District Administration articles from March 2004

District Administration archives from March 2004

Banking on the future.(Editor's Letter)
March 1, 2004... When I was in seventh grade, I remember excelling in math and liking writing. As I progressed through high school, my ability in math bit a wall around the time of calculus, but my writing skills continued to improve. Today, I have a difficult...

Virginia school board seeks power to sue struggling districts.(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)
March 1, 2004... A bill recently introduced in the Virginia state legislature would allow the state Board of Education to sue school districts that do not meet state performance standards. "Our object is not to punish school districts but to create a tool...

Plan would offer free preschool for struggling Texas families.(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)
March 1, 2004... A coalition of educators in Texas are proposing a plan to provide free preschool for children of families with low and moderate incomes, according to the Houston Chronicle. The $5.6 billion proposal would subsidize children attending public...

Houston joins fight against "Robin Hood" law.(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)
March 1, 2004... Houston recently joined 70 other districts in a year-old lawsuit asking the state to find a method to fund schools other than through the so-called "Robin Hood" law. Debbie Radcliffe, spokesperson for the Texas Education Agency, says the...

Pushing for full-day kindergarten in Indiana.(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)
March 1, 2004... Indiana Gov. Joe Keman has done something few others have accomplished. He's found money to fund full-day kindergarten--despite a nearly $1 billion budget deficit. His Early Learning Trust proposal faces an uphill battle. Republicans,...

Philadelphia schools get more parental help.(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)
March 1, 2004... Truant officers aren't enough. Now, Philadelphia school district parents are sitting at "help desks" in schools to greet other parents. The two-parent desks, which will be set up near school entrances, started in January at 50 elementary...

Girls leveling numbers field with boys.(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)
March 1, 2004... In what some educators see as a cultural shift as much as an academic advance, girls axe catching up to boys and even passing them in mathematics achievement in some grades in some cities. "Girls are doing better at closing the gap than at...

Bard's battle: know your subject or know how to teach?(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)
March 1, 2004... The long running dispute whether prospective teachers should learn how to teach or be trained in what they will teach is being revived by a new program at Bard College. In June, the upstate New York school is launching a master's degree...

Supreme Court to hear pledge case.(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)
March 1, 2004... The U.S. Supreme Court will hear on March 24 oral arguments about whether public school students can be forced to recite the Pledge of Allegiance with the words "under God". The case started in the Elk Grove Unified School District in...

Stricter standards could mean third-grade repeats.(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)
March 1, 2004... New York City plans to require third-graders to perform at an acceptable level before they more on to higher grades. This could result in one in five children being forced to repeat third grade, raising the current retention rate four times....

Superintendent slot still lacks females.(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)
March 1, 2004... The number of women superintendents has doubled in the last decade, but the amount is still well below the number of women in the education field. About 13 percent of superintendents are women, up flora 6.6 percent in 1992, according to...

Federal money funds private schools.(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)
March 1, 2004... For the first time in history, a federal program will finance private school vouchers. Washington, D.C., is the recipient of the five-year, pilot program, where low-income children will be eligible for tuition aid of up to $7,500 to attend...

Extra cash to avoid layoffs.(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)
March 1, 2004... The Washington, D.C., Council gave the school district $14.6 million in January to avoid laying off school-based staff mid-year. The decision ended months of protests from people who opposed dismissing teachers and other employees to avert...

Plea to ban soft drinks.(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)
March 1, 2004... American teenagers have higher rates of obesity than those in 14 other industrialized countries. Because of that, the American Academy of Pediatrics is urging districts to chuck soft drinks from schools. Pediatricians are encouraged to work...

More mentoring for new teachers.(Update: education news from schools, businesses, research and government agencies)
March 1, 2004... In an effort to reverse the rate of new teachers who drop out of the field within their first few years, a major West Coast university is starting a mentor program for its graduates. The University of Washington in Seattle, with the aid of...

Mixed grades for NCLB on second anniversary.(Inside the law: analyzing, debating and explaining No Child Left Behind)
March 1, 2004... Two years after President Bush signed the landmark No Child Left Behind act, its report card is mixed. Bush and Republicans in Congress hail its success to date and promise more finding, while Democrats attack the administration for not...

Public schools are bidding adieu to foreign language.(Inside the law: analyzing, debating and explaining No Child Left Behind)
March 1, 2004... The Center for Applied Linguistics and the National K-12 Foreign Language Resource Center in Iowa say many public schools have been scaling back of eliminating foreign language programs. Some foreign language education advocates blame the...

Not far behind, but still striving for proficiency.(Inside the law: analyzing, debating and explaining No Child Left Behind)
March 1, 2004... More than anything else, Mikeidra Mitchell, a sixth grader at Buchanan Elementary School in Hamilton, Ohio, likes to play football with her older brother. But in school, her favorite subject is math. Surprisingly, decimals and fractions are her...

NCLB spurs N.J. tutoring business.(Inside the law: analyzing, debating and explaining No Child Left Behind)
March 1, 2004... More than 200 schools in New Jersey are taking No Child Left Behind requirements seriously. NCLB requires Title I schools that fail to meet student performance goals for three consecutive years to offer the lowest performing, low-income...

Iowa districts: beware.(Inside the law: analyzing, debating and explaining No Child Left Behind)
March 1, 2004... The Iowa Department of Education is warning 50 public school districts and 145 schools that they must improve student academic performance or risk facing federal sanctions next fall. Under No Child Left Behind legislation, schools that fail...

Challenge times two: for this schools chief, who manages his own district and the one next door, daily life means double duties--and two briefcases.(Administrator profile: Stan Slessor, Waverly-Shell Rock Community Schools and Janesville Consolidated Schools, Iowa)
March 1, 2004... Stan Slessor Superintendent, Waverly-Shell Rock Community Schools. Janesville Consolidated Schools, Iowa Age: 55 Salary: $125,000 Tenure: 7 years in Waverly-Shell Rock, 2 years in Janesville Stress relievers: Reading novels by...

Stepping up to teach: this district has addressed the shortage of minority math and science teachers by growing its own.(District profile: Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools)
March 1, 2004... Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools Number of schools: 145 (93 elementary, 26 middle and 18 high schools, 4 career centers and 4 special schools) Number of teachers: 5,190 Student population: 63,628 Per-pupil expenditure: $9,921...

SAT prep course lifts scores in Georgia: Peterson's personalized online course is scoring points at Rockdale County schools.(Advertisement)
March 1, 2004... For a community in transition, among its most important priorities is maintaining a stable school system--a challenge that ranks among the most difficult to execute. "Our demographics are changing," notes Katherine Williams, Instruction...

A tale of two laptops: two different states, two different outcomes. When it comes to statewide laptop adoption programs, one state did it right, the other is still floundering. Find out why.(Cover Story)
March 1, 2004... For those who envision laptop computers in the hands of every student, this may be the best of times and the worst of times. While classrooms using this approach are churning out success stories, growing state budget deficits are threatening...

Second nature: when districts get in the habit of encouraging schoolyard habitats, children may get their hands dirty--but their minds will grow.
March 1, 2004... It was a sweet outdoor field trip moment turned sour. While relaxing on the edge of a hay wagon, taking in the scene at the farm, science lab teacher Darleen Horton remarked to a fourth grader, "Isn't this nice?" His reply: "It's scary." ...

Freeze frame: affordable and easy to use, digital cameras are helping educators boost curriculum.
March 1, 2004... At Forsyth Public Schools in Georgia, kindergarten students point and click to help learn their alphabet. At Bellevue School District in Washington, students study geography, in part, by manipulating pictures of famous landmarks. At Brunswick...

Compare and contrast: districts are conducting vendor shoot-outs as a way to compare new tech products.(presentation systems focus)
March 1, 2004... If school officials are lucky enough to be able to preview presentation equipment before they purchase it, the evaluations are usually made during a trade show or a brief vendor visit. But with districts investing more money in this equipment,...

High-tech experiments: these Michigan students are using professional equipment to learn physics.(presentation systems focus)
March 1, 2004... Ramps, rolling tires, stop watches and lots of error-prone calculations used to be the mainstays of teaching physics to students at the Macomb Academy of Arts and Sciences in Armada, Mich. Now, if not for the age of the students, a visitor at...

A model classroom.(News)
March 1, 2004... If you think it's hard to engage students as you teach the War of 1812, then you obviously haven't gotten a look inside social studies classes at Houston County High School in Georgia. There teachers use illuminated maps, streaming video and...

Improving deaf education.(News)
March 1, 2004... Sometimes, the things we take for granted are hurdles for handicapped children to overcome. For instance, children with hearing problems can have a tough time learning how to take turns in conversations or how to make eye contact. The way...

Missions to Mars.(Curriculum update: the latest development in math, science, language arts and social studies)
March 1, 2004... After months of travel, two NASA rovers have landed and begun exploration of the Red Planet. Here on Earth, educators are creating adventures for students to embark on some Mars expeditions of their own. There's the Mars Student Imaging...

Pictures worth a thousand words.(Curriculum update: the latest development in math, science, language arts and social studies)
March 1, 2004... A teacher tears an interesting editorial cartoon out of the morning paper and uses it to spark a classroom discussion. Editorial cartoons as supplemental materials in social studies and other subjects isn't new, but the tried-and-true method...

Virtual author visits a reality.(Curriculum update: the latest development in math, science, language arts and social studies)
March 1, 2004... Ninth graders at Somerset County (Md.) Public Schools' Washington High had lots of questions for author Cynthia Leitich Smith. They had just read Rain Is Not My I Name (HarperCollins Children's Books. 2001), Smith's story of a girl who...

Cup stacking stacks up student interest.(Curriculum update: the latest development in math, science, language arts and social studies)
March 1, 2004... Cup stacking is the new game in town and phys ed teachers are gearing up so students can play. As non-athletic as it sounds, the sport has been shown to increase hand-eye coordination and ambidexterity. Competitors, who were mainly elementary...

Sub-Ways: web-linked systems secure and support substitute teachers.(The Online Edge)
March 1, 2004... When an administrator recently posted a message on an online K-12 discussion group asking for help with the daily chore of hiring substitute teachers, he struck a responsive chord. "Teachers who will be absent begin calling my home at 5:30 to 6...

When pigs fly: Gary Stager's technology plan for America's schools.(Speaking Out)
March 1, 2004... The federal Department of Education is developing the Third National Education Technology Plan. Who knew? The first two plans must have been top secret. In case my recommendations don't make it to the Oval Office, I'll share them with you....

Avoiding billion-dollar building mistakes: it's not your grandmother's school--so why is it being built that way?(Public Opinion)
March 1, 2004... The U.S. will spend $90 billion in the next three years to prop up a dead institution--the schoolhouse. More than half of that money will be used to fix problems like leaking roofs and broken windows to extend the life of buildings that should...

Getting a handle on dropouts.(Research corner: essentials on education data and analysis from research authority AEL)
March 1, 2004... Dropping out of school is a young person's way of "divorcing" the school system. The decision to drop out, like the decision to divorce, doesn't happen in a day. Studies suggest it is the cumulative result of a series of events and...

Web site design made simple.(Computer literature: books on the latest software for technology directors and IT staff)
March 1, 2004... For Ialeen Chapman's class at Dearborn Heights Montessori Center in Michigan, she uses only one book as her textbook: Dave's Quick 'n' Easy Web Pages: An Introductory Guide to Creating Web Sites. In her Web design class, Chapman says the book,...

E-teaching: Creating Web Sites and Student Web Portfolios Using Microsoft PowerPoint.
March 1, 2004... LINWORTH PUBLISHING $44.95 Separated into two parts, this book demystifies Web design. The first part focuses on Web design for teachers using Microsoft PowerPoint while the second part assists students in creating their own sites to use...

Creating Web Pages Bible.
March 1, 2004... WILEY PUBLISHING, $49.99 With a bonus CD-ROM, this thick book gives a rookie as well as a HTML veteran the chance to build the "Web site of your dreams." It offers tools to plan, develop and launch a state-of-the-art site. It starts with a...

New Perspectives on Creating Web Pages with HTML and XML.
March 1, 2004... COURSE TECHNOLOGY, $69.95 This book, designed for a wide range of student skills, offers a case-based, problem-solving approach to learning how to create Web pages. It starts with the basics and moves to the more advanced topics in HTML...

DeltaGraph 5.0: red rock software.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.redrocksw.com, Software, Single license $299 ($199 upgrade) This updated software lets users analyze and present charts, graphs and formulas to examine complex sets of data. Now available for Macintosh as well as Windows operating...

V3-111: PLUS Vision Corp. of America.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.plus-america.com, Hardware, $1,595 This 800-lumen SVGA projector is part of the V3 series thin mobile projector line, which also includes the V3-131 ($2,295), a 1000 lumen XGA projector. The projectors are 1.38 inches high and feature...

Mac OS X 10.3 "Panther": Apple.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.apple.com, Software, $129/single user license The latest release of the Macintosh operating system features more than 150 new features, including a new finder that provides one-click access to a user's favorite files and folders. The OS...

NetSupport DNA: Gartner.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.netsupport-inc.com, Software, Inventory-only module $2,688, Full suite (including metering and distribution) $5,376 This network administration software provides schools with a PC management solution that features hardware and software...

Fraction shape-up: Merit Software.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.meritsoftware.com, Software, $89 and up Designed for students in grades 3-5, this software program helps students develop an understanding of fractions and their application. It contains eight units, each of which is comprised of four...

Scout pro education balances: Ohaus Corp.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.ohaus.com, Hardware, $168-$435 These portable electronic balances have been updated to include overload protection, which safeguards the balance from rough handling and shock. Their are eight new models, ranging from 120g x 0.001g to...

IPT 2004 proficiency tests: Ballard & Tighe.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.ballard-tighe.com, Testing/Software, Pricing not yet determined This latest version of the IPT language assessment tool for limited English proficient students achieves NCLB compliance through adapted scoring and reporting procedures....

EasyTech: Learning.com.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.learning.com, Software, $9-$11 per student (depending on enrollment) This integration system has been enhanced to support teachers daily as they integrate technology. In addition, new online curriculum has been added for visual...

WLCDM projector mount: H. Wilson Company.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.hwilson.com, Hardware, $100 This projector mount features fully rotational arras and offers the versatility of 12", 24" and 36" length capability. It is capable of up to a 10-degree tilt option, includes four spacers for optional fit...

PowerLite.54c: Epson.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.epson.com, Hardware, $1,699 This 6.4-pound portable multimedia projector features a 2,000 ANSI lumens, a 500:1 contrast ratio, SVGA (800 x 600) native resolution and Epson's three LCD system, which offers a wider color gamut, letting...

EVR-100 annotation module: Elmo.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.elmousa.com, Hardware, $145 This annotation module lets Elmo document camera users annotate, underline or highlight any document, photo of flat art without damaging the original piece. The product fits onto any full-featured Elmo analog...

The Louisiana purchase: a history in maps, images and documents on CD-ROM: Deep South Regional Humanities Center at Tulane University.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.deepsouth.tulane.edu, Software, $24.95 This multi-media CD-ROM draws on the work of 29 historians and archivist from the United States and Europe. It provides an illustrated timeline of the Louisiana Purchase and includes more than 100...

MeetingManager: AMX.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.amx.com, Software, $1,000/ server license for two rooms; $400/each additional room This meeting room management and equipment monitoring software package provides a comprehensive point of control of automation for campus-wide...

Holt biology 2004: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.hrw.com, Book, $59.50 This biology textbook addresses the needs of various learner levels, from gifted and talented students to English language learners. The textbook includes hands-on lab exercises, a Spanish glossary and...

ClassPak: Language Learning Solutions.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.onlinells.com, Internet, $89.95 This foreign language assessment and instructional tool contains hundreds of texts that can be used to generate activities, assignments and quizzes. ClassPak is delivered over the Internet and enables...

Developing critical thinking skills for effective reading: Merit Software.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.meritsoftware.com, Software, $79 per station (network version available) This reading comprehension software for ages 10 and up has been updated to include a tutorial section to help students master skills. Students receive immediate...

WT600: NEC Solutions America.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.necsam.com, Hardware, $6,995 This mirrored-reflection projector features a short throw of a 40-inch image from only two inches away from the screen and a 100-inch image from less than 26" away. The short throw gives presenters the...

WordMaker: Don Johnston Inc.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.donjohnston.com, Software, $149 (single license)-$37,250 (1,000 licenses) WordMaker is the computerized version of the book Systematic Sequential Phonics They Use by Patricia Cunningham, author of the Four Blocks Literacy Model. The...

Handhelds for teachers & administrators: Tom Snyder Productions.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.tomsnyder.com, Boom Software, $35 The latest in a series, this book is a how-to guide to using Pocket PCs and Palm OS handhelds in the classroom. Written by teachers Janet Caughlin and Tony Vincent, the book contains lessons using...

LarsonMath.com: Intermediate: Meridian Creative Group.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.meridiancg.com, Internet, $10.95 each (for 1,000 or more subscriptions)-$29.95 (single subscription) The 181 lessons/n this online mathematics program provide tutorial, practice and assessment components for grades 3-6. Each lesson...

Quiz wizard: Pitsco.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.pitsco.com, Hardware, $295 This quiz bowl response system is designed for up to eight contestants and uses individual rapid response buttons and an optional numeric LED display to show the number of the student who buzz in first Setup,...

Ancient History: lives and times in ancient Egypt, Greece and the Roman empire: Teaching for Thinking.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.teachingforthinking.com, Software, $69.95 Designed for grades 6-8, this multimedia CD-ROM uses personal narratives to connect students to the content. The teacher's guide includes 24 "mini cases" for teachers who wish to use a case...

iAssessment: IT Integration Services.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.iassessment.com, Service, Pricing based on project scope This IT integration service is designed specifically to help K-12 institutions optimize their existing networks. The service can streamline and automate administrative processes...

Master schedule builder/student-scheduling: ACE Software.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.acesoft.com, Software, Base costs: $785 per user/year (up to $1,500 per user/year), Training and installation costs: $595 to $1,295 per day, Web input for Student Request and Student Lookup of Schedules: $1,495, plus maintenance of...

Social studies: Pace Learning.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.pacelearning.com, Books or Software, $1,050 for books, $4,200 and up for software This learning system for alternative and adult education covers six content areas-World Geography, U.S. Geography, World History, US. History, Civics and...

UltraKey: Bytes of Learning.(Focus: presentation systems & curriculum)
March 1, 2004... www.bytesoflearning.com, Software, $39.95/home edition-$995/site license This typing tutor is now available for wide-screen, Palm-powered devices, particularly Dana by AlphaSmart. The software presents a keyboard on the screen and shows...

Calendar of events.(educational conferences and seminars)(Calendar)
March 1, 2004... Join us as DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION magazine presents The EduComm Conference at InfoComm2004--an exciting new conference specifically designed for district-level: * IT administrators * AV administrators * Technology directors...

Key Curriculum Press[R]--innovators in mathematics education.(Information Showcase)
March 1, 2004... Supporting innovative educators for over 30 years, Key Curriculum Press publishes award-winning software, textbooks, and supplementary materials for secondary school mathematics. The Geometer's Sketchpad[R] is the world's leading software tool...

A field trip to the stars without leaving your school!(Information Showcase)
March 1, 2004... The STARLAB Portable Planetarium, "the universe in a bag," lets the stars come to you saving the expense, hassle and worry of field trips In the exciting environment of STARLAB, treat students to interactive, interdisciplinary lessons and...

NEA Professional Library.(Information Showcase)
March 1, 2004... Whether you're a superintendent, curriculum director or classroom teacher, the NEA Professional Library offers books and other resources that speak directly to the challenges you face every day. Each title research based and designed for...

"Teach Me Writing".(Information Showcase)
March 1, 2004... "TEACH ME WRITING" -- A school wide sequential writing program for kindergarten through fifth grade. Writing is a process and must be taught as a process. Each teacher must have grade level appropriate curriculum in order for a school to be...

RFB&D's[R] Learning Through Listening[TM].(Information Showcase)
March 1, 2004... RFB&D's[R] Learning Through Listening[TM] memberships are a proven reading accommodation for students with learning disabilities, visual impairments or other physical disabilities. RFB&D memberships offer access to more than 90,000 recorded...

Rand McNally.(Information Showcase)
March 1, 2004... Mapping a changing world for more than 147 years. All NEW in 2004 is the Rand McNally Achievement Series[TM] digital line of Maps and Globes!! Our New Map and Globe line is Larger and Brighter than ever before! As always Rand McNally still...

Kelvin[R]'s.(Information Showcase)
March 1, 2004... KELVIN[R]'s innovative and affordable products for technology education, science, electronics and engineering include: modular labs, trainers, data acquisition, robotics, kits, consumable materials, instructional videos and books KELVIN[R]'s...

Lower your discipline referrals proven results.(Information Showcase)
March 1, 2004... Since 1992, Project Wisdom has been producing a school-wide character education program that helps students make wiser choices. Join more than 11,000 licensed schools across America. It's simple. It's affordable. It works. Visit our Website for...

Teacher's interactive whiteboard.(Information Showcase)
March 1, 2004... The Interactive Presentation Manager[TM] (IPM) brings your multimedia classroom presentations to life with powerful and easy to use "Softkeys" that link to computer files for "on command launch." Using your PC and an LCD projector, the IPM...

2004 Big Book of Ideas and Solutions catalog.(Information Showcase)
March 1, 2004... With more than 250 new products spread throughout our 2004 Big Book of Ideas and Solutions catalog, we guarantee the best selection of math, science, and technology education products. Explore 392 pages of relevant activities, kits, and...

Are your students making gains like these?(Information Showcase)
March 1, 2004... New research shows a 65% increase in fluency gains when students add Recorded Books to their practice. To maximize the effectiveness of your program, try the "listen and read" strategy with Recorded Books. It's the easiest and most...

By the numbers: a data bank of education trends for district leaders.(student volunteer statistics)(Illustration)
March 1, 2004... HIS MONTH: Student Volunteerism 44% of young adults volunteer during high school BATTLE of the SEXES Percentage of high school students who volunteer Female 50% Male 38 Parents' Education Level Students...