When the central Connecticut town of Cheshire moved to reduce power use, it upgraded six of its eight public schools with the latest internet of things technology. The plan combined energy-efficient LED fixtures with sensors and cloud-based servers that automatically turn the lights off in an empty room or adjust brightness. The district cut its […]
While online curricula platforms have propelled personalized learning to new levels, Coppell ISD in north Texas takes the concepts a step further. Using IBM's MobileFirst iPad app, teachers tap into the internet of things to instantly see all the data collected throughout the school year on any student in class, including test scores, homework and […]
Many districts across the country struggle with increasing demographic homogeneity more than 60 years after the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education. But the Morris School District in northern New Jersey has been hailed as a model for successful integration, in part due to its community's affordable housing and teacher […]
As superintendent of the Franklin County Public Schools, I am always pleased when our programs successfully support our mission, which is "To prepare students for college and career readiness and to become contributing citizens." While we certainly cannot force our students to succeed in school or in life, we certainly can work to prepare them—to […]
Editor's note: DA's new HR column will appear quarterly There is a kind of professional development that we rarely see but that many of us in school leadership could use. Some would call it coaching or mentoring, but what I'm describing is more specific—individualized instruction in an alternative setting off campus. I had just such […]
More than 10 years ago, when she was in sixth grade and her mother was incarcerated, Alisha Murdock skipped classes, fought with other students, got suspended and missed so much school she had to repeat the grade. Murdock says no one at school reached out to help, and she doesn't want today's students to face […]
Los Angeles USD and the New York City Department of Education both received electronic bomb threats on December 15, 2015. LAUSD called off school. New York students remained in class. Which district made the right call? The lack of a clear answer to the question speaks to exactly why district administrators find threat assessment and […]
School districts in Los Angeles and other sanctuary cities are bracing for an impact from President Trump's executive order to withhold federal support from sanctuary cities. LAUSD stands to lose some or even all of its $700 million in federal funding, about 9 percent of its annual budget, says Steve Zimmer, LA's school board president. […]
High school students in the tiny Magazine School District in Arkansas receive three hours of sex education a year in grades 9 through 12—an approach that Superintendent Brett Bunch acknowledges is inadequate.
Student-centered learning is gaining traction in school systems across our nation. School systems are looking to give students greater choice and voice in their learning as they personalize and blend instruction. All of these efforts focus on improved student engagement and student-led learning initiatives. In the Meriden Public Schools, Here Students Succeed. With funding from […]
