Every K12 IT manager wants all school software to work together seamlessly, but incompatible programs often prevent the sharing of key data. From notebooks unable to run the most popular software to communication failures between learning management systems and key learning programs, incompatibility can result in a mess where expensive technology designed to revolutionize instruction […]
Chicago Public Schools will require a new first-of-its-kind program to ensure all students leave high school with a post-graduation plan. Starting with the past year's freshmen class, every student must have their Learn.Plan.Succeed plan approved to graduate. Chicago is the first large urban district in the country to implement the program, which many city schools […]
Students can step inside an astronaut's' boots to experience life and research onboard the international space station with online science courses offered by the Virtual High School, which supplements public and private school instruction. One course, the Middle School Space Station Academy, teaches students about Earth science, life science, physical science and engineering. They learn […]
With the recent updates to E-rate, district leaders can choose between building and maintaining their own networks using dark fiber or trusting the job to a communications service provider. When making that decision, considerations must include looking at the total cost of ownership, evaluating technology innovation, identifying the impact to network control and security, and […]
Districts are learning to do more with less. It's a common theme explored in this round of District Administration's triannual Districts of Distinction program. Educators constantly face new challenges that often require resources that may be in short supply. But this round's honorees show a surplus of exemplary creativity, innovation and problem-solving skills that are […]
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 […]
By fall 2014, figuring out how to meet the requirements of the Common Core State Standards was critical for administrators in Glendale USD. The district, which is just outside of Los Angeles and serves over 26,000 students, was in need of high-quality materials that could help them transition to the Common Core while providing each […]
Teach students math procedures if you want them to solve equations. Instill a deep conceptual understanding of mathematics and get them thinking like mathematicians, and you've prepared your students to meet the challenges of the 21st century. That's a message presenters will send at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference, which will be […]
Teacher quality is crucial to the success of schooling, yet the teacher-hiring process is sometimes rushed and ad hoc. A late-summer flurry of activity in which subjective factorsÁ'from where a candidate went to high school to how many resumes an exhausted principal has already reviewedÁ'can weigh as heavily as meaningful evidence of academic achievement or […]
Better ways to use data. High-tech professional development. Differentiated instruction. Some exciting advancements are on the horizon for classrooms in 2015. While they sound technical, the biggest changes aren't going to be driven by an app, a computer program or a new kind of tabletÁ'they will come from new theories about how to engage both […]
