Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Resources

• May 2008, Conference Daily Special Wrap Up Edition [PDF 4,140,330kb]
  Print out the pdf for a complete copy of today's Conference Daily. Note: due to paper size difference from original copy font size will be smaller.
  
• Professional development is key in raising student achievement [HTML 2,567kb]
  The Macomb, Ill., school district had a very good reputation, but when No Child Left Behind came along with its requirement for aggregated test data for various student populations, it raised some “red flags.” District leaders found some groups weren’t doing as well as the district as a whole.
  
• District focuses on technology [HTML 2,111kb]
  The Klein Independent School District in Texas has adopted several technology initiatives to ensure its 42,000 students will thrive in today’s global, digital society.
  
• Healthier children do better academically [HTML 3,241kb]
  The Auburn, Wash., school district adopted a plan calling for all schools to create programming centered around the “whole child”—including nutrition services, food sales, athletics, and education programs—with the goal of increasing academic achievement.
  
• Urban schools need more flexibility in hiring teachers [HTML 3,124kb]
  Schools in urban and other high-poverty districts face distinct shortages of high-quality teachers. But it’s not because of a lack of applicants, said Tim Daly, president of The New Teacher Project (TNTP).
  
• CDC urges precautions when measuring students’ BMI [HTML 2,448kb]
  With a growing number of school districts tracking students’ body mass index (BMI) as part of their strategies to tackle the childhood obesity crisis, the Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC) has some cautionary advice.
  
• School boards can improve adolescent literacy [HTML 2,587kb]
  At a Sunday session, Elizabeth Partoyan, director of research, training, and member services at NSBA, and Suzanne Helms, president of the Madison City school board in Alabama, shared eight steps local boards can take to improve adolescent literacy:
  
• Board meetings should balance efficiency and democracy [HTML 2,532kb]
  Effective school board meetings require a balance of democracy and efficiency, says educational consultant Donald B. Owen.
  
• ‘Web 2.0’ requires more diligence to protect students [HTML 2,305kb]
  “Today’s students are digital natives online,” said Pulaski County, Va., school board member John Wenrich at a Monday morning Share the Success session on “Internet Safety in a Web 2.0 World.”
  
• Keillor: Education is a moral imperative [HTML 3,307kb]
  Garrison Keillor brought the news from Lake Wobegon and stressed the importance of education at the Fourth General Session.
  
• Lehrer shares stories and insights from decades in journalism [HTML 4,892kb]
  Jim Lehrer shared insights from decades in journalism -- and ideas for getting presidential candidates to focus on education -- with board members at the NSBA Annual Conference.
  
• Barbara Bolas is NSBA’s new president [HTML 3,485kb]
  Barbara Bolas of the Upper St. Clair, Pa., school board took office as the 2007-08 president of NSBA at the close of the Annual Conference.
  
• Delegate Assembly sets NSBA’s advocacy course [HTML 4,000kb]
  NSBA's Delegate Assembly passed resolutions that reaffirm the association’s commitment to the reauthorization of an improved No Child Left Behind Act.
  
• Pink: Creative thinking essential [HTML 2,552kb]
  Futurist Daniel Pink informed the audience at his Focus on Education Lecture that three forces are driving the new marketplace: abundance, Asia, and automation.
  
• Satcher: It’s time to ‘bridge the gap’ [HTML 2,233kb]
  Former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher told conference-goers that when it comes to children’s healthcare, it’s “time to bridge the gap between what we know and what we do.”
  
• Peterson: Every child is special [HTML 2,463kb]
  In an anecdote-filled Focus on Education Lecture, 2007 National Teacher of the Year Andrea Peterson described how reaching out to individual students can make a huge difference in their lives.
  
• Leaders should focus on relationships [HTML 3,318kb]
  Focus on Education speaker Simon Bailey believes emotional commitment is the key to leadership success.
  
• Educators must inspire urban youths [HTML 3,231kb]
  Salome Thomas-El, the Council of Urban Boards of Education keynote speaker, said a key role of urban educators is to inspire and motivate inner-city students.
  
• Anti-gang strategies proposed [HTML 4,301kb]
  Youth gangs are more commonplace and sophisticated than school officials realize.
  
• Orange County schools share success stories with CUBE members [HTML 3,564kb]
  Officials from the Orange County, Fla., school district shared their success stories with CUBE members at site visits during the Annual Conference.
  
• Leadership requires flexibility, National Affiliates learn [HTML 3,711kb]
  The Sequoyah Group’s David Wallace told school leaders from National Affiliate districts that they must remain flexible when faced with obstacles.
  
• NSBA welcomes more flexibility in No Child Left Behind [HTML 4,287kb]
  NSBA welcomes more flexibility in the No Child Left Behind Act, but still urges Congress to improve the law this year.
  
• Students must learn 21st century skills [HTML 2,833kb]
  Ken Kay, president of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, said that schools must address such skills as creative thinking, problem solving, and global awareness.
  
• Muñoz: Teach about Latino history [HTML 2,890kb]
  Carlos Muñoz said schools need to educate students about Latinos’ contributions.
  
• Monroe: Set high expectations [HTML 2,297kb]
  Lorraine Monroe recommended putting an end to low expectations for students.
  
• Rainer offers a message of hope [HTML 2,112kb]
  Howard Rainer said that board members have the “power of vision.”
  
• Conference offers solutions to school board members’ concerns [HTML 6,182kb]
  School board members who attended the NSBA Annual Conference in Orlando brought home great ideas for dealing with issues in their districts.
  
• Too much testing can be harmful [HTML 2,701kb]
  Author Linda Perlstein told conference-goers not to stop doing the right thing just because you don’t have data to prove that it works.
  
• Hispanic Caucus honors Gallucci [HTML 1,483kb]
  The National Hispanic Caucus of School Board Members presented its annual Abrazo Award to former NSBA President Jane Gallucci.
  
• District honored for support of the arts [HTML 3,545kb]
  The Schenectady, N.Y., school board received the 2008 Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network award for support of the arts.
  
• Newspapers give parents negative view of schools, survey finds [HTML 5,510kb]
  A new survey from the Council of Urban Boards of Education shows that parents who rely on newspapers for information about their local schools have a less positive view than parents who get their information from other sources.
  
• NSBA President: Teaching global awareness is a key role for public schools [HTML 6,519kb]
  NSBA President Barbara Bolas believes that teaching global awareness is a key role for public schools.
  
• Executive Director’s Report: We’re all in this together [HTML 5,864kb]
  NSBA Executive Director Anne Bryant says school board members and their state associations must work together to convince local governments that it is shortsighted to balance the state’s budget on the backs of schoolchildren.