Fast Report

11/7/06 -- Report finds inequities in school construction

• A new report on the status of school construction confirms what many educators and communities have suspected: The billions of dollars spent on facilities in the past decade “have not been equally available to affluent and low-income communities and for minority and white students.”

During the period 1995 to 2005, nearly $600 billion was spent on school construction and renovation, reports the 21st Century School Fund in Growth and Disparity: A Decade of U.S. Public School Construction.

But while the most affluent districts spent about $9,360 per student on capital expenditures, the least affluent districts spent just $4,800 per student.

Money spent on schools serving low-income students was more likely to fund basic repairs, while schools in more affluent districts were more likely to receive funding for such enhancements as science labs or performing arts centers.

NSBA book profiles children with HIV/AIDS

• When Ricky was in elementary school, other children were afraid to play with him and spread vicious rumors about how they could catch AIDS if they touched him.

His teachers, however, have been supportive, says Ricky, age 15, who is one of 10 children profiled in NSBA’s new booklet, Living with HIV/AIDS: Students Tell Their Stories of Stigma, Courage, and Resilience.

“This publication is intended to remind readers that schools have a significant role to play in addressing HIV/AIDS through education and services,” said Brenda Z. Greene, director of school health programs at NSBA. “We hope this publication serves as a moving reminder to school leaders that the time is right to review district and school HIV-related policies and practices.”

The “Lessons Learned” section of the book calls for schools to educate parents about HIV/AIDS, as well as students, teachers, and staff; respect students’ privacy; provide good counseling support; and protect students from harassment.

Living With AIDS can be downloaded from the school health programs section of the NSBA website, www.nsba.org/ schoolhealth.

‘Digital school boards’ honored at T+L

• NSBA and the Center for Digital Education have announced the school boards that are doing the best job of using information technology to better engage local communities and improve the quality and delivery of public education.

The board of trustees of the Mansfield (Texas) Independent School District is the first-place winner among districts serving 15,000 or more students.

The Henry County, Va., school board and the Vail, Ariz., school board tied for first place in the category of districts with enrollments of 2,501 to 15,000. The school board of the Jefferson City School District in Georgia is the first-place winner among districts with fewer than 2,500 students.

All of these districts except Jefferson City are NSBA National Affiliates.

There were 10 winners in each category. The awards will be presented at NSBA’s Technology + Learning Conference Nov. 8 in Dallas.

Ohio court upholds charter school law

•  The Ohio Supreme Court ruled 4-3 Oct. 25 that the state’s system of publicly funded, privately operated charter schools is constitutional, even if these public schools are not subject to the same reporting and operational requirements as traditional public schools.

The Ohio School Boards Association is part of a coalition of organizations that filed a suit in 2001 arguing that the law violates the state constitution. The law allows private groups to authorize other private entities, including for-profit companies, to operate charter schools using tax dollars without meaningful oversight by elected or other public officials.

The Coalition for Public Education expressed disappointment in the ruling but noted that several issues remain alive and will be addressed by the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.

One issue is “whether privately owned schools managed by private for-profit companies are really non-profit entities as required by the state,” the coalition said. “Management companies like White Hat so dominate and control the schools they manage that the state is in fact funding private corporations.”

Video games can be educational

• Video games and computer games can be used to help students acquire knowledge and learn complex skills and could help prepare workers for 21st century jobs, concludes a new report by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS).

The FAS, Entertainment Software Association, and the National Science Foundation sponsored a National Summit on Educational Games to explore ways to accelerate the development and commercialization of educational video games.

According to those groups, video games have educational benefits because they require players to master strategic and analytical thinking, problem solving, planning and execution, decision making, and adaptation to rapid change.