Archive of Past Web Seminars

Free to DA Online Members

Join District Administration's editors, along with industry and K-12 education experts, for free one-hour Web seminars on topics of interest. The following Web seminars were previously broadcast and are now available, on-demand, to registered members of District Administration Online.

Bright Green Schools: Saving money and energy with intelligent building systems

In most districts, controls for building access, safety, HVAC, communications and other functions are handled by separate and often-unconnected networks, resulting in a complex and costly environment that is difficult to operate and maintain. Find out how your district can streamline operations and save time, money and energy by delivering all building services over a single, centrally managed IP-based network. Join Web Seminar Editor J.D. Solomon and a panel of experts to learn how an intelligent school network can: Promote administrative and operational efficiency with electronic work orders and intelligent notification of maintenance issues. Increase safety and security with a coordinated and integrated response through a single network interface, from anywhere in the district. Save on energy costs by linking school buildings into a unified, centrally managed HVAC system. Improve academic performance with connected learning environments, supporting digital media, mobile applications, and advanced collaboration tools. Presentations by:
Original webcast: 6/4/2009. Sponsored by Cisco
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Building a Data Culture that Will Improve Student Achievement

Find out how two leading districts, San Jose in California and Iredell-Statesville in North Carolina, improved student outcomes by building a culture of data-driven decision making throughout their schools. Join Web Seminar Editor J.D. Solomon and two senior administrators from these districts to get answers to questions like these: * What are the key elements of success in using data to improve achievement? * How can a district overcome inertia or resistance in creating a systemic use of data-driven decision making? * How should districts approach the staff development issues related to data-driven decision making? * What role can the district’s data partner play in helping to create a successful data culture? Presentations by: Dr. Terry K. Holliday, superintendent of the Iredell-Statesville Schools, North Carolina; Bill Erlendson, assistant superintendent for educational accountability at the San Jose, California, Unified School District.
Original webcast: 5/6/2009. Sponsored by Follett Software Company
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Emergency Communications: Are You Ready for the Unexpected?

The safety and security of students and faculty is the highest priority for school administrators, yet emergency communications plans at many districts may be incomplete or outdated. Join Web Seminar Editor J.D. Solomon and our panel of safety and security experts to learn what goes into a best-practice emergency preparedness and communication plan. Our panelists will provide answers to questions like these: What are the elements of good emergency planning? What tools and tactics should you use to communicate during emergencies? What typically causes communications to break down in emergencies? What are the common areas that need improvement in many districts’ emergency plans? What role should school resource officers have in emergency preparedness? What steps can be taken every day to handle unexpected situations? Presentations by: Willie Freeman, Director of Security for the Newark, N.J., school district, and a frequent presenter at security seminars offered by the U.S. Department of Education; Richard Caster, Executive Director of the National Association of School Resource Officers; Kathryn Larin, Associate Director of the Office of Education, Workforce and Income Security at the U.S. Government Accountability Office, and co-author of the GAO report, “Emergency Management: Status of School Districts’ Planning and Preparedness.”
Original webcast: 4/16/2009. Sponsored by Motorola
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Improving achievement with performance management solutions: the TIES experience

TIES, a school district cooperative based in Minnesota that serves 250,000 students, is a leader in the use of performance management solutions to improve student achievement. Join District Administration Web Seminar Editor J.D. Solomon and Ben Silberglitt from TIES and learn how TIES improved the performance of schools in their cooperative. Discover how you can drive the performance of your schools and students and get answers to key questions about a performance management solution. Presentations by: Benjamin Silberglitt, Ph.D., TIES’ director of software applications. A leader in research and assessment for decision-making in schools, Dr. Silberglitt is the author of numerous publications in national journals and books, and has hands-on experience as a data leader in Minnesota schools.
Original webcast: 11/12/2008. Sponsored by Cognos
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School Wellness Policies: Do you have one - and is it working?

With the dramatic rise of childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes, school districts have come under pressure to develop wellness programs that go beyond health classes and the cafeteria. Many adopted integrated school wellness policies, but can schools tell how well these are working? Join Web Seminar Editor J.D. Solomon and our panel of experts to get answers to questions like these: Why should you assess your school wellness policy? How can a district measure the success of its wellness policy? What tools are available to help school wellness? What role should physical activity play in a school wellness policy? Presentations by: Richard A. Abramson, Superintendent of Schools, School Union #42/CSD #10, Maine; Leslie Lytle, Ph.D., Professor, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of MN; Greg Welk, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology, Iowa State University
Original webcast: 10/21/2008. Sponsored by Dannon
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Streamlining your communication and collaboration with a unified solution

Unified communications technologies, including unified messaging and web portals, help K12 administrators and educators streamline communications and collaboration across the district. But just what is a unified communications strategy, and what does it take to implement it? Presentations by: Keith Price, Chief Technology Officer, Hoover City Schools in Jefferson County, Alabama; Debbie Karcher, Chief Information Officer, Miami-Dade County Public Schools; William E. Hagen, Unified Communication and Mobility Solutions Manager, Microsoft Education
Original webcast: 10/14/2008. Sponsored by Microsoft
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Response to Intervention: Improving Achievement for All Children

Response to Intervention is on almost every district’s agenda as a strategy for improving outcomes for all students. But many districts are only beginning their RTI implementations, and misperceptions persist about RTI’s association with special education. Presentations by: Christy Chambers — Past President of CASE, the Council of Administrators of Special Education; Alexa Posny — Kansas Commissioner of Education and the former director of the Office of Special Education Programs for the U.S. Department of Education; Mark Shinn — Professor of School Psychology, National Louis University, Skokie, IL
Original webcast: 9/23/2008. Sponsored by Spectrum K12
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Crisis in the cafeteria: How to cope with soaring costs and falling participation

With food costs rising and high school lunch program participation weakening, school administrators, nationwide are struggling to cope with new challenges in their food service programs. Presentations by: Katie Wilson, President, School Nutrition Association Anita Holquist, Food Service Director, Fairfield-Suisun USD, California Ray Ivey, Director of Administration, Azle ISD, Texas
Original webcast: 9/16/2008. Sponsored by Sodexo
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Sensible Snacking: Making it a part of your school nutrition program

School administrators across the country are working hard to offer healthy and attractive choices in their competitive food and beverage offerings. Still, concerns persist about inconsistent information, community support, student acceptance and revenue implications. Get answers to your questions and concerns from our speakers from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. Presentations by: Kate Lampel Link, MSEd., Competitive Foods Manager, Alliance for a Healthier Generation. Christy Manso, School Beverages Manager, Alliance for a Healthier Generation.
Original webcast: 8/21/2008. Sponsored by Generation Max
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Complying with the New 403(b) Regulations

Updated with the latest information. The long-awaited IRS 403(b) final regulations were released July 23. Is your district ready for compliance? Get the facts and details from our expert panelists. Presentations by: Robert Architect, Senior Tax Law Specialist, IRS; Ellie Lowder, author of several books and compliance guides about 403(b) and 457(b) plans.
Original webcast: 3/18/2008. Sponsored by AXA
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How to work with Cooperative Purchasing Groups

Many school districts are streamlining their procurement process and saving money by participating in regional or national cooperative purchasing groups. Co-ops offer significant advantages to participants, but many districts are unfamiliar with the concept and are missing out on the benefits of working with co-ops. Presentations by: Mike Hajek, Director of Business Development & Marketing, National Joint Powers Alliance, Staples, MN; Matthew Mackel, Contract Manager, The Cooperative Purchasing Network, Houston, TX ; Jim Borrow, Executive Director, KCDA Purchasing Cooperative, Kent, WA
Original webcast: 2/12/2008. Sponsored by Williams Scotsman
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Best Practices in Continuous Improvement and Data-Driven Decision Making

More than merely a vehicle for collecting and reporting data, a school district’s technology solutions must deliver actionable information to fuel continuous improvement. Clear data insights are the result of a data-centric technology strategy woven around ongoing continuous improvement goals. Add a healthy data culture and you have the foundation to drive meaningful change across the campus and into the classroom. Presentations by: Victoria L. Bernhardt, Executive Director, Education for the Future Initiative; Chico, CA, Rebecca J. Blink, Ph.D., Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Chilton School District; Chilton, WI; Aimee Guidera, Director, Data Quality Campaign; Austin, TX.
Original webcast: 1/22/2008. Sponsored by TetraData
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New Paths to School Safety & Security

Our panel of experts offers insight into the causes of school violence, and they share what they’ve learned from their own extensive experience. Find out what’s really happening in our schools, how you can prevent problems from occurring, and how, if problems do arise, you can react effectively. Presentations by: Paul Kesner, Education Program Specialist, Safe & Drug Free Schools Program, U.S. Department of Education; Willie Freeman, Director of Security/Chief Investigator for Newark Public Schools, Newark, NJ; Scott Poland, an internationally recognized expert on school psychology issues related to violence prevention and crisis response.
Original webcast: 12/11/2007. Sponsored by Canon, IP Video Corporation, A+ Technology Solutions, Inc., 3 Com, OnSSI
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Complying With the New 403(b) Regulations

The long-awaited IRS 403(b) final regulations were released July 23. Is your district ready for compliance? Get the facts and details from our expert panelists.Robert Architect, Senior Tax Law Specialist, IRS; Ellie Lowder, author of several books and compliance guides about 403(b) and 457(b) plans. Presentations by:
Original webcast: 11/1/2007. Sponsored by AXA Equitable
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Managing Fixed Assets for Better Planning, Budgeting & Purchasing

Just what is fixed asset management, and why is it important to school districts? Find out how good asset management can help districts improve budget planning and make better purchase decisions, and learn techniques that business officers can use to plan for insurance coverage and asset replacement. You’ll also get some hints about what you should look for in Fixed Asset Management software solutions. Presentations by: J.D. Solomon, Web Seminar Editor, District Administration; William Brady, author of Managing Fixed Assets in the Public Sector; Terry Schueler, Assistant Superintendent, Operational Support Services, Thompson School District, Loveland, CO.
Original webcast: 9/20/2007. Sponsored by Sage Software
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Wireless Networking - Goals, Strategies, Funding

Find out from our panel of experts how a wireless network can improve teaching and learning in your district, and how you can streamline a wireless implementation and avoid pitfalls. You’ll also learn about network security and how to obtain funding to pay for your wireless network. Presentations by: Ronald J. Canuel, Director General of the Eastern Townships School Board, Magog, Quebec, Canada; Charles Garten, President, Garten Consultants, an educational technology consulting company; Chris Toy, Educational Consultant.
Original webcast: 5/16/2007. Sponsored by 3Com
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Improving Nutrition and Wellness in Schools

The reauthorized federal Child Nutrition Act now requires K12 school districts with federally funded school meal programs to put wellness programs in place this year. Is your district in compliance? Presentations by: Brenda Z. Greene, on staff at the National School Boards Association (NSBA) since 1983 and has directed NSBAs School Health Programs initiatives since 1987; Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI); Dr. Kenneth M. Arndt superintendent of Community Unit School District 300, Carpentersville, Illinois; Dr. David Behlow,superintendent of Oswego Community Unit School District, Oswego, Illinois.
Original webcast: 3/14/2007. Sponsored by Aramark Education
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