District Administration articles from February 2007

District Administration archives from February 2007

Learning about the Garifuna.(Editorial)
February 1, 2007... On a recent trip to Central America to visit our daughter, who is teaching English in an elementary school in Honduras this year, my wife and I were fascinated by the rich culture of the Garifuna, an ethnic group in the Caribbean descended from...

Student scientists break new ground.(2006-2007 Siemens Competition in Mathematics, Science and Technology)
February 1, 2007... String topology. Supercomputing. Systems biology. Esoteric subjects to most, but not to the winners of the 2006-2007 Siemens Competition in Mathematics, Science and Technology, the nation's premiere high school science competition. U.S....

Federal Resources web site redesigned.(Federal Resources for Educational Excellence )(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... The Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE) Web site--one of the most popular online resources maintained by the U.S. Department of Education--recently received a massive makeover that has put hundreds of teaching and learning...

Ed Department seeks star teachers.(Department of Education, American Stars of Teaching )(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... The U.S. Department of Education's fourth annual American Stars of Teaching project is currently underway and is seeking nominations for exemplary teachers who use innovative strategies to raise student achievement and make a difference in...

Experts urge drastic school reform.(New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce)
February 1, 2007... A panel of public policy experts in education and labor recently warned that unless dramatic steps are taken to improve the way students are educated, Americans will lose jobs overseas and see their standard of living drop. The New Commission...

Innovative charter schools.(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... In December the U.S. Department of Education released a publication highlighting eight charter high schools that are using innovative methods to help close the achievement gap between low-income, minority and special needs students and their...

Schools bag purses.(National Association of Secondary School Principals )(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... The purses slung over the shoulders of many teenage girls are growing in size, and so are security concerns. In an effort to keep students safe, high school administrators in Minnesota, Kentucky, Florida and elsewhere are now banning purses...

District releases diabetes manual.(Fond du Lac School District, Wisconsin)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... There is no shortage of support and resources for students with diabetes in the Fond du Lac School District in Fond du Lac, Wisc. The district recently joined with the American Diabetes Association in raising public awareness of diabetes and...

71% of superintendents feel their schools have adequate security measures in place.(FAST FACTS)
February 1, 2007... A questionnaire posed to 10,000 superintendents who subscribe to SRA/ McGraw-Hill's national e-newsletter indicates that 71% of superintendents feel their schools have adequate security measures in place, whereas 29% do not. ...

65% of youth ages 8 to 18 and 77% of parents say it is "extremely likely" or "very likely" that an intruder could enter their schools.(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... A recent national Harris Poll of more than 600 parents and 1,100 students concludes that 65% of youth ages 8 to 18 and 77% of parents say it is "extremely likely" or "very likely" that an intruder could enter their schools. ...

The nation would save more than $17 billion in lifetime health costs if every student expected to drop out of high school this year were to earn a diploma instead.(Alliance for Excellent Education )(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... The nation would save more than $17 billion in lifetime health costs if every student expected to drop out of high school this year were to earn a diploma instead, says the Alliance for Excellent Education (Healthier and Wealthier). ...

Grants support district safety plan.(Weston School District, Wisconsin )(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... In September a freshman at Weston High School in Cazenovia, Wisc., shot and killed principal John Klang, says a criminal complaint charging the student with murder. His preliminary hearing is set for January 30, and he faces mandatory life in...

Online series examines business-education partnerships.(Update: NEWS, STATS AND FAST FACTS)
February 1, 2007... Business Roundtable, an association of 160 leading U.S. corporate CEOs, launched in January an online series showcasing examples of how U.S. businesses and education communities are working together to raise student achievement. The group has...

Supreme Court reviews race in assigning schools.(Inside the Law)
February 1, 2007... Tim group Parents Involved in Community Schools sued Seattle School District No. 1 in 2000 after the founder's daughter was one of 300 students denied their top high school choice because of a racial "tie-breaker." A U.S. district judge in...

Report analyzes school segregation.(Inside the Law)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... A November 2006 Center for American Progress report, Lost Learning, Forgotten Promises, considers the educational impact of racial segregation in more than 22,000 schools across the country enrolling more than 18 million students. Previous...

Chamber survey endorses NCLB in high schools.(Inside the Law)
February 1, 2007... A substantial number of U.S. business organizations think the future is bleak for tomorrow's leaders. The Education and Workforce Development initiative at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently conducted a survey on education reform, and more...

Baltimore paraprofessionals face midyear reassignments.(Inside the Law)
February 1, 2007... In compliance with the No Child Left Behind law, 115 paraprofessionals in the Baltimore County Public School System are being reviewed for reassignment to new positions, and many will be transferred to different schools within the district. ...

Trout in school.(classroom aquarium)
February 1, 2007... Classroom aquaria most often contain pet fish, but classrooms from Maine to California at all grade levels are raising trout to make a real life connection to ecological curricula and a local environmental impact. Students raise the trout (or...

Sharing curriculum ideas.(Curriculum Update)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Carla Baird, began the Web English Teacher site in 2000 when her student teacher was spending hours trying to find language arts and literature ideas for classroom lessons. This media specialist/English teacher from Connersville, Indiana...

Crime science.(Forensics in the Classroom )(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Forensics in the Classroom is biology for the CSI generation. Teachers, like Caitlin Engle at Norwalk High School in Connecticut, have been developing a forensics curriculum, and filling classes by creating motivating lessons and labs. These...

Force = mass x acceleration.(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... FMA Live presents Sir Issac Newton's three laws of motion to middle school students featuring high-energy actors, dancers, music and video demonstrations. Sponsored by Honeywell and NASA, Sir Isaac and hip-hop seem to be the right combination...

National University Virtual High School.(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... National University Virtual High School (NUVAS), located in California and established in 2004, strives to provide students the opportunity to achieve academic excellence through an online medium. The idea came about when the university...

Tackling health care together: by involving district employees, M. Mohsin Dada made health plan changes that saved millions.(HEALTH CARE)(Interview)
February 1, 2007... AT A TIME WHEN many districts are reeling from rising health care costs, M. Mohsin Dada helped his Illinois district buck the trend. As assistant superintendent for business services at Community Consolidated School District 54 in Schaumburg,...

Leading by example.(Administrator Profile: Dr. Michael Hinojosa)(Dallas Independent School District)(Biography)
February 1, 2007... Dr. Michael Hinojosa's life goal was to work in Dallas. A student, coach and teacher in The Big D, you'd figure he'd be a shoe-in as superintendent of his home district. Not so. "Ironically, when I decided to enter administration I couldn't...

Making a new call using VoIP.(District Profile: Charles County (Md.) School District)
February 1, 2007... Many districts have discovered that VoIP can help lighten long distance budgets, but Charles County Schools is finding there's more to the technology than just saving money. The Maryland-based district implemented VoIP about five years ago,...

Curriculum hotspots: here is the latest DA guide to the best education sites on the Web.(District Administration)(Cover story)(Website list)
February 1, 2007... According to a recent survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 66 percent of adult Internet users in the United States--about 97 million people--use Internet resources on an average day. Of these, approximately 5 million people post...

New information systems track student progress: NCLB prompts districts to improve data collection.(NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND)
February 1, 2007... When the school board and superintendent of the Matanuska-Susitna, or Matsu, Borough School District in Alaska decided in 2002 to have the district's information systems audited, they found that the district had insufficient data about student...

Students wanted! As competition for students heats up, districts are turning to advertising--and are prospering.(SCHOOL ADVERTISING)
February 1, 2007... In Lima, Ohio, a town of 40,000, Michael Lamb, superintendent of Perry Local Schools, recalls thinking in graduate school 20 years ago that good school districts would never need to promote themselves. The assumption of the times was that...

Spread the word: schools now have faster notification technology to contact parents during an emergency.(SCHOOL SECURITY)
February 1, 2007... The 1999 shootings at Columbine High administrators thinking about it. The tragedy of 9/11 made many sign up for it. And the recent spate of school-related shootings last fall has confirmed for others that an emergency notification...

Mentors boost student reading levels: private mentoring organizations help districts meet NCLB requirements.(No Child Left Behind)(Hosts Learning Systems)
February 1, 2007... In the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township, a suburb of Indianapolis, Ind., 97 percent of first- and second-graders gained at least one instructional reading level, 82 percent rose two levels or higher, and 34 percent rose three...

To block, or not to block: education, not filtering, may be the best answer.
February 1, 2007... Chris Lehmann, principal of the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, had a problem. Some of the students at his first-year public high school had begun using the iChat instant messaging program on their school sponsored laptops in...

The truth shall set you free: we all need to brush up on African-American history.
February 1, 2007... I grew up in a nearly all-white New Jersey suburb but gained respect for African-Americans and their culture through the actions of my parents and a few teachers. In seventh grade social studies we not only read "Uncle Tom's Cabin" but also...

Science for students with disabilities.
February 1, 2007... According to the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), average science scores compared to 2006, have made slow progress at Grade 4, come to a standstill at Grade 8, and lost ground at Grade 12. No Child Left Behind...

Recruiting technologists.(Gateway to Technology )(Project Lead the Way )
February 1, 2007... Problem: Enrollment of female students in Colorado Springs School District 11 middle school career and technical education exploratory classes was low, which meant few females enrolled in those electives at the high school level. Solution:...

R&L Education: Turnover at the Top: Superintendent Vacancies and the Urban School.(Book review)
February 1, 2007... Turnover at the Top: Superintendent Vacancies and the Urban School www.rowmaneducation.com $29.95 Leadership turnover in America's largest school districts has increased so rapidly that the average urban superintendent tenure is roughly...

R&L Education: Ethics and the School Administrator: Balancing Today's Complex Issues.(Book review)
February 1, 2007... Ethics and the School Administrator: Balancing Today's Complex Issues www.rowmaneducation.com $24.95 This research-based guide helps school administrators understand and deal more effectively with the ethical compromises that arise from...

R&L Education: When a School Crisis Occurs: What Parents and Stakeholders Want to Know.(Book review)
February 1, 2007... When a School Crisis Occurs: What Parents and Stakeholders Want to Know www.rowmaneducation.com $1Z95 This book addresses daily issues ranging from bullying to student dropout rates, it also provides school administrators with more than 30...

Teachers College Press: Seeing Through Teachers' Eyes: Professional ideals and Classroom Practice.(Book review)
February 1, 2007... Seeing Through Teachers' Eyes: Professional ideals and Classroom Practice www.tcpress.com $22.95 In this book, Karen Hammerness explains the complex relationship between teachers' ideals and the realities of school life. Through the real...

Teachers College Press: Building School-Based Teacher Learning Communities: Professional Strategies to Improve Student Achievement.(Book review)
February 1, 2007... Building School-Based Teacher Learning Communities: Professional Strategies to Improve Student Achievement www.tcpress.com $21.95 Based on growing evidence that school-based teacher learning communities improve student outcomes, this book...

R&L Education: The Future of Schools: How Communities and Staff Can Transform Their School Districts.(Book review)
February 1, 2007... The Future of Schools: How Communities and Staff Can Transform Their School Districts www.rowmaneducation.com $34.95 Helping educators move toward a better functioning school system, this book offers reliable and practical methods that are...

Pinnacle analytics: Excelsior Software.
February 1, 2007... www.excelsiorsoftware.com Software, $15,000-$20,000 Designed to help educators identify student performance history and trends, this management tool streamlines and organizes myriad data sources. It allows multiple users to simultaneously...

School alert: Sonitrol.
February 1, 2007... www.sonitrol.com/safeschools, Hardware, $300-$500 This security system consists of fixed panic buttons that are placed in common areas around school and wireless emergency buttons carried by school administrators via lanyard or keychain...

Teaching comprehension: Aussie.
February 1, 2007... www.aussiepd.com CD-ROM course, $499 Created for grade levels K-2, 3-6 and 6-9, this series is built around six reading comprehension strategies: prediction/prior knowledge, questions and questioning, think-aloud, text structure and...

DC160 document camera: Lumens Integration.
February 1, 2007... www.mylumens.com Hardware, $1,295 This SXGA resolution document camera is portable. Offering 1280 x 1024 pixels it captures 66 percent more details compared to (1024 x 768 pixels) XGA presenters in this class. Features include 3x optical...

PLC-XP57L: Sanyo.
February 1, 2007... www.sanyo.com, Hardware, $9,495 This portable XGA projector delivers 5500 ANSI lumens with a 1000 to 1 contrast ratio and deeply saturated yet realistic colors--10 bits each RGB with video sources. It also has the ability to continuously...

GoKnow, cooties.
February 1, 2007... www.goknow.com/Products/Cooties, Software, $199.95/classroom set Students collaboratively use this simulation program to examine the spread of disease. Teachers can determine the incubation time, individual immunity levels and how many...

Clicker paint: Crick Software.
February 1, 2007... www.cricksoft.com Software, $49/single user and $499/site license These customizable paint tools were designed for struggling readers and writers, English language learners and students with accessibility requirements. With the ability to...

Hotmath: Hotmath.(Website overview)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... www.hotmath.com Web site, $49/annual subscription This Web site explains real homework problems from more than 150 middle school, high school and college math textbooks. The site covers 90 percent of the math textbooks used in today's...

Stylus 720SW, FE-180: Olympus America.
February 1, 2007... www.olympusamerica.com/education Hardware, $379.99, $179.99 These new digital cameras help educators integrate digital imaging and visual learning into their curricula. The 720SW can withstand a five-foot drop and shoot under water for up...

CP-X253 3LCD: Hitachi.
February 1, 2007... www.hitachi.us, Hardware, $1,795 Delivering 2,000 lumens of brightness, this projector weighs 3.9 pounds. It comes equipped with a wide-angle lens, two RGB inputs, one RGB output, one audio output and a one-watt internal speaker. Other...

RestoreIT server edition: Farstone Technologies.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
February 1, 2007... www.farstone.com Software, $149.99 per server license This system recovery program lets users roll back their entire system, including files, applications, personal settings and passwords whether the operating system is able to load or not....

Nova5000: Fourier Systems.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
February 1, 2007... www.fourier-sys.com Hardware, estimated at $600 This handheld computing unit now comes bundled with two software programs by GoKnow Learning: Handheld Learning Environment (HLE). HLE provides productivity applications designed for K12...

Savia, sagebrush Viewpoint.
February 1, 2007... www.erdc.k12.mn.us, Software, $5 per student plus additional fees The company rewrote its Analytics software to provide seamless integration with Viewpoint, a data warehouse and data management system. The Central Minnesota Educational...

ProCon Digital Systems, PC-M255 duplication system.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
February 1, 2007... www.proconusa.com, Hardware, $2,199 This technology allows users to link up to 255 ten-target towers for a maximum of 2,550 targets simultaneously. Duplication can be made from a single master DVD/CD-ROM or hard drive. Features include a...

CommunicationFitness.(Website overview)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... www.comfit.com. Online subscription, $60 a year per student, group discounts available This Web-based resource was designed to improve student proficiency levels in writing, grammar and critical thinking. It includes a comprehensive range...

Learn Big IN32, IN34: InFocus.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
February 1, 2007... www.infocus.com Hardware, $920, $1,066 These digital projectors offer 2,000 and 2,500 lumens, respectively, XGA resolution, Digital Light Processing from Texas Instruments and enhanced connectivity. Weighing 5.2 pounds, each projector...

Supplement maps: National Geographic Maps and Maps.com.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
February 1, 2007... www.NGMapCollection.com Maps, $14.95-$59.95 Hundreds of the magazine's classic supplement maps can now be purchased online. The collection, dating from 1891 to the late 1990s, includes high quality, poster-sized reproductions of maps of...

SchoolCMS: PowerIt.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
February 1, 2007... www.poweritschools.com Software, Starts at $900 This communications management system introduces three new features. With My Desktop, staff can communicate and collaborate with each other using shared workspaces and even submit work...

Neo: AlphaSmart.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
February 1, 2007... www.alphasmart.com Hardware, $249 at www.renlearn.com This computer companion includes versatile learning software for developing writing, keyboarding and quizzing skills, and purposely does not include Internet capabilities. Features are a...

Califone International, Inc., USB jackbox.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
February 1, 2007... www.califone.com, Technology, $65 By connecting this unit to the classroom computer through a USB plug, educators have the option of combining the functionality of audio output and input to help students enhance both listening and oral...

NorthStar math: Harcourt Achieve.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
February 1, 2007... www.harcourtachieve.com/en-US/northstarmath Online tool, Starts from $1,750 Offering four million standards-aligned math problems with step-by-step solutions and a completely integrated math dictionary, this tool helps educators produce...

WordQ2: Quillsoft.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
February 1, 2007... www.wordq.com Software, Starts from $185 Educators can use the program with any standard writing software, such as Microsoft Word, WordPad, Notepad or Outlook. When users type a letter, it predicts what they might want to write and displays...

TT-02U teacher's tool: Elmo USA.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
February 1, 2007... www.elmousa.com Hardware, $699, before educational discount This USB, transportable tool enables teachers to bring visual technology into their classroom presentations. With a frame rate of 20 fps, it captures and displays moving objects in...

ThinkPad X60: Lenovo.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
February 1, 2007... www.lenovo.com/us/en Hardware, $1,799 This tablet PC features a new 12-inch multi-view indoor/outdoor, antireflective/antiglare display that helps increase viewability in multiple environments. This screen is combined with a MultiTouch...

Satellite P100-ST9742: Toshiba Digital Products Division.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
February 1, 2007... www.toshibadirect.com Hardware, $2,899 With a 17-inch diagonal widescreen display, this gaming notebook includes the Intel Core 2 Duo processor, NVIDIA GePorce Go 7900 GTX graphics card with 512 GDDR3 SDRAM VRAM for delivering high-end...

Freedom F64 code free security system: Napco.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
February 1, 2007... www.napcosecurity.com System, Installation pricing varies The Freedom F64 code-free security system. It "eliminates false alarms and maximizes account retention." It's the first code-free system that turns on and off automatically using...

Wi-Fi Array with Firewall: Xirrus.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
February 1, 2007... www.xirrus.com Hardware, $3,000-$12,000 Wi-Fi Array, award-winning technology that packs 4, 8 or 16 radios into a compact device along with an onboard Gigabit Switch, now includes an onboard rules-based Firewall that enhances the security...

Easiteach: RM Educational Software.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
February 1, 2007... www.rmeducation.com Software, Starts from $109 The program consists of two components. Content Packs provide teachers with ready-made lessons and short activities for math, science, and ELA. All lessons are aligned with state standards;...

Microsoft, Microsoft student with Encarta Premium 2007.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
February 1, 2007... www.micmsoft.com/pmducts/encarta, Software, $69.95 This latest version presents a variety of tools, tutorials and instructions to help students tackle math and science problems. Step-by-step math solutions help them solve math problems in...

Footsteps.: MindWare Publishing.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
February 1, 2007... www.mindwarepubfishing.com Game sets, $32.95 Footsteps are economics-based game sets that help students become aware of political ideology, culture and day-to-day life in different geographic locations. The games teach global awareness in...

FrontRow, FrontRow ToGo.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
February 1, 2007... www.gofrontrow.com/e/home.asp Hardware, $899 FrontRow ToCo allows a teacher to wear a wireless microphone and use a portable (14 pound) battery powered speaker tower to project his or her voice. FrontRow uses OptiVoice standard, a single...

Online Learning Environment and lesson planner Version 7.5: eChalk.(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... www.eChalk.com Online tool, Site license $1,800 eChalk's Online Learning Environment has released a Version 7.5 upgrade to its school communication improvement environment, eChalk provides administrators, teachers, students and parents...

Qarbon, presentation software.
February 1, 2007... www.qarbon.com, Software, Starts at $119 This software features Viewlet technology, which are Flash-enabled animated presentations that enhance the effectiveness of online marketing, employee training and customer support. With Viewlet...

History Education: The History Channel: Multimedia Classroom Global History Series.(A&E Television Networks)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... www.history.com/education, Software, Individual titles $49.95, Sets are $139-$189, 21-box set $849 The Multimedia Classroom Global History Series is the latest release in educational learning tools by The History Channel. The series of...

32-Unit mobile IT transport systems: PARAT Solutions.
February 1, 2007... www.paratsolutions.com/ Hardware. $7,103-$8,372 PARAT Solutions 32-Unit mobile computing transport system is a convenient way to transport, store, recharge and synchronize up to 32 notebook computers in an efficient and cost-effective way....

Toshiba, TDP-FF-1AU palm-sized projector.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
February 1, 2007... Toshiba, TDP-FF-1AU Palm-Sized Projector, www.toshiba.com, Hardware, Site license $699 The one-pound palm-sized TDP-FF-1AU projector comes with a foldable 23-inch diagonal screen, rechargeable battery, battery charger, credit-card-size...

Calendar of events.(Brief article)(Calendar)
February 1, 2007... MARCH 2007 * American Association of School Administrators (AASA) National Conference on Education March 1-4 New Orleans, La. www.aasa.org Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) Annual...

Wrong problem, wrong solution: teaching to the test in math and science produces students lacking in life skills.
February 1, 2007... Math and science, oh my. What will we do? We don't produce enough students interested in math and science. Something must be done. I hear this refrain so often my head hurts. First my credentials: I was a math major in college. I got 98 on...