District Administration articles from February 2006

District Administration archives from February 2006

The gender question.
February 1, 2006... Creating a magazine is so different from reading a magazine, and even as I realize this, sometimes the gap between the two can be glaring. Take the cover of District Administration's January issue, for example. For nearly a year, I've...

More women, fewer white males.(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2006... I usually look forward to reading many of the articles in DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION. I understand that you did not create the scenario that engendered the cover [a picture of the seven white, male superintendents that comprise the Western States...

Thanks for Kozol.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2006... I read with great interest your interview with Jonathan Kozol ("Jonathan Kozol Takes on the World," by Gary Stager, January 2006, p. 60). I believe states and the United States continue to enact public policy that supports segregation. In...

Pro and Con on Thomas Friedman.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2006... I would respectfully disagree with [Gary Stager's] analysis [of Thomas Friedman's latest book, The World is Flat, December 2005, p. 77]. I think that his summary is just as hysterical as the writing of Friedman. I found the book to be useful in...

State takes over New Orleans.(Update: NEWS, STATS AND FAST FACTS)(management of public schools)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Hurricane Katrina was the flood that broke the New Orleans schools back and left most of the schools under state management. The state Department of Education has until June to devise a five-year plan to manage 102 public schools starting...

Administrators must be clear on anti-discrimination.(Update: NEWS, STATS AND FAST FACTS)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... When a Kansas City principal recently suspended a teenage student for speaking Spanish outside of class with a friend, it put the entire district in the spotlight. At the Endeavor Alternative School, a small public high school in the...

Keeping private information private.(Update: NEWS, STATS AND FAST FACTS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... When a Salem, Mass., school psychologist accidentally posted private student information on the school Web site, it set off some alarms. School officials claim that there is a need for more knowledge when posting information and using the...

Two technology pitfalls.(Update: NEWS, STATS AND FAST FACTS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... 1. Displaying children's identity and their interest without parental consent. In compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Act, do not include the full name, home address, e-mail address, telephone number, hobbies or interests on your...

Fast-track teaching in Arizona in question.(Update: NEWS, STATS AND FAST FACTS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... A two-year alternative teaching path for potential Arizona teachers is under the gun after only three out of six candidates are still in the classroom full time this school year. The Arizona Education Association agreed to work with...

Mayor becomes school board leader.(Hartford Board of Education, Eddie Perez )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez is chairman of the Hartford Board of Education in Connecticut, after he appointed himself to the board in December. The self-appointment has been considered by many with varying viewpoints as arrogant, bold or...

Pennsylvania district stops teaching ID.(Update: NEWS, STATS AND FAST FACTS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... A U.S. District Court's denunciation of a school board introducing intelligent design into the science curriculum left the district abandoning the controversial topic. District Judge John E. Jones denounced the Dover Area School Board in...

Tech-savvy school boards.(Update: NEWS, STATS AND FAST FACTS)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... The nation's most digitally advanced school boards More than 15,000 students: 1st place: Forsyth County, Ga., Board of Education 2nd place: Houston County, Ga., Board of Education 3rd place: Board of Education of Frederick...

Urban Ed: some good news and some bad news.(urban school districts )(National Assessment of Educational Progress Trial Urban District Assessment)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... The really good news is that some urban school districts made more progress in the last two years than the country as a whole and the states in which they sit, according to the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress Trial Urban...

New science targets fall in nearly half the union.(Inside the Law)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Nearly half of the states in the U.S. fail or nearly fail when it comes to teaching statewide academic standards in science for primary and secondary grades. The first comprehensive study of science academic standards since 2000, The State...

Notable quotable.(Inside the Law)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Margaret Spellings, U.S. Secretary of Education, on ELL learners: "We now have proof that high standards and accountability are paying off. Our national report card shows that scores are rising and English-language learners are achieving...

A national voice goes to Congress.(Inside the Law)
February 1, 2006... Two years' worth of nationwide hearings and survey responses from educators, civic and community leaders and even students will be sent to Congress this spring as they look to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind bill in 2007. The Public...

Students with disabilities get more flexibility.(Inside the Law)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... After educators complained about No Child Left Behind rules for students with disabilities, the U.S. Department of Education proposed new regulations in December to measure the achievement of students with disabilities under the federal law....

New center helps rural schools.(Inside the Law)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... The Center for Rural Education was recently created by the U.S. Department of Education to help improve academic achievement among youths in rural schools, in part as promised under No Child Left Behind. Nearly 42 percent of the nation's...

Centering on students.(Administrator Profile: Ann T. Delinger)(Biography)
February 1, 2006... The on-hold "music" at the Durham County Superintendent's office is a pre-recorded list of events parents should know about, like kindergarten open houses and magnet-school meetings. Is it southern hospitality, or one more way for Ann T....

A new twist on field trips.(District Profile: McMinnville (Ore.) Public Schools)
February 1, 2006... McMinnville (Ore.) Public School's after-school program simply wasn't cutting it for Deborah Weiner, the school improvement coordinator who oversaw its activities. She knew they could offer more than a glorified babysitting service--if only the...

The entrepreneurial approach: entrepreneurship holds the power to transform education. The tough question? Is the risk of sticking with the current system greater or less than the risk of innovation?(EDUCATION REFORM)
February 1, 2006... Entrepreneurship may be one of the least understood and potentially beneficial concepts to hit the educational landscape in recent decades. Before schools can gain from entrepreneurship, administrators need to grasp its significance. ...

Making changes: two new reports from the Education Trust drive home the thought that all students can--and should--succeed.(HIGH SCHOOL REFORM)
February 1, 2006... "Se puede." Those words, which mean "It can be done," appear on the license plate of a principal's car whose high school was highlighted in one of two reports recently released by The Education Trust. This statement sums up both reports,...

Subject to change: Small schools. Exit exams. College prep.: everyone seems to agree that high schools need to change drastically. The big question: are these ideas valid?(HIGH SCHOOL REFORM)(Cover Story)
February 1, 2006... Like the crest of a wave that's been building slowly as it rolls toward shore, the high school reform movement broke in 2005. For years, elementary school education has been front and center for policymakers and advocates. But with a...

Master builder.(Jim McConnell)(Interview)
February 1, 2006... A handful of school districts in the country are so big, it's almost impossible to compare them with other districts. For instance, the only entity that feeds more people than the New York City School district is the United States Army. So when...

Controlling construction costs: school districts of all sizes and economic status are vulnerable to overcharges and outright fraud. Here's how to keep your team as honest as possible.(FACILITIES AND CONSTRUCTION)
February 1, 2006... She had no financial expertise--in fact, Veronica Klinefelt was a stay-at-home morn with a high school diploma when she won her bid for a seat on the East Detroit School Board in January 1998. But it was enough background to uncover a $3...

Wireless communication: wireless technologies, particularly school networks, are a small but growing trend in American schools. And it's keeping students and staff safer.(SCHOOL SECURITY)
February 1, 2006... Drug dealing in American high schools can look as innocent as buying an ice cream cone. And that is exactly what happened in El Paso, Texas, last year. An ice cream vendor decided to dish out another flavor last year in the student parking...

"Magic" Bus: technology brings a new way to track precious cargo.(STUDENT TRANSPORTATION)
February 1, 2006... Ship a package anywhere in the world and you'll be issued a tracking number that lets you follow its journey in down-to-the-minute detail. Yet when parents place their most precious cargo on school buses, they aren't afforded the same peace of...

Students rating teachers online: today's students can share their evaluations worldwide.(The Online Edge)
February 1, 2006... A federal judge recently ordered New Jersey's Oceanport School District to pay $117,500 to a student who was punished two years ago for creating a Web site criticizing his middle school teachers. Even though it was created on personal time...

The human divide: education is the wrong career for martyrs.(Speaking Out)
February 1, 2006... During a recent panel discussion I shared my discomfort with the topic of the digital divide. While concerns of equity are laudable, discussions of the digital divide are often little more than simplistic distractions. First, most student...

The bus stops here.(Problem/Solution)
February 1, 2006... Problem: A small Iowa school district was alarmed at the number of cars passing school buses when the stop arm was out. The district, Spencer Community School District, which serves more than 2,400 students in northwest Iowa, was especially...

Online textbooks becoming more popular.(Curriculum Update)
February 1, 2006... First, we saw textbooks on CD. Then publishers began offering online subscription services that featured updates and corrected mistakes as well as provided links to resources and virtual field trips. Today, however, districts are choosing to...

Arts education experiencing a mini renaissance.(Curriculum Update)
February 1, 2006... At last, good news for the arts: Washington State is debuting the country's first performance-based arts assessments and three Miami-Dade County Public Schools are participating in a unique museum program to improve statewide exam scores. ...

Oxford makes history with its new textbook series.(Oxford University Press, The World in Ancient Times)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... "Kids love to read a good story, so why not give them a textbook that reads like a novel or short story?" asks Nancy Toff, vice president and editorial director of school and young adult publishing for Oxford University Press. This philosophy...

Algebra classes for parents.(Curriculum Update)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... The Baltimore County Public Schools recently helped parents become more involved when it invited them to take a refresher algebra course. The invitation was in response to the fact that Maryland's current freshman class will have to earn one...

U.S. students need more global education.(Curriculum Update)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Recent surveys conducted by the Asia Society and the National Geographic Society show that U.S. students are woefully uninformed about other world regions, languages and cultures. Some districts, however, are trying to remedy this situation....

Widescreen LCD display: Gateway Inc.
February 1, 2006... www.gateway.com Hardware, $599.99 This 21-inch, high definition, widescreen LCD flat-panel display--FPD2185W---utilizes a new Genesis Microchip controller with advanced video processing technologies--DCDi by Faroudja--which are algorithms...

Learning essentials for Microsoft office: Microsoft Corp.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... www.microsoft.com, Software, no additional cost Schools subscribing to the company's Academic Volume Licensing program will automatically be licensed to use this package at no cost. Features include customizable starting windows, newly...

SRA real math: SRA/McGraw Hill.
February 1, 2006... www.sraonline.com, Online program, Starts at $52 This standards-based, pre K-6 math program combines instruction in basic skills, conceptual understanding and real-life problem-solving. It's integrated suite of technology tools offers math...

Pearson Inform 3.3: Pearson School Systems.
February 1, 2006... www.pearsonschoolsystems.com Online system, $23.75 to $5.65/student This Web-based analysis and decision-support solution simplifies access to decision-critical information for teachers and administrators with one or two mouse clicks. Its...

Ceiling Microphone Array: Polycom, Inc.
February 1, 2006... www.polycom.com, Hardware, $1,195 This audio pickup device for video conferencing systems offers 360-degree voice pickup with patented StereoSurround 14 kHz wideband audio, automatic directional pickup for speakers and three times the room...

CardMan 5125: Omnikey.
February 1, 2006... www.omnikey.com Hardware, $82.90/one, $63.90/1,000 Based on a 125 kHz RFID interface, this PC-linked desktop reader reads the unique card number from any HID proximity card and allows schools to implement new PC-linked applications without...

Calendar of events.
February 1, 2006... MARCH 2006 FETC 2006 Florida Educational Technology Conference March 22-24. 2006 Orlando, Fla. www.fetc.org APRIL 2006 ISC West The International Security Conference West 2006 April 4-6 ...

Revenues and expenditures.(By the Numbers)
February 1, 2006... REVENUES In the 2002-03 school year, the median school district received $8,891 per student in revenues from state, local and federal sources. Median school district revenues per student among the states ranged from $6,298 in Tennessee...