School CIO: Trends & Resources


Writing test offers feedback throughout school year More than 18,000 South Dakota students will participate in a pilot test of a new state writing assessment this spring.
Texas district pioneers one-to-one curriculum Like many of her fellow educators, Dr. Susan Simpson is continually striving for better ways to keep her students actively involved in their classrooms - and their education.
Schools bridge language gap According to a survey released this week, communicating with limited-English speaking students, parents and communities amidst shrinking budgets is a major concern for school districts for the 2010-2011 school year.
Washington HS trains students for IT careers- without college Not every high school student goes to college. Yet that doesn't mean that those students don't have a chance to succeed in the working world
Range of Virginia students benefit from text reader software With nearly 170,000 students statewide qualifying for special education services, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has a ongoing need for technology to support literacy for students with physical and reading disabilities.
Online school runs smoothly with network monitor Originally designed to help reluctant learners gain access to the kind of alternative education they need for credit recovery or supplemental assistance, Class.com has developed into a comprehensive online education service, which helps schools individualize instruction, offer high-quality standards-aligned curriculum, and provide alternatives for students who need new ways to learn.
Handheld pilot program shows early success With 99 schools and over 90,00 students, Fulton County Schools is the fourth largest in Georgia. Its leadership believes in excellence and academic achievement. Many of its leaders also believe that the current generation benefits from the integration of cutting- edge technology into the classroom – and beyond.
The Principal's Tale Many schools are going without necessary new technology or upgrades because of recession belt-tightening. What can one high school principal alone do about such a lack in his school?
Teachers, administrators expand use of recording platform When Jason Murray, technology coordinator for the Cornwall-Lebanon School District in Lebanon County, Pa., visited a fourth grade classroom in 2009, he was excited to see 10-year-old students using technology that had once been reserved solely for adults.
It's 8 A.M. Do you know where your textbooks are? All school districts, whether serving fewer than 900 students or more than 40,000, must keep track of inventory. Textbooks are among the most challenging items to monitor
Student scores rise with teachers' use of video resource When teachers receive high quality professional instruction, does it directly affect their students’ learning and test scores? That’s the question many schools want to answer - before they invest scarce resources in professional development programs.
Educational data system boosts CA district performance The U.S. Department of Education recently released a report, “Use of Education Data at the Local Level: From Accountability to Instructional Improvement," detailing the value that educational data systems can bring to school districts, by providing teachers with timely, relevant information about student performance. Despite this finding, the report notes that only a small minority of districts and schools have made data use a regular part of teachers’ practice.
Cinncinati schools gain bandwidth, save money with WAN management system At CPS, preserving access to education-related content and applications has always been a priority. But, notes Network Administrator Paul Wright, “Our bandwidth resources were being absorbed by file-sharing requests.”
North Carolina virtual school adds streaming digital content Its online courses maximize student interaction in each class, and are taught by highly qualified teachers who use video, interactive whiteboards, wikis, active worlds, and online discussion tools to engage students.
Game-centered learning explored in Michigan pilot program Central to the one-to-one concept is incorporating 21st century methods of teaching and learning, including the use of virtual environments and gaming technologies.
Professional development resource adopted statwide by Hawaii Hawaii’s public schools are guided by these ideals: high expectations of students’ knowledge, ability and passion for learning and high expectations for the performance of teachers and staff at every school.
Virtual storage offers security, space As Pennsylvania schools begin to embrace new one-to-one computing initiatives, students and teachers are gaining valuable technology experience through the use of next-generation Web "lockers" that are simplifying the way they access and store electronic files.
Progress reports for kids, schools benefit Colorado districts The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) and Center for Assessment believe that having a better understanding of student performance and achievement over time is invaluable in providing the best educational environment for their students. So, after a decade of work
Oregon institutes new teacher certification process All states recognize the importance of well-qualified teachers to the progress of their students. One way to ensure quality teachers is to implement a thorough, standards-based, up-to-date test - and a testing procedure that's user friendly.
Three schools, three success stories with targeted instruction In a classroom full of students with diverse needs, teachers are challenged to tailor instruction so every student learns. In a growing number of school districts, the answer to this challenge lies in sophisticated software systems that help individualize teaching
Video camera system provides smart security for NY district Nestled in a valley with rural surroundings, the Onondaga Central School District is located in picturesque upstate New York, just seven miles outside of Syracuse. In light of increasing violence at schools across the country, the school district’s administration wanted to help ensure that students and staff would be safe at all times while on school property.
Electronics, cable offer flexible TV solutions for district Students can watch TV programs on a large projection screen from their desks or anywhere in the classroom, thanks to a specially designed and integrated video and data system that uses a simplified cabling network.
Supportive professional development key to better teaching Technology-based formative assessment is a powerful tool for improving education. However, educators must have the skills to analyze and interpret the data produced. For that reason, a professional development program is essential.
Rhode Island District saves money, time and space with zero-client software “In K-12, IT staffing can be a huge issue for us because each tech is responsible for supporting around 650 PCs. This isn’t a formula for success,” said Mark Lamson, director of technology for the Westerly Public School District. Electrical distribution and space are also issues, Lamson added.
Studies indicate software effective against plagiarism With the tremendous educational technology growth of recent years comes both achievement and peril. Students may use their computers to produce creative work of the highest order -or they may use them to avoid doing any work at all.
Schools turn to online professional development, tools for mentors Successful veteran teachers are being tasked by administrators with providing leadership and coaching to their peers to help them develop effective teaching skills and strategies.
Employment software levels playing field for small districts While many large school districts use sophisticated software systems to automate human resources management, smaller districts have had to make do with cumbersome paper-based systems or spreadsheets.
Vermont district benefits from special education program Rutland City Public Schools, a Vermont district of six schools, strives to do the best for "every student, every day," as its mission statement avers. But how does a small district with a restricted budget do its best for those students who need additional or special attention?
Cleveland schools go electronic for college applications The process of applying for college is a difficult one, even under ideal circumstances.
Florida teachers gain full-time access to digital resources A key goal of the Florida Department of Education’s Digital Educator Program is to is to train educators to integrate technology into their curriculum. Another goal is to facilitate professional development.
District expands use of math video games According to Texas state law, all 8th grade students must pass the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) mathematics test in order to be promoted to the 9th grade. They have three chances before the end of June.
Report Explores K-12 Engineering Possibilities A committee of experts on diverse subjects has attempted to determine the scope of efforts to teach engineering in elementary and secondary schools. Issues include types of curricula and professional development, how engineering education interacts with science, technology, and mathematics, and the impact of initiatives.
Ohio schools add wind energy, save thousands per year Like many K-12 districts, Perkins Local Schools in Sandusky, Ohio, contended with an outdated and inefficient infrastructure. The district’s boiler plant dated back to the 1920s, for instance, and needed an overhaul. Numerous building envelope repairs were required to prevent air loss.
Washington school district standardizes high quality curriculum Bellevue School District (BSD) of Bellevue, Washington has an ambitious statement of purpose clearly displayed on its Internet homepage: Our mission is to provide every student with a top of the line college preparatory education so that they can enter and succeed in the college or university of their choice.
Wireless overhaul yields improved reliability, simplicity Maintaining adequate wireless coverage was a continual battle. Placed on a shelf, a table, or the floor in a classroom, access points were easily moved, unplugged, or even stolen. Without central management, there was no way to know a problem existed until a user complained.
Top Online Degrees Help Teachers Make More Cents Think the current economy should put a pinch on extra spending across the blackboard? Not so. Teachers are hitting the virtual books to pump up their paycheck and ensure job security in a time of declining staff and opportunity for advancement.
The world according to Curtis Bonk In his new book “The World Is Open,” author Curtis Bonk makes bold predictions about a more personalized age of learning. Everyone will need and likely have an electronic coach or e-mentor. By 2020, there will be access to learning gurus who understand the innumerable learning pathways available on the Web.
Web-based assessment tools help schools without burdening network Web-based student-assessment tools are growing in popularity, and this popularity shows no signs of abating. They save time, enable schools to customize remedial or enrichment tools for specific skills, and automate state and national reporting.
Iowa recognizes importance of assistive technology Not every student with a disability needs to be placed in a special education environment. In fact, many don’t. Often, just having a few simple and relatively inexpensive technological aids available in the classroom erases learning disadvantages and simplifies teaching.
The Episcopal Academy in Philadelphia designs new print environment Sometimes, it’s just great to get a fresh start. At The Episcopal Academy in suburban Philadelphia, aging facilities were threatening to hold the schoolback. Buildings were in need of renovation. A hodgepodge of unreliable printers left students andteachers frustrated. In
San Antonio ISD creates new ILP Web-based program The San Antonio Independent School District has purchased Learning Plans on Demand™ for its secondary schools. The Web based program will be used to help teachers quickly create individual learning plans for students without complicated assessments.Betty Burks, deputy superintendent for
Glenwood Springs Elementary implements new ELL program(2) Glenwood Springs Elementary School in Colorado, where almost half of all students enter as English language learners, recently implemented an intervention program to help the ELLs keep up with their native English speaking peers. The program uses Longman Cornerstone, an
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Turns to E-rate Manager for Applicants for Assistance with E-rate Program In 2008, through the E rate program, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools received more than $1 million in funding for vital telecommunications services such as phone and Internet connections. E rate Manager for Applicants, an online suite of tools developed by Funds
YES Prep Public Schools adopts faster PCs NCP engineering GmbH announced that its 64 bit Windows VPN client has helped the YES Prep Public Schools of Houston, TX to adopt faster PCs for its staff. The school system selected the NCP Secure Entry Client because it supported
Albemarle County Public Schools makes AYP Albemarle County Public Schools achieved Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for 2008 09 under the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Albemarle met all 29 benchmarks and indicators of student achievement included in NCLB. To help achieve these results, the
New study shows collaborative teaching more effective A new research study shows how teacher learning teams working collaboratively and following a structured protocol can lead to gains in student achievement. The study, titled Moving the Learning of Teaching Closer to Practice Teacher Education Implications of School Based
Free virtualization assessment CDW Government, Inc. (CDW G), source of Information Technology (IT) solutions to governments and educators, has announced an assessment services offering that enables qualifying K 12 schools, higher education institutions and government agencies to consider the potential benefits of server
Clovis USD chooses thin clients for 1:1 With over 37,500 students in 42 schools, the Clovis Unified School District’s goal of 1 1 computing for students is ambitious, to say the least. The district, located in California’s San Joaquin Valley, is coming closer to achieving its goal
SIIA survey shows schools need to improve IT visions The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) recently released the findings of an annual national education survey that measures U.S. educational institution’s progress toward meeting SIIA’s Vision for K 20. The survey was created to help teachers and administrators make
Data-driven teachers by Dr. Scott McLeod Data driven decision making (DDDM) is a system of teaching and management practices that gets better information about students into the hands of classroom teachers. The five major elements are • good baseline data • measurable instructional goals • frequent
More evidence online learning works A new study examined more than a thousand empirical studies of online learning from 1996 through July 2008. The resulting report, Evidence Based Practices in Online Learning A Meta Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies (2009), found the following
Tennessee school launches netbook program On June 20, Rutherford LEAP announced its selection of the Lenovo IdeaPad S10e netbook as the computer for its pilot program at Kittrell School in Rutherford County (TN) for the upcoming school year.The county’s technical administration team and Rutherford LEAP
New study released on Walden’s master’s educated teachers A recent study titled Linking Teacher Learning to Student Success, conducted by Arroyo Research Services and Tacoma Public Schools, has compared the reading fluency of students taught by Walden University’s master’s educated teachers with students taught by non Walden master’s
Alabama schools overcome data corruption issues Mobile County Public Schools (AL) recently turned to Information Transport Solutions to overcome data corruption issues and update the technology for its K 12 schools. System users were complaining about the slow performance of school based applications, and the IT
Buffalo schools using gaming to teach math Buffalo Public Schools (NY) recently selected DimensionM™ education video games to supplement their math curriculum for 12,000 students in 45 schools. The district will begin using the games during the upcoming summer school session and continue in the fall. Tabula
Illinois districts first to implement Miller & Levine Biology program High school districts in the Illinois counties of Lake, Will, Kendall and Kane will be some of the first to implement Pearson’s new “Miller & Levine Biology” program. Many other Illinois middle and high school students will also use Pearson’s
Virginia schools conduct student performance study In order to meet President Obama’s mandate for education reform, schools in Virginia are implementing learning programs that have shown to improve student performance. The school districts are now using Scott Foresman My Sidewalks, a research based reading solution for
Minnesota middle school chooses StarBoards Hidden Oaks Middle School, located in Prior Lake, MN, has selected Hitachi Software StarBoard interactive whiteboards. The school uses the FXDUO 77 model in math, social studies and English classes.Brent Stufft, English teacher at the middle school, finds the StarBoard
Idaho virtual school selects Starfish student tracking system On June 1, Idaho Distance Learning Academy (IDLA) adopted Starfish Retention Solutions, Inc., a provider of student success systems, to help identify at risk students and connect them with support resources to assist them. IDLA is a state virtual school,
Florida rethinks RTI Florida educators have announced a statewide plan for “response to intervention” and will be targeting individual instruction for students with the help of Pearson, an education and technology company. Pearson has developed a comprehensive suite of K 12 math instruction
TN school finds new tool to better organize data Finding it difficult to evaluate school performance for the No Child Left Behind Act, the Hamilton County Department of Education (HCDE) turned to PASW Modeler data mining software from SPSS Inc. to find a better way to organize information and
Formative assessment gets results in Arizona schools Mesa Public Schools is the largest school district in Arizona, serving 70,000 students in a diverse population east of Phoenix. The district includes two Native American communities, and approximately half the student body is composed of minorities. Mesa Public Schools
Minnesota Online High School delivers virtual PCs The Minnesota Online High School (MNOHS) has selected SIMtone to deliver virtual PC environments to students and faculty of the as part of its Education Thunder Program. The program aims to provide access to full PCs in the cloud to
Follett and Red Rock Reports help schools find AARA funds Follett Software Company recently announced a partnership with RedRock Reports to help states and K 12 school districts identify available ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) funds, and to help find products and communication tools that will address their needs.
Keeping VOIP from Being the Wrong Number Digital phones can save money for schools but there are many pitfalls.
Q&A: Mike Donlin by Sheila Riley Standing up to Cyberbullies
Measuring Up in a Flat World by Karen Greenwood Henke Pioneering groups are reforming curriculum to prepare students for the global digital workforce.
Kids Today by Lindsay Oishi Researcher Peter Grunwald believes students' increasing taste for technology will transform classrooms.
New Congress Likely to Support Net Neutralilty by K.C. Jones Congressional Democrats are backing net neutrality legislation.
Ray Kurzweil: Computers Will Extend Human Lifespan by Sharon Gaudin Assistive technology pioneer Ray Kurzweil dicusses his predictions for the future.
Survey: Everything You Hate about IT by Andrew Conry-Murray In Network Computing's annual poll, technology leaders vent about the challenges they face everyday and how they wish vendors would address their problems.
Google To Let Organizations Create Custom Searches by Thomas Claburn Custom Search Engine lets users optimize Google on their own sites and share revenue from the searches.
Take a Deep Breath by Christopher Heun Biofeedback software is helping students calm down for better test performance.
Web 2.0 Is All about 'Open'-- Except When It Comes to Data by Thomas Claburn At the Web 2.0 Summit, debate spins about on what the right approach is for customer data control.
Gartner: Microsoft May Regret January Vista Launch by Gregg Keizer Will Vista's release hurt the PC industry?
Highlights At Demo Show: Carry Your Desktop On Your iPod, $70 PCs, And Virtual Apps by Charles Babcock Startups vied for attention and weren't shy with the on-stage tricks at this year's coming-out party
MySpace Launches Internet Safety Campaign by Antone Gonsalves The online social network joins Seventeen Magazine and educational groups in new safety campaign.
What Keeps CIOs Awake at Night? by Marianne Kolbasuk McGee Aligning IT and business and attracting and retaining tech talent are among the top CIO concerns, according to the Society for Information Management.
Researchers Challenge Security Data by Tim Wilson Contrary to popular belief, nearly 75 percent of denial-of-service attacks come from a small number of troublemakers.
Sending Kids Back to School with Cell Phones by Laurie Sullivan Although mobile phones are off-limits during school hours, more students are showing up with the devices.
Treating Student Net Addiction by K.C. Jones China's young Internet addicts now have a place to go for the night.
Tech Worker Survey: Happy Days Are Here Again by Marianne Kolbasuk McGee Salaries are rising, jobs are secure, personal finances are solid, and skills in Web services, ERP, .Net, and Java are as hot as the weather outside.
Book Excerpt: Convergence Culture by Henry Jenkins In his latest book, MITâ€™s Henry Jenkins explores how radical media transformations are changing the way we live, work, and learn.
Growing Pains for Managed Services by Lawrence M. Walsh 98 percent of managed services is chaotic, new research reveals.
Grooming the Next Generation of CIOs by Aaron Ricadela Microsoft's Craig Mundie and leading academics discuss the dearth of up-and-coming American computer science talent.
Research: Wireless Laptops Motivate Students by K.C. Jones Students are self-directed and get highly personalized instruction with their own computers and Internet access.
From Boardroom to Classroom by Christopher Heun Customer-centric applications from the business world have the potential to transform schools. But who will invest in the R&D?
Is Centralized IT Killing Tech Innovation? by Thomas Claburn As IT departments must deal with security and cost concerns, many employees see them as keeping them from embracing the best of Web-based tools.
Negroponte Unveils $100 Laptop by W. David Gardner The first working model of the $100 One Laptop Per Child debuts in Boston.
NYC's Ban on Cell Phones in Schools Sparks Challenge by K.C. Jones Many schools did not enforce the policy until last month when security guards used new metal detectors to confiscate more than 800 phones.
Taking Innovation to School by Chris Heun Congress considers additional funding for research and development work focused on applying technology to improve education.
Enterprise VoIP Use Will Double By 2010: Report by Networking Pipeline Staff A new survey from Infonetics Research predicts a sweeping expansion of Voice over IP technology.
Schools Could Be The First In U.S. To Use WiMax by Elena Malykhina The Federal Communications Commission has set a 2008 deadline for schools to either use or auction their portions of the spectrum. Some plan to use it for WiMax.
Spyware and Adware Continue to Plague PCs by Eric Chabrow More businesses deploy anti-spyware apps, while efforts to control the parasitic code are widening as watchdog groups employ new tactics and law enforcement cracks down on suspects.
IE Changes Due: What You Can Expect by Gregg Keizer Microsoft Corp. will release Tuesday a security update for Internet Explorer that will also change how users interact with Web sites.
Ed Tech Boot Camp by Matt Villano The Center for Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education is busy training next-generation school technology officers.
How Big-Business CIOs Allocate Their Dollars See how your district's technology spending priorities compare to those of large companies.
Free For All by Matt Villano CTOs interested in dabbling in the open source software movement will find much to like about The Open CD.
Data Visualization: K-12's Next Killer App? by Matt Villano To see is to believe: Pittsburgh Public Schools is using data visualization software commonly used in intelligence environments to pinpoint key data about its students.
iPods Make the Grade by Matt Villano Virginia Jewell is experimenting with a tech tool that many kids already own: Apple's wildly popular iPod.
CIO Spending Habits A snapshot of operating systems in use on district servers
T&L Announces the 2009 Awards of Excellence Winners Tech & Learning magazine named 65 education technology products as winners in its prestigious 27-year-old recognition program.