Momentum building on STEM education
As part of the Obama administration's emphasis on bringing education into the 21st century, it comes as no surprise that policy makers have trained their focus on STEM…
Superintendent’s Center
Superintendent’s Center Articles
Focus on school data bolsters case for SIF
As little as a few years ago, the Schools Interoperability Framework (SIF)--a solution that allows school software applications from various vendors to share information seamlessly--was making slow headway…
California lists state-approved digital textbooks
Following up on their plan to encourage the use of free, open digital textbooks among the state's schools, California education leaders on Aug. 11 released a list of…
Feds revise swine flu guidance
In a departure from previous guidance on the issue, the U.S. government on Aug. 7 said schools should close this fall only if large numbers of students have…
Experts split on ‘Kindle in Every Backpack’
Education experts are split after a recent proposal published by some influential members of the Democratic Party suggested the government provide electronic reading devices to every student in…
Gates: U.S. ed has no choice but to improve
The U.S. must improve its educational standing in the world by rewarding effective teaching and by developing better, universal measures of performance for students and teachers, Microsoft co-founder…
Swine flu shots at school: Bracing for fall return
U.S. swine flu vaccinations could begin in October, with children among the first to get the shots at their local schools, the Obama administration said July 9 as…
Let retiring ‘Boomers’ transform schools
An innovative and potentially ground-breaking approach to 21st century education is placing baby boomer retirees from STEM fields into "learning teams" with educators in an attempt to give…
Editorial: Different animals
In the July issue of eSchool News, we published the text of the final speech given by Craig Barrett as chairman of Intel Corp. In his speech, Barrett--who…
American education reform: Stranded on islands of excellence
(Editor's note: What follows is the edited text of a speech given at an Arizona charter schools event on May 17 by Craig Barrett, who retired as chairman…
Layoffs prompt teachers to move online
In what could be a result of widespread teacher layoffs, some virtual schools and online learning providers are reporting huge increases in teaching applications for the coming school…
Hard times push Catholic schools toward crisis
In a trend that has been intensified by growing economic worries, declining enrollment in Catholic schools across the nation is forcing many of those schools to close. Key…
ISTE urges tech training for future teachers
Educational technology advocates are hoping that Congress amends the fiscal 2010 budget to include funding for a grant program that focuses on improving new teachers' abilities to use…
NCTI funds research on assistive technologies
A handful of research projects now under way will gauge the effectiveness of new learning and assistive technologies for students with disabilities, such as a non-visual web browser…
ED to fund unified student data systems
Backed by a strong and unprecedented federal investment in education, the Obama administration has identified multiple objectives intended to help revamp the nation's education system--and a persistent use…
Pa., Maine faced with ed-tech budget woes
Two states are taking very different approaches when it comes to managing spending cuts and sustaining education technology budgets. In Pennsylvania, Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell has proposed cutting…
New ed-tech standards for administrators
The International Society for Technology in Education has released an updated version of its ed-tech standards for school leaders.
Study: Students want more online learning
Despite a growing interest in online learning among students, the availability of online classes in K-12 schools and districts hasn't kept pace with the demand, according to a…
A lesson in design: High-performance schools are the future
Of all the trends that the K-12 market has experienced, there is one that we believe is here to stay and will guide the future of education: the…
Audits frustrate e-Rate applicants
Opinions about the management of the federal e-Rate program have improved over the last year, a new survey suggests. But applicants continue to be frustrated by audits, and…
Project seeks to measure ed tech’s value
An ambitious new research project aims to revolutionize education by showing that well-implemented technology initiatives can save states money after an initial investment. Key words: school technology implementation,…
Cheaper eBook reader challenges Kindle
With the popularity of electronic reading devices on the rise, and a handful of colleges set to pilot Amazon.com's Kindle DX this fall, a new eBook reading device…
Carnegie Corporation: ‘Do school differently’
Urging the nation to "do school differently," a new report recommends a set of concrete actions for federal, state, and local education leaders to take to transform math…
21st-century skills movement grows
Illinois, Louisiana, and Nevada have become the latest states to join the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21), a national effort to integrate 21st-century skills into teaching and…
Duncan to states: Don’t slash school funding
The Obama administration on June 18 warned states that it might withhold millions of dollars in federal stimulus funding if they use the money to plug budget holes…
Schwarzenegger: Printed texts are old school
In the state that gave the world Facebook, Google, and the iPod, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says forcing California's students to rely on printed textbooks is so yesterday. Key…
WHO: Swine flu pandemic has begun
The World Health Organization told its member nations it was declaring a swine flu pandemic on June 11--the first global flu epidemic in 41 years--as infections climbed in…
Increasing class time fraught with controversy
In the months since Education Secretary Arne Duncan was confirmed by the Senate he has said repeatedly he believes American schoolchildren need to be in class longer if…
Ed-tech leaders brace for smaller budgets
The majority of ed-tech leaders said they expect their school technology budgets for the 2009-10 school year to decrease at least somewhat, if not substantially, despite available funding…
Online tutoring program enhances students’ skills
In 2006, the Buena Vista School District in Saginaw, Mich., had a population of middle school students who were struggling in math and English and needed summer school…
Google Wave has great potential for education
Google Inc. later this year will unveil Google Wave, a new species of eMail and instant messaging that lets people communicate and work together with richly formatted text,…
Lenovo to research tech’s effect on learning
A new research initiative called the Global Education Research program will analyze and measure the impact of technology on students' educational experiences in various areas, ranging from first…
Communication is even more important during tough times
Times are tough. More students are homeless and hungry. More school employees are getting laid off. People who normally don't worry much about their personal finances are worried…
School security breaches on the rise
Increases in physical and network security breaches among K-12 school districts are hampering schools' efforts to improve their overall security, according to the third annual School Safety Index,…
Senate bill supports 21st-century skills
States offering students curriculum options that integrate key 21st-century skills would receive matching federal funds through an incentive bill introduced in the U.S. Senate May 13 by West…
Gates Foundation: Teachers trump class size
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation spent billions of dollars exploring the idea that smaller high schools might result in higher graduation rates and better test scores. Instead,…
Study: Virtual schools can help cut costs
New research suggests that more K-12 public school students will take classes online and will have longer school days in the next decade--and academic improvement and cost savings…
Bill would fund internet safety education
A federal lawmaker has introduced internet safety legislation that, if passed, would authorize roughly $175 million--$35 million a year for five years--for internet safety education and training to…
Duncan outlines school reform agenda
Rewarding effective teaching, expanding the learning time, collecting meaningful data, and transforming underperforming high schools are the four key areas the U.S. Department of Education (ED) plans to…
New device saves money on color printing
A new Xerox Corp. printer that uses solid-ink technology and a sliding price scale might be good news for schools and colleges that are trying to cut costs…