District leaders across the country are broadening and personalizing their approaches to attendance because the old way of sending truants and their families to court often fails to bring students back to school. "It's important to get to the root of why students aren't coming to school and be able to align the solution with […]
McPherson Magnet School is part of Orange USD, located in southern California. A K8 magnet school focused on science, math and technology, McPherson has been open since 1997 and serves 900 students. The school's mission includes valuing a range of learning styles, utilizing a variety of learning tools and strategies while extending the learning environment […]
Teaching math in middle school is challenging! Teachers deal with adolescent volatility, a wide variance in student ability, and a surprisingly sophisticated set of mathematical ideas. Adding to these challenges, the new Common Core assessments probe students' understanding of mathematical concepts at a depth not previously widespread on State tests. To combat this, teachers need […]
A truancy reduction bill sponsored by Sen. Aaron Ford, D-Las Vegas, became law on Jan. 1, and could keep kids from getting behind the wheel. When a student between 14 and 18 years old applies for a driver's license, they must now submit a letter from school officials stating that they have met attendance requirements. […]
The New Lenox School District 122 serves 5,400 pre-K through grade 8 students in 12 schools, and is located about 30 miles outside Chicago. The district has been noted for its high levels of achievement, with an average of 85 percent of students meeting or exceeding the Illinois Learning Standards in each of the last […]
When Superintendent Jacqueline M. Horejs arrived at Union School District in San Jose, Calif. in 2006, district enrollment was on a downward spiral. Soon, however, the numbers started climbing. Along with 1,000 new students came a demand for quality before- and after-school childcare for the growing K8 district. Horejs had to look no further than […]