Whether school system leaders realize it or not, voice-activated, artificial intelligence devices such as Alexa and Google Home are becoming a part of classrooms. “I know of a lot of school districts where teachers use it, and in some districts the [school administrator] knows about it, but in other districts they don’t” says Eileen Belastock, […]

When Rio Grande City Consolidated ISD introduced a digital reading program two years ago, some teachers balked at student assessments being performed by a computer. Those concerns abated as teachers saw increased proficiency for the 4,100 students using Istation Reading and Istation Espaˆš±ol, says Serapio Trillayes, executive director for curriculum and instruction for the district, […]

Rigor is an increasing concern in our schools. We continue to see evidence that our students at all grade levels are not working at a level that is challenging enough to prepare students for college and careers. However, we often misunderstand the definition of rigor. Rigor is “creating an environment in which each student is […]

What does the routing process look like at First Student? We provide transportation services to more than 1,000 school districts in the U.S. and Canada. We pride ourselves on having a customized approach to a district’s unique transportation needs. At its core, successful routing is still the process of getting all students to school and […]

Here are seven more strategies from the National Association of School Psychologists for dealing with counseling shortages: Develop paid internship programs to recruit graduate school candidates to your district. Sell the job and your district by outlining community assets, such as a lower cost of living, strong school systems and local parks. Cast a wide […]

Consider what the world will be like in 2031 when today’s kindergartners graduate high school. “We don’t know exactly what it’ll look like, but there are a couple things we do know” says Randy Ziegenfuss, superintendent of Salisbury Township School District (Pennsylvania). “For people in that world to be successful, they’re going to have to […]

1. Server room to classroom—Expand your focus from maintaining networks and hardware to helping choose instructional software. 2. Gearhead to gear guide—Fix devices and show teachers and students how to use them. 3. Tech provider to tech trimmer—Assess what programs and applications drive student achievement. 4. Data generator to data analyzer—Provide easy-to-read reports from various […]

Developers of equity programs offer the following tips for success: You need it first—Equity PD gets the best results when leaders—from superintendents to school board members to principals—are trained before their staff. Dialogue, collaboration and role-play—Kids don’t love PowerPoints or lectures, and neither do educators. PD that gets teachers talking, collaborating and even role-playing seems […]