District Administration articles from October 2008

District Administration archives from October 2008

21st-century learners.(Editorial)
October 1, 2008... FOR ME, PUTTING DATES TO PAPER CAN EASE STRESS, SO I HAVE CREATED A schedule of milestones and associated tasks that the editorial department needs to meet over the next weeks. For example, we'll be judging the applications for the X-Factor...

Tricky "Curriki".(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2008... Thanks for mentioning Curriki.org in Kurt Dyrli's blog (Product Posts, Aug. 6, 2008) about "free, open source... curricula?" As pointed out in Dyrli's blog, there are challenges to this innovative approach to educational content, most...

Single-gender school firsts.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2008... I read with interest the News Update story "Georgia County Nixes Single-Sex Plan" (May 2008). But the proposed single-gender school plan in Georgia would not be the first public school district to have single-gender classes. In the late...

Who really gets enrichment?(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2008... In Gary Stager's Speaking Out column ("Enrichment Programs," August 2008), he states the word enrichment is "derived from Latin for 'children of rich parents who complain.'" More parents should complain about the lack of intellectually...

Rudy Crew.(DISMISSED)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rudy Crew, 2008 National Superintendent of the Year, has been fired as superintendent of Miami-Dade Public Schools amid declining enrollment and rising budget tensions.

McGraw-Hill Education.(PROMOTED)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Peter C. Davis has been named president of McGraw-Hill Education. Since 2006 he has served as executive vice president of global strategy for the company.

Thea Jones.(HONORED)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Thea Jones, office of instructional technology supervisor for Baltimore County(Md.) Public Schools, was recently given the International Society for Technology in Education's 2008 Outstanding Leader Award. The award...

James Meeks.(STRESSED)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] James Meeks, Democratic senator of Illinois, and reformers are lobbying legislators to support a $120 million pilot program to improve the state's ailing schools and solve funding disparities.

Paul Vallas.(WATCHED)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Paul Vallas, in his second and possibly final year to rebuild New Orleans' schools as superintendent, has eye-popping funding and nearly unchecked administrative power. Observers worry if he doesn't succeed,...

School blast from the past.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... MODERN DAY STUDENTS ARE unique, right? New technologies are giving privileged kids an edge while disadvantaging lower income students, and the influx of English Language Learners is forcing educators to rethink standard teaching practices. Tell...

Serving healthier foods to your students.(BRIEFINGS: News Update)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS MAY be pooling together a wide array of resources to get junk food out of schools, but student acceptance and revenue implications can put a crimp in even the most well-designed nutrition programs. [ILLUSTRATION...

Connecticut faces tax revolt.(BRIEFINGS: News Update)
October 1, 2008... A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IS afoot in the very blue state of Connecticut: growing disenchantment with the price of government, especially of public education. According to The Wall Street Journal, over the past 25 years the student population...

Sex ed, abstinence debate heats up.(BRIEFINGS: News Update)
October 1, 2008... TEEN PREGNANCY AND SEX EDUCATION ARE BEGINNING TO weigh on voters' minds this presidential campaign, following the disclosure by Sen. John McCain's vice presidential running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska), that her unmarried 17-year-old...

Fighting special ed shortages.(BRIEFINGS: News Update)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... NO ONE CAN ARGUE THAT special needs children require sensitive care and services, yet less than 20 percent of the 17.5 million youth in need of mental health services actually receive them, according to the National Coalition on Personnel...

New impetus for e-mail archiving.(BRIEFINGS: Technology)
October 1, 2008... IN DECEMBER 2006 THE SUPREME Court made revisions to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP)--the legal rules that dictate how the discovery of information and materials relevant to civil cases is conducted--to include all electronic...

Teaching to the vote.(scholastics)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WITH THE 2008 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION on everybody's minds this fall and no doubt making its way into classroom discussions, educators and students can turn to Scholastic's election Web site,...

Technology overload.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... AS ONLINE MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES GIVE SCHOOLS GROWING opportunities to take learning into the 21st century, so rises the risk of network overload and productivity loss associated with inappropriate online activity, says a new study from...

Fast fact.(BRIEFINGS: Technology)
October 1, 2008... SMART Technologies, the leader in the interactive whiteboard product category, recently announced the installation of its one-millionth whiteboard. SMART is the first interactive whiteboard manufacturer to reach this milestone. ...

Planting the seed for outdoor classrooms.(BRIEFINGS: Facilities & Construction)
October 1, 2008... AS DISTRICTS STRUGGLE TO address childhood obesity and academic gaps, renovating school sites and adding "outdoor classrooms" is becoming a national model. Educators in Houston are latching on to the idea and are engaging students with science...

Keep off the grass?(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... CONCERNS OVER LEAD EXPOSURE FROM synthetic turf fields arose during the summer when the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services discovered lead in artificial turf while assisting the federal Environmental Protection Agency in an...

New plans to flex muscle of NCLB.(No Child Left Behind )
October 1, 2008... AS CRITICISMS AGAINST No Child Left Behind continue to be voiced in spite of, or perhaps due to, a new administration, the Department of Education has announced pilot programs to give states more flexibility in accessing supplemental...

Pinching pennies for kids.(BRIEFINGS: Inside the Law)
October 1, 2008... A RECENT REPORT FROM FIRST FOCUS, a bipartisan children's advocacy organization, says that only one penny out of every new nondefense dollar spent by the federal government over the past five years goes to children. According to the report,...

Homeschooling victory.(BRIEFINGS: Inside the Law)
October 1, 2008... A RECENT RULING BY A CALIFORNIA court will allow parents in the state to legally homeschool their children even if they lack a teaching credential--a decision that reverses an earlier position of the court. Stemming from allegations of a...

N.J. School declares a "major" change.(District Profile: ENGLEWOOD (N.J.) PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT)
October 1, 2008... NESTLED OFF THE MAIN ROAD between groves of lush trees in a northern New Jersey hamlet, the campus of Dwight Morrow High School of the Englewood Public School District evokes collegiate serenity. It may not even come as a surprise to hear that...

I choose to stay: Salome Thomas-EL grew up in the inner city of Philadelphia to become a teacher and principal with an unwavering commitment to the mentoring and education of inner-city youth.(PROFILE)
October 1, 2008... EDUCATIONAL HISTORIAN Jonathan Kozol, United Negro College Fund President William H. Gray, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Disney Studios, and countless troubled-teens-cum-functioning-adults have recognized Salome Thomas-EL as an inspiring role...

A cure for monolingualism: elementary-level foreign language instruction helps to create global citizens.
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GLOBALIZATION HAS LED TO UNPRECEDENTED interest in expanding foreign language instruction in U.S. schools, particularly at grade levels where traditionally it has not been an option. Languages that previously have...

Virtual worlds for educators: Second Life creates a new dimension for K12 learning and collaboration.
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A RELATIVELY NEW ONLINE EXPERIENCE HAS not only created a fantasy world for the general public, but it has enabled some tech-savvy educators to create virtual educational opportunities. Second Life, or SL, is a 3-D...

School libraries renewed: library media specialists connect curriculum and technology to real-world skills.(21st CENTURY LEARNING--LIBRARY/MEDIA)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE UNITED STATES NO LONGER HAS A WORKFORCE DEPENDENT on operating machinery and performing repetitive tasks. Educators are therefore challenged to change the way students learn and to provide a workforce that is...

Flagler County (Fla.) Public Schools: www.flaglerschools.com.(How Well Does This Web Site Work? LEARN WHAT OUR WEB ANALYST SAYS IS RIGHT AND WRONG WITH THIS DISTRICT SITE)
October 1, 2008... SERVING MORE THAN 12,500 PRE-kindergarten through grade 12 students, the Flagler County (Fla.) School District is located on Florida's east coast, in one of the top five fastest growing counties in the United States. Design An...

Electronic grading pen: Edugrader.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] EDUGRADER Electronic Grading Pen Hardware, $24.99 Career teacher Rebecca Byler was selected from thousands of applicants for the Emmy award-winning PBS amateur inventor show Everyday Edisons for her...

School Web Lockers, Document Sharing Site: Networld Solutions.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
October 1, 2008... NETWORLD SOLUTIONS School Web Lockers, Document Sharing Site Internet, $750 plus $1 per student annually A Web-based document storage and sharing program designed for schools, School Web Lockers has recently added new features such...

Certify, Data Validation Software: Certica Solutions.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
October 1, 2008... CERTICA SOLUTIONS Certify, Data Validation Software Software, pricing varies Certify is a software program designed to help organizations maintain accurate data. Missing or inaccurate district data can lead to audits, penalties or...

SCP740, short-throw projector: 3M.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
October 1, 2008... 3M SCP740, Short-Throw Projector Hardware, $2,355 3M aims to make big gains in the short-throw projector market with the SCP740, ideal for close presentations and interactive whiteboard applications. Achieving WXGA (1280x800)...

H.264 appliances, Network Video Appliances: VBrick.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... VBRICK H.264 Appliances, Network Video Appliances Hardware, pricing varies Network video systems maker VBrick recently released its new generation of H.264 video appliances, the 7000 and 8000 series, which are capable of...

SmartOffice PL2546, Scanner: Plustek.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
October 1, 2008... PLUSTEK SmartOffice PL2546, Scanner Hardware, $799 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Plustek's new SmartOffice scanner is a collapsible, integrated, high-speed, sheet fed scanner intended to help offices become paperless. Featuring...

M4210N-B21, LCD display: LG Electronics.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LG ELECTRONICS M4210N-B21, LCD Display Hardware, pricing varies based on installation requirements LG recently introduced new display models specifically intended for education applications. A durable,...

Spark, handheld device: Pasco.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... PASCO SPARK, Handheld Device Hardware, $299 (basic package) Available at the end of October, the SPARK unit is a lightweight, rugged, portable handheld device designed to provide students with a rich visual connection to science...

ezRoom Classroom Bundle, Classroom A/V Package: Calypso Control Systems.(New Products)
October 1, 2008... CALYPSO CONTROL SYSTEMS ezRoom Classroom Bundle, Classroom A/V Package Hardware, starting at $1,999 A complete, pre-assembled NV infrastructure solution, the ezRoom Classroom Bundle addresses the evolving technology needs of...

ReadingPlace.org, Literacy Web Site: Treasure Bay Publishing.(New Products)(Website overview)
October 1, 2008... TREASURE BAY PUBLISHING ReadingPlace.org, Literacy Web Site, Internet, free This new Web site serves as a liaison between teachers and parents, providing free resources including tip sheets, discussion forums and other suggestions for...

Aspire One, Ultramobile PC: Acer.(New Products)
October 1, 2008... ACER Aspire One, Ultramobile PC Hardware, starting at $379 Acer's new Aspire One is designed primarily for Internet use, providing quick access in a lightweight, ultramobile unit. An intuitive, simple interface geared specifically...

StarBoard FX Duo 88 interactive whiteboard: Hitachi.(Hitachi Ltd.)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] StarBoard FX Duo 88 Interactive Whiteboard Hardware, see Web site for price Hitachi has broadened its line of interactive whiteboards with the addition of the Starboard FX Duo 88, an expansive 88-inch...

Odyssey High School, online intervention program: CompassLearning.(New Products)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] COMPASSLEARNING Odyssey High School, Online Intervention Program Internet, $250 per user per year The Odyssey High School online credit recovery and intervention program is now fully designed in-house by...

Curriki.org, online curriculum community: Curriki.(New Products)
October 1, 2008... CURRIKI Curriki.org, Online Curriculum Community Internet, free Curriki, an open source, collaborative curriculum Web site, was originally founded by Sun Microsystems in 2004, but today it operates independently as a nonprofit....

VMware Fusion, virtualization program: VMware.(New Products)
October 1, 2008... VMWARE VMware Fusion, Virtualization Program Software, $79.99 Award-winning desktop and server virtualization software maker VMware has recently released Fusion, a program that enables Mac users to run PC applications seamlessly...

WiggleWorks, early reading program: Scholastic.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SCHOLASTIC WiggleWorks, Early Reading Program, Software, each edition $5,900 Scholastic has re-released its technology-based early reading program, WiggleWorks, with new content and other upgrades. A...

PR-C101, ID card printer: Nisca.(New Products)
October 1, 2008... NISCA PR-C101, ID Card Printer, Hardware, $2,399 ID card printer manufacturer Nisca has added to its product line with the PR- C101, an entry-level, single-side printing model that provides a simple and affordable way to create high...

TDP-TW420U, projector: Toshiba.(New Products)
October 1, 2008... TOSHIBA TDP-TW420U, Projector Hardware, $2,919 Toshiba's new model offers wireless capability and is the company's first presentation solution with multiscreen functionality, allowing users to network up to four projectors from a...

B-500DN, printer: Epson.(New Products)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] EPSON B-500DN, Printer Hardware, $549 Epson's new printer intended for the business and education market, the B-500DN, is designed to provide highspeed productivity at an economical ink cost per page....

Workspace ExamView Edition, assessment program: eInstruction.(New Products)
October 1, 2008... eINSTRUCTION Workspace ExamView Edition, Assessment Program Software, $249 Earlier this year, assessment software maker eInstruction merged with hardware maker Interwrite Learning. The recent release of Workspace ExamView Edition...

LanSchool Technologies, classroom management program: LanSchool 7.1.(New Products)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... LANSCHOOL 7.1 LanSchool Technologies, Classroom Management Program Software, starting at $299 LanSchool 7.1, the new version of the award-winning classroom management software, adds several new features. It enables teachers to...

Leapster 2, educational game system: Leapfrog Enterprises.(New Products)
October 1, 2008... LEAPFROG ENTERPRISES Leapster 2, Educational Game System Hardware, $69.99 Leapster 2 is the next generation of Leapfrog's award-winning handheld educational gaming platform, and it expands upon the original with new features. The...

E4200, ultramobile laptop: Dell.(New Products)
October 1, 2008... DELL E4200, Ultramobile Laptop, Hardware, starting at $1,999 Dell has introduced two updated lines of laptops in response to the increasing customer need for more portability. Among the models in the redesigned Latitude line is the...

CP-WX625, projector: Hitachi.(New Products)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HITACHI CP-WX625, Projector Hardware, $8,995 Hitachi's new LCD-chip projector features a brightness of 4,000 ANSI lumens, WXGA (1024x768) resolution, a 2,000-hour hybrid filter, and networking...

Guilford Publications: Reading Comprehension: Strategies for Independent Learners, 2nd ed.(Curriculum Books: RESOURCES FOR DISTRICT LEADERS)
October 1, 2008... GUILFORD PUBLICATIONS Reading Comprehension: Strategies for Independent Learners, 2nd ed. www.guilford.com, $34.00 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In this revised and updated edition, professors of education Camille Blachowicz and...

Jossey-Bass: Powerful Learning: What We Know about Teaching for Understanding.(Curriculum Books: RESOURCES FOR DISTRICT LEADERS)
October 1, 2008... JOSSEY-BASS Powerful Learning: What We Know about Teaching for Understanding www.josseybass.com, $26.95 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This comprehensive compendium of effective K12 teaching practices addresses project-based learning,...

Guilford Publications: Integrating Literacy and Math: Strategies for K6 Teachers.(Curriculum Books: RESOURCES FOR DISTRICT LEADERS)
October 1, 2008... GUILFORD PUBLICATIONS Integrating Literacy and Math: Strategies for K6 Teachers www.guilford.com, $25.00 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Authors Ellen Fogelberg, Carole Skalinder, Patti Satz, Barbara Hiller, Lisa Bernstein and Sandra...

Scholastic: Teaching English Language Learners: Strategies That Work.(Curriculum Books: RESOURCES FOR DISTRICT LEADERS)
October 1, 2008... SCHOLASTIC Teaching English Language Learners: Strategies That Work www.scholastic.com/professional, $29.99 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In this authoritative resource, professors of education Katharine Davies Samway and Dorothy...

International Society for Technology in Education: NETS-S: Visual Arts Units for All Levels.(Curriculum Books: RESOURCES FOR DISTRICT LEADERS)
October 1, 2008... INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION NETS-S: Visual Arts Units for All Levels www.iste.org, $44,95 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mark Gura, former director of instructional technology for the New York City public school...

Implementing RTI: response-to-intervention is an ambitious and complex process that requires administrators choose the right model.(PROFESSIONAL OPINION)
October 1, 2008... RESPONSE-TO-INTERVENTION was created by the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. Because RTI was put forth more as an idea than as a plan in the special education law, administrators were left to...

Calendar of events.(Calendar)
October 1, 2008... OCTOBER 2008 IRA, International Reading Association October 9-11 Seattle, Wash. www.reading.org NSBA T+L, National School Boards Association 0ctober 28-30 Seattle, Wash. www.nsba.org/t+l NAGC, National...

Change every child needs: every child in American public education should have an individualized education plan.
October 1, 2008... THIS YEAR'S PRESIDENTIAL election campaigns have been dominated by talk of change, but in politics talk of change is cheap. Unfortunately, for the most part it's the same story in public education, where most talk of change--despite the best...

Welcome to healthy steps forward.
October 1, 2008... Dear District Administrator, In 2006, the federal government mandated the establishment of school wellness policies in response to the growing problem of overweight and obesity among U.S. children. School administrators across the country...

Now that your district wellness policy is in place, what's next? A conversation with Richard A. Abramson, M.Ed., Superintendent, School Union 42, Readfield, Maine.(Interview)
October 1, 2008... Q: What is the role of the district administrator in school wellness? A: The superintendent sets the tone and expectations for programs and services. I worked with a part-time district wellness coordinator to create, organize and oversee a...

Different tools for different schools: a discussion with Leslie Lytle, Ph.D., R.D., Professor, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota.(Interview)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Should assessment be conducted at the district level or at each school in the district? We suggest assessing at both the district and school level because district policies often are more liberal than measures at...

Next steps for physical activity.
October 1, 2008... Set and monitor activity goals rather than fitness goals. Schools often assess physical fitness but measures of physical activity (e.g. minutes of activity per day) are perhaps a more effective indicator. Additionally, measuring physical...

Implementing a local school wellness policy: The Spring, Texas, experience.
October 1, 2008... The Spring Independent School District serves about 34,000 students in 32 campuses in a diverse and growing district near Houston. The district's school wellness policy covers nutrition guidelines for foods, nutrition education, physical...

Five ways to get kids moving.
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Do the kids in your district need to increase their activity levels? Here are five creative ways to get them moving: * Encourage teachers to include physical activities for students of all abilities in learning...