After raising the grade during his first year at Edith I. Starke Elementary School, Principal Dwayne Copeland maintained the C average for three years by creating a PTA and by adding field trips to school offerings. Principal Dwayne Copeland increased Edith I. Starke Elementary School's state grade from an F to a C during his first year and has maintained […]
The school psychologist shortage rages on, with one federal study predicting deficits of more than 10,000 full-time psychologists by 2025. But districts have been exploring nontraditional options to provide comprehensive care to all students. "The shortages are significant and severe, to the point where we're in somewhat of a potential crisis" says Eric Rossen, director […]
When it comes to balancing school budgets, the arts—and particularly music—often suffer most from spending cuts. It's part of a cycle that began in the 1970s, when, in the hope of averting a fiscal crisis, schools laid off thousands of arts teachers. Limited grants and community-based efforts have helped to rebuild programs over the years, […]
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 […]
Every spring, Graham Local Schools fourth- and fifth-graders hatch and release trout during a unit that covers aquaponics, hydroponics and conservation. Older students raise corn and soybeans on a sustainable farm operated by the rural district in southwest Ohio. Teachers in the Jim Thorpe Area School District in Pennsylvania have incorporated software such as GarageBand […]
A renovated, expanded library and a new 8,840-square-foot wing with four classrooms now stand at Donaldson Primary School in Louisiana. CHALLENGE: From 2009 to 2012, enrollment at Donaldson Primary rose from 573 to 611. So Ascension Parish Public Schools decided to add more classrooms. The district also renovated and expanded the primary school's library. "The […]
The reach of K12 bulk purchasing and co-op agreements has expanded substantially as more districts join to save substantial amounts on everything from software to playground equipment, according to a recent AASA report. Education funding has recovered somewhat since the 2008 recession, yet 73 percent of superintendents surveyed consider their district still "inadequately funded" says […]
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. […]
Robert Runcie, superintendent of Broward County Public Schools in Florida, has enacted new districtwide safety measures. Runcie will expand mental health services and training for students, and will provide an active-assailant training curriculum for staff. Every school will also have a single point of entry and a resource officer or armed security guard, among other […]
