District Administration articles from February 2005

District Administration archives from February 2005

Houston ISD expands its reach with Questia's Online Library: the 24/7 library where no book is ever "checked out".(Advertisement)
February 1, 2005... The opportunity to dramatically and cost-efficiently expand a district's library resources doesn't come around every year, says Houston Independent School District (HISD) Superintendent Dr. Abe Saavedra. "We adopted [the Questia] program two...

Encouraging, and controlling, fundraising.(Editor's Letter)(Editorial)
February 1, 2005... Have you ever heard of an idea that sounded crazy at first, but within 10 minutes you're convinced it's the best new thought you've come across in years? That's what our fundraising article this month feels like to me ("Fundraising Grows Up,"...

Education budget rises but falls short of needs.(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)
February 1, 2005... The omnibus spending bill signed by President Bush in December gives the Department of Education $59.7 billion in FY 2005, an increase of $1.4 billion over FY 2004 but $300 million below the president's request. Few programs came out big...

Best use in technology.(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)
February 1, 2005... A new Web site highlights nine federally funded grantees charged with studying the effects of educational technology on student learning. The State Educational Technology Directors Association launched the new Web site for its Technical...

New pre-K for Florida.(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Florida legislators put nearly $12 million aside to start setting up a pre-K program that voters approved in 2002, according to the PalmBeachPost.com. Lawmakers also plan to allocate about $350 million in the spring regular session for the...

Task Force suggests system to track dropout rate.(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... After a year of work, the Task Force on Graduation, Completion and Dropout Indicators determined that the most accurate system to determine national dropout rates is for states to adopt a universal data collection system. The task force's...

Gates Foundation funds more early college high schools.(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)
February 1, 2005... School districts in more than 25 states will get a chance to boost their high school graduation rates and give low-income students a head-start on a college education through $29.6 million in new grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation....

New Orleans leader safe.(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... New Orleans School Superintendent Tony Amato is safe in his job. The Louisiana attorney general recently showed his support for Amato in his struggle with the school board, giving him the OK to move or dismiss several employees and end...

Organizations leading the college education grant.(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)
February 1, 2005... * Antioch University Seattle * KnowledgeWorks Foundation * Middle College National Consortium * National Council of La Raza * Portland (Ore.) Community College's Gateway to College * Rochester (N.Y.) Area Community...

School crime is down, or is it?(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)
February 1, 2005... A report recently released by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics indicates that the crime rate in the country's schools has decreased dramatically from 1992 to 2002. The report, Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2004, states that...

Using senses together boost academics.(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)
February 1, 2005... A balance and sensory activity program is helping struggling children catch up in reading, writing, comprehension and focus as well as allowing gifted children to excel. The Learning Breakthrough Program was developed for children with...

Got milk?(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Soda machines are so last year. Now, milk machines are in, according to a CNN report. Wisconsin is the biggest milk state, with 66 percent of high schools having milk vending machines, the highest percentage in the U.S., says Laura...

Seattle school water gets clean.(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... A new policy in Seattle ensures all schools have some of the cleanest school drinking water in the U.S., worth more than $12 million over three years. The Seattle School Board recently approved the policy which has Superintendent Raj...

Colorado charters defy trend.(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Colorado's charter-school students are performing better than their traditional public school peers on the state assessment test, according to the Denver Post. Nearly 40 percent of traditional schools were rated "high" or better on the...

California teachers get cheap car rates.(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)
February 1, 2005... The Teachers' Insurance Plan, already in 13 states, offers low automobile insurance premiums and additional discounts to teachers and others who work in California schools. It also offers Teachers' RoadAssist, or discounts and emergency...

Title IX: does it protect educators from retribution?(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)
February 1, 2005... The Supreme Court is expected to decide this spring on a court case brought by an Alabama girls' high school basketball coach who sued the school board under Title IX claiming it retaliated against him after he complained his team was not...

ETS Pulliam's focus on Standards[TM] helps meet goals in English and Math; California district taps teacher-leaders to spearhead program implementation.(Advertisement)
February 1, 2005... CASE STUDY Snowline Joint Unified School District The instructional program for the Snowline Joint Unified School District, located in the eastern high desert area of San Bernardino County (CA), has always been the foundational focus...

Technology cuts run deep.(Inside the law: analyzing, debating and explaining No Child Left Behind)
February 1, 2005... Nearly a third of federal funding was cut under this year's No Child Left Behind Title II, Part D budget, meaning districts that started to use technology facilitators and started to integrate computers in lessons are getting the rug pulled out...

Rural tutors.(Inside the law: analyzing, debating and explaining No Child Left Behind)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Students in small and rural schools in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Georgia will reap benefits from a new $5 million grant to develop a national model for increasing educational opportunities for such schools. The Association of Education...

NCLB basics.(Inside the law: analyzing, debating and explaining No Child Left Behind)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Some districts are still trying to figure out the No Child Left Behind law. The law's requirements deal specifically with Title I funds. About 67 percent of all elementary schools in the U.S. receive Title I funds, which are for low-income...

Chicago fights feds to tutor own students.(Inside the law: analyzing, debating and explaining No Child Left Behind)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... While Chicago students need tutoring in math and reading and the district wants to provide that help, the U.S. Department of Education says the law is the law. Under No Child Left Behind, a district or school deemed to be "in need of...

Preparing for tests with tests.(Inside the law: analyzing, debating and explaining No Child Left Behind)
February 1, 2005... No longer responsible for selecting or creating summative tests, such as standardized tests, district test directors are wading into the formative testing waters. This action is both to prepare students for the high-stake tests and to meet NCLB...

Positively powerful: a lifetime of energetic optimism helps this superintendent shine, even though as a kid, she couldn't.(Administrator Profile)
February 1, 2005... Colleen Wilcox Superintendent, Santa Clara County (Calif.) Office of Education Age: 55 Salary: $204,000 Tenure: 11 years With a girlish belly laugh, she sounds half her age. But make no mistake: Colleen Wilcox draws from decades of...

Building blocks: it's kindergarten prep taken to a whole new level, where getting the teachers and parents ready is just as important as educating students.(District Profile)
February 1, 2005... There's a new school of thought about reading. It may not be big news to literacy specialists, but other educators are catching on. Literacy isn't a switch that can be flipped on in first grade. It s more like a dimmer that gradually brightens...

First steps to literacy.(District Profile)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The four-year-old 'doctor' who writes prescriptions for his ailing classmates is a classic example of Seattle Early Reading First success; he learns that print carries a message. The program adds an early literacy twist to the traditional...

Initiating change.(District Profile)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The teacher who has mastered strategies for increasing children s vocabulary with picture books earns an "A" in her Best Practices in Early Childhood course. This lesson is worthwhile because a broad vocabulary paves the way to literacy. ...

Family support.(District Profile)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Dinner with dozens of preschoolers and an evening of literary discourse sound like mutually exclusive events. Not in Seattle. The public library hosts six family nights at each Seattle Early Reading First preschool. Evenings start with...

The kindergarten survival kit.(District Profile)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Reading and writing are critical skills, but lunch ranks high with most kids. Some Seattle kindergartners are boggled by the pre-dining task of punching a personal lunch code into a keypad. So preschoolers at SERF locales get calculators to...

Do these Web sites work? Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. Learn what our online expert, Odvard Egil Dyrli, says is right-and wrong-with these district Web sites.(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2005... DESIGN * The central portion of the opening screen is devoted to "useful links"--including job vacancies and a telephone directory--whereas the main menu that offers links to each school is relegated to the left-hand portion of the page....

Fundraising grows up; forget cute bake sales. Smart school districts are creating programs to raise big money to fund teachers and buildings.(Cover Story)
February 1, 2005... Using private funds is nothing new to most school districts. Bake sales and student carwashes have been funding activities for decades. Your district may already have a deal with a sporting goods company to subsidize its sports programs. ...

The K-8 bunch: K-8 schools are growing in popularity across the country. Do they really lead to fewer discipline problems and better academic performance?
February 1, 2005... Lyle Rowland knows the name of each of the 238 students enrolled at Taneyville R-II School District, a K-8 district just east of Branson, Mo. What's more, he knows their parents, where they live and how some families earn their living. In...

Without boundaries: technology in the arts gives students an open universe to explore and discover their own creative talents in music, dance, theater and visual arts.
February 1, 2005... Flying monkeys and the glowing face of a 21st century wizard enliven the stage at Effingham High School in Illinois during a student production of The Wizard of Oz thanks to laptops, software and DVDs. Elementary students in Portland, Ore.,...

Separate but equal: ensuring your school facilities are on an even keel can prevent the worst kind of construction headaches--those that come out of something positive for the district.
February 1, 2005... Believe it or not, a brand new school or an old school that has received major renovations to make it a state-of-the-art educational facility can be a district's worse nightmare. It's not because of the price tag of the construction or...

Which comes first: the principal or the school?(Construction dispatch: the latest trends in school facilities and construction)
February 1, 2005... The answer to school construction's "chicken or the egg" conundrum these days is beginning to lean toward chicken. That's because superintendents like James Geisler at Walled Lake (Mich.) Consolidated Schools have discovered the benefits to...

Historic L.A. hotel's got class.(Construction dispatch: the latest trends in school facilities and construction)
February 1, 2005... Los Angeles Unified School District first eyed the abandoned Ambassador Hotel as a fine place to locate a school back in 1989. Today the project temporarily known as Heritage K-12 Option bears a tentative start date of 2006. "Few sites we...

A school by any other name ...(Construction dispatch: the latest trends in school facilities and construction)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Administrators have stopped buying Shakespeare's argument on roses by other names. A school's name is its identity, and here's how some have recently arrived at theirs; * Emmett J. Conrad High School (opening in 2006) in Dallas independent...

Medical rotation: education conversions.(Construction dispatch: the latest trends in school facilities and construction)
February 1, 2005... It took Karl Springer, superintendent of Mustang (Okla.) Public School District, and his director of operations, Jim Burkey, less than five minutes to pitch a deal that should become legend in school administration lore. The district bought a...

TIMMS 2003: a chance to celebrate, reflect.(Curriculum update: the latest developments in math, science, language arts and social studies)
February 1, 2005... W hen the latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study results were released this winter, U.S. educators got to savor a taste of success as well as reflect on needed improvements. The assessment is conducted every four years, in...

Meaningful power of PISA?(Curriculum update: the latest developments in math, science, language arts and social studies)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Other recent globe-trotting test results are from the 2003 Program for International Student Assessment. Given every three years, PISA focused mainly on math this time. (Problem-solving, science, reading and attitudes toward school were also...

Middle school pollution sleuths.(Curriculum update: the latest developments in math, science, language arts and social studies)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... They're too small to see, but particles suspended in the air we breathe can cause a host of health problems--from eyes, nose and throat irritation to reduced lung function, chronic bronchitis and even premature death. A new U.S. Environmental...

A year of language learning.(Curriculum update: the latest developments in math, science, language arts and social studies)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Expect to hear a whole lot of talk about language learning this year. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages is leading the celebration of 2005 as The Year of r Languages. At the school, district, state and national levels,...

Just say no to misinformation.(Curriculum update: the latest developments in math, science, language arts and social studies)
February 1, 2005... Inaccuracies about the effectiveness of contraceptives: "The popular claim that 'condoms help prevent the spread of STDs' is not supported by the data." Errors about the consequences of pre-marital sex: Personal problems such as...

File-swapping on the Internet has gone underground.(Odvard Egil Dyrli on Darknets)
February 1, 2005... Last April, the FBI raided the administrative services center of Arizona's Deer Valley Unified School District, looking for music MP3s and DVD movies downloaded illegally over the Internet. Agents arrived at 6 a.m., blocked the offices from the...

17 creative ways to enhance computer use in your district.(Gary Stager on Effective Ed Tech)
February 1, 2005... Last month I shared my frank assessment on the health of school technology use. The following are some novel suggestions for getting more bang for your buck and enhancing the education of today's students. Go laptop Even if you cannot...

Retention or promotion? Wrong question.(Research corner: essentials on education data and analysis from research authority AEL)
February 1, 2005... When students fall behind academically, is it more effective to hold them back a year so they can "catch up" or to promote them to the next grade so they can stay with their peers? According to most research, the answer is neither. Alone,...

HomeworkNOW.com: www.homeworknow.com.(New products: the latest offerings in books, hardware, Internet and software)
February 1, 2005... www.homeworknow.com, Internet, $175 per school/year This homework communication service has added cell phone and PDA access features. Teachers post class assignments with links to Web sites, school announcements and other related classroom...

College Research and Matching: Destination-U.(New products: the latest offerings in books, hardware, Internet and software)
February 1, 2005... www.destination-u.com, Internet, $79.95 This Web site offering profiles of 1,354 U.S. four-year colleges aims to make the college selection process easier for students. The U-Finder personality assessment creates a customized report to A help...

PDExpress and MyPDC 2005: Lucid Data Corp.(New products: the latest offerings in books, hardware, Internet and software)
February 1, 2005... www.lucid-data.com, Software, $3,960 and up These software tools were designed to help administrators manage, track and report on all facets of a district's professional development activities. Upgrades include an integrated spreadsheet,...

Pinnacle PDA: Excelsior Software.(New products: the latest offerings in books, hardware, Internet and software)
February 1, 2005... www.excelsiorsoftware.com, Software, $500 and up/school ($15,000 and up per district) Teachers and administrators can have portable, on-demand access to information in their electronic gradebooks--including student performance, attendance,...

Dyscalculia screener: Tool factory.(New products: the latest offerings in books, hardware, Internet and software)
February 1, 2005... www.toolfactory.com Software, Site license $400 This computer-based classroom assessment tool can help educators and therapists identify students, ages 6 to 14, who have dyscalculia, a group of math-based learning difficulties that affects...

WTKAD-Tuffy cubbie workstation/activity desk: H. Wilson Co.(New products: the latest offerings in books, hardware, Internet and software)
February 1, 2005... www.hwilson.com, Furniture, $110-$137 (with chair) This activity desk comes with a mobile storage bin that fits snugly down in the center of the work surface. The trays are covered with a smooth lid that becomes the surface for art...

EMS Professional Version 9.0: Dean Evans & Associates.(New products: the latest offerings in books, hardware, Internet and software)
February 1, 2005... www.dea.com, Software, $4,700 and up This software helps administrators to manage the scheduling of rooms, resources and services and to publish event-related information on the Internet. Its new features include a multi-function browser...

Online library: Questia media.(New products: the latest offerings in books, hardware, Internet and software)
February 1, 2005... www.questia.com, Internet, $3.50-$20 per student/year (free one-year subscription available) This online academic library supports the majority of secondary school curriculum topics. Consisting of 50,000 full-text books and 400,000...

Handheld Learning Environment 3.0: GoKnow.(New products: the latest offerings in books, hardware, Internet and software)
February 1, 2005... www.goknow.com, Software, $19.95 per computer/year Four new educational software applications for PalmOS handheld computers are now available in this productivity tool suite. bringing the number of applications to eight. The Cells...

Inspiration 7.6/Kidspiration 2.1: Inspiration Software.(New products: the latest offerings in books, hardware, Internet and software)
February 1, 2005... www.inspiration.com Software, Single copy $69, Update $39.95 (free to Inspiration 7 and Kidspiration 2 customers) The updated versions of these visual learning tools include new compatibility with emerging technologies, giving educators...

Bilingual Math Tutorials: Smarthinking.(New products: the latest offerings in books, hardware, Internet and software)
February 1, 2005... www.smarthinking.com, Internet, $5-$10 per student/year To help students improve their academic performance, this tutoring service has added online math tutors who are bilingual in Spanish and available 24/7. Other live tutoring options...

The Reading Assistant Manager: Soliloquy Learning.(New products: the latest offerings in books, hardware, Internet and software)
February 1, 2005... www.soliloquylearning.com, Software, $2,000 and up This network software program can be used by children in grades 1 through 6 at their own pace to improve reading skills. Its proprietary speech recognition/reading verification technology...

Time to Lead: Lucerne Media.(New products: the latest offerings in books, hardware, Internet and software)
February 1, 2005... www.lucememedia.com, Book/DVD, $195 This program was designed to help administrators cope with their workload and achieve goals related to students, parents and the community. It includes a 36-minute DVD (or video) and a 28-page booklet...

Grokker E.D.U.: Groxis.(New products: the latest offerings in books, hardware, Internet and software)
February 1, 2005... www.groxis.com, Software, Approximate/y $150/lab pack--$2,800/site license This search and research software platform enhances Web-based research by providing access to multiple data sources--including the leading search engines--in a...

Concert Inform v3: Pearson Digital Learning.(New products: the latest offerings in books, hardware, Internet and software)
February 1, 2005... www.pearsondigital.com Online subscription: $3-$3.75 per student/year This achievement data analysis and decision support tool was designed to offer educators insight on classroom, school and district-wide performance. It can capture,...

PC Manifest v1.0: Fortres Grand Corp.(New products: the latest offerings in books, hardware, Internet and software)
February 1, 2005... www.fortres.com, Software, Single license $59 (volume discounts available) This software helps create a complete inventory of all the hardware, software and system information for each computer on a network. It monitors each computer,...

SMART Board Software 9.0: SMART technologies.(New products: the latest offerings in books, hardware, Internet and software)
February 1, 2005... www.smarttech.com/support/software, Software, Free Available as a free download to all SMART customers, this Windows-based software suite has new content and features. Teachers can now play a Flash file from within a notebook software...

Calendar of events.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
February 1, 2005... FEBRUARY 2005 American Association of School Administrator's 137th Annual Conference AASA www.aasa.org February 17-20 * San Antonio, Texas MARCH 2005 10th Annual K-12 School Networking Conference CoSN www.cosn.org March 22-23 *...

TIP (Textbook Inventory Program).(Information Showcase)
February 1, 2005... 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...

Are your students making gains like these?(Information Showcase)
February 1, 2005... New research shows a 65% increase in fluency gains when students add Recorded Books to their practice. To maximize the effectiveness of your program, try the "listen and read" strategy with Recorded Books. It's the easiest and most...

Lower your discipline referrals proven results.(Information Showcase)
February 1, 2005... Since 1992, Project Wisdom has been producing a school-wide character education program that helps students make wiser choices. Join more than 11,000 licensed schools across America. It's simple. It's affordable. It works. Visit our Website for...

NEA Professional Library.(Information Showcase)
February 1, 2005... Whether you're a superintendent, curriculum director or classroom teacher, the NEA Professional Library offers books and other resources that speak directly to the challenges you face every day. Each title is research based and designed for...

Improve every student's critical thinking skills!(Information Showcase)
February 1, 2005... Written at multiple levels in an engaging world context, this powerful supplemental program boosts critical reading and thinking skills for the entire class. Our unique cross-curricular format supports differentiated instruction and addresses...

Teacher's interactive whiteboard.(Information Showcase)
February 1, 2005... 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...

By the numbers on crime and safety: a databank on education trends for district leaders.(Illustration)
February 1, 2005... By the Numbers on Crime and Safety A databank on education trends for district leaders HOMICIDE & SUICIDES Number of homicides and suicides of youth ages 5-19 at school 1992-2002 HOMICIDES SUICIDES 1992-93...