District Administration articles from September 2007

District Administration archives from September 2007

Top K12 news.(DA Online)
September 1, 2007... RECEIVE the Top K12 news from around the nation with a free subscription to the DA Daily and have each days top headlines delivered directly to your in-box. DistrictAdministration.com

DA blogs.(DA Online)
September 1, 2007... DEBATE controversial issues affecting school districts on DA's blogs, featuring thought leaders such as Gary Stager, Will Richardson and Ken Goodman. DistrictAdministration.com/pulse

Reader's choice top 100 products.(DA Online)
September 1, 2007... VOTE for the Readers' Choice Top 100 K12 Products of 2007, and your comments may be posted online and published in our special products issue. District Administration.com/products

Web seminar.(DA Online)
September 1, 2007... SIGN UP for the free DA web Seminar on "Managing Fixed Assets for Better Planning, Budgeting & Purchasing" offered on September 20 plus, get access to all Web seminar archives. DistrictAdministration.com/webseminars

$9.95 for FREE! District Administration offers a growing array of professional resources.(Editor's Letter)
September 1, 2007... I WAS SURPRISED TO DISCOVER THAT AMAZON.COM SELLS SCORES OF articles I wrote for DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION--even these Editor's Letters--for $5.95 or $9.95, depending on when they were published. The articles cover topics of value to K12 district...

Different strokes ...(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2007... Your recent column ("Understanding the Times," August) quoted the federal DOE to justify decentralizing K12 education. Ah yes, let us return to those wonderful days of no federal role for education: racial segregation, no standards, less...

In good humor.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2007... I appreciate your work and the magazine, particularly your take on humor, satire and parody. Just wanted to say thanks! David Milz, superintendent, Salem (Wis.) School District

Quality public schools for all.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2007... Roosevelt vs. Reagan was such a great piece ("Understanding the Times," July). Very nice work. DA continues to expand in content, size and quality. All of your content is excellent, and the look and feel of the magazine is very professional!...

Widespread applications of teaching techniques.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2007... I read January's article "Teaching Techniques for Supervisors" and distributed copies to my consultants. So many of the ideas and techniques you shared are also appropriate for workshop trainers! As we begin planning our professional...

Questioning Oprah.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2007... There are more important issues than Oprah and her money ("Speaking Out," June). I see that you have nothing better to do. What's your contribution to how we tackle illiteracy? What can you do about it? As the old saying goes, you're part of...

Cheaters never prosper?(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2007... I totally agree with you on the use of iPods for test taking ("Understanding the Times," June). Testing has to change and it has to be related to the real world, not something contrived. I join the bandwagon Dan! Rosemary Parmigiani,...

Reaping the benefits of "Intelligent Classrooms".(News Update)
September 1, 2007... THE RON CLARK ACADEMY, A premier educational facility for inner-city fifth- through eighth-grade students in Atlanta founded by renowned teacher and author Ron Clark, is receiving a facelift and will open this month using Dell's "Intelligent...

School buses finally get seat belts.(News Update)
September 1, 2007... SOME STATES ARE FINALLY STARTING TO REALIZE THAT PUTTING SEAT BELTS ON school buses might not be a bad idea. Texas recently decided that all students should ride buses equipped with lap and shoulder belts, following the lead of California,...

Fast fact.(News Update)
September 1, 2007... About 700,000 students in American public schools take classes online, up from less than 500,000 in 2001. Source: The Sloan Consortium

New resource for healthier school foods.(News Update)
September 1, 2007... MAKING IT HAPPEN!, A BOOKLET PUBLISHED IN 2005 THAT DESCRIBES innovative approaches to improving student nutrition in the United States, is now available online in a searchable version. It documents the bold steps many schools and school...

Corzine pushes for internet safety.(News Update)(John Corzine)
September 1, 2007... NEW JERSEY'S GOV. CORZINE IS taking action amidst a technology climate in which there is as much concern over the dangers of the Internet as there is appreciation for its benefits. He wants K12 teachers and administrators trained in Web safety,...

21st Century Skills resources now available on netTrekker.(News Update)
September 1, 2007... THINKRONIZE, THE LEADING developer of Web-based K12 educational products, recently announced the addition of a 21st Century Skills Channel to netTrekker d.i., their award-winning educational search engine. The new channel, available now on the...

Fast fact.(News Update)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... By 2012, seven out of every 10 public high school students will have to take an exit exam to graduate. Source: The Center on Education Policy

Educator's mission.(Curriculum Update)
September 1, 2007... BARBARA MORGAN, FORmer Idaho teacher and now mission-specialist astronaut, will help educate students this year and beyond. Space shuttle Endeavour's launch last month, with Morgan aboard, to the International Space Station (ISS) brings back...

Web-based tutors and supplemental resources.(Curriculum Update)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND PARENTS NOW HAVE ALTERNATIVES TO local tutors. For instance, TutorVista offers 24/7 online tutoring, homework help and test preparation for $99 a month using tutors located in India. Web-based programs go further by...

Project Uganda.(Curriculum Update)
September 1, 2007... PROJECT UGANDA IS A MONTHLY conferencing series sponsored through the Global Nomads Group (GNG), connecting schools in the U.S., U.K., and Canada with students in northern Uganda's conflict zone, where over 200,000 lives have been claimed since...

Separate but "equal": banning school desegregation policies.(Inside the Law)(Report)
September 1, 2007... IN JUNE THE SUPREME COURT RULED 5-4 IN THE cases Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 and Meredith v. Jefferson County Board of Education that race may not be used as a criterion for desegregating schools....

A small school approach to transforming a district.(District Profile: ATLANTA (GA.) PUBLIC SCHOOLS)
September 1, 2007... DR. BEVERLY L. HALL'S GOAL when she became the superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools in 1999 was to transform the struggling K12 school system into one of the nation's leading urban districts. Hall targeted the youngest students first,...

On-demand video system enhances visual learning.(Administrator Profile: DIGITAL MEDIA TEAM LEAD, MARTIN MCGUIRE)
September 1, 2007... TODAY'S YOUTH OFTEN search for videos based on their interests on Web sites such as YouTube. They communicate with friends through instant and text messaging. Such technology has changed how young people learn, according to Martin McGuire, the...

District buying power 2007: first of a series: research reveals enormous K12 purchasing power.(PURCHASING)(Report)
September 1, 2007... IN SPITE OF POPULAR ATTENTION DIRECTED TO budget cuts in K12 school districts, the reality is that aggregate school spending across the nation increases steadily from year to year and will continue to do so. Furthermore, school buying power is...

X-Factor Student Achievement Awards 2007: a 300-word entry brings $30,000 to a K12 school district.(District Administration X factor ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS)
September 1, 2007... DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION LAUNCHED THE FIRST-EVER X-FACTOR Student Achievement Awards last spring, with the exclusive sponsorship of AutoSkill International Inc., a company that creates intervention software solutions to help close the...

A vision creates a winner: a new Interactive Fitness Center could improve reading and overall student achievement.(District Administration X factor ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS)
September 1, 2007... WHEN PRINCIPAL PATRICIA Monaco of Mohawk Elementary School in rural Pennsylvania asked Lou Ann Miller and Larry Carr, both physical education teachers and wellness instructors, if they had a use for a storage room at the school, they...

Reality therapy: the program that was to be implemented in Canajoharie High School in Canajoharie (N.Y.) Central School District was a close runner-up in the X-Factor award.(RUNNER-UP)
September 1, 2007... DONALD BOWDEN, THE PRINCIPAL OF CANAJOHARIE HIGH School, sees in some of his most struggling students a disconnect between their school studies and the life experiences that are shaping their view of the world when they're not in the classroom....

High School Television Production: Niagara Falls High School, Niagara Falls (N.Y.) City School District.(FINALIST)
September 1, 2007... FOUR YEARS AGO WHEN THE NIAGARA FALLS HIGH SCHOOL BEGAN its own Educational Access Channel, Our Schools Channel (OSC) TV 21, fewer than 10 media production students created it. Now student involvement in the program has grown to nearly 200,...

We've got mail: e-mail makes school communications safe and easy.(SECURITY)(Report)
September 1, 2007... LIKE THE BUSINESS WORLD, schools such as Red Clay (Del.) School District count on e-mail to communicate. "It's instantaneous. It's the best way to go," says Judith Conway, instructional technology coach in the district. Also in Delaware,...

Supporting new teachers: are induction programs worth the cost?(ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION)(Report)
September 1, 2007... ALTHOUGH MANY FIRST- AND second-year teachers will put on a brave face for their colleagues and administrators, a glimpse of professional woes can be found by browsing beginning teachers' online message boards. "I had so little support,"...

Madison Metropolitan (Wis.) School District www.madison.k12.wi.us.(How Well Does This Web Site Work? LEARN WHAT OUR WEB ANALYST SAYS IS RIGHT AND WRONG WITH THIS DISTRICT SITE)(Website overview)
September 1, 2007... THE MADISON METROPOLITAN School District (MMSD) is the second largest district in Wisconsin, encompassing 65 square miles and including 25,000 students and 3,000 staff members in 46 schools. The district has maintained a Web site since 1996....

Captivate 3: Adobe.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.adobe.com Software, $699 Captivate software was designed to rapidly create engaging learning experiences. It offers multimode recording where users can record once and generate an automatic rerecording for Web applications in Internet...

Nova5000: Fourier Systems.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
September 1, 2007... nova5000.fourier-sys.com Hardware, Starting at $499 Fourier's small 9 1/2 x 7 1/2-inch, 2.7-lb. student computer comes with word processing, spreadsheet, Portrait 4 graphing and calculator software, and Web browsing via Ethernet or built-in...

Interwrite Pad: Interwrite Learning.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
September 1, 2007... www.interwritelearning.com, Hardware, $249 Interwrite's Bluetooth wireless classroom pad with interactive pen now features an improved look and includes Workspace, the company's next-generation teaching software for the digital classroom....

Resource Center: NetSupport.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... content.netsupportschool.com, Internet, Starts at $19 per license The Resource Center provides teachers with over 1,000 curriculum-based questions and resources that can be used within its software. They can also access a forum area where...

Indigo Learning System: Learningsoft.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.learningsoft.net Hardware, Classroom sets priced at $2,695/16-unit, $3,495/24-unit, and $4,295/32-unit The Indigo Learning System is a Linux device that provides a handheld network for the classroom. Teachers can review progress of an...

StudentMate: One2OneMate.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.one2onemate.com Hardware, $399 This low-cost Linux laptop computer was specifically designed for students, featuring a 7-inch color touch screen and stylus, full-size QWERTY laptop keyboard, Ethernet, USB ports, SD port and audio...

Q1 Ultra: Samsung.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.samsung.com/q1, Hardware, $799-$1,499 Now in its second generation, this mobile device runs Vista and comes with an integrated split-QWERTY keypad, mouse, touch screen and stylus, user-defined function keys, and a high resolution...

SpeakQ: Quillsoft.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.wordq.com, Software, Starts at $185 SpeakQ software plugs into WordQ and adds simple speech recognition. It features a user-friendly interface, with the computer prompting users what to say. Students then dictate either continuously...

Leapster Story Explorers: Leapfrog Schoolhouse.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.leapfrogschoolhouse.com Curriculum, $1,050 The Story Explorers kit helps K3 students develop essential reading and listening skills using screen-based, handheld personal learning tools. It offers instruction and skill practice in...

Student Stats: Oncourse Systems For Education.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.oncoursesystems.com Web-based solution, Starting at $4 per student, Quantity-pricing discounts available This technology offers an innovative way to monitor student performance, supporting dynamic access and analysis of standardized...

PaperTools Pro 2.0: M3Designs/EPEN.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.papertoolspro.com, Software, $55 Available on CD or as an Internet download, the software was designed to make research and documentation easy and efficient. It helps users simplify and organize note-taking and prevent plagiarism....

Your vote counts and you can make a difference!(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)
September 1, 2007... DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION is naming the Reader's Choice Top 100 K12 Products of 2007. Which products belong? Use our new rating system to select your favorites. There are thousands of products to view and we're adding to our database daily. Your...

Q2 Remote: QWizdom.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.qwizdom.com Hardware, $1,595/32 remote set The Q.2 interactive assessment tool gauges students" progress, enabling data-driven instruction. As an interactive learning system, it uses a three-row custom elnk display that supports display...

Adventures in SportsLand: the Bully Series: Luckysports.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.luckysports.net Books, $9.95 per book The Sportsland bullying series of 10 children's books is published in both English and Spanish. They teach children ages 5 to 10 how to build confidence in themselves and handle name calling,...

Listening First Stereo Headphones: Califone International.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www. califone.com Hardware, $14 These newly designed headphones now come in an animal-themed package--which includes bear, panda bear and tiger motifs--along with a matching animal-themed optical computer mouse, priced at $15. The...

Internet Referee: Sergeant Laboratories.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.internetreferee.com Software, $39.95 annually Internet Referee is a home computer monitoring program that helps parents teach proper use of the Internet without depriving their children of the powerful research and learning...

Easiteach Dance Mat: RM Educational Software.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.rmeducation.com, Hardware, $350 The Dance Mat works like a keyboard: when a student steps on the mat it sends signals to a computer, projector or interactive whiteboard. There are over 150 activities covering math, English language...

Evolver: Tabula Digita.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.tabuladigita.com Software, Starts at $2,000/multiplayer package Based on standards set by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, this series of algebra and prealgebra games offer three-dimensional learning environments where...

Real Life Strategies for Counselors & Teachers: The Trevor Romain Company.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.trevorromain.com Videos, $24.95 per topic/grade level School guidance professionals will find practical strategies in Romain's videos to help students deal with life's difficulties. The video series provides lesson plans and extension...

Holt Biology 2008 Interactive Online Edition: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.hrw.com Interactive online book, $16.95 for one year, or $71.95 for a six-year subscription Students can download audio readings and listen to their Biology book in English or Spanish on their iPod or other digital player. Resources...

Encarta Premium 2008: Microsoft.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.microsoft.com/student Software, $49.95 The latest edition updates current information automatically by downloading into existing articles. Students conducting research now have access to multimedia and more current and credible...

Online Program Manager: Teachscape.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.teachscape.com Software, Quantity-based pricing Using Workspace technology, this platform is used to run online programs, including everything from a public information Web site to online learning groups. Features include professional...

Mathematica 6.0.1: Wolfram Research.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.wolfram.com Software, $270 Mathematica's version 6.0.1 upgrade offers instant interactivity, turning models, simulations, computations and concepts into fully interactive applications. Key features include dynamic interactivity,...

FileMaker Pro 9: Filemaker.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.filemaker.com Software, $299 new/$179 upgrade The software enables users to create, automate, share and report from databases. New features include a Quick Start screen, conditional formatting and the ability to e-mail a link to other...

Practice Planet: Siboney Learning Group.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.practiceplanet.com Web System, Starting annually at $995/one subject or grade, $1,995/all subjects and grades This online test practice system uses gaming segments to reward and motivate students. Students earn their time on the games...

FrameMaker 8: Adobe.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.adobe.com, Software, Starts at $899 With this authoring and publishing software, users can generate comprehensive, technical documents that incorporate 3D models, simulations, product specifications, test plans, designs or reports. They can...

Yourhomework Music Wizard Academy: Allegro Rainbow.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.yourhomeworkmusicwizardacademy, com Curriculum, $199.99/Easy Mode version Created for the after-school and home education market, this course includes a combination of lesson books, lesson plans, sheet music and DVD video lessons, with...

Score! Mountain Challenge Workbook Series: Kaplan Publishing.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... SCORE! Mountain Challenge Workbook Series www.scoremountain.com Curriculum, $10.95 per title Designed for K6 students, this series of supplemental resources provides practice in math and reading and teaches students how to set and...

AlertNow: Saf-T-Net.(New Products: THE LATEST OFFERINGS IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and THE INTERNET)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.alertnow.com Internet, $3 per student STN's Web-based application service provider manages and hosts the hardware, software and telephone infrastructure required to deliver voice, e-mail or text-based messages to telephones, mobile...

Networking virtualizing desktops.(Problem Solution: SUCCESS STORIES FROM DISTRICTS ACROSS THE NATION)
September 1, 2007... PROBLEM THE COLLIER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT (CCSD) OF NAPLES, FLA., one of the largest districts in the country, has information technology on a grand scale, including more than 21, 000 computers and 700 servers. Keeping the technology...

Designing Effective Online Instruction: a Handbook for Web-Based Courses: Rowman & Littlefield Education.(Computer Literature: RESOURCES FOR DISTRICT LEADERS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.rowmaneducation.com $37. 95 Based on a recent Delphi study, this book introduces the ASSIST-Me Model, which offers an instructional design procedure specifically intended for online courses. The step-by-step procedure allows for...

Painter X Wow!: Peachpit.(Computer Literature: RESOURCES FOR DISTRICT LEADERS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.peachpit.com $59.99 In this new edition, the author reveals the best practices of talented digital artists and provides insider knowledge of Painter's latest tools, including RealBristle Painting System, Universal Mixer palette, Match...

Virtual Reference on a Budget: Case Studies: Linworth Books.(Computer Literature: RESOURCES FOR DISTRICT LEADERS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.linworth.com $44.95 These case studies address the knowledge and skills needed in evaluating, acquiring and using electronic databases, Internet materials and online services, emphasizing how Virtual Reference has affected the...

Educating the Net Generation: How to Engage Students in the 21st Century: Santa Monica Press.(Computer Literature: RESOURCES FOR DISTRICT LEADERS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.santamonicapress.com $16. 95 While addressing the national problem of escalating high school dropout rates and student disengagement, the book offers solutions for how to best involve students of the millennial generation. It examines...

Web 2.0 New Tools, New Schools: International Society for Technology Education.(Computer Literature: RESOURCES FOR DISTRICT LEADERS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... www.iste.org $34.95 list/$31.75 member Long-time educational technology authors Gwen Solomon and Lynne Schrum take the mystery out of Web 2.0. They explain what Web 2.0 is by sharing history as well as their expert opinion, and offering...

Questions can be powerful.(Research Corner: ESSENTIALS ON EDUCATION DATA and RESEARCH ANALYSIS)
September 1, 2007... ASKING QUESTIONS IS ONE of the most commonly used instructional strategies in K12 classrooms. Researchers have identified effective questioning as a too| for building students' basic and higher-level skills. Here is what is known and what's new...

From MySpace to SchoolSpace: teaching kids the social networking skills they need.(ONLINE EDGE)(Seattle Public School online social network L3rn)
September 1, 2007... THIS FALL, THE 45,000 STUDENTS in the Seattle Public School system will be encouraged to create and publish pictures, videos and other work to their personal Web pages, where they'll even be able to create communities of "friends" online. ...

Dealing with difficult people: they can help clarify your mission.(SUPERVlSOR'S OPINION)(Lucy Hansford, communications specialist in Jackson Public Schools)
September 1, 2007... EARL WATKINS ENTERED THE Jackson (Miss.) Public Schools as superintendent to sobering feedback from the public. Less-than-happy parents and business partners had concerns. Parents reported that school folks didn't really listen to them. Seeing...

Shaq's big challenge: the gentle giant is schooled on schooling.(SPEAKING OUT)(Shaquille O'Neal)
September 1, 2007... EDUCATORS AND POLITICIANS alike bemoan a lack of parental involvement in public education. My experience has been that the local schools didn't want me anywhere near the holy compound. I know what you're thinking--having Stager as a parent must...

Calendar of events.(Calendar)
September 1, 2007... SEPTEMBER 2007 Center for Implementing Technology in Education (CITEd) Webinar: Using Multimedia Materials to Engage and Challenge Learners September 19 & 27 www.cited.org DA Web Seminar Managing Fixed Assets for...

Touch the future: inspiration for a new school year.(UNDERSTANDING THE TIMES)
September 1, 2007... AS I WRITE THESE WORDS, Barbara Morgan is preparing to launch into space aboard the space shuttle Endeavour as our nation's first Educator Astronaut. Twenty-one years ago, Barbara was the backup to the winning "Teacher in Space" astronaut...