District Administration - May 2010 - (Page 27)

facilitated more than a dozen four-hour forums for almost 500 of their Mission Hill peers, as well as annual forums at two nearby middle schools. “ e kids are trained to say, ‘What are we going to do about this?’ and to realize that one person can make a diﬀerence,” says Baker. “We’ve had kids with troubled pasts who were the bullies in middle school and have taken ownership and admitted that they were wrong,” says Baker. “ is awareness of the impact that their actions have had on others is huge.” PLUS has also evolved from being an after-school club at Mission Hill High School to an in-school class, and its members have organized awareness-raising lunchtime activities, including drug and suicide awareness days. “Kids will listen to other kids way easier and faster than to an adult,” observes Baker, who adds that PLUS fulﬁlls an outreach mission that the school’s counseling staﬀ would otherwise be unable to accomplish. “We’re short staﬀed, and our case load was very large. And our greatest resource right here is the kids. ey know what they need.” “When you include kids in the process, it gives them ownership and responsibility,” adds Nelson Beaudoin, a former high school principal in Maine and the author of Elevating Student Voice: How to Enhance Participation, Leadership and Citizenship. The New Parent Conference At other school districts, students have taken on the responsibility for running the traditional parent-teacher conference, an approach that developed around the country during the mid 1990s and has continued to gain in popularity. Twice a year in the Francis Howell School District in St. Charles, Mo., all middle school students take charge of parent conferences by presenting highlights of their work in various subjects, suggesting ways that they could improve, and outlining action steps to that end. “It’s all about the students, so why leave them out?” says Sue Hartman, the principal at the Mary www.DistrictAdministration.com CareerCruising World Class Assessments Intuitive Career Exploration Comprehensive Education Planning The Complete Guidance System Innovative Employment Guide & Job Search Engaging Career Portfolio Development Powerful Administrative Reporting Available in Spanish Our Course Planner add-on module encourages career-focused course selections and simplifies scheduling with SIS integration. Contact us to learn more at 1-800-965-8541 | www.careercruising.com e! er Th Be REGISTER NOW and join us in Denver! 1:1 LEARNING UPDATE Mobile Learning Programs in K-12 Schools Today Join the discussion on one of the hottest topics in K12 education. Sponsored by District Administration, this session features practical implementation insights and proven strategies for success. Tuesday, June 29, 2010, 2:00-3:00PM ISTE6th horizMAY.indd 1 May 4/14/1027 2010 9:42:40 AM http://www.careercruising.com http://www.careercruising.com http://www.DistrictAdministration.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - May 2010

District Administration - May 2010
Contents
Tech Disruptions
From the Editor
News Update
Technology
Conversations
District Profile
Administrator Profile
Problem Solution
Power to the Students!
Lone Star
Racing for Reform
Department of Education Revives Civil Rights Office
New Products
Product Focus
Crisis Response
Supervisor’s Opinion
Professional Opinion

District Administration - May 2010