North Clackamas School District Superintendent Matthew Utterback minds the gap. That is, the gap between white students and everyone else. That's why the 2017 National School Superintendent of the Year takes special pride in the details of his Oregon district's 18 percent graduation rate increase. "There's now no gap between graduation rates for students of […]
Effective professional development helps educators better address the rapidly evolving needs of students. But with limited budgets and teacher time, how can PD be served up effectively, and integrated and tracked? Education leaders share their best practices for ensuring that professional learning time is well-spent, focused, shared and rewarded. 1. Offer various formats. Just as […]
Ware County School District in Georgia has downsized its inventory of assistive technology. Thanks to a slew of technological advances, many of the specialized tools their special education students had used to communicate and learn are now redundant. "We don't need portable keyboards or word processors anymore" says Barbara Sonnier, the district's assistive technology coordinator. […]
Digital book platforms now provide more than just reading materials. Today, students can listen to audio recordings, highlight text and watch accompanying videos. Meanwhile, teachers can monitor student progress through assessment tools. Some content even caters specifically to educators for use in professional learning communities. e-Books on Gale Virtual Reference Library platform Gale, a Cengage […]
High school graduation rates have hit an all-time high. Virtual credit recovery, offered in 90 percent of U.S. public high schools, have helped fuel that increase, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Nevertheless, half a million high school students still drop out each year, and questions loom about whether some students who recover lost […]
Certifications in the technology sector are ever-evolving, as new education tools, apps and platforms become available on a nearly continuous basis. In fact, several new training courses debuted after the recent school year ended, offering technology certificates focused on tool-agnostic and open-resource curricula. Professional and regional education technology groups develop and host these certifications, while […]
Students at Clarksville-Montgomery County School System can win a brand-new Toyota Yaris, Hyundai Accent or Kia Rio—or other prizes, such as gift cards—if they score a 3 or higher on exams. Editor's Note: Nuts and Bolts delves into how a school or district developed an innovative program. Each year, the number of high school students in […]
Books represent just a part of the early literacy equation. Districts and community organizations now provide transportation, meals, summer lessons and family activities to prepare children for kindergarten reading. "The biggest challenge for closing the literacy gap is to address its cause: an opportunity gap" says Nell Duke, professor of literacy, language and culture at […]
The "4 C's" smart model is a tool for school brand builders who are on the path to "telling, not selling." While our students strive for A's in the classroom, school administrators can focus on the "4 C's." This smart model from Jez Frampton, CEO of global marketing leader Interbrand, brings a tight structure from the […]
The Pennsbury School District in Pennsylvania has embarked on a wide ranging Future Ready initiative, seeking to provide ubiquitous access to technology for its 10,500 students while creating a culture of digital, personalized teaching and learning. The initiative included replacing outdated desktops and shared laptop carts with 1:1 Chromebooks and updating the district's technology infrastructure. […]
