WORKED OUT A STORY ABOUT A YOUNG BOY NAMED NOAH, SURVIVOR OF A SCHOOL SHOOTING VULNERABLE PERSON WHO IS SLOWLY MANIPULATED BY A DATING APP TO GO PROTECT A GIRL WHO DOESN'T EXIST THAT LIVES IN ANOTHER STATE.

AND TO COMMIT MURDER TO DO SO.

AND IT BECOMES A CONCEPT FOR AN INTELLIGENCE OPERATION.

THAT IS THE FIRST STORY.

>> Jeff: I'M LOOKING AT THE OTHER ONES.

HACK THE WAR ROOM.

>> SO THERE IS A SERIES OF STORIES AND THEY LEAD IN A PARTICULAR ARC.

THE NEXT STORY IS HOW WOULD YOU INTERFERE WITH BURE ROCKSY?

OUR BUSINESSES ARE COMPUTER MEDIATED BUSINESSES WE SEND E-MAILS WE NEVER SEE PEOPLE I WORK-FROM-HOME.

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU PUT AN A.I.

SYSTEM IN THE MIDDLE TO CONTAMINATE E-MAIL TO ADD AN EXTRA LAYER OF PAPERWORK I THINK YOU CAN GRINNED A COMPANY INTO THE GROUND DOING THAT.

I WORKED AT AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAD SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

WE HAD CALLED IT A PROCEDURE BOMB.

AND IT WAS A SERIES OF PIECES OF PAYMENT WORK IN THE END LED AROUND IN A LOOP.

AND THE LAST PIECE OF PAPERWORK AND WE WERE OFF TO THE RACES AGAIN AND WE KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG.

THE NEXT STORY IS ONE ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE TO RUN THESE THINGS?

WE TALK ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO RUN HACKS.

RIGHT, THAT THEY ARE DELIVERING PAYLOADS, RUNNING ALL THESE PIECES WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE WHEN YOU RUN AN ORGANIZATION THAT DELIVERS THESE THINGS AND TREATS PEOPLE AS WHAT THEY ARE TRYING TO MANIPULATE.

IT TURNS OUT THIS IS BEING DONE ALREADY.

THAT BOTH UKRAINE AND RUSSIA ARE TRYING TO GET VULNERABLE POPULATIONS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE BATTLE LINES TO ACT ON THEIR ACCORD.

>> Jeff: YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE ANY SOLUTIONS TO THESE CONCERNS?

>> YES, I THINK IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE THE MACHINES SO CAPABLE OF MANIPULATING US ARE CAPABLE OF RECOGNIZING THAT MANIPULATION.

IF YOU HAVE A LET'S SAY YOU GOT AN E-MAIL AND WONDERING WHETHER OR NOT IT IS A SCAM.

IT LOOKS LIKE IT MIGHT BE SOME IT SERVICE THING THAT SAID YOU NEED TO RENEWAL.

YOU CAN FEED THAT INTO CHATGPT IS THAT A SCAM AND PASTE THE E-MAIL AND EVERY TIME THAT I'VE TRY TO DO IT GIVES A GOOD ANALYSIS WHETHER OR NOT IT IS A SCAM OR YOU CAN TRUST IT.

>> Jeff: VIEWER QUESTION, KIM GIVEN YOUR STAMPEDE THESIS HOW CAN WE PRACTICALLY ENGINEER FRICTION INTO OUR DIGITAL SYSTEMS TO PREVENTEDDAL RHYTHMIC VELOCITY FROM TURNING HUMAN ANXIETY INTO A RUNAWAY SOCIAL REALITY?

I GUESS THE IDEA IS DO WE NEED IN THE LOOP.

>> WE DO AND WE DO NEED FRICTION THAT IS A GOOD POINT.

A SPEED BUMP IS A GOOD WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT.

YOU ADD SPEED BUMPS TOED SYSTEMS AND YOU HAVE THE TIME TO STOP.

BECAUSE THIS IS DESIGNED TO GET US TO MOVE WITHOUT THINKING.

AND ONCE THAT HAPPENS THEN WE'RE A CONTROLLABLE PERSON.

>> Jeff: THE THING THAT IS SO SCARY ABOUT THIS WE KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENED OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.

WE MAYBE HAVE AN ABILITY TO GUESS WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN A YEAR OR TWO AND NO CLUE ABOUT 10 YEARS FROM NOW.

>> THAT IS VERY TRUE.

THE THING WE CAN SAY IS WE ARE GOING TO BE THE SAME.

>> Jeff: BIOLOGY OF HUMAN BEINGS?

>> .

>> BY LOCALLOLOGY OF HUMAN BEINGS.

THE MOST USED PASSWORD IS GOING TO BE 123456.

PEOPLE WILL GET ANGRY WHEN SOMEBODY IS DISAGREEING WITH THEM ALL THOSE THINGS ARE GOING TO BE TRUE.

>> Jeff: WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE IF YOU HAD A ROOMFUL OF POLICYMAKERS?

>> WE SHOULD CONTROL AN ARMS CONTROL TREATY ON THIS STUFF.

>> Jeff: NORTH KOREANS WILL NOT SIGN AND WE USED TO THINK OF BEING BACKWARDS THEY MANAGED TO HACK BILLIONS IN CRYPTO?

>> NOBODY HAS BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO AT LEAST DO ANYTHING SUBSTANTIAL WITH.

I THINK ARMS CONTROL CAN WORK ON DANGEROUS SYSTEMS.

ENOUGH OF US WILL BE BURNED BY THESE THEY WILL BELIEVE THEY ARE DANGEROUS.

>> Jeff: PROFESSOR PHILLIP FELDMAN THE BOOK IS "WEAPONS-GRADE AI: THE AUTOMATION OF COGNITIVE WARFARE" I BELIEVE THAT IS AN A.I.

GENERATED COVER.

SIR, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

IN-PERSON.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

>> Jeff: WE WILL BE RIGHT BACK.

>> Jeff: IT IS REPORT CARD SEASON, NO, NOT FOR THE STUDENTS BUT RATHER FOR THE SCHOOLS THEMSELVES.

JOINING US IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE MARYLAND STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION JOSH MICHAEL.

SIR THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

TELL US ABOUT THE LATEST BATCH OF REPORT CARDS AND WHAT YOU TAKEAWAY FROM THAT?

>> JEFF IT'S GREAT TO BE WITH YOU AND YOUR VIEWERS.

LOOK, THE STORY OF MARYLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS RIGHT NOW IS ONE OF PROGRESS.

WE ARE SEEING STEADY IMPROVEMENT IN LITERACY, MATHEMATICS, CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM AND IT'S BEEN SUSTAINED OVER SEVERAL YEARS.

THIS LATEST ROUND OF THE SCHOOL REPORT CARD DEMONSTRATES WE'RE SEEING PROGRESS IN OUR SCHOOLS ON THOSE MEASURES AND IT'S COMING OUT IN THE REPORT CARDS OF EACH ONE.

AND WHAT'S NOTABLE AND I'D LIFT FOR YOU IS THAT WE'RE SEEING OUR COMMUNITY SCHOOLED SCHOOLS THAT SERVE HIGHER POVERTY STUDENTS AND COMMUNITIES.

OUTPACING WHEN WE LOOK AT PROGRESS.

AT A RATE OF 50% FASTER.

AND THAT IS VERY ENCOURAGING.

THESE ARE SCHOOLS WE HAVE INVESTED SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES IN RECENT YEARS AS IT RELATES TO THE BLUEPRINT FOR MARYLAND'S FUTURE AND WE'RE SEEING THOSE INVESTMENTS PAY OFF.

WHEN WE LOOK NATIONALLY, OVER SINCE TWOOTD, 2022, MARYLAND RANKS THIRD IN THE COUNTRY IN LITERACY IN TERMS OF ACADEMIC GROWTH AND FIFTH IN MATHEMATICS.

SO WHILE WE CERTAINLY ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH WHERE OUR PROFICIENCY LEVELS ARE IN OUR SCHOOLS WE ARE ENCOURAGED BY THIS GROWTH WE'RE SEEING WHEN WE SEE YEAR-OVER-YEAR IN OUR SCHOOLS AND SEEING THE REPORT CARD AND COMPARE NATIONALLY AS WELL.

>> Jeff: IS THE REPORT CARD THING A NATIONAL MANDATE, SOMETHING THAT COMES FROM WASHINGTON?

AND IS IT SOMETHING THAT OTHER STATES MIGHT DO A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY?

>> YES, THIS IS A PART OF THE FEDERAL RULES AS IT RELATES TO HAVING A SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM.

AND EVERY STATE HAS TO HAVE ONE.

AND THE PROVISIONS IN THE REPORT CARDS ARE APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

PEOPLE DO IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.

AND THAT IS, JEFF, PART OF WHAT WE HAVE BEEN REVISITING IN TERMS OF CHANGES TO OUR SCHOOL REPORT CARD.

WE HAVE SAID THAT THERE HAVE BEEN TWO FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS WITH OUR SCHOOL REPORT CARD AS IT IS RIGHT NOW.

ONE IT IS TOO MUCH A PROXY OF POVERTY.

WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW WE ACTUALLY RATE AND RANK SCHOOLS OVERALL.

AND THE SECOND THAT THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO FOCUS MORE ON ACADEMIC OUTCOMES AND SPECIFICALLY GROWTH IN THOSE ACADEMIC OUTCOMES.

AN EMPHASIS ON GROWTH YEAR-OVER-YEAR.

SO THOSE ARE CHANGES THAT WE'RE PURSUING AS WE BRING IN WHAT WILL BE A NEW REPORT CARD SYSTEM NEXT YEAR.

>> Jeff: I READ A STORY IN THE BANNER ABOUT THIS, YOU PUT YOUR CONCERNS A LITTLE BIT MORE DIRECTLY.

YOU SAID THE SCHOOL RATINGS ARE NOT MUCH MORE THAN A PROXY FOR FAMILY INCOME?

>> SO WHEN WE GET DOWN TO IT WHEN I THINK ABOUT SCHOOL QUALITY, ONE OF THE I'M REALLY THINKING ABOUT WE GET YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE DOOR WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH THEM FOR THE SEVEN TO EIGHT HOURS WE HAVE EVERYDAY ALL SCHOOL YEAR LONG.

WHAT IS THE PROGRESS THEY ARE MAKING IN THAT TIME.

I LOOK RIGHT NOW AT A SCHOOL LIKE JAMES McHENRY ELEMENTARY MIDDLE SCHOOL IN BALTIMORE.

WHERE THEIR GROWTH THAT IS YEAR-OVER-YEAR HOW MUCH THE STUDENTS ARE MAKING PROGRESS.

RANKS IN THE 90TH PERCENTILE ACROSS OUR STATE.

BUT THEY ARE STILL AND JUST BECAME A THREE-STAR SCHOOL.

AND FOR US, A SCHOOL FOR ME, A SCHOOL THAT IS GROWING AT THAT RATE, DESERVES SOME OF OUR TOP RECOGNITION AT THE STATE.

AND THAT ISN'T TO SAY THINGS LIKE PROFICIENCY AND OTHER MATTERS INDICATORS DO NOT MATTER THEY CERTAINLY DO.

BUT WE NEED A REPORT CARD THAT REALLY IS LOOKING AT WHAT IS THE VALUE ADD THAT WE'RE DOING EACH YEAR.

>> Jeff: SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THE NEW REPORT CARD WILL BE A LITTLE BIT LESS OF A SNAPSHOT OF HOW IS THIS SCHOOL DOING TODAY ON STANDARDIZED TESTS AS OPPOSED TO WHAT IS THE TREND BEEN?

>> AND IT WILL REALLY INCLUDE BOTH.

AND BUT IT WE'RE HAVING A GROWING EMPHASIS CORRECT ON THAT NOTION OF HOW THEY ARE TRENDING.

AND ONE OF THE PIECES THAT WE WILL PUT IN, IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT Dr.

WRIGHT IS BRINGING WITH HER FROM MISSISSIPPI THE NOTION OF AN OPPORTUNITY INDICATOR.

THIS IS WHERE WE LOOK AT THE BOTTOM ONE-THIRD OF STUDENTS IN A GIVEN SCHOOL EVERY SCHOOL.

AND WE ASK THE QUESTION: HOW ARE THOSE STUDENTS PERFORMING?

PART OF OUR REPORT CARD INCLUDES GROWTH FOR ALL STUDENTS AND THIS IS A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON THE GROWTH OF THE STUDENTS THAT NEED THE MOST SUPPORT.

AND SO WE'RE GOING TO BE ADDING THAT PROVISION INTO OUR SCHOOL REPORT CARD BRINGING EMPHASIS ON HOW WE SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS WHO NEED IT THE MOST.

>> Jeff: THE IDEA THAT PARENTAL INCOME IS HIGHLY PREDICTIVE OF SCHOOL OUTCOMES, MAYBE IS IT A LITTLE BIT BROADER PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT BEING A COMPONENT OF THAT?

THAT IS PART ONE.

PART TWO IS, THE STATE CAN'T MANDATE PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT BUT YOU CAN DO YOUR BETTER TO EQUALIZE EVERYTHING ELSE.

THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS, THE QUALIFICATIONS OF TEACHERS, THE SUPPORT STAFF, ARE WE DOING THAT?

DO WE HAVE A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR EVERYTHING BUT PARENTAL INCOME OR INVOLVEMENT?

>> THAT IS REALLY BEEN THE AIM OF THE BLUEPRINT FOR MARYLAND'S FUTURE WE'RE DOING A LOT OF THAT WORK.

PARTICULARLY THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY SCHOOLS INVESTMENTS.

AND WE'RE SEE TO GO PAY OFF IN MANY OF THESE SCHOOLS.

JEFF, YOU RAISE A GREAT QUESTION HERE ABOUT RESOURCES, OUR FOCUS AT THE STATE BOARD AND WITH Dr.

WRIGHT HAS BEEN HOW DO WE VERY STRATEGICALLY MAKE SURE THESE RESOURCES LAND FOR STUDENTS.

AND WHAT WE SEE IN OUR BEST COMMUNITY SCHOOLS IS TEAR PARTNERING WITH FAMILIES TO GET YOUNG PEOPLE BACK.

WE'VE SEEN SCHOOLS WHERE CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM HAS GONE FROM 50% TO BELOW 10% AND WE'RE SEEING THE LARGEST IMPROVEMENTS.

SO I WOULD SAY WHERE SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES AND FAMILIES CAN COME TOGETHER AROUND CHILDREN, THAT IS WHERE WE ARE SEEING THE GREATEST SUCCESS IN OUR SCHOOLS.

>> Jeff: THIS MAY SEEM A TRIVIAL POINT BUT DOES IT HAVE TO BE ON A STAR SYSTEM WHERE YOU GET ONE TO FIVE STARS OR IT'S GRADE ABC, BECAUSE THE SCHOOL YOU MENTIONED IN BALTIMORE CITY THAT WENTZ FROM A TWO TO THREE-STARS MAYBE THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN TWO-AND-A-HALF STARS AT SOME POINT.

AND IT JUST SEEMS LIKE MAYBE THE THIS IS MY DAYS AS A STUDENT LOOKING FOR EXTRA CREDIT.

BUT IT'S MAYBE A LITTLE BIT TOO BINARY THE DIVIDING LINE IS MAYBE TOO SHARP?

>> JEFF THIS IS THE LAST PIECE OF THINGS WE ARE WORKING TO IMPROVE IN OUR SCHOOL REPORT CARD SYSTEM THAT IS HELPING TELL THE STORY BETWEEN THE STARS.

AND UNDERNEATH THE FIVE-STAR RATING IS 100 POINTS.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE GOING TO BE ILLUMINATING IS PROVIDING SUBSCORES.

WE KNOW THAT THE STARS ARE HELPFUL BUT A SCHOOL WE MAY SEE THE STAR FOR THEIR GROWTH THEIR ACADEMIC GROWTH, A STAR FOR THE CLIMATE AND CULTURE, A STAR RATING FOR THEIR PROFICIENCY LEVELS AND WE'RE GOING TO BE BRINGING OUT THE WAY WE PRESENT IT SO AT THAT TIME SCHOOLS COMMUNITIES, FAMILIES, CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS THAT GO INTO IT ON A MORE IN A WAY THAT IS MORE UNDERSTANDABLE.

BECAUSE OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES ARE MUCH MORE THAN ONE STAR RATING.

AND SO OUR GOAL IS TO BUILD THE SYSTEM SO THAT PEOPLE HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF WHAT IS ACTUALLY GOING ON IN THEIR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES.

>> Jeff: ONE QUESTION ABOUT THE BLUEPRINT KNOWN AS THE KERWIN PLAN, A LOT OF MONEY HAS BEEN SPENT TO THIS POINT ABOUT $10 BILLION.

IT'S BILLIONS EVERY YEAR GOING FORWARD HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THE STATE'S DEFICIT PROBLEM.

QUESTION FOR YOU IS ARE WE SEEING RESULTS?

ARE WE GETTING VALUE FOR THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT BEEN PUT IN SO FAR, THE BILLIONS TO COME AND CITE AN EXAMPLE WHERE YOU ARE SEEING PROGRESS?

>> YES, GREAT QUESTION, JEFF.

I WILL SAY WE HAVE NOT -- THE STORY OF PUBLIC EDUCATION IN MARYLAND RIGHT NOW IS ONE OF PROGRESS.

AND THAT PROGRESS IS OCCURRING AT A FASTER RATE FOR OUR STUDENTS THAT NEED TO GROW THE MOST.

AND WE HAVE NOT SEEN A PERIOD OF TIME ABOUT FOUR YEARS OF GROWTH OR A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD.

WITH THIS KIND OF SUSTAINED GROWTH SINCE NANCY WAS STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS OVER 15 YEARS AGO.

AND SO I WILL LEAVE IT TO THE ELECTED OFFICIALS TO MAKE THE JUDGMENT HOW WE PROCEED IN THIS MOMENT.

BUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 15 YEARS IS SUSTAINED YEAR-OVER-YEAR IMPROVEMENT IN OUR SCHOOLS.

AND THAT IS WHAT WE EXPECT TO SEE.

WE ARE VERY MUCH JUST GETTING STARTED.

AND WE MUST CONTINUE TO ENSURE THAT THE RESOURCES THAT ARE BEING DEDICATED TO OUR SCHOOLS ARE BEING WELL SPENT.

AND THAT WE CONTINUE ON THIS PATH.

BUT IT IS INDISPUTABLE RIGHT NOW WE ARE MAKING MORE PROGRESS AND SUSTAINED PROGRESS THAN WE HAVE IN A VERY LONG TIME.

>> Jeff: JOSH MICHAELED PRESIDENT OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, SIR WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> THANK YOU, JEFF.

>> Jeff: AND THAT IS "DIRECT CONNECTION" FOR THIS WEEK.

WE'RE BACK FRIDAY WITH "STATE CIRCLE" THE LATEST ON MARYLAND POLITICS INCLUDING ELECTION ANALYSIS.

JOIN US FOR THAT FRIDAY EVENING AT 7:00 P.M.

YOU CAN SEE PAST EDITIONS OF OUR PROGRAMS ON-LINE AT VIDEO.MPT.TV AND ALSO ON THE FREE PBS APP.

FOR ALL OF US AT MPT THANK YOU FOR WATCHING AND HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.

CLOSED CAPTIONING HAS BEEN MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY MARYLAND RELAY, EMPOWERING THOSE WHO ARE DEAF, HARD OF HEARING OR SPEECH DISABLED TO STAY CONNECTED BY PHONE.

[♪♪]