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December 30, 2006

New Technology Makes Schools A Safer Place

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , — admin @ 8:02 pm

With safety at schools and making sure teachers and pupils are safe and protected at all times this article looks at some of ways in which modern technology is being used to make our schools a safer place.

What’s the most important thing about schools and the education system? There’s likely to be many different answers to this question depending on whether you’re a parent, a teacher, a school governor or indeed a pupil.

There’s one thing that virtually everyone will agree on though and that is making sure our schools and nurseries are safe environments. So with safety perhaps the major issue with modern schools what steps can schools take to make sure their school is as safe as possible?

Here are just 5 ways in which schools can use new technology to make sure their staff, pupils and the school is as safe as possible:

CCTV (Closed-Circuit Television)

With over 4.2 million CCTV camera’s in the UK alone (one for every 14 people) this method of security is now common place. CCTV is used for a wide variety of things but for schools the use of CCTV allows for the monitoring of property and people. There has been much debate over the effectiveness of CCTV as a means of crime prevention but capturing criminal or anti-social behaviour both inside and outside of schools can certainly lead to action being taken against the culprits and also hopefully reduce the likelihood of it even happening in the first place.

Security Lighting

As the dark winter nights are now upon us and with children and teachers often starting and ending school in darkness (or dusk) then having adequate lighting is very popular. Security lighting can act in 2 ways. Firstly it gives pupils and employees more confidence by providing a well lit and seemingly safe environment. Not only that security lighting may also deter would be criminals and trouble makers.

Intruder Alarms

You’re lying in bed fast asleep having a wonderful dream when BANG, a car alarm goes off and interrupts your peaceful sleep. And stays on for what seems like an eternity. It finally gets turned off and you can’t back to sleep! Sound familiar?

Is so you’ll know what impact an intruder alarm can have. For schools this is important as depending on the type of alarm you have it can alert other teachers, school workers, school children and/or the police.

The result hopefully being that whatever caused the alarm to be activated, stops. And you, your school and your staff and pupils are safe.

Access Control Panels

These can be used by schools to prevent access to the building or to specific areas within the school. They can be used to make staff feel safer and to prevent unwanted visitors to certain areas.

Two Way Radio

The mobile phone has meant it is easier than ever to stay in touch but mobile phones suffer from cost issues and lack of coverage which means they aren’t used by schools. The good news for schools is that modern Two Way Radio allows employees (from teachers to ground staff) to stay in touch wherever they are for just the cost of the actual handset. No ongoing costs and a fast and highly effective way to stay in touch both within the school and on field trips make Two Way Radio a must for any school with a focus on security and safety.

For information on Two Way Radios and how they can be used in your school visit Apex Radio Systems at .apexradio.co.uk. Apex Radio are the UK’s Leading Providers of Radio Equipment to Schools through their School Watch scheme and now have the brand new ICOM F25SR Handset which gives Schools an affordable and mobile way to stay in touch.

Make sure your School, your staff and your pupils are secure and safe and make sure modern technology works for you.

New Orleans Schools Reach Out To Parents

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , — admin @ 2:51 pm

The unsuccessful state of public schools in the nation is epitomized by the devastation of the city of New Orleans and the New Orleans Schools. Inner city and racial achievement gaps that had been ignored before Hurricane Katrina were impossible to ignore once the districts had to be rebuilt. The biggest challenge in rebuilding the New Orleans Schools seems to reflect the overall problem with public education in the United States. While everyone seems to have an opinion, no one really knows the best way to educate our children.

Helping Parents Adapt to the New Orleans Schools

Many former students of the New Orleans Schools are still scattered in other cities around the nation. But for those who returned to the emerging new system, the past school year has been confusing and often frenzied. Low-income parents and parents with little education are rarely comfortable in academic settings. But these are the people who the New Orleans Schools need to reach out to most.

A coalition of community groups has come together to create a parents’ guide to the new New Orleans Schools. The New Orleans Parents’ Guide to Public Schools contains a ton of information on the school options available, how to obtain lost documents, childcare, and picking the best school for your child.

The guide lists all 69 of the new New Orleans Schools, maps, photos, how to register, and transportation for each. The goal of the guide is two-fold. First, it aims to make parents more comfortable with the New Orleans Schools. Second, it tries to make accessing the information they need as convenient as possible. A list of locations where parents of children in the New Orleans Schools can pick up the book is available at .nolaparentsguide.org .

The book’s editor, Aesha Raheed, said, “Empowering all of our families is a critical step for us to redesign public education in New Orleans. We’re focused on student achievement and academic outcomes. We have an opportunity to push us in that direction. We’re redefining what the expectations of public education are… and making sure our students get the best education they can.”

Challenges of Low Income Populations

Educators in New Orleans Schools are intimately familiar with the challenges of educationing “at-risk” populations. Children who come from poverty, who have poorly educated parents, or absent parents, or live in dangerous environments, are more likely to suffer from attention issues, undiagnosed learning disabilites, and to struggle in school. As a result of Hurricane Katrina, many of these children in the New Orleans Schools are now dealing with post-traumatic shock issues as well.

The one unexpected benefit of the devastating hurricane is that the New Orleans Schools are being rebuilt from the ground up. Administrators, educators, and parents of the New Orleans Schools district are creating new public schools, charter schools and other initiatives designed to provide all children with adequate public education.

December 29, 2006

New Testing Requirements For Children With Disabilities A Plus For Virginia Schools

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , — admin @ 11:07 am

Previously, the Virginia schools were required to test, under the No Child Left Behind Act, many of its children with disabilities in reading, math and science, regardless of their ability to do so. Unless they were severely disabled, the children had to take state-required tests for their grade level &ndash whether or not they had the skills and understanding. Thus, many of these special students failed the tests. Testing grades were third, eighth and 11th on an annual basis.

This caused several problems that were frustrating for both the Virginia schools educators and the children:

• Their test scores were pulling down the school state rankings. Virginia schools are required to meet annual student achievement goals based upon these test scores. If they do not meet the goals, Virginia schools experience many possible sanctions, such as losing students to better scoring schools, reorganizing or closing.

• It made the students feel like failures, since they do not have the capacity to participate fully in the testing process at their grade level.

• Virginia schools educators had no accurate indicator as to how well these students were progressing or failing. Since the testing was created for the non-disabled child at grade level, there was no accurate benchmark or test to show how these disabled children were progressing and what might be needed to do a better job for them.

In April 2007, the U.S. Education Department modified its rules governing the testing of special education children. For those Virginia schools students who are not apt to reach grade level achievement within the same timeframe as their peers without disabilities, they will be able to take a modified test.

Special tests will be written for individual students on their grade level content but at their level of understanding and ability. Otherwise, a Virginia schools fifth grade, disabled child with a third grade understanding will take a test at a third grade level of comprehension on the fifth grade content. To ensure the new regulations are not abused, schools can test up to an additional two percent of students, who meet the eligibility requirements, under the modified testing rules.

The federal government will give states more than $21 million to cover the cost of creating the new tests and guidelines for their use. The new tests are slated to be put into service by the 2008-2009 school year.

With the new changes, state rankings of the Virginia schools will more accurately reflect the true achievements (or lack thereof) of each school. Additionally, Virginia schools teachers will be able to use the test scores to target problem areas for each of these children. The students can more fully participate in the testing process, showing teachers and parents what they have learned and how they are progressing.

The new modifications for Virginia schools testing are a welcomed change by students, educators and parents alike, making the Virginia schools testing a more useful tool &ndash not just a hit or miss measurement.

December 28, 2006

New York City Schools Include Charters

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , — admin @ 6:42 pm

There have been many instances over the past 20 years or so where people have been so unhappy about the schools that they have decided to step up and do something about it. In response to this discontent, charter schools have been formed. For many New York City Schools families, charters appear to be the way to go.

Virtually anyone concerned with the state of New York City Schools can open a charter school. Parents, teachers, principals (whether they are from public New York City Schools or private ones), community leaders, philanthropists and nonprofit organizations are all examples of the types of folks who open charter schools in response to a perceived lack in quality public education.

But what is a charter school, anyway? Most people have heard about them, but are unclear or confused as to what they are, exactly. Charter schools are created by a contract (or “charter”) with the New York City Schools system. They are held to the same standards as more traditional public schools, but operate with a greater autonomy than regular schools within the system. The purpose of the charter school is to offer new resources, personnel and ideas to education, as well as to give the families of New York City Public Schools a greater choice.

Charter schools are under the umbrella of the New York City Schools district, and are held directly accountable for meeting specific student performance goals. If the charter school fails to meet these criteria, their charter can be revoked or not renewed. In return for these higher standards, these schools are exempt from New York City Schools regulations such as curriculum development, staffing, and budget.

There are 6 reasons why numbering charter schools among the options for families with children attending New York City Schools is a good idea. Charter schools have unique educational goals that are innovative and desirable:

- Charter schools within the districts of New York City Schools are responsible for increasing the learning opportunities and achievement of all students, most especially high-risk students &ndash ones in danger of dropping out or who have a low reading ability, for example.

- These special New York City Schools also encourage the use of different and innovative teaching methods. Within the confines of the traditional public school classroom, teachers have fewer options with how they go about their jobs. Simple issues such as class size or available resources can considerably tie their hands.

- Charter schools obviously provide a greater amount of choice for parents and students of New York City Schools.

- Also, charter schools can provide motivated educators with the means to pursue their beliefs and ideas.

New York City Schools strive to offer its students the best possible education, and the choice of attending a charter school is one way to do so. Charter schools can offer their children a wider variety of opportunities.

New Year. New Sememster. New Homework Solutions.

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 8:15 am

As students begin a new semester, this is the perfect time to establish some new routines to improve the process of doing homework.

The first question to ask yourself is, “If there is one thing I could improve about homework, what would it be?” The first answer that probably came to mind was, “Get rid of it!” Honestly, that would be my first response, too. However, homework is a fact-of-life and serves a very good purpose (whether we like it or not), so let’s try that again…

** If You Could Improve One Thing about Homework, What Would It Be? **

- Perhaps you feel that you (or your child) take too much time to do homework.

- Or, maybe homework causes a lot of arguments in your home and you would like to experience some peace.

- Is your teacher complaining that lost assignments are dragging down your grade?

- Do your parents often complain that you wait for the “last minute” to tell them about important things, such as the supplies you need for that science fair project…tomorrow?!

** Action Plan **

Now that you know the problem, create a solution!

Once you have recognized a specific problem, it is much easier to identify a solution. The best solutions are systems; procedures or routines that help you simplify the issue and develop positive habits to overcome it.

I could write a full chapter on each of the problems above, but here are some quick examples of “solution systems” for each one:

- If you fight to stay focused while doing homework, set an electronic timer for the amount of time you think an assignment should take and challenge yourself to beat the timer.

- If lost assignments are your issue, you may first need to reduce the number of folders that you (or your child) have to manage. Most students juggle 7-9 separate folders and 7-9 notebooks… up to 18 different supplies! No wonder assignments get lost! Start by streamlining all folders into one, 1” binder. Then, “Take Ten” every time you sit down to do your homework; two minutes to put all loose papers into their correct folders and the next eight minutes to review any handouts or notes from the day.

- If you are a victim of “Last Minute Syndrome,” one strategy that will help you is the Weekly Family Meeting. This meeting is an informal gathering (usually on Sundays) where everyone shares their schedules for the upcoming week (including parents). Discuss sports schedules, upcoming tests/projects (and needed supplies), etc. Parents also share if they will be working late one night or have other after-school obligations that may impact the family. This system is a great cure for LMS because it encourages everyone to be proactive and plan ahead together. (BONUS: This strategy actually shows children *how* to plan ahead.)

These suggestions are merely examples, but they illustrate the concept of developing *systems* to help solve common homework problems.

Tip for Parents: Whenever possible, involve your children in the search for solutions. Children of all ages usually give honest and very insightful suggestions, especially when they feel like their input is taken seriously. The more input they can have in identifying reasonable solutions, the more willing they will be to participate.

** In Conclusion **

Homework inherently causes problems. In fact, one of the most significant purposes of homework is to learn *how* to solve problems. In almost every situation, a “recurring problem” can be solved with a “recurring solution,” better known as a “system.” To create your solution system:

1) Identify and label the problem so you can truly focus on a solution.

2) Brainstorm solutions that will simplify the problem and help everyone develop habits to overcome them.

3) Test your system. Be prepared to make adjustments and give it two-four weeks for it to take hold.

4) Recognize the fruits of your efforts! This is the best motivation for solving future problems.

December 27, 2006

New York City Schools See Large Success With Small Schools

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , — admin @ 9:23 pm

New York City Schools started converting many of its massive high schools into smaller, thematic schools in 2002. The 2006 graduates who were the first students in New York City Schools to have spent their entire four-year high school experience in the smaller venues had impressive results. And the 2007 results continue to look good. Graduation rates of the 47 small-sized New York City Schools are significantly higher that the city’s overall rates. The small schools report a 73% graduation rate while the city reports a 60% rate.

These numbers are important to several different groups within the New York City Schools. The small schools initiative is a major component of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s attempt to improve the New York City Schools. The first installation of the smaller New York City Schools were funded with over $30 million from groups like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Carnegie Corporations and the Open Society Institute.

Individual results from the small schools are impressive. Eight of these New York City Schools reported 90% graduation rates. Some schools reported jumps in graduation rates from the 40-percentile to the 90-percentile range. Does that mean that everyone is in love with the smaller New York City Schools? Well, there are come concerns. Skepticism tends to focus on the fact that these schools have lower numbers of ESL (English as a Second Language) and special education students. The questioners complain that the success takes place in an “artificial environment.”

Bloomberg concedes that this is true. But he says that the schools still serve an at-risk population: African &ndashAmerican and Hispanic students. Recent studies confirm that these students in the New York City Schools are far less likely than their white peers to graduate. Educators in the smaller New York City Schools scoff at the artificial environment complaint. Many feel that this “artificial environment” is providing these students with a far better reality. But what about the needs of special education and ESL students?

Both are significant concerns for New York City Schools. A June 2006 report found that 9.5% of the city’s special education students are still not being mainstreamed. New York State encourages mainstreaming, the process of having special education students attend classes with their regular education peers. This is far higher than the national rate of 4%.

And the concerns of English Language Learners continues to impact overall graduation rates for a city with a high population of speakers of ESL. So New York City Schools still have a lot of challenges to address before the Mayor can kick back and put up his feet. Still, when the largest school district in the country can claim a success of this size, it’s encouraging for everyone.

December 26, 2006

New York City Schools See Success In New Century High Schools

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: — admin @ 11:18 am

In the 5 years since New York City Schools received funding from philanthropic giants like the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, the Carnegie Corporation, and the Open Society Institute New Yorkers have watched closely the development of New Century High Schools (NCHS). The $70 million investment funded an initiative to create smaller high school communities in this vast metropolis. The goal is to provide children in New York City Schools with more choices to drive them toward their goals of college, or practical employment.

Currently, 83 New Century High Schools are educating over 13,000 high school students. These schools are markedly different than traditional New York City Schools. The first difference is in size. A NCHS is housed in a larger high school, but only educates about 400 students.

Pedagogy between traditional New York City Schools and the NCHS also differs. A curriculum based on teen development principles, and that adheres to strict standards, is used in all of the New Century High Schools. The standards address issues that have always plagued the New York City Schools: attendance and graduation rates. A NCHS requires a 92% attendance rate. But its most dramatic demand is that 80% of NCHS students must pass the rigorous NYS Regents exam, which is required for graduation.

The fact that NCHS are meeting these demands, and that parent and students are demanding more of them, is a dramatic marker of success for New York City Schools. Part of the success may lie in the partnerships required. New York City Schools are partnered with a social or business partner to provide its strength, expertise and community involvement to the theme based NCHS. Annual reports funded by the Carnegie Corporation and other sponsors closely track this initiative’s progress.

The reports show encouraging results for New York City Schools. On average a NCHS out paces other New York City Schools by 23% in terms of 11th graders on schedule for graduation. The New Century High Schools also surpass traditional models in terms of credit accumulation, promotion rates, attendance and academic outcomes. Many educators are optimistic that replacing the large school dinosaur with these more intimate and focused options might be the solutions for New York City Schools.

In 2006 the Annenberg Foundation donated another $20 million to New Vision for Public Schools, which oversees the project, to sustain and create more small high schools. Overall, response to the initiative from parents, educators, students and the community are positive. New York City Schools now house NCHS buildings in 4 boroughs and plan to institute many more. Their success is likely to drive the future of public schools driven by private funding.

December 25, 2006

New York Schools Cited As Among The Best In The Nation

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , — admin @ 11:46 am

According to the National Education Association, the New York schools have made significant strides in academic achievement over the past few years. In a nationwide comparison, the New York schools have improved student achievement, as well as the schools themselves. Though issues remain that challenge the New York educators, parents and the community can be assured that the New York schools are doing everything in their power to remedy these.

Students Are Achieving

Essential scoring on the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) exam has risen for the New York schools.

Fourth grader reading scores have risen by 26 percent between 1992 and 2003 for those students scoring in the highest two levels.

Writing scores have increased in the New York schools, making them among the nation’s best. Fourth graders now rank third in the nation on the NAEP, while eighth graders increased scoring by 43 percent between 1998 and 2002 in the highest two levels of the exam.

Math scores also have improved. Fourth grader scores nearly doubled between 1992 and 2003 at the two highest levels of the exam. Eight grader scores more than doubled at the highest two levels between 1990 and 2003.

The public New York schools have outperformed the private ones on Advanced Placement exams, courses through which high school students may earn college credit. Students attending public schools score higher in calculus, computer science, and physics.

College Entrance Exam scores have improved. More New York schools students are getting high scores on the SAT exam. Graduating seniors also have increased their scores on the math portion of the SAT by 28 percent since 1994, with a high score being 600 or above. Additionally, the New York schools are one of the top ten states, with high school graduates scoring in the top 20 percent nationally on the ACT and SAT exams.

More New York schools students are college bound! The New York schools are among the top eight states in the percentage of 18-24 year olds enrolling in college. This is good news for parents, the communities, and the businesses in New York.

New York Named One of Smartest States

New York has been named one of ten “smartest states” in the nation for its quality public elementary and secondary schools. Education Week gives the New York schools a grade of “A” (97 out of 100) for the high standards and accountability of the public schools.

Advanced Placement coursework is offered by 85 percent of the public schools, while only 60 percent of private schools offer them in the New York schools.

The New York schools students take more advanced coursework. The New York schools are among the top eight states in percentage of high school students taking upper level math courses and among the top ten states for advanced science coursework taken.

The New York schools are leading the nation in cutting edge Foreign Language Immersion Programs (FLIP). They are among the top ten states nationally in the percentage of public elementary schools offering FLIP coursework.

Quality teachers also push the New York schools in front of other states, with their middle and high school teachers among the most qualified in the nation.. The number of teachers in the New York schools that are nationally certified by the prestigious National Board of Testing Standards has nearly tripled since 2000. Math teachers with majors in their field for the seventh through twelfth grades place the New York schools among the top eight states, with similarly-qualified science teachers for the same grades placing the New York schools among the top seven states.

Lastly, the New York schools provide at least one computer for instruction for every 4.2 public school students.

The New York schools have come a long way over the past decade. The educators and administrators have much of which to be proud.

December 23, 2006

New York Schools Institute Universal Assessment

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , — admin @ 5:59 pm

The necessity to assess students is irrefutable. In fact, a lot of people believe that formal assessments are the only way to tell how a student is progressing, and teachers feel pressured to teach to the test. For many educators, part of their paycheck is based on how well students score on standardized tests. Fortunately for students and teachers alike, New York Public Schools recognize the need to not only assess them fairly and accurately, but also see the necessity of offering various kinds of tests to be used at the teachers’ discretion.

New York Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein recently announced that all schools will have access to a range of flexible periodic assessment tools to help them track students’ progress in English Language Arts and math starting in the 2007-08 school year. It’s interesting and encouraging that the Chancellor recognizes the need for these tools. Perhaps even more interesting is the motivation behind them.

“Teachers have always used assessments to monitor their students’ progress. Now they’ll be able to find out quickly exactly what [New York Schools] students are learning and where they need more help,” Chancellor Klein said. “These tools are quicker and more accurate than what … [New York Schools] have today. They’ll make it easier for our educators to tailor instruction to meet the individual needs of every student.”

The New York Schools Department of Education (DOE) has encouraged schools to use these kinds of no-stakes assessments since 2003. The 2007-2008 school year will be the first time that all New York Schools will have easy access to a menu of “differentiated assessment tools” rather than pre-packaged exams that do not necessarily match the needs of individual teachers and students.

It’s important for schools and teachers to decide for themselves what kinds of assessments to use. Being able to choose their tools of assessment will enable New York Schools teachers more freedom of movement within their curriculum (how and when subjects will be taught) by freeing them from a high-stress testing date that only occurs once a year for all New York Schools students.

New York Schools can choose any combination of the new periodic assessment tools as long as they are assessing students five times a year in grades 3-8 and four times a year in high school in both English Language Arts and math. This policy must be intended to ensure that New York Schools teachers are actually using the new tools. This use should also give educators the opportunity to provide feedback to the New York Schools Chancellor and his staff on what works, what doesn’t, and what they want to see more of.

Naturally, the leaders of New York Schools have the best interests of the students at heart, and want to provide the best possible education along with the means to assess the students’ achievement.

December 22, 2006

No Adult Left Behind: 5 Big Benefits Of Lifelong Learning

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 3:45 pm

Malcolm Knowles (1913-1997), pioneer in adult education, titled one of his books, “The Adult Learner: A Neglected Species.” And no wonder. Many people closed their books halfway through life; research on how grown-ups learn was in its early stages; teachers equipped to handle mature students were hard to find.

Today lifelong learning opportunities are plentiful and instructors well-versed in space age information delivery. Still, millions fail to take advantage. They need constant reminders of the pot of gold at the end of the adult education rainbow.

Five bright benefits come to mind. First is the prospect of a fatter paycheck. Job promotions go to smart people who keep up with the latest information and technology. It’s just good sense to refresh and retrain for the workplace. New careers are created all the time so those who see what’s coming and want to jump ship have got to be prepared with new certifications, diplomas and degrees.

Second is the enhanced self-esteem when you reach for new horizons, accept tough challenges and arrive at a whole new level. New learning is not a picnic but the joys of accomplishment are real. Your children are proud. Your neighbors are surprised and maybe just jealous enough to go out and do likewise.

Third is the freedom given to adult learners. The teacher is more facilitator than dictator. Adult students, unlike young kids, may be just as experienced as the person at the front of the room. Adult classmates share ideas and teach each other. Assignments may culminate in a group project or program rather than a graded exam. Memorizing facts is at a minimum; answers are not absolute.

True, there are some studies where exactness counts and tests are mandatory. But a quick Internet search turned up references to the use of adult education theories in highly regimented disciplines, such as nursing and medicine. Getting ready to pass state boards did not prevent creative teaching where students’ views are respected and acted on. It is possible to combine traditional methods with adult learning styles.

Fourth is the shift of schooling to a 24/7 model and long-distance or online methods. Trade the classroom for your computer. Stay home and study in your bathrobe. Earn a degree without ever stepping on campus. Leave an email message for the professor at 3 a.m. With time and space constraints removed anyone who truly wants to go on learning can do so. Further, some class enrollments are open with start dates at your convenience.

Number five is making scholarship a habit. Education becomes second nature; it’s who you are as much as what you do. People live longer now and their health stays robust. Folks dread the thought of 15 or 20 years after retirement with idle hands and minds. Luckily, such waste is out of fashion. Well known programs, such as Elderhostel keep people thinking, socializing and traveling. Grandmothers get their master’s degree.

Invest in yourself. Empower your life. Jump start your future with strong commitment to lifelong achievement. Knowing these five benefits can wipe out all excuses.

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