District Administration articles from August 2006

District Administration archives from August 2006

Going green, making sense.(school management )
August 1, 2006... Anyone who has ever had a 9-year-old understands the concept of the unanswerable question. While I've fielded my share from my son Ethan, there is one question he keeps lobbing at me that I can't even make up a good response to. "How come we...

Universal preschool.(Rob Reiner supports early childhood education)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Actor Rob Reiner, left, chair of the First 5 California commission, supported California's Proposition 82. In May, voters soundly rejected the universal preschool proposition, crushing the hopes of early childhood education advocates who hoped...

Robot tech.(Achim Nurse's education )(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Achim Nurse, 13, listens during an eighth grade social studies class from his bed at Blythedale Children's Hospital in Valhalla, N.Y. Nurse, unable to leave his hospital room, attends classes through use of a robot with video and audio...

Columbine Memorial.(Bill Clinton )(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Former President Bill Clinton speaks at the ground-breaking ceremony for the Columbine Memorial in Littleton, Colo., seven years after the deadliest school attack in U.S. history. The $1.5 million memorial will include a fountain, an inner...

American high school students fall behind other countries.
August 1, 2006... While U.S. students in low grades are faring about average or better in mathematics and science compared with those in other countries, high schoolers are outperformed in both subjects, according to a new federal report. The Condition of...

Voucher void.(Jeb Bush)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... A recent vote in Florida all but kills any chance that a voucher question will appear on the November ballot, according to the St. Petersburg Times. Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has pushed for voucher programs even after the state Supreme Court...

One system for one graduation.(Department of Education)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... A new report explains what some educators and policymakers have been saying for years: The nation needs one system to measure graduation rates. Who's Counted? Who's Counting? Understanding High School Graduation Rates, by the Alliance for...

Stat blast.(high school dropouts)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... DROPOUTS 47% of high school dropouts claim they did so because classes were boring 81% called for more "real-world" learning changes Source: The Silent Epidemic, funded by Ore Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Open Ed technologies.(Consortium for School Networking introduces educational technologies )(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... The U.S. needs to catch up the rest of the world when it comes to open technologies in education. And the Consortium for School Networking is doing just that, having launched a new Web site as part of its K-12 Open Technologies Leadership...

Defining open technologies.(Update: NEWS, STATS AND FAST FACTS)
August 1, 2006... * Open technologies include open-source software, open standards and open hardware. * Open source means software that is publicly distributed and maintained by volunteers or commercial companies. It includes operating systems for servers...

Test-makers wanted.(psychometricians needed )(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... There are plenty of tests these days, but not enough experts to ensure they are fair and accurate, a more common issue recently. Psychometricians, or trained specialists who create and evaluate tests, are entering the workforce at a trickle...

Tips to avoid tech ailments.(Mary Mundrane-Zweiacher on avoiding injuries )(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Cellphones. PDAs. Handheld games. Laptops. Each is creating repetitive motion injuries. Mary Mundrane-Zweiacher, certified athletic trainer at an orthopedic and sport medicine practice in Delaware, offers some tips to avoid injury: *...

Fueling Fridays.(rural schools to be open for an hour long)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Rural and remote school districts, where bus routes can take hours and many miles, are shortening the school week to four days to save money on gasoline, according to CNN. The school day in those areas has been extended by more than an hour....

More money = higher achievement?(academic achievement)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Documented increases in spending does not do enough to improve student achievement, according to Report Card on American Education: A State by State Analysis: 1984-2004. The 2005 report card, released by The American Legislative Exchange...

Housing subsidy helps teachers.(Update: NEWS, STATS AND FAST FACTS)
August 1, 2006... Teachers of math, science and special education in New York City are being lured to work in challenging schools with an offer of housing subsidies up to $14,600. Teachers must have at least two years' experiences. Officials hope to hire an...

Rudy's due.(Update: NEWS, STATS AND FAST FACTS)
August 1, 2006... 80% of Miami-Dade Superintendent Rudy Crew's goals were accomplished last year, meaning he likely gets another $45,000 added to his $305,000 base salary.

No diploma? No problem.(college students )
August 1, 2006... In an era of strengthened K-12 academic standards and graduation requirements, some education officials are concerned that some students are enrolling in public and private colleges without a high school diploma or equivalent degree, such as a...

Teachers are still the most important tool.
August 1, 2006... Having a highly qualified teacher, a key requirement of No Child Left Behind, can make a big difference in student performance on state standardized tests and in college preparation, particularly for minority and high-poverty students. The...

And the feds push on.(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... In early July, every state had to submit to the federal government a revised plan proving that all teachers are highly qualified in every core subject, a mandate of No Child Left Behind. Twenty-nine states have been making good progress but...

Objectifying NCLB.(No Child Left Behind law)(Interview)
August 1, 2006... It's been four years since the No Child Left Behind law intended to ensure students of all abilities would be proficient in reading, math and science by 2014. DA recently spoke with Michael Petrilli, who co-wrote, No Child Left Behind,...

Misleading measurements.(academic achievements )(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... A new report names Wisconsin as the top state in the nation for painting a quixotic picture of student progress. The state appears to be using flexibility built into NCLB to hide hard truths--at least according to Kevin Carey, research and...

Approval policy.(Department of Education)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Wisconsin is one of many states that have received approval from the U.S. Department of Education on a number of policies. The state has gotten the go-ahead to: * Measure only subgroups of 40 or more students for AYP; * Allow a...

Creating a memorial.(Laurie Capponi)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Eighth-grade English teacher Laurie Capponi looks forward to the end of the year for more than the obvious reason--it's when her annual Memory Matters project begins. The project, which has become a rite of passage for students at Wellwood...

Digging up the schoolyard.(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... A new Web site lets science teachers go on field trips in their own backyard. Based on the experiences of a teacher who worked with inmates at San Quentin State Prison, the site features earth-science lessons and activities such as mapping the...

Healthy schools?(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Although the findings in the newly released report, Calories In, Calories Out: Food and Exercise in Public Elementary Schools, 2005 won't make stomachs hurt, they won't go down that easily. U.S. public elementary schools were asked...

Notable quotable.(Michael Barber on school managementt )(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... "Three approaches to reform need to be combined: capacity building, performance management and market forces. The public is unimpressed by 'adequate'. They want 'good' and aspire to 'great'... and over the long haul, political-will is...

Walk into a world of literature.(Western Michigan University's Allen Webb )(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Western Michigan University English professor Allen Webb remembers the difficulty his high school students had when trying to understand challenging novels. Working off the fact that so many kids love playing video games, he decided to create...

A satellite comes to Kentucky.(KentuckySat)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... KentuckySat, a new organization made up of Kentucky universities and organizations, will design, build and launch KySat, a Pico class cube-shaped satellite with a mass of less than one kilogram. Once in orbit by late 2007, it will be available...

Celebrating scientific innovation.(Vernier Software L.L.C. recognizes )(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... In honor of its 25th year, Vernier Software & Technology recently recognized outstanding science teachers for their creativity. Here are two of the winners: Chemistry teacher Stacey Howell of Layton, Utah, does an experiment called the Ice...

Inner-city insight.(Dayton (Ohio) Public Schools's Percy A. Mack )
August 1, 2006... Everything Percy A. Mack needed to know he learned in kindergarten. Well, almost: It was actually his first-grade teacher, Mrs. Harris, who helped young Mack overcome reading struggles that let him catch up to his classmates and learn the...

Community connections.(Hazard (Ky.) Independent School District starts laptop program with help from local business)
August 1, 2006... Hazard (Ky.) Independent School District officials don't boast about the good relationship they have with their local businesses. It's a quiet confidence that if they need help, they know where to turn. So it's no surprise that when Hazard...

Progress with purpose: attendees learned the latest technologies and witnessed a vast array of new products at the third annual EduComm.
August 1, 2006... The hardest thing to quantify is buzz. Webster's defines it as "to be filled with a confused murmur." However you define this word, it was a big part of the third annual EduComm Conference in Orlando this June. Trying to pin down the exact...

Future vision: educators gather at tech conference to swap stories of anytime, anywhere learning.(Anytime Anywhere Learning Foundation )
August 1, 2006... "A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be."--Wayne Gretzky, Hall of Fame hockey player Vision on ice is no different from vision that 21St century schools must have to survive...

The top five ways to be green: how to join the hot school building trend while saving millions and raising test scores at the same time.(green buildings)(Cover story)
August 1, 2006... Using energy efficiency to make money and improve pupil academics is graining ground in K-12 schools nationwide. While it might cost extra to install green building features, roughly up to 14 percent more for construction than for...

Integrity, accountability, continuity: it may look like an easy game plan, but Rockford, Mich., superintendent Michael Shibler explains the nuances of running a successful suburban district.(Interview)
August 1, 2006... When you drive into Rockford, Mich. just 10 miles northeast of Grand Rapids, the official welcome sign touts Rockford High School's state championships in nine different sports, not to mention a few world championships in the Odyssey of the...

A new kind of testing: there's yet another testing criteria barreling down the pike--and this time researches, consultants, administrators and teachers all welcome it.
August 1, 2006... Andy Dousis made headlines earlier this year when, as a member of the East Lyme (Conn.) Board of Education, he took his third-grade daughter out of elementary school during a two-week standardized testing period as a protest. However, this...

Photo-sharing Web sites: sites such as Flickr and Webshots are exploding in popularity.(using of websites for educational applications increasing)(Editorial)
August 1, 2006... Jamie Reinsch has always taken photographs wherever she went. And as an educator who used her summers to travel to watch a space launch, see sea turtle nesting sites, and participate in professional conferences, she has plenty of interesting...

An open letter to Bill Gates: don't give up on schools, there is still much to be done.(Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation)
August 1, 2006... Dear Mr. Gates: I write with great admiration and appreciation of your remarkable philanthropic efforts on behalf of health, poverty and education. Changing the world is a spectacular goal. Congratulations on your plans to dedicate more of...

Time management: not business as usual: to work smarter, administrators need to define their focus and make time management a priority.
August 1, 2006... Americans are working harder than ever. The latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2006 shows a 3.4 percent increase in productivity over the previous quarter. While this is good news for the bottom line, it also means that we...

Wireless WAN.(Nash-Rocky Mount Public School System deploys broadband from Conterra Ultra Broadband )
August 1, 2006... Problem: The Nash-Rocky Mount (N.C) Public School System's network consisted of T-1 s that weren't providing enough bandwidth for the district's needs and 11 MB unlicensed wireless towers that were beginning to fail and did not qualify for...

Fighting obesity: what schools can do.
August 1, 2006... The latest estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that the percentage of children who are overweight has more than doubled since 1980. Among adolescents, the rates have more than tripled. This trend does not...

Apple Remote Desktop 3: Apple.
August 1, 2006... Software, priced per administrator: $149 for up to 10 systems; $299 for unlimited systems (education prices) Designed to make managing an entire network as easy as managing a single Mac, this version's new features allow users to take...

PowerLite 6100i: Epson.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
August 1, 2006... Hardware, $3,199 The PowerLite 6100i from Epson is compatible with tuners and components that transmit closed caption content, eliminating the need for external components. An integrated 5-watt speaker, more efficient air filtration...

KONYIN keyboard: LANCOR Technologies.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
August 1, 2006... Hardware, $37.99-$52.99 Schools can develop multilingual computer-based interactive curriculum. Students can complete their assignments, homework and tests in language studies with a computer and this keyboard that uses an extra set of...

Indigo Learning System: LearningSoft.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
August 1, 2006... Hardware, $3,500/24-unit classroom This system uses a wireless network and handheld devices to deliver fluid assessment and student computing. The devices feature a thumb keyboard, 90MHz ARM processor, high-resolution gray screen,...

Success Tracker: Pearson Education.
August 1, 2006... Online system, start at $4.50/student This system helps teachers monitor Adequate Yearly Progress and provide tools to help students improve. It provides validated assessment through diagnostic and benchmark tests correlated to state...

CyberLock EntryPoint: Videx.
August 1, 2006... Hardware, starts at $441 This electronic system offers lock cylinders that cannot be picked and keys that cannot be duplicated. The grand master key contains a unique family code used to program locks via infrared communication with the...

MacBook: Apple.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
August 1, 2006... Hardware, starts from $1,099 This notebook, which is up to four times faster than the 12-inch PowerBook, features the Intel Core Duo processor and a 13-inch glossy widescreen display. It also comes loaded with a built-in iSight video...

QSX: Polycom.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
August 1, 2006... Hardware, Free download Sharing a live view of a computer screen over the Internet during a conference call can happen instantly with the new version of QSX from Polycom. Users plug in a few cables and are ready to share content with up to...

Accelerated Reader Enterprise: Renaissance Learning.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
August 1, 2006... Online program, $750 annually/ classroom version plus $750 one-time school fee This online program includes unlimited access to more than 100,000 quizzes, including those for books that students can find in either their school or public...

TIP (Textbook Inventory Program).(Information Showcase)
August 1, 2006... TIP (Textbook Inventory Program) is designed to be the most comprehensive textbook inventory system available. It is a tool for recording the transactions of textbooks (as well as components, test booklets calculators etc.), at both the...

Optoma.(Information Showcase)
August 1, 2006... Optoma understands the challenges teachers and students face in accessing and utilizing the latest technology. Optoma meets these challenges head-on with two projectors--the Optoma TS400 and TX700--that are brighter then the typical entry level...

If they aren't paying attention, they aren't learning!(Information Showcase)
August 1, 2006... Captain's Log[R] software can help give your students the basic skills they need before academic learning can take place--attention, reasoning, memory, listening, self-control, and processing speed. Brain Train's powerful, easy-to-use,...

Teacher's interactive whiteboard.(Information Showcase)
August 1, 2006... The Interactive Presentation Manager[TM] (IPM) brings your multimedia classroom presentations to life with powerful and easy to use "Softkeys" that link to computer files for "on command launch." Using your PC and an LCD projector, the IPM...

Software Express.(Information Showcase)
August 1, 2006... Software Express offers quality academic software at prices that schools can afford. Our salespeople are specialists in volume licensing, and can assist you in your decision-making or budget-making process. Order our free catalog or browse our...

Support for standards.(educational tests)(Statistical table)
August 1, 2006... By the Numbers Support for Standards 73% of superintendents say having timely student test data can improve education leadership 39% of parents say schools are not getting enough money to do a good job ...