Operations at Oxford School District in Mississippi came to a halt on February 7, 2016, when a ransomware attack shut down the district’s computer network. Hackers infected 80 computers with malware, and then demanded $9,000 in bitcoin to remove it. The district did not pay the ransom, instead opting to wipe clean its servers and […]

What: Fairmount Kindergarten Center Where: Mukilteo School District, Washington The Fairmount Kindergarten Center near Seattle hopes to use innovative design to maximize classroom learning time when it opens in September for the 2017-18 school year. The new standalone building at the Mukilteo School District will accommodate 550 students. Challenge: Faced with growing enrollment and a […]

“Lights, device, action!” This is what’s going on at New Rochelle High School, about 20 miles north of New York City, where students use smartphones and tablets to create short movies based on classic works of literature. The school’s writing and filmmaking program, which heavily employs mobile devices, works in conjunction with the English high […]

Plumas USD, a rural district tucked away in the rugged terrain of northeastern California, uses its own backyard for its “Outdoor Core” K12 curriculum. Plumas USD, a rural district tucked away in the rugged terrain of northeastern California, uses its own backyard for its “Outdoor Core” K12 curriculum. The surrounding Sierra Nevada mountains, Plumas National […]

Serving Students Who Are Homeless: A Resource Guide for Schools, Districts, and Educational Leaders Teachers College Press This book from Ronald E. Hallett and Linda Skrla guides teachers in supporting homeless and highly mobile students. It covers how best to implement ESSA revisions to the McKinney-Vento Act, which funds educational programs and other services for […]

In the latest round of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) exam, given to more than 500,000 15-year-olds in 72 nations, students in the U.S. once again scored in the middle of the pack—and below average in math—raising concerns and sending educators looking for answers. The search often turns to the top of the […]

Principal DeMarcos Holland, of New Manchester High School in the Douglas County School System in Georgia, has replaced traditional class tardy bells with music, including compositions created by students and teachers. The friendlier sounds have lowered the average number of tardies from between 50 and 60 per day to less than 10. Holland has also introduced […]

The ever-increasing pace and variety of technological developments continues to be a challenge for K12 assistive technology products. As education content becomes available in more digital forms—videos, software programs and apps—adapting platforms for student use is critical to help those with special needs access information as easily as do their classmates. In addition, with more […]