District Administration - September 2007 - (Page 14)

BRIEFINGS NewsUpdate Corzine Pushes for Internet Safety NEW JERSEY’S GOV. CORZINE IS taking action amidst a technology climate in which there is as much concern over the dangers of the Internet as there is appreciation for its beneﬁts. He wants K12 teachers and administrators trained in Web safety, and he’s asked Attorney General Anne Milgram and Education Commissioner Lucille Davy to begin the training this year in all New Jersey schools. “Too many unfortunate opportunities exist for adults to exploit children through the use of the Internet or for children to otherwise experience dangerous situations as a result of the doors that technology has opened,” Corzine wrote in a letter recently released by his oﬃce. He cited a 2006 study from the National Gov. Corzine Center for Missing and Exploited Children ﬁnding that 71 percent of teenagers had received messages online from a stranger, and 14 percent of respondents ages 13 to 17 had had a face-to-face meeting with a person they had met online. Corzine recognized the existing eﬀorts of the departments of Law and Public Safety and Education to train local and county law enforcement oﬃcers in Internet safety, but urged for broadening the work to train teachers and administrators, who in turn would train “students, parents, other teachers and community groups thereby casting a wide net of individuals who will help protect our children,” Corzine said. The New Jersey Education Association, which represents 200,000 school staﬀ members, lauded Corzine’s plan and vows to help implement it. District Administration New Resource for Healthier School Foods MAKING IT HAPPEN!, A BOOKLET PUBLISHED IN 2005 THAT DESCRIBES innovative approaches to improving student nutrition in the United States, is now available online in a searchable version. It documents the bold steps many schools and school districts are taking to increase the availability of healthy foods for K12 students. The site also details six diﬀerent approaches that school districts can use to improve the nutritional content of foods served to students, such as limiting access to competitive foods and adopting marketing techniques. The publication and new Web site is a joint project of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Education and the CDC Division of Adolescent and School Health, among others. HEALTHY STRATEGIES Here are some other approaches from Making It Happen! to improve student nutrition in your district: Establish nutrition standards for competitive foods. Nutrition standards are often incorporated into the policies of a state agency, school district, or school. They can be mandatory or voluntary. Inﬂuence food and beverage contracts. You can cancel contracts, not sign contracts, not renew contracts, or negotiate contracts that encourage healthy eating. Use fundraising activities and awards. You can sell nutritious foods and beverages or sell non-food items such as wrapping paper, candles or student artwork. You can access the publication directly at www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/mih. 21st Century Skills Resources Now Available On netTrekker THINKRONIZE, THE LEADING developer of Web-based K12 educational products, recently announced the addition of a 21st Century Skills Channel to netTrekker d.i., their awardwinning educational search engine. The new channel, available now on the site, provides educators and students with three pathways for diﬀerent kinds of elements that support 21st century skills: Life Skills, which focuses on character traits; Learning and Innovation, which focuses on creativity, collaboration and critical thinking; and ICT Literacy. For more information about netTrekker d.i., visit www.netTrekker.com. District Administration will also feature an in-depth look at the changing landscape of 21st century ICT literacies in our October issue. FAST FACT By 2012, seven out of every 10 public high school students will have to take an exit exam to graduate. Source: The Center on Education Policy 14 September 2007 http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/mih http://www.netTrekker.com

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

Cover
Contents
Editor’s Letter
Letters
News Update
Curriculum Update
Inside the Law
District Profile
Administrator Profile
District Buying Power 2007
X-Factor Student Achievement Awards 2007
We've Got Mail
Supporting New Teachers
How Well Does This Web Site Work?
New Products
Problem Solution
Computer Literature
Research Corner
Online Edge
Supervisor’s Opinion
Speaking Out
Calendar of Events
Understanding the Times

District Administration - September 2007