Reading a District Budget: Reporter Guide

Science.gov (United States)

McNeil, Michele

2013-01-01

Every school budget tells a story--about a district's spending plan, its priorities, goals, and financial health. The challenge is to wade through the jargon and numbers to unlock that story. Although budgets can vary significantly from district to district, and state to state, this primer seeks to introduce reporters to the fundamental components…

Improving Racial and Ethnic Distribution and Intergroup Relations; An Advisory Report to the Board of Education, Vallejo Unified School District.

Science.gov (United States)

Gunsky, Frederic R.; And Others

As the result of field observation and a review of school data, this report presents the findings of a study of minority-group education and intergroup relations in the Vallejo Unified School District in California. It analyzes the racial and ethnic distribution o f students in the school district and describes the amount of equal educational…

Income Segregation between Schools and School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Owens, Ann; Reardon, Sean F.; Jencks, Christopher

2016-01-01

Although trends in the racial segregation of schools are well documented, less is known about trends in income segregation. We use multiple data sources to document trends in income segregation between schools and school districts. Between-district income segregation of families with children enrolled in public school increased by over 15% from…

Investigating the Impact of the Cisco 21st Century Schools Initiative on Forrest County School District. Summative Report

Science.gov (United States)

Ba, Harouna; Meade, Terri; Pierson, Elizabeth; Ferguson, Camille; Roy, Amanda; Williams, Hakim

2009-01-01

Located in southern Mississippi, the Forrest County School District (FCSD) consists of six schools: three K-6 elementary schools, two K-8 elementary-middle schools, and one high school (grades 9-12), all of which have been involved in the Cisco Initiative since its inception. The district employed 16 administrators, 7 technology staff members, and…

New Mexico School District Profile: 1982-83 School Year.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavatta, Jerry C., Comp.; Borgrink, Henry, Comp.

The purpose of this report is to provide a broad cross section of data on the operation and performance of New Mexico public schools. Data on school district characteristics (40-Day Average Daily Membership; and percent in kindergarten, bilingual, Chapter 1, and special education programs), teacher characteristics (pupil-teacher ratio, salaries,…

Report card on school snack food policies among the United States' largest school districts in 2004–2005: Room for improvement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rivara Frederick P

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Federal nutritional guidelines apply to school foods provided through the national school lunch and breakfast programs, but few federal regulations apply to other foods and drinks sold in schools (labeled "competitive foods", which are often high in calories, fat and sugar. Competitive food policies among school districts are increasingly viewed as an important modifiable factor in the school nutrition environment, particularly to address rising rates of childhood overweight. Congress passed legislation in 2004 requiring all school districts to develop a Wellness Policy that includes nutrition guidelines for competitive foods starting in 2006–2007. In addition, the Institute of Medicine (IOM recently published recommendations for schools to address childhood obesity. Methods Representatives of school districts with the largest student enrollment in each state and D.C. (N = 51 were interviewed in October-November 2004 about each school district's nutrition policies on "competitive foods." District policies were examined and compared to the Institute of Medicine's recommendations for schools to address childhood obesity. Information about state competitive food policies was accessed via the Internet, and through state and district contacts. Results The 51 districts accounted for 5.9 million students, representing 11% of US students. Nineteen of the 51 districts (39% had competitive food policies beyond state or federal requirements. The majority of these district policies (79% were adopted since 2002. School district policies varied in scope and requirements. Ten districts (53% set different standards by grade level. Most district policies had criteria for food and beverage content (74% and prohibited the sale of soda in all schools (63%; fewer policies restricted portion size of foods (53% or beverages (47%. Restrictions more often applied to vending machines (95%, cafeteria à la carte (79%, and student stores (79% than

Differences in Food and Beverage Marketing Policies and Practices in US School Districts, by Demographic Characteristics of School Districts, 2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Merlo, Caitlin L; Michael, Shannon; Brener, Nancy D; Coffield, Edward; Kingsley, Beverly S; Zytnick, Deena; Blanck, Heidi

2016-12-15

Foods and beverages marketed in schools are typically of poor nutritional value. School districts may adopt policies and practices to restrict marketing of unhealthful foods and to promote healthful choices. Students' exposure to marketing practices differ by school demographics, but these differences have not yet been examined by district characteristics. We analyzed data from the 2012 School Health Policies and Practices Study to examine how food and beverage marketing and promotion policies and practices varied by district characteristics such as metropolitan status, size, and percentage of non-Hispanic white students. Most practices varied significantly by district size: a higher percentage of large districts than small or medium-sized districts restricted marketing of unhealthful foods and promoted healthful options. Compared with districts whose student populations were majority (>50%) non-Hispanic white, a higher percentage of districts whose student populations were minority non-Hispanic white (≤50% non-Hispanic white) prohibited advertising of soft drinks in school buildings and on school grounds, made school meal menus available to students, and provided families with information on school nutrition programs. Compared with suburban and rural districts, a higher percentage of urban districts prohibited the sale of soft drinks on school grounds and used several practices to promote healthful options. Preliminary findings showing significant associations between district demographics and marketing policies and practices can be used to help states direct resources, training, and technical assistance to address food and beverage marketing and promotion to districts most in need of improvement.

A Multilevel, Statewide Investigation of School District Anti-Bullying Policy Quality and Student Bullying Involvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Gower, Amy L; Cousin, Molly; Borowsky, Iris W

2017-03-01

Although nearly all states in the United States require school districts to adopt anti-bullying policies, little research examines the effect of these policies on student bullying and health. Using a statewide sample, we investigated associations between the quality of school district anti-bullying policies and student bullying involvement and adjustment. School district anti-bullying policies (N = 208) were coded for their quality based on established criteria. District-level data were combined with student reports of bullying involvement, emotional distress, and school connectedness from a state surveillance survey of 6th, 9th, and 12th grade students (N = 93,437). Results indicated that policy quality was positively related to bullying victimization. Furthermore, students reporting frequent perpetration/victimization who also attended districts with high-quality policies reported more emotional distress and less school connectedness compared with students attending districts with low quality policies. Although statistically significant, the magnitude of these associations was small. Having a high-quality school district anti-bullying policy is not sufficient to reduce bullying and protect bullying-involved young people. Future studies examining policy implementation will inform best practices in bullying prevention. © 2017, American School Health Association.

Differences in Food and Beverage Marketing Policies and Practices in US School Districts, by Demographic Characteristics of School Districts, 2012

Science.gov (United States)

Michael, Shannon; Brener, Nancy D.; Coffield, Edward; Kingsley, Beverly S.; Zytnick, Deena; Blanck, Heidi

2016-01-01

Introduction Foods and beverages marketed in schools are typically of poor nutritional value. School districts may adopt policies and practices to restrict marketing of unhealthful foods and to promote healthful choices. Students’ exposure to marketing practices differ by school demographics, but these differences have not yet been examined by district characteristics. Methods We analyzed data from the 2012 School Health Policies and Practices Study to examine how food and beverage marketing and promotion policies and practices varied by district characteristics such as metropolitan status, size, and percentage of non-Hispanic white students. Results Most practices varied significantly by district size: a higher percentage of large districts than small or medium-sized districts restricted marketing of unhealthful foods and promoted healthful options. Compared with districts whose student populations were majority (>50%) non-Hispanic white, a higher percentage of districts whose student populations were minority non-Hispanic white (≤50% non-Hispanic white) prohibited advertising of soft drinks in school buildings and on school grounds, made school meal menus available to students, and provided families with information on school nutrition programs. Compared with suburban and rural districts, a higher percentage of urban districts prohibited the sale of soft drinks on school grounds and used several practices to promote healthful options. Conclusion Preliminary findings showing significant associations between district demographics and marketing policies and practices can be used to help states direct resources, training, and technical assistance to address food and beverage marketing and promotion to districts most in need of improvement. PMID:27978408

The TEAMS Report, 1987. The Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills in the Austin Independent School District.

Science.gov (United States)

Mangino, Evangelina

The Texas Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS) is a mandated criterion-referenced test administered to students in grades 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 in Texas public schools. This report by the Austin Independent School District (AISD) contains an executive summary of TEAMS results, an analysis of performance, and attachments. Among the major findings…

Nationwide survey of energy conservation in public school districts: Institutional, organizational, and technical characteristics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Collins, N.E.; Ettinger, G.A.; Gaines, L.L.; Kier, P.H.; Miller, K.L. (Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)); Kammerud, R.C. (Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States))

1987-09-01

This report summarizes the responses to a mail survey sent to superintendents and other administrators of public school districts. The survey was part of an evaluation project for the USDOE Institutional Conservation Program (ICP). The goal of the project is to identify the most successful energy conservation measures (equipment and activities) available to the institutional buildings sector. To accomplish this goal, four specific research objectives were defined: To determine the impact of the ICP grants program on fostering energy efficiency and saving energy; to determine key characteristics of institutional conservation efforts outside the federal program; To determine the technical, organizational, and Institutional conditions that create the opportunity for energy conservation measures (ECMS) to be most effective; and to identify key technology transfer opportunities. This report focuses on those characteristics of school districts (and the schools within those districts) that might influence the identification, implementation, operation, and impacts of institutional energy conservation efforts. Information about institutional characteristics was gathered through a mail survey of public school districts and private schools. The first mailing resulted in responses from 90 of the 823 public school districts selected through a combination cluster-and-stratification sampling technique and 64 of the 1,700 private schools selected as a stratified random sample. Remaining project resources were used to collect data to achieve a statistically sound sample of a total of 250 public school districts by telephone interviews. In doing so, some questions had to be dropped. Responses from both the mall surveys and the telephone interviews of public school districts were combined into one data set. This report describes results for all 250 districts.

Implementation Recommendations for School Districts. GASB Statement No. 34.

Science.gov (United States)

Association of School Business Officials International, Reston, VA.

Statement 34 is the most significant change in the history of governmental accounting. It is a dramatic change in the way school districts report and present financial information. This new reporting model affects every public-school organization that issues financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).…

School District Cash Management. Program Audit.

Science.gov (United States)

New York State Legislative Commission on Expenditure Review, Albany.

New York State law permits school districts to invest cash not immediately needed for district operation and also specifies the kinds of investments that may be made in order to ensure the safety and liquidity of public funds. This audit examines cash management and investment practices in New York state's financially independent school districts.…

Educational Technology in Public School Districts: Fall 2008. First Look. NCES 2010-003

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, Lucinda; Lewis, Laurie

2009-01-01

This report provides national data on the availability and use of educational technology in public school districts during fall 2008. The data are the results of a national district-level survey that is one of a set that includes district, school, and teacher surveys on educational technology. Every year between 1994 and 2005 (with the exception…

Sexual Harassment Policies in Florida School Districts.

Science.gov (United States)

Rienzo, Barbara A.; Moore, Michele Johnson

1998-01-01

Investigated the extent to which Florida's school districts complied with the Florida Department of Education's (FDOE) recommendations for addressing sexual harassment in schools. Surveys of district equity coordinators and analysis of policies indicated that most districts approved sexual harassment policies incorporating many FDOE…

Challenges Encountered by Connecticut Partner School Districts when Implementing Legislatively Required District Improvement Plans: An Exploratory Study

Science.gov (United States)

Martins, Meghan G.

2010-01-01

This research developed a survey that measures the degree to which challenges are experienced by school and district leaders, and teachers, when attempting to implement legislatively required District Improvement Plans (DIPs). The data indicate that there are certainly challenges when implementing DIPs and that teachers report experiencing a…

Factors Influencing Teacher Job Satisfaction and Their Alignment with Current District Practices in a Suburban School District

Science.gov (United States)

Dickens, Kimberly Rae

2010-01-01

School districts across the country make many decisions that impact teachers' satisfaction both positively and negatively. With statistics reporting a significant number of teachers leaving the profession in the first 5 years of experience, determining the reasons for teacher dissatisfaction are important in shaping district practices to be more…

No One Way: Differentiating School District Leadership and Support for School Improvement

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Stephen E.; Mascall, Blair; Stiegelbauer, Suzanne; Park, Jaddon

2012-01-01

This article examines findings from a qualitative investigation of how school district administrators in four mid to large sized urban school districts (10,000-50,000) identify and address differences in school performance. The analysis explores the interaction between district policies and actions that centralize and standardize expectations for…

Growing a Waldorf-Inspired Approach in a Public School District

Science.gov (United States)

Friedlaender, Diane; Beckham, Kyle; Zheng, Xinhua; Darling-Hammond, Linda

2015-01-01

This report documents the practices and outcomes of Alice Birney, a public K-8 Waldorf-Inspired School in Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD). This study highlights how such a school addresses students' academic, social, emotional, physical, and creative development. Birney students outperform similar students in SCUSD on several…

Preliminary Report Regarding State Allocation Board Funding of the Los Angeles Unified School District's Belmont Learning Complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Armoudian, Maria; Carman, Georgann; Havan, Artineh; Heron, Frank

A preliminary report of the California Legislature's Joint Legislative Audit Committee presents findings on the construction team selection process for the Los Angeles Unified School District's (LAUSD's) Belmont Learning Complex. Evidence reveals a seriously flawed process that directly conflicted with existing law and practice. The report…

School Progress Report 2012. Montgomery County Public Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Montgomery County Public Schools, 2013

2013-01-01

The 2012 School Progress Report for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) provides state, county, and individual school performance data, as well as information on student attendance, high school graduation rates, and the professional qualifications of teachers at the state, district, and school levels. Montgomery County primary schools are…

School Progress Report 2013. Montgomery County Public Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Montgomery County Public Schools, 2014

2014-01-01

The 2013 School Progress Report for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) provides state, county, and individual school performance data, as well as information on student attendance, high school graduation rates, and the professional qualifications of teachers at the state, district, and school levels for the 2012-2013 school year. Montgomery…

State-Level Guidance and District-Level Policies and Practices for Food Marketing in US School Districts.

Science.gov (United States)

Merlo, Caitlin L; Michael, Shannon; Brener, Nancy D; Blanck, Heidi

2018-06-07

State agencies play a critical role in providing school districts with guidance and technical assistance on school nutrition issues, including food and beverage marketing practices. We examined associations between state-level guidance and the policies and practices in school districts regarding food and beverage marketing and promotion. State policy guidance was positively associated with districts prohibiting advertisements for junk food or fast food restaurants on school property. Technical assistance from states was negatively associated with 2 district practices to restrict marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages, but positively associated with 1 practice to promote healthy options. These findings may help inform the guidance that states provide to school districts and help identify which districts may need additional assistance to address marketing and promotion practices.

School and district wellness councils and availability of low-nutrient, energy-dense vending fare in Minnesota middle and high schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Kubik, Martha Y; Lytle, Leslie A; Farbakhsh, Kian

2011-01-01

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 required school districts participating in the federal school meals program to establish by the start of the 2006-2007 school year policies that included nutrition guidelines for all foods sold on school campus during the school day and policy development involving key stakeholders. For many schools, policy development was done by wellness councils. This study examined the association between having a wellness council and availability of low-nutrient, energy-dense foods/beverages in school vending machines following enactment of the federal legislation. In 2006-2007, Minnesota middle (n=35) and high (n=54) school principals reported whether their school and district had a wellness council. Trained research staff observed foods/beverages in vending machines accessible to students. Low-nutrient, energy-dense foods/beverages (snacks >3 g fat or >200 calories/serving, and soda, fruit/sport drinks and reduced-fat/whole milk) were grouped into seven categories (eg, high-fat baked goods) and a food score was calculated. Higher scores indicated more low-nutrient, energy-dense vending fare. Multivariate linear regression, adjusted for school characteristics, was used to examine associations between scores and a three-category council variable (district-only; district and school; no council). Among schools, 53% had district-only councils, 38% district and school councils, and 9% had no council. Schools with both a district and school council had a significantly lower mean food score than schools without councils (P=0.03). The potential of wellness councils to impact availability of low-nutrient, energy-dense vending fare is promising. There may be an added benefit to having both a school and district council. Copyright © 2011 American Dietetic Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Revisiting "Rodriguez v. Los Angeles Unified School District": A Case of Intra-District Inequities

Science.gov (United States)

Espinosa, Ruben W.

2010-01-01

The educational community and the courts continue to struggle with the challenges of intra-district resource inequality revealed by the California Supreme Court landmark case "Rodriguez v. Los Angeles Unified School District" (1992). Intra-district school resource inequality is one of the remaining bastions of major inequalities in the…

Criteria for Centralized Warehousing Procedures in Public School Districts. Summary Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Forsythe, Ralph A.; Thomson, Leland A.

This survey of opinions of architects, certified public accountants, and educators (who have written concerning, shown leadership in, or have specialized knowledge about warehousing) covers the planning, organizing, material handling, and paper processing of presently operated school district central warehouses. All recommendations concerning…

Capacity Building Special Alternatives Program Community School District 3. Final Evaluation Report, 1993-94. OER Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Duque, Diana L.

The Capacity Building Special Alternatives Program, an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title VII-funded project in its second year of operation, functioned at seven schools in a community school district of Manhattan (New York). The project served 195 students of limited English proficiency (LEP) whose native languages were Albanian,…

PDP-11 Meeting School District Administrative Data Processing Challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Technological Horizons in Education, 1983

1983-01-01

Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 (Illinois) is currently using a Digital PDP-11/70 computer system and administrative software to handle administrative functions with ease and efficiency. These functions include production of reports and payroll, student scheduling, reporting grades and student progress, and maintaining student…

Strategies to Maintain School District Financial Solvency: Illinois School Business Officials' Recommendations

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Ann C.; Kersten, Thomas A.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify financial management strategies that school business officials have found most successful in achieving school district financial stability. To accomplish, 208 Illinois school business officials in six counties: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties, excluding Chicago School District 299,…

Public School Finance Problems in Texas. An Interim Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Texas Research League, Austin.

The U.S. District Court ruling in Rodriguez vs San Antonio Independent School District, which struck down Texas' school finance system as inequitable and unconstitutional, provided the impetus for publishing this interim report. The report documents the growing cost of State-supported public school programs--the primary concern prior to the…

Tips for School Districts: GASB's New Fund Balance Standards

Science.gov (United States)

Mead, Dean Michael

2010-01-01

In March 2009, the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) issued Statement No. 54, "Fund Balance Reporting and Governmental Fund Type Definitions." School districts that prepare financial reports based on generally accepted accounting principles are required to implement this standard no later than the first fiscal year that starts after…

Promoting, Guiding, and Surviving Change in School Districts.

Science.gov (United States)

Deal, Terrence E.; Nutt, Samuel C.

Compiled for school administrators who must initiate or respond to external mandate for change, this guide draws on the experiences of 10 rural school districts that participated in the federally funded Experimental Schools (ES) program for perspectives that can be used in the successful management of change efforts in school districts. Organized…

Marketing Techniques for School Districts.

Science.gov (United States)

Lane, John J., Ed.

Development of marketing plans can assist not only public school districts in meeting recent competition but will also improve educational processes, increase revenue, and restore confidence in schools. This collection of articles describes a new role for school administrators--particulary for business managers: administrators as "entrepreneurs."…

Investigating the Impact of the Cisco 21st Century Schools Initiative on Hattiesburg Public School District. Summative Report

Science.gov (United States)

Ba, Harouna; Meade, Terri; Pierson, Elizabeth; Ferguson, Camille; Roy, Amanda; Williams, Hakim

2009-01-01

The Hattiesburg Public School District (HPSD) is a small urban school system located in southern Mississippi. Of the almost 4,500 students enrolled in its nine schools, 92 percent are African American and 90 percent receive free or reduced lunch. Currently, HPSD employs 34 administrators, 375 teachers, and 11 technology specialists. When the 21st…

Investigating the Impact of the Cisco 21st Century Schools Initiative on Harrison County School District. Summative Report

Science.gov (United States)

Ba, Harouna; Meade, Terri; Pierson, Elizabeth; Ferguson, Camille; Roy, Amanda; Williams, Hakim

2009-01-01

There are 21 schools in the Harrison County School District (HCSD), located in southern Mississippi, in the Gulfport/Biloxi metropolitan area. Of those, only Harrison Central 9th Grade (HC9) and Harrison County High School (HCHS) participated in the Cisco 21S Initiative--therefore, this summary will focus on only administrators, teachers,…

Are characteristics of the school district associated with active transportation to school in Danish adolescents?

Science.gov (United States)

Stock, Christiane; Bloomfield, Kim; Ejstrud, Bo; Vinther-Larsen, Mathilde; Meijer, Mathias; Grønbæk, Morten; Grittner, Ulrike

2012-06-01

This study sought to determine the influence of individual factors on active transportation to school among Danish seventh graders and whether school district factors are associated with such behaviour independently of individual factors. Mixed effects logistic regression models determined the effects of individual (gender, family affluence, enjoyment of school and academic performance) and school district factors (educational level, household savings, land use and size) on active transportation to school (by foot, bicycle or other active means) among 10 380 pupils aged 13-15 years nested in 407 school districts. Of all students, 64.4% used active transportation to school daily. Boys, those with perceived higher school performance and those with lower family affluence were more likely to use active transportation to school. After adjustment for all individual factors listed above, high household savings at the school district level was associated with higher odds of active transportation to school. As factors of land use, low level of farming land use and high proportion of single houses were associated with active transportation to school. Policies aiming at reducing social inequalities at the school district level may enhance active transportation to school. School districts with farming land use face barriers for active transportation to school, requiring special policy attention.

The Teacher Strike: School District Protection Procedures. A Manual for School District Officials on How to Handle a Teachers' Strike.

Science.gov (United States)

Igoe, Joseph A.; DiRocco, Anthony P.

This booklet is designed to give practical and realistic advice to school district officials faced with the possibility of a teachers' strike. It is intended for use both by school district administrators and school board members. The booklet is organized into four sections that focus in turn on signs of a pending teachers' strike, union…

Examining Charter School Policy and Public School District Resource Allocation in Ohio

Science.gov (United States)

Linick, Matthew A.

2016-01-01

This project focuses on the competitive pressure, or the threat of competitive pressure, generated by charter school policy. This paper uses longitudinal district-level data and multiple quasi-experimental designs to examine the relationship between two Ohio charter school policies and changes in public school district instructional resource…

Lessons Learned: A Strategic Alliance to Improve Elementary Physical Education in an Urban School District.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Hannah R; Haguewood, Robin; Tantoco, Nicole; Madsen, Kristine A

2015-01-01

Physical education (PE) can help to achieve important public health goals, but is often under-prioritized and lacking in schools. To detail the actions, impact, and successes of a strategic alliance formed by three collaborating organizations to improve PE in a large California school district. Semistructured interviews with alliance members, principals, and teachers in 20 elementary schools, 3 years after the alliance formation. Interviewees reported district-level increases in priority and funding for PE and attributed improvements to the alliance's collection and dissemination of local data on the status of PE. Common goals, trust, and open communication within the alliance were seen as critical to the alliance's success. However, changes in district- or school-level accountability measures for PE were not reported. This strategic alliance succeeded in promoting district-level priority and funding for PE. Ongoing alliance work will focus on increasing accountability measures for PE, which may take longer to implement.

Characteristics of Illinois School Districts That Employ School Nurses

Science.gov (United States)

Searing, Lisabeth M.; Guenette, Molly

2016-01-01

Research indicates that school nursing services are cost-effective, but the National Association of School Nurses estimates that 25% of schools do not have a school nurse (SN). The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of Illinois school districts that employed SNs. This was a secondary data analysis of Illinois School Report…

School District Wellness Policy Quality and Weight-Related Outcomes among High School Students in Minnesota

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffman, Pamela K.; Davey, Cynthia S.; Larson, Nicole; Grannon, Katherine Y.; Hanson, Carlie; Nanney, Marilyn S.

2016-01-01

Weight-related outcomes were examined among high school students in Minnesota public school districts according to the quality of district wellness policies. Wellness policy strength and comprehensiveness were scored using the Wellness School Assessment Tool (WellSAT) for 325 Minnesota public school districts in 2013. The associations between…

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Mesa Unified School District Reaps Economic

Science.gov (United States)

and Environmental Benefits with Propane Buses Mesa Unified School District Reaps Economic and School District Reaps Economic and Environmental Benefits with Propane Buses on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: Mesa Unified School District Reaps Economic and Environmental Benefits with

Salaryfax 1974-75 for Seven School Districts.

Science.gov (United States)

Albuquerque Public Schools, NM.

This study compares salaries as well as benefits of school district personnel in the seven metropolitan school districts that include Albuquerque, New Mexico; Denver, Colorado; Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona; Wichita, Kansas; and Mobile, Alabama. The tables aggregate all the elements in the total compensation package for each category of employee and…

Salaryfax for Eight School Districts 1973-1974.

Science.gov (United States)

Albuquerque Public Schools, NM.

This study compares salaries as well as benefits of school district personnel in the eight metropolitan school districts that include Albuquerque, New Mexico; Denver, Colorado; El Paso, Texas; Phoenix and Tuscon, Arizona; Wichita, Kansas; and Mobile, Alabama. The tables aggregate all the elements in the total compensation package for each category…

Collaborative Strategic Decision Making in School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Brazer, S. David; Rich, William; Ross, Susan A.

2010-01-01

Purpose: The dual purpose of this paper is to determine how superintendents in US school districts work with stakeholders in the decision-making process and to learn how different choices superintendents make affect decision outcomes. Design/methodology/approach: This multiple case study of three school districts employs qualitative methodology to…

Collaborative School Improvement: Eight Practices for District-School Partnerships to Transform Teaching and Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Kaufman, Trent E.; Grimm, Emily Dolci; Miller, Allison E.

2012-01-01

How can districts bring instructional improvement to scale within and across schools? The authors of "Collaborative School Improvement" argue that districts can play a powerful part in helping schools build the capacity to engage in inquiry-based reform--but that this effort requires a shift in districts' traditional role as a professional…

Income Segregation between Schools and School Districts. CEPA Working Paper No. 16-04

Science.gov (United States)

Owens, Ann; Reardon, Sean F.; Jencks, Christopher

2016-01-01

Although trends in the racial segregation of schools are well documented, less is known about trends in "income" segregation. We use multiple data sources to document trends in income segregation between schools and school districts. Between-district income segregation of families with children enrolled in public school increased by over…

Food as a reward in the classroom: school district policies are associated with practices in US public elementary schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Lindsey; Chriqui, Jamie F; Chaloupka, Frank J

2012-09-01

The use of food as a reward for good student behavior or academic performance is discouraged by many national organizations, yet this practice continues to occur in schools. Our multiyear cross-sectional study examined the use of food as a reward in elementary schools and evaluated the association between district policies and school practices. School data were gathered during the 2007-2008, 2008-2009, and 2009-2010 school years via mail-back surveys (N=2,069) from respondents at nationally representative samples of US public elementary schools (1,525 unique schools, 544 of which also participated for a second year). During every year, the corresponding district policy for each school was gathered and coded for provisions pertaining to the use of food as a reward. School practices did not change over time and as of the 2009-2010 school year, respondents in 42.1% and 40.7% of schools, respectively, indicated that food was not used as a reward for academic performance or for good student behavior. In multivariate logistic regression analyses controlling for school characteristics and year, having a district policy that prohibited the use of food as a reward was significantly associated with school respondents reporting that food was not used as a reward for academic performance (Preward than were respondents in the South and Northeast. As of 2009-2010, only 11.9% of the districts in our study prohibited the use of food as a reward. Strengthening district policies may reduce the use of food rewards in elementary schools. Copyright © 2012 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Analysis of Florida's School Districts' Attendance Policies and their Relationship to High School Attendance Rates

Science.gov (United States)

Reardon, Ryan Turner

2008-01-01

The purpose of this non-experimental correlational study was to determine the relationship between the type of attendance policies in the high schools of the 67 Florida school districts, the size of the school district (number of high school students), the socioeconomic status SES) of the school district, and the average daily attendance rate of…

Human Resource Support for School Principals in Two, Urban School Districts: An Exploratory Study

Science.gov (United States)

Lochmiller, Chad R.

2010-01-01

School districts are increasingly focused on instructional practice in classrooms. Many urban school districts have shifted decision-making responsibility to school principals in order to improve instruction. This reform strategy has been referred to as decentralization or school-based management. Decentralization has a significant influence on…

Little Reason for Being: A Case of School District Dissolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Ellis, Pam

In 1980, Tonnelly Central School District became the first school district in New York State to be dissolved pursuant to Section 1505 of Education Law, marking the first use of dissolution and annexation as a means by which to address the programmatic and management problems encountered in the operation of a central school district. Problems faced…

Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary School Districts: School Year 2010-11 (Fiscal Year 2011). First Look (Provisional Data). NCES 2013-344

Science.gov (United States)

Cornman, Stephen Q.; Keaton, Patrick; Glander, Mark

2013-01-01

This report presents data from the School District Finance Survey (F-33) of the Common Core of Data (CCD) survey system for school year (SY) 2010-11, fiscal year 2011 (FY 11). The F-33 survey is a school district-level financial survey that consists of data submitted annually to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the…

Inventory Control of Fixed Assets by School District Personnel.

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, Paul E.

By July 1, 1966, each school district in New York State was required to install a system of property accounting. This pamphlet provides a suggested method of property accounting to assist school districts in meeting this requirement. In addition, suggestions are made to help the districts record the information needed for fire insurance purposes.…

NM School District Boundaries

Data.gov (United States)

Earth Data Analysis Center, University of New Mexico — The dataset represents the boundaries of all public school districts in the state of New Mexico. The source for the data layer is the New Mexico Public Education...

Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary School Districts: School Year 2008-09 (Fiscal Year 2009). First Look. NCES 2012-313

Science.gov (United States)

Cornman, Stephen Q.; Noel, Amber M.

2011-01-01

This report presents data from the School District Finance Survey (F-33) of the Common Core of Data (CCD) survey system for school year (SY) 2008-09 (fiscal year [FY] 2009). The F-33 is a district-level financial survey that consists of data submitted annually to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the Governments Division of…

The Search for Equity in School Finance: Michigan School District Response to a Guaranteed Tax Base.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Rolla Edward; Carroll, Stephen J.

Part of a three-volume report on the effects of school finance reform, this volume examines the effects of reform on Michigan school districts' budgets from 1971 to 1976. Econometric models were used. Researchers found a very small "price" effect--an elasticity of -.02. The data provide no evidence that state matching grants stimulate…

Estimating the Efficiency of Michigan's Rural and Urban Public School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Maranowski, Rita

2012-01-01

This study examined student achievement in Michigan public school districts to determine if rural school districts are demonstrating greater financial efficiency by producing higher levels of student achievement than school districts in other geographic locations with similar socioeconomics. Three models were developed using multiple regression…

District-Wide Involvement: The Key to Successful School Improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Mundell, Scott; Babich, George

1989-01-01

Describes the self-study process used by the Marana Unified School District to meet accreditation requirements with minimal expense, to emphasize curriculum development, and to improve the school. Considers the key feature of the cyclical review model to be the personal involvement of nearly every faculty member in the 10-school district. (DMM)

Health insurance premium increases for the 5 largest school districts in the United States, 2004-2008.

Science.gov (United States)

Cantillo, John R

2010-03-01

Local school districts are often one of the largest, if not the largest, employers in their respective communities. Like many large employers, school districts offer health insurance to their employees. There is a lack of information about the rate of health insurance premiums in US school districts relative to other employers. To assess the change in the costs of healthcare insurance in the 5 largest public school districts in the United States, between 2004 and 2008, as representative of large public employers in the country. Data for this study were drawn exclusively from a survey sent to the 5 largest public school districts in the United States. The survey requested responses on 3 data elements for each benefit plan offered from 2004 through 2008; these included enrollment, employee costs, and employer costs. The premium growth for the 5 largest school districts has slowed down and is consistent with other purchasers-Kaiser/Health Research & Educational Trust and the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program. The average increase in health insurance premium for the schools was 5.9% in 2008, and the average annual growth rate over the study period was 7.5%. For family coverage, these schools provide the most generous employer contribution (80.8%) compared with the employer contribution reported by other employers (73.5%) for 2008. Often the largest employers in their communities, school districts demonstrate a commitment to provide choice of benefits and affordability for employees and their families. Despite constraints typical of public employers, the 5 largest school districts in the United States have decelerated in premium growth consistent with other purchasers, albeit at a slower pace.

Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary School Districts: School Year 2009-10 (Fiscal Year 2010): First Look. NCES 2013-307

Science.gov (United States)

Cornman, Stephen Q.

2013-01-01

This report presents data from the School District Finance Survey (F-33) of the Common Core of Data (CCD) survey system for school year (SY) 2009-10, fiscal year 2010 (FY 10). The F-33 is a district-level financial survey that consists of data submitted annually to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the Governments Division of…

The Partnership Pact: Fulfilling School Districts' Research Needs with University-District Partnerships

Science.gov (United States)

Ralston, Nicole; Weitzel, Bruce; Waggoner, Jacqueline; Naegele, Zulema; Smith, Rebecca

2016-01-01

There has been a recent shift in university-district partnership models from traditional transactional partnerships, which lack a shared purpose, to transformational partnerships that are mutually beneficial to both universities and school districts. These transformational research-practice partnerships have gained popularity in the United States…

School District Leadership Styles and School Improvement: Evidence from Selected School Principals in the Eastern Cape Province

Science.gov (United States)

Moorosi, Pontso; Bantwini, Bongani D.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate how leadership styles in the Eastern Cape school districts support school improvement. Mixed methods research was employed and data was collected through the use of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with school principals in various districts. The study was guided by the following questions:…

Comparisons of Student Achievement Levels by District Performance and Poverty. ACT Research Report Series 2016-11

Science.gov (United States)

Dougherty, Chrys; Shaw, Teresa

2016-01-01

This report looks at student achievement levels in Arkansas school districts disaggregated by district poverty and by the district's performance relative to other districts. We estimated district performance statistics by subject and grade level (4, 8, and 11-12) for longitudinal student cohorts, using statistical models that adjusted for district…

Implementing a Student-Based Funding Policy: Considerations for School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Shambaugh, Larisa S.; Chambers, Jay G.

2009-01-01

As education budgets continue to tighten, increased attention is focused on how school districts can best distribute existing funds to schools and how schools can best use these funds. Student-based funding (SBF)--sometimes referred to as a weighted student formula--is one approach that school districts have taken during the past decade. SBF…

Counseling, Psychological, and Social Services Staffing: Policies in U.S. School Districts.

Science.gov (United States)

Brener, Nancy; Demissie, Zewditu

2018-06-01

Schools are in a unique position to meet the mental and behavioral health needs of children and adolescents because approximately 95% of young people aged 7-17 years attend school. Little is known, however, about policies related to counseling, psychological, and social services staffing in school districts. This study analyzed the prevalence of such policies in public school districts in the U.S. Data from four cycles (2000, 2006, 2012, and 2016) of the School Health Policies and Practices Study, a national survey periodically conducted to assess policies and practices for ten components of school health, were analyzed in 2017. The survey collected data related to counseling, psychological, and social services among nationally representative samples of school districts using online or mailed questionnaires. Sampled districts identified respondents responsible for or most knowledgeable about the content of each questionnaire. The percentage of districts with a district-level counseling, psychological, and social services coordinator increased significantly from 62.6% in 2000 to 79.5% in 2016. In 2016, 56.3% of districts required each school to have someone to coordinate counseling, psychological, and social services at the school. Fewer districts required schools at each level to have a specified ratio of counselors to students (16.2% for elementary schools, 16.8% for middle schools, and 19.8% for high schools), and the percentage of districts with these requirements has decreased significantly since 2012. Increases in the prevalence of district-level staffing policies could help increase the quantity and quality of counseling, psychological, and social services staff in schools nationwide, which in turn could improve mental and behavioral health outcomes for students. This article is part of a supplement entitled The Behavioral Health Workforce: Planning, Practice, and Preparation, which is sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

State Policy Snapshot: School District Facilities and Public Charter Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Simnick, Russ

2015-01-01

One of the greatest challenges to the health of the public charter school movement is access to adequate facilities in which the schools operate. Public charter school facilities are rarely funded on par with school district facilities. Over the years, more states have come to realize that they have an obligation to ensure that all public school…

Educational Data Base and School Profile Reports.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiang, Eleanor Yin

This report describes the development in 1986 of a management information system by the Sacramento City (California) Unified School District for use in high schools. A nine-page attachment, which comprises two-thirds of the report, offers profiles of selected schools drawn from the databases. Data sets of 200 information items, collected from all…

Are characteristics of the school district associated with active transportation to school in Danish adolescents?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stock, Christiane; Bloomfield, Kim; Ejstrud, Bo

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND: This study sought to determine the influence of individual factors on active transportation to school among Danish seventh graders and whether school district factors are associated with such behaviour independently of individual factors. METHODS: Mixed effects logistic regression...... models determined the effects of individual (gender, family affluence, enjoyment of school and academic performance) and school district factors (educational level, household savings, land use and size) on active transportation to school (by foot, bicycle or other active means) among 10 380 pupils aged...... 13-15 years nested in 407 school districts. RESULTS: Of all students, 64.4% used active transportation to school daily. Boys, those with perceived higher school performance and those with lower family affluence were more likely to use active transportation to school. After adjustment for all...

Decision-Making Processes in Texas School Districts That Arm Personnel

Science.gov (United States)

Domain, Melinda Willoughby

2014-01-01

This qualitative phenomenological study employed narrative inquiry to describe the decision-making processes that Texas school districts followed in enacting firearms policies that allow school employees to carry concealed weapons on district property. Exploration of the lived experiences of eight Texas superintendents in such schools contributed…

Health Insurance Premium Increases for the 5 Largest School Districts in the United States, 2004–2008

Science.gov (United States)

Cantillo, John R.

2010-01-01

Background Local school districts are often one of the largest, if not the largest, employers in their respective communities. Like many large employers, school districts offer health insurance to their employees. There is a lack of information about the rate of health insurance premiums in US school districts relative to other employers. Objective To assess the change in the costs of healthcare insurance in the 5 largest public school districts in the United States, between 2004 and 2008, as representative of large public employers in the country. Methods Data for this study were drawn exclusively from a survey sent to the 5 largest public school districts in the United States. The survey requested responses on 3 data elements for each benefit plan offered from 2004 through 2008; these included enrollment, employee costs, and employer costs. Results The premium growth for the 5 largest school districts has slowed down and is consistent with other purchasers—Kaiser/Health Research & Educational Trust and the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program. The average increase in health insurance premium for the schools was 5.9% in 2008, and the average annual growth rate over the study period was 7.5%. For family coverage, these schools provide the most generous employer contribution (80.8%) compared with the employer contribution reported by other employers (73.5%) for 2008. Conclusions Often the largest employers in their communities, school districts demonstrate a commitment to provide choice of benefits and affordability for employees and their families. Despite constraints typical of public employers, the 5 largest school districts in the United States have decelerated in premium growth consistent with other purchasers, albeit at a slower pace. PMID:25126311

A Study of Terrorism Emergency Preparedness Policies in School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Umoh, Emmanuel

2013-01-01

The threat of terrorism is a concern in public facilities including schools. This study focused on school districts in a southwestern state. Terrorism emergency preparedness policies are well-documented as measures to protect students and staff in school districts from terrorism threats and vulnerabilities. However, those threats and…

Factors Influencing Teacher Job Satisfaction and Their Alignment with Current District Practices in a Rural School District

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, Taneal Marie

2010-01-01

School districts' decisions across the country are influencing the satisfaction level of teachers, in both positive and negative ways. With statistics reporting as high as fifty percent of teachers leaving the profession in the first five years of experience (Ingersoll, 2003), determining the reasons for teacher dissatisfaction are important in…

Allegheny County School District Boundaries

Data.gov (United States)

Allegheny County / City of Pittsburgh / Western PA Regional Data Center — This dataset demarcates the school district boundaries within Allegheny County If viewing this description on the Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center’s open...

Vaccination perceptions of school employees in a rural school district.

Science.gov (United States)

Macintosh, Janelle; Luthy, Karlen E; Beckstrand, Renea L; Eden, Lacey M; Orton, Jennifer

2014-08-20

There continues to be a need for increases in adult vaccination rates, especially among those working in environments which may easily become communicable disease outbreak centers, such as school employees in the school environment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate why rural Utah school employees were non-compliant with the influenza and measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccines, as well as to identify their views on mandatory vaccination policies. A questionnaire was distributed to all school employees in a rural Utah school district. Data analysis included frequencies and measures of central tendency and dispersion for quantitative items and theme identification for qualitative items. Only 51% of school employees were adequately vaccinated for influenza. Reasons for noncompliance with the influenza vaccine included inconvenience, lack of perceived need, and questionable vaccine efficacy. There were 39.3% school employees who had not received an MMR during adulthood, which was commonly attributed to lack of knowledge regarding the need for this vaccine. Almost half (45.7%) of school employees believed a mandatory vaccination policy should be instituted, although 24.2% of school employees were opposed to mandatory adult vaccination policies. Reasons for opposing vaccination mandates included violation of personal choice, lack of perceived vaccination safety and efficacy, lack of perceived need for adult vaccines, and vaccine cost. Suboptimal vaccination rates of school employees may negatively affect the health and well-being of individuals in the school environment. School employees report a variety of beliefs regarding the influenza and MMR vaccines. While over half of school employees support mandatory vaccination policies for adults working in the school environment, those opposing such a policy report concerns regarding violation of personal choice. Public health officials and school administrators should coordinate efforts to increase vaccination

The Relationship between Schools' Costs per Pupil and Nevada School Performance Framework Index Scores in Clark County School District

Science.gov (United States)

Rice, John; Huang, Min

2015-01-01

Clark County School District (CCSD) asked the Western Regional Education Laboratory (REL West) to examine the relationship between spending per pupil and Nevada School Performance Framework (NSPF) index scores in the district's schools. Data were examined from three school years (2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14) and for three types of schools…

School choice & social stratification: how intra-district transfers shift the racial/ethnic and economic composition of schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Kristie J R; Larsen, Elisabeth S; Hausman, Charles

2015-05-01

The liberation model hypothesizes that school choice liberates students from underperforming schools by giving them the opportunity to seek academically superior schooling options outside of their neighborhoods. Subsequently, school choice is hypothesized to diminish stratification in schools. Data from one urban school district is analyzed to test these hypotheses. We specifically examine which factors influence the propensity for parents to participate in choice, and how school choice changes the racial/ethnic and economic composition of schools. We further examine how school choice influences similar changes within distinct sociogeographic areas within the district. We find that families who are zoned to more racially/ethnically and economically diverse schools in sociogeographically diverse areas are more likely to participate in school choice. We also find that intra-district choice is associated with a slight increase in social stratification throughout the district, with more substantial stratification occurring in the most demographically diverse areas and schools. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Highway/Railroad Accident Report: Collision Of Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation (METRA) Train And Transportation Joint Agreement School District 47/155 School Bus At Railroad/Highway Grade Crossing In Fox River Grove, Illinois, On

Science.gov (United States)

1996-10-29

This report explains the collision of a Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation commuter train with a Transportation Joint Agreement School District 47/155 school bus that was stopped at a railroad/highway grade crossing in Fox Rive...

Controlling Special Education Costs at the School District Level.

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, W. Daniel

1992-01-01

Describes the financing of a New York school district for emotionally disturbed children. Summarizes suggestions for controlling special education costs at the district level obtained from a nationwide sample of school business officials. Among the suggestions offered are to include a review of private placements and an annual caseload review,…

Making Good Choices: Districts Take the Lead. Comprehensive School Reform.

Science.gov (United States)

North Central Regional Educational Lab., Oak Brook, IL.

Public schools across the country are aiming to improve student performance by engaging in comprehensive school reform (CSR). This guide was created to help school districts make CSR an integral part of their strategies for improving student achievement. Five components for CSR are described: (1) Strategizing, whereby the district supports CSR by…

Wireless Wide Area Networks for School Districts.

Science.gov (United States)

Nair, Prakash

This paper considers a basic question that many schools districts face in attempting to develop affordable, expandable district-wide computer networks that are resistant to obsolescence: Should these wide area networks (WANs) employ wireless technology, stick to venerable hard-wired solutions, or combine both. This publication explores the…

Administration of the School District Risk Management Program. School Business Administration Publication No. 1.

Science.gov (United States)

California Association of School Business Officials, Sacramento.

This publication is designed to provide school district administrators and boards of education with information they can use in developing, administering, and evaluating their district's risk management needs. In particular, it is meant to help school officials 1) identify local insurance needs consistent with California's statutory requirements,…

1993-1994 Final technical report for establishing the SECME Model in the District of Columbia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vickers, R.G.

1995-12-31

This is the final report for a program to establish the SECME Model in the District of Columbia. This program has seen the development of a partnership between the District of Columbia Public Schools, the University of the District of Columbia, the Department of Energy, and SECME. This partnership has demonstrated positive achievement in mathematics and science education and learning in students within the District of Columbia.

1993-1994 Final technical report for establishing the SECME Model in the District of Columbia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vickers, R.G.

1995-01-01

This is the final report for a program to establish the SECME Model in the District of Columbia. This program has seen the development of a partnership between the District of Columbia Public Schools, the University of the District of Columbia, the Department of Energy, and SECME. This partnership has demonstrated positive achievement in mathematics and science education and learning in students within the District of Columbia

How Small School Districts Can Organize to Afford Their Small Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Burton, Christine

2010-01-01

While the research continues to mount on the benefits of school downsizing and decentralizing efforts in urban areas, there exists a paradox for small school Administrators who continue to struggle against forces of consolidation. Small schools in rural and suburban districts have fought for their existence against the pressures of consolidation…

An ecological study of food desert prevalence and 4th grade academic achievement in New York State school districts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seth E. Frndak

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Background. This ecological study examines the relationship between food desert prevalence and academic achievement at the school district level. Design and methods. Sample included 232 suburban and urban school districts in New York State. Multiple open-source databases were merged to obtain: 4th grade science, English and math scores, school district demographic composition (NYS Report Card, regional socioeconomic indicators (American Community Survey, school district quality (US Common Core of Data, and food desert data (USDA Food Desert Atlas. Multiple regression models assessed the percentage of variation in achievement scores explained by food desert variables, after controlling for additional predictors.Results. The proportion of individuals living in food deserts significantly explained 4th grade achievement scores, after accounting for additional predictors. School districts with higher proportions of individuals living in food desert regions demonstrated lower 4th grade achievement across science, English and math. Conclusions. Food deserts appear to be related to academic achievement at the school district level among urban and suburban regions. Further research is needed to better understand how food access is associated with academic achievement at the individual level.

Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary School Districts: School Year 2011-12 (Fiscal Year 2012). First Look. NCES 2014-303

Science.gov (United States)

Cornman, Stephen Q.

2015-01-01

This First Look report presents data on public elementary and secondary education revenues and expenditures at the local education agency (LEA) or school district level for fiscal year (FY) 2012.1. Specifically, this report includes findings from the following types of school finance data: (1) Revenue and expenditure totals by state and the 100…

Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary School Districts: School Year 2012-13 (Fiscal Year 2013). First Look. NCES 2015-303

Science.gov (United States)

Cornman, Stephen Q.

2016-01-01

This First Look report presents data on public elementary and secondary education revenues and expenditures at the local education agency (LEA) or school district level for fiscal year (FY) 2013. Specifically, this report includes findings from the following types of school finance data: (1) revenue and expenditure totals by state and the 100…

Deficit Financing of Schools? The Impact of Statutory Change on School District Borrowing Behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Edlefson, Carla

In the 70s and 80s, Ohio relaxed its balanced-budget laws to give school districts more options for borrowing over the end of the fiscal year. Two provisions that permit districts to borrow against next year's revenues in order to balance the current year's budget include the Emergency School Advancement program and the Spending Reserve. This…

Beacon Charter School Needs a School: A Case of Capital Outlay of Charters in a Public District

Science.gov (United States)

Wronowski, Meredith L.

2017-01-01

The case study presented below is a representation of a real-world, ongoing situation involving a public school district's capital outlay for charter schools within its boundaries. One particular charter, Beacon Charter School, was promised a permanent building by the public school district that also acts as its authorizer. However, recent events…

Home-School Relationships: Networking in One District

Science.gov (United States)

Wanat, Carolyn Louise

2012-01-01

This article describes parents' and educators' perceptions of home-school relationships that benefited children and their families in one school district. Family involvement literature and social network theory, especially Burt's (2001) structural holes, served as the theoretical framework. In semistructured interviews, 39 participants, including…

Coordinated School Health and the Contribution of a District Wellness Coordinator

Science.gov (United States)

Westrich, Lisa; Sanchez, Monika; Strobel, Karen

2015-01-01

Background: A San Francisco Bay Area school health initiative was established in fall 2010 to improve wellness programs in 4 local school districts using the Coordinated School Health (CSH) model. This study examines the role of district-wide wellness coordinators and the ways in which they contribute to intentional coordination of health and…

Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables in Middle School Students Following the Implementation of a School District Wellness Policy

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Kathleen D.; Snelling, Anastasia; Maroto, Maya; Young, Katherine A.

2013-01-01

Purpose/Objectives: In 2010, a large urban school district implemented a district-wide school wellness policy that addressed childhood obesity by requiring schools to increase health and physical education contact hours for students and to improve the nutritional standards of school meals. Schools were required to serve a different fruit and…

Education Reform in New Orleans: Voices from the Recovery School District

Science.gov (United States)

Ciolino, Max S.; Kirylo, James D.; Mirón, Luis; Frazier, Kelly

2014-01-01

In the post-Katrina education landscape in New Orleans, teachers in charter schools and district-run schools in the Recovery School District are uniquely situated to provide a direct eyewitness account of the successes and failures of the city's new direction in public education. This narrative presents the opinions of teachers in a critical…

Financial Crisis Now Striking Home for School Districts: Project Delays, Worries About Cash Flow Result of Tight Credit Markets

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Michelle R.

2008-01-01

This article reports that the crisis besetting U.S. and world financial markets is hitting school districts hard, as they struggle to float the bonds needed for capital projects, borrow money to ensure cash flow, and get access to investment funds locked up in troubled institutions. Some schools districts depend heavily on borrowed money to pay…

Budget Stability, Revenue Volatility, and District Relations: Determinants of Georgia ELOST Distribution to Municipal School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Reinagel, Tyler P.

2014-01-01

School districts across the United States are often forced into situations where limited public funds must be distributed among multiple districts. These are often reliant on distribution rates negotiated by district leadership and elected officials. An example of this is Georgia's 1% Education Local Option Sales Tax (ELOST). The tax is collected…

Replace or Modernize? The Future of the District of Columbia's Endangered Old and Historic Public Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Twenty-First Century School Fund, Washington, DC.

This report addresses the decision-making process for replacing or modernizing the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) as proposed in the DCPS facility master plan. The three-section document discusses old and historic schools and their future; the schools' historical and architectural value; cost of replacement and modernization; design;…

Participation in Summer School and High School Graduation in the Sun Valley High School District

Science.gov (United States)

Trujillo, Gabriel

2012-01-01

This study examines the effectiveness of a summer school credit recovery program in the Sun Valley High School District. Using logistic regression I assess the relationship between race, gender, course failure, school of origin and summer school participation for a sample of students that failed one or more classes in their first year of high…

Portfolio District Reform Meets School Turnaround: Early Implementation Findings from the Los Angeles Public School Choice Initiative

Science.gov (United States)

Marsh, Julie A.; Strunk, Katharine O.; Bush, Susan

2013-01-01

Purpose: Despite the popularity of school "turnaround" and "portfolio district" management as solutions to low performance, there has been limited research on these strategies. The purpose of this paper is to address this gap by exploring the strategic case of Los Angeles Unified School District's Public School Choice…

Accuracy of Principal and Teacher Knowledge of School District Policies on Sun Protection in California Elementary Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Buller, David B; Reynolds, Kim D; Berteletti, Julia; Massie, Kim; Ashley, Jeff; Buller, Mary Klein; Meenan, Richard T

2018-01-18

Policy is a key aspect of school-based efforts to prevent skin cancer. We explored the extent and accuracy of knowledge among principals and teachers in California public school districts about the elements specified in their district's written sun safety policy. The sample consisted of California public school districts that subscribed to the California School Boards Association, had an elementary school, adopted Board Policy 5141.7 for sun safety, and posted it online. The content of each policy was coded. Principals (n = 118) and teachers (n = 113) in elementary schools were recruited from September 2013 through December 2015 and completed a survey on sun protection policies and practices from January 2014 through April 2016. Only 38 of 117 principals (32.5%) were aware that their school district had a sun protection policy. A smaller percentage of teachers (13 of 109; 11.9%) than principals were aware of the policy (F 108 = 12.76, P < .001). We found greater awareness of the policy among principals and teachers who had more years of experience working in public education (odds ratio [OR] = 1.05, F 106 = 4.71, P = .03) and worked in schools with more non-Hispanic white students (OR = 7.65, F 109 = 8.61, P = .004) and fewer Hispanic students (OR = 0.28, F 109 = 4.27, P = .04). Policy adoption is an important step in implementing sun safety practices in schools, but districts may need more effective means of informing school principals and teachers of sun safety policies. Implementation will lag without clear understanding of the policy's content by school personnel.

Comparison of the enrollment percentages of magnet and non-magnet schools in a large urban school district.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emily Arcia

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Are magnet schools in a position to meet diversity ideals? As districts are declared unitary and released from court ordered desegregation, many are framing their commitments to fairness and equity in terms of diversity˜i.e., comparable rates of participation and comparable educational outcomes in all segments the student population. In this study, the enrollment statistics for magnet and contiguous non-magnet public schools in Miami-Dade County Public Schools, a large, urban district that had been released from court ordered desegregation, were compared to each other and to district enrollment averages at two time points: the year the district was declared unitary and four years hence. Findings indicated that within four years of being declared unitary, the gains that the magnet schools had made with regards to Black/non-Black desegregation had eroded substantially. Also, in the four year span, magnet schools had not made significant strides in meeting the diversity ideals adopted by the district at being released from supervision by the court. These findings highlight the difficulty of attaining diversity in student enrollment characteristics when quotas are not used and suggest that recruitment and enrollment policies must be crafted with care if districts are to achieve diversity goals.

Correlation of Sex Education and the Racial Composition of a School District

Science.gov (United States)

Schaa, Kelly

The purpose of the project was to determine whether there was a correlation between the racial makeup of a school district and the decision to provide sex education in its schools. Interviews were conducted with six different school districts across Santa Clara County, California. After the interviews, it was determined that the racial diversity did not play a role in deciding if sex education would be taught. This researcher did learn that a lack of educational funding had an effect on the school districts and their decisions. Due to this lack of funding for schools, educational programs, such as sex education, were not being provided to the students.

School Districts Move to the Head of the Class with Propane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2016-01-12

School districts across the country are under pressure to reduce their cost of operations and ensure their budgets are spent wisely. School bus fleets operate more than 675,000 buses in the United States, and many school districts have found the answer to their budget woes in the form of propane, or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Propane is a reliable, domestic fuel, and it's used in approximately 2% of school buses nationwide.

GATEWAY Report Brief: Tuning the Light in Classrooms: Evaluating Trial LED Lighting Systems in Three Classrooms at the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District in Carrollton, TX

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2017-09-29

Summary of GATEWAY report evaluating a trial installation of tunable-white LED lighting systems in three classrooms in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District in Carrollton, TX. The report provides valuable insights into the use of this technology in a real-world setting.

The Need for District Support for School Reform: What the Researchers Say. Research Brief.

Science.gov (United States)

Appelbaum, Deborah

This article focuses on the school district's role in implementing Comprehensive School Reform (CSR). Research shows that effective district support for CSR varies from district to district. This is due, in part, to the fact that many prior models bypassed the district, operating under the belief that reform would be more effective if it targeted…

Exploring the Space between: Social Networks, Trust, and Urban School District Leaders

Science.gov (United States)

Daly, Alan J.; Finnigan, Kara S.

2012-01-01

A number of scholars are exploring the district context in which schools are embedded. These studies suggest the importance of the district office as a support or constraint to the work of schools and offer strategies for building relations between district and site leaders. While this is an important task, what is frequently overlooked is that…

School District Finance Survey, 2013-14

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Education — School District Finance Survey, 2013–14 (F-33 2013–14) is a study that is part of the Common Core of Data (CCD) program; program data is available since 1989–90 at ....

Child Care Funding Sources for California School Districts. CRB 08-014

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, Lisa K.

2008-01-01

School districts are central players in the child care delivery system: they operate a mix of child care centers and programs, serve a range of children of different ages, and fund their programs from a variety of federal, state, and local sources. This report provides a range of programmatic and fiscal information about the federal and state…

National Implications for Urban School Systems: Strategic Planning in the Human Resource Management Department in a Large Urban School District

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Clarence; Kritsonis, William Allan

2007-01-01

This article addresses several key ongoing issues in a large urban school district. Literature focuses on what make a large urban school district effective in Human Resource Management. The effectiveness is addressed through recruitment and retention practices. A comparison of the school district with current research is the main approach to the…

Access Denied: School Librarians' Responses to School District Policies on the Use of Social Media Tools

Science.gov (United States)

DiScala, Jeffrey; Weeks, Ann Carlson

2013-01-01

Public school districts often block access to online social media tools. While considered a preventive measure to ensure student safety and limit district liability, this policy strips school librarians and their collaborating teachers of opportunities to instruct students in using social media tools creatively and responsibly. Using one school…

Synergy among School and District Leaders in the Application of Quality Standards in Kuwaiti Public Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Aldaihani, Sultan Ghaleb

2017-01-01

This study sought to identify existing levels of synergy, or cooperation and compatibility, among school and district leaders and the impact of synergy on standards of quality in Kuwaiti schools. The researcher employed a qualitative methodology based on interviews with principals and administrators representing the six educational districts in…

School Business Leadership: The Small School District Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Schaefbauer, Christi J.

2012-01-01

Effective leadership is on everyone's mind this presidential election year as the country's citizens look for a strong candidate to guide them through the next four years. Effective leadership is just as critical in the nation's school districts where people prepare their young people to be the global citizens of tomorrow. In most school…

Evaluation Report, District 24, Queens. Title I District Umbrella and Title I Open Enrollment Educational Services for Disadvantaged Pupils.

Science.gov (United States)

New York Univ., NY. Center for Field Research and School Services.

During the 1971-1972 school year, the regular educational programs in District 24 were supplemented with special educational services funded under Title I of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This evaluation report treats the several programs funded under the following headings: Pre-Kindergarten Program, Strengthened Early Childhood…

Achieving Competitive Advantage in Human Resource Management in General School District of Riyadh in Saudi Arabia

Science.gov (United States)

Al dakeel, Taghreed M.; Almannie, Mohamed A.

2015-01-01

The general school district of Riyadh is one of largest in the country of (45) school districts in Saudi Arabia. The school districts play an important roles in the development of education, therefore the objective of the study is to examine the roles of the management in the school districts to see if it is achieving competitive advantage. After…

Cyber-Security Concerns Mount as Student Hacking Hits Schools: Districts Straining to Safeguard Online Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Borja, Rhea R.

2006-01-01

While schools rightly fear break-ins to their computer systems by professional criminals, students are increasingly giving educators almost as much to worry about. Reports of students' gaining access to school networks to change grades, delete teachers' files, or steal data are becoming more common, experts say, and many districts remain highly…

School District Size and the Deployment of Personnel Resources.

Science.gov (United States)

Daft, Richard L.; Becker, Selwyn W.

1978-01-01

The administrative component was found to receive a smaller proportion of salaries in large districts, while clerical and maintenance service proportions increased, producing a net effect of larger overhead costs in this study of high school districts in the midwestern U.S. (KR)

Arsenic Removal from Drinking Water by Adsorptive Media U.S. EPA Demonstration Project at Webb Consolidated Independent School District in Bruni, TX - Final Performance Evaluation Report

Science.gov (United States)

This report documents the activities performed and the results obtained from the arsenic removal treatment technology demonstration project at the Webb Consolidated Independent School District (Webb CISD) in Bruni, TX. The main objective of the project was to evaluate the effect...

School District Labour Conflict and Frame Analysis: A Field Study of Contentious Negotiations

Science.gov (United States)

Gates, Gordon S.; Vesneske, Staci S.

2012-01-01

Labour conflict in school districts is a largely neglected area of educational research. This study examines the perceptions, actions, and decisions of union and district leaders using social movement theory to describe, analyze, and interpret contentious contract negotiations in three school districts in the Pacific Northwest region of the US.…

Improving the Small Rural or Remote School: The Role of the District

Science.gov (United States)

Clarke, Simon; Wildy, Helen

2011-01-01

There is a robust body of work highlighting distinctive challenges encountered by leaders of small schools in pursuit of school improvement but this work has focused on the school as the unit of change and neglects the role of the district. As the district potentially influences what principals know and how they use their knowledge, this article…

America's Most Financially Disadvantaged School Districts and How They Got That Way: How State and Local Governance Causes School Funding Disparities

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Bruce D.

2014-01-01

This report explores some of the most financially disadvantaged school districts in the country and identifies a typology of conditions that have created or reinforced their disadvantage. This report looks at why this happens--and what can be done about it. First, this report lays out a typology of conditions that lead to severe fiscal…

Examining the relationship between school district size and science achievement in Texas including rural school administrator perceptions of challenges and solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Mann, Matthew James

Rural and small schools have almost one-third of all public school enrollment in America, yet typically have the fewest financial and research based resources. Educational models have been developed with either the urban or suburban school in mind, and the rural school is often left with no other alternative except this paradigm. Rural based educational resources are rare and the ability to access these resources for rural school districts almost non-existent. Federal and state based education agencies provide some rural educational based programs, but have had virtually no success in answering rural school issues. With federal and state interest in science initiatives, the challenge that rural schools face weigh in. To align with that focus, this study examined Texas middle school student achievement in science and its relationship with school district enrollment size. This study involved a sequential transformative mixed methodology with the quantitative phase driving the second qualitative portion. The quantitative research was a non-experimental causal-comparative study conducted to determine whether there is a significant difference between student achievement on the 2010 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills 8 th grade science results and school district enrollment size. The school districts were distributed into four categories by size including: a) small districts (32-550); b) medium districts (551-1500); c) large districts (1501-6000); and d) mega-sized districts (6001-202,773). A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to compare the district averages from the 2010 TAKS 8th grade science assessment results and the four district enrollment groups. The second phase of the study was qualitative utilizing constructivism and critical theory to identify the issues facing rural and small school administrators concerning science based curriculum and development. These themes and issues were sought through a case study method and through use of semi

GATEWAY Report: Tuning the Light in Classrooms: Evaluating Trial LED Lighting Systems in Three Classrooms at the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District in Carrollton, TX

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None, None

2017-09-29

The GATEWAY program evaluated a trial installation of tunable-white LED lighting systems in three classrooms in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District in Carrollton, TX. The report provides valuable insights into the use of this technology in a real-world setting.

School Autonomy and District Support: How Principals Respond to a Tiered Autonomy Initiative in Philadelphia Public Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Steinberg, Matthew P.; Cox, Amanda Barrett

2017-01-01

A tiered autonomy policy was recently implemented in Philadelphia, where select principals were granted autonomy to manage school operations while others were promised greater district support to improve school functioning. This article provides evidence on how principals used their autonomy and the extent of district support for non-autonomous…

An evaluation of public school district tobacco policies in St. Louis County, Missouri.

Science.gov (United States)

Barbero, Colleen; Moreland-Russell, Sarah; Bach, Laura E; Cyr, Julianne

2013-08-01

One way to address tobacco use by youth is for primary and secondary schools to adopt and implement comprehensive tobacco policies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the comprehensiveness of tobacco policies in St. Louis County, Missouri public school districts. We evaluated the strength of tobacco policies from all 23 public school districts located in the county using the Center for Tobacco Policy Research's School Tobacco Policy Index, a standardized tool for rating school tobacco policies. The districts averaged a score of 24.4 of 40 possible points on the Index. Policies scored highest on the Tobacco-Free Environment domain and lowest on the Enforcement domain. Policies averaged about half of the total possible points for the Prevention and Treatment Services and Policy Organization domains. Despite more than a decade of efforts by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to improve school tobacco policies, this study shows that policies in St. Louis County districts have yet to meet the standard of comprehensiveness. It is recommended that schools adopt policies that are comprehensive and that address all domains of the School Tobacco Policy Index. © 2013, American School Health Association.

Early Experiences Implementing Voluntary School District Mergers in Vermont

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, John D.; Glesner, Talia J.; Meyers, Herman W.

2014-01-01

This article describes the implementation of an initiative to encourage voluntary school district mergers in Vermont. The law was intended to increase educational opportunities for Vermont students while reducing costs. Three research activities were conducted to understand how districts and supervisory unions around the state responded to the new…

Baylor University and Midway Independent School District: An Exemplary Partnership

Science.gov (United States)

McCall, Madelon; Howell, Leanne; Rogers, Rachelle; Osborne, Lisa; Goree, Krystal; Merritt, Brent; Cox, Herb; Fischer, Jay; Gardner, Paula; Gasaway, Jeff

2017-01-01

The National Association of Professional Development Schools recognized the partnership between Baylor University and Midway Independent School District as one of three partnerships to receive the 2017 Award for Exemplary Professional Development School Achievement. This Professional Development School partnership began in 2009 and places the…

Webinar: Healthy Schools, Healthy Students: Taking Action to Improve IAQ in Your School District

Science.gov (United States)

A page to register to view the first webinar in the IAQ Knowledge-to-Action Professional Training Webinar Series: Healthy Schools, Healthy Students: Taking Action to Improve IAQ in Your School District

Research Evidence and School Board Deliberations: Lessons from Three Wisconsin School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Asen, Robert; Gurke, Deb; Conners, Pamela; Solomon, Ryan; Gumm, Elsa

2013-01-01

This article analyzes the use of research evidence in school-board deliberations in three school districts in Wisconsin. In these settings, the circulation, meaning, and function of research depended importantly on the interests and backgrounds of advocates, the composition of audiences, and the values and contexts of decision-making. Board…

Local Property Tax Limitations vs. School District Employee Pension Costs in Pennsylvania

Science.gov (United States)

Hartman, William T.; Shrom, Timothy J.

2014-01-01

In Pennsylvania as in many other states, employee pension costs are a significant source of financial pressure for school districts (Zeehandelaar and Northern 2013, Pennsylvania Public Employees' Retirement Commission 2013). In order to gain greater insight into the nature of Pennsylvania school districts' financial burden related to pension…

Status of Higher Secondary School Libraries in Thiruvallur District

Science.gov (United States)

Seenivasan, M.; Kumar, N. Ashok

2014-01-01

Libraries are the main sources of knowledge. They play a major role in fostering reading habit among school children. Hence, it is deemed interactive to study the status of higher secondary school libraries in Thiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu. For the Analysis 50 Higher Secondary Schools were selected randomly comprising of Government Higher…

State but not District Nutrition Policies Are Associated with Less Junk Food in Vending Machines and School Stores in US Public Schools

Science.gov (United States)

KUBIK, MARTHA Y.; WALL, MELANIE; SHEN, LIJUAN; NANNEY, MARILYN S.; NELSON, TOBEN F.; LASKA, MELISSA N.; STORY, MARY

2012-01-01

Background Policy that targets the school food environment has been advanced as one way to increase the availability of healthy food at schools and healthy food choice by students. Although both state- and district-level policy initiatives have focused on school nutrition standards, it remains to be seen whether these policies translate into healthy food practices at the school level, where student behavior will be impacted. Objective To examine whether state- and district-level nutrition policies addressing junk food in school vending machines and school stores were associated with less junk food in school vending machines and school stores. Junk food was defined as foods and beverages with low nutrient density that provide calories primarily through fats and added sugars. Design A cross-sectional study design was used to assess self-report data collected by computer-assisted telephone interviews or self-administered mail questionnaires from state-, district-, and school-level respondents participating in the School Health Policies and Programs Study 2006. The School Health Policies and Programs Study, administered every 6 years since 1994 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is considered the largest, most comprehensive assessment of school health policies and programs in the United States. Subjects/setting A nationally representative sample (n = 563) of public elementary, middle, and high schools was studied. Statistical analysis Logistic regression adjusted for school characteristics, sampling weights, and clustering was used to analyze data. Policies were assessed for strength (required, recommended, neither required nor recommended prohibiting junk food) and whether strength was similar for school vending machines and school stores. Results School vending machines and school stores were more prevalent in high schools (93%) than middle (84%) and elementary (30%) schools. For state policies, elementary schools that required prohibiting junk food

State but not district nutrition policies are associated with less junk food in vending machines and school stores in US public schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Kubik, Martha Y; Wall, Melanie; Shen, Lijuan; Nanney, Marilyn S; Nelson, Toben F; Laska, Melissa N; Story, Mary

2010-07-01

Policy that targets the school food environment has been advanced as one way to increase the availability of healthy food at schools and healthy food choice by students. Although both state- and district-level policy initiatives have focused on school nutrition standards, it remains to be seen whether these policies translate into healthy food practices at the school level, where student behavior will be impacted. To examine whether state- and district-level nutrition policies addressing junk food in school vending machines and school stores were associated with less junk food in school vending machines and school stores. Junk food was defined as foods and beverages with low nutrient density that provide calories primarily through fats and added sugars. A cross-sectional study design was used to assess self-report data collected by computer-assisted telephone interviews or self-administered mail questionnaires from state-, district-, and school-level respondents participating in the School Health Policies and Programs Study 2006. The School Health Policies and Programs Study, administered every 6 years since 1994 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is considered the largest, most comprehensive assessment of school health policies and programs in the United States. A nationally representative sample (n=563) of public elementary, middle, and high schools was studied. Logistic regression adjusted for school characteristics, sampling weights, and clustering was used to analyze data. Policies were assessed for strength (required, recommended, neither required nor recommended prohibiting junk food) and whether strength was similar for school vending machines and school stores. School vending machines and school stores were more prevalent in high schools (93%) than middle (84%) and elementary (30%) schools. For state policies, elementary schools that required prohibiting junk food in school vending machines and school stores offered less junk food than

The Role of School District Science Coordinators in the District-Wide Appropriation of an Online Resource Discovery and Sharing Tool for Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Victor R.; Leary, Heather M.; Sellers, Linda; Recker, Mimi

2014-06-01

When introducing and implementing a new technology for science teachers within a school district, we must consider not only the end users but also the roles and influence district personnel have on the eventual appropriation of that technology. School districts are, by their nature, complex systems with multiple individuals at different levels in the organization who are involved in supporting and providing instruction. Varying levels of support for new technologies between district coordinators and teachers can sometimes lead to counterintuitive outcomes. In this article, we examine the role of the district science coordinator in five school districts that participated in the implementation of an online resource discovery and sharing tool for Earth science teachers. Using a qualitative approach, we conducted and coded interviews with district coordinators and teachers to examine the varied responsibilities associated with the district coordinator and to infer the relationships that were developed and perceived by teachers. We then examine and discuss two cases that illustrate how those relationships could have influenced how the tool was adopted and used to differing degrees in the two districts. Specifically, the district that had high support for online resource use from its coordinator appeared to have the lowest level of tool use, and the district with much less visible support from its coordinator had the highest level of tool use. We explain this difference in terms of how the coordinator's promotion of teacher autonomy took distinctly different forms at those two districts.

An Annual Report to the Legislature on Oregon Public Schools. Oregon Statewide Report Card. 2014-2015

Science.gov (United States)

Oregon Department of Education, 2015

2015-01-01

The Oregon Statewide Report Card is an annual publication required by law (ORS 329.115), which reports on the state of public schools and their progress towards the goals of the Oregon Educational Act for the 21st Century. The purpose of the Oregon Report Card is to monitor trends among school districts and Oregon's progress toward achieving the…

Building a Construction Curriculum for Your School District

Science.gov (United States)

Ruder, Robert

2010-01-01

Embracing the notion of going green, an affluent school district in Pennsylvania spent $83 million as part of the high school's renovation and expansion project. The three-level addition is now equipped with self-dimming lights, energy-efficient windows, a rooftop solar water heater, and a geothermal cooling and heating system. As a bonus for…

School Nurses Race to the Top: The Pilot Year of How One District's School Nurses Revised Their Evaluation Process

Science.gov (United States)

Haffke, Louise Marie; Damm, Paula; Cross, Barbara

2014-01-01

During the 2013-2014 school year, the Shaker Heights, Ohio City school district was mandated to change its evaluation process as part of the Race to the Top initiative. Although not required by the federal or state Departments of Education, the Shaker Heights City school district tasked all members of their faculty and staff, including school…

Leading Change for the Implementation of Common Core State Standards in Rural School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez, Paul; Wise, Donald

2015-01-01

Rural school districts across the nation, with their limited resources, face daunting challenges posed by the implementation of the Common Core State Standards. This article presents a recent study of 13 rural school districts in the Central Valley of California and how these districts are responding to those challenges. A total of 352 teachers…

Perceptions of Relationships between District and School Level Administrators on Student Achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Brookins, Tyrone

2010-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to assess the extent to which perceived Using a case study of an urban school district, serving 40,000 students in the Midwest region of the United States, this study investigated district and school administrative leaders' perceptions of how their interactions influenced the achievement of black students.…

Comprehensive District Reform: Philadelphia's Grand Experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Useem, Elizabeth; Balfanz, Robert

2002-01-01

This report describes "Philadelphia's Grand Experiment" in comprehensive school district reform, from its conception through its initial months of implementation. In 2001, as part of the remedy for low student performance, the governor ordered the state to take over governance of the Philadelphia School District, with a substantial…

Doing Business with Entrepreneurial America: Protecting School District Interests.

Science.gov (United States)

McCord, Robert S.; Mattocks, T. C.; Kops, Gerald

This paper attempts to identify benchmark considerations when entertaining the question of private management of public school facilities. Management possibilities include contracting for services and charter conversion. The paper also highlights elements of contract law pertinent to formal agreements made between school districts and private…

Children and School Districts--Victims of the Same System.

Science.gov (United States)

Montoya, Renee Marie

1978-01-01

The Colorado school finance system, which has been sued as unconstitutional because of disparities among school district expenditures per pupil, is described. Inequalities in taxation and in the provision of education to economically disadvantaged and minority group students throughout the country are discussed. (GC)

The Readability and Complexity of District-Provided School-Choice Information

Science.gov (United States)

Stein, Marc L.; Nagro, Sarah

2015-01-01

Public school choice has become a common feature in American school districts. Any potential benefits that could be derived from these policies depend heavily on the ability of parents and students to make informed and educated decisions about their school options. We examined the readability and complexity of school-choice guides across a sample…

Perceptions of the Leadership Practices of Principals in a High Performing School District

Science.gov (United States)

Dinning, Molly

2014-01-01

The dissertation, "Perceptions Of The Leadership Practices Of Principals In A High Performing School District," explores the understandings of leadership practices from the perspective of parents, teachers, and principals in one high performing school district. The study addressed the leadership practices deemed important by the…

The Effect of the Minimum Compensating Cash Balance on School District Investments.

Science.gov (United States)

Dembowski, Frederick L.

Banks are usually reimbursed for their checking account services either by a fixed service charge or by requiring a minimum or minimum-average compensating cash balance. This paper demonstrates how to determine the optimal minimum balance for a school district to maintain in its account. It is assumed that both the bank and the school district use…

A project for recovering mercury from fluorescent tubes from schools in the Grand Erie District School Board

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2005-10-15

Mercury is a persistent, toxic substance that poses a serious threat to the environment and human health. Mercury compounds can be carried hundreds of kilometers once airborne and inhaling mercury vapours or ingesting mercury can cause serious injury or death. In Canada, mercury is regularly found in thousands of products such as fluorescent lamps, thermostats, fever thermometers and button batteries, as well as a variety of industrial applications. This report discussed a project that was undertaken by the Recycling Council of Ontario (RCO) that targeted schools, within the Grand Erie District School Board (GEDSB), to pilot a program over a period of 3 months to track, collect and recycle sufficient number of fluorescent tubes. The purpose was to successfully divert 2200 mgs of mercury that may otherwise be destined for landfill. The primary objective of the pilot project was to establish an operating system to collect and recycle fluorescent tube lighting and develop recycling guidelines for the GEDSB that would be transferable to other school districts. The report discussed why fluorescent lamp recycling was needed and outlined the project partners. One recycling partner's recycling process, Fluorescent Lamp Recyclers (FLR) was described. The report also discussed regulations affecting the handling and disposal of fluorescent lamps in Ontario. GEDSB's, RCO's and FLR's responsibilities in the project were outlined. The methodology and florescent lamp collection process were described. The report also presented the collection schedule and results. It was concluded that with very little effort, significant amounts of fluorescent lamps could be diverted, preventing mercury from entering landfills. refs., tabs., figs., appendices.

Discipline for Students with Disabilities in the Recovery School District (RSD) of New Orleans

Science.gov (United States)

Jeffers, Elizabeth K.

2014-01-01

This article focuses on special education in New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina. After Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana's Recovery School District (RSD) took over 102 of the city's 128 schools with the stated goal of creating a "choice district" for parents. This "choice distric"' is made up of RSD direct-run schools, Orleans…

Developing Practitioner-Scholars through University-School District Research Partnerships

Science.gov (United States)

Ralston, Nicole C.; Tarasawa, Beth; Waggoner, Jacqueline M.; Smith, Rebecca; Naegele, Zulema

2016-01-01

University-community partnerships have gained popularity in the United States as a means of extending university research resources and collaborative opportunities. However, research-driven partnerships between universities and K-12 school districts that prioritize the research needs of K-12 schools are unique. Recently, education scholars have…

Students Need Libraries--In HISD and Every School District

Science.gov (United States)

Hand, Dorcas

2018-01-01

Catalyst: Another newspaper article ("Ranks of School Librarians Dwindle in HISD, Statewide" in the October 7, 2013, "Houston Chronicle") detailing another decision by a Houston Independent School District (HISD) campus principal to eliminate the librarian (Mellon 2013). In response to this article, Dorcas Hand, an experienced…

School Climate Improvement Action Guide for District Leaders. School Climate Improvement Resource Package

Science.gov (United States)

National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, 2017

2017-01-01

Improving school climate takes time and commitment from a variety of people in a variety of roles. This document outlines key action steps that district leaders--including superintendents, assistant superintendents, directors of student support services, or others--can take to support school climate improvements. Key action steps are provided for…

Did School Finance Equalization Increase Revenue Instability for School Districts?

Science.gov (United States)

Balu, Rekha

2011-01-01

This study uses an Interrupted Time Series analysis with a non-equivalent comparison group to estimate the causal effect of school finance equalization on district revenue instability. The author applies a microeconomic framework to an understudied problem in education finance and policy. In so doing, she illustrates how policies can sometimes…

SNA Releases Back to School Nutrition Trends Report: Results Show What Schools Are Doing to Increase Healthy Options for Kids

Science.gov (United States)

Curriculum Review, 2008

2008-01-01

This article talks about the School Nutrition Association's 2008 Back to School Nutrition Trends Report that was released on August 19. According to the report, the trend towards more healthful school meal choices continues this fall with district nutrition programs emphasizing whole grains, fruits, and vegetables while cutting back on trans fats,…

Availability of human immunodeficiency virus prevention services in secondary schools in Kabarole District, Uganda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jane Namuddu

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to assess the level of availability of HIV prevention strategies in secondary schools in Kabarole district, Uganda in order to inform the design of interventions to strengthen HIV Prevention and psychosocial support. Quantitative and qualitative research methods were used in eight secondary schools in Kabarole district to establish available HIV prevention and psychosocial support services. Questionnaires were administered to 355 students 12-24 years old. In addition, 20 Key Informant interviews were held with education service providers. Quantitative data was analyzed using Epi-data and qualitative data were analyzed by thematic content analysis. Seven of the eight schools had at least one HIV prevention strategy. Two teachers in each of the five schools had been trained in HIV prevention. No school had a nurse trained in HIV prevention, care and support. Education service providers had limited knowledge of HIV prevention support and care of students living with HIV. We found out that students had knowledge on how one can acquire HIV. HIV prevention services reported by students in schools included: talks from teachers and guests (19%, drama with HIV prevention related messages (16%, peer education clubs (15%, workshops and seminars on HIV (8%, sensitization about HIV/AIDS (7%, guidance and counseling (6%, talking compounds- (5%, abstinence talks (6%, keeping students busy in sports (4%, straight talk (4%. Sixty three percent reported receiving HIV reading materials from various sources. Preventing HIV infection among students in schools is still demanding with limited interventions for students. Efforts to support school interventions should focus on including HIV Prevention in the school curriculum, working with peer educators as well as education service providers who spend much of the time with the students while at school.

High School Graduate Participation Rates: Proportions of Sacramento Area High School Graduates Enrolled in Los Rios Community College District, Fall 1998-Fall 1994.

Science.gov (United States)

Los Rios Community Coll. District, Sacramento, CA. Office of Planning and Research.

This report profiles the enrollment patterns of recent high school graduates of the Greater Sacramento Metropolitan Area who attend Los Rios colleges (California). This summary and the full data report provide the District and its colleges with research information on rates of participation by students who graduated from Los Rios Community College…

The Reincarnation of the Effective Schools Research: Rethinking the Literature on District Effectiveness

Science.gov (United States)

Trujillo, Tina

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the district effectiveness literature. It begins by summarizing the school effectiveness research, the correlates of effective schools, and the conceptual and methodological characteristics of this field. It then describes the findings from a review of 50 studies of district effectiveness, the most…

School District Policymaking Responses to Demographic Change in New Immigrant Destinations

OpenAIRE

Turner, Erica Owyang

2011-01-01

Since the early 1990s, immigrants from Latin America and Asia have been arriving in parts of the United States that have had little recent experience with immigration. How school district leaders respond to these demographic changes has significant consequences for students, families and communities. Yet, there is little research on why and how school district leaders are coming to enact some policies, and not others, in response to their changing demographics. This study examines policymakin...

Factors Affecting Teacher Satisfaction in an Urban School District

Science.gov (United States)

Halpert, Michael A.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to distinguish factors that influence the satisfaction levels of teachers in urban school districts. This work also distinguished factors that directly impacted teachers' level of satisfaction towards their work and their attitude towards the administration of their schools. Forty-one teachers from two kindergarten…

Wind Powering America's Wind for Schools Project: Summary Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baring-Gould, I.; Newcomb, C.

2012-06-01

This report provides an overview of the U.S. Department of Energy, Wind Powering America, Wind for Schools project. It outlines teacher-training activities and curriculum development; discusses the affiliate program that allows school districts and states to replicate the program; and contains reports that provide an update on activities and progress in the 11 states in which the Wind for Schools project operates.

Influence of Leadership Styles on Teachers' Job Satisfaction: A Case of Selected Primary Schools in Songea and Morogoro Districts, Tanzania

Science.gov (United States)

Machumu, Haruni J.; Kaitila, Mafwimbo M.

2014-01-01

This study reports on the kind of school leadership style that best suits for promoting teachers' job satisfaction in primary schools in Tanzania. The study employed cross sectional research design with samples of 200 teachers from 20 selected primary schools in Songea and Morogoro districts. Interviews, documentary analysis and questionnaires…

"Cedar Rapids Community School District v. Garret F.": School Districts Must Pay for Nursing Services under the IDEA.

Science.gov (United States)

Russo, Charles J.

1999-01-01

In "Cedar Rapids Community School District v. Garrett F." (1999), the U.S. Supreme Court decided that continuous nursing constitutes a "related service" under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The case involved a 16-year-old who has been paralyzed since early childhood. Cost per student could be $20,000 to…

The Perceptions of Administrators from Quality Award-Winning School Districts and a Comparison of Student Academic Achievement in Quality Award-Winning Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Jauch, Kevin

2010-01-01

This research project served two main purposes. The first was to uncover the perceptions of district administrators from Quality award-winning school districts in regard to the use of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award program as a management framework. This was accomplished by using the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium's…

Site-Based Management in Education: Rochester City School District Case Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Alan

This paper describes outcomes of a partnership between the Rochester City School District (New York) and the Kodak 21st Century Learning Challenge consulting program for improving school-based planning team (S-BPT) operations. The purpose of the school-based planning team is to involve the entire school community in improving school effectiveness.…

Food Allergy Knowledge and Attitudes among School Nurses in an Urban Public School District

Science.gov (United States)

Twichell, Sarah; Wang, Kathleen; Robinson, Humaira; Acebal, Maria; Sharma, Hemant

2015-01-01

Since food allergy knowledge and perceptions may influence prevention and management of school-based reactions, we evaluated them among nurses in an urban school district. All District of Columbia public school nurses were asked to anonymously complete a food allergy knowledge and attitude questionnaire. Knowledge scores were calculated as percentage of correct responses. Attitude responses were tabulated across five-point Likert scales, ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The knowledge questionnaire was completed by 87% of eligible nurses and the attitude questionnaire by 83%. The mean total knowledge score was 76 ± 13 with domain score highest for symptom recognition and lowest for treatment. Regarding attitudes, most (94%) felt food allergy is a serious health problem, for which schools should have guidelines (94%). Fewer believed that nut-free schools (82%) and allergen-free tables (44%) should be implemented. Negative perceptions of parents were identified as: parents of food-allergic children are overprotective (55%) and make unreasonable requests of schools (15%). Food allergy knowledge deficits and mixed attitudes exist among this sample of urban school nurses, particularly related to management of reactions and perceptions of parents. Food allergy education of school nurses should be targeted to improve their knowledge and attitudes. PMID:27417367

Food Allergy Knowledge and Attitudes among School Nurses in an Urban Public School District.

Science.gov (United States)

Twichell, Sarah; Wang, Kathleen; Robinson, Humaira; Acebal, Maria; Sharma, Hemant

2015-07-21

Since food allergy knowledge and perceptions may influence prevention and management of school-based reactions, we evaluated them among nurses in an urban school district. All District of Columbia public school nurses were asked to anonymously complete a food allergy knowledge and attitude questionnaire. Knowledge scores were calculated as percentage of correct responses. Attitude responses were tabulated across five-point Likert scales, ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The knowledge questionnaire was completed by 87% of eligible nurses and the attitude questionnaire by 83%. The mean total knowledge score was 76 ± 13 with domain score highest for symptom recognition and lowest for treatment. Regarding attitudes, most (94%) felt food allergy is a serious health problem, for which schools should have guidelines (94%). Fewer believed that nut-free schools (82%) and allergen-free tables (44%) should be implemented. Negative perceptions of parents were identified as: parents of food-allergic children are overprotective (55%) and make unreasonable requests of schools (15%). Food allergy knowledge deficits and mixed attitudes exist among this sample of urban school nurses, particularly related to management of reactions and perceptions of parents. Food allergy education of school nurses should be targeted to improve their knowledge and attitudes.

Food Allergy Knowledge and Attitudes among School Nurses in an Urban Public School District

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah Twichell

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Since food allergy knowledge and perceptions may influence prevention and management of school-based reactions, we evaluated them among nurses in an urban school district. All District of Columbia public school nurses were asked to anonymously complete a food allergy knowledge and attitude questionnaire. Knowledge scores were calculated as percentage of correct responses. Attitude responses were tabulated across five-point Likert scales, ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The knowledge questionnaire was completed by 87% of eligible nurses and the attitude questionnaire by 83%. The mean total knowledge score was 76 ± 13 with domain score highest for symptom recognition and lowest for treatment. Regarding attitudes, most (94% felt food allergy is a serious health problem, for which schools should have guidelines (94%. Fewer believed that nut-free schools (82% and allergen-free tables (44% should be implemented. Negative perceptions of parents were identified as: parents of food-allergic children are overprotective (55% and make unreasonable requests of schools (15%. Food allergy knowledge deficits and mixed attitudes exist among this sample of urban school nurses, particularly related to management of reactions and perceptions of parents. Food allergy education of school nurses should be targeted to improve their knowledge and attitudes.

Hidalgo Sets Sail: A School District Supports All Students in Earning College Credits

Science.gov (United States)

Nodine, Thad R.

2011-01-01

In 2005, the Hidalgo Independent School District made an ambitious commitment. In partnership with nearby University of Texas-Pan American, the University of Texas System, the Communities Foundation of Texas/Texas High School Project, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the district promised that all of its students, not just a select…

Prevalence of Exposure to Secondhand Smoke among Higher Secondary School Students in Ernakulam District, Kerala, Southern India.

Science.gov (United States)

Rakesh, P S; Lalu, Jishnu Satheesh; Leelamoni, K

2017-01-01

The association between secondhand smoke and health outcomes, such as frequent respiratory infections, ischemic heart disease, lung cancer, asthma, and stroke, has long been established. The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of secondhand smoking exposure among higher secondary school students in Ernakulam district, Kerala, Southern India. A structured questionnaire was administered to all students from four randomly selected higher secondary schools in Ernakulam district. Descriptive statistics was done using frequencies and percentages. Univariate and multivariate analyses were done for factors associated with household exposure to tobacco smoke generating odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A total of 629 students participated in the study. The prevalence of ever smokers was 11.9% and of current smokers was 5.2%. Among the study participants, 23.2% were exposed to secondhand smoking from a family member and 18.8% from friends. Lower educational status of father was associated with the household exposure to secondhand smoke (adjusted OR 4.51 [95% CI 1.66-12.22]). More than half of the study participants (56.3%) reported that they were exposed to cigarette smoke in past 1 week in a public place and 10.2% in closed public places. Nearly one-third of the students reported that they have seen somebody smoking inside school campus in the past 30 days. Exposure to secondhand smoke at home, schools, and public places was higher among the late adolescent higher secondary school students in Ernakulam district. The findings underscore the urgent need for increased efforts to implement the strategies to reduce secondhand smoke exposure among adolescents.

"Forest Grove School District v. T.A." Supreme Court Case: Implications for School Psychology Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Dixon, Shauna G.; Eusebio, Eleazar C.; Turton, William J.; Wright, Peter W. D.; Hale, James B.

2011-01-01

The 2009 "Forest Grove School District v. T.A." United States Supreme Court case could have significant implications for school psychology practice. The Court ruled that the parents of a student with a disability were entitled to private school tuition reimbursement even though T.A. had not been identified with a disability or previously…

The Relation among School District Health, Total Quality Principles for School Organization and Student Achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall, Jon; Pritchard, Ruie; Gunderson, Betsey

2004-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the congruence among W. E. Deming's 14 points for Total Quality Management (TQM), the organizational health of school districts, and student achievement. Based on Kanter's (1983) concept of a Culture of Pride with a Climate of Success, healthy districts were defined as having an organizational culture…

School District Program Cost Accounting: An Alternative Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Hentschke, Guilbert C.

1975-01-01

Discusses the value for school districts of a program cost accounting system and examines different approaches to generating program cost data, with particular emphasis on the "cost allocation to program system" (CAPS) and the traditional "transaction-based system." (JG)

Computer conferencing: the "nurse" in the "Electronic School District".

Science.gov (United States)

Billings, D M; Phillips, A

1991-01-01

As computer-based instructional technologies become increasingly available, they offer new mechanisms for health educators to provide health instruction. This article describes a pilot project in which nurses established a computer conference to provide health instruction to high school students participating in an electronic link of high schools. The article discusses computer conferencing, the "Electronic School District," the design of the nursing conference, and the role of the nurse in distributed health education.

Association between district and state policies and US public elementary school competitive food and beverage environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Chriqui, Jamie F; Turner, Lindsey; Taber, Daniel R; Chaloupka, Frank J

2013-08-01

Given the importance of developing healthy eating patterns during early childhood, policies to improve the elementary school food and beverage environments are critical. To examine the association between district and state policy and/or law requirements regarding competitive food and beverages and public elementary school availability of foods and beverages high in fats, sugars, and/or sodium. Multivariate, pooled, cross-sectional analysis of data gathered annually during elementary school years 2008-2009 through 2010-2011 in the United States. Survey respondents at 1814 elementary schools (1485 unique) in 957 districts in 45 states (food analysis) and 1830 elementary schools (1497 unique) in 962 districts and 45 states (beverage analysis). EXPOSURES Competitive food and beverage policy restrictions at the state and/or district levels. Competitive food and beverage availability. RESULTS Sweets were 11.2 percentage points less likely to be available (32.3% vs 43.5%) when both the district and state limited sugar content, respectively. Regular-fat baked goods were less available when the state law, alone and in combination with district policy, limited fat content. Regular-fat ice cream was less available when any policy (district, state law, or both) limited competitive food fat content. Sugar-sweetened beverages were 9.5 percentage points less likely to be available when prohibited by district policy (3.6% vs 13.1%). Higher-fat milks (2% or whole milk) were less available when prohibited by district policy or state law, with either jurisdiction's policy or law associated with an approximately 15 percentage point reduction in availability. Both district and state policies and/or laws have the potential to reduce in-school availability of high-sugar, high-fat foods and beverages. Given the need to reduce empty calories in children's diets, governmental policies at all levels may be an effective tool.

A Systems Theory Approach to the District Central Office's Role in School-Level Improvement

Science.gov (United States)

Mania-Singer, Jackie

2017-01-01

This qualitative case study used General Systems Theory and social network analysis to explore the relationships between the members of a district central office and principals of elementary schools within an urban school district in the Midwest. Findings revealed sparse relationships between members of the district central office and principals,…

76 FR 17843 - Intent To Compromise Claim Against the District of Columbia Public Schools

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-31

... District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) now pending before the Office of Administrative Law Judges (OALJ... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Intent To Compromise Claim Against the District of Columbia Public Schools... Application for Review of this PDL with the Office of Administrative Law Judges (OALJ) on September 10, 2007...

School Districts Move to the Head of the Class with Propane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2016-01-01

Propane has been a proven fuel for buses for decades. For the first time in 2007, Blue Bird rolled out a propane school bus using direct liquid injection, which was later followed by Thomas Built Buses and Navistar. Because this new technology is much more reliable than previous designs, it is essentially reintroducing propane buses to many school districts. During this same time period, vehicle emissions standards have tightened. To meet them, diesel engine manufacturers have added diesel particulate filters (DPF) and, more recently, selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems. As an alternative to diesel buses with these systems, many school districts have looked to other affordable, clean alternatives, and they've found that propane fits the bill.

Court Cases Involving Contracts for School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, L. Hank

2011-01-01

The purpose of this research was to analyze trends in the United States regarding contract disputes that exist in school districts. Court cases were identified at the state and federal level to determine the outcomes and the fact patterns of contract disputes. To gain the knowledge of how courts handle cases of contractual breach, contracts…

Cancellation of the Annual Facility Grant Creates More Shortfalls for School Districts. BCTF Research Report. Section V. 2009-EF-02

Science.gov (United States)

White, Margaret

2009-01-01

The Ministry of Education recently announced the cancellation of the Annual Facility Grant (AFG) for 2009-10, resulting in a loss of $110 million dollars in revenue to school districts. This decision comes after Boards of Education submitted their 2009-10 balanced budgets by June 30, based on expected revenues for the coming school year. Boards of…

No Child Left Behind and Administrative Costs: A Resource Dependence Study of Local School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Neely, Stephen R.

2015-01-01

This study considers the impact of federal funding on the administrative expenditures of local school districts since the passage of the No-Child-Left-Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. Under NCLB, federal education funds were made contingent upon a variety of accountability and reporting standards, creating new administrative costs and challenges for…

City Schools: How Districts and Communities Can Create Smart Education Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Rothman, Robert, Ed.

2007-01-01

In "City Schools," Robert Rothman and his colleagues at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University put forward a vision of "smart education systems" that link a highly functioning and effective school district with a comprehensive and accessible web of supports for children, youth, and families. One-third of…

Collaboration Is Not Meeting with the Enemy: An Analysis of a Successful University-School District Relationship.

Science.gov (United States)

Bozeman, William C.; Rothberg, Robert A.

Although the literature proclaims the need for school district and university cooperation, there are few analyses of existing partnership projects or examinations of factors facilitating or impeding successful school-university linkages and cooperation. This paper focuses on the central Florida school districts' partnership with the University of…

An Exploration of Inter-District Sharing Alternatives for Belle Plaine and HLV. Final Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Olsen, Scott A.

In an effort to address the costs incurred by declining enrollments while still maintaining quality education, 2 small Iowa school districts explored 84 sharing alternatives. The utility (fitness/usefullness) of each alternative was rated by the school board, school staff, and a community sample from each district via a specially constructed…

Prevalence of exposure to secondhand smoke among higher secondary school students in Ernakulam District, Kerala, Southern India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P S Rakesh

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The association between secondhand smoke and health outcomes, such as frequent respiratory infections, ischemic heart disease, lung cancer, asthma, and stroke, has long been established. The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of secondhand smoking exposure among higher secondary school students in Ernakulam district, Kerala, Southern India. Materials and Methods: A structured questionnaire was administered to all students from four randomly selected higher secondary schools in Ernakulam district. Descriptive statistics was done using frequencies and percentages. Univariate and multivariate analyses were done for factors associated with household exposure to tobacco smoke generating odds ratios (ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs. Results: A total of 629 students participated in the study. The prevalence of ever smokers was 11.9% and of current smokers was 5.2%. Among the study participants, 23.2% were exposed to secondhand smoking from a family member and 18.8% from friends. Lower educational status of father was associated with the household exposure to secondhand smoke (adjusted OR 4.51 [95% CI 1.66–12.22]. More than half of the study participants (56.3% reported that they were exposed to cigarette smoke in past 1 week in a public place and 10.2% in closed public places. Nearly one-third of the students reported that they have seen somebody smoking inside school campus in the past 30 days. Conclusion: Exposure to secondhand smoke at home, schools, and public places was higher among the late adolescent higher secondary school students in Ernakulam district. The findings underscore the urgent need for increased efforts to implement the strategies to reduce secondhand smoke exposure among adolescents.

The "Post-Racial" Politics of Race: Changing Student Assignment Policy in Three School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

McDermott, Kathryn A.; Frankenberg, Erica; Diem, Sarah

2015-01-01

Many school districts have recently revised, or tried to revise, their policies for assigning students to schools, because the legal and political status of racial and other kinds of diversity is uncertain, and the districts are facing fiscal austerity. This article presents case studies of politics and student assignment policy in three large…

H2O: A Hampton University-Hampton School District Outreach Program

Science.gov (United States)

Gueye, Paul; Young, William

2011-04-01

For many years, Hampton University (HU, Hampton, VA) has been collaborating with local schools of the Hampton City School District (HCS) in various areas that foster science education. This partnership between an HBCU and a local school district has been extended to a new level through a novel K-12 initiative:Hampton University-Hampton School District Outreach (H2O) program. This effort will target 9 schools out of the 34 schools from HCS, involve a total of 25 graduate students (5/year), 25 junior and senior undergraduate students (5/year) and 102 teachers (3/school). Faculty and students from seven STEM fields at HU will contribute by reaching out to Departments offering MS and PhD degrees in these areas. In addition to providing teaching experience to students, H2O will infuse research within the classrooms and offer a teacher professional development program, G5-12 students will present some research conducted throughout the year at a dedicated conference at HU and at the National Society of Black Physicists annual meeting, and a dedicated 2-day workshop in the fall with K-12 educators will provide a platform to share some outcomes of H2O. This program has reached out to several societies (NSBP, NSHP, APS, AAPT and AAPM) as a vehicle for teacher professional training, along with including an international component with Canada, France and Senegal. A review of recent collaborations and outcomes from this partnership will be provided and the status of the H2O program will be presented.

Improving Immunization Coverage in a Rural School District in Pierce County, Washington

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Robin M.; Cook, Carolyn; Yerxa, Mary E.; Marshall, James H.; Pulos, Elizabeth; Rollosson, Matthew P.

2012-01-01

Washington State has some of the highest percentages of school immunization exemptions in the country. We compared school immunization records in a rural school district in Pierce County, Washington, to immunization records in the state immunization information system (IIS) and parent-held records. Correcting school immunization records resulted…

Innovation That Sticks Case Study Report: Ottawa Catholic School Board. Leading and Learning for Innovation, A Framework for District-Wide Change

Science.gov (United States)

Canadian Education Association, 2016

2016-01-01

A Canadian Education Association (CEA) Selection Jury chose the Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB) out of 35 School District applicants from across Canada to participate in the 2015 "Innovation that Sticks" Case Study Program. From September to December 2015--through an Appreciative Inquiry interview process--the CEA researched how the…

Successful School Turnarounds: Seven Steps for District Leaders. Issue Brief

Science.gov (United States)

Kowal, Julie; Hassel, Emily Ayscue; Hassel, Bryan C.

2009-01-01

President Obama and Secretary Duncan have called upon states, districts, and education leaders to change the lives of millions of children by dramatically improving the nation's 5,000 lowest performing schools. These chronically failing schools will require intensive intervention to turn around performance that has fallen short of expectations for…

Managing Smallness: Promising Fiscal Practices for Rural School District Administrators.

Science.gov (United States)

Freitas, Deborah Inman

Based on a mail survey of over 100 rural school administrators in 34 states, this handbook outlines common problems and successful strategies in the financial management of rural, small school districts. Major problems are related to revenue and cash flow, increasing expenditures, providing quality education programs, and staffing to handle the…

Expanding School-District/University Partnerships to Advance Health Promoting Schools Implementation and Efficacy in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chieh-Hsing; Chang, Fong-Ching; Liao, Li-Ling; Niu, Yu-Zhen; Cheng, Chi-Chia; Shih, Shu-Fang; Chang, Tzu-Chau; Chou, Hsin-Pei

2015-01-01

In 2011, the Taiwan government expanded its support of school-district/university partnership programs that promote the implementation of the evidenced-based Health Promoting Schools (HPS) program. This study examined whether expanding the support for this initiative was effective in advancing HPS implementation, perceived HPS impact and perceived…

An Investigation of the Relationship between the Components of School Climate and Leadership Behaviors on Student Achievement: Urban School Districts in the Mid-Atlantic Region

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Karmen J.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this research study was to investigate the relationship between the components of school climate and leadership behaviors on student achievement in an urban school district in the mid-atlantic region. School climate and leadership behaviors for the participating school districts was determined by the School Climate Survey (Corner…

Cost-Efficacy Analysis of Out-of-District Special Education Placements: An Evaluative Measure of Behavior Support Intervention in Public Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Putnam, Robert F.; Luiselli, James K.; Sennett, Kenneth; Malonson, Joanne

2002-01-01

Evaluation of out-of-district special education placement costs in the 15 largest Massachusetts public school districts found the criterion school district (which had developed a system-wide approach to behavioral intervention) had the lowest per capita cost, lowest percentage of total school budget consumed by out-of-district placements, and the…

Effects of school district factors on alcohol consumption: results of a multi-level analysis among Danish adolescents

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stock, Christiane; Ejstrud, Bo; Vinther-Larsen, Mathilde

2011-01-01

BACKGROUND: Area-level socio-economic factors are significantly related to a population's health. This study investigates how school district-level factors affect the initiation of alcohol drinking of Danish adolescents. METHODS: A survey sample of 11,223 female and male pupils in the 7th grade...... buildings. Other school district factors were not associated with drinking initiation when controlled for individual level factors. CONCLUSIONS: The impact of socio-economic variables at school district level seems to be smaller in the welfare state of Denmark than known for other countries. However...... from 447 schools across Denmark was analysed for the outcome variable drinking initiation and a number of individual level predictors. Aggregated variables on school district level were created from national registry data for education, occupational level and household savings of residents, type...

Bully Proofing: What One District Learned about Improving School Climate.

Science.gov (United States)

Berkey, Leonard G.; Keyes, Barbara J.; Longhurst, James E.

2001-01-01

Collaborating with school officials, a group of concerned parents implemented a bully-proofing program throughout their school district. After two years, the results are encouraging; it was received with enthusiasm at the elementary level. Further study will be needed to determine how these principles might be applied at the secondary level. (MKA)

Perceptions of Crisis Management in a K-12 School District

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, Joy

2012-01-01

This multiple-case qualitative study was conducted to examine the perceptions of community members, students, and staff regarding school crisis management following a 2006 tornado and 2010 bus accident in a small rural school district in Missouri. Online surveys were collected from 66 participants, and 10 follow-up interviews were completed with…

Does Independent Schools Funding Make a Mockery of the Public Schools Funding Formula? BCTF Research Report. RR2015-01 rev2

Science.gov (United States)

White, Margaret; Kuehn, Larry

2015-01-01

This report describes the methodology used by the Ministry of Education to calculate per Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) student funding for independent schools and discusses the underlying inequities when the public school funding formula is applied to funding for private schools. Vancouver school district is provided as a case example to work through…

Continuous Improvement in Schools and Districts: Policy Considerations

Science.gov (United States)

Best, Jane; Dunlap, Allison

2014-01-01

Discussions about improving public education often focus on outcomes without considering how schools and districts can accomplish those outcomes. Research shows that using a continuous improvement process has proven successful in healthcare, manufacturing, and technology, and may hold potential for use in education as well. This brief defines and…

Equity in School Financing: District Power Equalizing. Fastback Series, No. 57.

Science.gov (United States)

Guthrie, James W.

Behind the concept of power equalization is the assumption that at any specified tax rate every school district in a State, regardless of wealth, has the same dollar resource level per pupil. A State established schedule of local district funding level choices related to tax rates is essential; however, tax levels are always a product of the…

Understanding and Managing Staff Development in an Urban School System. Final Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlechty, Phillip; And Others

A study is reported that examined the way staff development functions in schools, the effects of staff development, and the interaction between staff development and other activities and conditions in school systems. The study took place in a large urban school district (in the Southeast) that is heavily committed to and involved in staff…

The Sustained Reduction of Youth Suicidal Behavior in an Urban, Multicultural School District

Science.gov (United States)

Zenere, Frank J.; Lazarus, Philip J.

2009-01-01

An 18-year longitudinal case study of the suicide rates of students attending a large, urban, multicultural school district between 1989 and 2006 is described. The high rate of suicide (5.5 per 100,000 students ages 5-19) in the district during the period 1980-1988 led to the development and implementation of a district-wide Youth Suicide…

RECRUITING NEW TEACHERS TO URBAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS: WHAT INCENTIVES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ANTHONY T. MILANOWSKI

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Many urban districts in the United States have difficulty attracting and retaining quality teachers, yet they are often themost in need of them. In response, U.S. states and districts are experimenting with financial incentives to attract andretain high-quality teachers in high-need, low-achieving, or hard-to-staff urban schools. However, relatively little isknown about how effective financial incentives are for recruiting new teachers to high-need urban schools. This researchexplores factors that are important to the job choices of teachers in training. Focus groups were held with students atthree universities, and a policy-capturing study was done using 64 job scenarios representing various levels of pay andworking conditions. Focus group results suggested that: a many pre-service teachers, even relatively late in their preparation,are not committed to a particular district and are willing to consider many possibilities, including high needschools; b although pay and benefits were attractive to the students, loan forgiveness and subsidies for further educationwere also attractive; and c small increments of additional salary did not appear as important or attractive as otherjob characteristics. The policy-capturing study showed that working conditions factors, especially principal support, hadmore influence on simulated job choice than pay level, implying that money might be better spent to attract, retain, ortrain better principals than to provide higher beginning salaries to teachers in schools with high-poverty or a high proportionof students of color.

A Multilevel, Statewide Investigation of School District Anti-Bullying Policy Quality and Student Bullying Involvement

Science.gov (United States)

Gower, Amy L.; Cousin, Molly; Borowsky, Iris W.

2017-01-01

Background: Although nearly all states in the United States require school districts to adopt anti-bullying policies, little research examines the effect of these policies on student bullying and health. Using a statewide sample, we investigated associations between the quality of school district anti-bullying policies and student bullying…

Evaluation in School Districts; Organizational Perspectives. CSE Monograph Series in Evaluation, 10.

Science.gov (United States)

Bank, Adrianne, Ed.; Williams, Richard C., Ed.

This monograph focuses on educational evaluation and how it occurs within a specific setting--school districts' central administrative offices--examining the relationships between evaluation activities and district organizational features that impinge upon such activities. The various chapter authors worked with the Center for the Study of…

Leading Effective Educational Technology in K-12 School Districts: A Grounded Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Lara Gillian C.

2011-01-01

A systematic grounded theory qualitative study was conducted investigating the process of effectively leading educational technology in New Jersey public K-12 school districts. Data were collected from educational technology district leaders (whether formal or non-formal administrators) and central administrators through a semi-structured online…

Staffing Alternatives: Use of Retired Persons, Flex-Time, Job Sharing and Other Suggestions. Suggested Personnel Policy Guidelines for School Districts. [Revised].

Science.gov (United States)

Oregon State Dept. of Education, Salem.

This report addresses three alternatives in employing certified and classified staff in school districts: early retirement, flexible working hours, and (in the most detail) job sharing. It is noted that financial reductions make it difficult for schools to meet both their budgets and rising community/parental expectations, while declining…

Research or "Cheerleading"? Scholarship on Community School District 2, New York City

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lois Weiner

2003-08-01

Full Text Available This article examines data on student achievement and school demographics not explored by the researchers who have promoted Community School District 2 (CSD 2 as a model of urban school reform that should be replicated elsewhere. Data on achievement indicate a remarkable degree of social and racial stratification among CSD 2's schools and levels of achievement that closely correlate with race, ethnicity, and poverty. In addition, when CSD 2's scores on state and city tests of mathematics are compared with results from CSD 25 in Queens, a school district that serves a population demographically similar, the superiority of its functioning becomes questionable. The article explains why the design of research on CSD 2 illustrates the perils to both research and policy when university-based researchers assume the role of “cheerleader” (Cuban, 1988, promoting reforms they have aided in implementing and assessing.

School District Personnel Selection Practices: Exploring the Effects of Demographic Factors on Rural Values within a Person-Organization Fit Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Little, Paula S.; Miller, Stephen K.

A study examined the extent to which demographic factors predict rural values in Kentucky public school district hiring officials. Among the demographic factors considered were school district metropolitan classification, school district size, community racial composition, decision makers' position in the organizational hierarchy, and decision…

Income Segregation between School Districts and Inequality in Students' Achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Owens, Ann

2018-01-01

Large achievement gaps exist between high- and low-income students and between black and white students. This article explores one explanation for such gaps: income segregation between school districts, which creates inequality in the economic and social resources available in advantaged and disadvantaged students' school contexts. Drawing on…

The Impact of Tobacco-Free School Policies on Youth Smoking Rates in Florida Public School Districts.

Science.gov (United States)

Terry, Amanda; Zhang, Ning Jackie

2016-02-01

Developing and implementing policies to curb and prevent youth tobacco use is of the utmost importance. In Florida, public school districts were authorized to develop tobacco-free school policies through an amendment to the Florida Clean Indoor Air Act in 2011. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of tobacco-free school policies on smoking rates among youth in Florida. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and a multiple regression analysis were used to determine whether the comprehensiveness and enforcement of tobacco-free school policies affect the youth smoking rates within Florida public school districts. The 2010 and 2014 youth smoking rates were calculated based on the Florida Youth Tobacco Survey results. The 2010 youth smoking rate and the inclusion of the enforcement component with provision of cessation resources were statistically significant predictors of the 2014 youth smoking rate. However, the comprehensiveness level of a policy and the inclusion of an enforcement component were not statistically significant predictors. The inclusion of an enforcement component with provision of cessation resources is important in efforts to reduce youth smoking rates. The content of the tobacco-free school policies seems to be less relevant to their effectiveness than the enforcement of the policies. © 2016, American School Health Association.

School canteens in the Federal District, Brazil and the promotion of healthy eating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erika Blamires Santos Porto

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Objective: To characterize the school cafeterias in the Federal District of Brazil with respect to the promotion of healthy eating in schools. Methods: This is a descriptive, analytical, cross-sectional study, with a representative sample of schools with cafeterias in the Federal District, Brazil (n=202. The data were collected from April to November 2010 by means of on-site interviews and a structured questionnaire. The Pearson's chi-squared and Student's t tests were used. Results: A higher prevalence of outsourcing, and few employees and dieticians were observed. The prevailing foods were baked sausage, cheese, or chicken rolls or pastries. It was also found that 42.2% of the schools influence the menu of the cafeterias, and 58.6% of the representatives believe in the possibility of influencing the students' eating habits. However, 68.0% of the respondents do not believe in the economic feasibility of completely healthful school cafeterias. Approximately 30.0% of the respondents carry out activities to promote healthy eating. Conclusion: Most of the school cafeterias in the Federal District do not encourage healthful eating. The high prevalence of outsourced services with little interference from the school community gives high autonomy to the cafeteria's owner, whose priority is the pursuit of profit at the expense of the students' nutritional education. Improving the nutritional quality of school foods should be a continuous interactive effort of the food suppliers, principals, students, parents, and government authorities.

An Accident of History: Breaking the District Monopoly on Public School Facilities

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Nelson

2012-01-01

Traditional public school districts hold a monopoly over the financing and ownership of public education facilities. With rare exceptions, public charter schools have no legal claim to these buildings. This monopoly is an accident of history. It would never have developed had there been substantial numbers of other public schools, not supervised…

Pupil Home Background Characteristics and Academic Performance in Senior Secondary Schools: A Case Study of Selected Secondary Schools in Kitwe District, Zambia

Science.gov (United States)

Kakumbi, Zonic; Samuel, Elizabeth B.; Mulendema, Peter J.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this research was to investigate pupil background characteristics and academic performance in senior secondary schools in Kitwe district with a view of recommending on how to improve pupils' performance. The study was conducted in Kitwe district because in the past years pupils' performance in senior secondary schools has been…

A Case for Sustainable Food Service & Nutrition Education--CONVAL School District (NH)

Science.gov (United States)

Curriculum Review, 2008

2008-01-01

When former chef and food broker, Tony Geraci was invited by his district superintendent to review New Hampshire's largest school food service program, he never imagined that he would be responsible for running one of the nation's most successful sustainable food service programs. The CONVAL District sustainable food program, create by Geraci and…

Intestinal parasitosis in school children of Lalitpur district of Nepal.

Science.gov (United States)

Tandukar, Sarmila; Ansari, Shamshul; Adhikari, Nabaraj; Shrestha, Anisha; Gautam, Jyotshana; Sharma, Binita; Rajbhandari, Deepak; Gautam, Shikshya; Nepal, Hari Prasad; Sherchand, Jeevan B

2013-11-09

Enteric parasites are the most common cause of parasitic diseases and cause significant morbidity and mortality, particularly in developing countries like Nepal. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of intestinal parasitic infections among school going children of Lalitpur district of Nepal. A total of 1392 stool samples were collected from school children of two government, two private and two community schools of the same district. The stool samples were examined for evidence of parasitic infections by direct microscopy and confirmed by concentration methods (formal ether sedimentation technique or floatation technique by using Sheather's sugar solution). Modified Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining was performed for the detection of coccidian parasites. Prevalence of intestinal parasitosis was found to be 16.7%. The highest prevalence rate was seen with Giardia lamblia (7.4%) followed by Entamoeba histolytica (3.4%) and Cyclospora cayetanensis (1.6%). Children aged 11-15 years and the ones belonging to family of agriculture workers were most commonly affected. Hand washing practice and type of drinking water also showed significant difference. The burden of parasitic infections among the school children, coupled with the poor sanitary conditions in the schools, should be regarded as an issue of public health priority and demands for effective school health programs involving periodic health education and screening.

Environmental Assessment for the Bison School District Heating Plant Project, Institutional Conservation Program (ICP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

This environmental assessment analyzes the environmental impacts of replacing the Bison, South Dakota School District's elementary school and high school heating system consisting of oil-fired boilers and supporting control system and piping

Information Security Management Practices of K-12 School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Nyachwaya, Samson

2013-01-01

The research problem addressed in this quantitative correlational study was the inadequacy of sound information security management (ISM) practices in K-12 school districts, despite their increasing ownership of information assets. Researchers have linked organizational and sociotechnical factors to the implementation of information security…

New Britain, Conn. School District will Benefit from $125,000 EPA Rebate for Clean Emission School Buses

Science.gov (United States)

The New Britain, Conn. school district will benefit from a $125,000 US EPA rebate that will pay for retrofitted engines on seven older school buses so they would emit fewer pollutants that are linked to health problems such as asthma and lung damage.

Using a Strategic Plan to Promote Technology in Rural School Districts.

Science.gov (United States)

VanSciver, James H.

1994-01-01

About six years ago, a rural Delaware school district formed a community/staff long-range planning committee to craft a strategic plan that would identify school system values and reallocate resources. As vision and mission statements emerged, technology evolved as a major value, with three goals related to funding and accessibility. Collaborative…

Teacher Job Satisfaction and Retention in a Suburban Georgia School District

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Denise G.

2008-01-01

An investigation of the relationship between job satisfaction and retention among elementary, middle, and high school teachers in a suburban school district in Georgia was addressed in this mixed-methods study. The focus of the study was to determine the level of job satisfaction among the nine subscales of the Teacher Job Satisfaction…

The Healthy Class of 2010: Utilization of the School Health Index to Build Collaboration Between a University and an Urban School District

Science.gov (United States)

Fryer, Craig S.; Reed, Ernestine A.; Thomas, Stephen B.

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND Insufficient attention has been paid to the process of conducting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s School Health Index (SHI) to promote collaboration between universities and urban school districts when developing adolescent health promotion initiatives. This article provides an overview of the real world contextual challenges and opportunities this type of collaboration can pose. METHODS The SHI and selected collaboration principles were used to facilitate partnership and increase stakeholder buy-in, which led to developing and implementing an eight year health promotion campaign, The Healthy Class of 2010 (HC 2010). RESULTS The focus on planning brought together key stakeholders and allowed for HC 2010 programming to take place despite the competing demands on the schools. The SHI allowed for input from stakeholders to develop campaign activities and inform school- and district-wide policy. Universities and school districts desiring to develop and implement school-based, adolescent health promotion programs should: 1) identify the hierarchical structure of the school district; 2) establish credibility for the program and the university staff; 3) emphasize the benefits to all partners; 4) maintain a cooperative partnership with teachers and administrators; 5) appreciate the need for planning; and, 6) provide as many resources as possible to on an already overburdened school system. CONCLUSIONS Promoting healthy behaviors among students is an important part of the fundamental mission of schools. HC 2010 underscored the significance of collaboration using the SHI in the development and implementation of this health promotion campaign with input from students, teachers, administrators and university partners. PMID:22070509

Equal Educational Opportunity in the Sacramento City Unified School District; A Report to the Board of Education, The Sacramento City Unified School District.

Science.gov (United States)

Sacramento City Unified School District, CA. Citizens Advisory Committee on Equal Educational Opportunity.

A 1965 report presents the findings of a citizens committee on racial tension and school segregation in Sacramento, California. Discussed are defacto segregation and its causes and effects, equal educational opportunity, the neighborhood school concept, and intergroup relations. A series of recommendations for improvement are included. (NH)

Views of teenagers on termination of pregnancy at Muyexe high school in Mopani District, Limpopo Province, South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramakuela, Nditsheni J; Lebese, Tsakani R; Maputle, Sonto M; Mulaudzi, Lindiwe

2016-05-31

Teenage pregnancy is a global social health concern especially because of the HIV and AIDS pandemic, sexually transmitted infections, high rate of termination of pregnancy (TOP), adolescents' parenthood and decreased level of contraceptives. To explore the views of teenagers on the TOP at Muyexe high school in a rural village of Mopani District, Limpopo Province. Muyexe high school in a rural village of Mopani District, Limpopo Province, in South Africa. A qualitative method using explorative and descriptive designs was used to find in-depth description and understanding of teenagers' views on TOP. The target population was girls aged 15-19 years at Muyexe high school in Mopani District. Non-probability, convenient sampling was used to select high school teenage girls who had undergone TOP for the study. Data were collected using individual self-report technique (interview). Tesch's eight steps of qualitative data analysis were used. Measures to ensure trustworthiness and ethical considerations were observed. Two major themes were revealed: (1) Views of teenagers regarding TOP (poverty, relationship problems and single parenthood, negative impact on the teen's life while attending school) and (2) teenager's fears regarding pregnancy (stigma, fear of parents and friends, rape and incest and fear of giving birth). Majority of participants had knowledge about TOP; some had experiences about TOP while others held inadequate knowledge. Recommendations were based on the findings by teaching dangers of TOP and various contraceptive methods to prevent unwanted pregnancies and TOP.

Evaluation of Clark County School District's Alternative Route to Licensure Program from the Program Participants' Perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Kenyon, James J., Jr.

2013-01-01

This evaluation assesses the Alternative Route to Licensure (ARL) program of the Clark County School District (CCSD), in Clark County, Nevada from the program participants' perspectives. The program was implemented to reduce teacher shortages in the school district and allow persons with non-education-related Bachelor's Degrees to obtain teaching…

Charter Schools Indicators: A Report from the Center on Educational Governance, University of Southern California. CSI-USC 2008

Science.gov (United States)

Center on Educational Governance, 2008

2008-01-01

This report, which is the second annual report on charter schools in California by the University of Southern California's (USC's) Center on Educational Governance, offers a unique view of charter school performance. Using both financial and academic data submitted by school districts to the state of California, this report looks well beyond test…

Food Defense Practices of School Districts in Northern U.S. States

Science.gov (United States)

Klitzke, Carol J.

2013-01-01

This study assessed implementation of food defense practices in public schools in Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The first phase involved a qualitative multi-site case study: one-day visits were made to five school districts in the states of Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. A principal,…

Trends in Early Childhood Obesity in a Large Urban School District in the Southwestern United States, 2007-2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Cantarero, Andrea; Myers, Orrin; Scharmen, Thomas; Kinyua, Peter; Jimenez, Elizabeth Yakes

2016-06-02

Although recent studies indicate that rates of childhood obesity and severe obesity may be declining, few studies have reported prevalence trends in early childhood or differences in trends across sociodemographic groups. The primary aim of this study was to report trends in prevalence of early childhood obesity and severe obesity 2007 through 2014 in a diverse, metropolitan school district in the southwestern United States and determine whether these trends vary by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and disability status. We analyzed height, weight and demographic data from 43,113 kindergarteners enrolled in a large, urban school district in the southwestern United States for 7 school years. Adjusted odds of obesity and severe obesity were calculated to assess changes in prevalence for non-Hispanic white, Hispanic, and American Indian students; free or reduced-price lunch participants and nonparticipants; and students with and without disabilities. To test for differences in obesity trends, interaction terms were added to the logistic regressions between school year and sex, race/ethnicity, free or reduced-price lunch participation, and disability status. The adjusted prevalence of both obesity (from 13.1% in 2007-2008 to 12.0% in 2013-20014) and severe obesity (from 2.4% in 2007-2008 to 1.2% in 2013-2014) declined overall. We found no significant interactions between the adjusted prevalence of obesity over time and any of the sociodemographic subgroups. Obesity prevalence declined more among American Indian students than among Hispanic or non-Hispanic white students. In this district, from 2007 through 2014, severe obesity decreased and obesity did not increase, overall and across all sociodemographic subpopulations for kindergarten students.

Prospects for Public School Revenues and Local School District Reorganization in Illinois in the 1980s.

Science.gov (United States)

Geske, Terry G.

Prospects for Illinois public school revenues and school district reorganization in the 1980's, considered in the context of prospects for the Great Lakes region as a whole, are affected by fundamental demographic and economic changes. The region has had a lower population growth rate since 1970 than the rest of the country, and a slower growth in…

The Impact of Tobacco-Free School Policies on Youth Smoking Rates in Florida Public School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Terry, Amanda; Zhang, Ning Jackie

2016-01-01

Background: Developing and implementing policies to curb and prevent youth tobacco use is of the utmost importance. In Florida, public school districts were authorized to develop tobacco-free school policies through an amendment to the Florida Clean Indoor Air Act in 2011. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of tobacco-free school…

Demographic and financial characteristics of school districts with low and high à la Carte sales in rural Kansas Public Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Nollen, Nicole L; Kimminau, Kim S; Nazir, Niaman

2011-06-01

Reducing à la carte items in schools-foods and beverages sold outside the reimbursable meals program-can have important implications for childhood obesity. However, schools are reluctant to reduce à la carte offerings because of the impact these changes could have on revenue. Some foodservice programs operate with limited à la carte sales, but little is known about these programs. This secondary data analysis compared rural and urban/suburban school districts with low and high à la carte sales. Foodservice financial records (2007-2008) were obtained from the Kansas State Department of Education for all public K-12 school districts (n=302). χ² and t tests were used to examine the independent association of variables to à la carte sales. A multivariate model was then constructed of the factors most strongly associated with low à la carte sales. In rural districts with low à la carte sales, lunch prices and participation were higher, lunch costs and à la carte quality were lower, and fewer free/reduced price lunches were served compared to rural districts with high à la carte sales. Lunch price (odds ratio=1.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 1.4) and free/reduced price lunch participation (odds ratio=3.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.0 to 9.8) remained in the multivariate model predicting low à la carte sales. No differences were found between urban/suburban districts with low and high à la carte sales. Findings highlight important factors to maintaining low à la carte sales. Schools should consider raising lunch prices and increasing meal participation rates as two potential strategies for reducing the sale of à la carte items without compromising foodservice revenue. Copyright © 2011 American Dietetic Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Transformational Leadership Practices: Implications for School Districts and Principal Preparation

Science.gov (United States)

Quin, Jeff; Deris, Aaron; Bischoff, Greg; Johnson, James T.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the leadership practices needed to improve academic achievement and generate positive change in school organizations. The study was also conducted to provide insight to principal preparation programs and school districts about effective transformational leadership practices. A quantitative research method…

A Systematic Approach to Bilingual Assessment: Development of a Handbook for School District Administrators and School Psychologists

Science.gov (United States)

Parres, Laura

2017-01-01

English language learners (ELLs) are a significant and growing subset of the school age population across the United States. The projected growth of ELL students is significant and poses unique challenges for school districts when assessing bilingual students for special education. The state of California has the most ELL students in the nation…

Teachers' and School Administrators' Attitudes and Beliefs of Teacher Evaluation: A Preliminary Investigation of High Poverty School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, Linda A.; Dudek, Christopher M.; Peters, Stephanie; Alperin, Alexander; Kettler, Ryan J.; Kurz, Alexander

2018-01-01

This study examined attitudes and beliefs regarding teacher evaluation of teachers and their school administrators in the state of New Jersey, USA. The sample included 33 school administrators and 583 Pre-K through 12th grade teachers from four high-poverty urban school districts (22 schools). Participant attitudes and beliefs were assessed using…

Prevalence of Ocular Morbidity Among School Adolescents of Gandhinagar District, Gujarat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prakash Prajapati,

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: To study the prevalence of ocular morbidity (abnormal condition and various factors affecting it among school attending adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to study abnormal ocular conditions like refractive errors, vitamin A deficiency, conjunctivitis, trachoma, ocular trauma, blephritis, stye, color blindness and pterygium among school adolescents of 10-19 years age in rural and urban areas of Gandhinagar district from January to July, 2009. Systematic sampling was done to select 20 schools having 6th to 12th standard education including 12 schools from rural and 8 from urban areas. Six adolescents from each age year (10-19 were selected randomly to achieve sample size of 60 from each school. In total, 1206 adolescents including 691 boys and 515 girls were selected. Information was collected from selected adolescents by using proforma. Visual acuity was assessed using a Snellen’s chart and all participants underwent an ophthalmic examination carried out by a trained doctor. Results: Prevalence of ocular morbidity among school adolescents was reported 13% (7.8% in boys, 5.6% in girls; with 5.2% have moderate visual impairment. Refractive error was most common ocular morbidity (40% both among boys and girls. Almost 30% of boys and girls reported vitamin A deficiency in various forms of xerophthalmia. Prevalence of night blindness was 0.91% and of Bitot`s spot 1.74%. Various factors like, illiterate or lower parents’ education, lower socio-economic class and malnutrition were significantly associated with ocular morbidity. Conclusion: Ocular morbidity in adolescents is mainly due to refractive error, moderate visual impairment and xerophthalmia.

The Impact of the GE Foundation "Developing Futures"™ in Education Program on Mathematics Performance Trends in Four Districts. Research Report # RR-74

Science.gov (United States)

Sirinides, Philip; Supovitz, Jonathan; Tognatta, Namrata; May, Henry

2013-01-01

Beginning in 2005, the GE Foundation initiated a commitment of expertise and financial resources to a set of urban school districts to improve public education and enhance student achievement in mathematics and science. This report analyzes the impacts of the GE Foundation commitment to the partner districts by examining trends in student…

Changing District Priorities for School-Business Collaboration: Superintendent Agency and Capacity for Institutionalization

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, Jeffrey V.; Thompson, Hugh C.

2011-01-01

Background: School district superintendents continue to favor collaborative relationships with their local business communities amid concerns over free-market competition, maintaining public legitimacy, and scarce financial resources. Prior research is inadequate regarding the development, implementation, and institutionalization of school and…

The Feasibility of Collecting School-Level Finance Data: An Evaluation of Data from the School-Level Finance Survey (SLFS) School Year 2013-14. Research and Development Report. NCES 2018-305

Science.gov (United States)

Cornman, Stephen Q.; Zhou, Lei; Ampadu, Osei; D'Antonio, Laura; Gromos, David; Wheeler, Stephen

2018-01-01

This report presents school-level finance data on expenditures by function from the School-Level Finance Survey (SLFS). The SLFS is an extension of two existing collections being conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in collaboration with the Census Bureau: the School District Finance Survey (F-33) and the state-level…

Chicopee, Mass. School District will Benefit from $200,000 EPA Rebate to Clean Up Emissions from School Buses

Science.gov (United States)

A school district in Chicopee., Mass. will benefit from $200,000 from the US EPA that will pay for rebates to retrofit the engines on 10 older school buses so they would emit fewer pollutants that are linked to health problems such as asthma & lung damage.

Views of teenagers on termination of pregnancy at Muyexe high school in Mopani District, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nditsheni J. Ramakuela

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Teenage pregnancy is a global social health concern especially because of the HIV and AIDS pandemic, sexually transmitted infections, high rate of termination of pregnancy (TOP, adolescents’ parenthood and decreased level of contraceptives. Aim: To explore the views of teenagers on the TOP at Muyexe high school in a rural village of Mopani District, Limpopo Province. Setting: Muyexe high school in a rural village of Mopani District, Limpopo Province, in South Africa. Methodology: A qualitative method using explorative and descriptive designs was used to find in-depth description and understanding of teenagers’ views on TOP. The target population was girls aged 15–19 years at Muyexe high school in Mopani District. Non-probability, convenient sampling was used to select high school teenage girls who had undergone TOP for the study. Data were collected using individual self-report technique (interview. Tesch’s eight steps of qualitative data analysis were used. Measures to ensure trustworthiness and ethical considerations were observed. Results: Two major themes were revealed: (1 Views of teenagers regarding TOP (poverty, relationship problems and single parenthood, negative impact on the teen’s life while attending school and (2 teenager’s fears regarding pregnancy (stigma, fear of parents and friends, rape and incest and fear of giving birth. Conclusion: Majority of participants had knowledge about TOP; some had experiences about TOP while others held inadequate knowledge. Recommendations were based on the findings by teaching dangers of TOP and various contraceptive methods to prevent unwanted pregnancies and TOP. Keywords: Views, teenagers and termination of pregnancy

A survey of California public school districts' ant and weed management practices and a review of their use of IPM.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, Carole; Sutherland, Sandra; Brattesani, Madeline; Wilhoit, Larry; Messenger, Belinda

2012-04-01

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency encourages school officials to adopt integrated pest management (IPM) to reduce children's exposure to potentially harmful pesticides. In California, the Healthy Schools Act of 2000 (HSA) establishes right-to-know requirements for pesticide use in public schools; requires school districts to designate an IPM coordinator; and requires the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) to collect pesticide-use information from pest control businesses, conduct IPM training workshops, and promote least-toxic pest management practices. DPR periodically surveys school districts statewide to measure compliance with the HSA and the use of least-toxic management practices compatible with IPM and to guide DPR's training and outreach efforts. Results from three surveys, conducted in 2001, 2002, and 2004, show that an increasing number of districts use ant management practices compatible with IPM; however, fewer districts use IPM-compatible weed management practices. DPR's California School IPM program plans to develop technical materials and to conduct training workshops that will provide districts with more information about how to use an IPM program to prevent and manage weeds.

Demographic Differences in District-Level Policies Related to School Mental Health and Social Services--United States, 2012

Science.gov (United States)

Demissie, Zewditu; Brener, Nancy

2017-01-01

Background: Mental health conditions among youth are a major concern. Schools can play an important role in supporting students affected by these conditions. This study examined district-level school health policies related to mental health and social services to determine if they varied by district demographic characteristics. Methods: The School…

Nutrition Quality of US School Snack Foods: A First Look at 2011-2014 Bid Records in 8 School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Y. Claire; Hsiao, Amber; Chamberlin, Peter; Largay, McKenzie; Archibald, Abbie; Malone, Andrew; Stevelos, JoAnn

2017-01-01

Background:As part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, snacks, and desserts sold in K-12 schools as of the 2014-2015 school year are required to meet the "Smart Snacks" nutritional guidelines. Although studies exist in tracking progress in local and national efforts, the proportion of snack food procured by school districts compliant…

Association between School District Policies That Address Chronic Health Conditions of Students and Professional Development for School Nurses on Such Policies

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, S. Everett; Brener, Nancy D.; Bergren, Martha Dewey

2015-01-01

Supportive school policies and well-prepared school nurses can best address the needs of students with chronic health conditions. We analyzed nationally representative data from the 2012 School Health Policies and Practices Study to examine whether districts with policies requiring that schools provide health services to students with chronic…

Teachers' Coping Strategies for Teaching Science in a ``Low-Performing'' School District

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Felicia M.

2007-10-01

This study describes how teachers use their personal knowledge of a school district and their students to cope with teaching under stressful situations associated with economic, social, and institutional factors. The 3 teachers dealt with these issues in unique ways, focusing on helping students to overcome negative perceptions, value the importance of an education, and build strong relationships. A model of multicultural science professional development is proposed that complements the strengths that these teachers have. A task for science educators working with teachers and administration in schools and districts that are “critically low performing” is to support everyone in implementing pedagogical methods aimed at empowerment, social justice, and high achievement for all students.

Y2K Survey Results: Counties, Cities, School Districts.

Science.gov (United States)

Petro, Jim

Survey data obtained in recent audits updated Ohio's local government units' assessment of Year 2000 (Y2K) readiness. The survey was developed with three intended objectives: (1) to provide an accurate assessment of the efforts to remediate the Y2K problem in Ohio's school districts, cities and counties; (2) to identify issues that could affect…

Clinical Education Partnership: A Model for School District and College of Nursing Collaboration

Science.gov (United States)

Kreulen, Grace J.; Bednarz, Patricia K.; Wehrwein, Teresa; Davis, James

2008-01-01

Collaboration between school districts and universities has potential to increase the level of health services available in schools while providing quality public health clinical nursing placements for universities. This article describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Clinical Education Partnership Model (CEPM), a dynamic…

School District Superintendents' Response to Ethical Dilemmas: A Grounded Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Sprouse, Fay Simpson

2009-01-01

Ethical dilemmas, situations involving a conflict between values or principles, often arise when employees of school districts violate laws or professional codes of behavior. Ethical dilemmas also occur when there are inequities in educational programming, resulting in missed opportunities for students. This qualitative study, conducted with the…

Association between State Assistance on the Topic of Indoor Air Quality and School District-Level Policies That Promote Indoor Air Quality in Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Everett Jones, Sherry; Doroski, Brenda; Glick, Sherry

2015-01-01

Nationally representative data from the 2012 School Health Policies and Practices Study examined whether state assistance on indoor air quality (IAQ) was associated with district-level policies and practices related to IAQ and integrated pest management (IPM). Districts in states that provided assistance on IAQ were more likely than districts not…

Small prizes increased healthful school lunch selection in a Midwestern school district.

Science.gov (United States)

Siegel, Robert; Lockhart, Mary Kate; Barnes, Allison S; Hiller, Elizabeth; Kipp, Roger; Robison, Debora L; Ellsworth, Samantha C; Hudgens, Michelle E

2016-04-01

As obesity has become a pressing health issue for American children, greater attention has been focused on how schools can be used to improve how students eat. Previously, we piloted the use of small prizes in an elementary school cafeteria to improve healthful food selection. We hoped to increase healthful food selection in all the elementary schools of a small school district participating in the United States Department of Agriculture Lunch Program by offering prizes to children who selected a Power Plate (PP), which consisted of an entrée with whole grains, a fruit, a vegetable, and plain low-fat milk. In this study, the PP program was introduced to 3 schools sequentially over an academic year. During the kickoff week, green, smiley-faced emoticons were placed by preferred foods, and children were given a prize daily if they chose a PP on that day. After the first week, students were given a sticker or temporary tattoo 2 days a week if they selected a PP. Combining data from the 3 schools in the program, students increased PP selection from 4.5% at baseline to 49.4% (p small prizes as rewards dramatically improves short-term healthful food selection in elementary school children.

Levels of Leadership: Effects of District and School Leaders on the Quality of School Programs of Family and Community Involvement

Science.gov (United States)

Epstein, Joyce L.; Galindo, Claudia L.; Sheldon, Steven B.

2011-01-01

Purpose: This study tests key constructs of sociocultural and organizational learning theories with quantitative methods to better understand the nature and impact of district and school leadership and actions on the quality of programs of family and community involvement. Research Design: Survey data from a "nested" sample of 24 districts and 407…

Malnutrition and clinical manifestations in school going children at district tharparkar, sindh, pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kapoor, A.; Channa, N.A.; Soomro, A.M.; Tunio, S.A.; Khand, T.U.; Memon, N.

2017-01-01

Malnutrition and clinical manifestation in school going children of Tharparkar District Methodology: The study subjects were school going children of class VI to X from different boys and girls schools at Mithi, District Tharparkar. A total number of 300 children with age range of 12-17 years, were included, out of which 150 (50%) were girls and 150 (50%) were boys. General physical examination was carried out for all the subjects. Estimated nutrient intake of energy, carbohydrates, protein, fat and iron was calculated by one week recall method. Anthropometric measurements such as weight, and height, were taken by using the standard operating procedures. Results: General physical examination revealed generalized weakness, recurrent infection and anemia were the most commonly seen in the school going children at district Tharparkar. Nutritional status of children according to the age for height showed 32% girls and 34% boys were stunt whereas the of age for weight showed 34% girls and 39% boys were underweight. The body mass index for age showed 16% girls and 34% boys were thin. Only 2.6 % girls and boys were overweight, but we didn't find any obese children. Conclusion: It is concluded that energy (caloric) carbohydrates, protein, and iron are below recommended daily allowance, which reflects the malnutrition in children. Inadequate intake of nutrients has the effect on height, weight and body mass index. (author)

Evaluation of the School Breakfast Program Pilot Project: Final Report. Special Nutrition Programs. Report Number CN-04-SBP. Nutrition Assistance Program Report Series

Science.gov (United States)

Bernstein, Lawrence S.; McLaughlin, Joan E.; Crepinsek, Mary Kay; Daft, Lynn M.

2004-01-01

In 1998, Congress authorized the School Breakfast Program Pilot Project (SBPP) to study the implementation and effects of providing universal free school breakfast in six school districts across the United States. For three years, from School Year (SY) 2000-2001 through SY 2002-2003, these six school districts received federal funds to offer…

Racial Diversity in the Suburbs: How Race-Neutral Responses to Demographic Change Perpetuate Inequity in Suburban School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Diem, Sarah; Welton, Anjalé D.; Frankenberg, Erica; Jellison Holme, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Suburbs across the US are experiencing dramatic demographic shifts, yet there is little research available on how suburban school districts are dealing with these changes. In this article, we examine the discourses surrounding race and demographic change in three suburban school districts that have been undergoing rapid demographic changes and…

Increased sexual abstinence among in-school adolescents as a result of school health education in Soroti district, Uganda.

Science.gov (United States)

Shuey, D A; Babishangire, B B; Omiat, S; Bagarukayo, H

1999-06-01

A school health education programme in primary schools aimed at AIDS prevention in Soroti district of Uganda emphasized improved access to information, improved peer interaction and improved quality of performance of the existing school health education system. A cross-sectional sample of students, average age 14 years, in their final year of primary school was surveyed before and after 2 years of interventions. The percentage of students who stated they had been sexually active fell from 42.9% (123 of 287) to 11.1% (31 of 280) in the intervention group, while no significant change was recorded in a control group. The changes remained significant when segregated by gender or rural and urban location. Students in the intervention group tended to speak to peers and teachers more often about sexual matters. Increases in reasons given by students for abstaining from sex over the study period occurred in those reasons associated with a rational decision-making model rather than a punishment model. A primary school health education programme which emphasizes social interaction methods can be effective in increasing sexual abstinence among school-going adolescents in Uganda. The programme does not have to be expensive and can be implemented with staff present in most districts in the region.

Teachers' Perceptions of Technology Integration in a Unified School District

Science.gov (United States)

Bloodman, Suzette L.

2014-01-01

A unified school district (USD) continues to invest millions of dollars into its technology integration initiatives with minimal academic gains. Since teachers are essential to effective technology integration, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to analyze the perceptions of 13 teachers within the USD relative to how they could more…

Comparison of Students with Emotional and/or Behavioral Disorders as Classified by Their School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Mattison, Richard E.

2015-01-01

This study of 182 secondary special education students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders investigated their classification by their school districts, in particular how well they were distinguished and represented by their federal categories. The districts used four classification groups (emotional disturbance, other health impairment…

How Database Management Systems Can Be Used To Evaluate Program Effectiveness in Small School Districts.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffman, Tony

Sophisticated database management systems (DBMS) for microcomputers are becoming increasingly easy to use, allowing small school districts to develop their own autonomous databases for tracking enrollment and student progress in special education. DBMS applications can be designed for maintenance by district personnel with little technical…

Policy Poison or Promise: Exploring the Dual Nature of California School District Collective Bargaining Agreements

Science.gov (United States)

Strunk, Katharine O.

2012-01-01

Purpose: This study examines policies set in the collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) negotiated between teachers' unions and school boards and explores what kinds of districts have contract provisions that restrict district administrators, enhance administrative flexibility, and/or improve teachers' professional work lives and that have…

Promoting the Construction of an Optimal Nurse's Office Facility: One School District's Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

McKibben, Cynthia; DiPaolo, Sonja J.

1997-01-01

Details recommendations for updating or constructing nurses' offices based upon a descriptive study done in one midwestern school district. Suggestions are provided on size, location, and equipment needed. Also addressed is the communication process needed to persuade a board of education and school administrators that nursing facilities must be a…

Prevalence of dental caries among school-going children in Namakkal district: A cross-sectional study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramachandran Karunakaran

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of dental caries in primary teeth among 4-6 years old school going children in the Namakkal District. Materials and Methods: The study covered a total of 850 school going children in a total of 26 schools in the Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu. The age group selected for this study ranged from 4 to 6 years of age. Each child was examined in their respective schools by one of the four calibrated examiners and decay, missing and filled teeth (dmft index was recorded along with demographic details. This study was done in September-October 2013 in a span of 1 month duration. Results: Of 850 children examined, 560 (65.88% children had dental caries. Mean dmft score was 2.86. Prevalence of dental caries was higher in boys (69.6% than in girls (61.5%. The untreated decay teeth accounted for 92.4%. Conclusion: The prevalence of dental caries among 4-6 years old children is high in the Namakkal district. The need for the creation of dental awareness among children and their primary caregivers is crucial and the need for developing immediate oral health promotion strategies including an increase in school dental health programs is recommended.

Effective School-Community Relations as a Key Performance Indicator for the Secondary School Administrator in Aba South District, Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Abraham, Nath. M.; Ememe, Ogbonna N.

2012-01-01

This study investigates Effective School-Community Relations as a key Performance Indicator (KPI) of Secondary Schools Administrator in Aba South District, Nigeria. Descriptive survey method was adopted. All the 248 teachers made up the population and sample in a purposive sampling technique representing 100% of the entire population as sample. A…

Sticking Points: How School Districts Experience Implementing the Portfolio Strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Lake, Robin; Posamentier, Jordan; Denice, Patrick; Hill, Paul

2016-01-01

The portfolio strategy is a change strategy for public education in a district or metropolitan area. It is founded on the idea of re-missioning government agencies from rigid bureaucratic entities that mostly manage compliance requirements and interest group politics to a new role: overseeing performance and a diverse range of school choices…

Managing for Results in America's Great City Schools. A Report of the Performance Measurement and Benchmarking Project

Science.gov (United States)

Council of the Great City Schools, 2008

2008-01-01

This report describes statistical indicators developed by the Council of the Great City Schools and its member districts to measure big-city school performance on a range of operational functions in business, finance, human resources and technology. The report also presents data city-by-city on those indicators. This is the second time that…

Decentralization and Participatory Decision-Making: Implementing School-Based Management in the Abbott Districts.

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Elaine M.

2000-01-01

This study examined issues faced during implementation of school-based management (SBM) in New Jersey's special needs or Abbott districts, using a literature review, surveys of K-12 schools, and focus groups with central office administrators. The study examined forms of SBM, team operations, local autonomy versus state power, skills required to…

The School District's Liability in Cases of Violent Attacks on Students and Employees.

Science.gov (United States)

Maze, Jerry G.

The school's responsibility to provide a safe learning environment for students is examined in this paper. Failure to take preventative measures may result in loss of government tort immunity and charges of negligence liability. A review of case law indicates a trend toward successful litigation by plaintiffs against school districts--a decline in…

School District Information Technology Disaster Recovery Planning: An Explanatory Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, Shaun L.

2017-01-01

Despite research and practitioner articles outlining the importance information technology disaster plans (ITDRPs) to organizational success, barriers have impeded the process of disaster preparation for Burlington County New Jersey school districts. The purpose of this explanatory qualitative case study was to understand how technology leader…

The Abbott Districts in 2005-06: Progress and Challenges, Spring 2006

Science.gov (United States)

Hirsch, Lesley

2006-01-01

New Jersey's urban--or "Abbott"--schools have improved at the preschool and elementary school level, but lag when it comes to middle and high school performance. These are the key findings of an Abbott Indicators Project report entitled, "The Abbott Districts in 2005-06: Progress and Challenges." The report was prepared by…

Social Determinants of Overweight and Obesity Rates by Elementary School in a Predominantly Hispanic School District.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Richard; Huerta, Gabriel; Karki, Menuka; Cantarero, Andrea

This study analyzes the social determinants associated with the overweight or obesity prevalence of 85 elementary schools during the 2010-11 academic year in a predominantly Hispanic school district. A binomial logistic regression is used to analyze the aggregate overweight or obesity rate of a school by the percent of Hispanic students in each school, selected school and neighborhood characteristics, and its geographical location. The proportion of Hispanic enrollment more readily explains a school's aggregate overweight or obesity rate than social determinants or spatial location. Number of fast food establishments and the academic ranking of a school appear to slightly impact the aggregate prevalence rate. Spatial location of school is not a significant factor, controlling for other determinants. An elementary school's overall overweight or obesity rate provides a valuable health indicator to study the social determinants of obesity among Hispanics and other students within a local neighborhood. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Experiences of Leaders in One Texas School District Integrating Social Media as a Communication Medium: Bounded Phenomenological Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Bradley D.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this bounded phenomenological case study was to investigate the experiences of leaders in one Texas school district integrating social media into communication practices. The participants in this study were twelve campus leaders, four district level leaders, and the superintendent of schools. The focus groups consisted of three…

Collaboration Is Not Meeting with the Enemy; An Analysis of a Successful University-School Districts' Relationships.

Science.gov (United States)

Bozeman, William C.; Rothberg, Robert A.

1991-01-01

College of education and school district relationships often resemble a battlefield. Partnerships between schools and other public organizations, including universities, can contribute to the overall success of school improvement activities. This paper identifies relationships and significant programs resulting from a cooperative venture involving…

Factors Influencing Belize District Primary School Teachers' Attitudes toward Inclusive Education

Science.gov (United States)

McKay, Maxine

2012-01-01

Inclusive education continues to be a reoccurring challenge as various factors affect to what extent teachers or educators are willing to educate children with disabilities in the regular education setting alongside their non-disabled peers. This quantitative study examined factors influencing Belize District Primary School teachers' attitudes…

Patterns of a culture of aggression amongst Grade 10 learners in a secondary school in the Sedibeng District, South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chris Myburgh

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Background: A number of reports to the Department of Education indicated high levels of aggression in a Grade 10 A class in a secondary school in Sedibeng District, Gauteng. Teachers, the school management team, school governing body, school-based support team, parents, community leaders and learners seemed unable to manage this constructively. Neither the culture of aggression nor the influence of this phenomenon on those entrapped in it were understood. No published research reports could be found on cultures of aggression in South African secondary schools. There was therefore a dire need to explore and describe the culture of aggression in this specific Grade 10 A class. Objectives: This article reports on patterns of a culture of aggression observed amongst learners in a Grade 10 class in a secondary school in the Sedibeng District of the Gauteng Department of Education. Method: A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was followed with an ethnographic approach. Purposive sampling was used to select participants. Data consisted of observations of ‘rich points’, interviews and field notes, and thematic data analysis and an independent coder were used. Results: Findings reflected four patterns of a culture of aggression amongst learners, namely patterns of anger, bullying, fighting, and challenges to moral values. At the root of these were neglect of and non-adherence to human rights and a sound base of morals. Conclusion: The challenge is to assist the involved learners to respect each other’s human dignity, so that relationships can be developed in which those involved act with sensitivity towards each other’s needs. Such relationships often also result in the development of self-respect and a nuanced future orientation as part and parcel of mental health.

Perceptions of Psychological Contract Violations in School Districts that Serve Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Exploratory Qualitative Study

Science.gov (United States)

Lilly, Julianna D.; Reed, Dianne

2004-01-01

This study examined issues of psychological contract violation between parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and school districts that serve them. As such, the sampling strategy was to focus on parents who were dissatisfied with the educational services their child was receiving from the school district so that the parents' "lived…

Career Advancement Experiences of Hispanic Secondary Principals in Suburban School Districts: A Phenomenological Study

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandez, Rick

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions and experiences of Hispanic secondary school principals who work in suburban school districts regarding their career advancement. Moreover, the objective of this research was to understand these Hispanic principals' motivational drivers and barriers regarding their career choices,…

Work/Life Practices and the Recruitment and Retention of Large School Districts' Foodservice Professionals

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Mary Kate

2010-01-01

With the forthcoming retirement of school foodservice directors, the increasing pressures faced by employees at home and work, and the financial constraints of school districts, recruiting and retaining skilled and diverse employees will be challenging. Marketing work/life benefits to potential employees and supporting these policies to current…

School Social Work Outcomes: Perspectives of School Social Workers and School Administrators

Science.gov (United States)

Bye, Lynn; Shepard, Melanie; Partridge, Jamie; Alvarez, Michelle

2009-01-01

In an era of fiscal constraint and increased accountability, consistent perceptions of the expectations, means of funding, and reporting of outcomes between administrators and school social workers is vital. School social workers and school administrators in four school districts in Minnesota were surveyed regarding outcomes expected as a result…

Financial and Staffing Ratio Analysis: Predicting Fiscal Distress in School Districts.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Robert Alan

1983-01-01

From analysis of data from 579 school districts it is concluded that financial ratios have the ability to forecast fiscal distress a year in advance. Liquidity ratios and salary and fringe benefit ratios were found to be strong forecasters, while per pupil expenditure data had little predictive value. (MJL)

Entry-Year Administrator Induction: A State and Local School District Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Drury, William R.

1988-01-01

The Dayton (Ohio) City School District initiated a very successful pilot induction program for entry-year administrators in January 1987. Nine special workshops were planned to train both volunteer mentors and entry-year administrators in such areas as personal development, conflict management, problem identification and solution, time management,…

Description of Clean and Healthy Behavior of Food Borne Disease Among by School Children Age in Babat Jerawat I Elementary School, District Pakal Surabaya

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hidayat Heny Sholikhah

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Incidence of food borne disease, such as diarrhea, typhoid and hookworm infection in school childrenwere still sufficient susceptible. Lack of clean and healthy behavior became primary cause, so that the agent can easilyenter to the body through the food consumed. The purpose of this study was to descript the clean and healthy behaviors by school children age at Babat Jerawat I Elementary School, District Pakal Surabaya. Methods: This study was a crosssectional study. The sample of this study were 112 of fifth grade students at Babat Jerawat I Elementary school, District Pakal Surabaya, selected by purposive sampling of 121 students who met the inclusion criteria. Data of clean and healthy behavior were collected by observation and interviews focused on a group of school children using questionnaires, checklists and interview guides. Data analysis was done by using descriptive analysis. Results: The results showed that the clean and healthy behaviors about food borne disease, the majority of school children in Elementary school Babat Jerawat I District Pakal Surabaya included in good criteria (51.8% and small portion of these included less category (48.2%. Conclusion:Clean and Healthy Behavior of food borne disease in school children age had good criteria, but still need attention formany factors that influence it, such as the availability of facilities, affordability snacks outside of school and examples ofunhealthy behaviors in family environment. Recommendation: Improve the cooperation between the school and localhealth officials to tighten rules on the management of snack vending around schools, and do continuous education both within the school and the child’s school community.

Procedures for selecting and buying district heating equipment. Sofia district heating. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-11-01

The aim of this Final Report, prepared for the project `Procedures for Selecting and Buying DistRict Heating Equipment - Sofia District Heating Company`, is to establish an overview of the activities accomplished, the outputs delivered and the general experience gained as a result of the project. The main objective of the project is to enable Sofia District Heating Company to prepare specifications and tender documents, identify possible suppliers, evaluate offers, etc. in connection with purchase of district heating equipment. This objective has been reached by using rehabilitation of sub-stations as an example requested by Sofia DH. The project was originally planned to be finalized end of 1995, but due to the extensions of the scope of work, the project has been prolonged until end 1997. The following main activities were accomplished: Preparation of a detailed work plan; Collection of background information; Discussion and advice about technical specifications and tender documents for sub-station rehabilitation; Input to terms of reference for a master plan study; Input to technical specification for heat meters; Collection of ideas for topics and examples related to dissemination of information to consumers about matters related to district heating consumption. (EG)

Beyond Choice to New Public Schools: Withdrawing the Exclusive Franchise in Public Education. Policy Report No. 8.

Science.gov (United States)

Kolderie, Ted

A strategy for revitalizing public education by stimulating the creation of new public schools is proposed in this report. The proposed system goes beyond school choice and is based on the withdrawal of local districts' exclusive franchise to own and operate public schools. The proposal is based on the premise that the state must provide both…

Capistrano unified school district works with San Onofre NGS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osterfield, M.A.; Cramer, E.N.

1992-01-01

A unique arrangement has the science coordinator for Capistrano Unified School District's (CUSD) grades kindergarten through eight (K-8) as a part-time contract employee at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). The purpose is to assess the science capabilities at SONGS useful to CUSD teachers and to assist in making them available. This is different from the usual single-teacher renewal program or from part-time employment. This creates several unique situations for SONGS and the 23 K-8 schools in CUSD, supplementing the existing program of optional science field trips to SONGS. This approach also interests the developing mind in science before being turned off by uninteresting, user-unfriendly, bookish approaches

Decision-Making Quandaries that Superintendents Face in Their Work in Small School Districts Building Democratic Communities

Science.gov (United States)

Touchton, Debra; Acker-Hocevar, Michele

2011-01-01

Superintendents of small school districts describe how they give voice, involve and listen to others, and solicit various publics to build democratic communities. Superintendents make sense of leadership through their constructed role, leadership orientation, and district size. Findings suggest the following when superintendents involve, listen,…

Engaging the community in the process of changing school start times: experience of the Cherry Creek School District.

Science.gov (United States)

Meltzer, Lisa J; McNally, Janise; Plog, Amy E; Siegfried, Scott A

2017-12-01

Despite growing evidence of the positive impact of later school start times on adolescent health and academic outcomes, relatively few districts have changed start times due to concerns about transportation, child care, and athletics/extracurricular activities. This paper provides a case study of the Cherry Creek School District's (CCSD) successful efforts to change start times. The CCSD is a diverse district with an enrollment of almost 55,000 students in suburban Denver. As part of CCSD's strategic plan, a multi-disciplinary task force was formed to examine the impact of start times on student achievement, and recommend a start time schedule driven by best practices on adolescent sleep patterns, balanced with family and community needs. Over 18 months the task force's work included engaging the community through meetings, as well as conducting a large survey (n = 24,574) of parents, teachers, and students, and gathering online feedback. An iterative process utilized feedback at every stage to refine the final recommendation given to the Board of Education. Survey results, implementation considerations, outcome evaluation plans, and lessons learned are discussed. Copyright © 2017 National Sleep Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Charting a Path to Graduation. The Effect of Project GRAD on Elementary School Student Outcomes in Four Urban School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Snipes, Jason C.; Holton, Glee Ivory; Doolittle, Fred

2006-01-01

In the past decade, school districts around the country have sought to improve struggling urban high schools, where high dropout rates, poor student achievement, and low rates of graduation and college-going remain all too prevalent. In a field crowded with reform initiatives, Project Graduation Really Achieves Dreams (GRAD) stands out as…

Estimating Resource Costs of Levy Campaigns in Five Ohio School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Ingle, W. Kyle; Petroff, Ruth Ann; Johnson, Paul A.

2011-01-01

Using Levin and McEwan's (2001) "ingredients method," this study identified the major activities and associated costs of school levy campaigns in five districts. The ingredients were divided into one of five cost categories--human resources, facilities, fees, marketing, and supplies. As to overall costs of the campaigns, estimates ranged…

Alternative Methods in the Evaluation of School District Cash Management Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Dembowski, Frederick L.

1980-01-01

Empirically evaluates three measures of effectiveness of school district cash management: the rate of return method in common use and two new measures--efficiency rating and Net Present Value (NPV). The NPV approach allows examination of efficiency and provides a framework for evaluating other areas of educational policy. (Author/IRT)

School District Fiscal Strain: Implications for State and Federal Financial Assistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Hentschke, Guilbert; Yagielski, John

1982-01-01

Uses a model portraying school district decision makers as "consumers" to analyze fiscal strain's causes (enrollment decline, input price increases, and changes in input mix) as variants of the general consumer model. Measures the impact of each cause of fiscal strain and discusses implications for state and federal aid. (Author/RW)

Problems in Determining School District Need for Hurd Aid and Alternatives to the Revenue Shortfall Approach for Determining Need.

Science.gov (United States)

Curley, John R.

In New York State there is an uneven distribution of wealth and an unequal tax burden among the small city school districts. Because of the tax limits and rising costs for goods and services, many of these school districts have found it difficult to support their educational programs without emergency aid from the state. Such aid is frequently…

Inverse relationship between urban green space and childhood autism in California elementary school districts.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jianyong; Jackson, Laura

2017-10-01

Green space has a variety of health benefits. However, little is known about its impact on autism, the fastest-growing neurodevelopmental disorder in children. This study examined the relationship between green space and childhood autism prevalence. Autism count data in 2010 were obtained for 543 of ~560 public elementary school districts in California. Multiple types of green space were measured in each school district, including percentages of forest, grassland, and average tree canopy and near-road tree canopy. Their associations with autism prevalence were evaluated with negative binomial regression models and spatial regression models. We observed inverse associations between several green space metrics and autism prevalence in school districts with high road density, the highly urbanized areas, but not in others. According to negative binomial regression models, adjusted rate ratios (RR) for the relationships in these school districts between autism prevalence and green space metrics in 10% increments were as follows: for forest, RR=0.90 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.84-0.95); for grassland, RR=0.90 (95% CI: 0.83-0.97); for average tree canopy, RR=0.89 (95% CI: 0.83-0.95), and for near-road tree canopy, RR=0.81 (95% CI: 0.73-0.91). These results suggest that increases of 10% in forest, grassland, average tree canopy and near-road tree canopy are associated with a decrease in autism prevalence of 10%, 10% 11% and 19%, respectively. In contrast, urban land and road density were positively associated with autism prevalence. The results of spatial regression models were consistent with those obtained by negative binomial models, except for grassland. Our study suggests that green space, specifically tree cover in areas with high road density, may influence autism prevalence in elementary school children beneficially. Further studies are needed to investigate a potential causal relationship, and the major mechanisms that may underlie the beneficial associations

Dental caries among disabled individuals attending special schools in Vhembe district, South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Nemutandani, M S; Adedoja, D; Nevhuhlwi, D

2013-11-01

To determine the prevalence of dental caries among disabled individuals attending special schools in Vhembe districts. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted from January to June 2012 among disabled individuals receiving special care in four specialised schools of Vhembe District. The research protocol had been approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Limpopo, Polokwane Campus. Informed consent was obtained from the parents of the participants and from the respective school principals. Oral health examinations took place at the school under natural light, with participants seated on an ordinary chair/wheelchair. Dental caries examinations were carried out, using a mirror and wooden spatula in accordance with World Health Organisation (WHO) criteria and methods. Decayed, missing and filled primary and permanent teeth (dmft, DMFT) were recorded. All disabled individuals who were available during a screening period, were included. Those who were not available, as well as those whose health conditions could be compromised by dental examinations, were excluded. The number of decayed teeth ranged from 0-7 in children below 6 years, 0-12 in children below 11 years; and 0-17 among young adults. The mean decay scores and the numbers of missing teeth increased with age. Only 3 (0.04%) individuals had dental fillings. The mean dmft score of children under 6 years was 5.51 (+/- 2.1), ranging from zero to 8. The mean DMFT's of the 11-18 and 19 years and older groups were 7.38 (+/- 3.22) and 10.24 (+/- 2.97) respectively. Disabled individuals exhibited higher caries prevalence and unmet dental needs than the same age general population in Limpopo. Preventive measures and dental treatment should be considered urgent requirements at special needs schools in the Vhembe District.

The Press Relations of a Local School District: An Analysis of the Emergence of School Issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, Jon R.; Guenter, Cornelius

Press coverage of a suburban midwest school district is analyzed as a set of time series of observations including the amount and quality of coverage. Possible shifts in these series because of the emergence of controversial issues are analyzed statistically using the Integrated Moving Average Time Series Model. Evidence of significant shifts in…

Towards the Development of More Comprehensive Measures of School District Wealth.

Science.gov (United States)

Thornton, Robert J.

The author tests several ways in which income can be added to property wealth to improve the measurement of school-district fiscal capacity. His first chapter discusses the economic and legal reasons for this improvement, notes that seven states already combine income and property, and distinguishes adding income and property together from…

The impact of a school health programme on the prevalence and morbidity of urinary schistosomiasis in Mwera Division, Pangani District, Tanzania

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Magnussen, P; Ndawi, B; Sheshe, A K

2001-01-01

in class 5 (median age 14 years, range 11-17) by urine filtration techniques. Treatment was administered as 40 mg/kg praziquantel in a single dose at the beginning of the school year. The programme was implemented by schoolteachers and coordinated by the District Health Management Team in collaboration......The prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis among schoolchildren in Pangani District (Tanzania) was assessed rapidly by a questionnaire approach. Based on the results, a strategy of selective treatment with praziquantel was adopted. Eleven primary schools in Mwera Division, Pangani District...... parents pay for the treatment of children with episodes of visible haematuria during the school year. Communities also participated in the improvement of sanitary installations at the schools....

Managing for Results in America's Great City Schools. A Report of the Performance Measurement and Benchmarking Project, Spring 2008

Science.gov (United States)

Council of the Great City Schools, 2008

2008-01-01

This report describes statistical indicators developed by the Council of the Great City Schools and its member districts to measure big-city school performance on a range of operational functions in business, finance, human resources and technology. The report also presents data city-by-city on those indicators. This is the second time that…

The Impact of Low, Moderate, and High Military Family Mobility School District Transfer Rates on Graduating Senior High School Dependents' Achievement and School Engagement

Science.gov (United States)

Rippe, Jeffrey K.

2012-01-01

The results of this study suggest that there were no significant differences in the academic performance of military dependents' with low (n = 20), moderate (n = 20), and high (n = 20) mobility school district transfer rates compared to non-military control students (n = 20) before completing high school. The findings were not consistent with…

Group 12: Related Service Providers. IMPACT: The District of Columbia Public Schools Effectiveness Assessment System for School-Based Personnel, 2012-2013

Science.gov (United States)

District of Columbia Public Schools, 2012

2012-01-01

The 2012-2013 school year represents a pivotal juncture for DC Public Schools. Last spring, Mayor Gray and Chancellor Kaya Henderson introduced "A Capital Commitment," their ambitious plan to dramatically accelerate student achievement in the district over the next five years by providing all of their students with a safe, academically…

School District Regionalization in Rhode Island: Relationship with Spending and Achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Masterson, Jason R.

2012-01-01

In Rhode Island, unless costs for education are controlled, taxpayers could face increased property taxes, increased sales tax on goods and services, and tax increases to existing fees to raise revenue (NEEP, 2010). Reducing the number of school districts was cited as the number two solution by the New England Economic Partnership in 2010 to…

Comparison of Indoor Air Quality Management Strategies between the School and District Levels in New York State

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Shao; Kielb, Christine L.; Reddy, Amanda L.; Chapman, Bonnie R.; Hwang, Syni-An

2012-01-01

Background: Good school indoor air quality (IAQ) can affect the health and functioning of school occupants. Thus, it is important to assess the degree to which schools and districts employ strategies to ensure good IAQ management. We examined and compared the patterns of IAQ management strategies between public elementary schools and their school…

Kaliningrad regional district heating network 2004-2006. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2006-06-15

This report concerns: Kaliningrad Regional District Heating Network project which was implemented from 2004 to 2006. The task of the project was to establish and operate an association for district heating companies in the region in order to transfer and distribute district heating know-how to the sector and through activities strengthen the sector. The long term aim was to contribute to establishment of an association to continue as a real association for the heat supply companies in the region. (au)

Getting beyond Traditional Measures of District Financial Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Everett, Ronald E.

1995-01-01

Discusses balance sheets and income statements for private-sector companies and the ratios that have been developed to guide corporate decision makers. Discusses the various public-sector reports that school districts create and how they can be used to create information via ratios to help school administrators and policymakers in directing and…

[Work-related stress in nursery school educators in the Venice and Marghera districts].

Science.gov (United States)

Camerino, Donatella; Fichera, G P; Punzi, Silvia; Campanini, P; Conway, P M; Prevedello, Laura; Costa, G

2011-01-01

Based on an investigation on organizational well-being in the Municipality of Venice (2009), we examined 110 public nursery school and preschool teachers working in the Venice and Marghera districts. The aim of this study was to develop and implement a procedure for work-related stress assessment and management in Municipality of Venice, in the light of Law 81/2008. Occupational stress and its impact on teachers' well-being and health were assessed by means of self-administered questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Descriptive analyses were conducted to compare teachers' data with those concerning employees operating in other services in the Venice and Marghera districts. According to the results, while nursery school and preschool teachers work with considerable commitment, vigor, dedication and involvement, problems were observed related to: assignment of administrative tasks without appropriate support from the district offices; difficult access to support services; shortage of temporary teachers and auxiliary personnel and, limited to some facilities, lack of adequate physical space devoted to teaching activities. Such adverse conditions result in an increase in vigilance levels required to ensure children's safety. Personnel also suffer from a lack of career prospects, with scarce opportunities for contact with other facilities in the area and inadequate involvement in the decisional processes at Municipality level. Improving such adverse conditions could solve the current marginalization of public nursery school and preschool teachers and encourage mutual exchange of information, which would in turn favour more appropriate methods of managing each single facility.

The Issues of Self-Funding Benefits for Texas Independent School Districts.

Science.gov (United States)

Cryar, Virginia P.

This paper examines whether self-funding health benefit plans for employees are appropriate for Texas school districts. In a self-funding plan, the cost of benefits is funded directly by the employer without the protection of an insurance contract. Proponents of the self-funding plan argue that it: (1) controls costs and improves the cash flow;…

Examining the Role of Professional Development in a Large School District's iPad Initiative

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Min; Ko, Yujung; Willmann, Amanda; Fickert, Cynda

2018-01-01

This study examined 342 teachers' views of professional development (PD) provided by a large school district to support its iPad initiative. We were interested in investigating teachers' perceptions of this district-provided PD, any change in teachers' views, and how they used iPads in their instruction while/after receiving PD. The findings,…

Supervision of Special Education Instruction in Rural Public School Districts: A Grounded Theory

OpenAIRE

Bays, Debora Ann

2001-01-01

The grounded theory presented in this study describes how the supervision of special education instruction occurs in public elementary schools in rural settings. Grounded theory methodology (Strauss & Corbin, 1998) was employed in this study. Nine elementary schools in three rural districts in the state of Virginia participated in the study. Interview data were collected from 34 participants, including special and general education teachers, principals, and directors of special education. Obs...

Prevalence, Disparities, and Trends in Obesity and Severe Obesity Among Students in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, School District, 2006–2010

OpenAIRE

Robbins, Jessica M.; Mallya, Giridhar; Polansky, Marcia; Schwarz, Donald F.

2012-01-01

Introduction Epidemic increases in obesity negatively affect the health of US children, individually and at the population level. Although surveillance of childhood obesity at the local level is challenging, height and weight data routinely collected by school districts are valuable and often underused public health resources. Methods We analyzed data from the School District of Philadelphia for 4 school years (2006–2007 through 2009–2010) to assess the prevalence of and trends in obesity and...

Primary School Environment Trend, Class-Ratio and Head Teachers Overcrowded Classrooms Management Strategies in Northern Senatorial District of Ondo State, Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Babatunde, Ehinola Gabriel

2015-01-01

Primary school Enrolment Trend, Class-Ratio and Head Teachers overcrowded classrooms management strategies in Northern Senatorial District of Ondo State, Nigeria was investigated. The purpose of the study is to examine the current enrolment trend in public primary schools in northern senatorial District of Ondo State. Also, is to ascertain the…

Parental concerns in parents of children attending pre- and primary school: analysis of the Portuguese population by District

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susana Algarvio

Full Text Available Objective: In this study, our aim was to assess and analyze parental concerns by Portuguese District. Methods: The participants were 3842 parents of children between 3 and 10 years old, attending preschool and primary school, from 820 public schools in 18 Portuguese Districts. Parents completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, and a Parental Concerns Scale, composed by 5 subscales, family and school problems; feeding, sleep and physical complaints; preparation; fears; and negative behaviors. Results: Portuguese parents concerned about all the dimensions considered in this study. The highest level of concern was obtained in family and school problems, and the lowest level of concern about their children’s fears. There were significant differences between Districts, parents from Porto and Bragança showed the highest levels of concern. Parents from Coimbra, Évora, Beja e Portalegre, presented the lowest levels of concern. Conclusion: Parental concerns are an aspect of general parenting and must be considered by health professionals to promote healthier parents-children relationships. Geographic differences should be further investigated.

School dropout susceptibility mapping with fuzzy logic – a study in the District of Purulia, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mukunda Mishra

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Multi-input prediction models are gradually finding their places in the arena of social and economic sciences to assess, locate and address the complicated socio-economic issues arising around the globe. These models treat the problems as the output aroused from a complex interaction between a range of variables linked with physical, socio-cultural, economic as well as ambient political systems. The discussion on dropout from the education system belongs to the core of the educational researchers. The researchers within this domain are attempting to develop the ‘tools and techniques’ for efficiently demarcating the space with a given degree of susceptibility. The scope is to drop out and examine the internal functions of the interactive variables associated with the process. In the present study, we try to apply the fuzzy logic in mapping the spatial variation of the susceptibility of school dropout in the district of Purulia, a backwards district in India regarding achieved level of human development. The training datasets for building the fuzzy model based on the available secondary data from different reports published by the Government and a range of primary data collected through a socio-economic survey. The model output is an index, namely the Index of Susceptibility of School Drop Out (ISDO which reflects the levels of susceptibility to school dropout at different parts of the study area. The proposed model should allow the success within the larger social and economic system.

Epinephrine Policies and Protocols Guidance for Schools: Equipping School Nurses to Save Lives.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanner, Andrea; Clarke, Carrie

2016-01-01

In response to limited direction given by legislative bodies to school nurses about how to implement state-mandated or recommended stock epinephrine programs in their schools, NASN convened a workgroup of invested stakeholders. This workgroup was challenged to equip school nurses with the necessary tools to develop policies and protocols regarding stock epinephrine in their school districts. The dynamic workgroup subcommittees focused on policies, procedures, and reporting tools. This article reviews the results of the subcommittees' work and the overall collaboration within the workgroup. This article provides clear, nationally recognized guidance on the best practice for establishing stock epinephrine policies and protocols with reporting tools at the local school district level. © 2015 The Author(s).

Districts Neglecting Programs for ELLs

Science.gov (United States)

Zehr, Mary Ann

2010-01-01

The author reports on state and independent reviews that cite shortcomings in four urban systems. According to the reviews of those school systems over the past two years, four urban districts--in Boston, Massachusetts; Buffalo, New York; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle, Washington--did not provide special help to learn English to all students…

Prevalence of food production systems in school foodservice.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Denise M

2005-08-01

What is the prevalence of central kitchens that use either cook-chill or cook-freeze production systems in school foodservice settings? A descriptive study using a 5-minute telephone survey during normal working hours was conducted. Questions were designed to be easily answered with minimal need to reference other documentation. Five hundred forty school foodservice directors, managers, and supervisors working in school districts of all sizes across the United States were randomly sampled from a national commercial directory of school districts for the study. A total of 353 individuals completed the survey representing 49 of 50 states. Means, standard deviations, and percentages were evaluated for all data collected. Descriptive statistics of school district characteristics, prevalence of production systems, food transport systems, inventory methods and equipment used for reheating food are reported. The most frequently reported production system was on-site kitchens (45.3%) followed by combination production systems (40.5%) where a central kitchen delivered to a number of satellite locations in addition to schools with on-site food preparation. Central kitchens without additional on-site kitchens represented 14.2% of this study. Of those school districts using either central kitchens or combination production systems, 78% reported hot-food preparation using hot-food delivery to satellites. Cook-chill or cook-freeze production systems were reported by 22% of respondents. The high proportion of school districts that prepared and delivered foods hot to satellite sites supports continuing efforts to identify food safety practices and issues related to maintaining food quality in schools.

Rodriquez V. San Antonio Independent School District: Gathering the Ayes of Texas--The Politics of School Finance Reform

Science.gov (United States)

Yudof, Mark G.; Morgan, Daniel C.

1974-01-01

An historical account is given of movements toward educational finance reform in Texas, culminating in the Rodriquez v. San Antonio Independent School District case and its aftermath. The role of political pressures applied by various interest groups is traced and the prospects for future reform assessed. (EH)

Perception of epilepsy among the urban secondary school children of Bareilly district

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hari Shanker Joshi

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background: There is a lack of knowledge about epilepsy among the students and the population in general, with consequent prejudice and discrimination toward epileptic patients. Objectives: Knowledge, behavior, attitude and myth toward epilepsy among urban school children in Bareilly district was studied. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among students of 10 randomly selected secondary schools of the urban areas in Bareilly district. A structured, pretested questionnaire was used to collect data regarding sociodemographic characteristics and assess the subject′s knowledge, behavior, attitude and myth toward epilepsy. Results: Of the 798 students (533 boys and 265 girls studied, around 98.6% had heard of epilepsy. About 63.7% correctly thought that epilepsy is a brain disorder while 81.8% believed it to be a psychiatric disorder. Other prevalent misconceptions were that epilepsy is an inherited disorder (71.55% and that the disease is transmitted by eating a nonvegetarian diet (49%. Most of them thought that epilepsy can be cured (69.3 and that an epileptic patient needs lifelong treatment (77.2. On witnessing a seizure, about 51.5% of the students would take the person to the hospital. Majority (72.31% of the students thought that children with epilepsy should study in a special school. Conclusions: Although majority of the students had reasonable knowledge of epilepsy, myths and superstitions about the condition still prevail in a significant proportion of the urban school children. It may be worthwhile including awareness programs about epilepsy in school education to dispel misconceptions about epilepsy.

Teachers' Perceptions of School Nutrition Education's Influence on Eating Behaviours of Learners in the Bronkhorstspruit District

Science.gov (United States)

Kupolati, Mojisola D.; Gericke, Gerda J.; MacIntyre, Una E.

2015-01-01

Qualitative investigation can provide invaluable information towards understanding the influence of school nutrition education (NE). The study explored teachers' perceptions of the immediate impact of NE on learners' eating behaviours. Twenty-four primary school teachers in the Bronkhorstspruit district, Gauteng, South Africa, who taught nutrition…

Appendix N. Implementation of the RUPS System in a Total School District.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Charles; And Others

The implementation in a school district of the Research Utilization and Problem Solving (RUPS) System is demonstrated. RUPS is an instructional system for an inservice program designed to provide the needed competencies for an entire staff to engage in systems analysis and systems synthesis procedures prior to assessing educational needs and…

"Hired Guns" and "Legitimate Voices": The Politics and Participants of Levy Campaigns in Five Ohio School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Ingle, William Kyle; Johnson, Paul Andrew; Petroff, Ruth Ann

2012-01-01

Background: In Ohio, levy campaigns are a burdensome task for district administrators and stakeholders alike. To date, there is little research on the districts' role in crafting school budget referenda campaigns. Purpose: This study asked three research questions: How did the macropolitical contexts shape stakeholders' decision making in terms of…

The Insuring of Schools: Everybody's Business. A C.A.R.E. Special Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Clifford H.

Insurance is necessary to protect school district assets and assure the ongoing educational program. It may be purchased economically and serve its designed purpose only if trustees and administrators understand its function and seek professional help in its application. This report discusses in lay terms the nature of insurance as one means,…

Ontario Power Authority district energy research report : final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-02-01

This paper presented an analysis of the technical and economic characteristics of district energy in Ontario. The market context for district energy was evaluated, and institutional issues that may influence the future development and operation of district energy systems in Ontario were explored. Technical, economic, and environmental analyses of district energy based on different neighbourhood sizes, types, and district energy systems were presented. Three case studies were included to demonstrate real world district energy applications. A set of interviews conducted with representatives of the province's district energy supply chain was also provided in order to provide a framework for district energy opportunities and challenges within the province. 22 tabs., 16 figs.

A public school district's vending machine policy and changes over a 4-year period: implementation of a national wellness policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Han-Markey, T L; Wang, L; Schlotterbeck, S; Jackson, E A; Gurm, R; Leidal, A; Eagle, K

2012-04-01

The school environment has been the focus of many health initiatives over the years as a means to address the childhood obesity crisis. The availability of low-nutrient, high-calorie foods and beverages to students via vending machines further exacerbates the issue of childhood obesity. However, a healthy overhaul of vending machines may also affect revenue on which schools have come to depend. This article describes the experience of one school district in changing the school environment, and the resulting impact on food and beverage vending machines. Observational study in Ann Arbor public schools. The contents and locations of vending machines were identified in 2003 and surveyed repeatedly in 2007. Overall revenues were also documented during this time period. Changes were observed in the contents of both food and beverage vending machines. Revenue in the form of commissions to the contracted companies and the school district decreased. Local and national wellness policy changes may have financial ramifications for school districts. In order to facilitate and sustain school environment change, all stakeholders, including teachers, administrators, students and healthcare providers, should collaborate and communicate on policy implementation, recognizing that change can have negative financial consequences as well as positive, healthier outcomes. Copyright © 2012 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Conflict Management in Declining School Districts.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyd, William Lowe; Wheaton, Dennis R.

1983-01-01

Professional literature about managing conflicts associated with declining enrollments indicates the existing tension in this area. A research study shows that, while upper-middle class districts may succeed using a rational approach to decision making, lower class districts, for various reasons, may not. Special problems of urban districts are…

District of Columbia Public Education: Agencies Have Enhanced Internal Controls over Federal Payments for School Improvement, but More Consistent Monitoring Needed. Report to Congressional Requesters. GAO-11-16

Science.gov (United States)

Ashby, Cornelia M.

2010-01-01

Between fiscal years 2004 and 2009, Congress appropriated nearly $190 million in federal payments for school improvement to the District of Columbia (D.C.). This includes $85 million to the state education office--currently the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE)--to expand public charter schools and $105 million to D.C. Public…

Evaluation of the School Breakfast Program Pilot Project: Findings from the First Year of Implementation. Nutrition Assistance Program Report Series.

Science.gov (United States)

McLaughlin, Joan E.; Bernstein, Lawrence S.; Crepinsek, May Kay; Daft, Lynn M.; Murphy, J. Michael

In 1998, Congress authorized implementation of a 3-year pilot breakfast program involving 4,300 students in elementary schools in 6 school districts representing a range of economic and demographic characteristics. The program began in the 2000-01 school year. This lengthy report presents the findings from the pilot's first year. The study had two…

District Allocation of Human Resources Utilizing the Evidence Based Model: A Study of One High Achieving School District in Southern California

Science.gov (United States)

Lane, Amber Marie

2013-01-01

This study applies the Gap Analysis Framework to understand the gaps that exist in human resource allocation of one Southern California school district. Once identified, gaps are closed with the reallocation of human resources, according to the Evidenced Based Model, requiring the re-purposing of core classroom teachers, specialists, special…

TIGER/Line Shapefile, 2014, Series Information for the Current Elementary School Districts State-based Shapefile

Data.gov (United States)

US Census Bureau, Department of Commerce — School Districts are single-purpose administrative units within which local officials provide public educational services for the area's residents. The Census Bureau...

TIGER/Line Shapefile, 2014, Series Information for the Current Unified School Districts State-based Shapefile

Data.gov (United States)

US Census Bureau, Department of Commerce — School Districts are single-purpose administrative units within which local officials provide public educational services for the area's residents. The Census Bureau...

Baltimore District Tackles High Suspension Rates

Science.gov (United States)

Maxwell, Lesli A.

2007-01-01

This article reports on how the Baltimore District tackles its high suspension rates. Driven by an increasing belief that zero-tolerance disciplinary policies are ineffective, more educators are embracing strategies that do not exclude misbehaving students from school for offenses such as insubordination, disrespect, cutting class, tardiness, and…

Acceptable Use Policies in a Web 2.0 & Mobile Era: A Guide for School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Consortium for School Networking (NJ1), 2011

2011-01-01

Web 2.0 applications and mobile Internet devices have added new issues to the safety/access situation for schools. The purpose of this guide is to assist school districts in developing, rethinking, or revising Internet policies as a consequence of the emergence of Web 2.0, and the growing pervasiveness of smart phone use. The Consortium for School…

How Should School Districts Shape Teacher Salary Schedules? Linking School Performance to Pay Structure in Traditional Compensation Schemes

Science.gov (United States)

Grissom, Jason A.; Strunk, Katharine O.

2012-01-01

This study examines the relative distribution of salary schedule returns to experience for beginning and veteran teachers. We argue that districts are likely to benefit from structuring salary schedules with greater experience returns early in the teaching career. To test this hypothesis, we match salary data to school-level student performance…

Environmental Assessment and FONSI for the Bison School District Heating Plant Project (Institutional Conservation Program [ICP]).

Science.gov (United States)

Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

This paper examines the environmental impacts of replacing the Bison, South Dakota School District's elementary and high school heating system consisting of oil-fired boilers, and supporting electrical components with a new coal-fired boiler and supporting control system piping. Various alternative systems are also examined, including purchasing a…

Colleges of Education/Arts and Sciences and Local School Districts: Collaborative Efforts.

Science.gov (United States)

Simmons, Barbara J.; Jarchow, Elaine

The New Mexico State University Teacher Intern Program provides for 20 beginning teachers to receive half the salary of a beginning teacher for one year and to complete a 32 credit Master's Degree program in two summers and one academic year. Ten master teachers from participating school districts assist the interns in becoming successful teachers…

Food for Thought: Expanding School Breakfast to NJ Students. [Updated

Science.gov (United States)

Advocates for Children of New Jersey, 2014

2014-01-01

Often, school districts are reluctant to adopt innovative approaches to serving children breakfast in school because of logistical concerns that are easily overcome. Districts that adopt these more innovative approaches report significant increases in participation rates and improvement in student behavior and performance. This report provides…

Breastfeeding knowledge, attitude and practice among school teachers in Abha female educational district, southwestern Saudi Arabia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Al-Binali Ali Mohamed

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Inadequate knowledge, or inappropriate practice, of breastfeeding may lead to undesirable consequences. The aim of this study was to assess breastfeeding knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP among female teachers in the Abha Female Educational District and identify factors that may affect breastfeeding practice in the study population. Methods A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted among school teachers in Abha Female Educational District during the months of April to June, 2011. Breastfeeding KAP of participants who had at least one child aged five years or younger at the time of the study were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire, based on their experience with the last child. Results A total of 384 women made up of 246 (61.1% primary-, 89 (23.2% intermediate- and 49 (12.8% high-school teachers participated in the study. One hundred and nineteen participants (31% started breastfeeding their children within one hour of delivery, while exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months was reported only by 32 (8.3% participants. Insufficient breast milk and work related problems were the main reasons given by 169 (44% and 148 (38.5% of participants, respectively, for stopping breastfeeding before two years. Only 33 participants (8.6% had attended classes related to breastfeeding. However, 261 participants (68% indicated the willingness to attend such classes, if available, in future pregnancies. Conclusions This study revealed that breast milk insufficiency and adverse work related issues were the main reasons for a very low rate of exclusive breastfeeding among female school teachers in Abha female educational district, Saudi Arabia. A very low rate of attending classes addressing the breastfeeding issues during pregnancy, and an alarming finding of a high percentage of babies receiving readymade liquid formula while still in hospital, were also brought out by the present study. Such

The Transition of Special Needs Students to Kayenta from Outlying Communities: Partnerships between Schools and Districts.

Science.gov (United States)

Heimbecker, Connie; Bradley-Wilkinson, Evangeline; Begay, Mary Helen; Bradley, Brian; McCarty, Nellie; Nelson, Jacob; Gamble, Armanda; Medina, Catherine; Nelson, Bernita; Pettigrew, Bobbie; Sealander, Karen; Smith, Jody; Snyder, Maria; White, Sherri; Whitehair, Marsha; Redsteer, Denise; Prater, Greg

A study examined the challenges faced by Kayenta Unified School District (KUSD) and outlying communities on the Navajo Reservation in their efforts to adequately provide educational opportunities for their transfer students with special needs. Interviews were conducted with six students from 4th grade through high school; seven parents; special…

Strategic Plan for Sustainable Energy Management and Environmental Stewardship for Los Angeles Unified School District

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walker, A.; Beattie, D.; Thomas, K.; Davis, K.; Sim, M.; Jhaveri, A.

2007-11-01

This Strategic Plan for Sustainable Energy Management and Environmental Stewardship states goals, measures progress toward goals and how actions are monitored to achieve continuous improvement for the Los Angeles Unified School District.

The Ohio Schools Pest Management Survey: A Final Report.

Science.gov (United States)

2001

In 2001, the Environmental Studies Senior Capstone Seminar class at Denison University helped the state of Ohio work to prevent harmful pesticide use in schools. In cooperation with Ohio State University's Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Schools Program, Denison conducted a statewide survey of school districts to determine current pest…

Improving School Bus Safety. Transportation Research Board Special Report 222.

Science.gov (United States)

National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC. Transportation Research Board.

While school buses transport more passengers per trip, the rate of occupant fatalities per mile driven for school buses is one-quarter that for passenger cars. Nevertheless, the public expects school districts and other school bus operators to take all reasonable precautions to protect children as they travel to and from school. Although a variety…

The Nation's Report Card: Mathematics 2011. Trial Urban District Assessment Results at Grades 4 and 8. NCES 2012-452

Science.gov (United States)

National Center for Education Statistics, 2011

2011-01-01

Representative samples of fourth- and eighth-grade public school students from 21 urban districts participated in the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in mathematics. Eighteen of the districts participating in the 2011 NAEP Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) participated in earlier assessment years, while three districts…

Southwest Seminar and Development Project of the District of Columbia Public Schools; Report of Evaluation 1967-1968.

Science.gov (United States)

Mackenzie, Gordon N.; And Others

This report described the Tri-School Plan initiated by the Board of Education in Washington, D.C. to equalize educational opportunities in an urban renewal area. Under the plan, children attended the Syphax School for grades 1 and 2; the Amidon School for grades 3 and 4; the Bowen School for grades 5 and 6. Children from various socioeconomic…

Challenges to Successful Total Quality Management Implementation in Public Secondary Schools: A Case Study of Kohat District, Pakistan

Science.gov (United States)

Suleman, Qaiser; Gul, Rizwana

2015-01-01

The current study explores the challenges faced by public secondary schools in successful implementation of total quality management (TQM) in Kohat District. A sample of 25 heads and 75 secondary school teachers selected from 25 public secondary schools through simple random sampling technique was used. Descriptive research designed was used and a…

Getting down to Dollars and Cents: What Do School Districts Spend to Deliver Student-Centered Learning?

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Lawrence J.; Gross, Betheny; Ouijdani, Monica

2012-01-01

In the era of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top, school districts are under increasing pressure from policymakers to hold all students to high performance standards. In response, a growing number of schools are embracing the principles of student-centered learning (SCL). SCL is a contemporary approach that combines progressive and…

Solar Schools Assessment and Implementation Project: Financing Options for Solar Installations on K-12 Schools

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coughlin, J.; Kandt, A.

2011-10-01

This report focuses on financial options developed specifically for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in three California public school districts. Solar energy systems installed on public schools have a number of benefits that include utility bill savings, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and other toxic air contaminants, job creation, demonstrating environmental leadership, and creating learning opportunities for students. In the 2011 economic environment, the ability to generate general-fund savings as a result of reducing utility bills has become a primary motivator for school districts trying to cut costs. To achieve meaningful savings, the size of the photovoltaic (PV) systems installed (both individually on any one school and collectively across a district) becomes much more important; larger systems are required to have a material impact on savings. Larger PV systems require a significant financial commitment and financing therefore becomes a critical element in the transaction. In simple terms, school districts can use two primary types of ownership models to obtain solar installations and cost savings across a school district. The PV installations can be financed and owned directly by the districts themselves. Alternatively, there are financing structures whereby another entity, such as a solar developer or its investors, actually own and operate the PV systems on behalf of the school district. This is commonly referred to as the 'third-party ownership model.' Both methods have advantages and disadvantages that should be weighed carefully.

Prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni infection and the therapeutic efficacy of praziquantel among school children in Manna District, Jimma Zone, southwest Ethiopia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mitiku Bajiro

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Intestinal schistosomiasis is one of the neglected tropical parasitic diseases caused by Schistosoma mansoni. Currently, the control measures for the disease are mainly based on mass drug administration (MDA with praziquantel (PZQ targeting the school-age children. In Ethiopia, the potential foci for schistosomiasis and therapeutic efficacy of PZQ among school-age children remain poorly explored. Therefore, we determined both the prevalence and intensity of S. mansoni infection and the therapeutic efficacy of PZQ among school children in the Manna District (new foci for S. mansoni, Jimma Zone, southwest Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among the school children aged between 6 and 18 years in three primary schools in Manna district from March to April 2014. For diagnosis of S. mansoni, a single stool sample was obtained from each child and processed using single Kato Katz and examined under light microscopy. A questionnaire was used to collect demographic information of the school children participated in the study. School children excreting eggs of S. mansoni were administered with 40 mg/kg of PZQ and re-examined after three weeks post-treatment. The therapeutic efficacy of PZQ against S. mansoni was evaluated by means of cure rate and egg reduction rate. Results The overall prevalence of S. mansoni among the school children in the three primary schools in Manna District was 24.0 %. Higher prevalence was recorded for males 25.6 % (61/238 than for females 22.5 % (59/262. Majority (27.5 % of infection intensity was light with mean faecal egg count (FEC of 202 eggs per gram (EPG. The therapeutic efficacy of PZQ at a dose of 40 mg/kg was highly efficient (cure rate of 99.1 % and egg reduction rate of 99.9 % among the school children in the three primary schools in Manna District. Conclusions The school children in the three primary schools of Manna District, Jimma Zone were at moderate risk of the

Districts Embrace the Community to Benefit All Students

Science.gov (United States)

Weinzapfel, Patricia

2018-01-01

Moving from a traditional school district to one that embraces a community schools model requires fundamental shifts in organizational structure and practices. Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation in southern Indiana and Vancouver Public Schools in Vancouver, Wash., are two districts that have navigated this change. Leaders from those…

Mass-casualty events at schools: a national preparedness survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, James; Shirm, Steve; Liggin, Rebecca; Aitken, Mary E; Dick, Rhonda

2006-01-01

Recent school shootings and terrorist events have demonstrated the need for well-coordinated planning for school-based mass-casualty events. The objective of this study was to document the preparedness of public schools in the United States for the prevention of and the response to a mass-casualty event. A survey was mailed to 3670 school superintendents of public school districts that were chosen at random from a list of school districts from the National Center for Education Statistics of the US Department of Education in January 2004. A second mailing was sent to nonresponders in May 2004. Descriptive statistics were used for survey variables, and the chi2 test was used to compare urban versus rural preparedness. The response rate was 58.2% (2137 usable surveys returned). Most (86.3%) school superintendents reported having a response plan, but fewer (57.2%) have a plan for prevention. Most (95.6%) have an evacuation plan, but almost one third (30%) had never conducted a drill. Almost one quarter (22.1%) have no disaster plan provisions for children with special health care needs, and one quarter reported having no plans for postdisaster counseling. Almost half (42.8%) had never met with local ambulance officials to discuss emergency planning. Urban school districts were better prepared than rural districts on almost all measures in the survey. There are important deficiencies in school emergency/disaster planning. Rural districts are less well prepared than urban districts. Disaster/mass-casualty preparedness of schools should be improved through coordination of school officials and local medical and emergency officials.

On school choice and test-based accountability.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Damian W. Betebenner

2005-10-01

Full Text Available Among the two most prominent school reform measures currently being implemented in The United States are school choice and test-based accountability. Until recently, the two policy initiatives remained relatively distinct from one another. With the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB, a mutualism between choice and accountability emerged whereby school choice complements test-based accountability. In the first portion of this study we present a conceptual overview of school choice and test-based accountability and explicate connections between the two that are explicit in reform implementations like NCLB or implicit within the market-based reform literature in which school choice and test-based accountability reside. In the second portion we scrutinize the connections, in particular, between school choice and test-based accountability using a large western school district with a popular choice system in place. Data from three sources are combined to explore the ways in which school choice and test-based accountability draw on each other: state assessment data of children in the district, school choice data for every participating student in the district choice program, and a parental survey of both participants and non-participants of choice asking their attitudes concerning the use of school report cards in the district. Results suggest that choice is of benefit academically to only the lowest achieving students, choice participation is not uniform across different ethnic groups in the district, and parents' primary motivations as reported on a survey for participation in choice are not due to test scores, though this is not consistent with choice preferences among parents in the district. As such, our results generally confirm the hypotheses of choice critics more so than advocates. Keywords: school choice; accountability; student testing.

TIGER/Line Shapefile, 2014, Series Information File for the Current Secondary School Districts State-based Shapefile

Data.gov (United States)

US Census Bureau, Department of Commerce — School Districts are single-purpose administrative units within which local officials provide public educational services for the area's residents. The Census Bureau...

Defining the "Good Mother" and the "Professional Teacher": Parent-Teacher Relationships in an Affluent School District

Science.gov (United States)

Landeros, Mary

2011-01-01

This article examines the challenges of parent-teacher relationships in an affluent school district, drawing on 30 in-depth interviews of mothers and elementary school teachers in the USA. Professional women who have put their careers on hold to care for their children are apt to define being a good mother in terms of the academic achievement of…

Stakeholder Experiences in District-University Administrator Preparation Partnerships

Science.gov (United States)

Sanzo, Karen L.; Wilson, Jacob McKinley, III

2016-01-01

Our qualitative study explores the lived experiences of district stakeholders in university-district leadership preparation programs. Collaborative partnerships between school districts and universities focused on developing quality school leader are a part of recent efforts to provide the field of public education with exemplary leadership. The…

Return on Educational Investment: 2014. A District-by-District Evaluation of U.S. Educational Productivity

Science.gov (United States)

Boser, Ulrich

2014-01-01

In 2011, the Center of American Progress (CAP) released the first-ever attempt to evaluate the productivity of almost every major school district in the country. That project developed a set of relatively simple productivity metrics in order to measure the achievement that a school district produces relative to its spending, while controlling for…

A Tale of Two Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, Mark

2012-01-01

These days, everyone seems to be wringing their hands about how to construct new evaluation systems that will make teachers better. This unnecessary angst has led to crazy experiments in reform that have embraced churn for the sake of churn, put school districts at risk, and demoralized many of the most talented teachers. A few school districts,…

District Finds the Right Equation to Improve Math Instruction

Science.gov (United States)

Holmstrom, Annette

2010-01-01

The math problem is common to most U.S. school districts, and education leaders are well aware that U.S. math achievement lags far behind many other countries in the world. University Place (Washington) School District Superintendent Patti Banks found the conspicuous income gap for math scores even more disturbing. In her school district, only 23%…

District Fiscal Policy and Student Achievement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gary G. Huang

2002-09-01

Full Text Available School restructuring raises questions about the role of school districts in improving student learning. Centralization by state governments and decentralization to individual schools as proposed in systemic reform leave districts' role unsettled. Empirical research on the district role in the context of ongoing reform is inadequate. This analysis of combined data from the NAEP and the Common Core of Data (CCD was intended to address the issue. We analyzed 1990, 1992, and 1996 NAEP 8th grade mathematics national assessment data in combination with CCD data of corresponding years to examine the extent to which student achievement was related to districts' control over instructional expenditure, adjusting for relevant key factors at both district and student levels. Upon sample modification, we used hierarchical linear modeling (HLM to estimate the relationships of student achievement to two district fiscal policy indictors, current expenditure per pupil (CEPP and districts' discretionary rates for instructional expenditure (DDR. Net of relevant district factors, DDR was found unrelated to districts' average 8th grade math performance. The null effect was consistent in the analysis of the combined NAEP-CCD data for 1990, 1992, and 1996. In contrast, CEPP was found related to higher math performance in a modest yet fairly consistent way. Future research may be productive to separately study individual states and integrate the findings onto the national level.

To Be Alone or in a Group: An Exploration into How the School-Based Experiences Differ for Black Male Teachers across One Urban School District

Science.gov (United States)

Bristol, Travis J.

2018-01-01

One urban district administered the Black Male Teacher Environment Survey (BMTES) to each of its Black male teachers to measure their school-based experiences. This article highlights descriptive statistics from the 86 Black male teacher respondents. Findings suggest that participants' background characteristics and school-based experiences varied…

Spontaneous adverse drug reaction reporting in rural districts of Mozambique.

Science.gov (United States)

Sevene, Esperança; Mariano, Alda; Mehta, Ushma; Machai, Maria; Dodoo, Alexander; Vilardell, David; Patel, Sam; Barnes, Karen; Carné, Xavier

2008-01-01

The roll out of various public health programmes involving mass administration of medicines calls for the deployment of responsive pharmacovigilance systems to permit identification of signals of rare or even common adverse reactions. In developing countries in Africa, these systems are mostly absent and their performance under any circumstance is difficult to predict given the known shortage of human, financial and technical resources. Nevertheless, the importance of such systems in all countries is not in doubt, and research to identify problems, with the aim of offering pragmatic solutions, is urgently needed. To examine the impact of training and monitoring of healthcare workers, making supervisory visits and the availability of telecommunication and transport facilities on the implementation of a pharmacovigilance system in Mozambique. This was a descriptive study enumerating the lessons learnt and challenges faced in implementing a spontaneous reporting system in two rural districts of Mozambique - Namaacha and Matutuíne - where remote location, poor telecommunication services and a low level of education of health professionals are ongoing challenges. A 'yellow card' system for spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) was instituted following training of health workers in the selected districts. Thirty-five health professionals (3 medical doctors, 2 technicians, 24 nurses, 4 basic healthcare agents and 2 pharmacy agents) in these districts were trained to diagnose, treat and report ADRs to all medicines using a standardized yellow card system. There were routine site visits to identify and clarify any problems in filling in and sending the forms. One focal person was identified in each district to facilitate communication between the health professionals and the National Pharmacovigilance Unit (NPU). The report form was assessed for quality and causality. The availability of telecommunications and transport was assessed. Fourteen months after

Identifying and Understanding Effective High School Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Rutledge, Stacey A.; Cannata, Marisa

2016-01-01

The authors report on a yearlong investigation into similar schools that performed well and less well in the same district. They found that the higher-performing schools engaged in an intentional set of systemic practices that encourage Personalization for Academic and Social Learning (PASL) in one district and integrated structures of academic…

Salaryfax for Nine Districts 1972-73.

Science.gov (United States)

Albuquerque Public Schools, NM.

This study compares salaries as well as benefits of school district personnel in the nine metropolitan school districts that include Albuquerque, New Mexico; Denver, Colorado; El Paso, Texas; Memphis, Tennessee; Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona; Wichita, Kansas; and Mobile, Alabama. The tables aggregate all the elements in the total compensation…

An Environmental Scan Tool to Assess District and School Readiness to Support Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth

Science.gov (United States)

Savage, Todd A.; Springborg, Heidi; Lagerstrom, Leslie

2017-01-01

It is important that districts and schools do everything they can to create and maintain school climates and environments that are sensitive and responsive to the various educational, social, emotional, and behavioral needs of transgender and gender diverse students, regardless of the actual presence of a student who identifies as something other…

Professional Learning Community Process in the United States: Conceptualization of the Process and District Support for Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Olivier, Dianne F.; Huffman, Jane B.

2016-01-01

As the Professional Learning Community (PLC) process becomes embedded within schools, the level of district support has a direct impact on whether schools have the ability to re-culture and sustain highly effective collaborative practices. The purpose of this article is to share a professional learning community conceptual framework from the US,…

Efficiency potential in the district heating sector. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agrell, P.; Bogetoft, P.; Fristrup, P.; Munksgaard, J.; Pade, L.L.

2003-10-01

This report is the final documentation for the research project 'District heating prices in a liberalised energy market - benchmarking the production of combined heat and power'. The project compares activities for almost 300 companies, members of the Danish District Heating Society. The main aim of the analyses has been to uncover the saving potential by comparing each individual company to the most efficient companies in the sector. The variable costs have been studied, amounting to almost 7 billion Danish kroner a year, and the analyses found saving potential ranging from 5% to 60% dependent on the expectations to flexibility assigned to the individual companies. The data used are not available for the public as they exceed the Danish District Heating Society's annual statistics. (BA)

How School Districts Can Support Deeper Learning: The Need for Performance Alignment. Executive Summary. Deeper Learning Research Series

Science.gov (United States)

Honig, Meredith I.; Rainey, Lydia R.

2015-01-01

School district leaders nationwide aspire to help their schools become vibrant places for learning--where students have meaningful academic opportunities "and" develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, the ability to communicate effectively, and other deeper learning capacities that are essential to success in later life.…

Increasing Poverty: How Do Leaders in One Suburban District Respond?

Science.gov (United States)

Spencer, Jennifer Dawn

2014-01-01

This dissertation addresses the question of how suburban school district leaders in one large Midwestern school district respond to increasing student poverty. The purpose of this study was to determine how suburban school district leaders respond to increasing student poverty in their decision making and actions. Data for this study came from one…

Unintended costs and consequences of school closures implemented in preparation for Hurricane Isaac in Harrison County School District, Mississippi, August-September 2012.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yenlik Zheteyeva

Full Text Available School closures, while an effective measure against the spread of disease during a pandemic, may carry unintended social and economic consequences for students and families. We evaluated these costs and consequences following a 4-day school closure in Mississippi's Harrison County School District (HCSD.In a survey of all households with students enrolled in HCSD, we collected information on difficulties related to the school closure, including interruption of employment and pay, loss of access to subsidized school meals, and arrangement of alternative childcare. We analyzed this information in the context of certain demographic characteristics of the survey respondents and households, such as race, level of education, and income. We also estimated the average number of lost work days and documented the childcare alternatives chosen by households affected by the school closure.We received 2,229 (28.4% completed surveys from an estimated 7,851 households eligible to participate. About half (1,082 [48.5%] of the households experienced at least some difficulty during the closure, primarily in three areas: uncertainty about duration of the closure, lost income, and the effort of arranging alternate childcare. Adults working outside the home, particularly the major wage earner in the household, were more likely to suffer lost income while schools were closed, an effect mitigated by paid leave benefits. Difficulty arranging childcare was reported most frequently by respondents with lower levels of education and households with younger children. Beyond the top three concerns expressed by households in HCSD, the survey also shed light on the issue of food insecurity when subsidized school meals are not available. Reported by 17.9% of households participating in the subsidized school lunch program, difficulty providing meals during the closure was associated with higher numbers of dependent children, selection of "other" as the race of the household

Praises & Nudges: A Case of District-Wide Change.

Science.gov (United States)

Doyle, Richard; And Others

This paper describes the processes and outcomes experienced by the Marshalltown Community School District (Iowa) as it implemented a shared decision-making, school-improvement program. A district Shared Decision Making (SDM) Team and School Improvement Program (SIP) teams were trained to facilitate greater staff participation in the…

Federal Contributions to High-Income School Districts: The Use of Tax Deductions for Funding K-12 Education

Science.gov (United States)

Loeb, Susannna; Socias, Miguel

2004-01-01

The federal role in education finance is commonly seen as compensatory. The federal government gives large sums of money to low-income schools and school districts through programs such as Title 1. Yet, this view of federal aid is based solely on direct educational expenditures. The federal government and state governments also support schools…

AEL Continuous School Improvement Questionnaire. User Manual and Technical Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Meehan, Merrill L.; Cowley, Kimberly S.; Craig, James R.; Balow, Nancy; Childers, Robert D.

The Continuous School Improvement Questionnaire (CSIQ) developed by the AEL helps a school staff gauge its performance on six dimensions related to continuous school improvement. Each member of the staff responds to the CSIQ individually. Although results might be used at the district or regional level, the most widely intended unit for applying…

Gender Gap in Mathematics and Physics in Chinese Middle Schools: A Case Study of A Beijing's District

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Manli; Zhang, Yu; Wang, Yihan

2017-01-01

This study examines the gender gaps in mathematics and physics in Chinese middle schools. The data is from the Education Bureau management database which includes all middle school students who took high school entrance exam in a district of Beijing from 2006-2013. The ordinary least square model and quantile regression model are applied. This…

School Finance Reform: Can It Support California's College- and Career-Ready Goal? Report 2

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, Mary

2013-01-01

For decades, when California's state leaders have wanted to see local school districts respond to shifts in policy and expectations they relied on the state-controlled school finance system to leverage local change. Through the use of categorical programs and earmarked funding, they created incentives for districts that complied and penalties for…

Series Information File for the 2015 TIGER/Line Shapefile, Current Secondary School Districts Shapefile State-based Shapefile

Data.gov (United States)

US Census Bureau, Department of Commerce — School Districts are single-purpose administrative units within which local officials provide public educational services for the area's residents. The Census Bureau...

Enterobiasis in primary schools in Bang Khun Thian District, Bangkok, Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Changsap, B; Nithikathkul, C; Boontan, P; Wannapinyosheep, S; Vongvanich, N; Poister, C

2002-01-01

A study of enterobiasis and its correlation with various factors that could potentially influence the rate of infection was conducted among 3,621 primary school children (five to ten years old), drawn from sixteen schools in Bang Khun Thian District, Bangkok. Diagnosis was by the transparent tape swab technique, which was used to recover Enterobius vermicularis eggs from the perianal region. The transparent tape swabs were then placed on slides for examination by light microscopy. The average rate of infection for the group was 21.57%. No statistically significant differences were found between the male and female children. The younger children had a higher rate of infection. Subjects from schools located in industrial and metropolitan areas showed slightly higher rates of infection than those from agricultural areas. Data from the questionnaires in the study indicated that factors such as parental socio-economic status (occupational, income and education) and the children's personal hygiene contributed to the varying rates of infection.

Attitudes of Stakeholders towards Physical Punishment on Pupils of International and National Schools in Kampala District, Uganda

Science.gov (United States)

Mulinga, Damien Mbikyo

2012-01-01

This paper describes an applied research study conducted to find solutions for the problem of the use of physical punishment in schools in the Kampala District of Uganda. In this study stakeholders were requested to state their actions and feelings towards the use of physical punishment in schools. The objective of the study was to investigate…

The Effects of the Great Recession on Educational Attainment: Evidence from a Large Urban High School District

Science.gov (United States)

Mordechay, Kfir

2017-01-01

Economic crises are a recurrent phenomenon in American society, yet there is little knowledge of the impacts on educational opportunity. Using data from a large high school district as a case study, this research explores the impact of the Great Recession (2007-2009) on high school senior graduation rates in an area at the epicenter of the…

Alternative Schools and Programs for Public School Students at Risk of Educational Failure: 2007-08. First Look. NCES 2010-026

Science.gov (United States)

Carver, Priscilla Rouse; Lewis, Laurie; Tice, Peter

2010-01-01

This report provides national estimates on the availability of alternative schools and programs for students at risk of educational failure in public school districts during the 2007-08 school year. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) previously reported results from a similar survey of alternative schools and programs conducted…

School Finance Reform: A Weighted Pupil Formula for California. Report 1

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, Mary

2012-01-01

Governor Jerry Brown has called for a major overhaul of California's school finance policies. His proposal for a weighted pupil funding system would simplify the rules that govern the distribution of funds to schools and school districts, while targeting a larger share of available resources to the schools and students with the greatest needs. In…

Students' perception of school environment and life satisfaction at Sinhala-medium secondary schools in the Colombo District, Sri Lanka.

Science.gov (United States)

Nonaka, Daisuke; Gunawardena, Nalika S; Indrawansa, Susantha; Nanri, Akiko; Rajapakse, Lalini; Mizoue, Tetsuya; Samarasinghe, Diyanath

2012-11-01

The objective of this study was to examine the associations between students' perception of physical and psychosocial school environment and satisfaction with life among secondary school students in Colombo District, Sri Lanka. Data were collected from 20 Sinhala-medium secondary schools between January and February in 2010. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted with students in grade seven (n = 342) and grade ten (n = 446). Multivariate logistic regression analysis, adjusted for confounding variables, was used to assess the associations between students'satisfaction with life measured by Cantril ladders, and scores of perceived physical and psychosocial school environment that focused on school cleanliness and attractiveness, relations with teachers and peers, satisfaction with school and bullying. Students in the highest quartile of school environment score were significantly more likely to have high life satisfaction, compared to those in the lowest quartile (adjusted odds ratio 2.32; 95% confidence interval 1.35-3.99). Odds ratio of high life satisfaction increased with increasing school environment scores (p for trendenvironment were significantly more likely to have high life satisfaction. Positive changes in the focused areas of school environment have the potential to lead to improved life satisfaction of students.

District Consolidation: Rivals Coming Together

Science.gov (United States)

Mart, Dan

2011-01-01

District consolidation is a highly emotional process. One key to success is sticking to the facts. In Iowa, school districts facing financial difficulties or enrollment concerns do not have to move directly to consolidation. In many cases, districts begin by developing sharing agreements. These sharing agreements may start with simple sharing of…

"Forest Grove School District v. T.A.": The Supreme Court and Unilateral Private Placements

Science.gov (United States)

Yell, Mitchell L.; Katsiyannis, Antonis; Collins, Terri S.

2010-01-01

On June 22, 2009, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in the case "Forest Grove School District v. T.A." (hereafter "Forest Grove"). In "Forest Grove," the High Court answered the question of whether the parents of students with disabilities are entitled to reimbursement for the costs associated with placing…

Auditing the Immunization Data Quality from Routine Reports in Shangyu District, East China.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Yu; Zhang, Xinpei; Li, Qian; Chen, Yaping

2016-11-18

Objective: To evaluate the immunization data quality in Shangyu District, East China. Methods: An audit for immunization data for the year 2014 was conducted in 20 vaccination clinics of Shangyu District. The consistency of immunization data was estimated by verification factors (VFs), which was the proportion of vaccine doses reported as being administered that could be verified by written documentation at vaccination clinics. The quality of monitoring systems was evaluated using the quality index (QI). Results: The VFs of 20 vaccine doses ranged from 0.94 to 1.04 at the district level. The VFs for the 20 vaccination clinics ranged from 0.57 to 1.07. The VFs for Shangyu District was 0.98. The mean of total QI score of the 20 vaccination clinics was 80.32%. A significant correlation between the VFs of the 3rd dose of the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis combined vaccine (DTP) and QI scores was observed at the vaccination clinic level. Conclusions: Deficiencies in data consistency and immunization reporting practice in Shangyu District were observed. Targeted measures are suggested to improve the quality of the immunization reporting system in vaccination clinics with poor data consistency.

Is There a Magnet School Effect? Using Meta-Analysis to Explore Variation in Magnet School Success. CRESST Report 843

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jia; Schweig, Jonathan D.; Herman, Joan L.

2014-01-01

Magnet schools are one of the largest sectors of choice schools in the United States. In this study, we explored whether there is heterogeneity in magnet school effects on student achievement by examining the effectiveness of 24 recently funded magnet schools in 5 school districts across 4 states. We used a two-step analysis: First, separate…

The Nation's Report Card: A First Look--2013 Mathematics and Reading Trial Urban District Assessment. NCES 2014-466

Science.gov (United States)

National Center for Education Statistics, 2013

2013-01-01

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), in partnership with the National Assessment Governing Board and the Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS), created the Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) in 2002 to support the improvement of student achievement in the nation's large urban districts. The TUDA focuses attention on urban…

Prevalence of gingival diseases, malocclusion and fluorosis in school-going children of rural areas in Udaipur district

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dhar V

2007-06-01

Full Text Available High prevalence of dental diseases has been recorded in Rajasthan, however, not much work has been done to ascertain the prevalence of dental diseases in Udaipur district. This study was conducted among 1,587 government school children of Udaipur district in the age group of 5-14 years for recording the prevalence of gingival diseases, fluorosis and malocclusion. Gingivitis was found in 84.37% of children, malocclusion in 36.42% and fluorosis in 36.36%.

Districts Speak with One Voice: Clarity and Coherence Come from Professional Learning Communities

Science.gov (United States)

Many, Tom; King, Dennis

2008-01-01

How do some school districts not only attain excellence but sustain it over time in the face of remarkable challenges? Two districts--Blue Valley School District in Overland Park, Kansas, and Kildeer Countryside Community Consolidated School District 96 in Buffalo Grove, Illinois--have managed to do just that by functioning as professional…

The Importance of Being in School: A Report on Absenteeism in the Nation's Public Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Balfanz, Robert; Byrnes, Vaughan

2012-01-01

America's education system is based on the assumption that barring illness or an extraordinary event, students are in class every weekday. So strong is this assumption that it is not even measured. It is the rare state education department, school district, or principal that can tell one how many students have missed 10% or more of the school year…

Know Your School District: Tips for Parents. PACER Center ACTion Information Sheets. PHP-c112

Science.gov (United States)

PACER Center, 2006

2006-01-01

Becoming familiar with the school district will help parents become active and involved partners in their child's education. Research has demonstrated that family involvement in children's education can boost their academic success. Knowing about the following areas, which are discussed in this information sheet, can help parental involvement at…

Learning for Life: How One School District Created a Resurgence in the Love of Teaching.

Science.gov (United States)

Ball, Peter; Robertson, Brad

2000-01-01

Interest by a few principals in brain-based learning led to several workshops on best educational practices and the application of neuroscience to teaching methods. Consequently, their entire Ontario school district became energized to learn about new teaching strategies. Presents nine tips, based on the principals' experiences, for facilitating…

A Qualitative Multiple-Case Study of the Merger That Formed Twin Rivers Unified School District

Science.gov (United States)

Crowe, Christopher Hugh

2013-01-01

The history of public education in America is a history of school district mergers. Population growth and improvements in transportation and communication brought isolated communities together. Financial pressures and promises of economies of scale overcame reluctance to merger. In more recent times, federal and state legislation has provided…

Technology Integration in Third, Fourth and Fifth Grade Classrooms in a Florida School District

Science.gov (United States)

Pittman, Tiffani; Gaines, Trudi

2015-01-01

Third, fourth and fifth grade teachers have the potential to shape the way their students will begin to view and use technology. This study investigated the nature of technology usage among third, fourth and fifth grade teachers in a Florida school district as well as the relationship between the level of technology usage factors such as available…

Apples to Apples: Common School Performance Frameworks as a Tool for Choice and Accountability

Science.gov (United States)

Yatsko, Sarah; Opalka, Alice; Sutter, Jessica; Weeldreyer, Laura; Stewart, David

2016-01-01

Many districts are expanding and diversifying the school options available to parents--a trend that shows no signs of reversing. While all public schools are required to test and publically report results, it remains nearly impossible for families and education and civic leaders to make school-to-school comparisons, especially across district-run…

Grade retention risk among children with asthma and other chronic health conditions in a large urban school district.

Science.gov (United States)

Moonie, Sheniz; Cross, Chad L; Guillermo, Chrisalbeth J; Gupta, Tina

2010-09-01

Asthma accounts for 12.8 million missed school days for children nationwide. Whether this excess absenteeism contributes to poor outcomes such as grade retention is of interest. The Clark County School District in Las Vegas, NV has incorporated the Federal "No Child Left Behind Act," which states that absences per individual in excess of 10 per school year are considered unapproved and may put a child at risk for repeating a grade. The purpose of this study was to determine if children with asthma are at increased risk for absenteeism associated with grade retention. Secondary data were obtained for students in attendance for the 2006-2007 school year. Days absent were weighted for enrollment time. Frequencies were obtained using descriptive statistics, and multivariate logistic regression was used to model the odds of absenteeism > 10 days per year. Of 300 881 students, 27 299 (9.1%) reported having asthma, as determined by school health records. The population was 52% male, 37% white, and 39% Hispanic. Significant predictors of missing > 10 days per school year included ethnicity, gender, grade, and health status (P 10 school days per year compared with healthy students or those with a medical condition other than asthma (P grade point average by race, gender, and asthma status. Children with asthma have a greater risk of absenteeism associated with grade retention. Therefore, improved asthma management and tailored education is necessary to identify and eliminate asthma triggers in the home and school setting for school-aged children.

Building, Maintaining, and Ending Relationships: An Urban School District and a Technical Assistance Team. Documentation and Technical Assistance in Urban Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Holmes, Manford L.

This paper describes the nature of the relationships developed between the technical assistance team of the Documentation and Technical Assistance (DTA) Project and members of a Chicago (Illinois) school district staff with whom the DTA worked. First, the methodology with which the technical assistance work was studied is described, as is the…

The Role of District Office Leaders in the Adoption and Implementation of the Common Core State Standards in Elementary Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Durand, Francesca T.; Lawson, Hal A.; Wilcox, Kristen Campbell; Schiller, Kathryn S.

2016-01-01

Purpose: This multiple case study investigated district leaders' orientations and strategies as their elementary schools proceeded with state-mandated implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). We identified differences between schools achieving above-predicted outcomes on state CCSS assessments ("odds-beaters") and…

Rural Navajo Students in Kayenta Unified School District's Special Education Programs: The Effects of Home Location and Language.

Science.gov (United States)

Heimbecker, Connie; Bradley-Wilkinson, Evangeline; Nelson, Bernita; Smith, Jody; Whitehair, Marsha; Begay, Mary H.; Bradley, Brian; Gamble, Armanda; McCarty, Nellie; Medina, Catherine; Nelson, Jacob; Pettigrew, Bobbie; Sealander, Karen; Snyder, Maria; White, Sherri; Redsteer, Denise; Prater, Greg

In Kayenta Unified School District (KUSD) on the Navajo Reservation, 92 percent of students come from homes where Navajo is the primary language, but many students entering school are not fluent in either English or Navajo. A survey of 23 educators examined the effects of language and culture on the likelihood that a student would be placed in…

The Effect of High School Shootings on Schools and Student Performance

OpenAIRE

Louis-Philippe Beland; Dongwoo Kim

2015-01-01

We analyze how fatal shootings in high schools affect schools and students using data from shooting databases, school report cards, and the Common Core of Data. We examine schools’ test scores, enrollment, and number of teachers, as well as graduation, attendance, and suspension rates at schools that experienced a shooting, employing a difference-in-differences strategy that uses other high schools in the same district as the comparison group. Our findings suggest that homicidal shootings s...

Prevalence and factors related to smoking among secondary school students in Kota Tinggi District, Johor, Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, K H; Amal, N M; Hanjeet, K; Mashod, M Y; Wan Rozita, W M; Sumarni, M G; Hadzrik, N O

2006-06-01

Smoking among adolescent is a public health concern in Malaysia. Multiple studies on smoking prevalence and its related factors have been conducted in Malaysia, however, they were specific to either urban or rural areas alone. Studies in mixed settlement areas (urban, rural, land development area) had not been intensively investigated. This study reports the prevalence, demographic and factors related to smoking amongst form four students in the district of Kota Tinggi, Johor. A cross-sectional study of 16-year old secondary school students in Kota Tinggi district was conducted using two-stage stratified, proportionate sampling in July 2005. The study instrument used was a validated structured questionnaire on smoking and its related factors. Smoking prevalence was found to be 29.7%. More than 50% of male students were smokers. Prevalence was highest in FELDA (Federal Land Development Authority) settlement areas. Smoking was associated with having a brother or friend who smokes and poor academic performance. The study revealed that smoking prevalence was high, especially among male students in land development schemes. This situation will contribute to high smoking-related health problems in the future if proper preventive measures are not taken accordingly.

Geographic disparities in state and district policies targeting youth obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Taber, Daniel R; Chriqui, Jamie F; Chaloupka, Frank J

2011-10-01

States and school districts nationwide have enacted policies targeting youth obesity, but many policies lack specific requirements or enforcement language. Geographic disparities in youth obesity could worsen if policies are weaker in areas with higher obesity prevalence. To determine if state or district policy strength varies with youth obesity prevalence across Census divisions. Policies in five domains related to nutrition and physical activity in schools were obtained from all states and nationally representative samples of 578 and 592 public school districts in the 2006-2007 and 2008-2009 school years, respectively. Policy language strength was rated on a 0-100 scale on both the state and district level. Regression models were used to determine if mean 2006-2007 strength scores, and changes in mean scores from 2006-2007 to 2008-2009, were associated with youth obesity prevalence across Census divisions. Analyses were conducted in 2010. State and district policies governing foods sold outside of school meal programs ("competitive foods") were stronger in 2006-2007 in the two divisions with the highest youth obesity prevalence (East South Central, West South Central). Furthermore, mean competitive food policy strength increased the most from 2006-2007 to 2008-2009 in these divisions. The West South Central had the weakest district physical education policies in 2006-2007, however, and was the only division in which average strength of district school meal policies decreased. State and districts in Census divisions with the highest youth obesity prevalence are taking steps to restrict competitive foods in schools, but many have not targeted other policy domains as aggressively. Copyright © 2011 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessing the State of Servant Leadership, Teacher Morale, and Student Academic Performance Outcomes in a Florida Elementary School District

Science.gov (United States)

EL-Amin, Abdul

2013-01-01

This descriptive research study was conducted to determine the state of perceived teacher morale and student academic performance as measured by fourth-grade reading and math scores among four elementary schools defined by the servant leadership score of each principal in this Florida elementary school district. While related research from other…

Intra-District Disparities in Primary Education: A Case Study of Bankura District, West Bengal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krishnendu Maji

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The level of education and its response to different educational opportunities vary from one spatial unit to another depending on various factors like social, economic, cultural, and institutional. It is understood that certain regions acquire relative advancements over others in terms of human resource development and human capital formation. The key purpose of this research is to examine the intra-district disparities in primary education in Bankura District one of the districts of West Bengal. It ranks 11thamong the 19 districts of West Bengal (Human Development Report, 2007.  Overall literacy rate of the district stands at 70.26% but the district scores low in terms of female literacy rates, which is 60.05%,whereas the male literacy rate is 80.05%, which is a huge gender literacy gap of 20%. There are also regional inequalities existing at block level. Kotulpur ranks first with a literacy rate of 78.01% while Saltora occupies the bottom position with literacy rate of just 61.45% (Census of India, 2011. The level of educational development is dependent on several factors—enrolment ratio, dropout and repetition rates, pupil-teacher ratio, habitations covered by educational institutions, space-student ratio, drinking water and sanitation facilities in school, etc. In this context, the present study aims at examining the issues of intra-district disparities in educational attainment with regard to various educational amenities of Bankura district, West Bengal. Ten attributes have been selected to examine the level of development in primary education. It is clear from the study that the level of development in eastern part of the district is relatively better in comparison to other regions. Economic backwardness and physical bottlenecks continue to be major issues in western blocks.

Women of Color School Leaders: Leadership Schools Should Not Ignore

Science.gov (United States)

Haar, Jean M.; Robicheau, Jerry W.

2009-01-01

School districts are faced with challenges resulting from the changing demographics of the student population. Consequently, school districts are creating positive, multicultural learning environments. School districts intent on establishing multicultural learning environments should consider the contributions people of color, specifically women…

Tourette's syndrome in a special education population: a pilot study involving a single school district.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurlan, R; Whitmore, D; Irvine, C; McDermott, M P; Como, P G

1994-04-01

To determine whether children requiring special education represent a high-risk group for identifying Tourette's syndrome (TS), we performed direct examinations for the presence of tics in 35 special education and 35 regular classroom students from a single school district. Of the special education students, nine (26%) had definite or probable tics as compared with only two (6%) of the regular classroom students. About one-third of the students with tics currently meet diagnostic criteria for TS and probably more will do so in the future. About one-half of the subjects with tics have evidence of obsessive-compulsive behavior (OCB) or an attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). For three randomly selected students with definite tics, direct examinations of first-degree relatives revealed the presence of tics in all families. Subjects to the limitations of this pilot study, we conclude that TS and related tic disorders are commonly associated with the need for special education in this single school district. TS might also be an important contributor to school problems in the childhood population at large and may be a highly prevalent condition. In addition, we conclude that childhood tics are associated with OCB and ADHD, are genetically determined, and are part of the TS clinical spectrum.

District Governance and Student Learning in Indonesia

OpenAIRE

Pradhan, Menno; de Ree, Joppe

2014-01-01

We document the likely importance of district governance and teacher management policies in relation to student learning in Indonesian primary schools. As the responsibility to deliver primary education has been decentralized to district governments, we expect district specific variations in teacher management policies. Consequently, we also expect variations in learning trajectories across districts. We document substantial heterogeneity in learning gains across districts. Furthermore, we sh...

Metacognitive Ability Relationship with Test Result of Senior High School of Biology Teacher Competence in Sijunjung District

Science.gov (United States)

Ardi, A.; Fadilah, M.; Ichsani, W.

2018-04-01

This research aimed to reveal how the relationship between metacognitive ability and the test result of biology teacher competence in Sijunjung District. The population of this descriptive research were all high school biology teachers in Sijunjung District, and sample is all teachers who are members of the population, which is 23 biology teachers. The instrument used in this research are a questionnaire of research on teacher's metacognitive ability and document about teacher competence test result. The questionnaire was validated first by two lecturers of biology and one lecturer of English. Data analysis using Pearson Product Moment's. Based on the results of research and discussion that have been described, it can generally be concluded that there is a low relationship between metacognitive ability with competence test results of high school biology teachers in Sijunjung District. Partially, the relationship of metacognitive ability with the test result of professional competence of biology teacher showed significant result, with correlation coefficient 0,46 and t table 1,72 while titung 2,37. The contribution of metacognitive ability to the competence test result of the teacher is 21.6%, while the other 78.4% have not been revealed in this research.

Winning Public Support of a Desegregated School System. Title III ESEA Progress Report, School District 151 (South Holland, Illinois).

Science.gov (United States)

South Holland School District 151, IL.

Thirteen objectives of the program and analyses of each in terms of procedure, evaluation, the status of procedure, and status of the evaluation are listed in this report. The objectives are: the establishment of a community relations program to promote two-way communication between school board, administration, teachers, students, and parents;…

Building a Grad Nation: Progress and Challenge in Ending the High School Dropout Epidemic

Science.gov (United States)

Balfanz, Robert; Bridgeland, John M.; Moore, Laura A.; Fox, Joanna Hornig

2010-01-01

The central message of this report is that some states and school districts are raising their high school graduation rates with scalable solutions in the public schools, showing the nation they can end the high school dropout crisis. America made progress not only in suburbs and towns, but also in urban districts and in states across the South.…