District Administration articles from July 2007

District Administration archives from July 2007

Conjunction junction ... technology brings Schoolhouse Rock to new generations.(Editor's Letter)
July 1, 2007... ONE OF THE GREATEST PRIVILEGES OF MY PROFESSIONAL CAREER was being on the team that produced the Emmy-award-winning Schoolhouse Rock on ABC-TV. Anyone who came of age between 1973 and 1985 probably learned about math, grammar, social studies...

Questioning the ISTE Standards.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... At one point in Gary Stager's interview with Don Knezek ("Refreshing the ISTE Technology Standards," June), he asked why the new NETS Standards did not include having students learn how to create their own programs. Knezek raised the question,...

Fox news left behind.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... I am curious as to why you left Fox News out of your News Sources category in February's "Curriculum Hotspots." I plan to keep this issue as a resource for my students and teachers, but I am left wondering about this omission. Christine...

Appalled at book banning.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... Amen to a thoughtful and well-written article about the book The Higher Power of Lucky ("Speaking Out," April). As a school librarian I was appalled when I first learned that some school librarians were banning the book for such an...

Book banning misstated.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... Thank you for the strong stance you have taken in favor of intellectual freedom ("Speaking Out," April). However, your characterization of school librarians' reactions to this book is a bit misleading. The author's use of the word "scrotum"...

Comparing apples to oranges.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... You pose some questions about credibility and then compare debating scientific theories to the social and moral issues of the Holocaust and slavery ("Speaking Out," March). You cannot debate the immorality of Nazism or slavery, but the very...

Radical schooling methods.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... Given that two or three years of Internet time warp have passed since your short piece on School 2.0 was published ("Understanding the Times, January), what have you accumulated on this topic since its publication? In the article, you...

History and civics test scores improve.(News Update)
July 1, 2007... TWO REPORTS RECENTLY released by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the federal government's standard measure of public school achievement, point to improvements in U.S. history and civics test scores among fourth-graders,...

Schools turn junk foods into pseudo health foods.(News Update)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... IN AN EFFORT TO IMPROVE student nutrition and combat the nation's obesity problem, some schools are sneaking healthy ingredients into junk foods that kids already enjoy. West Virginia schools, for example, are cutting fat and calories by...

Georgia districts teach the bible.(News Update)
July 1, 2007... THE GEORGIA STATE BOARD OF Education recently approved curriculum for teaching the Bible in its high schools, and now many public schools are walking a fine line as they decide whether to offer the nation's first state-funded Bible classes. ...

AASA executive director retires.(News Update)(American Association of School Administrators, Paul D. Houston)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... PAUL D. HOUSTON, EXECUTIVE director of the American Association of School Administrators, recently announced his plans to retire in June 2008. Houston has served as AASA executive director since 1994. "I am retiring from my job but not my...

Stat blast.(News Update)
July 1, 2007... 67% of superintendents feel national learning standards should be in place rather than allowing states to set individual standards. Source: SRA/McGraw-Hill poll

ISTE names 2007 Outstanding Leader and Teacher Award recipients.(News Update)(Indian Society for Technical Education awards Charlene Chausis and Carole Colburn)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY for Technology in Education (ISTE) has named Carole Colburn, technology literacy teacher with Howell (Mich.) Public Schools, and Charlene Chausis, technology training and integration manager at Adlai E. Stevenson High...

New resource for online learning programs.(News Update)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... THE NORTH AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR ONLINE LEARNING (NACOL) has released the first-ever comprehensive online learning guide for K12 educators, policymakers and parents. The guide, "A National Primer in Online K12 Learning," answers common questions...

Fast fact.(News Update)
July 1, 2007... As of the end of 2006, 25 states had established state-led online learning programs. Source: The North American Council for Online Learning

New report identifies what works for ELL students.(News Update)(English Language Learner)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... A report recently released by EdSource has identified four educational practices most commonly associated with higher performance among elementary English Language Learners (ELLs). According to the study, "Similar English Learner Students,...

Massachusetts school goes green and portable.(Facilities/Construction Update)(The Carroll School)
July 1, 2007... IN DECEMBER THE NATION'S first environmentally friendly, or "green," modular classroom building opened at The Carroll School in Lincoln, Mass., an independent day school for elementary and middle school children diagnosed with learning...

Cell phones in North Carolina classrooms.(Curriculum Update)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... THE FAVORITE communications device for K12 students is the cell phone, according to NetDay Speak Up, an annual, national research project facilitated by Project Tomorrow (www.tomorrow. org). A 2006 survey of 232,781 K12 students reports that 73...

National guard inspires students.(Curriculum Update)(United States Army National Guard)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD offers 30 topics in its YOU CAN school program as a public service, including free programs on drug awareness, violence prevention, diversity, communications, and conflict resolution. The positive and motivated...

The new school assembly.(Curriculum Update)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... ASTRONAUT KEN REIGHTLER, WHO PILOTED DISCOVERY ON TWO SPACE shuttle missions--the flight to support "Mission to Planet Earth" in 1991 and the first United States/Russia joint crew in 1994--had a new mission for Space Week 2007. He hosted a...

L.A. Unified and charter schools butt heads.(Inside the Law)(Green Dot Public Schools, Partnerships to Uplift Communities Schools, and California Charter Schools Association filed lawsuits against Los Angeles Unified School District)
July 1, 2007... A CHARTER SCHOOL COALITION consisting of Green Dot Public Schools, Partnerships to Uplift Communities (PUC) Schools, and the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) recently filed two lawsuits in the Los Angeles Superior Court against the...

Some highly qualified teachers may not be so qualified.(Inside the Law)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... ACCORDING TO A RECENT FEDERALLY sponsored study by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (www.nichd.nih.gov), the quality of instruction in elementary classrooms has little to do with whether teachers have the credentials...

Stat blast.(Inside the Law)(statistical report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... The number of charter schools nationwide grew by 11% in 2006. Charter schools now serve a student body that is on average 53% minority and 54% low-income. Source: 2007 Annual Survey of America's Charter Schools

Parents of disabled children do not need lawyer to sue.(Inside the Law)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... IN MAY THE SUPREME COURT ruled that parents of disabled children no longer need to hire lawyers to sue school districts when attempting to ensure that their children's special needs are adequately met. The court found that the federal...

Federal officials profit from textbook publishers, report states.(Inside the Law)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... A CONGRESSIONAL REPORT IN May from the office of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) disclosed a startling discovery in the extensive ties that exist between textbook publishers and federal officials who help implement the Reading First program....

AASA releases NCLB vision.(Inside the Law)(American Association of School Administrators, No Child Left Behind Act of 2001)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... AS CONGRESS PREPARES TO reauthorize the No Child Left Behind law, AASA has released its 2007 Legislative Agenda, which outlines recommendations for a change in the federal role in K12 education. AASA believes "education is to help provide...

Talking details on NCLB.(Administrator Profile: SUPERERINTENDENT PASCAL D. FORGIONE JR.)
July 1, 2007... WHEN PASCAL D. FORGIONE Jr., the Austin (Texas) Independent School District superintendent of schools, discusses the federal No Child Left Behind law, he has a lot to say. Many school administrators, including Forgione, agree the law, which is...

Laptops in rural Oklahoma.(District Profile: STIDHAM (OKLA.) PUBLIC SCHOOLS)
July 1, 2007... STIDHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS is at the forefront of technology integration in Oklahoma, with a 1:1 laptop program that provides every student from pre-K through eighth grade with access to a computer throughout the school day. This isn't bad for a...

Rethinking school bus safety: armed with heightened awareness of security threats and safety concerns, administrators seek to make the school bus safer.(SECURITY)
July 1, 2007... LAST WINTER THE FBI AND THE Department of Homeland Security sent a memo to law enforcement agencies alerting them that foreign nationals with ties to extremist groups had bought buses and acquired the commercial licenses required to drive them....

Broadening collective bargaining: negotiations go far beyond wages and benefits. (HUMAN RESOURCES).
July 1, 2007... HAVING BEEN HIRED TO REPLACE A teacher who left after the first quarter, Susan Taylor began her career 30 years ago in less than ideal conditions. As a floating teacher in the Cincinnati Public Schools, she taught first period on an auditorium...

Searching for subs: advanced electronic substitute management systems make scheduling easier for teachers, substitutes and administrators.(STAFFING)
July 1, 2007... BEFORE COLORADO'S EAGLE COUNTY SCHOOLS PURCHASED AN electronic substitute management system in 2003, the job of filling last-minute teacher absences fell to a part-time employee who started calling potential substitutes one by one from home at...

Jersey City's Broad appeal: superintendent Charles T. Epps Jr.'s high performing district.(ADMINISTRATION and SUPERVISION)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... AS ONE OF FIVE FINALISTS LAST year for the Broad Prize for Urban Education, often called America's Nobel Prize for urban education, the Jersey City Public Schools reached the pinnacle of the nation's best performing school districts. It's...

Focus on: Improving Nutrition in schools: school health experts discuss how districts can better serve the needs of their students.(LEADERSHIP SERIES Web Seminars)
July 1, 2007... AFTER THE REAUTHORIZATION OF THE FEDeral Child Nutrition Act in 2004, K12 school districts with federally funded meal programs were required to enact wellness policies by the first day of the 2006-2007 school year. DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION...

Science and Math Through Literature: Sylvan Dell Publishing.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... www.sylvandellpublishing.com Books, Prices vary Sylvan Dell Publishing offers beautifully illustrated fiction picture books that relate to science, nature, animals and math. The books are scientifically accurate and written to excite...

ThinkPad T61 and R61: Lenovo.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... www.lenovo.com Hardware, $1,399/T61, $1,249/R61 These 14.1-inch widescreen notebooks include the latest Intel Centrino Pro and Centrino Duo mobile technology, an improved cooling system, longer battery life option, and a new top cover...

Remark Office OMR: Gravic.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... www.gravic.com Software, $895/single computer license The software helps users create their own forms using any word processor or survey design package. Forms can be printed on a laser printer, photocopied or sent out to a local printer....

Cricket: Interwrite learning.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... www.interwritelearning.com Hardware, $36 each, class packs available This radio frequency student response handset features an eight button 1-6/A-E for multiple choice questions and separate true/ false buttons. Using four LEDs, it...

Student Encyclopedia: Encyclopedia Britannica.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... www.britannica.com, Books, $399 The 16-volume set is designed to provide a reference for elementary grade students. It contains 2,300 articles, 3,300 photos and images, and 1,000 maps and flags. It makes extensive use of charts, tables and...

Imagine It! SRA/McGraw-Hill.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... www.sraonline.com Program, Pricing depends upon district needs Teachers have more opportunities to teach every student to read, write and communicate effectively by using this new core pre-K12 reading and language arts curriculum,...

Cool Tools for School: Sanford.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... www.sanford.com Supplies, $5.00-$12.44 Uni-ball, skip-free and acid-free gel pens come in 32 different colors. Eight basic colors are $11.46, eight metallic colors, eight sparkling colors and eight pastel colors are each $12.44. Paper...

E-9232T: Gateway.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... www.gateway.com, Hardware, Starts at $699 Powered by either a dual-core AMD Opteron 1000 series processor or a single-core AMD Athlon 64 processor 3500+, this server also includes Gateway Lights Out system management, which allows users to...

PaperTools Pro 2.0: M3Designs/Epen.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... www.papertoolspro.com, Software, $55 Available on CD or as an Internet download, the software was designed to make research and documentation easy and efficient. It helps users simplify and organize note-taking and prevent plagiarism....

Reading Mentor: Learning resources.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... www.learningresources.com Electronic tool, $329.95 Reading Rods, used in this electronic device, help develop reading skills by enabling students to hear the letters, words and sentences they build by adding word links. Students slide...

Workspace 7.0: Interwrite learning.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... www.interwriteleaming.com, Software, $249 Educators using this software can create, teach and assess student performance using digital content. New features include a library of instructional animations, a comprehensive library of...

FPDK Series: Bretford.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... www.bretford.com Hardware, Starting at $520 People in virtually any public location are provided secure network data access by using these flat panel digital kiosks. The FPDK01 includes a 31.5-inch aluminum alloy wall track, and the FPDK02...

Your vote counts and you can make a difference!(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
July 1, 2007... DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION is naming the Reader's Choice Top 100 K12 Products of 2007. Let us know what works best for your district. Vote today for your favorite products. There are more than 1,000 products to view and we're adding to our...

Management Suite 7.2: Angel learning.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... www.angellearning.com Software, Pricing varies by institution size and type A variety of new features are offered, such as native podcasting, key industry standards, enterprise content management, assessment item analysis, and native...

ThinkLink Assessment: Discover education.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... www.thinklinklearning.com Assessments, $7-$10 per student These formative assessments are given up to three times a year, allowing teachers to periodically measure student progress. Started by Vanderbilt University, they are aligned to...

Odyssey High School Intervention: Compasslearning.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... www.compasslearning.com Online program, $190-$400 Powered by Education 2020, this full curriculum, which targets students in grades 7-12, provides 34 one-on-one core and elective courses ranging from American literature to psychology....

Easiteach TV: RM educational software.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... www.rmeducation.com, Training, Free Episodes of various training segments are offered for free on the company's Web site. A few listings on its TV guide include a starter pack of free lessons on how to write, draw, animate and record sound...

Elluminate Live! 8.0: Elluminate.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... www.elluminate.com Online solution, Starting at $36 per seat The new version of this Web conferencing software has been tailored for small and large group collaboration and blended sessions. It's also more ADA complaint, since it can...

Inspiration 8: Inspiration software.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... www.inspiration.com, Software, $69/$39 upgrade Launched last year, this software helps students in grades 6-12 develop a deeper understanding of difficult concepts and build stronger critical thinking skills. The latest version offers...

Investigating Environmental Science through inquiry: Vernier.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2007... www.vernier.com Lab Book, $45 Containing 35 authentic inquiry-based environmental science investigations for students from grades 9 through university, the book is aligned to the NRC and AAAS benchmarks for scientific inquiry. It...

Pinnacle 27 EZload Laminator: GBC.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... www.gbcconnect.com Hardware, $2,350/bundle This 27-inch roll laminating system combines the foolproof EZload film loading technology with AccuTherm heating technology for faster warm-up times and enhanced lamination quality. Other...

TutorVista: Tutorvista.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... www.tutorvista.com, Service, $99.99 per month Students can receive unlimited, one-on-one tutoring in any subject from their home or school by accessing homework help, skills tutoring, and quiz or test review. They can also use it to prepare...

Digital Citizenship in Schools: International Society for Technology in Education.(Computer Literature: RESOURCES FOR DISTRICT LEADERS)(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2007... www.iste.org $34.95 This book is an introduction to digital citizenship and how it can be taught and supported by K12 schools and districts. The authors explore the nine elements of digital citizenship, beginning with a basic definition of...

Facilities Planning for School Library Technology Centers, 2nd edition: Linworth Books.(Computer Literature: RESOURCES FOR DISTRICT LEADERS)(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2007... www.linworth.com $39.95 Written by a school superintendent, this step-by-step guide includes a collection of case studies that provide guidance from practitioners on common facilities issues. Readers learn the keys to success for school...

Adobe Illustrator CS3 Classroom in a Book: Adobe Press.(Computer Literature: RESOURCES FOR DISTRICT LEADERS)(Adobe InDesign CS3 How-Tos: 100 Essential, Adobe Photoshop CS3 Classroom in a Book)(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2007... www.adobepress.com $49.49 This guide targets beginning users who want to master the key features of Adobe's vector drawing software. It covers new features that include Live Color, which enables users to explore, apply and save custom...

The Digital Reader: Using E-books in K-12 Education: International Society for Technology in Education.(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2007... www.iste.org $37.95 The Digital Reader introduces the features that have established e-books as a powerful, effective learning tool for all grade levels and special needs students. Features include descriptions of the most popular and...

Clarkstown Central (N.Y.) School District: www.ccsd.edu.(How Well Does This Web Site Work? LEARN WHAT OUR WEB ANALYST SAYS IS RIGHT AND WRONG WITH THIS DISTRICT SITE)
July 1, 2007... THE CLARKSTOWN CENTRAL School District is located in a largely residential middle to upper class community in Rockland County, New York, 25 miles from New York City, and has a population of more than 70,000 residents. DESIGN The...

Recruitment and retention of highly qualified teachers.(Research Corner: ESSENTIALS ON EDUCATION DATA and RESEARCH ANALYSIS)
July 1, 2007... THE SECRET, A RECENT movie, promotes the law of attraction, the notion that we attract what we think about. Can district leaders attract great teachers by simply thinking about what their schools would be like if all positions were filled with...

Online off-site data backups.(Problem Solution: SUCCESS STORIES FROM DISTRICTS ACROSS THE NATION)
July 1, 2007... PROBLEM WHEN HURRICANE KATRINA STRUCK THE GULF COAST in August 2005, it not only devastated structures and institutions but also destroyed sensitive administrative and student electronic records in local school systems. One of the many...

Summer 2.0 reading: these books might help you gear up for a provocative back to school address.(ONLINE EDGE)(Book review)
July 1, 2007... NOW THAT THE CHAOS OF the school year has ended, you may be looking for a few good reads for the summer. I've got three that I heartily recommend. Each book captures many of the changes that are occurring in our culture and with our students,...

No double half-caf venti low-fat mochaccino left behind: a challenge for school leaders.(SPEAKING OUT)
July 1, 2007... THERE'S SOME SERIOUS thought behind the Frappuccino. It is no accident that people are willing to pay over four bucks for a cup of joe and that the average Starbucks customer visits eighteen times per month. Ever see a Starbucks go out of...

Making individualized education programs manageable for parents: reaching out is the right thing to do.(SUPERVISOR'S OPINION)
July 1, 2007... IF YOU CONTINUALLY WONDER how you can untangle the convoluted web that is special education, you might start with that old axiom, "Take a walk in my shoes." Sometimes we are so caught up in the details of Individualized Education Programs...

Calendar of events.(Brief article)(Calendar)
July 1, 2007... JULY 2007 National Academy Foundation (NAF) Annual Institute for Staff Development July 18-21 Washington, D.C. www.naf.org American Association of School Administrators (AASA) Summer Leadership Institute July 19-22 Minneapolis, Minn....

Roosevelt vs. Reagan ... and the future of public education in the United States.(UNDERSTANDING THE TIMES)(Franklin D. Roosevelt, Donald T. Regan)
July 1, 2007... FREE EDUCATION FOR ALL children in public schools--the bedrock of American democracy, right? Actually, it's one of the ten planks of The Communist Manifesto, published by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in 1848. Interestingly, Marxism was...