| District Office: Part Two (PDF) |  |
| New data collection and analysis tools have emerged in the past decade. These new tools, such as data warehousing and data mining, are now making their way into education. Districts can use these new tools to collect important data, which in turn, can inform their planning and decision-making processes. |  |
| Learning Facts (PDF) | |
| In just the last ten years, goaded by broad and still unsettled cultural shifts, education practices have changed dramatically. Schools are no longer just recording and analyzing inputs -- dollars spent, number of days of instruction, numbers of students per teacher -- but pushing their data-gathering and analysis efforts into the brave new world of outcomes. Who is dropping out and why? Which students are reading at grade level, and which are not? How are 4th graders doing on fractions and decimals? Today's educators are deciphering, and using, the results of student assessments better than ever. And it is not a reform at the margins. This article from the Winter 2007 issue of Education Next takes a close look at three schools that have integrated data into their instructional decision making: Evelyn S. Thompson Elementary School in Aldine, Texas; Feaster-Edison Elementary School in Chula Vista, California; and Elm City College Preparatory School in New Haven, Connecticut. Each has concluded that the practice has helped improve student achievement. | |
| Making Sense Of Student Information | |
| A district discovers the unexpected while implementing a statewide system for reporting and accessing student data. | |
| Guide To Using Data In School Improvement Efforts (PDF) | |
| This guide is designed for educators who are beginning to learn how to use data in their school improvement planning process. Because most educators are not trained in data-driven decision making and planning, it is necessary to begin with a foundation on which to build processes for data use. The guide offers some foundational information on types of data, strategies for analyzing and understanding data, and methods for determining how these efforts can influence goals and planning. There are additional resources in the Appendix. | |
| District Office: Part One (PDF) | |
| The collection and use of data are critical for documenting successful programs that should be expanded and for identifying those programs for which alternative strategies are needed. Data allows district leaders to demonstrate effectiveness necessary to make programmatic and funding decisions. | |
| How To Buy A Student Information System | |
| Imagine you are planning and implementing a new student information system (SIS) for your school district. This scenario is exactly that faced by Maryland's Prince George's County Public Schools. Prince George's County CIO Wesley Watts was charged with defining technical requirements, selecting a vendor, and implementing an SIS that meets the district's current and anticipated future needs. This is his story. | |
| Civic Center: Part One (PDF) | |
| When there is representation and communication among all stakeholders in strategic planning for education, the community can reach across boundaries to find solutions that benefit students and support the broader community. As technology and software continue to evolve, schools and districts have taken steps to align technology with their teaching needs and to provide the technology students need. With a systemic approach to technology, needs can be prioritized and budget funding allocated where they are most needed. | |
| Developing Minds | |
| The UrbanPlan curriculum is a three week project-based learning exercise that has been implemented in schools across the nation. Teams of high school juniors and seniors compete to win the redevelopment contract for a decaying neighborhood in the fictitious city of Yorktown. The curriculum combines government and economics classes and applies them to real-world situations. | |
| Las Vegas: Environments | |
| In Clark County, NV, two schools have built unique learning labs with help from community members. One school built a 1 million dollar rainforest biosphere and a second built a replica of a silver mine. Students learn about concepts in history, earth science, geology, etc - all while having a fun, hands-on learning experience. Community members funded and built both labs, and they often volunteer as guides in the labs. | |
| How To: Get A Whole Community On Board For School Reform | |
| The author highlights a school district in Alaska which underwent significant reforms when a new superintendent was hired in 1994. He engaged the community and developed a standards-based system that has become a model for other school districts. | |
| Around The Clock Learning | |
| Spry Community School is a new school model in Chicago. This school combines pre-K through high school students into one space where K-8 starts at 9am, and High School runs from 11-7pm. The school aims for a 100% graduation rate, and its philosophy is that the greatest influence on students is family, and the greatest influence on family is community; therefore, they aim to be a resource for continuous community learning and involvement. Spry offers programs such as partnerships with hospitals where students serve as interns, a high school-elementary school tutoring program, and an afterschool program that teaches computer and life skills. | |
| Vegas Virtual | |
| Clark County, in Las Vegas, has a virtual school program which serves approximately 4,500 students. Online education allows students to have more control over their curriculum. Both teachers and students cite increased communication, access, and convenience as benefits of online learning; however, they acknowledge that in order to be successful, students must be self-motivated. | |
| Online Learning: School Goes High Tech | |
| The Florida Virtual School started in 2000 and is the first internet-based public school in the country. In Florida, some students are faced with a lack of qualified teachers or access to courses, and FLVS fills these gaps. The school serves grades 7-12 but does not offer a diploma. Teachers like FLVS because they feel that they can relate to their students more while online and get to know them better. Students enjoy the flexibility, increased support, and one-on-one attention that FLVS provides; however, they caution that procrastination is not acceptable in this environment. | |
| Online Learning: West Virginia Virtual School | |
| In West Virginia, 7th and 8th grade students are required to take a language. In rural school where there is a shortage of language teachers, the students can take online langugage courses through the West Virginia Virtual School. Teachers instruct large groups via speakerphone, and each student uses a Wimba to exchange individual voice messages and recordings with their teachers. A classroom facilitator monitors the students as they engage in online activities during the day. | |
| Virtual High School: Education On Demand | |
| The Virtual High School is a non-profit collaboration between 300 high schools in 26 states and 16 countries. VHS offers students over 150 courses. Each participating school lends a course to VHS and agrees to free up a teacher to instruct students online. The goal is to build a community of learners and engage students online. Students learn 21st century skills, and kids at all levels are able to accelerate their learning. Teachers also learn a new way of teaching and interacting with students. | |
| Schools As Hubs Of The Community | |
| The West Des Moines school district in Iowa believes that their schools should serve as magnet for community activies, cultural enrichment, and social services for both students and community members. All 15 schools are open day and night, 7 days per week, for use by everyone in the community. The Community Education Program coordinates over 400 classes and social services at the school. The belief in West Des Moines is that education and technology creates equal opportunity, and they hope to instill a culture of learning throughout their entire community. | |
| Hula To High Tech | |
| Nuuanu Elementary School in HI integrates technology and hands-on learning into lessons at every grade-level. From producing a newscast to following sea turtles to studying streams, every student is exposed to technology at an early age to become comfortable with the tools, and to connect them to the world. The community is involved with the school, and they can view the many videos that students post on their website. | |
| Instruments Of Learning | |
| At Bay Shore Schools, music is infused into the curriculum at every level, from first through 12th grade, because they believe that music education is important for development. Every student takes a general music class, where they use computer programs to play and experiment with virtual instruments. In High School, students use technology to compose music and create multimedia events. The technology at Bay Shore is simply a tool used to facilitate creativity. | |
| Schools Confront A Virtual World | |
| Second Life is quickly growing in popularity as a way for users to virtually interact within a sophisticated online community. While some schools are reluctant to introduce Second Life into instruction, others see it as a way to engage a new generation of students. | |
| Middle School: Part Five (PDF) | |
| The use of technology can bring experiences into the classroom that would otherwise be unavailable, impossible, or at the very least difficult to accomplish. Simulations are a dynamic visual resource for introducing and teaching complex concepts. Depending on the medium, they can be sourced, saved, and rerun at any point in the learning process. Simulations can allow students to test their hypotheses, validate or invalidate assumptions, and run multiple what if scenarios that might otherwise be too costly, too difficult, or too dangerous to undertake in reality. While simulations are most often associated with sciences, they can be an engaging and effective way to teach complex concepts in many other disciplines as well. Also, giving students the opportunity to combine technology experiences with hands-on activities helps demonstrate the value of the technology for design and planning and the limitations of simulations relative to real-world development. Finally, giving students the chance to present their work to an audience of other students, parents, or community members can elevate the level of their work. | |
| A New Way To Teach: Begin With The End | |
| At the Marin School of Arts and Technology, teachers have implemented a project-based learning curriculum. Students work in the field, take their data back to the labs, and ultimately present their findings through digital media. School administrators believe that the students should be doing the learning work in project based learning, not the teachers. However, this curriculum requires teachers to brainstorm and work together to develop questions and projects for their students. | |
| Cinema Program: Cultivating A Career In Film | |
| At the Northeast School of the Arts, students are engaged in a filmaking class which instructors use a context for developing their thinking and writing skills. Students document school projects and trips in the class, and their films have been screened at festivals. The students learn how to write and develop a storyline, all while realizing that their stories do matter, and that the public is interested in what they have to say. | |
| Engineering Success: Students Build Understanding | |
| Freshmen at Aviation High School participated in a 6 month long project where they worked in teams of three to build an airplane wing. Project-based learning is prevalent in all subjects at Aviation High. This project was designed to make science and engineering seem more accessable to students. Local engineers analyzed their results and listened to student presentations, and there was time to provide feedback at the end, because the philosophy at Aviation High is that reflection is equated with retention. | |
| Las Vegas: C.P. Squires Elementary | |
| The C.P. Squires Elementary School meets the needs of english language learners, both in school and out of school. About 90 percent of their student popoulation does not speak english, so reading is the main focus at the school. Teachers reinforce english language skills through a variety of methods, and by first grade, 98% of students demonstrate mastery of letters and sounds. Technology is an important part of the process; each student works on the computer and recieves individualized instruction. There are also many after school and adult programs to enrich the students and their families. | |
| No Gamer Left Behind | |
| Games and simulations are an effective way for students to learn the skills that they will need in the 21st century; however, many schools have not implemented these new technologies. Proponents of serious games argue that simulations tap into students' interests and allow them to channel their energy in a positive manner. The McKinley Technical High School in Washington DC is an example of a school which has turned itself around by incorporating games and simulations into its curriculum. Kids at McKinley see the connections between their academic subjects and the real world, and they have been very successful. Students enjoy the school atmosphere and report that the energy in their classrooms motivates them to learn more. | |
| The Global Dimension: Walter Payton High School | |
| Walter Payton College Prep in Chicago infuses a global perspective into every subject that they teach in order to achieve their goal of teaching students to be global citizens and leaders. Four years of language studies are recommended for students. The school hosts many international visitors to gain a global perspective. Technology plays a key role, both within the school and as a means to connect students to real-world experts and to their international sister schools. | |
| High School Library: Part One (PDF) | |
| Technology can provide students unprecedented opportunities to express their creativity and harness new media. From digital storytelling to movies, podcasts, presentations, games, and simulations, new technology tools are available that even young children can use effectively to share their ideas, explore art and expression, and demonstrate what they know. Because of the participatory nature of these projects, most require students to plan, design, and script or storyboard before they even begin production. They also almost always require students to work collaboratively, negotiating ideas and sharing responsibilities. | |
| Middle School: Part Three (PDF) | |
| For teachers to successfully prepare students to be self-directed life-long learners, they must be self-directed life-long learners themselves. Teachers need time to explore the expanding digital landscape, to learn to use new digital tools, and to develop new ways to bring these experiences into their classrooms. If we want our children to become the innovators and inventors of the 21st century, we must allow our teachers to model experimentation and innovation. Time for personal exploration with technology promotes operational proficiency and can inspire creativity, innovation, and invention. | |
| The Practical Principals | |
| Two principals, Melinda Miller, principal at Willard East Elementary just outside of Springfield, Missouri and Scott Elias, the 11th grade 11th grade assistant principal at Loveland High School in Loveland, Colorado are using podcasts and blogs to share their practice with other principals and to connect with the community and districts they serve. They have a shared podcast called Pratical Principals for sharing their insights with others and both have individual blogs. Miller has a school based podcast. These sites that serve as examples of some of the ways that technology can help support communication among staff and community. But they also raise issues about privacy and what is appropriate to share with the internet world about a school. | |
| Superintendents Use Blogs As Outreach Tool | |
| As school district leaders look to improve stakeholder relations across their districts, some superintendents are experimenting with a tool more commonly associated with tech-savvy students and teachers than administrators: the blog. | |
| Exhibition Night 2006 | |
| This video shows students demonstrating their projects to the school community in the form of exhibitions. Exhibitions are a great way of moving learning out of the classroom and into the community as parents and community members benifit from the learning efforts of the students. | |
| Learning By Design | |
| The Build San Francisco Institute is a small school which was created through a partnership between the Architecture Foundation of San Francisco and the San Francisco Unified School District. This school targets students who haven't performed well in traditional schools. They come to the Institute three days per week and work on projects there that satisfiy core curricular objectives in math and the arts. They complete design challenges and apply math and art to real-world problems. Seniors also intern with design firms twice a week. The Institute's policy is to not accept second-rate work, because this is unacceptable in the real world. Students report that they have a more positive attitude after working at the Institute, and that they enjoy the collaborative atmosphere. | |
| Board, Superintendent Relations | |
| This article discusses how school board members in one district modeled leadership and technology use by going paperless. | |
| Home: Part One (PDF) | |
| Online courses can enable schools to expand student learning opportunities. Schools can offer subjects on which no local expertise is available, that only a few students are interested in, or that are unavailable because of traditional scheduling. This is particularly true for languages, advanced course topics, and college preparatory courses, but online courses can also be invaluable in helping students who are struggling or who have dropped out and wish to recover the credits necessary to graduate. | |
| High School: Part Three (PDF) | |
| By using such tools as e-mail and Web 2.0 information-sharing tools enhanced with video, students can connect with native-language-speaking teachers, mentors, and peers from around the world to share cultural information as well as conversational practice. These interactions offer opportunities for language learning, for increasing global awareness, and for modeling international collaboration. | |
| High School Classroom: Part Four (PDF) | |
| Technology can allow schools to connect with outside experts in real time. Whether it is a local businessperson or a university expert, technologies such as videoconferencing can link professionals and schools over long distances. By linking experts where they work with students in schools, opportunities for collaboration are expanded as no one has to travel and the expert can resume to work as soon as the session is over. By reducing the amount of time it takes to participate, more frequent collaborations may be possible. | |
| In Some L.A. County Libraries, Video Games And Noise Are Welcome | |
| Some school libraries are turning to video games to connect with teenagers who have outgrown story time. Almost a quarter of libraries surveyed last year by Syracuse University's School of Information Studies had put on video game events. | |
| Success Spoken Here | |
| The John Stanford International School fosters an appreciation of diversity among its students. The school provides a multicultural perspective to children, technology is integrated into art and music, and there is a great deal of parental and community involvement. The most important feature of the school is its language immesion program though; students learn math and science in either Spanish or Japanese. | |
| Around The World With Technology | |
| Since the onset of the internet, teachers and students have found strong learning outcomes from having students engage cross-classroom, cross-community collaboration. This article profiles two of the organization that lead the way in using technology to provide this opportunities for teachers and students to learn. The international Education and Resource Network (www. iEARN.org), provides a high quality set of cross-classroom projects that have been designed by students and teachers working on human needs, and environmental issues. The Global Schoolnet Foundation (www.gsn.org) also includes a project registry and sponsors the International Cyberfair contest each year that inspires thousands of students to engage in service learning partnerships in their local community. The students bring their technology skills to help community efforts provide a range of social services. | |
| Home: Part Four (PDF) | |
| The Internet and telecommunications networks can be an important part of a community's communications system for both routine information and especially emergency information. Through applications like automated telephone messages, text messaging, e-mail, and websites, schools can alert community members about a wide range of topics from routine changes in scheduling and reminders for upcoming events to dismissal, lockdown, evacuation, or other information critical in an emergency. | |
| High School: Part One (PDF) | |
| Mobile technologies and new information distribution models make it possible to provide on-demand multimedia learning opportunities. Innovations such as podcasts enable the creation of audio or video lessons that can be stored on the web and delivered to computers, iPods, and other handheld devices. Podcasts can be as short or as long as necessary to convey the topic at hand, and because they can be played on mobile devices means that they can be used for "just-in-time" learning, in addition to supporting formal instruction. | |
| I've Got A Palm In My Pocket | |
| This article describes the first phase of research on using palm pilots to increase student achievement in an inclusive classroom with 28 sixth grade students, 6 of whom could be considered to have special needs. | |
| Apple Podcasting In Education Video Series | |
| A three part series that explores (1) what podcasting is; (2) how standards can be met with podcasting; and (3) an administrators view on podcasting. |