How can schools ensure a “return on instruction?”
[A portion of the following is an excerpt from the new ASCD book, Learning Transformed: 8 Keys to Designing Tomorrow’s ... Read more
School Administration
School Technology News for K-12 and higher-ed school administrators.
The 3 major dos and don’ts of blended learning
With the goal of making the learning experience more personalized and individual, a growing number of schools have embraced the concept of blended learning. The transition from more…
Can traditional public schools win in an age of school choice? Yes—and here’s how
Public schools must ensure continued success in order to compete for students against charter schools, online learning, and other forms of education. Dissatisfied students, parents, and even staff…
Wow! This inquiry-based, technology-rich school has no tech staff
When I first became principal, I was compelled to explore all aspects of what it meant to be a 21st-century learner in an international baccalaureate context: as a…
K-12 is undergoing a purchasing renaissance—and it has massive implications for educators
As education innovation advances, so does the frustration of all parties involved in K-12 purchasing due to out-of-date processes, poor communication, and difficulties identifying new opportunities.
Principal: Real school transformation starts with a magical triangle
Every child deserves the opportunity to lead, learn, grow, and succeed. It’s only through a 360-degree approach to learning that we can provide these necessary opportunities to all…
Best practices for rolling out tech in the classroom—an administrative perspective
In 2013, Shipley made the integration of technology a priority, and the Board of Trustees approved a 1:1 program—a program where we provide each student (grades 6-12) with…
3 better alternatives to “gotcha” tactics for teachers
I have been in school administration for 12 years now, and one of the things that I absolutely have learned to hate is the formal teacher evaluation process.…
Here’s how you tie spending to student outcomes—with big success
When I first came on board as the CFO in Pueblo, Colorado, I asked my finance manager to compile a complete financial report of all of our budgets.…
4 best practices for education data
Data can be immensely helpful to educators--but anyone who hopes to learn from data must know how to analyze and interpret it. Although the word "data" can raise…
Superintendent: Gen Z achievement soaring with student choice
So how can educators find the perfect balance between traditional and digital approaches to better focus their student’s attention? How can they gain back control in a classroom…
3 keys to student success with early college programs
Like a growing number of school districts, North Carolina’s Guilford County Schools (GCS) has early college programs that allow students to earn college credit while they’re still in…
5 reasons why blended learning programs fail-and how to save them
Too often, educators who are considering investing in blended learning pull back after hearing horror stories of good programs gone bad. Whether it’s botched rollouts, network snafus, or…
Greatest lesson: Teacher buy-in is overrated
One of the greatest lessons my 30 years of experience in education has taught me is that teacher buy-in is, sometimes, overrated.
District’s parental engagement soars with new “Glow and Grow” practice
When my district, Charles City Public Schools (CCPS), created our strategic plan, we established “Community Investment in Public Schools” as one of our five core goals. As a…
There’s an emotional side of edtech—and it’s affecting school innovation
At one of my recent workshops, I was approached by a teacher who had never redesigned her lessons to take advantage of edtech’s potential to transform learning. She…
Teaching Generation Z? Start by engaging their parents—here’s how we did it
A huge body of research shows that parental involvement in a child’s education results in higher student achievement, both academically and behaviorally. I’ve been in K-12 education for…
Why STEM education could get a transformative makeover—soon
Engaging young children in STEM is critical for creating a lifelong love of learning and for developing critical thinking skills which will serve them well across all academic…
5 school areas that desperately need student voices
As a graduate journalism student over 20 years ago, I worked on a thesis project centered on education reform news reporting. I was analyzing how often education reporters…
How school districts are leveraging Twitter to become rock stars
When a student tweets at their school’s Twitter handle, chances are they don’t expect a response--it’s like tweeting at Starbucks, or the Office of the Comptroller of the…
Stunning: Teachers, students say little has really changed in education
One in four educators participating in a recent survey said their schools are "very traditional," and findings indicate that these traditional approaches could be holding students and teachers…
Teachers: Should you use business tactics for happier classrooms?
In recent years, school leaders have debated what, if anything, schools can glean from the way businesses are run. Should schools be managed like business organizations? And to…
First-ever online library of edtech pricing data launches for school districts
The Technology for Education Consortium (TEC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving K-12 edtech procurement, today at FETC 2017 launched the TEC Data Platform.
The teacher evaluation mistake 28 states are making
A growing number of states award teachers a rating of effective or higher even if those teachers score poorly on student learning, according to a new study from…
Cyberbullying is NOT a technology issue-here’s how to really combat it.
Cyberbullying continues to grow and present itself as a huge challenge for schools, government policy makers, stakeholders, parents and the community—but is regulating access to technology and social…
6 districts going the distance to help principals
Four years into a massive Wallace Foundation effort to help six large urban school districts improve their principal pipelines, an independent study reveals all districts have made impressive…
How to use student voice to improve engagement
When it comes to strategic planning, school district leaders know they must involve all stakeholder groups from the beginning. Though they are arguably the most important stakeholder group,…
9 secrets of incredibly efficient districts
The most effective school districts are those that leverage the technology tools available to them to improve teaching, learning, and efficiency. Easier said than done, however, when district…
Principals: The lessons we learned in 2016
The best educational leaders are lifelong learners. They are constantly expanding their knowledge, refining their skills, and looking for creative ways to help kids learn. As these four…
Superintendents: The lessons we learned in 2016
As 2016 drew to a close, we asked educators in variety of positions to reflect on what they have learned this year. Here, a quartet of superintendents offer…
Are librarians the key to a Future Ready school?
According to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Education Technology, librarians are at the forefront of helping schools become “future ready.” However, too often librarians are left…
8 steps to evaluating ed-tech products
Even the best-designed technology pilots still involve a certain amount of trial and error when it comes to ed-tech products. Now, a new eight-step framework from Digital Promise…
Stop! Why the mis-definition of student equity needs to end
"Equity doesn't mean the same for everyone; it means that everyone gets what they need." These wise words, from a Florida elementary school principal, get to the core…
Initiative puts $47M into principal preparation for colleges and districts
Seven universities and their state and district partners will participate in a new $47 million initiative to develop models for improving university principal preparation programs. The program also…
Survey: Parents prefer texting and mobile communication from schools
Determining the right mix of traditional and digital tools to best engage with parents and district stakeholders remains a primary challenge for district communications, according to a new…
How schools can help teachers reach instructional excellence
Part of a school leader's job is to create conditions in which teachers work collaboratively to achieve excellence in their instructional practices and in student learning. But with…
6 ways school leaders can transform teaching
U.S. education can migrate to a system that supports teaching, drives learning, and gives all students a strong foundation, according to a new report from the National Commission…
How can the U.S. increase teacher diversity?
Public schools often encounter diversity challenges. Minority students make up almost half of all public school students, but minority teachers account for only 18 percent of the teacher…
9 ways to improve your district’s digital leadership
The importance of digital learning is, by now, a no-brainer. But as schools and classrooms across the nation use digital strategies to engage students and boost achievement, digital…
What will the LMS of the future look like?
According to over 70 education IT specialists, current LMS functionality is great for administrative tasks, but doesn’t provide support for ... Read more