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The article presents a profile of Brad Saron, the superintendent of Cashton Public Schools in Wisconsin. A discussion of his implementation of high technologies into his school district is presented which includes the use of wireless Internet, iPod Touches, and interactive whiteboards to enhance the students' learning experience. His expansion of summer school opportunities, commitment to the health and well-being of the students, and leadership as a rural educator are also discussed.

The article discusses what school districts can do to ensure students' online safety. Some schools use the curricula to teach lessons on Internet safety and security measures. It is noted that teachers may need more training to feel confident to teach Internet safety and a survey of teachers found that many felt their districts needed to do more to promote Internet safety teaching. Web 2.0 tools, it is noted, could be used to keep children safe.

The article discusses the efficacy of creating partnerships between school districts and nonprofit or government agencies that allow such groups to use school buildings. The program is called 21st Century Community Learning Centers and is being promoted by U.S. president Barack Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. The benefits of the partnerships include financial incentives, school improvement, and professional development for teachers.

The article reports on an increase in the number of virtual schools, including charter schools, in the U.S. that are offering full time programs for students in which all courses are taken online and are interactive. A discussion of research which is being conducted in an effort to determine whether virtual schools are effective academically and offer students social opportunities is presented. The role parents play in virtual education is discussed.

The article discusses the use of social networking media by school districts in the U.S. to share information about school events. Houston Independent School District's Superintendent Terry Grier posted text messages on Twitter to communicate with the staff and community. Salt Lake City School District's communication officer Jason Olsen says they post on the Twitter and Facebook Web sites.

The article discusses how U.S. economic stimulus funds will aid school districts. The author notes recommendations from Daniel A. Domenech, director of the American Association of School Administrators, that stimulus funds should be spent on equipment and supplies rather than salaries. Stimulus funds will be distributed as Title 1 funds, school improvement grants, preschool education, educational technology grants and the stabilization of state school budgets.

The article discusses educational technology for foreign language instruction. The author notes the use of multimedia computer systems for language laboratories and how videoconferencing allows students from different nations to communicate. Blogging tools can allow students to engage in discussions in foreign languages. Multimedia programs and electronic pen pal web sites can also enhance language instruction. Educational software can be used in dual-immersion language programs.

The article discusses preparation programs for public school principals. Because of federal legislation like the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, principals must focus on improving student performance and moving from an administrative goal to becoming heavily involved in assessment. The author examines curriculum planning and data analysis training for principals.

The article offers information on the key principles to enhance K12 leadership at school districts in the U.S. Douglas Reeves, founder of the Leadership and Learning Center in Colorado, mentioned some simple principles that can help K12 leaders be more effective in creating and communicating objectives to staff and improving accountability. Reeves added that teachers and staff bring about change by seeing and buying into benefits of new initiatives.

The article focuses on the development of educational leadership. It explains that certain principles can help educators improve their leadership, such as narrowing goals, keeping the community informed, and maintaining good communication with the school's teachers and staff. The importance of observing successful leadership in schools is also explored. INSET: Leadership Tools.

The article reports on the development of advertising in school buses of school districts in the U.S. Cherry School District in Colorado set up print ads in buses to fund a tracking system that will help locate their buses but administrators are pressed to weigh the value of revenue gained against intrusion of commercial interests into school life. Cobb County School District installed music programming in buses which include music, news and safety measures that cater to the needs of students.

The article reviews several electronic substitute management software including SubFinder from CRS Inc., AESOP from Frontline Placement Technologies and SmartFindExpress from eSchool Solutions Inc.

The article shares the steps taken by school superintendents in the U.S. in the wake of deadly school violence. According to James Walpole of Platte Canyon School District 1 in Bailey, Colorado, school districts need to establish a positive relationship with law enforcement aside from security training. Tom Andres of Weston School District in Cazenovia, Wisconsin, says that access and communications are important areas in school security.

The article presents views of school administrators regarding educational technology. The author notes recommendations regarding the use of iPod music players to improve reading comprehension, student response systems that allow teachers to assess student learning and broadband Internet in schools to promote educational cooperation. The acquisition of laptop computers for student use and incorporation of cell phones into lessons are also suggested.

The article reports on aspects of recruiting special education teachers. School climate, administrative leadership, and support from principals are cited as priorities in successful recruitment. Other topics include mentoring programs, teacher networking, reducing extracurricular assignments, and retention rates for special education teachers.

The article discusses the effectiveness of body mass index programs at schools in the United States. The programs, which strive to make students healthier, measure children's weight and notify parents of the results. Critics say that most parents are not receptive to the results, and they should be allowed to opt out of the programs. INSET: BMI: NOT THE ONLY WAY.

The article discusses the efforts of U.S. philanthropist Eli Broad to improve K12 urban public education. He founded the organization Board Foundation to bring into the world of urban public education the best practices of management and governance used in business. The foundation started a 10-month executive management program, the Broad Superintendents Academy, designed to recruit and prepare educational leaders from various backgrounds such as military, business and nonprofit.

The article profiles Krista Parent, superintendent of the South Lane School District in Cottage Grove, Oregon. Parent was a former physical education teacher. She was named the 2007 National Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators and ARAMARK Education. As superintendent, Parent implemented several innovative changes at Cottage Grove High School.

The article presents an interview with M. Mohsin Dada, the assistant superintendent for business services at Community Consolidated School District 54 in Schaumburg, Illinois. He was asked what considerations should CFOs keep in mind when designing a health care management plan for a district. He gave information about the health plan designed by him that took on the problem of health care-inflation. He was asked to assess the plan's success.

The article examines how the Palm handheld computer technology is helping children with autism and Asperger's syndrome who receive special education at Birdville High School, Texas. The use of handheld computers has improved social interaction, and increased children's interest in educational activities. With the help of computers, students suffering from autism and Asperger's syndrome can write stories, take pictures, make voice recordings and do things which develop their creative interests.

The article reports that an economic crisis in the United States in 2008 has left many students homeless. Students who lose their homes because of foreclosures will most likely suffer from poor academic performance and behavioral problems, according to Phillip Lovell, the vice president for educational policy at children's advocacy group First Focus. The author examines ways for schools to deal with the problem.

The article discusses how the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Public Schools (PPS) district is attempting to improve teacher recruiting and training with assistance from the business sector. The Empowering Effective Teachers plan, which has received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to pair novice teachers with experienced teachers. Students from the University of California proposed solutions for student services at PPS as part of the Educational Leadership Case Competition.

The article discusses the Tangipahoa Parish School System in Tangipahoa, Louisiana. The author notes that the district utilized economic stimulus funds from the U.S. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to purchase desktop virtualization software from the computer firm NComputing. The virtual desktops allowed multiple students to use a single computer, reducing costs and electric power needs.

The article profiles the energy performance contracting of the Warren County R-III School District in Missouri. Superintendent John Long thought of performance contracting because the elementary and middle school campus in his district needed renovations that would modernize the facility and lower energy and maintenance costs. The tax-exempt lease-purchase agreement, which funded the project's window replacement, asbestos removal, and electrical systems upgrades, is discussed.

The article discusses a partnership between San Jose, California and the city's Union School District to reduce waste in landfills and promote recycling. Compostable supplies were purchased for the district's cafeterias. Educational materials on recycling were distributed and surplus supplies were auctioned off, reducing storage needs and generating revenue.

The article discusses accreditation for K12 schools in the United States. Schools that lose accreditation do not only lose the public's confidence in their education, they also make students ineligible to apply to some colleges and scholarships. The author examines the accreditation process for these schools.

The article discusses a report from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) titled "The Family: America's Smallest School." The report outlines several social factors that exist outside of the school environment and weigh heavily on a child's achievement on standardized tests. The factors discussed include residence with one or two parents, reading with adults, and time spent watching television.

The article reports on the ruling given by Judge Sharon Gleason to the lawsuit brought by teachers, parents and educational advocacy group alleging that state officials in Alaska were violating the constitution by providing inadequate funding for educational institutions. Gleason ruled that the state should improve its oversight of underperforming school districts to ensure that students are receiving adequate education to be able to use the high school exit exam.

The article reviews the Web-based application software V-Soft from RaptorWare.

The article reports on the collaboration between the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education (NUA) and the Jerusalem-based International Center for the Enhancement of Learning Potential (ICELP) to ensure that children of color are not wrongly placed in special education in the U.S. The two organizations have agreed to allow NUA mentors to be trained in ICELP's research-based interventions, including the Learning Potential Assessment Device.

The article reports on the implication of Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology on the call programs of school districts in the U.S. They used VoIP to save costs by routing calls through a data network and applied advanced functionalities for effective communication including wireless VoIP phones and videoconferencing. They installed phones in administrative offices, teacher workrooms and some classrooms to record student attendance and intend to add weather news on the VoIP telephones.

The article presents a problem of Donald Putnam, principal of Riverside Middle School in Evans, Georgia, concerning the manual filling of teacher observations and evaluations. With the use of document workflow and imaging archiving software from AIG Technology, the process has become paperless and classroom observations have become electronic. The school has also taken the technology one step further by incorporating hand-held Tablet Personal Computers and a wireless network.

The article reports that the Indianapolis Public Schools in Indiana has streamlined the process for the tutoring services to low-income students under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. According to the article, the district's participation rate is among the highest in the United States. It adds that more than 60 percent of Indianapolis' 3,500 eligible students signed up for free tutoring in the 2006 school year.

The article reports on U.S. President George W. Bush's proposed 2008 education budget. The Bush Administration emphasizes in its budget the importance of high school reform. It proposed an increase of Title I money for high schools but reduced funds for vocational education and a technology assistance program.

The article focuses on the strategies of the finalists of the American Association of School Administrators' 2007 National Superintendent of the Year Award in boosting student achievement. Susan Andrews of the Harris County School District creates an alternative high school for failing students. Larry Nyland of the Marysville School District wants to improve professional development. Krista Parent of the South Lane School District encourages the participation of school principals.

The article reports on the impact of the No Child Left Behind legislation on the various racial subgroups in Texas. The bill had excluded Asians and Native American as subgroups because they believed that the populations were too small to be reliable. However, spokeswoman for Texas Education Agency DeEtta Culbertson states that even the students will not have a subgroup, their test results will ascertain if a school or district will conform to its overall adequate yearly progress targets.

The article reports that states have adopted new exit exam requirements for high school students in school year 2005, according to a study conducted by the Center on Education Policy in the United States. A total of 25 states either already have or are phasing in exit exam graduation requirements. The emphasis on graduation tests has not improved educational outcomes.

The article reports on the removal of the Rosemont Elementary/Middle School from the takeover list of the Baltimore City Public School System, when Coppin State University (CSU) took over its management and administrative supervision. The performance of its students has also improved. CSU is confident it could help the children through group work and other extracurricular activities.

The article focuses on the concern of education officials about the enrollment of some students in public and private colleges without a high school diploma or equivalent degree such as General Educational Development in the U.S. According to a survey by the Department of Education, about two percent of college students were enrolled without a diploma or equivalent degree in 2003-2004. Such students must first pass a federally approved test before receiving federal financial aid.

The article offers information from the federal report "The Condition of Education 2006," by the U.S. National Center for Education Statistics. According to the report, American high school students fall behind compared with students from other countries. The conclusion is based from the results of the different tests administered internationally in reading, science, and mathematics, which targeted different age groups.

The article presents the corporate profile of School District of Indian River County in Florida. The district uses Performance Matters software system in which it gives administrators, principals and teachers to access students' state and local assessment data, grades, and disciplinary records. However, the software produces color-codes charts that school staff can track cohorts of students.

The article reports that public health officials are telling school districts to be prepared should the bird flu virus evolve to the point where it can spread easily from person to person. There have been 194 reported human cases of the H5N1 virus, which has been attributed to exposure to infected poultry. The fatality rate of more than 50 percent are alarming public health officials, which prompted them to warn school districts.

The article focuses on the problem as well as the solution regarding the professional development needs of the Granite School District in the northern part of Utah's Salt Lake County. It had an online system for teachers but the administrators needed a more approachable web-based portal to meet a teacher's specific needs for professional development offerings. The solution to this was found in TrueNorthLogic, a web-based computer system that facilitated self-assessment to the teachers. Not only to teachers, it helped even principals and administrators to find out the areas to be focused on by their teachers.