The bad news seems to be everywhere. The School District of Philadelphia had 190 teaching vacancies in October. From New York to California, enrollment in teacher-preparation programs has fallen by double-digit percentages. The president of Nevada's Board of Education called her state's teacher shortage "horrific" according to published reports, warning that, if conditions don't improve, […]
Á¢Klint W. Willert Superintendent, Brookings School District, South Dakota Topic: Testing & assessment Trend: Student achievement is measured by more than a single assessment score. The trend of moving toward multiple measures, not just a test score, to determine the quality of a teacher, a school, and district will continue to resound with the voting […]
The new year may send familiar education challenges in new directions as administrators grapple with an uncertain testing landscape, staff shortages, the increased push for equity and constantly increasing charter competition. Experts expect education budgets in most states to remain flat in 2016. The pending reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act should uphold […]
A first-of-its-kind Connecticut law allows parents to include their child's paraprofessional in school planning and placement team meetings that create individualized educational programs. Districts must also inform parents of their right to involve the paraprofessional in all portions of the "PPT" meeting, according to the law passed last July. "This is an important revision, as […]
How can administrators ensure a smooth and successful digital transition? Leading the digital transition is a process that should start with emphasizing good instruction. It is crucial to select the right technology pieces and to prepare networks for increased use, but those decisions alone do not make for increased learning potential. The districts that are […]
Edward Gonzalez says teachers??and classified employees??can make wise decisions about the classroom and technical training they receive. Madera USD sits in the center of California in the San Joaquin Valley, which grows much of the nation's nuts, vegetables and fruit. Gonzalez, its superintendent, gave each of his roughly 1,100 teachers $500 to spend as they […]
Developers created some of the world's most recognized software in garages and college dorms. The same do-it-yourself (DIY) spirit thrives today across public education. School innovators customize software that ranges from small applications used within a single classroom to programs that support a district's full administrative functions. Districts build their own software when they can't […]
Teaching research skills once meant asking students to turn stacks of library books into essays on the poetry of Emily Dickinson or the causes of the Civil War. But today, it's just as likely to mean asking second-graders to design a museum exhibit on the physics of flight, encouraging a 10th-grader to make the case […]
Schools are the center of the community and when schools are transformed in positive ways, communities are transformed. The continued rise of poverty is not surprising when policies and practices that could contribute to eliminating poverty are not addressed well. The foundation of systematic oppression is rooted in practices that contribute to a system becoming […]
Intensive summer schools, expanding STEM programs, and early-college high schools exemplify innovation that increases student achievement and graduation rates in districts nationwide. The 35 school systems honored in this round of District Administration's triannual Districts of Distinction awards program represent creative initiatives from 19 different states that have successfully prevented dropouts, increased college acceptance rates […]
