By relying on abstract examples and simplistic advice like "be kind," bullying prevention campaigns frequently exclude the most common and severe forms of bullying. What most bullying prevention efforts fail to mention is that the most severe and pervasive cases of bullying are actually instances of identity-based harassment and violence. Bullying prevention campaigns and policies […]
It hardly seems possible, but it's happening: Students have gotten so fed up that they've resorted to legal action to get the education they need to become productive citizens. It's a sad scene if students aren't exposed to the basics of how local government works or how decision-makers are held accountable by the citizens they […]
The Bethel School District's failure to pass its fourth school construction bond in three years illustrates why the state Legislature needs to scrap the requirement that school construction bonds win at least 60 percent of the vote. This unreasonably high bar for passing school bonds dooms many important projects to failure. or years, students in […]
Q & A with Laura Spencer, Executive Director, Innovation and Design, Del Mar Union, San Diego, California How is your district driving innovation? We are in an unrelenting pursuit of the extraordinary school experience. With technology, you can never say, "OK, we're done; we got there." It's constantly evolving. And the only way to get […]
The more education goes digital, the more important it is to safeguard digital assets and data. But security and privacy issues are more critical and complex than ever. With budgets stretched to the breaking point, how do you implement a privacy and security strategy that makes the most of scarce resources? Intel Education can show […]
When school leaders want to bring innovative practices to classrooms, what's the greatest challenge that stands in their way? Lack of funding? Inadequate in-house expertise? According to a recent SpeakUp survey (DAmag.me/su), 46 percent of administrators point to one key factor above most others: teacher motivation. This finding makes intuitive sense. Teaching children is no […]
Dyslexia legislation is important so that students are not left to "wait to fail" before receiving screening, diagnosis and evidence-based instruction. New legislation in Massachusetts now requires the state education department to issue guidelines about screening procedures and protocols for students that show neurological learning disability indicators.
Today's most progressive language instruction covers more than speech. Educators now work to build students' fluency in the culture behind the words. Global competency, also called "interculturality" has emerged as a priority in districts seeking to develop students' understanding of both their own and other cultures, says Jacqueline Van Houten, world language instructional lead for […]
American schools have become increasingly data-driven in many important ways. School officials often rely on measurement and data for long-term strategic planning, budgeting and curriculum selection. However, they often do not evaluate school safety with the same level of care and accuracy. In providing oversight for security, climate and emergency preparedness assessments for more than […]
More school districts now operate winter- and spring-break academies as a way for students to recover missing credits and to increase their chances of on-time graduation. Minneapolis Public Schools offers classes during vacations at about 20 high schools. Students can complete courses, retake classes they've failed or even get a jump-start on other work. The […]
