District Administration articles from March 2007

District Administration archives from March 2007

DA leadership Webinar: nutrition and wellness in schools: (Wednesday, March 14, 2007).(DA Online: DistrictAdministration.com)
March 1, 2007... Register for this free Web seminar. Learn how to improve your food service programs to meet federal wellness requirements. DistrictAdministration.com/Webinars

EduComm conference 2007: (June 19-21, Anaheim, Calif.).(DA Online: DistrictAdministration.com)
March 1, 2007... EduComm is the one conference focused on AV and IT in education. Plus, new this year, Web 2.0. educommconference.com

Top K12 news.(DA Online: DistrictAdministration.com)
March 1, 2007... Top K12 news from around the nation. Sign up for a FREE subscription to have each days top K12 headlines delivered directly to your inbox. DistrictAdministration.com/newsletter

New products database.(DA Online: DistrictAdministration.com)
March 1, 2007... Turn to DA for news about the best products and services for your district, and tell us what's working best for you. DistrictAdministraration.com/products

The joy of competing.(Editor's Letter)
March 1, 2007... As far back as I can remember I loved everything about magazines, from the writing and graphics, to the look and feel, and the best gifts I could receive as a child were cast-off issues of Look, Saturday Evening Post and National Geographic...

AASA Superintendents of the Year aim to boost student achievement.(Update: NEWS, STATS AND FAST FACTS)(American Association of School Administrators)
March 1, 2007... What should district leaders do improve student achievement? The four finalists for the 2007 National Superintendent of the Year award, recently selected by the American Association of School Administrators, are committed to that very goal, and...

Cracking down on boundary hopping.(STAT BLAST)
March 1, 2007... Schools across the nation are wrestling with large numbers of student boundary hopping, as more and more parents provide false addresses to enroll their children in specific schools. Most of the time, parents are looking for a better or...

323 million.(STAT BLAST)(children not in school worldwide)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... 323 million children worldwide are still not in school. The financial cost of achieving universal primary education would be about $70 billion per year, less than three-tenths of a percent of the gross national income of most rich countries....

Mentoring in Kentucky: district employees walk the walk.(Update: NEWS, STATS AND FAST FACTS)
March 1, 2007... The benefits of mentoring are clear and well established. Kids thrive when they can foster a solid relationship with a caring adult. Children matched with mentors are 80 percent more likely to finish high school, and they tend to achieve higher...

California District goes solar.(Update: NEWS, STATS AND FAST FACTS)(Pleasanton Unified School District )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The Pleasanton Unified School District (www.pleasanton.k12.ca.us) in San Francisco signed a 20-year contract in January with Honeywell International--a diversified technology and manufacturing leader serving clients worldwide--for a unique...

District curriculum directors anticipate expenditures for digital supplemental materials.(FAST FACT)
March 1, 2007... District curriculum directors anticipate expenditures for digital supplemental materials to triple over the next five years. Source: America's Digital Schools

CDW-G and Discovery Education to award Five Wireless Labs.(Update: NEWS, STATS AND FAST FACTS)
March 1, 2007... CDW Government Inc. (CDW-G)and Discovery Education, both committed to helping districts provide the best educational environment for their students are marking the fifth anniversary of their annual "Win a Wireless Lab" sweepstakes by awarding a...

Grant awarded to help curb obesity in districts nationwide.(Update: NEWS, STATS AND FAST FACTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Action for Healthy Kids, a national leader in improving nutrition and physical activity in schools, received a $275,000 grant in January from the Kellogg Corporate Citizenship Fund to strengthen schools' efforts to combat childhood obesity. The...

57 percent.(FAST FACT)(internet users)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... 57 percent of social studies, civics and government teachers frequently use Internet-based news in the classroom--about twice the proportion using television news or newspapers. Source: The Internet and the Threat It Poses to Local Media,...

Merger to create largest connected K12 global learning community.(Update: NEWS, STATS AND FAST FACTS)(In2Books, ePALS Classroom Exchange merge to form ePALS Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... In2Books and ePALS Classroom Exchange announced in January that they had merged to form ePALS Inc., combining In2Books' comprehensive Web-based literacy learning program with the ePALS network of 6.5 million students and teachers from 191...

The five-year anniversary: Nina Rees assesses NCLB.(Inside the Law)(No Child Left Behind )(interview)(Interview)
March 1, 2007... Five years have passed since President Bush enacted the No Child Left Behind law, and while progress is being made towards achieving its goals, the jury is still out on how it might be reauthorized and implemented in the coming years. Nina...

Open Court Reading program: a Florida district NCLB success.(Inside the Law)
March 1, 2007... Of the 67 districts in the state of Florida, the Leon County School District (www.leon.k12. fl.us) was the only one to achieve Adequate Yearly Progress in 2004 and 2005, and in 2006 the district met AYP criteria for all student subgroups except...

New COPS publication reports on combating crime in schools.(Inside the Law)(Community Oriented Policing Services )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (www.cops.usdoj.gov) announced in January the availability of a new report, "School-Based Partnerships: A Problem-Solving Strategy." In 1998 and 1999 the COPS office funded the...

The gift of music.(Curriculum Update)
March 1, 2007... The Berklee College of Music in Boston launched its City Music Network in March to bring vocal and instrumental training to underserved middle and high school students. Berklee has chosen to replicate its successful (1000 students) Boston City...

An online cultural approach to improve literacy.(Curriculum Update)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Lee y seras lo que quieras ser ("Read and You will be anything you want to be"). In collaboration with the National Council of La Raza, the largest Hispanic-American advocacy organization, and the Verizon Foundation, Scholastic has...

Technology rich Kansas classrooms.(Curriculum Update)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The Technology Rich Classroom (TRC) project is a statewide grant to integrate technology and state curriculum standards and to promote best practices in Kansas elementary and secondary schools. The grant was funded by Enhancing Education...

Making history in Arizona.(Curriculum Update)
March 1, 2007... In September 2006, Arizona state superintendent Tom Horne announced a partnership with History Education and The History Channel to implement a statewide social studies initiative. Funding for the program will be $3.7 million. All districts and...

Port Chester (N.Y.) Middle School: success at a steady pace.(District Profile)
March 1, 2007... Port Chester Middle School is no overnight sensation. With deliberate and carefully executed steps over the past eight years, it has become a nationally celebrated model for improving learning among disadvantaged students. The school is...

Dr. Randall Collins: whole student learning.(Administrator Profile)
March 1, 2007... With great focus on NCLB strategies and other performance-measuring methods, Waterford Public Schools has, of course, concentrated on its students grades. But in this country s climate of global competition, Waterford is a district that has...

Friday night fever: while many districts struggle to make ends meet, other districts are constructing lavish football facilities.(FACILITIES AND CONSTRUCTION)(Cover story)
March 1, 2007... It seems outrageous at first: spend millions of dollars on a high school sports facility instead of academic programs and facilities. Yet many districts are building enormous, extravagant football stadiums and field houses, and it's benefiting...

Hunting for talent: school administrators try innovative strategies to recruit and retain teachers.(HUMAN RESOURCES)
March 1, 2007... Over the last several years, many school districts have been struggling to fill vacant teaching positions not just in quantity but also with quality teachers, especially in math, science, special education and English as a Language, areas where...

Do these web sites: sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. Learn what our new editors Ken Royal and Zach Miners say is right--and wrong--with these two district Web sites.(websites of Mankato Area Public Schools, Dubuque Community Schools)
March 1, 2007... Mankato Area (Minn.) Public Schools www.isd77.k12.mn.us DESIGN * The home page is devoted almost entirely to links to site information areas and misses opportunities to make the opening screen functional and inviting. The key central...

Finding funds for student laptops: choose the correct strategy for sustaining your educational vision financially.(COMPUTERS)
March 1, 2007... Funding is the biggest barrier to the one to one laptop initiative, or so the myth goes. This perception distracts many schools and districts from focusing on important areas such as innovative pedagogy and professional development, which are...

Curriculum crassifieds: Dyrli takes a lighthearted look at products and services that never made it to prime time.(SATIRE)
March 1, 2007... Sane Sex Education At last, an elementary school sex education program kids can relate to! Information sent in plain wrapper to certified administrators only. Center for Early Yearning THINK METRIC! Laminated wall chart,...

Gearing up for Science assessments: NCLB testing mandates offer opportunities to energize the curriculum.(CURRICULUM)(No Child Left Behind )
March 1, 2007... After several years adjusting to NCLB mandates, K12 districts have become familiar with what's required to make Adequate Yearly Progress in math and language arts, and now science is getting thrown into the mix as well. By the 2007-2008 school...

PJ258D DLP front projector: ViewSonic.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... www.ViewSonic.com/projectors, Hardware, $999 This high definition projector integrates a video iPod docking station, which connects the iPod directly to the projector to eliminate the need for a computer to project video content. It also...

Maple 11: Maplesoft.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... www.maplesoff.com, Software, $995 Incorporating dozens of interactive tutors, reference tools and content for math, engineering, physics and other subjects, this software helps students focus on concepts rather than the mechanics of...

AVerVision SPC300 portable visual presenter: AVerMedia Technologies.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... www.avermedia-usa.com, Hardware, $1,299.99 This projector can display documents, 3-D objects and microscopic images. Its 3.2-megapixel camera sensor produces high quality video. This includes visual effects like picture-in-picture and...

Author programs: TeachingBooks.net.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)(Website overview)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... www.teachingbooks.net Multimedia books, Starts from $325/year TeachingBooks constantly adds to its collection of over 2,000 author programs. With the newest update, students can watch an interview with British writer and illustrator Lauren...

Music in Education 3XG system: Yamaha Corporation of America.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... www.musicineducation.com. System, $18,500 Yamaha's content-centered Music in Education system is changing the way music is being taught. The MIE includes printed music notebooks developed jointly with Hal Leonard (a print publishing...

Science Connection: Discovery Education.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... Science Connection, www.discoveryeducation.com Internet, Annual per building subscription price, $1,995 Discovery's online Science Connection, specifically designed for middle school educators, is organized into three areas--physical...

Well Wishes and Blessings: Kids in America to Iraq: Eagle Vision Initiatives.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... eaglevisioninc.org/, CD, $12.97 This CD is based on a grassroots project intended to connect children across the world in an expression of goodwill and common hopes for peace. Children ages 3-19 were interviewed regarding their wishes for...

ReadAbout:/ZipZoom English: Scholastic.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... www.scholastic.com Software, Pricing listed below ReadAbout, which starts at $11.250. combines nonfiction reading material with gaming theory to help students in grades 3-8 build academic vocabulary and content area knowledge. Priced from...

Summary street: Pearson Knowledge Technologies.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... www.pearsontechnologies.com, Software, $10/student With this software tool, students use their own words to write summaries of text they have read, and they receive instant feedback. Their work is measured by the company's Knowledge...

Straight curve mathematics: Plato Learning.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... www.plato.com, Curriculum, Annual subscription starts from $25/student license This teacher-facilitated supplemental curriculum offers an enhanced focus on concepts identified as most difficult for students in K-6 to master within the...

SmartDraw 8.1: SmartDraw.com.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... www.smartdraw.com, Software, $297 The latest version of this business graphics software offers major enhancements and Tablet PC readiness. Features include auto-insert, where connector lines automatically redraw themselves when objects are...

Portable document camera: AVerVision 300AF.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... www.avermedia-usa.com, Hardware, $999.99 This camera combines a 3.2-megapixel sensor for crystal clear video with auto focus and 16x total zoom capabilities. New software features include annotation, video and audio recording, image capture...

Classworks Ohio edition: Curriculum Advantage Inc.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... www.curriculumadvantage.com, Software, $25,000/school This new Ohio edition, which is designed to work with the Ohio Achievement Test, helps K12 teachers turn raw test data into relevant learning plans for English/ language arts, math and...

Start Editing Now! Videocraft Workshop.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... www.videocraftworkshop.com, Software, $129.95 This classroom workshop edition incorporates instructional materials that guide teachers through the components of the program and illustrate how it can be successfully implemented in the...

MojoPac: RingCube Technologies.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... www.mojopac.com, Software, $49.99 This software can turn any USB 2.0 compliant portable storage device, including an iPod, cell phone, flash drive or hard drive into a personal computer. Students can take all of their academic and personal...

Cyberlock Electronic IC Cylinder: Videx, Inc.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... www.videx.com, Hardware, $205 Each Cyberlock cylinder is an electronic version of a standard mechanical lock cylinder and installs without any wiring. The power required to open these locks comes from a 3-volt lithium battery in the key....

Cruzer contour: SanDisk Corp.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... www.sandisk.com, Hardware, $89.99/2GB to $239.99/8GB Available in three models, this USB flash drive has the look and feel of a fountain pen or wristwatch. Hidden connectors are revealed when users slide the top back with their thumb....

MailEssentials and MailSecurity: GFI Software.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... www.gfi.com/pages/prodinfo.htm, Software, Suite starts at $825/25 mailboxes MailEssentials offers spam and phishing protection and e-mail management at server level. It has a high spare detection rate using server-based Bayesian filtering...

X646dte printer: Lexmark.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... www.lexmark.com, Hardware, $3,449 By using a color touch screen on this multifunction printer, educators can print, copy, fax and scan. It can be used with Bubble Sheet Technology software, which enables educators to prepare test...

www.amerivault.com: AmeriVault.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... Software, Ranges between $8/GB to $16/GB per month This online backup software provides mission critical data protection and automatically delivers disciplined backup and advanced recovery services designed for organizations unable to...

Virtual Economics 3.0: The National Council on Economic Education.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... www.ncee.net, CD, $99.95 Offering K12 teachers new ways to teach economics and personal finance, the 1,250 activity-based lessons that comprise this application correlate to state economic content standards. Virtual Economics 3.0 includes...

Books by you: Knowledge Adventure.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... www.knowledgeadventureschool.com Software. $20/license This software helps students become creative writers as they choose ideas and transform them with their own stories by answering question prompts. Schools can help students publish...

Classroom activities: Newsademic.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... www.newsademic.com, Curriculum, $79/26 issues Newsademic is a newspaper for young readers and anyone studying English as a foreign language. Classroom activities now accompany this subscription-based international newspaper, which is...

Incite! Don Johnston.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... www.donjohnston.com, Program, $149.99 per set/site This history learning series helps students in grades 4-8 build background social studies knowledge and develop critical thinking skills. The 13-set collection consists of five films with...

Senteo interactive response system: SMART Technologies Inc.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... www.smarttech.com, Hardware, 24 remotes, 1 receiver for $1,599; 32 remotes, 1 receiver for $1,999 Educators no longer have to wonder if students understand what they have been taught. With this system, they can respond on their easy-to-use...

Mimio interactive: mimio.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... www.mimio.com, System, $729 Simply attach this portable system to any standard dry erase whiteboard and, using a projector and computer, it becomes a full featured interactive whiteboard. Teachers can also post materials created in their...

www.abcteach.com: abcteach.com.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... Web site, $35/one-year membership This Web site houses a library filled with more than 12,000 documents that members can download and print. It includes supplemental worksheets in language arts, math, science, social studies, Spanish,...

SpanishTutor for Academy of MATH: AutoSkill International.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... www.autoskill.com, Software, Starts from $2000/unlimited license/single product This module was created for native Spanish-speaking English language learners in grades K-12. It is an optional instructional module that enables them to...

Vision6: GenevaLogic.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... www.genevaLogic.com, Software, $35/ computer with 10-computer minimum Since opening a new office in Beijing, the company has translated its flagship classroom management software, Vision6, into Chinese along with its plug-ins, App-Control...

Calendar system: Magnatag Visible Systems.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2007... www.magnatag.com/monthtomonth, System, $829 With this modular, magnetic, whiteboard calendar system, educators can view up to three months to make planning and scheduling decisions. Because the months can be removed and repositioned in the...

The Book of Javascript: A Practical Guide to Interactive Web Pages, 2nd Ed.(Computer Literature)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2007... No Starch Press www.nostarch.com $39.95 This latest edition has been completely updated with coverage of Ajax and features new examples that reflect today's Web environment. Readers learn how to work with frames, forms, cookies and...

Inside the Machine: An Illustrated Introduction to Microprocessors and Computer Architecture.(Computer Literature)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2007... No Starch Press www.nostarch.com $49.95 This book demystifies microprocessors by using analogies, four-color diagrams and clear language to convey the ideas that form the basis of modern computing. Besides examining specific processors...

Using Blogs to Enhance Literacy: The Next Powerful Step in 21st Century Learning.(Computer Literature)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2007... R&L Education www.romaneducation.edu $24.95 Readers who feel overwhelmed by the concept and implication of students blogging in local schools and at home will gain insight into this phenomenon. The book deals with how blogging affects...

Handheld Computers in Schools and Media Centers.(Computer Literature)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2007... Linworth Publishing www.linworth.com $39.95 Educators, along with library media and technology specialists, are guided through the process of selecting the hardware and software necessary for students to use iPods, handheld computers...

Your Library Goes Virtual.(Computer Literature)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2007... Linworth Books www.linworth.com $44.95 This book explores the virtual school library concept and guides planning or expanding one with a step-by-step approach. Audrey Church includes the latest research on student and teacher use of...

Cameras in the Classroom: Educating the Post-TV Generation.(Computer Literature)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2007... R&L Education www.romaneducation.com $19.95 Offering practical advice for educators on the application of visual learning in schools, the author replaces archaic word-based teaching techniques with visual competencies and explains how...

The parental veto of curriculum: fanaticism must not overrule district leadership.(Speaking Out)
March 1, 2007... An Inconvenient Truth, a documentary that addresses environmental policy, hosted by Al Gore, continues to generate educational controversy. A number of parents have objected to the film's classroom use, accusing it of being inaccurate, in spite...

Professional learning communities.(Principal Opinion)
March 1, 2007... "Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success."--Henry Ford On-the-fly conversations regarding students occur on a regular basis among teachers. They have many positive components: conversations...

The seven C's of learning: a new "C-Change" in education.(The Online Edge)
March 1, 2007... Odds are pretty good that if You're talking about changes to teaching and learning that the new Read/Write Web is bringing about, many of the words you are using start with "C." There's a whole new world out there with a whole new set of skills...

Calendar of events.
March 1, 2007... MARCH 2007 Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) Annual Conference and Exhibit Show March 17-19 Anaheim, Calif. www.ascd.org National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Annual...

At-risk students succeed.(Problem/Solution)
March 1, 2007... Problem: In 2002 Rhode Island's North Kingston High School (NKHS) was rated low performing due to at-risk student scores on the New Standards Reference Exam (NSRE). NKHS failed to meet one of the twenty-one performance criteria required under...

K8 math strategies.(Research Corner: ESSENTIALS ON EDUCATION DATA AND RESEARCH ANALYSIS FROM EDVANTIA)(maths education)
March 1, 2007... An examination of existing research indicates that an increase in classroom thinking may improve student mathematics achievement. The 1999 TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) found cognitive demand to be a key...