District Administration articles from May 2006

District Administration archives from May 2006

Teach your children.(internet access)(Editorial)
May 1, 2006... This month we consider the age-old education dilemma: when faced with a potentially dangerous situation, is it more important to teach your students to avoid the danger or try to shield them from the hazard? Now, of course, this question really...

Listening in: experts discuss the world of Data-Driven Decision Making.
May 1, 2006... In a recent Web seminar about Data-Driven Decision Making, three experts in the field--Douglas Reeves, CEO and founder of the Center for Performance Assessment; Stephen C. Jones, superintendent of Norfolk (Va.) Public Schools; and Howard...

Strong management helps avoid construction woes.
May 1, 2006... As New Jersey has learned, lax oversight of school construction programs can cause costly problems. But it doesn't have to be that way. Strong management by state agencies and local school districts can keep programs out of trouble, according...

New report aims to bring high schools into 21st century.(Partnership for 21st Century Skills)
May 1, 2006... The necessity of teaching students 21st century skills-and suggestions to achieve that goal-is the focus of a new report from the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Results That Matter: 21st Century Skills and High School Reform outlines...

Florida students declare a major.(Update: NEWS, STATS AND FAST FACTS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Some time this month, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is expected to sign into law his A++ Plan for Education aimed at the state's middle and high schools. While his A+ bill established the groundwork for public school reform and accountability in...

Study: charter schools deliver.(Update: NEWS, STATS AND FAST FACTS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Charter schools are serving more "at-risk" children and doing so with less money than typical public schools and at the same time increasing achievement among students, according to a report by the Center on Education Reform. The Annual...

Linking pay to tests.(Update: NEWS, STATS AND FAST FACTS)(teachers benefits)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Florida is joining other districts' plans to tie teacher raises and bonuses directly to students' standardized test scores beginning next year. It marks the first time a state has so closely linked wages to student exam results. The...

After-school activity boosts learning.(Update: NEWS, STATS AND FAST FACTS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... After-school programs can contribute to improved student achievement but they don t have to focus on academics to be successful. Successful programs offer a variety of arts and recreation activities along with reading and writing, concludes...

Texas matches adults with children of convicts.(Amachi Texas )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Amachi Texas is the name. It's a statewide program that Texas Gov. Rick Perry recently launched using a nearly $4 million grant to match trained adult mentors with children whose parents are in state prisons. It will reach 1,300 children. ...

Tests reveal American schools have long way to go.
May 1, 2006... The nation's focus on elementary schools over the past decade is revealing itself on the latest state and national tests in reading and math while middle and high schools still struggle to close achievement gaps between poor and minority...

State testing standards under federal review.
May 1, 2006... So far, Delaware and South Carolina had their state standards and assessment requirements under the No Child Left Behind law OK'd by the U.S. Department of Education. But Oregon and Indiana have to return to the drawing board. And as of...

Promising new resources for English-Language Learners.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Lots of new ELL literacy products have recently emerged to address the more than five million ELL students in public schools. Here are three that have garnered positive feedback. The Rigby ELL Assessment Kit What it is: a K-6...

Making foreign language a priority.(Indiana State Board of Education's policy )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Last year, the Indiana State Board of Education proposed that every middle school provide foreign-language classes. It did so for a variety of reasons, says Suellen Reed, the state's superintendent of public instruction. "We have found that the...

Financial literacy is making a comeback.(Curriculum Update)
May 1, 2006... Most people would agree schools have not made a strong investment in financial literacy. But a variety of new programs and initiatives are hoping to change that. "Most kids don t learn about it and most teachers don't know how to teach it,"...

Do we need more math and science?(Curriculum Update)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Many educators say K-12 schools need to improve math and science education in the U.S. As it turns out, however, parents and students disagree. At least that's what Public Agenda discovered when it recently surveyed parents and high-school...

Ben(t) on a mission.(Benjamin Soria )(American Association of School Administrators' Superintendent of the Year award)
May 1, 2006... In the first 10 minutes of his interview, Benjamin Soria sheepishly confesses he didn't fill out his application for the American Association of School Administrators' Superintendent of the Year award. It's not his nature to chase accolades,...

Hands-on reading.
May 1, 2006... Every few weeks, elementary students in Wilkes County (N.C.) Schools were getting tested on what they read. But the questions weren't all that difficult and students' reading levels weren't as high as administrators hoped they would be. ...

Sports & civics: a new report shows that participation in sports might make students better citizens.
May 1, 2006... It is a commonly held belief that participation in school sports helps build character. Students can learn everything from teamwork to good sportsmanship from their time on the playing field, the theory goes. A new report from the Center for...

Q & A: Edward Davis on a new architecture for education.(EDUCATION REFORM)(interview)(Interview)
May 1, 2006... Edward L. "Ned" Davis has been a charter school teacher, a corporate trainer, an education writer and an e-learning entrepreneur. He's also a parent. From what he's observed in all these roles, Davis has concluded the education system isn't...

Special Ed's greatest challenges ... and solutions: here are the top five special ed issues that affect school administrators, with resolutions for each.(Cover story)
May 1, 2006... THIRTY YEARS AGO, Congress announced that more than half of American children with disabilities were not receiving appropriate educational services. Today, American schools have a world-class system for differentiating instruction for all...

Dome sweet dome: these unusual structures popping up in some parts of the country hold promise, even if their benefits aren't always as well rounded as some claim.
May 1, 2006... Joseph Brown Sr. applied for the superintendent's position at Grand Meadow (Minn.) School District #495 because the one-campus school building boasts a monolithic dome structure. As a high school principal 30 miles to the west, he had heard...

Smart design: two schools prove that style, energy savings and innovative layouts can all be present in your next school building.
May 1, 2006... Schools with innovative and flexible designs that maximize natural daylight and save energy can benefit teachers, community members and students. Students thrive in sun-filled classrooms; teachers have the freedom to explore alternative...

Rotten apples: when you have a problem with a mediocre teacher, what's easier: firing or turning them around?
May 1, 2006... PURPOSEFULLY LEAVING a child stranded after a field trip--a real occurrence-is a blatant form of teacher incompetence. Having child pornography on a school computer--another real event--may also clearly violate school policies, leaving a...

E-mail bombs: growing numbers of "denial-of-service attacks" are directed at schools.
May 1, 2006... When Internet service in a Midwestern school district crashed because of e-mail bombs--huge numbers of duplicate messages blitzed to target addresses to overload systems maliciously--the technology coordinator wanted to alert other districts to...

Guess why they call it MySpace? It's time for adults to grow up.
May 1, 2006... During seventh grade a friend and I created a publication as an alternative to the school newspaper. It was quite a challenge in the days before access to photocopiers, but entertaining our handful of readers made the effort worthwhile. I...

Creating joint-use agreements that work: how a newly created town crafted a public school/library/park that serves the community.
May 1, 2006... The new town of Ladera Ranch sprouted from the hillsides of south Orange County in the late 1990s. It was billed at the first "wired" community in Southern California, laid out to the smallest detail, with plans for schools, parks and a public...

High school reading skills: solutions for educators and policymakers to begin addressing students' college readiness.
May 1, 2006... My career in education began as a high school math teacher. Anyone who has shared that experience knows frustration that arises when students arrive in class unprepared to learn the material you're teaching. Somewhere along the way, too...

Document management.(Lincoln Public Schools's contract)
May 1, 2006... Problem: Teachers at Lincoln Public Schools in Nebraska were spending valuable time copying, printing and processing documents, and waiting to use machines located in the schools. Budgeted replacement costs would only cover one or two machines...

Corwin Press: Balancing Leadership and Persona/Growth: The School Administrator's Guide.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2006... CORWIN PRESS Balancing Leadership and Persona/Growth: The School Administrator's Guide www.corwinpress.com, $30.95 After conducting intensive research and observing school district superintendents, administrators and school principals,...

Teachers College Press: Why are So Many Minority Students in Special Education?.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2006... TEACHERS COLLEGE PRESS Why are So Many Minority Students in Special Education? www.teacherscollegepress.com, $28.95 The disproportionate placement of black and Hispanic students in special education is examined in this book. Compelling...

R&L Education: Clues to Achieving Consensus: A Leader's Guide to Navigating Collaborative Problem Solving.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2006... R&L EDUCATION Clues to Achieving Consensus: A Leader's Guide to Navigating Collaborative Problem Solving www.rowmaneducation.com, $33.95 This step-by-step guide shows how to use consensus decision-making to achieve effective action in...

Praeger: A Field Guide to Good Decisions: Values in Action.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2006... Praeger A Field Guide to Good Decisions: Values in Action www.greenwood.com, $39.95 This 180-page book provides readers with the skills to make decisions that reflect their core values while respecting the values of others and accounting...

Cambridge University Press: Critical Lessons: What Our Schools Should Teach.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2006... CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Critical Lessons: What Our Schools Should Teach www.cambridge.org, $30 Author Nel Noddings recommends the discussion of highly controversial issues with high school students, including hot questions on war,...

Harvard Education Press: With the Best of Intentions: How Philanthropy is Shaping K-12 Education.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2006... HARVARD EDUCATION PRESS With the Best of Intentions: How Philanthropy is Shaping K-12 Education www.gse.harvard.edu, $29.95 This volume of essays offers a variety of perspectives on the role of philanthropy in K-12 education. It opens by...

Solution Tree: The Resilience Revolution: Discovering Strengths in Challenging Kids.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2006... SOLUTION TREE The Resilience Revolution: Discovering Strengths in Challenging Kids www.solution-tree.com, $24.95 This book offers new ways to create positive adult connections that can help children overcome their negative behavior by...

ThinkPad R52 1860: Lenovo.(LAPTOP ROUND-UP)
May 1, 2006... www.lenovo.com/us/en/, $1,304 This notebook, which weighs 6.2 pounds, comes loaded with the VitalSource library, which provides students and teachers with a wide variety of original-source materials across disciplines, genres and reading...

M685-E: Gateway.(LAPTOP ROUND-UP)
May 1, 2006... www.gateway.com, starts from $1,699 The scalability of this notebook makes it ideal for educational institutions. As part of the company's E-series line of professional notebooks, it offers advantages in networked, IT-managed environments....

MacBook Pro: Apple.(LAPTOP ROUND-UP)
May 1, 2006... www.apple.com, $1,999 Inside this notebook is Intel's new Core Duo processor, which delivers up to four times the performance of the PowerBook G4. At only 5.6 pounds, it includes a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing...

Latitude D520: Dell.(LAPTOP ROUND-UP)
May 1, 2006... www.dell.com, starting from $909 Available this month, the Latitude D520 would work well in school computer labs. It comes with IEEE 1394 and S-Video ports, dual-band Wi-Fi access and is Bluetooth enabled for wireless connections. The unit...

Qosmio G35-AV600: Toshiba.(LAPTOP ROUND-UP)
May 1, 2006... www.toshibadirect.com, $2,399 This latest four-in-one audio-video entertainment notebook includes Microsoft Windows, XP Media Center Edition 2005 and integrated TV tuner, digital video recorder and virtual surround-sound stereo. Other...

nx6125 Notebook PC Series: HP Compaq.(LAPTOP ROUND-UP)
May 1, 2006... www.hp.com, starts from $999 This laptop leverages an embedded AuthenTec fingerprint sensor that ensures access to only authorized users. A recessed touchpad with scroll zone offers convenience while one-touch buttons simplify access to...

Ingles en su Bolsillo/English in your Pocket: Franklin Electronic Publishers.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
May 1, 2006... www.franklinespanol.com, Hardware, $249.95 This handheld tutor offers users a variety of language learning methods to meet the needs of Hispanics in the U.S. Users can improve English language acquisition with a comprehensive suite of...

Assistive Technology Bundle: Crick Software, Inc.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
May 1, 2006... www.cricksoft.com, Software, $399 This software was designed to help educators create accessible and motivating activities. Drawing from sets of linked grids, students have access to an unlimited number of words and pictures that provide a...

ScheduleFinder 5.0: TruSmart:.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
May 1, 2006... www.trusmart.com, Software, $3 per student/capped at $3,600 This Palm software for K-12 administrators enables users to e-mail or text message parents, staff and emergency responders. New features include Wi-Fi, cellular broadcast...

Instructor RP: Polycom, Inc.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
May 1, 2006... www.polycom.com Video conferencing system, $54,995 Designed to provide superior video conferencing combined with instructional tools, this product enables customers to use a system that integrates video conferencing with an electronic...

Human Heart 3: Zygote Media Group, Inc.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
May 1, 2006... www.3dscience.com, Heart Model, $1,200 This sophisticated 3-D heart model offers more MRI/CT human heart detail with a reduced polygon count, full human heart cardiac cycle that includes cutaway interior views at great detail and two high...

Mindstorms NXT: LEGO Education.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
May 1, 2006... www.legoeducation.com Building Sets, Software and Curriculum, $250/base set Students can now build stronger and smarter robots that more closely mimic real-world machines. Bluetooth technology allows robots to communicate with computers,...

Coach: Triumph Learning.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
May 1, 2006... www.triumphlearning.com. Textbooks/CDs, $6.95-$9.95 In conjunction with Haights Cross Communications, the company's latest offerings of supplementary educational texts and software include new books and CDs for K-12 schools in Texas, New...

Personal Series: Hamilton Electronics.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
May 1, 2006... www.hamiltonelectronics.com Hardware, $24-$29 Because these headphones are USB-ready, there is no need for a soundcard or additional software. Each model has the software loaded onto the unit and offers digital sound quality and...

Summer Studio Math/Reading: Steck-Vaughn.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
May 1, 2006... www.steckvaughn.harcourtachieve.com, Program, $425-$499 These summer school programs target children in grades 1-6 who are performing one or more years below grade level. Designed to create measurable progress in six weeks, they provide...

Logger Pro 3.4: Vernier.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
May 1, 2006... www.vernier.com, Software, $159 Teachers can provide real-time graphing, analytical functions and hands-on learning in English, Spanish, German, French and Italian. Students can also access the software's sample videos and experiment files...

SynchronEyes 6.0: SMART Technologies, Inc.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
May 1, 2006... www.smarttech.com/synchroneyes Software, starts from $779/lab license This classroom management software for Microsoft Windows operating system enables teachers to view desktops individually or sort thumbnails of student desktops to...

4100 Series notebook: Averatec, Inc.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
May 1, 2006... Averatec, Inc. 4100 Series notebook www.averatec.com, Hardware, $1,099 This thin and lightweight notebook features AMD Turion 64 mobile technology and enables 32-bit performance. Other features include a 13.3-inch WXGA widescreen display,...

Education Backpack: LearningStation.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
May 1, 2006... LearningStation Education Backpack www.leamingstation.com Web-based tool $2.24 to $3 per user per school This revised tool for file storage and sharing offers better navigation signposts, a meter to indicate how full a student's Backpack...

Version 5: Mrs. Glosser's Math Goodies.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN BOOKS, HARDWARE, INTERNET AND SOFTWARE)
May 1, 2006... Mrs. Glosser's Math Goodies Version 5 www.mathgoodies.com Software, Starts from $130 Version 5 of this educational CD series offers over 230 pages of self-paced learning resources. New content includes the Integer Football game, 81...

By the numbers.(libraries)
May 1, 2006... Library/Media Centers 96% of schools have a library media center EQUIPMENT Percent of school library media centers with various equipment and technology Telephone 92% Fax machine 24% Photocopier...