District Administration - June 2006 - (Page 82)

SAFETY & SECURITY which set up these blocked sites Internet Use, disagrees, saying districts even when they are not in class and might have other agendas. No one should be concerned with safe and not on school grounds. is watching the blockers, she adds. responsible use issues. The degree Some companies offer their own And we don't know what they're of reliance districts place on filtering blacklist of no-no Web sites to blocking, such as sites that could systems to seek to control Internet use ensure students are sticking to educa- help students answer questions they is unacceptable, says Willard, also t ion when using the laptops off school have about a sensitive topic. author of Cyberbullying and Cyber- grounds, and even keep track of tech- But it's not only students getting threats: Responding to the Challenge of sav v y and tireless students that try all the attention. Teachers and staff Online Social Cruelty, Threats and Dis- to override the system and change are getting their own share of fi xa- tress. Students can easily bypass these grades, for example. Other compa- t ion from software programs. Having systems to access social networking n ies have a system that can track if potential pornographic Web sites sites. Students generally are provided a laptop is stolen or lost and even downloaded on laptops or opening with e-mail capabilities and may be remotely eliminate sensitive informa- viruses at home, teachers can bring misusing the e-mail for cyberbullying. t ion on the laptop. that into the school's network when Filtering systems are ineffective in So, this sounds a lot like Big they come back to school. And more addressing these concerns. Brother once again. It is, admits districts will spend the money now to But she notes that she doesn't Lightspeed CEO Joel Heinrichs. avoid or stop it. think these programs can never be Schools are in charge of children effective. We need significantly in lieu of the parents while they are greater emphasis on professional and gone. There's an obligation that school Big Bro Goes Off Campus Ca l ifor n ia is a big state. No one curriculum development and signifi- resources are being used appropri- knows that better than Philip Scriv- ca nt ly improved methods for Internet ately. And to protect children from a no, who at one time traveled around use management to ensure that they outside dangers and themselves. the state to repair and fi x computer are effective. But Nancy Willard, executive direc- and laptop programs when they were Wi l la rd adds that companies tor of Center for Safe and Responsible compromised. Scrivano, IT analyst for California's Fiscal Crisis & Man- agement Assistance Team, says that MEASURE THEIR SUCCESS changed when they installed Light- speed Systems' Total Traffic Control BEFORE THEY ACHIEVE IT. v6.0 with a security agent, or desktop content fi lter, just a few months ago. FCAT's mission is to help the state's local educational agencies with fi s- ca l advice, management assistance, training and other related school business services. Scrivano is based Accurately projecting your students' growth is in the Kern County Superintendent of now easy and reliable with Pearson PASeriesTM . Built from the ground up to be scientifically valid, Schools office under contract with the reliable and research-based, PASeries Progress state Department of Education and Assessment SeriesTM formative assessments the governor's office. for reading, mathematics, algebra I and writing Scrivano's job is to keep track of measure student progress throughout the employees' computer work in the school year. Using trusted scientific Lexile http://PearsonPASeries.com/webinar http://PearsonPASeries.com/webinar http://PearsonPASeries.com/webinar

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - June 2006

Contents
Editor's Letter
Update
Inside the Law
Curriculum Update
Administrator Profile
District Profile
Graduation Woes
The Hidden Downside of Wireless Networking
Cover Story: John Q. Porter: Leader/Pioneer/Secret Shopper
8th Grade Algebra: Finding a Formula for Success
Building a Strong Community Partnership
Join the A/V Club
Big Brother Gets Bolder
Security Trends
The Online Edge
Speaking Out
Problem/Solution
Research Corner
Research Corner
Computer Literature
New Products
By the Numbers

District Administration - June 2006