District Administration - March 2007 - (Page 81)

Warning : session_start : The session id contains invalid characters, valid characters are only a-z, A-Z and 0-9 in /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php on line 9 Warning : session_start : Cannot send session cache limiter - headers already sent output started at /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php:9 in /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php on line 9 Warning : Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by output started at /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php:9 in /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php on line 10 taf f Development In addition to developing extensive science programs, states must also ensure that every core subject classroom teacher is “highly qualiﬁed.” According to the NSTA, this means that a teacher must be certiﬁed or licensed, hold a bachelor's degree, and have demonstrated competencies in his or her teaching area. But professional development could be one of the largest challenges in meeting NCLB Public School requirements, and in Danbury, Jensen-Ruopp notes that the obstacles are numerous, from revamping university requirements for teachers to ﬁ nding funds for teachers to learn how to use science materials effectively. “In the past, districts that adopted new science materials might have had a person come in from the outside and do a quick general session before leaving teachers to ﬁgure out the rest for themselves,” Young says. “But now we're entering the era of “no teacher left behind” when it comes to science. If you want high quality teachers, you have to put equal resources into that as you do into curriculum.” State assessments also put more pressure on individual teachers, prompting more professional development. Chris Comer, director of science for the Texas Education Agency, notes that the state used to assess high school science students as part of an overall graduation test but is now going to end-of-course testing instead. “At the high school level, we’ll be able to get scores for students taking subjects like chemistry and physics, which will give us a better idea of their mastery of those areas,” says Comer. “Another result is that S for the ﬁrst time, we’ll have a score of a particular teacher. So we can see where progress is being made, and where it’s not.” DA Elizabeth Millard is a freelance writer based in St. Louis Park, Minn. www.DistrictAdministration.com Seton2008 1 Sci.indd 4 A Fast Track to a Traditional Ed.D. Seton Hall University’s nationally recognized, accelerated doctoral program will allow you to complete your studies in just 10 weekends and two, four-week sessions over two years. In fact, more than 175 K-12 administrators in 25 states have already successfully earned t h e i r degrees and achieved career advancement. “Seton Hall’s executive doctoral program was ideally designed to ensure that I could complete my degree in just two years.” C. Lauren Schoen, Ed.D. ’06 Superintendent Rochelle Park, NJ N ow accepting applications Now accepting applications for the April 2008 cohort for the April 2007 cohort. Loans are available to cover the entire cost of the program regardless of financial need. 400 South Orange Ave. • South Orange, NJ 07079 www.shu.edu C o l l e g e of Education and Human Services 1-800-313-9833 F o r more information e-mail execedd@shu.edu o r go to education.shu.edu/execedd o Cell Fees No Monthly Dues Great R.O.I. N March 2007 81 2/12/07 11:11:56 AM 2/13/07 11:30:30 AM Warning : Unknown : The session id contains invalid characters, valid characters are only a-z, A-Z and 0-9 in Unknown on line 0 Warning : Unknown : Failed to write session data files . Please verify that the current setting of session.save_path is correct /var/lib/php/session in Unknown on line 0 http://www.shu.edu http://www.shu.edu http://education.shu.edu/execedd http://www.icomamerica.com http://www.icomamerica.com http://www.DistrictAdministration.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - March 2007

Contents
Editor's Letter
Update
Inside the Law
Curriculum Update
District Profile
Administrator Profile
Friday Night Fever
Creating an Effective Virtual School Program
Hunting for Talent
Multimedia Man
Do These Web Sites Work?
Finding Funds for Student Laptops
Curriculum Crassifieds
Gearing Up for Science Assessments
New Products
Computer Literature
Speaking Out
Principal Opinion
The Online Edge
Calendar of Events
Problem/Solution
Research Corner

District Administration - March 2007