Evergreen Public Schools hosted its first Game Design Expo in Vancouver, Washington, showcasing more than 50 video games and interactive apps developed by nearly 70 high school students. Throughout a semester-long design class, students created mini-games to learn the cause-and-effect logic behind programming. Producing a story, game or interactive app for the expo motivated the […]
Advocates of design thinking in education know what you've heard. "Its hard to look at design thinking and not see it as a buzzword" says Ryan Bretag, director of instructional innovation at Glenbrook High Schools District 225 outside Chicago. "When we narrow down design thinking to just a bunch of steps that you can follow […]
Teachers in the Susquehanna Township School District are finding success with their new curriculum mapping program using Chalk. With it, they can easily locate and align state standards with lesson plans, and if they have any questions, they can get live technical assistance through "Mr. Chalk" an online chat feature operated by company employees. Mr. […]
We know from personal experience as principals and superintendents, and from research, that it takes a dynamic leader with a particular set of skills and knowledge to turn around a school or school system. Sadly, there are thousands of schools across the country that are chronically low-performing, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Layer […]
Today's education leaders increasingly take it upon themselves to tackle the external challenges their students and teachers confront beyond school hours. These varied solutions also stretch back into classrooms to enhance instruction and increase achievement. The 45 schools and systems recognized by this year's District of Distinction program have created homegrown initiatives to support students' […]
When Jeremy Baugh took over as principal at Lew Wallace School 107 in Indianapolis in 2014, half of his staff was new. The school had struggled with teacher retention, which was reflected in student success. Only 22 percent of kindergarten students were achieving at grade level. The school's 600 students come from 37 countries and […]
Math understanding at the elementary and middle school levels has increased over the last 30 years, but has stagnated in high school. In its 2018 report "Catalyzing Change in High School Mathematics" The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has issued a call to action to drastically change the way math is taught so that […]
Many of us know that the explosion of digital publishing allows educators to share our respective stories. One option that education leaders are using is blogging. The number of education blogs is quickly expanding. Many superintendents know that publishing a regular blog is a great way to accomplish a variety of communication goals—these include sharing […]
Incorporating high-quality resources to support ELL students can have a stark impact on whether they succeed. At High School of World Cultures, we have been able to pinpoint four best practices for evaluating ELL resources. Editor's note: District Administration welcomes the insights and opinions of educators and administrators on all topics. If you would like to […]
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires all Title I schools to use evidence-based educational activities. It is crucial that administrators understand not only how the law defines evidence-based, but also how to apply that definition to their decision-making process when selecting the resources that will meet their district's needs. This web seminar featured a […]
