There's good news for district leaders in the ongoing battle to meet the ever-increasing demand for bandwidth. One-gigabit networks are coming to more areas, the cost of service per megabit is decreasing, and funding through E-rate and other sources is increasing. Many district networks are straining under the deluge of digital learning resources. Web-based learning […]
English-language learners now comprise more than five percent of Cincinnati's school populationÁ'which has grown more than 500 percent in the past five years. The third largest district in Ohio, Cincinnati Public Schools features a diverse population that includes speakers of 83 different languages. Addressing this specific challenge was part of the district's objective when applying […]
Whether you have just begun your blended learning journey, or it is a path you have been traveling down for several years, it's important to stay dynamic and reflective on your practice in order to ensure that your blended initiative is having a positive impact on student success. In this web seminar, originally broadcast on […]
A "culture of safety"—at all levels of a district—is the first and most critical step in dealing with occupational injury. It also guides the prevention of, response to and mitigation of hazards in the workplace, including staff behavior. Students arrive in three days. A staff meeting starts in five minutes. A teacher wants to hang […]
For a number of years, an aging student information system (SIS) plagued Bethlehem Central Schools, located near Albany, New York. By spring 2013, it was apparent new software was needed to maintain the data about the district's 4,900 students. "We correctly predicted our SIS would soon be considered end-of-life and would no longer be supported," […]
Landlines are out and internet-based phones are in for many schools this year, as the modernized E-rate program begins scaling back funds for traditional phone service. Discount rates for long-distance calling, cell phones and other services will drop by 20 percent every year starting this year, as determined in the July 2014 E-rate Modernization Order […]
Under a statewide program first funded in 2013, Vermont students can leave public high schools before their senior year to enroll full-time in college. They can then graduate from high school with a full year of college credits. While students don't pay tuition, they do have to pay for textbooks and fees. The program gives […]
Audio plays a crucial role in making collaborative student learning environments effective. Students need to be able to communicate with their teacher when necessary, and teachers should be able to hear what all students are saying during small group instruction. This web seminar, originally presented on April 2, 2014,featured educators from Andover USD 385 in […]
As debate over the Common Core continues to spread in major media outlets, local administrators must address parent and community concerns to keep the focus on student learning. "The need for parent communication with the Common Core caught many administrators by surprise, because this idea of having standards and revising curriculum isn't new for district […]
ince its inception in 2001, the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) has required internet content filtering to keep students safe online. Policymakers amended CIPA in 2008, requiring that students also be educated on internet safety. In addition to providing this required online safety training, schools must show evidence that training has occurred. With the new […]
