Update on Wake County Schools' pysch screener, BIMAS-2
The multi-year cost of the BIMAS-2 is more than the salaries for 5 psychologists
Wake County Public Schools (WCPSS) began using the psychological screener BIMAS-2 back in 2019. WCPSS calls it a “social, emotional, and behavioral health universal screener,” but it’s really a rudimentary psychological inventory. Even its creator states this.
The long and short of this screener:
The second period teacher is supposed to rate all of their students (minus those opted out by their parents) using their “best guess,” on a 34-item inventory. This is done by teachers despite the inventory being designed for school psychologists to administer in a one-on-one setting, per the designer of the BIMAS-2.
The BIMAS-2 happens twice a school year; once in the fall and once in the spring. WCPSS’ policy requires parents to opt their kid(s) out each and every semester. (This will have to change; keep reading)
Unless the parents have told their child, the BIMAS-2 is conducted on the student without the student’s knowledge.
Below is a copy of the BIMAS-2 questions and rating system.
When I last wrote about the BIMAS-2 this past September, I had an outstanding public records request to see how much the BIMAS-2 has cost to date. That request has been filled.
In 2019, I had been told by the former district communications director that the pilot program was free but “The costs for assessment, data storage and training to date is $66,000.”
Here are the additional payments to Edumetrisis LLC which produces the BIMAS, per the school district:
May 11, 2020: $31,973.50
June 25, 2022: $225,244.31
May 17, 2022: $81,295.93
These three payments total $338,512.74. Adding in the $66,000 previously disclosed, the total rises to just over $404,512.
That $404,512 is more than the total of five school psychologists all with a master’s degree and at the rate level of 10 years of experience.
For more backstory on the BIMAS-2, scroll to the end and read prior articles on this survey.
More To The Story
Going back to WCPSS forcing parents to opt out every semester, that’s going to have to change and we’ll get to why shortly.
First, let’s review quickly the lack of parental access to the BIMAS-2.
As I previously wrote, I had to fight with my child’s middle school principal to get a copy of the BIMAS-2 for several weeks. That principal refused to show it to me and I came to find out he did not have access to it and, in fact, no one at the school did. I had to question at that point how the teacher was going to administer the BIMAS-2 if they didn’t have access to it.
I learned the screener’s name was BIMAS-2 once I received the opt-out form - which I only received after emailing my child’s school to ask about it.
The principal stopped answering me, but my inquiry was routed to the communications office and some information was gleaned through a series of email exchanges.
As far as I was able to ascertain back in 2019, there is no way for parents to get the results if they allow their child to be screened.
Why not?
Well, for one, per what my school told me they didn’t have a copy of the BIMAS-2, much less results to show me.
And two, it may have to do with the district being unable to tell me anything about the data, including how it was used, who saw it, where it was stored, if it was deleted after a certain time period, whether it was entered into PowerSchool, or if it resided in the student’s permanent hardcopy file.
Now, back to why all of these issues are going to change: Session Law 2023-106, otherwise known as the Parents’ Bill of Rights.
WCPSS’ policy of forcing parents to opt out of surveys and evaluations is nixed by this law. Under section 115C-76.65, Parental rights to opt-in to protected information surveys, districts using items like the BIMAS-2 are considered a “protected information survey” and will be opt-in only.
Under this section of the law, a public school unit is required to provide parents access to information about protected information surveys at least 10 days before administration. This information includes details about the consent process and the full text of the survey.
Additionally, and most importantly, written or electronic consent from parents or adult students is required for a student to participate in such surveys.
One more thing - Parents asked me how many schools this was administered at this past fall. Here is the answer: It was conducted in 134 of the 198 schools in the district.
The goal, however, is to have it administered in every single school.
Here is the list:
Abbots Creek Elementary
Adams Elementary
Aversboro Elementary
Baileywick Elementary
Banks Road Elementary
Beverdam Elementary
Brentwood Elementary
Brier Creek Elementary
Brooks Elementary
Bryan Road Elementary
Buckhorn Creek Elementary
Bugg Elementary
Cary Elementary
Combs Elementary
Conn Elementary
Dillard Drive Elementary
Durant Road Elementary
East Garner Elementary
Farmington Woods Elementary
Forest Pines Dr Elementary
Fuller Elementary
Fuquay-Varina Elementary
Green Elementary
Heritage Elementary
Hodge Road Elementary
Holly Grove Elementary
Hortons Creek Elementary
Jeffreys Grove Elementary
Joyner Elementary
Knightdale Elementary
Lake Myra Elementary
Laurel Park Elementary
Lead Mine Elementary
Leesville Road Elementary
Lincoln Heights Elementary
Lockhart Elementary
Lynn Road Elementary
Millbrook Elementary
North Forest Pines Dr Elementary
North Ridge Elementary
Northwoods Elementary
Oak Grove Elementary
Oakview Elementary
Olds Elementary
Olive Chapel Elementary
Partnership Elementary
Penny Road Elementary
Pleasant Grove Elementary
Pleasant Union Elementary
Poe Elementary
Powell Elementary
Rand Road Elementary
Reedy Creek Elementary
Richland Creek Elementary
River Bend Elementary
Rogers Lane Elementary
Salem Elementary
Smith Elementary
Southeast Raleigh Elementary
Stough Elementary
Swift Creek Elementary
Timber Drive Elementary
Turner Creek Elementary
Underwood Elementary
Vandora Springs Elementary
Wakefield Elementary
Walnut Creek Elementary
Washington Elementary
Wendell Elementary
Wilburn Elementary
Wiley Elementary
York Elementary
Zebulon Elementary
Alston Ridge Middle
Apex Middle
Apex-Friendship Middle
Carnage Middle
Carroll Middle
Centennial Middle
Connections Academy
Dillard Drive Middle
Durant Road Middle
East Garner Middle
East Millbrook Middle
Fuquay-Varina Middle
Heritage Middle
Holly Grove Middle
Holly Ridge Middle
Ligon Middle
Martin Middle
Moore Square Middle
Mt. Vernon Middle
Neuse River Middle
Oberlin Middle
Pine Hollow Middle
Reedy Creek Middle
River Bend Middle
Rolesville Middle
Salem Middle
Wake Forest Middle
Wake Young Mens Leadership Academy
Wake Young Womens Leadership Acad
Wakefield Middle
Wendell Middle
West Cary Middle
West Lake Middle
West Millbrook Middle
Zebulon Middle
Apex High
Athens Drive High
Broughton High
Cary High
East Wake High
Enloe High
Fuquay-Varina High
Garner High
Green Hope High
Green Level High
Heritage High
Holly Springs High
Knightdale High
Longview
Mary Phillips High
Middle Creek High
North Wake CCA
Panther Creek High
Sanderson High
SCORE Academy
South Garner High
Southeast Raleigh High
Vernone Malone CCA
Wake Early College
Wake Young Mens Leadership Academy
Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy
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