District Administration articles from February 2008

District Administration archives from February 2008

Buying security: school security is a huge market, where staying informed is critical.(Editor's Letter)
February 1, 2008... DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION IS THE ONLY MAGAZINE THAT REACHES top-level administrators in every K12 school district in the United States, including superintendents, business officers, curriculum directors, technology managers and school board...

Spreading the green word.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2008... Nice article about building green schools (Facilities/Construction Update, January). I'm on COSN's Emerging Technologies Committee and have suggested we should be doing something about greening school IT services, so I posted a link to that...

"Having sex anyway".(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2008... I enjoyed reading your editorial "Well, They're Gonna Have Sex Anyway" (Understanding the Times, December). Hard to believe there are school boards out there that think this way! I agree with you 100 percent and look forward to your next...

Sites that work.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2008... Our district is considering the development of a brand new dynamic CMS managed Web page and I have always enjoyed reading the Web page reviews in DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION. Keep them up. They are truly an asset. George Woods, district...

Advocate extraordinaire.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2008... Great article and photo of Jim Marshall and holly lu (News Update, December). It's beyond fabulous! Thank you so much for helping to spread the great work of ms. holly lu. She offers hope to parents and the professionals that work with our...

Credibility for New Literacies.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2008... As you know from your interview with Don Leu ("The New Literacies," October), school administrators play an important role as change agents in the use of technology to enhance instruction. They must be prepared to plan and even lead in these...

DA Web page kudos.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)(Website overview)
February 1, 2008... Man, you guys did a great job with your Web site! It provides a ton of great tools and resources for your viewers. Jennifer Berry, editor, www.Worksheetlibrary.com I absolutely love the format for the digital edition of DA. It's so...

PISA math and science results "disappointing".(BRIEFINGS: News Update)(Programme for International Student Assessment)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... THE RESULTS OF THE 2006 PROgramme for International Student Assessment (PISA) were recently released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), showing that U.S. 15-year-olds ranked 25th in mathematics among OECD...

L.A. dropouts get a second chance.(BRIEFINGS: News Update)
February 1, 2008... TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF L.A. students dropped out in 2006, and now the district is trying to bring them all back. As part of a new campaign targeting both at-risk students and actual dropouts, the Los Angeles Unified School District is...

Special ed center rolling out.(BRIEFINGS: News Update)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] NEXT MONTH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT of Education will announce the names of six states to participate in the development of a new national education center aimed at improving student achievement, particularly for students...

Teachers against school board.(BRIEFINGS: News Update)
February 1, 2008... A PROPOSED ORDER FROM A judge for the Ohio State Employee Relations Board (SERB) states that the Brookfield Board of Education should return lost wages to its teachers union and address a number of other claims the teachers have brought against...

D+.(BRIEFINGS: Technology Update)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The score more than half of all states received on last year's School Foods Report Card. Source: Center for Science in the Public Interest

Online filtering gets smarter.(BRIEFINGS: Technology Update)
February 1, 2008... A NEW TYPE OF ONLINE FILTERING is sweeping across American schools, allowing staff members to go to Web sites from which students are blocked. As IT staffs know, most online filters are meaningless given students' know-how in finding proxy...

Cameras document evidence in Columbine-style plan.(BRIEFINGS: Security Update)
February 1, 2008... AN IP-BASED SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM at Long Island's Connetquot Central School District did the job in a case in which two teenagers had planned to create a Columbine High School-style massacre inside the local high school. The teenagers were...

Sustainability of online schooling at risk.(BRIEFINGS: Virtual Schools Update)
February 1, 2008... RESEARCH SHOWS THAT VIRTUAL schools are growing significantly, but so are their challenges stemming from infrastructure and data management. A new report researched and written by Evergreen Consulting Associates, a network of professionals...

Ruling threatens virtual schools.(BRIEFINGS: Virtual Schools Update)
February 1, 2008... IN A RULING THAT COULD jeopardize the future of virtual schools throughout the state of Wisconsin, an appellate court recently determined that an online school in the Northern Ozaukee School District violates state laws and should be denied...

Teacher--created courses.(BRIEFINGS: Virtual Schools Update)
February 1, 2008... ODYSSEYWARE, A WEB-BASED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT THAT OFFERS media-rich core curricula and electives for grades 3-12, is widening its capabilities to allow teachers and educators to create their own course content. Founded in 2001, the company is...

Streamlining the online experience.(BRIEFINGS: Virtual Schools Update)
February 1, 2008... AGILIX, A COMPANY FOUNDED IN 2001 that delivers e-learning solutions in the education market, is taking on course content in a big way. Its GoCourse Learning System, a mobile e-learning platform that allows content to be downloaded locally from...

A Dynamic LearnSpace.(BRIEFINGS: Curriculum Update)(Studywiz Spark )(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... JEFF MAO, EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY coordinator for the state of Maine, has made a safe, educationally collaborative online place called Studywiz Spark by Etech available to students, teachers and parents. "No longer do our teachers need to patch...

Academy chooses evolution.(BRIEFINGS: Curriculum Update)
February 1, 2008... IN JANUARY THE NATIONAL Academy of Sciences (www.nasonline .org) published Science, Evolution and Creationism, a booklet which states that the evidence for evolution, with DNA and fossil records, is overwhelming. "Evolution is one of the...

Saturn's rings rewriting science.(BRIEFINGS: Curriculum Update)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... NASA'S CASSINI SPACECRAFT LANDED ON Saturn in 2004, may be rewriting an astronomy page or two. The rings once thought to have been formed during the age of the dinosaurs may actually be 4.5 billion years old, from a time when the universe was...

Playing with heart.(BRIEFINGS: Curriculum Update)
February 1, 2008... IMAGINE A STUDENT IN A PHYSICAL education class soccer game being congratulated for contributing points to the team by keeping her heart rate within range. Such a thing is happening at Fargo Public School District (www.fargo.k12. nd.us) in...

States try out remodeled NCLB assessments.(BRIEFINGS: Inside the Law)(No Child Left Behind, growth model pilot program)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... WITH CONGRESS STYMIED IN its efforts to rewrite the controversial No Child Left Behind law, which turned six last month, the Department of Education is attempting to create more flexibility within the legislation in terms of gauging student...

Abstinence-only funds ignite debate.(BRIEFINGS: Inside the Law)
February 1, 2008... AMID THE WHIRLPOOL OF FORCES PULLING AT TEENS THAT include pop culture and the tribulations of celebrities, Congress and the Bush administration are pushing hard for "abstinence-only" education. But a growing number of states are flat-out...

Sounding off.(BRIEFINGS: Inside the Law)(Bob Wise on No Child Left Behind Act)(Quotation)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... "NCLB currently does little to address the nation's middle and high schools, and until a bill is reauthorized that includes the interventions and supports these schools and their students need, the educational system will continue to fail...

Putting family life to the test.(BRIEFINGS: Inside the Law)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SOCIAL FACTORS OUTSIDE school districts' control strongly influence student achievement gaps that appear in kindergarten and persist through high school, says a new report from the Educational Testing Service. ...

The new face of vocational school.(District Profile: BLACKSTONE VALLEY REGIONAL VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL)
February 1, 2008... LOCATED IN UPTON, IN THE geographical center of Massachusetts, Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School was founded in 1964 to provide an alternate opportunity for students from 13 towns in its district. Since then, class...

The "other" advanced program: International Baccalaureate offers a cross-cultural alternative to Advanced Placement.(CURRICULUM)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE MAY SOUND LIKE IT involves some sort of foreign exchange and a college graduation ceremony. But the IB is actually a comprehensive, demanding, and increasingly popular diploma program...

State of the superintendency: stress and satisfaction in a changing profession.(ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION)
February 1, 2008... TODAY'S SUPERINTENDENTS ARE generally older and more stressed out than in years past, but they are also extremely satisfied with their jobs. And contrary to some media reports, they get along well with their boards, according to an American...

Landing the chief: superintendent headhunters match positions and candidates.(HUMAN RESOURCES)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LAST APRIL, CARLOS GARCIA WAS at the National School Boards Association annual convention in San Francisco when he recognized a familiar face approaching, it was Bill Attea, chairman of the board of Hazard, Young,...

Purchasing security products and services: fourth of a series: 40 percent of K12 districts planned to purchase security systems and equipment prior to security breaches such as at Virginia Tech.(PURCHASING)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AS THE MAGAZINE OF EDUCATION leadership for top-level decision makers in K12 education, DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION reaches key executives in virtually every school district in the United States, including...

Virginia Beach City (Va.) public schools: www.vbschools.com.(How Well Does This Web Site Work? LEARN WHAT OUR WEB ANALYST SAYS IS RIGHT AND WRONG WITH THIS DISTRICT SITE)
February 1, 2008... VIRGINIA BEACH CITY PUBLIC Schools enrolls 70,535 students and employs 5,900 teachers in 87 schools and specialty centers. Its Web site earned an Award of Excellence from the National Schools Public Relations Association in 2006. Design...

Teach the kids you have: there is no substitute for getting to know every student.(SPEAKING OUT)
February 1, 2008... I OFTEN TEACH IN "TROUBLED" schools and work with at-risk kids. I do so because the indomitable spirit and untapped potential of the children inspire me. Children reinforce my core belief in kid power and teach me a great deal about tolerance,...

Self-injury: how to understand and help students who engage in this behavior.(PROFESSIONAL OPINION)(Medical condition overview)
February 1, 2008... SELF-INJURY IS RAPIDLY Increasing in the adolescent population, with cutting being the most common form, followed by burning, scratching, pinching and not letting wounds heal. These injuries are superficial and are not intended to do any...

Narrow the academic language gap to reduce the achievement gap: you must teach academic vocabulary if you expect your students to use it.(SUPERVISOR'S OPINION)
February 1, 2008... GARFIELD CHARTER Elementary School serves 677 K8 students in the Redwood City Elementary School District in California. Ninety-four percent of the students are Hispanic or Latino. Eighty-five percent qualify for free or reduced-price lunch....

Hooray for the democrats and more accountability! NCLB is barely understood.(Democratic Party, No Child Left Behind Act)
February 1, 2008... ACCOUNTABILITY MUST HAVE played well in Peoria, because every Democratic candidate is simultaneously for it while being against NCLB. The question is, How can you hold both positions? Here is how: by not understanding the issue. ...

Spector 360 Internet use monitor: Spectorsoft.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERING IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Software, $1,995/50 PC lab Spector 360 helps schools monitor students using the Internet. It records Web sites visited, e-mails sent and received, chats and instant messages sent and received, keystrokes typed,...

P100i card printer: Zebra Technologies.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERING IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Zebra Technologies Corp.)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Hardware, $1,795 The P100i is a single-card printer that produces single-sided full-color or monochrome cards. Additionally it prints color employee and student ID cards, loyalty, gift, and membership cards, or transit and recreational...

InstaGate internet use monitor: eSoft.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERING IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
February 1, 2008... Hardware, Starting at $919 with a $299 annual subscription InstaGate with Web ThreatPak allows administrators to control where on the Web users can go and blocks inappropriate or dangerous sites. Blocking examples include phishing, viruses,...

SMART Learning Marketplace digital resources: Smart Technologies.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERING IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Internet, $239, one year/single user SMART Learning Marketplace offers teachers access to a collection of more than one million regularly updated and copyright-cleared digital resources. It is delivered through...

SubManager Package substitute teacher kits: Utah State University/ Substitute Teaching Institute.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
February 1, 2008... Materials, $195 SubManager Package offers teaching kits designed for substitute teachers and loaded with resources, such as the Substitute Teacher Handbook, which covers topics ranging from classroom management and teaching strategies to...

Exam Prep courses: Apex Learning.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Apex Learning Inc.)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Materials, $5-$15 per student Exam Prep is a new line of exam prep solutions that is initially being made available for exit exams in California, Florida and Arizona. They are aligned to each state's test blueprint, mirroring each...

Read-Aloud Libraries supplemental language arts program: SRA/McGraw-Hill.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Materials, Starting at $360 Read-Aloud Libraries is a supplemental language arts program that helps students in grades pre-K2 improve their vocabulary. It features books such as Three Little Pigs that provide a...

Hotmath.com math homework portal: Hotmath.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Internet, $0.75 per student/12-month license Hotmath is a math homework portal that also offers an instant messaging feature that enables students to work together on math problems in a virtual study hall....

Elluminate Live! Lite edition Web communication tools: Elluminate.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Internet, Free trial Elluminate is offering its Web communication portal, Elluminate Live!, free to any K12 school and with unlimited access for one year. Users can take advantage of an interactive, e-learning...

Prodigy Tablet portable interactive writing and presentation device: Qomo.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Hardware, $399 The wireless Prodigy Tablet is a portable version of an interactive whiteboard. It implements RF technology, enabling a presenter to connect up to 30 tablets at one time instead of the seven...

DataFRAME 2112 data network storage appliance: MPC computers.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Hardware, Pricing varies The DataFRAME 2112 storage area network appliance offers an industry standard-based SAN platform for high-speed, disk-based storage. It is capable of supporting both SATA II and SAS drives with drive capacities of...

FLY Fusion Pentop Computer: Leapfrog Enterprises.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Leapfrog Enterprises Inc.)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Hardware, $79.99 The FLY Fusion Pentop Computer, designed for students ages 10 and up, is a high-speed homework system that connects students to the help and information they need through homework assistance and...

VMware Fusion simultaneous Mac/Windows software solution: VMWare.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Software, $59.99 VMware's Fusion users can launch Windows applications from their Mac Dock and switch between Windows and Mac applications with Expos& Over 60 guest operating systems can be run, from DOS to...

Criterion Online Writing Evaluation 7.2: ETS.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Internet, $15/student per 1,000 ordered The Criterion Online Writing Evaluation places an increased emphasis on student planning and instructor training. With the latest version, teachers can now complete required training sessions online...

Voice 5.2 Web communications: Wimba.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
February 1, 2008... Software, Annual license pricing Voice 5.2 (formerly known as Voice Tools) is an upgrade to previous releases that facilitate and promote vocal instruction, collaboration, and coaching and assessment. It humanizes and personalizes any...

FASTT math enterprise edition math fact fluency support: Tom Snyder Productions.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
February 1, 2008... Software, Starting at $60 The FASTT software, which was designed to improve math fact fluency, now offers enhanced reporting capabilities for teachers and administrators, including districtwide reporting and data export through the...

California Saxon Math K-6 supplemental math kits: Saxon.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Materials, Starts at $620/consumable kit California schools can now incorporate Saxon Math curricula, which aligns with the California Mathematics Framework and meets the California Math Standards. It provides...

Fluent Reading Trainer reading improvement solution: Mindplay.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Software, Starts at $250/Internet version Fluent Reading Trainer software works to increase reading speed while ensuring comprehension in any student with the ability to decode words. Teachers either hand-select stories for students to read...

EZClassSites district Web sites: EZClassSites.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Website overview)
February 1, 2008... Internet, Pricing varies and discounts and promotions are available EZClassSites offers districts a wayto publish a Web site for the community and teachers a way to easily share their own Web pages with students and parents. Users get...

Inform 4.2 K12 analysis and decision support tool: Pearson.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
February 1, 2008... Software, $3.75 per student Inform 4.2 is the latest update for this K12 analysis and decision support tool. It expands its capabilities for planning individualized and group student instruction. Educators can now develop intervention...

TI-Nspire graphing calculator: Texas Instruments.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Hardware, $135 (average price) Students can use the TI-Nspire graphing calculator to see and explore different representations of a math problem on a single screen. It comes with an interchangeable keyboard that...

MY Access! School Edition instructional writing program: Vantage Learning.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Internet, $15-$24/typical district price per student MY Access! is an instructional writing program that develops a repertoire of prewriting, drafting, organizing and revising strategies. The program scores student responses to prompts and...

SOLO Writing Coach Literacy Suite solution: Don Johnston.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
February 1, 2008... Software, Starts at $3,399 SOLO's Writing Coach, part of the SOLO Literacy Suite, was designed to support struggling learners in any writing curriculum in a school or district's Title I or IDEA initiative through the use of a reading and...

Proofwriter, online writing tool: ETS.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Software, $2.49/two essay submissions Proofwriter is designed for high school and college students; its online writing tool helps them check and revise their written work and build essential skills to become...

Mimio boards interactive whiteboard: Mimio.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Hardware, $999-$1,999 (with mimio's grant) Mimio's new series of interactive whiteboards delivers both wireless and USB cable connection options. Interactive technology is built into the frame, housed in a heavy-duty but service-accessible...

Phonemic Awareness pre-K1 phonological understanding program: SRA/McGraw-Hill.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
February 1, 2008... Materials, $199 Phonemic Awareness is a supplemental pre-K1 program that teaches phonemic awareness. It contains 110 lessons featuring activities that follow the developmental sequence for teaching all levels of phonological awareness. It...

Musical Mathematics math in songs with activities: Educational Dynamix.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Software, $15 per CD, $7 per workbook, and $25 per teacher's guide The Musical Mathematics CD integrates music into learning mathematics. The songs help children understand the meaning of multiplication and how...

"Drug'-driven decision making.(Problem Solution: SUCCESS STORIES FROM DISTRICTS ACROSS THE NATION)
February 1, 2008... PROBLEM NEWARK (N.J.) PUBLIC SCHOOLS, an urban district of more than 42,000 students, has employed SACs (student assistance coordinators) since the early 1970s to provide a safe, healthy and drug-free environment for its students. SACs are...

iMovie 08 and iDVD 08 for Mac OS X: Visual QuickStart Guide: Peachpit Press.(Computer Literature: RESOURCES FOR DISTRICT LEADERS)
February 1, 2008... www.peachpit.com, 24.99 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jeff Carlson's book teaches readers the essential skills for creating movies with Apple's iMovie and iDVD software applications. Readers are introduced to essential preproduction skills,...

Real World Camera Raw with Adobe Photoshop CS3: Peachpit Press.(Computer Literature: RESOURCES FOR DISTRICT LEADERS)(Brief article)(Book review)
February 1, 2008... www.peachpit.com, $44.99 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Authors Bruce Fraser and Jeff Schewe explain the advantages and challenges of using Adobe Photoshop CS3 software, which keeps pace with new directions in digital photography and raw image...

Teaching in the Digital Age: Corwin Press.(Computer Literature: RESOURCES FOR DISTRICT LEADERS)
February 1, 2008... www.corwinpress.com, $29.95 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Kristen Nelson's how-to book supplies the tools and framework for using Internet-based, brain-friendly activities to promote students' comprehension across content areas. It...

Photoshop Elements 6: The Missing Manual: Pogue Press/O'Reilly.(Computer Literature: RESOURCES FOR DISTRICT LEADERS)(Brief article)(Book review)
February 1, 2008... www.mlssmgmanuals.com, $39.99 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Barbara Brundage's book carefully explains every feature the photo-editing program Photoshop Elements 6 has to offer. While it progresses from simple to complex features,...

Using Microsoft Office to Enhance Student Learning: Cambridge College School of Education.(Computer Literature: RESOURCES FOR DISTRICT LEADERS)
February 1, 2008... www.cambridgecollege.edu/ academics/education, cfm, $37.95 Auth or Allan F. Livers' book is designed for seasoned veterans and novice users of Microsoft Office. It provides the tools educators need to incorporate current technology into...

iLife 08: Peachpit Press.(Computer Literature: RESOURCES FOR DISTRICT LEADERS)(Brief article)(Book review)
February 1, 2008... www.peachpit.com, $39.99 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This Apple-certified guide to iLife '08, by Michael Cohen, Jeff Bollow, with Richard Harrington, features footage and images from around the world. The authors of this book/DVD combo use...

Literacy in the Digital Age: Corwin Press.(Computer Literature: RESOURCES FOR DISTRICT LEADERS)
February 1, 2008... www.corwinpress.com, $27.95 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] R. W. Burniske takes an in-depth look at the Internet's advantages and risks and shows teachers through specific case studies, tips and practical ideas on how to incorporate technology...

Motivation and reading.(Research Corner: ESSENTIALS ON EDUCATION DATA and RESEARCH ANALYSIS)
February 1, 2008... MOTIVATION IS OFTEN cited as an important factor in students' becoming proficient readers. How does student motivation affect the development of reading skills? And what can teachers do to tap into students' motivation to read? The research on...

Calendar of events.(educational conferences )(Calendar)
February 1, 2008... FEBRUARY 2008 National Conference on Accelerating Learning February 2-5 Orlando, Fla. www.renlearn.com * Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) February 4-5 Austin, Texas www.tcea.org/symposium ...

Tenure revoked! Protecting teachers' jobs comes at students' expense.(UNDERSTANDING THE TIMES)
February 1, 2008... TENURE IS A TIRED IDEA in K12 education. At best it is superfluous, and at worst it is a subtle but steady saboteur of innovation, accountability and improvement. Tenure is superfluous because union contracts and collective bargaining...

First edition: special issue features top 100 K12 products.(Readers' Choice top 100 products 2007-08)
February 15, 2008... WELCOME TO VERSION 1.0 OF THE ANNUAL SPECIAL ISSUE OF DISTRICT MINISTRATION devoted to the Readers' Choice Top l00 K12 Products of 2007-08. The products featured on these pages appeared first in our online products database, which launched in...

Budget busters: trimming district budgets is always challenging.(FINANCIAL SERVICES)
February 15, 2008... EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGET IS unique--the product of variables that range from state funding formulas to special programming decisions, from student enrollment patterns to teacher retirement packages. Some districts rely almost solely on...

Collaborative e-procurement: online purchasing amplifies the power of group buying.(PURCHASING)
February 15, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHEN NEGOTIATING MULTIPLE vendor contracts and considering an online purchasing system, many small school districts might find it tough to go it alone. But what if there were a few hundred or a few thousand other...

Readers' choice top 100 products 2007-08: the top quality products selected show why technology spending is high.
February 15, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IN EACH ISSUE, DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION PRESENTS THE products, books and materials that we think are important to our readers, culminating in a year's-end Top 100 Products. This year, however, we wanted to make...

Affordable and productive.(HARDWARE WINNERS: Readers Choice top 100 products 2007-08)
February 15, 2008... WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE HARDWARE in The Readers' Choice Top 100 K12 Products of 2007-08. Hardware advances, coupled with lower prices and increased Internet connectivity and interactivity, make the technology product winners more attainable and...

Powerfully connected.(SOFTWARE WINNERS: Readers' Choice top 100 products 2007-08)
February 15, 2008... THE AGE OF THE INTERNET AND WEB 2.0 IS changing the way students think, speak and gather information. The trends involved are also changing how teachers and administrators access and implement computer software programs. While many of this...

User-created online media.(INTERNET: Readers' Choice top 100 products 2007-08)
February 15, 2008... WHETHER THE EMERGING INTERNET applications are labeled 21st-century, Web 2.0 social networking, there has been an enormous grassroots power shift from online users being passive consumers of information, to actively creating collaborative...

Editors' choice.(BOOKS & MATERIALS)(Book review)
February 15, 2008... THE FOLLOWING SELECTIONS ARE THE DR EDITORS' CHOICES OF IMPORTANT AND USEFUL books and materials reflecting trends in K12 education today. Most of the books selected deal with technology and emerging Web 2.0 tools such as podcasting and...

District purchasing priorities.(BY THE NUMBERS)
February 15, 2008... DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION COMMISSIONED a survey of our readers to assess buying power for districts across the nation. Subscribers from school districts of all sizes received a questionnaire about buying activities and expenditures over a...