District Administration articles from June 2008

District Administration archives from June 2008

Live, from your cell phone! Web 2.0 technologies bring new power to school districts.(Editor's Letter)(Conference notes)
June 1, 2008... I RECENTLY REVIEWED AN AMAZING ONLINE TECHNOLOGY ON QIK.com (pronounced "quick") that allows users to stream live video from cell phones directly to the Internet. The site presents hundreds of experimental film clips from across the world,...

Lessons on dress.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2008... In reference to Gary Stager's blog on The Pulse: Education's Place for Debate, www.DistrictAdrninistration.com/pulse, ("One Lesson Teach for America Missed," April 21, 2008), I can't tell you how strongly I agree with you! Teachers often cry...

Native Indian culture.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2008... Thank you for the gracious words in the article on rural school challenges at the Kayenta (Ariz.) Unified School District ("Achieving against the Odds," May 2008). It's refreshing and informative. We would like you to come out and visit...

California walkout.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2008... I think the school Gary Stager mentions in his article ("Learning Shall Not Interfere with School!" April 23, 2008) on The Pulse: Education's Place for Debate, www. DistrictAdministration.com/pulse, reacted too harshly! Our district is...

Students improve, barely, on writing test.(Briefings: News Update)
June 1, 2008... ABOUT A THIRD OF THE NATION'S eighth-grade students and almost a quarter of 12th graders are proficient writers, according to recently released test results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Some education...

Turning the American Idol tide.(Briefings: News Update)(managing civics education)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... CITING A LACK OF STRONG INSTRUCTION IN CIVICS ed and a failure to impart students with skills to be responsible citizens, a group of teachers, professors and technology experts are developing a free Web-based project, "Our Courts," to promote...

School bullies "get the picture," thanks to new short films.(Briefings: News Update)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SCHOOL BULLIES ARE OFTEN portrayed as menacing, domineering figures in movies. And for some real eighth-grade instigators in Illinois and Nebraska, playing pseudo-fictionalized character renditions of themselves in...

More schools take eCommerce path.(Briefings: News Update)
June 1, 2008... THE AVERAGE SCHOOL DISTRICT spends 356 hours a month processing cash and check payments--bad checks in particular can cost districts significant sums of money--but a growing percentage of school business officials are accepting credit cards and...

Daniel A. Domenech named AASA executive director.(Briefings: News Update)
June 1, 2008... DANIEL A. DOMENECH, CURRENTLY SENIOR vice president and head of the Urban Advisory Resource for McGraw-Hill Education, was recently selected as executive director of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) after an extensive...

Students "talk about" abusive teachers.(Briefings: Technology)
June 1, 2008... IN LATE 2007 ADMINISTRATORS at Westfield High School in Houston, Texas, were notified of a 42-year-old teacher engaging in sexual contact with a student in a barn on campus. The teacher admitted to having an improper relationship, was...

When technology views clash.(Briefings: Technology)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS may agree on the importance of 21st century technologies in preparing youth for the future, but how well they are used in schools is a bone of contention among the groups, according to the recently released Annual Speak...

Debating sex ed.(Briefings: Inside the Law)
June 1, 2008... A GROUP OF 11 WITNESSES recently appeared before a House committee to debate the federal funding of abstinence-only sex education in public schools amid questions about whether the government should sponsor a program that many experts say...

Education secretary boldly sidesteps no child left behind.(Briefings: Inside the Law)(Margaret Spellings )
June 1, 2008... IN A LAST-DITCH EFFORT TO improve and clarify the federal No Child Left Behind law before the end of the Bush administration, Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings recently used her executive powers to propose a sweeping new set of...

Fast fact.(Briefings: Inside the Law)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The graduation rates that states report for NCLB accountability are, on average, 11 percentage points higher than independent estimates. Sometimes the difference is as high as 30 percentage points. Source:...

Differentiation and enrichment: Renzulli Learning links students to engaging individualized resources.(Conversations: Sally Reis and Joseph Renzulli)(Interview)
June 1, 2008... The DA editorial team recently chatted with husband and wife Joseph Renzulli and Sally Reis about Renzulli Learning, their for-profit, subscription-based online program that matches students' interests and learning styles to various activities...

You need to be "clickable": are you preparing your students to be Googled?(ONLINE EDGE)(Viewpoint essay)
June 1, 2008... GOOGLED YOURSELF LATELY? If you have, good for you; here's hoping the results were positive. If you haven't, you might want to take a few moments to see what's out there, what people are reading and using to form their opinions about you and...

What's a computer for? It all depends on your educational philosophy.(SPEAKING OUT)
June 1, 2008... BEFORE INCREASING YOUR TECHNOLOGY investment, it may be prudent to pause and review your expectations. What you and your colleagues believe about learning and the aims of education drives the success or failure of classroom computing. This even...

Six essentials to foster creativity and innovation in the classroom: technology lives up to its potential when we approach it creatively.(PROFESSIONAL OPINION)
June 1, 2008... I WAS OVERJOYED WHEN I READ the news that the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) had added creativity and innovation to its standards. While many of us pioneers in the education technology movement have assumed these goals...

Playing the choking game: more students are turning asphyxiation into a thrill-seeking activity, but the results can be deadly.(CRISIS RESPONSE)
June 1, 2008... THE MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER found one boy choking another while two others watched. Demanding that they stop, the teacher took all of the boys to the office for disciplinary consequences. Parents were called immediately, and school counselors met...

Community input drives district success.(Administrator Profile: SUPERINTENDENT JERRY L. HOUSE)
June 1, 2008... FROM A VISITOR'S FIRST CLICK, the Whitefish (Mont.) School District's home page exudes community pride. Visitors learn that Whitefish is a tourist town--home to the acclaimed ski resort at Big Mountain and sundry seasonal outdoor...

A middle school to watch.(District Profile: WASHINGTON COUNTY (UTAH) SCHOOL DISTRICT)
June 1, 2008... WASHINGTON COUNTY SCHOOL District sprawls across more than 2,400 square miles in the southwestern corner of the state of Utah. While tourists and adventurers flock to Zion National Park, which lies in the eastern part of the county, educators...

Cutting costs from the inside out: choosing certain building elements can produce savings and other benefits.(FACILITIES AND CONSTRUCTION)(Cover story)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] BUDGET-PRESSED DISTRICT administrators looking for ways to save money are finding them right before their eyes--in the infrastructure of their school facilities. From carpets, flooring and roofing to playing fields,...

New literacies: entering the future: Superintendent Kenneth Eastwood's district teaches critical skills for the next century.(ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION)
June 1, 2008... AS A CHILD, KENNETH EASTwood, superintendent of the Enlarged City School District of Middletown (N.Y.) wanted to be a brain surgeon or even a fighter pilot. But when he grew older, he shadowed his father, a computer programmer, at his workplace...

Online videoconferencing: Web tools such as uStream make video broadcasting accessible.(TECHNOLOGY)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A K12 PLANNING SURVEY I REviewed several years ago indicated that ideoconferencing was a top technology application of interest. At the time, the cost of equipment and the need for broadcast studios were major...

Welcome to Achievement Today: a special look at RTI.(response to intervention)(Spectrum K12 and Council of Administrators of Special Education's survey)
June 1, 2008... Dear District Administrator, Welcome to the latest edition of Achievement Today. Much of this issue is devoted to the topic of Response to Intervention (RTI), a general education initiative that offers great promise in meeting the needs of...

Eight questions for superintendents.
June 1, 2008... 1. Do you have data to show that your district's core curriculum is effective with at least 80% of your students? 2. Do you know what the Response to Intervention process is and how it should integrate with Early Intervening Services? ...

About Spectrum K12 school solutions.
June 1, 2008... Spectrum K12 School Solutions Inc. is the leading provider of special education and IEP software serving 11% of the U.S. K-12 student population including 20 of the top 100 school districts. Our patented software and professional development...

Fostering a unified approach to RTI and special education.(Response to Intervention )
June 1, 2008... WHAT IS A "UNIFIED APPROACH" TO SPECIAL EDUCATION, AND HOW DOES RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION fit in? To find out, Achievement Today interviewed two prominent experts in special education: Alexa Posny, Kansas Commissioner of Education and formerly...

RTI promises to take the failure out of the special education process.(Trends in Special Education)(Interview)
June 1, 2008... CHRISTY CHAMBERS is president of case, the Council of Administrators of Special Education. She is also superintendent of the Special Education District of McHenry County, Illinois. How should district administrators think about Response to...

Districts must ensure that RTI isn't used to block special ed referrals.(Legal Landscape)(Interview)
June 1, 2008... JULIE WEATHERLY is a founder of the Weatherly law firm in Atlanta, which works with school districts in the area of special education compliance. She is also the founder of Resolutions in Special Education, a consulting firm that provides...

Spectrum K12's Encore[R] ends Texas district's compliance concerns: Richardson ISD is meeting state and federal regulations and allowing staff to focus on students.(Richardson Independent School District)
June 1, 2008... By 2006, Richardson ISD in Texas--like many districts across the country--found itself struggling to keep up with compliance regulations related to special education. Richardson's biggest problem: overdue and incomplete reports for the state's...

Districts face Medicaid funding cuts, increased compliance requirements.(Medicaid Outlook)(Interview)
June 1, 2008... LIN LESLIE is vice president of marketing, business research and development for CARE Resources Inc., a staffing and special education solutions firm located in Maryland and Arizona. This is the first of a two-part series about Medicaid issues...

Transporting special needs students: special education students have legally protected transportation rights that districts must address.(LEGAL ISSUES)
June 1, 2008... SPECIAL EDUCATION COSTS in K12 schools are rising significantly across the nation. For example, in Massachusetts the districts in Saugus and Lynn are projected to increase spending more than $1 million next year. Escalating energy charges and...

Manatee County (Fla.) School District: www.manatee.k12.fl.us.(How Well Does This Web Site Work? LEARN WHAT OUR WEB ANALYST SAYS IS RIGHT AND WRONG WITH THIS DISTRICT SITE)
June 1, 2008... THE MANATEE COUNTY (FLA.) School District is located on the Gulf of Mexico, just south of the city of Tampa, and includes 42,000 students and 7,000 employees. Design The layout of the home page is distinctive and sleek, with clear...

Satellite Pro series: laptop computers: Toshiba.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TOSHIBA Satellite Pro Series Laptop Computers Hardware, $699-$1,149 Toshiba recently added five new series to this line of Essentials laptops. The Satellite Pro series' screen sizes range from 13.3...

Schoolwires Synergy, secure storage and monitoring: Schoolwires.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
June 1, 2008... SCHOOLWIRES Synergy, Secure Storage and Monitoring Internet, Pricing dependent upon district needs Schoolwires Synergy provides schools with Web-based, secure access to a central repository for safely storing, organizing and...

Q7 presenter: tablet presentation device: Qwizdom.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
June 1, 2008... QWIZDOM Q7 Presenter Tablet Presentation Device Hardware, $429 Qwizdom 's new Q7 tablet presenter allows teachers to wirelessly draw, annotate, control computer applications, interact with screen objects, and move around the...

2133 Mini-Note PC: mini notebook computer: HP.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
June 1, 2008... HP 2133 Mini-Note PC Mini Notebook Computer Hardware, $499 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HP's Mini-Note computer, weighing less than three pounds, includes a suite of wireless, multimedia and security capabilities. Housed in a...

Thunder Express, education collaboration: Polyvision Corporation.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
June 1, 2008... POLYVISION CORPORATION Thunder Express, Education Collaboration Software, Pricing dependent upon district needs Thunder Express collaboration software enables educators to collaborate anywhere, at anytime, and to develop ideas,...

Tuff Cam, student digital camera: RM Educational Software.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
June 1, 2008... RM EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE Tuff Cam, Student Digital Camera Hardware, $188 The Tuff Cam is a sturdy 3-megapixel digital movie/still camera designed to be child-friendly. Features include 64MB of internal memory that can be expanded...

Learning Impulse, primary education Web site: Education by Design.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
June 1, 2008... EDUCATION BY DESIGN Learning Impulse, Primary Education Web Site Internet, Free The Learning Impulse Web site is designed to help primary school educators reinforce lessons and information taught in the classroom. Teachers can...

USB 2.0 DVR Guardian: portable security system: Swann Communications.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
June 1, 2008... SWANN COMMUNICATIONS USB 2.0 DVR Guardian Portable Security System Hardware, $99.99 The DVR Guardian portable system turns any notebook computer into an advanced surveillance system. It plugs directly into any computer's USB...

PassagePoint EDU: security ID system: STOPware.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] STOPware PassagePoint EDU Security ID System Software, $1,685 With PassagePoint EDU, school personnel can log in, track and badge school visitors, pre-register as well as scan business cards,...

Campus Secure, personal alarm locator: Secure System.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
June 1, 2008... SECURE SYSTEM Campus Secure, Personal Alarm Locator Hardware, $50 per user [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With Campus Secure, each student receives a small key fob with a panic button or personal alarm locator (PAL). When the button...

Remark Web Survey 4, online survey and forms solution: Gravic.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
June 1, 2008... GRAVIC Remark Web Survey 4, Online Survey and Forms Solution Software, $250/Standard Version, $995/Professional Version Remark Web Survey 4 is based on the framework of previous versions, and users can now design and publish online...

PicoCricket, inventor's kit: Playful Invention Company.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
June 1, 2008... PLAYFUL INVENTION COMPANY PicoCricket, Inventor's Kit Hardware, $250 This PicoCricket kit is designed to help elementary school students make artistic creations with lights, sound, music and motion. Students can plug in lights,...

AMC Anywhere: mathematics curriculum assessment: Didax.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DIDAX AMC Anywhere Mathematics Curriculum Assessment Software, $200-$400 per classroom implementation AMC Anywhere is based on Assessing Math Concepts, a series of nine books that provide...

Datacove OS 4.0: e-mail and storage solution: Tangent.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
June 1, 2008... TANGENT Datacove OS 4.0 E-mail and Storage Solution Software, Starts at $4,000/Datacove 320, $1,995/IM80, and $995 for annual license updates Designed for e-mail archiving, this latest version of Datacove offers search...

Link Balancers: Internet administration: Elfiq Networks.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
June 1, 2008... ELFIQ NETWORKS Link Balancers Internet Administration Internet, Pricing starts at $2,495 Link Balancers enable schools to add more Internet links as needed. Internet administrators can choose from any type of links, ensuring...

LifeSkills training/interactive drug prevention: social skills and drug resistance: Princeton Health Press.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
June 1, 2008... PRINCETON HEALTH PRESS LifeSkills Training/Interactive Drug Prevention Social Skills and Drug Resistance Software, $49.95 per computer The LifeSkills interactive software program targeted to third- and fourth-grade students...

Radi-X, lighting solution: LiteControl.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
June 1, 2008... LITECONTROL Radi-X, Lighting Solution Hardware, Pricing dependent upon district needs The Radi-X lighting solution, designed with classrooms in mind, combines a traditional steel fixture body with an exclusive new baffle material...

Learning Bridges, Web-based professional development: Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
June 1, 2008... MID-CONTINENT RESEARCH FOR EDUCATION AND LEARNING Learning Bridges, Web-Based Professional Development Internet, Pricing dependent upon district needs After five years of research and development, significant changes have been...

Early Simple Machines Set III: science kit: Lego.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
June 1, 2008... LEGO Early Simple Machines Set Ill Science Kit Books and Materials, $99.95 While working in teams of two or three with Early Simple Machines Set 111, elementary students can explore energy, buoyancy and balance by...

SNC-DM110/ SNC-CM120/SNC-DM160: megapixel security cameras: Sony.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SONY SNC-DM110/ SNC-CM120/SNC-DM160 Megapixel Security Cameras Hardware, Starting at $995 Released in May, each of Sony's new megapixel cameras feature advanced complementary color progressive...

Mathematica Player Pro: mathematics software: Wolfram Research.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WOLFRAM RESEARCH Mathematica Player Pro Mathematics Software System, $195 Mathematica Player Pro is the professional platform for running Wolfram's interactive Mathematica applications and...

Compass KidZ Medallions, cultural literacy: Compass KidZ.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
June 1, 2008... COMPASS KIDZ Compass KidZ Medallions, Cultural Literacy Books and Materials, $65-$199 Kidz Medallions are collectible incentives for students using the Compass Kidz Treazure Quest Web site. The medallions encourage students to...

Math and Science CAVS (Content Academic Vocabulary Systems): math and science curriculum materials: Northpoint Horizons.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
June 1, 2008... NORTHPOINT HORIZONS Math and Science CAVS (Content Academic Vocabulary Systems) Math and Science Curriculum Materials Books and Materials, $1,699 for entire K5 science or math systems Math and Science CAVS materials are focused...

IP7 series: intercom solution: Digital Acoustics.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
June 1, 2008... DIGITAL ACOUSTICS IP7 Series Intercom Solution Hardware, Pricing varies The IP7 series of intercoms is designed to operate with TalkMasterT. This new line includes five new products offering basic intercom functionality to...

Calling home in any language.(Problem Solution: SUCCESS STORIES FROM DISTRICTS ACROSS THE NATION)
June 1, 2008... PROBLEM THE ANAHEIM (CALIF.) UNION High School District includes 23 campuses with 37, 000 students from five cities in the Anaheim area. Maintaining a connection with thousands of parents was a continual challenge for administrators and...

Calendar of events.(Calendar)
June 1, 2008... JUNE 2008 PTA, National Parent Teacher Association June 20-23 San Diego, Calif. www.pta.org AASL, American Association of School Librarians June 26-July 2 Anaheim, Calif. www.ala.org ASCA, American...

Technology for free: the best bargain in an uncertain economy.(UNDERSTANDING THE TIMES)
June 1, 2008... BELIEVE IT OR NOT, STEADILY rising prices at the pump are not the most important story in today's economy. Far more significant are the steadily decreasing costs of technology, which are falling faster and more dramatically than oil prices are...