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Item(s) found: 777
Hearing on “How Emerging Technology Affects Student Privacy"
Date CapturedMonday February 16 2015, 12:24 PM
United States House of Representatives 114th Congress, 1st Session; Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education Hearing on “How Emerging Technology Affects Student Privacy" February 12, 2015 Statement of Joel R. Reidenberg Stanley D. and Nikki Waxberg Chair and Professor of Law Founding Academic Director, Center on Law and Information Policy Fordham University New York, NY Good morning Chairman Rokita, Ranking Member Fudge and distinguished
“How Data Mining Threatens Student Privacy"
Date CapturedThursday June 26 2014, 10:19 AM
1 United States House of Representatives 113th Congress, 2nd Session Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection and Security Technologies and Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education Hearing on “How Data Mining Threatens Student Privacy" June 25, 2014 Statement of Joel R. Reidenberg Stanley D. and Nikki Waxberg Chair and Professor of Law Founding Academic Director, Center on Law and Information Policy Fordham University New York, NY
“How Data Mining Threatens Student Privacy”
Date CapturedThursday June 26 2014, 7:49 AM
Prepared Statement of Mark MacCarthy Vice President, Public Policy Software & Information Industry Association Before the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Of the Committee on Education and the Workforce And the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies Of the Committee on Homeland Security United States House of Representatives On “How Data Mining Threatens Student Privacy” June 25, 2014
FTC's Brill Excludes Google, Facebook From Data Broker Push
Date CapturedFriday April 11 2014, 1:10 PM
March 14, 2014 Keynote address at a symposium on the “Internet of Things” held by the Center on Law and Information Policy at Fordham Law School
Children’s Databases Safety and Privacy A Report for the Information Commissioner Foundation for Information Policy Research
Date CapturedWednesday March 19 2014, 4:42 PM
The specific background to the project is the establishment recently of databases relating to children across social services, education, crime and health.
INFORMATION POLICY WATCH - EMERGING TRENDS & THREATS
Date CapturedFriday January 25 2013, 9:13 AM
JANUARY 2013
PRIVACY ON THE GO: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE MOBILE ECOSYSTEM
Date CapturedSaturday January 12 2013, 7:18 AM
Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General; California Department of Justice. Privacy on the Go recommends a “surprise minimization” approach. This approach means supplementing the general privacy policy with enhanced measures to alert users and give them control over data practices that are not related to an app’s basic functionality or that involve sensitive information
DECEMBER 2011 – REVISED FERPA REGULATIONS: AN OVERVIEW FOR PARENTS AND STUDENTS
Date CapturedMonday November 12 2012, 11:00 AM
It is important for schools to have directory information policies, as schools may not do even mundane activities (such as publishing yearbooks or creating graduation programs) without having designated the items about the students contained in the publications as directory information. For example, without a directory information policy, FERPA would require schools to obtain consent for every student every time it wants to publish a yearbook. However, many schools have been forgoing designations of directory information, as they have concluded that such designations would put students at risk of becoming targets of marketing campaigns, the media, or even victims of criminal acts
CLIP
Date CapturedMonday February 13 2012, 4:03 PM
The Center on Law and Information Policy at Fordham Law School
FTC CONSUMER ALERT: Protecting Your Child's Personal Information at School
Date CapturedFriday September 02 2011, 6:10 PM
[Ask your child's school about its directory information policy. Student directory information can include your child's name, address, date of birth, telephone number, email address, and photo. FERPA requires schools to notify parents and guardians about their school directory policy, and give you the right to opt-out of the release of directory information to third parties. It's best to put your request in writing and keep a copy for your files. If you don't opt-out, directory information may be available not only to the people in your child's class and school, but also to the general public.]
Social Media: Federal Agencies Need Policies and Procedures for Managing and Protecting Information They Access and Disseminate
Date CapturedThursday July 28 2011, 6:51 PM
Federal agencies increasingly use recently developed Internet technologies that allow individuals or groups to create, organize, comment on, and share online content. The use of these social media services-- including popular Web sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube-- has been endorsed by President Obama and provides opportunities for agencies to more readily share information with and solicit feedback from the public. However, these services may also pose risks to the adequate protection of both personal and government information. GAO was asked to (1) describe how federal agencies are currently using commercially provided social media services and (2) determine the extent to which agencies have developed and implemented policies and procedures for managing and protecting information associated with this use. To do this, GAO examined the headquarters-level Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, and YouTube channels of 24 major federal agencies; reviewed pertinent policies, procedures, and guidance; and interviewed officials involved in agency use of social media. Agency: Department of Education; Records management: Document processes and policies and record-keeping roles and responsibilities for how social media records are identified and managed: Did not develop policies and procedures for use of social media services; Privacy protection: Update privacy policy to discuss use of PII made available through social media: Did not develop policies and procedures for use of social media services; Privacy protection: Conduct privacy impact assessment for social media use: Developed policies and procedures that guided use of some but not all services; Security risk management: Identify security risks associated with agency use of social media and security controls to mitigate risks: Did not develop policies and procedures for use of social media services. ***** Appendix IX: Comments from the Department of Education:
Balancing Student Privacy and School Safety: A Guide to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act for Elementary and Secondary Schools
Date CapturedMonday July 25 2011, 1:51 PM
Many school districts employ security staff to monitor safety and security in and around schools. Some schools employ off-duty police officers as school security officers, while others designate a particular school official to be responsible for referring potential or alleged violations of law to local police authorities. Under FERPA, investigative reports and other records created and maintained by these "law enforcement units" are not considered "education records" subject to FERPA. Accordingly, schools may disclose information from law enforcement unit records to anyone, including outside law enforcement authorities, without parental consent. See 34 CFR § 99.8. While a school has flexibility in deciding how to carry out safety functions, it must also indicate to parents in its school policy or information provided to parents which office or school official serves as the school's "law enforcement unit." (The school's notification to parents of their rights under FERPA can include this designation. As an example, the U.S. Department of Education has posted a model notification on the Web at: http://www.ed.gov /policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/lea-officials.html.) Law enforcement unit officials who are employed by the school should be designated in its FERPA notification as "school officials" with a "legitimate educational interest." As such, they may be given access to personally identifiable information from students' education records. The school's law enforcement unit officials must protect the privacy of education records it receives and may disclose them only in compliance with FERPA. For that reason, it is advisable that law enforcement unit records be maintained separately from education records.
Education New York comments re Student Privacy submitted to FERPA NPRM - May 23, 2011
Date CapturedMonday May 23 2011, 9:22 PM
Document ID: ED-2011-OM-0002-0001: Family Educational Rights and Privacy. The proposed changes to FERPA do not adequately address the capacity of marketers and other commercial enterprises to capture, use, and re-sell student information. Even with privacy controls in place, it is also far too easy for individuals to get a hold of student information and use it for illegal purposes, including identity theft, child abduction in custody battles, and domestic violence. Few parents are aware, for example, that anyone can request -- and receive -- a student directory from a school. Data and information breaches occur every day in Pre-K-20 schools across the country, so that protecting student privacy has become a matter of plugging holes in a dyke rather than advancing a comprehensive policy that makes student privacy protection the priority.
United States House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor Hearing on “How Data Can be Used to Inform Educational Outcomes” April 14, 2010
Date CapturedMonday March 14 2011, 7:36 PM
1. States are warehousing sensitive information about identifiable children. 2. The Fordham CLIP study documents that privacy protections are lacking and rules need to be developed and implemented to assure that children’s educational records are adequately protected. 3. As part of basic privacy standards, strong data security is necessary to minimize the risks of data invasions, scandals and melt-downs from centralized databases of children’s personal information. Statement of Joel R. Reidenberg, Professor of Law and Founding Academic Director Center on Law and Information Policy, Fordham University School of Law New York, NY
Kindergarten Through 12 Grade Schools’ Collection and Use of Social Security Numbers (A-08-10-11057)
Date CapturedThursday December 23 2010, 9:53 AM
OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION - Despite the potential risks associated with using SSNs as primary student identifiers, many K-12 schools continue this practice. While we recognize that SSA cannot prohibit States or K-12 schools from collecting and using SSNs as student identifiers or for other purposes, we believe SSA can help reduce the threat of identity theft and SSN misuse by encouraging States and K-12 schools to reduce unnecessary collection of SSNs and improve protections and safeguards when collected.
Internet Privacy - this house believes that governments must do far more to protect online privacy.
Date CapturedWednesday August 25 2010, 7:53 PM
Marc Rotenberg Marc Rotenberg President and executive director, Electronic Privacy Information Center [Today there is no meaningful check on private-sector data collection. Companies post "privacy policies" on websites and then do as they wish with the personal information they collect.] THE ECONOMIST - Jim Harper -- Director of information policy studies, Cato Institute: [The internet is not for couch potatoes. It is an interactive medium. While internet users enjoy its offerings, they should be obligated to participate in watching out for themselves.]
How Unique Is Your Web Browser?
Date CapturedTuesday May 18 2010, 1:32 PM
Peter Eckersley? Electronic Frontier Foundation, pde@eff.org/ -- [Conclusions -- We implemented and tested one particular browser ?ngerprinting method. It appeared, in general, to be very e?ective, though as noted in Section 3.1 there are many measurements that could be added to strengthn it. Browser ?ngerprinting is a powerful technique, and ?ngerprints must be con- sidered alongside cookies, IP addresses and supercookies when we discuss web privacy and user trackability. Although ?ngerprints turn out not to be particu- larly stable, browsers reveal so much version and con?guration information that they remain overwhelmingly trackable. There are implications both for privacy policy and technical design. Policymakers should start treating ?ngerprintable records as potentially per- sonally identi?able, and set limits on the durations for which they can be asso- ciated with identities and sensitive logs like clickstreams and search terms. The Tor pro ject is noteworthy for already considering and designing against ?ngerprintability. Other software that purports to protect web surfers’ privacy should do likewise, and we hope that the test site at panopticlick.eff.org may prove useful for this purpose. Browser developers should also consider what they can do to reduce ?ngerprintability, particularly at the JavaScript API level. We identi?ed only three groups of browser with comparatively good resis- tance to ?ngerprinting: those that block JavaScript, those that use TorButton, and certain types of smartphone. It is possible that other such categories exist in our data. Cloned machines behind ?rewalls are fairly resistant to our algo- rithm, but would not be resistant to ?ngerprints that measure clock skew or other hardware characteristics. ]
FACEBOOK privacy policy link:
Date CapturedMonday April 26 2010, 8:32 PM
Facebook’s Privacy Policy. This policy contains eight sections: 1. Introduction; 2. Information We Receive; 3. Information You Share With Third Parties; 4. Sharing Information on Facebook; 5. How We Use Your Information; 6. How We Share Information; 7. How You Can View, Change, or Remove Information; 8. How We Protect Information; 9. Other Terms.
FACEBOOK privacy policy link:
Date CapturedMonday April 26 2010, 8:32 PM
Facebook’s Privacy Policy. This policy contains eight sections: 1. Introduction; 2. Information We Receive; 3. Information You Share With Third Parties; 4. Sharing Information on Facebook; 5. How We Use Your Information; 6. How We Share Information; 7. How You Can View, Change, or Remove Information; 8. How We Protect Information; 9. Other Terms.
Education and Workforce Data Connections: A Primer on States’ Status
Date CapturedWednesday April 14 2010, 6:16 PM
Data Quality Campaign - [States are currently working to connect education and workforce data, however, states are far from reaching the goal of having data systems that can link across the P-20/Workforce spectrum. To connect these education and workforce databases, states should engage a broad range of stakeholders to: 1. Prioritize, through broad-based stakeholder input, the critical policy questions to drive the development and use of longitudinal data systems. 2. Ensure data systems are interoperable within and across agencies and states by adopting or developing common data standards, definitions and language. 3. Protect personally identifiable information through governance policies and practices that promote the security of the information while allowing appropriate data access and sharing.]
Review: Federal program used to hide flights from public
Date CapturedTuesday April 13 2010, 8:22 PM
USA Today -- By Michael Grabell and Sebastian Jones, ProPublica - [Use of the airspace is considered public information because taxpayers fund air-traffic controllers, radars and runways. "It belongs to all of us," said Chuck Collins, who has studied private jet travel at the Institute for Policy Studies, a progressive think tank. "It's not a private preserve." NBAA spokesman Dan Hubbard said privacy is important to business fliers because competitors can learn of potential deals by tracking planes, and that could affect stock prices. "There are certain circumstances where there is a security concern," he said. In 2000, Congress required websites to stop posting flights of certain planes at the FAA's request. The FAA later agreed to let the aviation group be the clearinghouse. FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said the agency lacks resources to evaluate whether requests to keep flights secret are justified, so the agency lets the NBAA decide each month the flights kept from public view.]
Delta College trustees won't add more student information to campus directory
Date CapturedThursday March 18 2010, 1:34 PM
By Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times - [Currently, information on Delta College students that is readily available, unless they have opted out, includes their name, degree, address, awards, dates attended, program, participation in activities, enrollment, e-mail and weight and height for members of athletic teams. Higgs argued that the college should have more items on file, including a student photo, whether or not that student is full or part time and a phone number. "That's what the courts look to," said Higgs. "Our policy doesn't have those things and it should." Other board members disagreed, saying that more data collecting isn't required and isn't worth the time. They voted against the plan 8-1.]
Groups Urge California PUC to Adopt Rules to Protect Consumer Privacy
Date CapturedSunday March 14 2010, 8:54 PM
infozine reports [San Francisco, CA - infoZine - Privacy advocates are warning that "smart meters" intended to precisely measure and control home electrical consumption could erode the privacy of daily life unless regulators limit data collection and disclosure. In a joint filing yesterday, the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) urged the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to adopt rules to protect the privacy and security of consumers' energy-usage information. The Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic at UC Berkeley School of Law drafted the comments for CDT. Smart meters being installed now in California will collect 750 to 3,000 data points a month per household. This detailed energy usage data can indicate whether someone is at home or out, entertaining guests, or using particular appliances. Marketers and others may seek such data. To head off misuse of the information, CDT and EFF urged the California PUC to adopt comprehensive privacy standards for the collection, retention, use and disclosure of consumers' household energy data. ]
Refocusing the FTC’s Role in Privacy Protection
Date CapturedTuesday November 10 2009, 3:33 PM
Center for Technology in Government (CDT) Policy Post 15.17, November 10, 2009. [ A Briefing On Public Policy Issues Affecting Civil Liberties Online from The Center For Democracy and Technology Refocusing the FTC’s Role in Privacy Protection 1) CDT Submits Comments in regards to the FTC Consumer Privacy Roundtable 2) The Significance of a Comprehensive Set of Fair Information Practice Principles 3) Examining FIPs at Work: Recent FTC Enforcement Actions Demonstrate a Path Forward 4) CDT Recommendations for Future FTC Action
Kids' Privacy
Date CapturedSunday November 01 2009, 9:40 PM
[Thanks to COPPA, sites have to get a parent’s permission if they want to collect or share your kids’ personal information, with only a few exceptions. That goes for information sites ask for up-front, and information your kids choose to post about themselves. Personal information includes your child’s full name, address, email address, or cell phone number. Under COPPA, sites also have to post privacy policies that give details about what kind of information they collect from kids — and what they might do with it (say, to send a weekly newsletter, direct advertising to them, or give the information to other companies). If a site plans to share the child’s information with another company, the privacy policy must say what that company will do with it. Links to the policies should be in places where they’re easy to spot. What Can You Do? Your kids’ personal information and privacy are valuable —to you, to them, and to marketers.] *****NOTE DISPARITY WITH PROTECTION PROVIDED UNDER FERPA.
South Dakota Superintendent Thinks Info Policy Will Pass Tonight
Date CapturedFriday October 30 2009, 5:37 PM
[Over the past month some parents have voiced their concerns to the school board over what they consider the selling of their children's contact information. Some say they don't want it to land in the wrong hands. Pam Homan says parents have known about the information policy for some time. "On the blue card as we call it parents have been informed of the FERPA requirement and whether or not they wish to have their child's name included or excluded from information." Revisions have been made to the proposed policy. Allowing parents more control over where the information is given. It will allow four categories that are: school publications, directory information, SD board of regents, and military recruiters.]
Plano ISD: Redefining the student directory
Date CapturedFriday October 30 2009, 10:30 AM
[If the changes are approved, Plano ISD couldn't, without consent from the parents, print a student's address, telephone number or e-mail address in any district publication. Some school districts -- and I'm not sure about Plano -- sell directory information to third parties as a money-making operation. Companies, such as Coca-Cola or Citi Bank, could buy the directories and market products to students.] NOTE: CHANGES WERE APPROVED
Americans Reject Tailored Advertising and Three Activities that Enable It
Date CapturedMonday October 05 2009, 7:01 PM
[First, federal legislation ought to require all websites to integrate the P3P protocols into their privacy policies. That will provide a web-wide computerreadable standard for websites to communicate their privacy policies automatically to people’s computers. Visitors can know immediately when they get to a site whether they feel comfortable with its information policy. An added advantage of mandating P3P is that the propositional logic that makes it work will force companies to be straightforward in presenting their positions about using data. It will greatly reduce ambiguities and obfuscations about whether and where personal information is taken. · Second, federal legislation ought to mandate data-flow disclosure for any entity that represents an organization online. The law would work this way: When an internet user begins an online encounter with a website or commercial email, that site or email should prominently notify the person of an immediately accessible place that will straightforwardly present (1) exactly what information the organization collected about that specific individual during their last encounter, if there was one; (2) whether and how that information was linked to other information; (3) specifically what other organizations, if any, received the information; and (4) what the entity expects will happen to the specific individual’s data during this new (or first) encounter. Some organizations may then choose to allow the individuals to negotiate which of forthcoming data-extraction, manipulation and sharing activities they will or won’t allow for that visit. · Third, the government should assign auditing organizations to verify through random tests that both forms of disclosure are correct—and to reveal the results at the start of each encounter. The organizations that collect the data should bear the expense of the audits. Inaccuracies should be considered deceptive practices by the Federal Trade Commission. The three proposals follow the widely recognized Federal Trade Commission goals of providing users with access, notice, choice, and security over their information. Companies will undoubtedly protest that these activities might scare people from allowing them to track information and raise the cost of maintaining databases about people online. One response is that people, not the companies, own their personal information. Another response is that perhaps consumers’ new analyses of the situation will lead them to conclude that such sharing is not often in their benefit. If that happens, it might lead companies that want to retain customers to change their information tracking-and-sharing approaches. The issues raised here about citizen understanding of privacy policies and data flow are already reaching beyond the web to the larger digital interactive world of personal video recorders (such as TiVo), cell phones, and personal digital assistants. At a time when technologies to extract and manipulate consumer information are becoming ever-more complex, citizens’ ability to control their personal information must be both more straightforward and yet more wide-ranging than previously contemplated.]Turow, Joseph, King, Jennifer, Hoofnagle, Chris Jay, Bleakley, Amy and Hennessy, Michael, Americans Reject Tailored Advertising and Three Activities that Enable It (September 29, 2009). Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1478214
The Obama Administration’s Silence on Privacy
Date CapturedWednesday June 03 2009, 7:03 PM
By Saul Hansell [Peter Swire, an Ohio State law professor who served on the Obama transition team, offered one reason it might be difficult for the administration to find its voice on privacy. There is a split, he told the conference, between the typical view of privacy among technology experts and the emerging view of people brought up in the social networking, Web 2.0 world. “The Web 2.0 movement is opposed to the privacy movement,” he said. Traditionally, privacy advocates have pushed for a policy of “data minimization,” he argued. The less information kept about people, this theory goes, the less there is for government or corporations to use to hurt individuals. The new ideology revolves around what Mr. Swire called “data empowerment.” People assemble and control information about themselves through online social networking and other sites. And access to data can create political and social movements, just as volunteers met each other and organized during the Obama presidential campaign.]
Cloud Computing Privacy Tips
Date CapturedWednesday February 25 2009, 4:11 PM
World Privacy Forum -- February 23, 2009 -- By Robert Gellman and Pam Dixon [Cloud Computing Tips for Consumers: Read the Terms of Service before placing any information in the cloud. If you don’t understand the Terms of Service, consider using a different cloud provider. Don’t put anything in the cloud you would not want the government or a private litigant to see. Pay close attention if the cloud provider reserves rights to use, disclose, or make public your information. Read the privacy policy before placing your information in the cloud. If you don’t understand the policy, consider using a different provider. When you remove your data from the cloud provider, does the cloud provider still retain rights to your information? If so, consider whether that makes a difference to you. Will the cloud provider give advance notice of any change of terms in the terms of service or privacy policy? ]
REPORT: Privacy in the Clouds: Risks to Privacy and Confidentiality from Cloud Computing
Date CapturedWednesday February 25 2009, 3:59 PM
Released February 23, 2009 - Author: Robert Gellman: [This report discusses the issue of cloud computing and outlines its implications for the privacy of personal information as well as its implications for the confidentiality of business and governmental information. The report finds that for some information and for some business users, sharing may be illegal, may be limited in some ways, or may affect the status or protections of the information shared. The report discusses how even when no laws or obligations block the ability of a user to disclose information to a cloud provider, disclosure may still not be free of consequences. The report finds that information stored by a business or an individual with a third party may have fewer or weaker privacy or other protections than information in the possession of the creator of the information. The report, in its analysis and discussion of relevant laws, finds that both government agencies and private litigants may be able to obtain information from a third party more easily than from the creator of the information. A cloud provider’s terms of service, privacy policy, and location may significantly affect a user’s privacy and confidentiality interests.] see policy recommendations in full report.
NYS Department of State Committee on Open Government
Date CapturedSaturday February 14 2009, 1:43 AM
The Committee on Open Government is responsible for overseeing and advising with regard to the Freedom of Information, Open Meetings and Personal Privacy Protection Laws (Public Officers Law, Articles 6, 7 and 6-A respectively).
Center for Digital Democracy
Date CapturedFriday February 13 2009, 1:22 PM
E P I C A l e r t - Volume 16.02 - February 10, 2009
Date CapturedThursday February 12 2009, 11:42 PM
[1] Medical Privacy Moves Forward in Congress - [2] Civil Society Launches Campaign for Privacy Convention - [3] National Academies Report Calls for New Approach to Medical -Privacy - [4] President Obama Promotes Open Government [5] Report - Google Latitude Poses Significant Privacy Risks [6] News in Brief [7] EPIC Bookstore: "The Dark Side" [8] Upcoming Conferences and Events
The Nationwide Privacy and Security Framework for Electronic Exchange of Individually Identifiable Health Information
Date CapturedThursday December 18 2008, 4:56 PM
The principles of the Nationwide Privacy and Security Framework for Electronic Exchange of Individually Identifiable Health Information below establish a single, consistent approach to address the privacy and security challenges related to electronic health information exchange through a network for all persons, regardless of the legal framework that may apply to a particular organization. The goal of this effort is to establish a policy framework for electronic health information exchange that can help guide the Nation’s adoption of health information technologies and help improve the availability of health information and health care quality. The principles have been designed to establish the roles of individuals and the responsibilities of those who hold and exchange electronic individually identifiable health information through a netwo
Washington State HB 1005 - 2009-10
Date CapturedMonday December 15 2008, 6:41 PM
Requiring a commercial web site that collects personally identifiable information to post a privacy policy.
Cisco 2008 Annual Security Report -- Highlighting Global Security Threats and Trends
Date CapturedMonday December 15 2008, 4:21 PM
[This year's report reveals that online and data security threats continue to increase in number and sophistication. They propagate faster and are more difficult to detect. Key report findings include: Spam accounts for nearly 200 billion messages each day, which is approximately 90 percent of email sent worldwide. The overall number of disclosed vulnerabilities grew by 11.5 percent over 2007. Vulnerabilities in virtualization products tripled to 103 in 2008 from 35 in 2007, as more organizations embraced virtualization technologies to increase cost-efficiency and productivity Over the course of 2008, Cisco saw a 90 percent growth rate in threats originating from legitimate domains; nearly double what the company saw in 2007. Spam due to email reputation hijacking from the top three webmail providers accounted for just under 1 percent of all spam worldwide, but constituted 7.6 percent of all these providers' mail. Fortunately, responses to these threats and trends are improving. Advances in attack response stem from the increased collaboration between vendors and security researchers to review, identify, and combat vulnerabilities.]
Open for Questions at change.gov: What about privacy?
Date CapturedSunday December 14 2008, 9:30 PM
Privacy Lives
Date CapturedFriday December 12 2008, 6:15 PM
Melissa Ngo -- more than a blog -- lots of policy and topic specific archives.
In-Depth Summary of Changes to FERPA Rules
Date CapturedThursday December 11 2008, 7:54 PM
Facebook and the Social Dynamics of Privacy (DRAFT)
Date CapturedMonday December 08 2008, 6:08 PM
James Grimmelmann. 2008. "Facebook and the Social Dynamics of Privacy" The Selected Works of James Grimmelmann -- [This Article provides the first comprehensive analysis of the law and policy of privacy on social network sites, using Facebook as its principal example. It explains how Facebook users socialize on the site, why they misunderstand the risks involved, and how their privacy suffers as a result. Facebook offers a socially compelling platform that also facilitates peer-to-peer privacy violations: users harming each others’ privacy interests. These two facts are inextricably linked; people use Facebook with the goal of sharing some information about themselves. Policymakers cannot make Facebook completely safe, but they can help people use it safely. The Article makes this case by presenting a rich, factually grounded description of the social dynamics of privacy on Facebook. It then uses that description to evaluate a dozen possible policy interventions. Unhelpful interventions—such as mandatory data portability and bans on underage use—fail because they also fail to engage with key aspects of how and why people use social network sites. The potentially helpful interventions, on the other hand—such as a strengthened public-disclosure tort and a right to opt out completely—succeed because they do engage with these social dynamics.]
U Alabama at Birmingham Student Records Policy, Photo as Directory Information
Date CapturedThursday December 04 2008, 8:41 PM
UAB’s Student Records Policy, derived from the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), lists the following items of a student record as “directory information:” Name, Telephone number, E-mail address, Date and place of birth, Major field of study, Participation in officially recognized activities and sports, Dates of attendance, Degrees and awards received, Institution most recently previously attended These items are considered public information which may be made available by the university without prior consent of the student and are considered part of the public record of the student’s attendance. Effective Spring 2009, the photo used on the CampusCard will become an item of directory information. Under the provisions of FERPA, students have the right to withhold the disclosure of directory information.
Medical Blogs May Threaten Patient Privacy
Date CapturedFriday August 08 2008, 4:57 PM
US News and World Report -- "In some cases, patients described in medical blogs may be able to identify themselves, the researchers said. For example, three of the blogs in the study had recognizable photos of patients, including one with an extensive description of the patient and links to photos. The researchers also found that some of the medical blogs allowed advertisements, and some promoted health -care products within the blog text. None of the bloggers who described products within the text adhered to medical ethics standards of providing information on conflicts of interest, or whether payment was received for promotion of the products. The study was published online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine." (Dr. Tara Lagu, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar, and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania)
E P I C A l e r t - Volume 15.13 -- June 27, 2008
Date CapturedFriday June 27 2008, 8:27 PM
Table of Contents -- [1] OECD and Korea Host Ministerial Conference on Future of the Internet [2] Civil Society Seoul Declaration Sets Out Broad Policy Framework [3] FCC: Do-Not-Call List is Permanent [4] Supreme Court Rejects Limits on Freedom of Information Requests [5] Under Pressure, Charter Cable Drops Internet Snooping Plan [6] News in Brief [7] EPIC Bookstore: NAACP v. Alabama, Privacy and Data Protection
Wolf Reveals House Computers Compromised by Outside Source
Date CapturedTuesday June 17 2008, 1:21 PM
Offers Privileged Resolution on House Floor Calling for Greater Protection Of Congressional Computer and Information Systems.
Vermont to study student privacy policies
Date CapturedThursday June 12 2008, 4:14 PM
Reformer reports, "The state (Vermont) board is also going to consider how the education department handles third party research requests on behalf of the education department using student data. Under the proposed change, the department information technology team would classify data as sensitive and confidential, and a written contract would have to be signed before the release of records. A third proposed policy spells out how organizations that contract with the education department go about obtaining student information for their work."
Access Rights to Business Data on Personally-Owned Computers
Date CapturedThursday June 05 2008, 10:51 AM
A White Paper by John C. Montaña for The ARMA International Education Foundation. "The continuing and pervasive blurring of the boundaries between work and home environments is another reality for many workers. Increased responsibilities and workloads, demands for longer hours and many other factors combine to create a situation in which many workers are required to resort to extraordinary measures to meet the demands of work and profession. In many cases, these demands are met by working at home. Increasingly, this work is computer-based work, and includes e-mail, word processing documents, spreadsheet and other computer-generated data objects. In many cases, this work is done on a computer provided by the employer for the purposes of facilitating the employee’s at-home work. In many other cases, however, the work is performed on a computer owned the employee themselves or someone else living in the employee’s residence."
The Internet in Transition: A Platform To Keep the Internet Open, Innovative and Free
Date CapturedThursday June 05 2008, 10:13 AM
CDT publication excerpt: "The Internet’s remarkable success is built on a policy framework based on the principles of openness, competition, innovation, non-discrimination, privacy, consumer choice and freedom of expression. Faced with legitimate concerns ranging from terrorism to the protection of children online, policymakers must find solutions that reinforce — rather than undermine — these core principles."
Chris Jay Hoofnagle
Date CapturedMonday June 02 2008, 6:40 PM
Chris Jay Hoofnagle is senior staff attorney to the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic and senior fellow with the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology. His focus is consumer privacy law. From 2000 to 2006, he was senior counsel to the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and director of the organization’s West Coast office.
The Center for Democracy and Technology
Date CapturedMonday June 02 2008, 3:34 PM
The Center for Democracy and Technology is a non-profit public interest organization working to keep the Internet open, innovative, and free. As a civil liberties group with expertise in law, technology, and policy, CDT works to enhance free expression and privacy in communications technologies by finding practical and innovative solutions to public policy challenges while protecting civil liberties. CDT is dedicated to building consensus among all parties interested in the future of the Internet and other new communications media.
Marc Rotenberg
Date CapturedSunday June 01 2008, 5:35 PM
Marc is Executive Director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) in Washington, DC. He teaches information privacy law at Georgetown University Law Center and has testified before Congress on many issues, including access to information, encryption policy, consumer protection, computer security, and communications privacy. He testified before the 9-11 Commission on "Security and Liberty: Protecting Privacy, Preventing Terrorism." He has served on several national and international advisory panels, including the expert panels on Cryptography Policy and Computer Security for the OECD, the Legal Experts on Cyberspace Law for UNESCO, and the Countering Spam program of the ITU. He currently chairs the ABA Committee on Privacy and Information Protection.
Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)
Date CapturedSunday June 01 2008, 5:31 PM
EPIC is a public interest research center in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1994 to focus public attention on emerging civil liberties issues and to protect privacy, the First Amendment, and constitutional values.
E P I C A l e r t -- Volume 15.11 -- May 30, 2008
Date CapturedSunday June 01 2008, 5:16 PM
Published by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC Washington, D.C. Table of Contents -- [1] Congressman Barton Urges Scrutiny of Google's Privacy Practices [2] Computers, Freedom & Privacy Conference Explores Technology Policy [3] Telecom Immunity 'Compromise' Under Consideration in Congress [4] Senate Investigates Role of US Firms in China [5] Congressmembers Call on Charter Cable to Halt Net Snooping Plan [6] News in Brief [7] EPIC Bookstore: Privacy Journal Survey of State and Federal Laws [8] Upcoming Conferences and Events
Schools Wait, Teeth Gritted: Their Grades Are Coming
Date CapturedSaturday September 01 2007, 9:31 AM
NY Times reports, "Making good on a promise to hold educators more accountable for student performance, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg will oversee the distribution of report cards for each of the city’s schools next month. Each school (and by extension its principal) will receive a letter grade in the mail, and the grade and the data that led to it will be posted on the Web, where parents can see and possibly stew over them. Mr. Bloomberg described the grades as part of 'the most sophisticated achievement data system in the nation, which will allow us to focus on how well individual students are learning.'"
Guidelines for Safer School Web sites
Date CapturedFriday August 31 2007, 12:16 AM
Should Parents View School Security Tapes?
Date CapturedThursday August 30 2007, 11:53 PM
Fulton County News (Pennsylvania) reports, "Board member Kenny Wuertenberg informed the board and administration he had a problem with punishing a child and not allowing the parents to see the incident as recorded by security cameras on school buses and in district facilities. 'It’s fascist ... What happened to due process?' questioned Wuertenberg. 'How is who is riding a public school bus private?'”
Student information found in recycle bin
Date CapturedThursday August 30 2007, 12:57 PM
Deseret Morning News reports, "Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), addresses, phone numbers and names of students fall into the category of 'directory information' and generally may be released by a school district unless the parents have objected in writing, said Jim Bradshaw, in the U.S. Department of Education. However, that doesn't release schools from the responsibility to dispose of records safely to protect student education records. 'That includes disposing of documents in a way that guards against unauthorized disclosure, such as shredding or burning,' Bradshaw said. 'Banks don't throw records in Dumpsters and schools are also obligated to protect the confidentiality of student records.'" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E-mail: sisraelsen@desnews.com 1 commentRecent comments Why indict the school on such a non-issue? Your article even cites... Owen | Aug. 30, 2007 at 8:54 a.m. Add your comment Stuart Johnson, Deseret Morning News Folders with student names and other information at Centennial Middle School in Provo are found in a recycling bin Wednesday. Most Popular Most Commented Detmer remains humble Cougs finalizing plans for Arizona Rocky says Buhler would be a 'disaster' Thursday Night Lights: Questions aplenty as Utes open at Oregon State tonight Bombard Comcast, not the dish folk Cousin is willing to risk his life Chinese victims of forced abortion are fighting back U.S. busts brazen ID theft ring in Utah Is there a 'workplace princess' at your firm? Mtn. woes? Try contacting Comcast direct 'Dawn' is an embarrassment 132 Utah mine owner Murray says Gov. Huntsman is jeopardizing 700 jobs 128 Cougar linebackers lead 'D' 96 At odds: Murray says Huntsman endangers jobs 94 The mtn. working for better exposure 90 Going independent not the solution to BYU's problems 89 Cougs counting down to rematch 88 MWC TV situation frustrating 87 Kirilenko praises Utahns, LDS to media in Russia 83 Ex-member of LDS choir pleads guilty in porn case 79 (Stories published in the last seven days with the most comments) Sports A & E LDS news Community Thursday Night Lights: Questions aplenty as Utes open at Oregon State tonight 29 Detmer remains humble 28 Behind the wheel — Roller derby makes women feel tough, sexy, empowered 3 Campgrounds will fill up this Labor Day weekend 0 Argentines fuel RSL victory 6 Concert review: Groban delights Salt Lake audience 0 Sirius channel to play Dead all the time 0 DVD reviews: 'Blades of Glory' tops DVD pack 0 Auditions 0 Wilson drops out of movie after his hospitalization 0 Anti-religion documentary includes visit to Salt Lake City 1 Idaho provides cash crop for Romney 0 Provo firm to produce movie on Emma Smith 6 Concert review: 'White Star' debuts at BYU 1 BYU Ed Week classes to air 0 Above the Rim — At Cloud Rim, Girl Scouts learn about outdoors and more 0 Touching nature — Syracuse park offers urban fishing, trails, wetlands 1 Helping hand 0 Artists to strum tunes at acoustic fest 0 Cherry Hill is celebrating 40 years 1 Columnists Contests Daily Index Education Family & Life Food & Dining Health & Fitness Help Line Home & Garden LDS Church News Local Births Marathon Mobile Politics Religion & Ethics Science & Tech Travel & Outdoors deseretnews.com: Home | Subscription services | Contact us | FAQ | Feedback | Jobs | Purchase photos | RSS | Privacy policy
Who knows your student?
Date CapturedThursday August 30 2007, 12:24 PM
Vermont County Courier reports, "Many parents, though, are surprised to find out that more general information about their children - names, addresses, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, honors and awards - can be more openly shared under FERPA. FERPA calls this 'directory information' that 'is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released.' Mark Oettinger, the General Counsel for the Vermont Department of Education, said, 'The "directory information " piece is the exception.' According to FERPA, directory information can be disclosed by schools without parent consent."
Comptroller says employee in Greece ran NY schools' computers
Date CapturedThursday August 30 2007, 10:27 AM
AP reports, "The audit said the computer maintenance contracts were never approved by the school board and had not been put out to bid as required. In response, the board's president, Amy Levere, said that some board officials were aware of the arrangement at the time, even if they had not formally approved it, and that there were good reasons to hire the employee, including his experience and familiarity with the computer system."
Privacy issues curb teen-driver rules
Date CapturedWednesday August 29 2007, 8:24 PM
Chicago Tribune reports, "The law would have required school districts to submit information to the State Board of Education, detailing whether a student had been expelled, truant or who had dropped out of school. That information would then have been passed to Secretary of State Jesse White's office, which would have flagged the affected students and barred them from driving privileges. State education officials said they decided to delay enforcing the law after the U.S. Department of Education notified them that it violated the Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act, said Matthew Vanover, a spokesman for the state board. 'They told us it would be a violation ... for that information to be shared with the secretary of state's office,' he added."
Critics Ignored Record of a Muslim Principal
Date CapturedWednesday August 29 2007, 7:19 AM
NY Times contributor Samuel G. Freedman, professor of journalism at Columbia University opines, "What Ms. Almontaser has done — as a private citizen, not in her classroom — is assail the Bush administration for its domestic surveillance and for its Middle East policies. She has said that desperation and oppression contribute to terrorism. You can disagree with her positions and still not believe they should be the basis for destroying her career."
SCHOOL 'HOT LINES' GO COLD: GOTBAUM
Date CapturedWednesday August 29 2007, 6:20 AM
NY Post reports, "Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum said employees at district offices, which are designed to serve as one-stop information centers on issues like transportation and enrollment in public schools, were largely unavailable or unresponsive to nearly 100 calls from her office last week. At nearly half the districts her team contacted, phone calls went unanswered or were not returned, according to the report. As a result, Gotbaum said she is launching an education hot line, at (212) 669-7250, to fill in the information gap."
Online Lingo
Date CapturedMonday August 27 2007, 9:02 PM
THINK BEFORE YOU POST
Date CapturedMonday August 27 2007, 8:53 PM
Tech Privacy Issues Remain Confounding
Date CapturedSaturday August 25 2007, 11:31 AM
AP reports, "Ponemon said multiple surveys have shown that roughly 10 percent of consumers will change their behavior in order to improve their privacy online. Nearly 70 percent say they're sensitive to the subject but won't alter what they do. The rest pretty much don't care."
Department Of Defense Awards $2.1 M Grant To Stony Brook’s Computer Science Department
Date CapturedFriday August 24 2007, 4:20 PM
The project will develop languages, techniques and tools for managing, enforcing, and maintaining trust relationships in systems with service-oriented architectures. The techniques will be implemented as stand-alone tools and integrated into a prototype system that will be an experimental test-bed for evaluation of the techniques. The framework will accommodate services that interact across a variety of interfaces, including network communication channels, shared memory, and shared databases. Therefore, it will apply to many legacy systems as well as explicitly service-oriented systems such as Web services. The project will focus on issues of trust management, information flow tracking, trust analysis and assurance, and policy enforcement.
Tougher code for students
Date CapturedFriday August 24 2007, 6:37 AM
Times Union reports, "Girls returning to Albany schools next month will have to wear their skirts longer and keep their midriffs covered. Boys will have to remove hooded sweat shirts and wear their T-shirts at least one foot above the knee. Students can carry cellphones, BlackBerries or other electronic devices but they can't be seen or used, even during lunch or recess. If they are, they'll be taken away until day's end."
Speed up school safety audits
Date CapturedThursday August 23 2007, 8:25 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle opines, "There should be ongoing, month-to-month audits of every school. Results should be released to parents. Remediation should be immediate, and the public should be informed at every step. An unsafe school should be identified quickly, and dealt with quickly."
E-danger: Children vulnerable to sexual predators at popular Web sites
Date CapturedWednesday August 22 2007, 8:20 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "Have a discussion with your child about the value of privacy and how important it is not to disclose information that strangers anywhere could use to harm you. Never allow a child to use a suggestive name or one that describes personal features, disclose a school name or the name of the parents' workplaces. (Predators are very adept at using the simplest clue to figure out a child's location. Remind your child that it's not unusual for predators to cross the country to reach their targets.) Don't allow your child access to a Webcam, either."
Mount Saint Mary College students targeted by RIAA
Date CapturedWednesday August 22 2007, 7:44 AM
Times Union reports, "The RIAA is hoping college and university administrators will also take a more proactive role in preventing theft of intellectual property on their campuses."
Creating Critical Linkages between Education and Other Vital Services to Improve Child Welfare
Date CapturedTuesday August 21 2007, 6:59 PM
Tuesday, September 18, 11 am-1 pm (EDT) **Join us in person or via an interactive webcast** As part of the Data Quality Campaign's goal to provide a national forum for conversations about the power of longitudinal data, this Quarterly Issue Meeting will focus on states and communities that are building bridges between longitudinal education data systems and other public systems that track child outcomes, including not only a student's academic performance but also the child's overall quality of being. Featured presenters will include: Jay Pfeiffer, Florida Department of Education; Michelle Lustig, San Diego County Office of Education; Amanda Singer, Utah Department of Human Services.
Emergency Management Planning for Schools and School Districts
Date CapturedMonday August 20 2007, 7:16 PM
Department of Education, Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools.
Recognizing and Avoiding Spyware
Date CapturedMonday August 20 2007, 2:32 PM
What is spyware? Despite its name, the term "spyware" doesn't refer to something used by undercover operatives, but rather by the advertising industry. In fact, spyware is also known as "adware." It refers to a category of software that, when installed on your computer, may send you pop-up ads, redirect your browser to certain web sites, or monitor the web sites that you visit. Some extreme, invasive versions of spyware may track exactly what keys you type. Attackers may also use spyware for malicious purposes. Because of the extra processing, spyware may cause your computer to become slow or sluggish. There are also privacy implications: What information is being gathered? Who is receiving it? How is it being used?
Campus life is about to resume, opportunities beckon
Date CapturedSunday August 19 2007, 2:53 PM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "Our region is getting a new city. Well, perhaps not a city proper, but enough people to populate one. More than 80,000 college and university students will be — or already are — heading to their local campuses, and as they arrive their impressive impact on the local economy and culture will be felt once again. It's sometimes forgotten how much ours is a college region. There are 19 institutions of higher learning here, each bound to a singular mission but sharing many things as well — a commitment to community and public service." Additionally, "On Monday, the Democrat and Chronicle will launch The Loop, an interactive, multimedia Web site that has been designed and produced by local college students for their brethren. It will be an electronic information center and meeting place. Check it out at Rocloop.com."
Yonkers schools make new push to involve parents
Date CapturedSaturday August 18 2007, 9:46 AM
Journal News reports, "School officials say they want to change the reception parents get from the district's employees to build more parental involvement in the schools. This year, the district will make an extra effort to reach out to more parents by extending more information, courtesy and invitations to get involved."
After troubles, district looks to repair image
Date CapturedThursday August 16 2007, 7:25 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal reports, " After hearing the results of the recent state audit of the Poughkeepsie City School District, parents and community members said they want to be kept up to date about improvements in the district's management."
RIT campus installing emergency alert system
Date CapturedThursday August 16 2007, 7:04 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "The system will alert students, faculty members and staff employees using text messaging, instant messaging, e-mail and voice calls to cell and dormitory phones."
Court ruling dispels cloud over Linux
Date CapturedWednesday August 15 2007, 12:50 PM
sSchool News reports, "A federal judge has ruled that The SCO Group doesn't own the lines of Unix software code it claims were misappropriated by developers of the open-source Linux operating system. The judge's decision removes a legal cloud that had first formed over Linux four years ago, freeing schools and other users of Linux from the threat of copyright infringement. "
E P I C A l e r t -- Volume 14.16 -- August 10, 2007
Date CapturedMonday August 13 2007, 9:53 AM
Table of Contents: [1] Congress Enacts Sweeping Changes to Federal Wiretap Laws [2] New Law Strengthens Privacy Oversight [3] Canadian Group Urges Investigation of Google-DoubleClick Merger [4] Homeland Security Revamps Traveler Profiling Programs [5] Senate Passes Leahy-Cornyn Open Government Bill [6] News in Brief [7] EPIC Bookstore: "Complete Guide to Security and Privacy Metrics" [8] Upcoming Conferences and Events
MIKE'S TIMELY VETO
Date CapturedMonday August 13 2007, 7:57 AM
NY Post opines, "The issue is the controversial ban on cellphones in public schools, which was only really enforced starting last year. The mayor is a chief supporter of the ban, arguing that cellphones in schools are both distracting and, at times, dangerous. And he's right: Not only are phones a serious classroom disruption, but they've also been used to cheat on tests, bully, deal drugs and coordinate gang activity."
Search Privacy Practices
Date CapturedSunday August 12 2007, 8:09 AM
Center for Democracy and Technology--a D.C.-based think tank--released a report (pdf) on the privacy policies of major search engines. Report includes recommendations including, "No amount of self-regulation in the search privacy space can replace the need for a comprehensive federal privacy law to protect consumers from bad actors. With consumers sharing more data than ever before online, the time has come to harmonize our nation’s privacy laws into a simple, flexible framework."
MIKE KOS CELLS IN SCHOOLS
Date CapturedFriday August 10 2007, 8:25 AM
NY Post Maggie Haberman reports, "Mayor Bloomberg yesterday vetoed a City Council bill that would let parents give kids cellphones to carry to and from school as part of a battle over letting students have them inside the buildings."
US Department of Education -- Office of Inspector General (OIG) Perspective on the Unsafe School Choice Option
Date CapturedFriday August 10 2007, 8:14 AM
We suggest that the Department and Congress, in considering legislative changes, require states to ensure that their USCO policies meet the following basic requirements: 1) All violent incidents, according to state code, are factored into the PDS determination, without the use of disciplinary action qualifiers; 2) Benchmarks for determining PDS are set at reasonable levels that are supported by objective and reliable data; and 3) PDS are identified based upon the most current year of data. These suggestions are intended to affect immediate improvement of the USCO in its current state. However, based on our audit work and further research, there is an apparent reluctance to fully comply with the USCO provision. Therefore, we are also offering our perspective on more in-depth changes to the provision that should help USCO to be better received by the education community, and therefore, encourage more willing compliance. The lack of incentive to comply with USCO will need to be addressed and resolved in order for the provision to realize its full potential as a tool for improving the level of safety in our nation’s schools.
New Jersey Governor Calls for Training Teachers on Internet Safety
Date CapturedThursday August 09 2007, 11:15 AM
School Library Journal reports, "Teachers and administrators would use the training to instruct students, parents and community groups on the potential dangers they may encounter on the Internet, Corzine said in a letter to Attorney General Anne Milgram and Education Commissioner Lucille Davy. The letter asks that the departments of Law and Public Safety and Education work together to strengthen existing Internet safety training and that the program be established and implemented by the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year."
Guidelines for Working with Law Enforcement Agencies
Date CapturedWednesday August 08 2007, 12:15 PM
By Michael Corn. EQ -- Volume 30 Number 3 2007. Checklist: * Create a policy to address the handling of all legal documents. * Form a team consisting of the security officer, legal counsel, and campus police. * Put campus legal counsel on your telephone speed-dial. * Meet with provost and/or chancellor to discuss law enforcement requests and investigations. * Review and document the salient features of your environment, including your institutional policies on data release and retention. * Understand your obligations with regard to confidentiality. * Discuss with the agent(s) in charge of an investigation whom you wish to inform of the investigation and why. * Work with the agent(s) in charge of an investigation to review what they are looking for and what will not be useful to them. * Develop internal procedures that control the materials and information of legally restricted information. Buy a safe for storing legal materials. * Work with law enforcement agents to better understand your environment and narrow the scope of information requests.
Senate bill aims to address web safety
Date CapturedWednesday August 08 2007, 6:20 AM
eSchoolnews reports, "Under legislation introduced by Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, schools receiving telecommunications discounts would have to teach students about appropriate online behavior, and the FTC would be required to carry out a nationwide public-awareness campaign on internet safety for children."
Senate Asks FTC to Oversee Internet Safety
Date CapturedMonday August 06 2007, 8:06 PM
PC Magazine reports, "The measure, introduced by the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, calls on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to oversee a government-directed public awareness campaign, directs the Commerce Department to establish an online safety and technology working group, requires schools that receive e-rate funding to include tutorials on the detriments of 'cyberbullying' and strengthens child pornography enforcement."
Hackers: Social networking sites flawed
Date CapturedMonday August 06 2007, 11:42 AM
AP reports, "Social networking Web sites such as MySpace.com are increasingly juicy targets for computer hackers, who are demonstrating a pair of vulnerabilities they claim expose sensitive personal information and could be exploited by online criminals."
No unwanted publicity
Date CapturedMonday August 06 2007, 9:19 AM
The Enquirer reports, "Started as part of the 1974 Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the act allows parents to approve their child's personal school information and image to be used for school purposes. These can include name, address, birthdays and participation in school activities including sports, awards, honors, scholarships and photographs. Parochial and private schools generally do not have to abide by FERPA, but many have developed their own guidelines and publicity waivers."
Public library policies need public engagement
Date CapturedFriday August 03 2007, 8:36 AM
Post Standard contributor Joyce M. Latham, executive director of the Onondaga County Public Library opines, "Urban libraries all over the country face challenges brought on by concentrated poverty, declining staffing levels and aging expertise. Syracuse has the opportunity to ponder and discuss the role of the public library in the public life of our city. This is a discussion worth having, one with national implications. We invite your participation."
LI colleges fight terror
Date CapturedThursday August 02 2007, 9:03 PM
Newsday opines, "Stony Brook University has received a $2.1 million grant from the Department of Defense to research ways to help plug this yawning gap in the security of computer systems. The grant, one of only four awarded nationally by the Pentagon in the cyber-security field, will fund a five-year project to develop solutions to help computer users prevent their systems from being corrupted or infiltrated. And Long Island University's Homeland Security Management Institute has been chosen as one of six universities across the nation to share in an annual $18 million program over the next four years to improve railroad security. "
Understanding Denial-of-Service Attacks
Date CapturedThursday August 02 2007, 12:26 PM
Cyber Security Tip ST04-015 -- In a denial-of-service (DoS) attack, an attacker attempts to prevent legitimate users from accessing information or services. By targeting your computer and its network connection, or the computers and network of the sites you are trying to use, an attacker may be able to prevent you from accessing email, web sites, online accounts (banking, etc.), or other services that rely on the affected computer.
Checking on child care is duty of providers, the state, parents
Date CapturedThursday August 02 2007, 9:30 AM
Rochester and Democrat Chronicle Op-ed contributor Barbara-Ann Mattle, CEO of Child Care Council Inc. opines, "Parents have the responsibility to perform due diligence in selecting care for their children. This process can include a call to a child care consultant at the Child Care Council. Parents may also do an online search of the Council's Web site. Parents then should visit programs to determine their own and their child's comfort level. The New York State Office of Children and Family Services maintains a Web site that contains information on all complaints (resolved and unresolved) for any licensed or registered child care provider or program. This data base is available to parents as an additional research tool at www.ocfs.state.ny.us. Parents are the most consistent monitors of the child care system. They may visit their children at any time throughout the day. New York state regulations emphasize this 'open door policy.' The state Bureau of Early Childhood Services also continues to monitor the effectiveness of the regulatory system and to make adjustments that reflect the changing environment of care."
State is on guard to keep schools safe
Date CapturedWednesday August 01 2007, 8:52 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle guest essayist Alan Ray, director of communications and policy development, New York State Education Department opines, "During the past year, we have: *Provided help to Rochester's and other schools to create safer, more supportive learning environments and prevent bullying. *Held focus groups with parents, students, teachers and administrators to get more ideas on how to make schools safer. *Given uniform training to school personnel statewide on accurate reporting. *Made site visits to nearly 100 schools statewide to determine the accuracy of their data. *Provided detailed guidelines on the Internet so school officials can refer to them easily as needed. We are constantly adding to a question-and-answer document on the Web site as people seek additional guidance. *Developed a fully automated incident reporting system so schools can submit data electronically. This system has controls to help schools check the accuracy of their data and omit inadvertent errors."
The Records Manager
Date CapturedTuesday July 31 2007, 12:58 PM
The Records Manager, vol. 1 no. 3, Summer 2007. The Records Manager is the new newsletter of the SAA Records Management Roundtable.
Pols dial up school fight
Date CapturedThursday July 26 2007, 10:16 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Hoping to force the Education Department's hand, the City Council passed legislation yesterday restating the right of children to use cell phones traveling to and from school."
THE CITY OF NEW YORK OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER BUREAU OF MANAGEMENT AUDIT : AUDIT REPORT ON THE MONITORING AND TRACKING OF SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Date CapturedThursday July 26 2007, 9:55 AM
MD06-073A -- June 29, 2007. "Based on our findings, we make nine recommendations, five of which are listed below. DOE should: Develop and enforce written formal policies and procedures to ensure that services are provided according to the provisions of each student’s IEP. Develop policies to ensure that all attendance forms and summaries are maintained as evidence of services provided. Ensure that providers fill in all required information on the special education attendance forms and sign the forms as certification of the delivery of services. Ensure that supervisory review of attendance records is performed and documented. Institute a control (e.g., periodically reconcile special education attendance forms with general education attendance forms) to help ensure that the days that services are provided are accurately recorded."
THOMPSON: DEPT. OF EDUCATION FAILING TO MONITOR, TRACK AND DOCUMENT PROVISION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES
Date CapturedThursday July 26 2007, 9:51 AM
Thompson’s audit found a pattern of flaws so severe that many students sampled often didn’t get required services when providers were absent. Examples of the flaws included records that were inadequate and incomplete, and records showing students getting services on days when schools were actually closed.
Illinois schools install cameras despite privacy issues
Date CapturedWednesday July 25 2007, 9:51 AM
Daily Herald reports, "District 128 officials don’t have a formal policy regulating when the DVDs should be destroyed, Todoric said. Administrators declined to say how often discs are destroyed, citing security concerns. U.S. courts have upheld schools’ right to install cameras where students or employees don’t have an expectation of privacy, such as public hallways, said Ed Yohnka, spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois. It’s sensible for schools with security concerns to think cameras are a potential solution, he said. But the increased surveillance might affect how students feel about their schools, Yohnka said. For example, students might be reluctant to visit teachers to talk about problems if they feel they’re being monitored, he said."
Got a Great Internet Safety Program? ALA Wants to Hear About It
Date CapturedSaturday July 21 2007, 2:25 PM
School Library Journal reports, "If you have a great program on Internet safety, the American Library Association (ALA) wants to hear from you."
Houston district keeping baseball stats private from parent
Date CapturedThursday July 19 2007, 6:23 AM
Houston Chronicle reports, "The law generally is viewed as covering students' educational records, such as grades and disciplinary history. Schools across the country regularly release player statistics for newspapers and game programs, but the Houston district contends that the FERPA law covers athlete's statistics."
EYE$ ON SIZE
Date CapturedWednesday July 18 2007, 7:44 AM
NY Post Chuck Bennett reports, "Parents and advocates will be able to look at how the money is used in every targeted school — a move they had been loudly demanding for some time. Still, leaders of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, the coalition of school and parent groups that initiated the suit against the state, were cautious in giving their thumbs up to the latest proposal, noting they still want to comb through the fine print. In all, the New York City school system will receive $1 billion extra in city and state funding for the 2007-08 school year. "
Court: MySpace suspension violated student's rights
Date CapturedTuesday July 17 2007, 10:04 AM
Student Press Law Center reports, "A school district violated the First Amendment by suspending a student who created a satirical profile of his principal on MySpace.com, a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania ruled July 10. 'The mere fact that the Internet may be accessed at school does not authorize school officials to become censors of the World-Wide Web,' the judge, Terrence McVerry, wrote in his opinion. 'Public schools are vital institutions, but their reach is not unlimited.'"
E P I C A l e r t -- Volume 14.14
Date CapturedTuesday July 17 2007, 9:50 AM
Published by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) Washington, D.C. TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1] EU and US Reach Agreements on Data Sharing [2] EPIC Comments on New Phone Customer Privacy Rules [3] EU Commission Opens Inquiry into Google-DoubleClick Merger [4] Appeals Court Dismisses Challenge to Warantless Surveillance Program [5] EPIC Among Groups Discussing National Security Letters With FBI [6] News in Brief [7] EPIC Bookstore: "Computer Crimes and Digital Investigations" [8] Upcoming Conferences and Events
West Point honor code to be reviewed
Date CapturedSunday July 15 2007, 12:41 PM
Times Herald-Record Greg Bruno reports, "An honor code study group has been formed to review the state and status of the honor system at West Point, academy leaders announced yesterday. Under the guidance of retired generals, past and present cadet leaders and academy staff, the committee will analyze general feelings toward honor at West Point, and drill into specific areas where improvements could be made. Issues to be addressed include the state of plagiarism in academic classes and the type of legal advice cadets accused of honor violations should receive."
Greece schools try going paperless -- District hopes new system will reduce costs, increase openness
Date CapturedSunday July 15 2007, 7:18 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "She [Hauer, a board member] said she'd like the district to put historic data on the site in order to allow board members and others the opportunity to search for past data on topics of interest. 'But this is really only one small piece in opening up the district to the community,' Hauer said. 'This will be a good resource and a wonderful efficiency tool for the board.' The system's cost, as well as expected cost savings resulting from fewer copies made and less time spent by employees on coordinating board information were not immediately available. "
Concerns on NYC's Contract for Excellence
Date CapturedFriday July 13 2007, 9:59 AM
Patrick Sullivan, member of the Panel for Educational Policy opines, "The absence of a coherent plan demonstrates a lack of willingness to be held accountable for overcrowding. No one wants the mayor and chancellor to fail in their efforts to improve our schools. However, if they continue their refusal to plan for and spend new state funding as intended, the state must hold them accountable."
Why state aid hike won't fill the gap for Rochester city schools
Date CapturedFriday July 13 2007, 8:41 AM
The Post-Standard op-ed contributor Daniel G. Lowengard, superintendent of the Syracuse City School District opines, "The district has been completely transparent with respect to the development of its 2007-08 budget. The entire budget, with all its detail, was posted months ago (and remains there) on the district's Web site. We know how valuable our resources are; we want the public to fully understand our budget."
Forum Curriculum for Improving Education Data: A Resource for Local Education
Date CapturedThursday July 12 2007, 7:00 PM
This curriculum supports efforts to improve the quality of education data by serving as training materials for K-12 school and district staff. It provides lesson plans, instructional handouts, and related resources, and presents concepts necessary to help schools develop a culture for improving data quality. National Forum on Education Statistics (2007). Forum Curriculum for Improving Education Data: A Resource for Local Education Agencies (NFES 2007-808). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.
Yonkers school panel's closed meeting may have violated law
Date CapturedThursday July 12 2007, 8:41 AM
The Journal reports, "While parents at Tuesday's meeting were shut out of any budget talk, the board did discuss fostering a better relationship with parents by awarding a contract to a company that would canvass parents about their views of the Yonkers public schools."
Closed-door sessions are lawful
Date CapturedMonday July 09 2007, 8:33 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle guest essayists Joe Moscato and Frank Oberg opine, "Your editorial accuses us of being fond of the use of executive session. We did not invent the executive session. It is prescribed by law. The law clearly defines matters that may be discussed in executive session. They fall into two categories: mandatory and permitted. It's noteworthy to observe that all school districts in New York state use this process. Executive sessions are usually requested by the superintendent and are rarely initiated by the board."
An insider's view of a school board
Date CapturedSunday July 08 2007, 11:30 AM
Times Union reports, "He [Peter Golden] was motivated to start it [blog], he said, because more people vote in presidential elections than in school board races, even though the latter could have more of a direct effect on their lives. 'I wanted to open the process," Golden said. "I wanted people to be more interested.'" (website address is: http://petergolden.com/Boardside.htm)
$80M still not enough
Date CapturedFriday July 06 2007, 9:43 AM
NY Daily News reports, "The education department's new $80 million student-tracking computer system just got more expensive - and some parents are questioning whether that's the best use of the money. To ensure that children's test scores and other private data don't get into the wrong hands, the city began accepting bids this week from companies that specialize in safeguarding information, which experts say could add several million dollars to the system's price."
'ID LEAK' FEAR IN $80M ED. COMPUTER
Date CapturedFriday July 06 2007, 8:26 AM
NY Post CHUCK BENNETT reports, "Now education officials are worried that the info, ranging from a child's achievement record to family income to Social Security number, could be at risk when teachers, principals and support staff download information or access it from shared computers. The system 'makes available to inexperienced users an enormous amount of extremely sensitive data about students and staff,' the Department of Education said in a request for proposals seeking a fix."
Albany schools weigh cellphone use, clothing
Date CapturedThursday July 05 2007, 8:07 AM
Times Union reports, "Harry Corbitt, director of safe schools and violence prevention, said cellphone use can be problematic. 'Cellphone use doesn't help,' he said. 'It hinders law enforcement. Students call their parents, and they rush to school.' Corbitt, a retired State Police colonel, said the district is seeking Homeland Security funds for a system that would alert parents and the media if an incident occurs."
Bill seeks to 'delete' Web site predators
Date CapturedWednesday July 04 2007, 8:44 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "According to the U.S. Department of Justice, one in five children are approached by an online predator and only 25 percent of those children tell their parents about the situation. About 50,000 sexual predators are online at any given time, and many of them often utilize social networking sites, according to data compiled by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children."
Library agrees to Web limits
Date CapturedWednesday July 04 2007, 8:39 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "The city's [Rochesters] library board was torn over whether to agree to the task force recommendations but relented to preserve $6.6 million in county aid. Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks had threatened to pull the money if the Central Library didn't ban pornographic Web sites."
Teens, Privacy and Online Social Networks: How teens manage their online identities and personal information in the age of MySpace
Date CapturedWednesday June 27 2007, 8:26 PM
Pew Internet Study by Amanda Lenhart and Mary Madden, "While many teens post their first name and photos on their profiles, they rarely post information on public profiles they believe would help strangers actually locate them such as their full name, home phone number or cell phone number. At the same time, nearly two-thirds of teens with profiles (63%) believe that a motivated person could eventually identify them from the information they publicly provide on their profiles. A new report, based on a survey and a series of focus groups conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project examine how teens, particularly those with profiles online, make decisions about disclosing or shielding personal information. Some 55% of online teens have profiles and most of them restrict access to their profile in some way. Of those with profiles, 66% say their profile is not visible to all internet users. Of those whose profile can be accessed by anyone online, nearly half (46%) say they give at least some false information. Teens post fake information to protect themselves and also to be playful or silly."
Cyberbullying and Online Teens
Date CapturedWednesday June 27 2007, 8:21 PM
Pew Internet Study --by Amanda Lenhart . "About one third (32%) of all teenagers who use the internet say they have been targets of a range of annoying and potentially menacing online activities – such as receiving threatening messages; having their private emails or text messages forwarded without consent; having an embarrassing picture posted without permission; or having rumors about them spread online."
E P I C A l e r t (Volume 14.13 -- June 26, 2007)
Date CapturedWednesday June 27 2007, 9:41 AM
Published by th Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) Washington, D.C. -- Table of Contents: [1] Senate Subpoenas Domestic Surveillance Documents [2] EPIC Urges Limitations on Social Security Number Use [3] EPIC Testifies on Caller ID Spoofing [4] FBI Guidelines Made Public [5] Court Finds Email Private, Enjoys Fourth Amendment Protection [6] News in Brief [7] EPIC Bookstore: "Privacy and Technologies of Identity" [8] Upcoming Conferences and Events
Using Instant Messaging and Chat Rooms Safely
Date CapturedTuesday June 26 2007, 3:35 PM
Cyber Security Tip ST04-011 -- Authors: Mindi McDowell, Allen Householder -- Copyright 2004, Carnegie Mellon University. "Although they offer a convenient way to communicate with other people, there are dangers associated with tools that allow real-time communication."
United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT)
Date CapturedTuesday June 26 2007, 3:22 PM
Established in 2003 to protect the nation's Internet infrastructure, US-CERT coordinates defense against and responses to cyber attacks across the nation.
Explain school violence data
Date CapturedTuesday June 26 2007, 8:40 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle opines, "Is my child safe at school? There's no more important query for a parent. Government is doing far too little to answer it."
School mixes-up mailings of test results
Date CapturedThursday June 21 2007, 8:52 AM
Newsday reports, "'The people stuffing the envelopes didn't double check that the proper tests were in the proper envelopes,' said Mullin [Fort Salonga Elementary School Principal], who added that she doesn't know how widespread the problem is."
Principals respond to truant sweep
Date CapturedWednesday June 20 2007, 3:11 PM
Maryland Gazette reports, "The law states that starting in October, students will have to present their school attendance records to the Motor Vehicle Administration to get a driver's permit. Students under the age of 16 with more than 10 unexcused absences in the prior school semester will not be allowed to get a permit."
COMMENTS OF THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
Date CapturedWednesday June 20 2007, 10:05 AM
Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, DC 20554 -- In the Matter of: Broadband Industry Practices -- "The American Library Association supports minimalist net neutrality legislation and regulation that preserves the competitive online markets for content and services. Bandwidth and access should be offered on equal terms to all willing to pay. Otherwise, broadband providers will be free to leverage their quasimonopolies into lucrative but market-distorting agreements. The vitality of voices on the Internet is critical to the intellectual freedom that libraries around the world are trying to protect and promote. Laws that preserve net neutrality are the best way to preserve a vibrant diversity of viewpoints into the foreseeable future."
Cameras May Watch You Take Tests Online
Date CapturedTuesday June 19 2007, 4:13 PM
AP reports, "New technology will place cameras inside students' homes to ensure that those taking exams online don't cheat."
State bill would require campus security plans
Date CapturedTuesday June 19 2007, 9:43 AM
Newsday reports, "State Sen. Kenneth P. LaValle has introduced 'comprehensive campus security plan' legislation that would require all public and private colleges in New York to develop emergency plans, have a relationship with local law enforcement and conduct emergency drills. The bill would also provide $7.1 million to finance more mental health counselors for the state's public colleges in the aftermath of the April massacre at Virginia Tech."
Students must unplug during Regents, or face losing their scores
Date CapturedTuesday June 19 2007, 8:48 AM
Times Herald-Record reports, "On orders of the state Education Department, the students are banned from using any "electronic device" during the all-important exams, including bathroom breaks. The ban covers cell phones, MP3 players, pagers, CD players, video devices — and all associated headphones, headsets, microphones and earplugs. 'If your cell phone rings, you may not answer it. If your pager beeps or vibrates, you may not look at it. You must turn these and other such devices OFF right now,' says the statement students hear before exams. Failure to comply vaporizes their score on the test. Students have to pass a battery of the exams to get their high school diplomas, so there is plenty of pressure to cheat."
’Net lessons are worth restating
Date CapturedMonday June 18 2007, 9:50 AM
The Daily Star opines, "First and foremost, no amount of spyware, password protection or other technological barriers will keep teens away from a site they want to visit. Because of this, Vacher emphasized the need for parents to communicate with their children and be knowledgeable about how those sites operate. One of the key reasons social-networking sites are troubling is that people’s personal information is out in the open for all to see. Well, that means parents can see it, too. A teen who’s gotten a MySpace friend request from Mom or Dad might be a little more careful about what she posts on her profile. The other key to Vacher’s presentation was pointing out that, with the growing popularity and ubiquity of the sites, what you post today can come back to haunt you tomorrow -- or 10 years from now."
Orange County Social Services' computer system still full of glitches
Date CapturedMonday June 18 2007, 8:57 AM
Times Herald-Record reports, "It was supposed to free social service workers from paperwork and help protect vulnerable children from abuse and neglect. But Connections, the state-run computer system launched in 1996 to keep track of abuse reports and foster-care placements, remains incomplete and plagued with problems almost 10 years after it was supposed to be finished."
NBC Developing Web Site for Students
Date CapturedSunday June 17 2007, 11:09 AM
NY Times reports, "NBC News actually has, and in a formal presentation to broadcast industry analysts today, the network is to announce an online venture intended as a supplement to Advanced Placement high school courses in three subjects: American history, government and English. The effort, which the network is spending nearly $10 million to develop, draws heavily on its exhaustive film and video archives chronicling the most important events of the last half century, as well as on its best-known journalists, who will have a chance to report on stories that occurred long before they were born."
Could privacy laws hide your student's distress signals?
Date CapturedSunday June 17 2007, 9:14 AM
FREE PRESS reports, "A federal inquiry into the Virginia Tech shootings released last week suggests that confusion about what university officials were authorized to reveal kept them from sharing information that might have assured that Cho got more aggressive medical treatment or stymied his efforts to purchase firearms. Cho's family members also have complained that they knew little about the extent of his troubles until he went on his rampage."
The NetLingo Top 20 Internet Acronyms Every Parent Needs to Know
Date CapturedSaturday June 16 2007, 7:59 PM
E P I C A l e r t
Date CapturedThursday June 14 2007, 8:42 PM
Volume 14.12 ; June 14, 2007; Published by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), Washington, D.C. Table of Contents: [1] Commission Adopts Rule on Phone Record Privacy [2] House Passes Law on Caller ID Spoofing [3] EPIC Testifies on Worker ID Systems [4] Privacy Groups File Amended Google/DoubleClick Merger Complaint [5] Trade Commission Adopts Rule on Security Breaches [6] News in Brief [7] EPIC Bookstore: "European Data Protection Law" [8] Upcoming Conferences and Events
Privacy Policy Guidance Memorandum 2007-02
Date CapturedThursday June 14 2007, 7:07 PM
Regarding Use of Social Security Numbers at the Department of Homeland Security, June 4, 2007.
Georgia Tech Reports Unauthorized Access of Data
Date CapturedThursday June 14 2007, 6:45 PM
Approximately 23,000 current and former Georgia Tech students have been notified that an electronic file containing their demographic data, such as birthdates, may have been exposed. While no Social Security or credit card numbers (the data most commonly used for identify theft) were included in this file, some of the potentially exposed information is protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Most School Districts Have Developed Emergency Management Plans, but Would Benefit from Additional Federal Guidance
Date CapturedThursday June 14 2007, 2:07 PM
GAO Report: While most school districts have procedures in their plans for staff roles and responsibilities, for example, school districts have not widely employed such procedures as, academic instruction via local radio or television, for continuing student education in the event of an extended school closure, such as might occur during a pandemic. Likewise, while many districts have procedures for special needs students, GAO found during site visits that some of these procedures may not fully ensure the safety of these students in an emergency. Finally, while most school districts practice their emergency management plans annually within the school community, GAO estimates that over one-quarter of school districts have never trained with any first responders and over two-thirds of school districts do not regularly train with community partners on how to implement their school district emergency management plans. Many school districts experience challenges in planning for emergencies, and some school districts face difficulties in communicating and coordinating with first responders and parents, but most do not have such challenges with students. Based on GAO’s survey of school districts, in many school districts officials struggle to balance priorities related to educating students and other administrative responsibilities with activities for emergency management and consider a lack of equipment, training for staff, and personnel with expertise in the area of emergency planning as challenges. In an estimated 39 percent of school districts with emergency management plans, officials experienced a lack of partnerships, limited time or funding to plan, or lack of interoperability between equipment used by school districts and first responders.
Fuzzy Understandings of FERPA
Date CapturedThursday June 14 2007, 8:16 AM
Inside Higher Ed reports, "A federal report on the Virginia Tech shootings considers the misunderstanding of federal and state privacy laws to be a 'substantial obstacle' to the information sharing needed to protect students."
Report to the President on Issues Raised by the Virginia Tech Tragedy
Date CapturedWednesday June 13 2007, 8:11 PM
Key Findings -- *Critical Information Sharing Faces Substantial Obstacles: Education officials, healthcare providers, law enforcement personnel, and others are not fully informed about when they can share critical information on persons who are likely to be a danger to self or others, and the resulting confusion may chill legitimate information sharing. *Accurate and Complete Information on Individuals Prohibited from Possessing Firearms is Essential to Keep Guns Out of the Wrong Hands: State laws and practices do not uniformly ensure that information on persons restricted from possessing firearms is appropriately captured and available to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). *Improved Awareness and Communication are Key to Prevention: It is important that parents, students, and teachers learn to recognize warning signs and encourage those who need help to seek it, so that people receive the care they need and our communities are safe. *It is Critical to Get People with Mental Illness the Services They Need: Meeting the challenge of adequate and appropriate community integration of people with mental illness requires effective coordination of community service providers who are sensitive to the interests of safety, privacy, and provision of care. *Where We Know What to Do, We Have to be Better at Doing It: For the many states and communities that have already adopted programs, including emergency preparedness and violence prevention plans, to address school and community violence, the challenge is fully implementing these programs through practice and effective communication.
2007 Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) Breach Report
Date CapturedTuesday June 12 2007, 8:58 AM
View breaches of records at education institutions in 2007.
Protecting Children In The Internet Age
Date CapturedMonday June 11 2007, 1:50 PM
New York State Senate Task Force On Critical Choices
Internet policy, like book policy, should be inclusive
Date CapturedWednesday June 06 2007, 9:48 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle contributor John Lovenheim, president of the Rochester Public Library Board opines, "There is a body of law that has developed that likens the Internet to an encyclopedia. Like an encyclopedia, the library may include it or exclude it, but it may not remove portions of that encyclopedia that it does not like based on content. Others have argued that even though pornography is legally protected speech, the library is not bound to supply it. We do not supply pornography to our patrons, we supply Internet access. There is a big difference. People have said it will be money well spent to defend a First Amendment lawsuit. It could cost up to $1 million to defend a suit of this type. That money could be better spent by the library and the county providing more books and services to the people of Monroe County."
Computer hacked --- 45,000 students' personal records accessed
Date CapturedTuesday June 05 2007, 2:25 PM
Bytecrusher reports, "Recently, a hacker broke into the network of the University of Colorado and accessed the personal details of over 45,000 students."
Poll: Schools aren't meeting data-storage rules
Date CapturedMonday June 04 2007, 2:10 PM
eSchoolNews reports, "Six months after new federal rules mandated that schools, businesses, and other organizations keep tabs on all digital communications produced by their employees, an informal survey of K-12 school districts by data-management company CommVault suggests that most schools still aren't prepared to meet the new requirements."
Texas school ready for handheld computers
Date CapturedMonday June 04 2007, 11:23 AM
Baytown Sun reports, "Each of the 350 students will receive a specially designed handheld computer on which they can type notes, exchange e-mails with teachers and fellow students, create and view customized graphic animations and multimedia presentations, present their projects to the class and research topics on the Internet."
State improves tracking of student performance, information
Date CapturedSunday June 03 2007, 10:18 AM
The Journal News reports, "Because every public school and charter school student has been given a unique 10-digit identification number, it is possible to track students as they move from school to school, anywhere in the state. That will help the state develop more accurate graduation and dropout rates. The system, which will be maintained by an outside contractor, also holds the promise of richer analysis of student performance. Musser said it would be possible, for example, to analyze the relationship between a pupil's performance on third-grade tests and his or her achievement in upper grades. Such research will help the state and schools develop education policy and help students who are poor performers in lower grades be able to pass high school Regents exams."
Testing students & teachers; An $80 million system to scrutinize student performance is scrutinized
Date CapturedSaturday June 02 2007, 8:54 AM
NY Daily News opines, "The critics are naysaying. Randi Weingarten, president of a teachers union whose members' strengths and weaknesses will be placed on view: 'How much teaching time is this eating up?' The head of the National Center for Fair and Open Testing: 'We've reduced schooling to preparing for bubble tests.' Kids in struggling schools and knee-jerk critics of education reform: When will they ever learn?"
Computers hacked at Hilton Head Island High
Date CapturedFriday June 01 2007, 7:03 PM
The Island Packet reports, "It’s unclear how a hacker could have penetrated the computer network to get access to the students’ attendance records, both Ryan and Hudson said. 'We thought we had put in as many stop-gaps as we could,' Ryan said. She said the records are maintained on a 'statewide database — it’s not a local system they hacked into.'”
OH, MANN! PREP SCHOOL GAGGED
Date CapturedFriday June 01 2007, 7:55 AM
NY Post reports, "Posh Riverdale prep school Horace Mann is giving its students an education in totalitarianism. The student newspaper The Record was banned from publishing two letters to the editor as well as an op-ed piece about the firing of Professor Andrew Trees."
Facing Federal Cuts, High School Yields to Military Recruiters
Date CapturedThursday May 31 2007, 10:13 AM
Daily Californian reports, "High schools are required to release the information of all juniors and seniors under the No Child Left Behind Act, passed in 2002. However, Berkeley High had not been releasing the data, instead giving students the option to elect to have their information passed on, Coplan [district spokesperson] said."
New Covenant's fate
Date CapturedThursday May 31 2007, 9:29 AM
Times Union opines, "Whatever meeting, or review, is planned should have been held long ago, before New Covenant officials decided to announce the school's closing. As for any new information that might be presented, it is beside the point. What matters is what has long been known about New Covenant -- some of the lowest test scores in the Capital Region and, in view of the State University of New York, which granted the charter, a chaotic environment. New Covenant has had time enough to prove itself. It hasn't."
TESTS SYSTEM E-ASIER
Date CapturedThursday May 31 2007, 8:49 AM
NY Post reports, "In a sense, it is like the Police Department's CompStat crime analysis tool for the classroom. And the data makes it easier for administrators to keep an eye on how teachers are performing, Klein said. For instance, if a disproportionate number of students get the same question wrong, that could be an indicator that a teacher needs coaching. Students and parents will also be given special accounts to go online and access individual results. All test results - whether taken on paper or on computer - will be online within five days. The system was designed by McGraw-Hill Companies and Scantron. It will eventually be incorporated into an even larger, $80 million database being developed by IBM that tracks results on all standardized tests. Teachers can create their own periodic assessment tests but can still track them on the database. They can also choose from a menu of ready-to-go assessment tests. Previous tests were 'one size fits all,' Klein said.
Vote on Buffalo superintendent pact angers newcomers
Date CapturedFriday May 25 2007, 9:46 AM
Buffalo News reports, "Board President Florence D. Johnson and a school system attorney refused to provide a copy of the contract extension Wednesday evening and Thursday, saying it had not been notarized. Camille Jobin-Davis, assistant director of the state Committee on Open Government, said Thursday that is not a legitimate reason to deny access. 'This is a public record,' she said. 'Whether or not it’s been notarized wouldn’t have a bearing. It should be made available.'”
School board e-mail exchange could violate open meeting law
Date CapturedThursday May 24 2007, 10:09 AM
Palo Alto Daily News reports, "Digital correspondence including the entire board 'comes very close to a Brown Act violation if it doesn't cross the line,' said Peter Scheer, executive director of the California First Amendment Coalition."
Ottumwa, IOWA school parents peeved over policy
Date CapturedThursday May 24 2007, 8:19 AM
The Ottumwa Courier reports, "The district’s attendance policy, which went district-wide the first day of this school year, allows a virtually unlimited amount of 'excused' absences approved by a doctor or school nurse. Parents can only keep a child out six days without proof. After six 'unexcused' absences, the district starts sending letters stressing the importance of attendance. Successive letters contain stronger, more insistent language. If those do not work, the district orders an attendance hearing with the parents. If ignored, they can bring in the county attorney. 'These are threats and strong-arm tactics that are going to alienate parents,' Runkle claims."
Library will censor Web viewing
Date CapturedThursday May 24 2007, 8:12 AM
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "The policy, which is expected to extend to all libraries in the county, calls for using the library's Internet filtering system to block all pornographic sites unless — after a written request — an administrator deems a site appropriate for a patron to view. But how the policy will be implemented and what librarians will deem pornographic remains unclear. And because both library boards didn't approve the policy, officials were unsure whether the new policy would extend to the Central Library. Also, it's uncertain what impact the policy would have on existing rules at town libraries, each of which has its own boards. The Rochester Public Library board, which oversees all city libraries, may vote next week on the policy. Its members didn't vote Wednesday, in part because they wanted more time to review the task force report."
Frequently Asked Questions about the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule
Date CapturedWednesday May 23 2007, 9:28 AM
The following FAQs are intended to supplement the compliance materials available on the FTC website.
How to Protect Kids' Privacy Online: A Guide for Teachers
Date CapturedWednesday May 23 2007, 9:21 AM
Whether playing, shopping, studying or just surfing, today's kids are taking advantage of all that the web has to offer. But when it comes to their personal information, who's in charge? The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, requires commercial website operators to get parental consent before collecting any personal information from kids under 13. COPPA allows teachers to act on behalf of a parent during school activities online, but does not require them to do so. That is, the law does not require teachers to make decisions about the collection of their students' personal information. Check to see whether your school district has a policy about disclosing student information. Here's a look at the basic provisions of the law and what they mean for you and your students.
Library panel: Keep Web-sites ban
Date CapturedWednesday May 23 2007, 8:41 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "Access to Web sites deemed pornographic would continue to be blocked at the Central Library of Rochester unless an administrator deemed a site appropriate for a patron to view, according to a task force's recommendation. The recommendation, to be released today and obtained Tuesday by the Democrat and Chronicle, seeks to appease Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks and quell her threat to pull $6.6 million in funding from the library over a longstanding policy that had let adult patrons — upon request and with no questions asked — unblock potentially inappropriate or pornographic Web sites."
E P I C A l e r t -- Volume 14.10 -- May 18, 2007
Date CapturedTuesday May 22 2007, 2:39 PM
Published by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) Washington, D.C.
Stony Brook posts personal info by mistake
Date CapturedTuesday May 22 2007, 8:57 AM
Newsday reports, "Instead of the usual fundraising pitch or another notice, letters sent to tens of thousands of Stony Brook University affiliates earlier this month contained disturbing news: The university had inadvertently posted their personal information on the Internet. The letters, dated May 7, said that during a Web site overhaul, the Health Sciences Center library had made public a long-dormant file containing the names and Social Security numbers of 89,853 current and former faculty, staff, students, alumni and others. The file had been stored on a university Web server from 2002 until it was inadvertently copied to a publicly accessible area."
Parents' rights supersede privacy law
Date CapturedMonday May 21 2007, 7:19 AM
Newsday contributor Carol R. Richards, Newsday's former deputy editorial page editor currently teaching journalism at Hofstra University opines, "The federal privacy law was written three decades ago to help elementary school parents get their hands on pupil records, but it has turned into an Iron Curtain between parents and collegians at times of need. As Murphy [Rep.] said, "The whole thing is: Shouldn't we err on the side of parents loving their kids?" Absolutely. "
IPS leak exposes fact of digital life; Experts: Schools especially at risk in security lapse
Date CapturedSunday May 20 2007, 9:46 AM
Indianapolis Star reports, "Indianapolis Public Schools students and staff got a new lesson on an old threat: This is going on your permanent record. The district's accidental exposure of personal information on about 7,500 students and some staff via the Internet illustrates the pitfalls of trying to keep such data under wraps -- and the cross-country maneuvering that has to be done to permanently erase it from the Web once it has been compromised. Social Security numbers, addresses, phone numbers, real estate transactions and other bits of information are easy to find on the Web -- sometimes even if they aren't intended to be. And schools, repositories for a vast amount of personal information, are particularly vulnerable to leaks if they don't properly secure their systems, experts say."
Baltimore school officials at risk of firing
Date CapturedSaturday May 19 2007, 8:52 AM
Baltimore Sun reports, "At a recent school board meeting, Gittings [president of the administrative union of Baltimore City public schools] said principals have trouble updating records because of high student turnover in city schools. He said that other systems do not have the same issues and that it can take up to a day to update just one student file."
Calling All Principals
Date CapturedFriday May 18 2007, 10:04 AM
The Queens Courier opines, "We say to all principals, it is up to you to set policy. Make the right choice in this issue and allow the kids to carry a cell phone to and from school. Let us not wait for a tragedy in our schools to change a wrong-headed policy made by Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Klein."
STATE OF NEW YORK COMMISSION OF INVESTIGATION CYBER CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN
Date CapturedFriday May 18 2007, 9:18 AM
Forum Guide to Protecting the Privacy of Student Information
Date CapturedMonday May 14 2007, 10:31 PM
See page 80 of document for opt form. See section II F for disclosure -- The Forum Guide to Protecting the Privacy of Student Information gives a general overview of privacy laws and professional practices that apply to the information collected for, and kept in, student records.
Section 3211 - Title IV, Article 65, Part I -- Records of attendance upon instruction
Date CapturedMonday May 14 2007, 9:00 PM
Sec. 3211. Records of attendance upon instruction. 1. Who shall keep such record. The teacher of every minor required by the provisions of part one of this article to attend upon instruction, or any other school district employee as may be designated by the commissioner of education under section three thousand twenty-four of this chapter, shall keep an accurate record of the attendance and absence of such minor. Such record shall be in such form as may be prescribed by the commissioner of education. 2. Certificates of attendance to be presumptive evidence. A duly certified transcript of the record of attendance and absence of a child which has been kept, as provided in this section, shall be accepted as presumptive evidence of the attendance of such child in any proceeding brought under the provisions of part one of this article. 3. Inspection of records of attendance. An attendance officer, or any other duly authorized representative of the school authorities, may at any time during school hours, demand the production of the records of attendance of minors required to be kept by the provisions of part one of this article, and may inspect or copy the same and make all proper inquiries of a teacher or principal concerning the records and the attendance of such minors. 4. Duties of principal or person in charge of the instruction of a minor. The principal of a school, or other person in charge of the instruction upon which a minor attends, as provided by part one of this article, shall cause the record of his attendance to be kept and produced and all appropriate inquiries in relation thereto answered as hereinbefore required. He shall give prompt notification in writing to the school authorities of the city or district of the discharge or transfer of any such minor from attendance upon instruction, stating the date of the discharge, its cause, the name of the minor, his date of birth, his place of residence prior to and following discharge, if such place of residence be known, and the name of the person in parental relation to the minor.
MAXIMIZING THE POWER OF EDUCATION DATA WHILE ENSURING COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL STUDENT PRIVACY LAWS: A GUIDE FOR STATE POLICYMAKERS
Date CapturedMonday May 14 2007, 5:39 PM
This issue brief was written by the managing partners of the Data Quality Campaign and based on the legal analysis by Steve Winnick, Scott Palmer and Art Coleman of Holland & Knight LLP. This issue analysis may serve as a guide to assist states as they build and use state longitudinal data systems in ways that comply with FERPA and fully protect the privacy rights of students and their parents.
STUDENT RECORDS -- NYSSBA Sample Policy 5500
Date CapturedMonday May 14 2007, 2:12 PM
Privacy and the Handling of Student Information in the Electronic Networked Environments of Colleges and Universities (ID: PUB3102)
Date CapturedMonday May 14 2007, 1:41 PM
This paper authored by CAUSE Task Force identifies the privacy challenges and opportunities of technology advances, presents a set of primary principles that underlie fair information practices, and recommends a process whereby a full spectrum of campus constituencies can be involved in discussions that will lead to a better understanding of campus culture and values with regard to these principles. Included in the principles discussion are related issues that arise in a networked environment, as well as examples of practices that represent lesser and greater application of the principles. Many helpful appendices are included. The paper was developed in cooperation with AACRAO.
A Blueprint for Handling Sensitive Data: Security, Privacy, and Other Considerations (ID: ESEM071)
Date CapturedMonday May 14 2007, 1:35 PM
Link to powerpoint presentation by H. Morrow Long and Krizi Trivisani -- Information security risks at colleges and universities present challenging legal, policy, technical, and operational issues. According to a recent study by the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research (ECAR), security incidents have resulted in compromises of personal information which have led to bad publicity and the potential for identity theft. Among the steps to protect sensitive data include an information security risk management program, data classification policies, clearly defined roles and responsibilities, awareness programs, and technology solutions among other interventions. This seminar presentation outlines a blueprint for protecting sensitive data according to the EDUCAUSE/Internet2 Security Task Force.
EDUCAUSE
Date CapturedMonday May 14 2007, 1:11 PM
EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology.
Protecting the Privacy of Student Records
Date CapturedSunday May 13 2007, 11:24 AM
Guidelines for Education Agencies -- NCES and National Forum on Education Statistics (1997)
School survey: Syracuse parents pleased
Date CapturedSunday May 13 2007, 7:53 AM
Post-Standard reports, "The first major survey in more than a decade of Syracuse school district parents shows about 75 percent of them - be they black, white, more educated or less educated - generally are satisfied with the education their children receive. On the flip side, about one-quarter of parents or guardians are not satisfied, and school environment and discipline are big concerns."
Chronology of Data Breaches
Date CapturedSaturday May 12 2007, 10:34 PM
UWF student records possibly compromised
Date CapturedSaturday May 12 2007, 10:03 PM
FOX News reports, "He [ Associate Vice President of Information Technology Michael Dieckmann] says because the account is a student's, who is also an employee, the breach opened up access to thousands of student records. 'We can tell exactly what was viewed and the potential and around 120, 130 students records were potentially compromised,' Dieckmann went on to say."
As Studies Stress Link to Scores, Districts Get Tough on Attendance
Date CapturedSaturday May 12 2007, 12:20 PM
Education Week reports, "Student attendance also has been a big focus in Buffalo and Rochester, N.Y. When officials of the 37,000-student Rochester district looked at attendance and achievement patterns, researchers found that students who had scored between 85 and 100 on the state English tests had attended school an average of 93 percent of the time. Students who scored below the 54th percentile had an 85 percent attendance rate. The district is now phasing in new minimum attendance requirements, shooting to hit 93 percent districtwide by 2004. Students are now required to attend school 85 percent of the time, or 153 days a year. The new policy would add the equivalent of 14 days of school. Rochester also is getting the community to help with its efforts. Attendance information is shared with community organizations such as the YMCA, city recreation programs, and churches so that they can help reinforce the commitment to school attendance. In addition, the city has coordinated a summer-jobs program for students who maintain at least C averages and who attend school at least 90 percent of the time. 'We must deconstruct the policies that encourage kids to miss or leave school, and construct the incentives to get them to stay,' said Clifford B. Janey, the superintendent of the Rochester schools. 'Attendance should be linked to achievement.' Meanwhile, Buffalo is already seeing gains that officials attribute to relatively simple adjustments in the district's attendance policy this fall. By stating a new minimum attendance rate—85 percent—and making it clear, for the first time, that students who fall short cannot take final exams, the district seems to be raising attendance. In report covering the first five weeks of the school year, one Buffalo high school's attendance rate went from 81 percent in the same period last year to 88 percent. The yearlong average-attendance rate for the school last year was 76 percent, which mean that one in every four students was absent. The 47,000-student Buffalo district is providing home visits for students who have health problems, and automated phone calls to homes for every absence. 'Children and families are making better choices,' said Susan Doyle, the principal of the Buffalo Traditional School and the chairwoman of the district's attendance committee. 'They're changing doctor's appointments, and students are coming to see me before and after school, not during classes.'"
Citywide Budget Data
Date CapturedWednesday May 09 2007, 10:30 AM
As part of the Fair Student Funding initiative, the Department of Education [New York City] is committed to providing more information about school funding levels. This data set shows details pertaining to preliminary school budgets for the 2007-2008 school year. Using this data set, you can see information for 1,391 of New York City’s schools regarding: 07-08 preliminary budget allocations 07-08 adjusted per capita data for comparison to previously released 05-06 data 07-08 Average Teacher Salary (ATS) This data set allows some comparison between different schools’ funding levels. However, the set is neither comprehensive nor perfect. It covers only funds that are recorded on the school budgets that principals monitor and control. Therefore, large amounts of money spent in schools on students do not appear here at all, including centrally funded administrative services such as food, transportation, maintenance, utilities; instructional supports, such as related services in special education’ and fringe benefits for school employees.
A check mark under 'tardy' for the state
Date CapturedTuesday May 08 2007, 9:35 AM
Times Union reports, "Typically, the state Education Department releases the data to the media in the form of lengthy computer files. Newspapers and other outlets then sift through the data and present it in a user-friendly form that allows for school-to-school and district-to-district comparisons. But as of Monday, the data hadn't been released to the media. Education Department officials did not say why, but did say it could be coming as soon as this week."
Manhattan School Survey Pushed Back
Date CapturedTuesday May 08 2007, 9:26 AM
NY Times reports, "The Department of Education has extended a deadline for surveys measuring satisfaction in the schools from May 18 to June 1, officials said. The surveys, for parents, teachers and students from grades 6 to 12, are part of a $2 million city effort."
Cell ban upheld - principals get leeway
Date CapturedTuesday May 08 2007, 9:15 AM
NY Daily News reports, "The city's controversial school cell phone ban will stand - but principals may make exceptions, a Manhattan judge ruled yesterday. Judge Lewis Stone wrote in a 50-page decision that the Education Department's cell phone policy is not unconstitutional."
Illinois Efforts to Promote Internet Safety Education for School Age Children
Date CapturedTuesday May 08 2007, 9:08 AM
Government Technology reports, "Joined by educators from Chicago Public Schools (CPS), CPS Board President Rufus Williams and area lawmakers, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan unveiled new and concentrated measures designed to help protect today's school children from threats not known to school kids of just a few years ago: online predators and other criminals that use the Internet to perpetrate crimes against children."
School budgets too fat
Date CapturedMonday May 07 2007, 10:39 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle opines, "In most districts, voters will make the final call. They've generally been kind over the years when schools propose bumps, even large ones, in spending and taxes. But this is the year to be especially scrupulous in examining the rationale for school increases, attending public hearings, asking informed questions and showing up to vote on May 15. School boards and superintendents, for their part, should schedule more hearings than usual and give the electorate answers to the unavoidable question: Why, if you're getting more money from the state, are you raising property taxes to the extent you are? The answers may satisfy you, and, in some cases, the higher local spending may be justified. But demand details — and reject spin."
Law gives parents more access to childrens' incident reports
Date CapturedMonday May 07 2007, 8:42 AM
AP reports, "A key provision of 'Jonathan's Law' will require residential health facilities to notify parents and guardians within 24 hours of incidents affecting the health and safety of their children. The law will require facilities to provide parents and guardians with incident reports upon request and it will give parents access to records pertaining to allegations of patient abuse or mistreatment."
When school workers are arrested, parents deserve real answers
Date CapturedSunday May 06 2007, 9:22 AM
The Journal News reports, "When school district employees are removed from a classroom, put on paid leave and have criminal charges filed against them, residents of a school community might have a few questions about what is going on in their schools."
Inform parents -- government policies must not keep families in the dark
Date CapturedFriday May 04 2007, 8:25 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle opines, "Unfortunately, it took the death of a child to alert government to the flaws in a law that left parents on the outside looking in. This should be a wake-up call to the state and government at all levels to ensure that laws and policies are clear when it comes to parents and minor children: parents are to be told about matters large, small and in-between. The state must facilitate the bond between child and parent. Not break it."
ACLU Urges Rhode Island Supreme Court to Review Truancy Courts
Date CapturedThursday May 03 2007, 9:32 AM
The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island today asked the state Supreme Court to review a case that raises fundamental questions about the procedures used by so-called “truancy courts” that prosecute students who are absent from school. The ACLU filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case arguing that essential due process safeguards are absent from the operation of these courts, which have become increasingly prevalent in public schools across the state. “The ACLU is very concerned about the increasing numbers of parents and children pulled into the truancy court system,” said Amy Tabor, an ACLU cooperating attorney and author of today’s brief. “Some school districts treat children as truant whenever they arrive at school a few minutes late, even though their lateness has resulted in only a few minutes of missed homeroom.”
Some Access to Student Finance Data Is Restored
Date CapturedThursday May 03 2007, 8:40 AM
NY Times reports, "The department outlined a series of new security procedures yesterday in a letter sent to 35 guarantors. To get into the database, guarantors will have to provide the names of employees who will be given access, along with certification that the company will comply with access rules."
Schools seek money, clarification of privacy laws to become safer
Date CapturedWednesday May 02 2007, 9:26 AM
The Journal News reports, "Meanwhile, the head of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities said state and federal lawmakers need to give more direction about when schools can notify families without violating student privacy."
Rochester city schools will falter if leaders get faulty data on pupil progress
Date CapturedWednesday May 02 2007, 9:07 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle guest essayist Cynthia Elliott, Rochester Board of Education member opines, "There is no doubt in my mind that people genuinely want to help our children succeed. But that involvement will be ineffective and our goal of 100 percent graduation rates will not be realized if we don't have accurate information. Only with accurate information can we even begin to entertain the strategies to achieve academic excellence."
Editorial: Where are you now?
Date CapturedTuesday May 01 2007, 8:58 AM
The Post (Ohio) reports, "Big Brother is watching, and he wants to know why you didn’t show up for your math class all last week. Ohio University’s Student Help Center has paired up with Residence Life to keep track of student class attendance. Using swipe-card technology — used in some science, math and art classes in Morton and Walter Halls — resident assistants are notified when one of their residents misses two consecutive classes (a not-so-uncommon occurrence) in the same course. The resident assistants are then required to check on the students."
How'd You Do In School Today?
Date CapturedTuesday May 01 2007, 8:33 AM
Washington Post reports, "Sherry Turkle, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor, warns against 'overtechnologizing.' A grade-tracking system like Edline, Turkle says, 'sounds to me terribly intrusive.' The best way for parents and students to communicate is to talk about what is going on at school, she says. "When you just see a grade as a number, it's not necessarily opening the possibility of dialogue. Potentially it's closing down dialogue." Turkle says Edline reminds her of the panopticon, an 18th-century idea for a specially designed building that would enable jailers to watch prisoners without the prisoners knowing they were being observed. The panopticon has become a metaphor for Big Brother."
Teachers find adjusting to technology a real education
Date CapturedTuesday May 01 2007, 8:17 AM
Times Herald-Record reports, "Education is way behind, Richardson said. Business and the media, even politics, have adjusted to the wave of technology and its changes. Students have changed as well: 55 percent of them use social networking sites such as MySpace or Facebook; 57 percent of students have created material for the Internet. They use information sites like Wikipedia. They blog and send instant messages, create videos and more."
Schools survey sez... $3.3M plan will quiz all PS teachers, students & parents for overall grade
Date CapturedTuesday May 01 2007, 7:37 AM
NY Daily News reports, "In anonymous surveys going out this week, parents will describe their perceptions of schools, while teachers will rate their principals - and reveal whether parents respond to calls home. And kids in grades six through 12 will rate the quality of their assignments and disclose whether their classmates are in gangs or use drugs."
FREE SPEECH ON TRIAL CAMPUS ALERT
Date CapturedMonday April 30 2007, 7:58 AM
NY Post op-ed contributor The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (thefire.org), a nonprofit group dedicated to defending constitutional rights at U.S. colleges and universities opines, "Potential sanctions include the official dissolution of the paper. Whether one agrees with the content of these articles, they are unquestionably clear examples of core political speech."
Districts misreported 4-year graduation rates
Date CapturedSaturday April 28 2007, 10:02 AM
Times Union reports, "Musser and Alan Ray, another spokesman for the Education Department, said the state is unaware of any more districts with similar problems, although some have called in with questions about the data since it was made public on Wednesday. 'The problem is there are always a few that don't pay attention until they see it in the media,' said Ray.
North Carolina district unveils warning system
Date CapturedFriday April 27 2007, 8:47 AM
Rocky Mountain Telegram reports, "The system, which is used at more than 8,500 sites nationwide, allows schools to send four types of messages: community outreach, emergency communication, attendance notification and school surveys."
We can stem truancy with community effort
Date CapturedWednesday April 25 2007, 9:53 AM
Indianapolis Star opines, "Gaylon Nettles, the state [Indiana] Department of Education's chief attendance officer, is right in noting that neither parents nor schools can stem truancy on their own. It will take a strong community effort to keep children on the path to improving their educational and economic destinies.
State targets districts to boost performance
Date CapturedWednesday April 25 2007, 9:30 AM
Times Herald-Record reports, "The contracts require the districts to spend a big chunk of their state aid on programs that boost student academic performance. The booster programs are targeted at full-day prekindergarten and kindergarten, reducing class size, lenghtening school days, improving the quality of teachers and principals and restructuring middle and high schools. Additional accountability measures will permit parents and the community to see where and how the money is spent and what the results are, the state said."
Senators Discuss Preventing College Attacks
Date CapturedTuesday April 24 2007, 9:08 AM
NY Times reports, "Much of the testimony focused on the difficulty of securing campuses that are essentially small towns and the challenges of balancing the rights of individuals to privacy with the need for community safety. Senator Susan Collins of Maine, the committee’s ranking Republican, questioned witnesses about whether they believed that some of the laws that govern privacy of medical and school records needed to be changed. None had a ready answer, but they agreed that the most difficult situations involved students who were clearly troubled yet refused treatment. They also agreed that university officials often hesitated to act because they feared litigation."
Local colleges evaluate safety in wake of Virginia Tech
Date CapturedMonday April 23 2007, 9:33 AM
Newsday reports, "Even before last week's massacre at Virginia Tech, colleges and universities across Long Island had been quietly upgrading campus security for years. Even so, Virginia Tech is a new wake-up call, and it has spurred college officials and local police to re-evaluate security, in particular how to respond to an emergency."
School districts advised to protect computer data
Date CapturedSunday April 22 2007, 9:43 AM
Times Herald-Record reports, "Threats to computer data pose a major challenge to school district financial controls, according to a top state official."
Saving 'No Child Left Behind' From Itself
Date CapturedSaturday April 21 2007, 3:01 PM
Fox News reports Dan Lips, education analyst, The Heritage Foundation, "Under the new approach, states would be free to use federal education funds as they see fit, provided they maintain student testing to assess their progress and make the test results publicly available. Some NCLB supporters charge that the conservative plan would undermine accountability. Sandy Kress, a former Bush administration education adviser, protested: 'Republicans used to stand for rigor and standards, but no money for education. Now they seem to be for the money, but no standards.'”
Duffy, Rivera meet to mend fences
Date CapturedFriday April 20 2007, 9:13 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "Mayor Robert Duffy, outgoing city school Superintendent Manuel Rivera and city and school district officials met Thursday to clear the air over requests for information concerning the academic achievement of students and the funding and operation of city schools. The meeting is the first since City Hall filed an open records request for and obtained a list of items from the district, including graduation and suspension rates, central office salaries and bonuses, and various district policies."
Laws Limit Options When a Student Is Mentally Ill
Date CapturedThursday April 19 2007, 9:14 AM
NY Times TAMAR LEWIN reports, "For the most part, universities cannot tell parents about their children’s problems without the student’s consent. They cannot release any information in a student’s medical record without consent. And they cannot put students on involuntary medical leave, just because they develop a serious mental illness. Nor is knowing when to worry about student behavior, and what action to take, always so clear."
SUNY EYEING TEXT-MESSAGE ALARM SYSTEM
Date CapturedThursday April 19 2007, 8:40 AM
NY Post reports, "The SUNY system is "actively considering" mandating that all of its 64 campuses adopt emergency text-messaging programs that could instantly warn students via their cellphones in the event of a massacre like the one at Virginia Tech, officials said. SUNY - which has more than 417,000 students - may also adopt a 'reverse 911 system,' in which students and staff would be called en masse on their cellphones with 'a specific' voice message about a threat or emergency, said SUNY spokesman David Henahan yesterday."
Education Department bars lenders from using student database
Date CapturedWednesday April 18 2007, 9:19 AM
AP reports, "Spellings said during the temporary suspension, the department would conduct a review of who is using the database and why. Since 2003, she said, the department has invested more than $650,000 in system security and monitoring tools and processes to ensure the integrity of student information."
California Senate OKs bill banning student monitoring devices
Date CapturedTuesday April 17 2007, 8:08 PM
AP reports, "Legislation approved Monday by the [California] state Senate would ban public schools from using radio-wave devices containing personal information about students to take attendance and monitor students' movement around campus."
Our school districts often keep secrets
Date CapturedMonday April 16 2007, 8:54 AM
Times Herald-Record Steve Israel writes, "When something is glossed over or covered up, rumors fly. When those rumors aren't addressed immediately, they grow. Soon, folks doubt administrators and board members — just like they doubt all elected officials."
Break Rochester city-school ice
Date CapturedMonday April 16 2007, 8:46 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle opines, "Now that the City School District has provided the information requested by Mayor Duffy about the district, the two should come together for a meaningful dialogue. It's unfortunate that it took the city filing a Freedom of Information Law request to obtain the information — graduation and suspension rates, district policies and salary and bonus information — but now's the time for officials to work toward a consensus on finances and school performance."
Rochester city schools release records
Date CapturedSaturday April 14 2007, 5:55 PM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "An initial look at the other data finds: Total state aid to the City School District has increased from $293.7 million in 2003-04 to a projected $366.6 million for the coming year. Average attendance among secondary school students was 84.4 percent during the last school year. The goal is to achieve 93 percent by 2009-10. An earlier district policy required students to achieve that mark in 2003-04 to get a passing grade. Sixty-five percent of students who started kindergarten in the district in 1993-94 graduated in 2005-06, accounting for students who legally transferred out of the district."
Forum on Web access at library draws 100-plus
Date CapturedFriday April 13 2007, 9:00 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "Censorship or public safety. Political diversion or responsible leadership. The debate involves Internet access at the Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County — specifically, County Executive Maggie Brooks' threat to pull funding unless the library stops allowing adult patrons to view pornographic and other sites blocked by its filtering system."
Don't rush school accountability measures
Date CapturedTuesday April 10 2007, 9:33 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle opines, "The contracts for excellence don't mean much if districts are offered enticing new piles of categorical aid — money for such things as class size reduction and teacher quality — but aren't told with clarity how their progress will be assessed. The narrow windows are yet another consequence of a budget process that starts too late. If Spitzer and the Legislature had cut a deal on schools early in the session, the regulations for the contracts could have been properly prepared and vetted by now. In the absence of that, the state should take pains to work with districts on accountability measures that not only are fair but are given a public airing. "
High school attendance, discipline, grades available to parents online
Date CapturedSunday April 08 2007, 4:40 PM
Eagle Tribune (MA) reports, "The program also includes student biographical information, some of which, Hill admitted, is incorrect. He's hoping making that information available to parents will help clear up those errors."
Computer security issues cited in Webster schools
Date CapturedFriday April 06 2007, 9:54 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "The audit released this week has been discussed with school officials who have responded with a plan to correct the problems. Some of the changes have already been implemented. Last summer, auditors found that the district's network server computers and other equipment were installed in 13 separate rooms throughout the district. Only three of the rooms were locked and only one was equipped with an adequate cooling and ventilation system. Auditors found that the district's system of passwords was inadequate. The district did not require employees to use complex passwords and users were not required to change passwords periodically. The district's financial software also does not turn off after being inactive for a period of time. As a result, users often stay logged on throughout the day, even when they were not at their computers, which increases the risk of unauthorized users accessing the computer system and the data stored there."
Internet Safety: Newest School Subject
Date CapturedWednesday April 04 2007, 3:09 PM
VOA reports, "More and more schools across the country are taking on the task of teaching Internet safety to students and parents. School officials are stepping in, even though the online luring or harassment is primarily happening off campus."
Schools say no to Rochester Mayor Duffy request
Date CapturedWednesday April 04 2007, 9:24 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "Mayor Robert Duffy's request for information from the school district is a moot point and will not receive a response, district officials said Tuesday. But an incensed City Hall is not backing down and intends to take the unprecedented step of filing a Freedom of Information Law, or open records, request to get the data. City spokesman Gary Walker said he plans to hand-deliver a copy of the request today. Duffy wrote Superintendent Manual Rivera on March 1 requesting a bevy of information, including graduation and suspension rates, various district policies as well as salaries and bonuses paid to central office employees. The mayor wrote that he needed the information to help decide on the appropriate funding level for the district. The city has provided the district $119.1 million each of the past three years. But Duffy has been hammering on the district's poor graduation rates, currently worst in the state. For its part, the district has argued that improvements at the elementary school level are signs of progress."
Public has right to bus-stop data
Date CapturedMonday April 02 2007, 10:02 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal opines, "Freeman [Committee on Open Government] says the names of the reviewers should have been identified. It's not always easy to get volunteers to sit on school committees and, thus, officials may be inclined to shield them from a possible public backlash when they do. But Freeman said they were performing a governmental function. As he often does in these cases, Freeman pointed out the Freedom of Information Law is based upon a presumption of access. He is correct. If the bus routes are to remain as is, the public should at least have all relevant information about the decision-making process that led to these results."
Pornography at library: X-rated Web sites don't belong
Date CapturedFriday March 23 2007, 9:57 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle guest essayist Michele Child opines, "Unfortunately, we live in a society where we must protect our children at all costs. A library is a place where children and families gather. If the Central Library chooses to unlock the filters to allow access to pornographic Web sites, then it shouldn't take taxpayer money."
Pornography at library: Do not install filters; they block both good, bad sites
Date CapturedFriday March 23 2007, 9:52 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle contributor Kelly Cheatle, discussion leader at ROCmoms.com, and co-leader of Mothers & More Rochester opines, "In order to access all of your constitutionally protected information, these inadequate filters must be deactivated. The Central Library's policy, which allows patrons to turn off filtering software, satisfies the Children's Internet Protection Act guidelines attached to federal funding the library needs. However, for now, no pornographic sites are available to anyone until the board decides whether to amend the policy. Do I personally think that people should misuse the library's policy to view pornography? No, but I am responsible only for my choices, and for a time, my children's choices. The best way for me to protect both my children and my First Amendment rights is to monitor my children when they're in the library — and not the viewing habits of all the other patrons."
Movies in class are a waste of time
Date CapturedThursday March 22 2007, 9:04 AM
Times Herald-Record opines, "Some teachers at Newburgh Free Academy are upset with a new school policy that requires them to ask permission before using a film in class. The teachers call this censorship. That's because you get a lot more attention shouting 'censorship' than you do shouting 'bureaucracy.' The teachers complained that the new policy would prevent them from using controversial films as a way to discuss important issues in class. But what it really does is force the teachers to justify the use of class time to view films. Judging by the way films have been used in Newburgh recently, those are very legitimate concerns for the parents and the administration."
On Large Scale Student Databases
Date CapturedTuesday March 20 2007, 10:21 AM
Inside Higher Ed contributor John V. Lombardi, chancellor and a professor of history at the University of Massachusetts Amherst writes, "When particular categories of data are used for accountability purposes, institutions will change what they do, because institutional behavior tends to match whatever is measured. If we measure SAT scores, institutions work to increase the average SAT scores; if we measure graduation rates, institutions will do what it takes to graduate students; if we measure sports success, everyone wants a successful sports program. For this reason the quality, characteristics and type of data collected and used in any student unit record system on a national basis assume fundamental significance."
SCHOOL BOOK UPROAR
Date CapturedMonday March 19 2007, 8:42 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "A group of Korean-American parents is demanding an award-winning memoir be yanked from libraries and reading lists at city middle schools because of what they say are historically distorted, racist and sexually explicit passages. The book, 'So Far from the Bamboo Grove,' is the story of an 11-year-old Japanese girl's perilous escape from World War II Korea, in which she witnesses brutality at the hands of Koreans, including the rapes of young girls and the tossing of a dead infant from a moving train."
Little Consistency in Bus Safety Standards
Date CapturedSunday March 18 2007, 8:58 AM
NY Times reports, "Nationally, about 25 million children ride school buses to and from school, and a study released in November showed that bus-related accidents account for about 17,000 injuries a year — more than most previous studies, which used data from different sources. There are about 20 deaths a year involving drivers and students on school buses or in loading zones, the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies of Sciences said. 'No one had ever taken a look at the entire spectrum of injuries before,' said the senior author of the study, Dr. Gary A. Smith, the director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. The study looked at emergency room visits for school-bus-related injuries from 2001 through 2003. It found a total of 51,000 injuries, 3 percent serious enough to require admission to the hospital. (The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, using information from a sampling of school districts, has estimated 8,500 to 12,000 injuries a year.) Most injuries occurred in September and October and involved children 10 to 14 years old. About 42 percent of the injuries involved another motor vehicle coming in contact with the bus, Dr. Smith said. More than half the injuries to children younger than 10 were to the head; lower-extremity injuries were the highest in children 10 to 19."
School meeting minutes put online
Date CapturedSaturday March 17 2007, 10:22 AM
Observer-Dispatch (Utica) reports, "Nearly half of local school districts now post Board of Education meeting minutes online, and several other districts might be heading in that direction, according to an Observer-Dispatch survey. Districts who make minutes available online say it's an easy way to ensure the public has access to the information at any time. And the idea won praise from a state Committee on Open Government official, who said posting information might save district staff time processing Freedom of Information requests."
Latinos Online: Hispanics with lower levels of education and English proficiency remain largely disconnected from the internet
Date CapturedThursday March 15 2007, 6:28 PM
By Susannah Fox, Pew Internet & American Life Project and Gretchen Livingston, Pew Hispanic Center find, "Differences in levels of education and English proficiency explain much of the difference in internet usage between Hispanics and non-Hispanics. Internet use is uniformly low for whites (32%), Hispanics (31%), and African Americans (25%) who have not completed high school. However, 41% of Latino adults have not finished high school, compared with about one in ten non-Hispanic whites and one in five African Americans. The same pattern is evident at the other end of the spectrum of educational attainment. College-educated adults all have equally high levels (about 90%) of internet use regardless of race or ethnicity, yet the college educated make up a smaller share of the Latino population when compared with non-Hispanics. Language is also a powerful factor, as internet use is much higher among Latinos who speak and read English fluently than among those who have limited English abilities or who only speak Spanish. Language is not an issue in the white and black populations as the shares of adults with limited English abilities is quite small. A statistical analysis of the survey results shows education and language are each highly significant factors when other differences in group characteristics are taken into account. When the different levels of language or education are controlled statistically, Hispanics and non-Hispanics show similar levels of internet use."
Focus on school district access; Watchdog group reaches out to educate public on right to know
Date CapturedThursday March 15 2007, 8:11 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "A fledgling education watchdog group has announced an outreach program to improve accountability in the Rochester School District. According to the Rochester Fund for Educational Accountability, its mission is to educate parents and taxpayers on their right to public information."
Access and Storage of Knowledge in the New Millennium: The Google Book Search Library Project and the Future of Libraries
Date CapturedTuesday March 13 2007, 7:29 PM
by Jacob Rooksby. Author writes, "In December of 2004, the publicly traded search engine giant Google announced that it had completed deals with five major libraries to digitize all or parts of their collections. The 'Google 5,' as these libraries came to be known, include four university libraries (Michigan, Stanford, Harvard, and Oxford) as well as one public library (the New York Public Library). Since the initial announcement, four other university libraries have joined the Google 5, including libraries within the University of California system, the Complutense University of Madrid, the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and the University of Virginia. The purpose of the mass digitization, or 'Google Book Search Library Project' as Google calls it, is to allow anyone with Internet access the ability to search for and locate books online. Google’s ultimate goal is to add over 15 million library volumes to its electronic index over the next decade, at an estimated cost of $150 million." Teachers College Record, Date Published: January 11, 2007. http://www.tcrecord.org ID Number: 12913, Date Accessed: 3/13/2007 7:30:32 PM
Education: Voucher skirmish seeps into schools
Date CapturedTuesday March 13 2007, 8:53 AM
The Salt Lake Tribune reports, "School voucher supporters are questioning when and if Utahns determined to put the voucher question before voters can legally gather petition signatures at public schools. But voucher critics, who include many education and PTA officials, say they are operating within the law, and defend their petitioning of supporters during recent parent-teacher conferences. 'We legally can collect signatures at schools because we don't work for the schools,' said Utah PTA President Carmen Snow, whose group is among those behind the push to get the voucher question on a ballot. They have until early next month to get 92,000 signatures to qualify for a referendum that would put vouchers up for a vote on a date to be decided by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr."
Agencies faulted on Web use
Date CapturedMonday March 12 2007, 7:06 AM
AP reports, "A few agencies, particularly the Education Department and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, bucked the trend and showed the benefits of using the Internet, the study found. Blanton [director of John S. and James L. Knight Foundation] cited NASA, which posts comprehensive guidance on freedom of information access, as a prime example of effective use of the Web. The study singled out as particularly egregious offenders the Department of Veterans Affairs, one of the departments that gets the most requests for information; the Defense Department, particularly the Air Force; the Interior Department; the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; and the Small Business Administration."
New York City Schools Turn To Business Intelligence For Help
Date CapturedSaturday March 10 2007, 11:46 AM
Information Week reports, "The deal, already controversial in New York, likely will face more scrutiny as details are revealed. IBM says ARIS will be a highly secure system, but some parents may voice concerns about a Big Brother approach to tracking the performance of more than 1 million students. And some parties feel the money could be put to better use."
E-mails, Web sites provide parents easier access to district information
Date CapturedFriday March 09 2007, 8:18 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "Shortly after he became superintendent of the Webutuck School District, Richard Johns started sending out e-mails called the 'Key Communicator.' Gian Stagnaro relies on the periodic messages from the district to keep him apprised of issues and events."
SUNY chief hears business views on university role
Date CapturedFriday March 09 2007, 7:40 AM
Press-Republican reports, "In the North Country, particularly, goals include developing more small-business and entrepreneurial opportunities and increasing broadband access and online training, [SUNY Chancellor Ryan] he said. 'The importance of putting in broadband infrastructure is crucial.' 'The key thing we have been fighting for is the importance of high-speed broadband, which allows us to do long-distance learning,' said Allen Dunham, chair of the North Country Workforce Investment Board. That would decrease traveling for training opportunities, assist hospitals with imaging needs and provide incentive for students to stay in the area after graduation and land jobs locally, among other things, he said. Other topics that participants said were discussed Thursday included the role of SUNY in providing support for communities and economic developers, the role of colleges in workforce development, how the business community can take better advantage of innovation and invention being produced at SUNY schools and what support emerging technology companies need from SUNY and the state."
SUNY Chancellor erred in holding local closed-door session
Date CapturedFriday March 09 2007, 7:30 AM
Press-Republican opines, "By barring the public from these most public discussions, [SUNY Chancellor Ryan] he turned an opportunity for real dialogue into an elitist gathering that will reflect the interests of only one small segment of the population it serves — if, indeed, that segment is served by SUNY at all. Many of the wealthy in the business community spurn SUNY for their children in favor of the more prestigious private institutions." The Press-Republic adds, "We were told that a couple of weeks ago, Gov. Spitzer held a similar meeting, himself, with business leaders in Manhattan."
New York City Schools Attendance Memo re: Law and Policy
Date CapturedWednesday March 07 2007, 1:21 PM
The New York City Department of Education is committed to the academic success and social development of all students. Our objective for the 2006 – 2007 school year is to ensure that all students are provided with the necessary intervention and supports that encourage regular school attendance. Regular attendance is critical to successful achievement in school. Conversely, poor attendance is one of the most significant indicators of potential risk. It is our goal to ensure that students are provided with every available resource to support and facilitate their successful completion of school. To this end, the accurate tracking of student attendance is fundamental to the implementation of effective educational services. The Department of Education has established a clearly defined system for recording, tracking and monitoring school attendance. This system is supported and implemented by a series of attendance guidelines and procedures set forth in Chancellor’s Regulations, State Education Laws, and descriptive memoranda distributed to school staff. This Memorandum provides information about attendance law and policy, attendance procedures for this school year, the implementation of attendance services, clearance of register procedures, revised procedures for addressing student absences, requirements for reporting educational neglect and child abuse, and discharge and transfer procedures including the process for conducting and tracking planning interviews on the ATS system. Additionally information about, “ILOG” the new student intervention screen on ATS, will be provided.
THE CASE OF THE MISSING TEACHERS
Date CapturedWednesday March 07 2007, 8:17 AM
NY Post opines on NYC schools database, "New York City's public schools employ the equivalent of 83,000 full-time teachers to instruct 1.1 million kids. That's 13.25 kids per teacher. Wait, you say - classes are larger than that. Right. So where are all the teachers hiding? Think maybe the database might be useful in finding them? And make it easier to herd a bunch of them back into the classroom - you know, to teach?"
Big brother is looming; $80M computer to track kids and educators in detail
Date CapturedTuesday March 06 2007, 7:18 AM
NY Daily News Erin Einhorn reports, "The system will combine existing data on kids - from a child's gender and race to whether he or she needs special education services to the name of his or her third-grade teacher - with new data to be generated from annual state exams and interim tests given to kids every four to six weeks. The interim tests measure whether kids havemastered specific skills, such as multiplying fractions or distinguishing fact from opinion, at different times of the year. Teachers will be able to see an entire classroom of results at once. Principals will be able to see an entire school. Parents eventually will have access to their own kids' data plus summary facts about their child's school, the results of parent, student and teacher surveys and details about how their school scored on annual reviews."
A poseur for parents
Date CapturedTuesday March 06 2007, 6:58 AM
NY Daily News opines, "The United Federation of Teachers is orchestrating a vocal, visible campaign that casts Bloomberg's reforms as the work of inept bureaucrats. And, give her credit, UFT President Randi Weingarten has done a masterful job of pulling together a Noah's Ark of advocates and packaging them as the one true voice of city parents."
Site to reveal Florida teachers' discipline; The state wants parents to have easier access to records about professional wrongdoing
Date CapturedSaturday March 03 2007, 1:33 PM
Orlando Sentinel reports, "That information already is public and shared with Florida's 67 school districts. But it will be easier for parents to find once the new Web site, MyFloridaTeacher.com, is up and running. Using what has become one of the watchwords of Gov. Charlie Crist's administration, Blomberg said the Web site would make teacher discipline more 'transparent.' It also should help ensure that teachers who've lost their Florida licenses for misconduct in one district are not hired in another, she added."
Ohio local district considers new book selection policy for teachers
Date CapturedFriday March 02 2007, 10:03 AM
AP reports, "A school board is considering a new policy to guide teachers’ book selections that would require them to support their choices with professional reviews and provide as many as six titles for parents to choose instead. The book summaries would have to come from an outside organization with a scholarly view, such as the American Library Association, and include information about the age or grade level for which the text is appropriate, said Eric Gordon, executive director of secondary learning for Olentangy Local Schools in suburban Columbus. The proposed policy, presented to the board this week, was sparked by parents’ concerns over the content of books that the district had intended to use last year, Gordon said."
ASCB Position on Public Access to Scientific Literature
Date CapturedThursday March 01 2007, 5:38 PM
The American Society for Cell Biology is a nonprofit scientific society of over 11,000 members at leading research institutions, state colleges, undergraduate teaching institutions, and biotechnology companies. The major activities of the Society include organization of influential scientific meetings in cell biology, advocacy for sound science policy, and programs that support the careers of women and underrepresented minorities in basic biomedical research. The ASCB is also a publisher. The Society’s publications include the high-impact monthly research journal, Molecular Biology of the Cell.
Cincinnati district withholding info out of privacy concerns
Date CapturedThursday March 01 2007, 9:35 AM
AP reports, "Distributing a list of student names, addresses and phone numbers would make the information a public record open to anyone, district spokeswoman Janet Walsh said. Concerns about identity theft, sexual predators and custody issues are changing which information parents want released, Walsh said."
Educated opinions important part of education
Date CapturedThursday March 01 2007, 8:11 AM
Arizona State University Web Devil opines, "In summary, as an effort to prevent teachers from expressing or advocating political opinions in classrooms, legislators have introduced a bill that would make it illegal for teachers to take a stand on controversial issues, require schools to educate faculty, students and their families on such policies. The bill also outlines penalties for violations."
Academic Bill of Rights is a no go at Plattsburgh State
Date CapturedMonday February 26 2007, 8:00 AM
Press Republican reports, "Author and right-wing activist David Horowitz introduced the Academic Bill of Rights in 2001 as an attempt to eliminate perceived liberal bias on college campuses. Proponents say it aims to prevent a professor from sitting in class and telling students that, for example, President Bush is evil and the Iraq war is only about oil."
Democrats Pledge: No Vouchers in NCLB
Date CapturedSaturday February 24 2007, 3:17 PM
Heartland Institute School Reform News Dan Lips writes, "On January 23, Bush announced plans to include expanded school choice options in NCLB, including: requiring underperforming schools to offer scholarships to low-income students, to allow them to transfer to the private or out-of-district public schools of their choice; providing federal funds for school boards to expand local school choice options for low-income families; and using federal funds to make sure schools inform parents about choice options in their communities in a timely manner."
Pusillanimous Pace
Date CapturedTuesday January 16 2007, 5:44 AM
NY Post opines, "In any event, if the school were truly committed to freedom of expression, the only 'dialogue' needed would be to convey one simple message: Anyone thinking of disrupting the film or committing violence will face severe repercussions. End of discussion. Officials could have used the occasion to make it absolutely clear that no one at Pace can be barred from showing a film - even if it's not a left-wing film. But that wasn't the goal. (Again, Pace is not unique in this regard. Consider how Columbia University responded to violence there last October that kept the founder of the Minutemen Project - a group favoring tough control of U.S. borders - from speaking. New York is still waiting for meaningful action.)"
New York City Education Department Becomes an Open Book
Date CapturedTuesday January 16 2007, 5:37 AM
NY Post David Andreatta writes, "After four years of landmark changes to the school system, the Department of Education is preparing to turn over mounds of data related to its most radical reforms to independent researchers, The Post has learned. A list of top priorities for the new Research Partnership for New York City Schools includes examining the controversial academy for training principals, empowerment schools, and changes to the high-school admissions process."
Emotions high at hearing over schools' axing
Date CapturedMonday January 15 2007, 3:52 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Each of the targeted schools had a graduation rate below 45% - a statistic that Region 6 Superintendent Jean-Claude Brizard called 'unacceptable.' Creating small schools 'is the best way to change the tide and to change it quickly,' he said. Some in the audience agreed, but opposed the decision-making process."
SUNY beats deadline by Webcasting meeting
Date CapturedFriday January 12 2007, 5:54 AM
Uticaod.com reports on an executive order to webcast meetings, "'This is an enormous undertaking,' said Gregory Benson, executive director of the New York State Forum at the Rockefeller Institute of Government. Other questions include: •Can the Webcasts just be audio, or do they have to be audio and video, which would allow viewers to see who was speaking? •Do they have to comply with state standards for accessibility? If no special provisions were made, a blind person, for example, might not be able in many cases to identify the speaker. As for money, state officials said there is no way of knowing at this time of what the total price tag will be."
SUNY trustees to make meetings available on Web
Date CapturedThursday January 11 2007, 9:18 AM
The Business Review (Albany) reports, "'Increasing access to SUNY meetings will better inform the public about how we educate students, strengthen economic development and train New York's work force,' [Chancellor] Ryan said. 'The more the public knows about SUNY, the stronger will be their support for public higher education.'"
Supreme Court hears Washington state teachers' union case
Date CapturedThursday January 11 2007, 4:01 AM
Washington Times reports, "Washington state in 1992 adopted a campaign-finance law that requires labor unions to annually ask members whether part of their union dues could be used for political purposes. Workers then could request a refund if they said no. But last year the state's high court struck down the law, saying that requiring the union to get specific consent from each worker was burdensome and infringed on the union's First Amendment rights."
New Jersey Education board 'plain language' bill is sent to gov
Date CapturedWednesday January 10 2007, 9:23 PM
The Jersey Journal reports, "Under the bill, each local school board would be required to fill out a form provided by the state that spells out budget and salary information in plain language." Additionally, "The law would mandate the details of administrators' pay packages be spelled out in plain language, and would require school boards to hold public hearings before amending the contract of an administrator."
Recruiting rules at schools changed
Date CapturedWednesday January 10 2007, 12:37 PM
AP reports, "In settling a lawsuit brought last year by the New York Civil Liberties Union, the government agreed it will no longer disseminate student information to law enforcement, intelligence and other agencies and will stop collecting student Social Security numbers, the group said in a statement."
Student sues principal for censorship
Date CapturedTuesday January 09 2007, 5:09 AM
Times Union reports, "Such censorship violates due process of law and the equal protection of the law guaranteed him by the First and Fourteenth Amendments, the lawsuit said."
Admissions Form Stirs Debate at U. of Chicago
Date CapturedSaturday January 06 2007, 3:24 PM
NPR reports, "University of Chicago students are proud of the quirky questions on their school's application. Many are wary of the university's plans to also use an online form accepted by more than 300 schools."
California child care rating system needed
Date CapturedFriday January 05 2007, 9:57 AM
San Francisco Chronicle reports, "California licenses about 58,000 child care facilities serving 1.2 million children, but little information is readily available to parents about their safety and quality of care. To fix the problem, California should adopt a uniform ratings system, the state Legislative Analyst's Office urged in a report released Thursday." Approximately 13 states have detailed ratings systems while 30 others have partial ratings systems.
Online database opens a window for parents to compare schools
Date CapturedThursday January 04 2007, 5:53 AM
USA TODAY Greg Toppo reports, "A website by the National Council on Teacher Quality (www.nctq.org/cb), scheduled to launch today, promises to shine a light on teachers' working conditions. It gathers the minutiae of union collective-bargaining agreements and state policies for the nation's 50 largest school districts into a consumer-friendly database that allows anyone to compare districts. Together, the 50 districts educate 8 million children — about one in six public school children in the USA — and employ nearly half a million teachers."
Union-Endicott school district to show school targeted for work
Date CapturedWednesday January 03 2007, 4:24 AM
Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "'It's important for the public to get a firsthand look at the school so they can get a feeling of the condition that it's currently in,' said Matt Schroedel, the father of an eighth-grade student at Jennie F. Snapp who chairs the district's facilities committee."
People reconsider posting personal details on public Web sites
Date CapturedTuesday January 02 2007, 11:30 PM
AP reports, "The walls of an auditorium were covered with thousands of sheets of paper — printouts from MySpace, Facebook, YouTube and other online sites that were filled with back-stabbing gossip, unflattering images, and details about partying and dating exploits. Each posting was easily accessed online, no password needed. But seeing them on paper — and in some cases, being asked to read them aloud — grabbed the attention of members of the North American Federation of Temple Youth, who gathered earlier this year at a camp outside New York City. That each of the members' pages mentioned their organization in some way only made it that much more embarrassing."
Discord at Suffolk County, New York funding hearing
Date CapturedTuesday January 02 2007, 5:21 AM
Newsday reports, "The grand jury, she [McCormick, Suffolk district attorney's office] said, called for contracts to be posted on school district Web sites in advance of board votes 'to make the information more easily accessible to the public - not to force them to go through a FOI request when to just get through your day, you might not have the time. '"
Iowa school turn to parents
Date CapturedMonday January 01 2007, 9:25 AM
The Quad-City Times reports, "The Davenport district has started in the past year to use Epstein’s model of parental involvement, called “Building Successful Partnerships,” to strengthen ties with parents. That comes after parents told district officials two years ago they wanted more ways to communicate with schools and be involved in the education of their children, said Karen Farley, a spokeswoman for the district."
Paterson New Jersey schools may be monitored
Date CapturedSaturday December 30 2006, 8:19 AM
NorthJersey.com reports, "Other findings in the audit include incomplete or outdated personnel and special education student files, missing receipts in student activity money and a need for enhanced computer technology security measures."
Glut of e-mails, documents muddy efforts to review Lansing construction plan
Date CapturedFriday December 29 2006, 5:47 AM
Ithaca Journal reports, "In July, David Dubin made his first request using the state Freedom of Information Law for information on the Lansing Central School's construction plans. By year's end, he has filed a third request, an exercise in citizen persistence that can be required when using the state's records access law. So far Dubin has received 120 e-mails, 50 attachments on the school district's project, but after five months, he still hasn't received the information he believes belongs to the public and is necessary to determining the future of the Lansing Central School District facilities."
Scanners may check school students', visitors' IDs
Date CapturedFriday December 29 2006, 4:52 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "They've added security cameras. They've given students identification cards. Wappingers, Dutchess County's largest school district, now is considering heightened security for visitors who come into John Jay and Roy C. Ketcham high schools."
Citizen group to aid budget process
Date CapturedThursday December 28 2006, 4:55 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "The Rhinebeck town board is crafting and approving a charter for the citizens group. One of the group's roles will be to observe school officials as they craft the budget each year and provide input."
Cyber schools: High costs, low scores
Date CapturedWednesday December 27 2006, 2:09 PM
The York Dispatch reports, "Hoover [PA Distance Learning Charter School CEO] said that in addition to students who are looking to escape from violence at school, cybers offer a refuge to students who are pregnant, those who need to work full-time jobs and need flexibility, and those who are bullied or have learning problems. Hoover said the cyber school administrators are able to monitor the number of hours students are logging. Parents log the hours their child spends working in a textbook in order to make sure the child meets the state's criterion to be educated 180 days per school year. He said the Department of Education closely monitors the cyber schools. 'We are probably held to a higher standard than even the public schools,' he said."
Truancy can spell trouble for Colorado parents
Date CapturedWednesday December 27 2006, 10:52 AM
Cortez Journal reports, "'Parents may be surprised to hear that if they do not support their children in their education and their children account for too many unverified absences, the parents could face hefty fines and could go to jail. 'Truant' is defined by Webster's II New Riverside Dictionary as 'one who avoids doing work or fulfilling a duty, especially one who is absent from school without permission.' Under this definition and the No Child Left Behind Act signed by President Bush in 2002, which calls for every child not only to be enrolled in school but also to pass achievement tests, truant would include not only students who do not attend school, but also those who don't complete their schoolwork and receive below-average grades."
A Vast E-Wasteland: Are Your Digital Secrets for Sale Overseas?
Date CapturedWednesday December 27 2006, 9:15 AM
Red-Orbit reports, "Computer files on these American high school students are private and revealing. Some of the students have learning disabilities. Many scored low on tests. One suffered a brain injury as a child, and another ran with gangs, according to California school records that include names, birth dates and family details. More computer files, these from an elementary school in Virginia, contain what a security expert called 'the Holy Grail' for identity thieves seeking to score: teachers' Social Security numbers, addresses and phone numbers. All of this sensitive information was discovered in an unlikely place: on discarded computers for sale in Nigeria, a cyber-crime capital of the world."
Degrees of caution attract a growing crowd
Date CapturedTuesday December 26 2006, 8:47 AM
STAR-TELEGRAM reports, "Since 9-11, many colleges have offered more classes and degree options for students who want to specialize in defense and emergency management. The Homeland Security Department spends millions of dollars a year on university grants to help with research and to train students."
MySpace users big targets for ID theives
Date CapturedMonday December 25 2006, 6:18 PM
AP reports, "MySpace also is preparing to launch a more aggressive education campaign, urging users to take care and use tools that restrict the viewing of their profiles to only trusted sources."
Cornell to develop guide for copyrighted material
Date CapturedMonday December 25 2006, 6:18 AM
Ithaca Journal reports, "AAP contends that 'fair use' applies to electronic materials in the same way it applies to printed materials. Courts have yet to rule on how 'fair use' relates to materials being made available to students electronically. Cornell's new guidelines treat electronic presentations similar to printed materials."
Combining resources
Date CapturedMonday December 25 2006, 6:14 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle writes, "The new Web site, www.biz2edu.com, will heighten the schools' [Monroe County] visibility, making it easier for prospective students and businesses to see and assess the region's wide range of high-caliber colleges and universities."
Seeking $1 Million a Day, N.Y.U. Mines Personal Data for a Fund-Raising Edge
Date CapturedMonday December 25 2006, 3:28 AM
NY Times reports, "The research process starts in N.Y.U.’s development office, a warren of cubicles where a full-time staff of 98 people and 38 interns scour for 'prospects.' The yearly budget for the fund-raising enterprise is $26 million. Each day, Lekha Menon, the director of prospect management and research at N.Y.U., and four staff members pore over more than a dozen newspapers and electronic news and data sources, looking for names of alumni, parents of alumni or parents of students. They also look for notable donations to other causes, promotions, appointments to corporate boards and records of securities transactions."
Perils of online grading
Date CapturedSunday December 24 2006, 9:19 AM
Boston Globe contributor Ron Fletcher, English teacher at Boston College High talks about online use and education, "The school has been pushing teachers to do more online through our website such as taking attendance, posting assignments and syllabi, and issuing progress reports and report cards, which students and parents can access."
Web Site Allows Students to Rate Professors
Date CapturedSaturday December 23 2006, 8:53 AM
NPR reports, "A popular Web site allows college students to go online and praise or criticize them. And therein lies the rub: Critics say there's no way of knowing who's posting such comments."
Web site offers stats on impact of colleges
Date CapturedFriday December 22 2006, 6:12 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "A new effort among the area's colleges and local government to rev up the area's sputtering economy has its first concrete result — www.biz2edu.com. The Web site houses a farrago of information regarding the area colleges and how they can serve the business community."
Parents up-in-arms after school tests positive for lead
Date CapturedThursday December 21 2006, 7:35 AM
News 10 reports, "School and health officials[in Marathon, NY] say the levels aren't high enough to cause health problems. But, some samples had high enough levels that Appleby had to take action. All drinking fountains have been replaced with water coolers and taps are being flushed on a daily basis. After learning school officials have known about the problem for years, parents are upset they weren't told earlier."
Ithaca Central School District report shows shortfalls in minority staff, AP participation
Date CapturedThursday December 21 2006, 7:26 AM
Ithaca Journal reports, "Diversity among faculty continues to be a struggle for the district. Of the 18 confidential or managerial positions, none are held by minorities. In 2005, only six percent of the district's teachers were minority, while 28 percent of the students the district educated were African-American, Latino, Native American or Asian. District Superintendent Judith Pastel said the district will be trying new ways to let a more diverse pool of people know openings exist in the area. 'For the first time we are going to use radio to advertise open positions,' she said. Beginning next year, the district will advertise on Power 106.9-FM, an urban radio station in Syracuse. The report card will be released every fall, the officials said."
Facing $3M in penalties, New Jersey schools send student data
Date CapturedWednesday December 20 2006, 5:27 PM
Independent Press reports, "The student information, which is required from all school districts, will allow the state to assign each student an identification number to track the academic performance of individual students as they progress through the public school system. In the past, the state could track only the performance of groups of children, and could compare only how different classes of children performed as they took the same standardized tests at each grade level. The data required by the state ranges from routine directory information, such as a student's name, gender, grade level and school assignment, to more sensitive information such as ethnicity, place of birth, special education requirements and any disciplinary history. Additional information requested on a voluntary basis includes each student's insurance provider and date of last medical exam."
New Jersey school funding formula stirs criticism before it's even public
Date CapturedTuesday December 19 2006, 8:54 AM
The Star-Ledger reports, "The biggest money would be to districts bordering the Abbott cities, many of which face the same is sues of poverty as their urban neighbors but have not seen any additional aid for the last several years."
Audit: Long Island residents not told of total tax hike
Date CapturedTuesday December 19 2006, 5:19 AM
Newsday reports, "Auditors found that the district had all the information to calculate an estimated tax increase but chose not to. It found that the district provided this information in all previous years examined by auditors - 2001-2002 through 2004-2005 - even though it had faced similar uncertainties. The district [Center Moriches], in a prepared statement, said that while it disputed the report's contention that it deliberately misled voters, it accepted its conclusions."
Lots of buzz over student drug testing
Date CapturedMonday December 18 2006, 10:41 AM
The Monitor reports, "Districts and government advocates argue that drug testing provides them with a relatively easy and inexpensive way to identity students who need help. They cite studies showing that drug use hurts academic achievement and mental health. But as they craft their testing programs, schools tread a fine line, subject to legal challenges from students, parents and civil rights organizations who maintain that drug testing constitutes an invasion of privacy. The Supreme Court ruled in 2002 that schools may test students involved in competitive extracurricular activities, but it is less clear whether other kinds of testing, such as that of students who drive to school, is constitutional."
Citizens can help decide who'll lead Rochester City School District
Date CapturedMonday December 18 2006, 6:15 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle contributors Malik Evans, school board vice president and search committee chairman and Brennan and Elliott, school board and search committee members invite Rochester residents to respond to survey about a new schools superintendent, "We plan to use a written survey, community forums and personal contact to ensure that all who want a voice in this process are heard. Close to 20,000 paper surveys will be distributed this month through the mail and by hand delivery to public libraries, community and recreation centers, public service agencies and the faith community. In addition, the survey will also be available by going to www.rcsdk12.org and following the link there."
Some teen dropouts fell through the cracks
Date CapturedSunday December 17 2006, 4:46 PM
Bonita Daily News reports, "The state and the district both closely track high school students, and the proportions in which they graduate. And that's just it. No one, it seems, is looking for dropouts in the middle schools. During the last academic year, four seventh-graders and 18 eighth-graders in Lee County [Florida] left school at age 16, intending never to come back and finish their education. Two more gave up on going to traditional high school and went to GED classes instead."
Resources for Florida parents
Date CapturedSunday December 17 2006, 10:20 AM
Sun-Sentinel reports, "Florida's Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services provides resources for parents of teens with particular challenges that complicate the pressures of adolescence. Go to www.firn.edu/doe/commhome/ese-home.htm or call 800-245-0475."
Negotiations Are Signaled on Phone Ban in City Schools
Date CapturedSaturday December 16 2006, 8:41 AM
NY Times ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS reports, "David Cantor, a spokesman for Chancellor Joel I. Klein, said yesterday that the school system stood by the cellphone ban. But the Department of Education said earlier this week that it was considering whether to hire a private vendor to store students’ cellphones in small lockers outside schools for a fee of 25 to 50 cents a day."
Connecticut lawmakers want to investigate licensing policy of school bus drivers
Date CapturedFriday December 15 2006, 9:30 AM
AP reports, "On Thursday, The Hartford Courant reported that about 100 convicted felons are licensed to drive school buses and 900 more have motor vehicle violations."
Committee to monitor district's $100M plan
Date CapturedFriday December 15 2006, 4:43 AM
UticaOD.com reports the committee will be responsible for, "•Determining and prioritizing the district's needs. •Ensuring appropriate public input is sought. •Seeking other community members with backgrounds in education, finance, construction, engineering and other areas, who will contribute to the building plan and the project's execution. •Providing advice and oversight to ensure the project is executed in a timely and professional manner."
New Jersey student database raises concerns
Date CapturedThursday December 14 2006, 8:57 AM
The Reporter writes, "'It is quite clear that New Jersey has not built in any legal safeguards for the data,' [Joel Reidenberg, professor of law and director of the Center on Law and Information Policy at Fordham University] he said, noting that under current federal law, schools must preserve their students' privacy in certain ways, including a date for deletion, or risk losing their federal funding. There is no information about how long the state will keep the data. 'That means it becomes a statewide adult database as soon as the kids turn 18,' he said. The state has also said that third parties can view the data with permission, but not about what third parties those will be, he said, speculating that one of them will be the state Department of Health and Senior Services, given the health questions in the voluntary data set. One organization has already received federal funding to study the information in data warehouses similar to New Jersey's database, he said."
New York City Weighs Slight Amendment To School Cell Phone Ban
Date CapturedThursday December 14 2006, 7:57 AM
NY1 reports, "The city said Wednesday that it is considering plans to allow students to bring their cell phones to school as long as they lock them up in coin-operated lockers for a charge of between 25 and 50 cents."
What do you think of New York City Department of Education's school cell phone plan?
Date CapturedThursday December 14 2006, 7:54 AM
NY1 Snap Poll: What do you think of the Department of Education's school cell phone plan? VOTE HERE!
Villanova Heads Most-Wired College List
Date CapturedWednesday December 13 2006, 5:50 PM
AP reports, "At Villanova, first-year students are given laptops -- and replacements after their sophomore year. Nursing students get personal digital assistants, and engineers get tablet PCs. Over the Internet, students can register for classes, download lectures, take exams and get grades. Tech-support calls are guaranteed a response within 24 hours." MIT placed second and Indiana number three.
Saugerties school board deals with attendance, communications
Date CapturedWednesday December 13 2006, 5:54 AM
Daily Freeman reports, "Failing students due to poor attendance is 'an empty exercise,' [high school prinicipal]Price said. Dropping the minimum attendance requirement and implementing a phone system that automatically calls each student's home every time they are absent has helped Saugerties crack down on attendance problems, Price said."
School bus losses feared
Date CapturedWednesday December 13 2006, 5:00 AM
NY Daily News reports, "The plans, which would eliminate 250 student bus routes throughout the five boroughs, would hit Queens particularly hard because thousands of immigrant and low-income families there rely on the free transportation, state Sen. John Sabini said."
UCLA Probes Computer Security Breach
Date CapturedTuesday December 12 2006, 11:01 AM
AP reports, "The University of California, Los Angeles alerted about 800,000 current and former students, faculty and staff on Tuesday that their names and certain personal information were exposed after a hacker broke into a campus computer system. It was one of the largest such breaches involving a U.S. higher education institution."
NCES Kids Zone
Date CapturedTuesday December 12 2006, 8:39 AM
The NCES Students’ Classroom has been redesigned and renamed as the KidsZone. You'll still have the same tools to help you find schools, libraries, or colleges and the Create a Graph is still just a click away. You can find updated information on education or compare where you stack up to students from across the globe.
School fights pornographic Web site
Date CapturedTuesday December 12 2006, 5:47 AM
The Post-Standard reports, "Central Square school officials are trying to shut down a pornographic Web site that uses the district's name."
University of the State of New York, P-16 Education: A Plan For Action
Date CapturedMonday December 11 2006, 1:53 PM
We will confront the data, share it broadly, and use it to define as precisely as possible where resources and energy should be applied. We will recognize the achievements and also declare the problems as clearly as we can. We will engage everyone by listening to the people the education system is supposed to serve, to parents, to educators at every level, to the employers, and to the elected officials who must weigh enormous competing demands for scarce resources. In particular, we will engage students and their parents, and the wider community because educational institutions do not belong to the educators but to the people. We will create a communications plan to listen to, inform, and involve people statewide. We will define measurable objectives so that others can hold us accountable, and we can hold education leaders accountable for improving results. We will study the practices of high performing education systems, states and nations, and adapt the best to New York’s situation. We will examine what actions are most effective, and invite others to learn with us. We will take action focused on systematic change to effect sustained improvement. We know, for example, that closing the achievement gap for students requires correcting the unequal distribution of teaching talent. And we know that in demanding change in educational institutions to achieve better results, we must also build capacity in our own State Education Department to take on its part of this improvement strategy. We will continually renew the alignment of our actions to ensure coherence and effectiveness. For example, academic standards, curriculum, assessment, and instructional practice have to be aligned to be effective. When one element changes, all other elements must be examined to ensure that the system remains effective. We will strengthen USNY, because it has great potential to build more effective transitions for students from one level of the system to the next. We will advocate for State and federal financial resources and legislative actions that will help achieve better educational outcomes. And we will be accountable for the effective use of those resources.
Additional data helps student tracking system
Date CapturedMonday December 11 2006, 8:58 AM
Gloucester County Times (New Jersey) reports, "The purpose of the information, [Education Commissioner] Davy stated in the letter, is to create a unique student identification number that will be used for tracking progress of students. H. Mark Stanwood, Gloucester County superintendent of schools, said the tracking of students will benefit all districts, particularly ones with high student mobility. 'The primary benefit is so we can track student performance even as they change school districts,' Stanwood said. 'Right now we don't have an effective or efficient way to do that.'" 'Some parents feel uneasy giving all that information to the school district,' Borelli said."
Input sought for new Rochester schools chief
Date CapturedFriday December 08 2006, 6:47 PM
Rochester Business Journal reports, "The board will hold public forums at 6 p.m. Jan. 3 and 11 in different areas of the city. Locations are not final. Meanwhile, roughly 20,000 copies of a two-page survey will be sent to parents, community members and school district employees. The survey asks respondents to rate the importance of several characteristics. It will also be available online at the board’s Web site, www.rcsdk12.org/BOE/index.htm, and copies will be distributed to public libraries, community centers, recreation centers, public service agencies and churches. The survey will be available in English and Spanish."
Nassau Community College to pay for credit monitoring
Date CapturedThursday December 07 2006, 4:59 AM
Newsday reports, "The trustees' action comes after the personal information of all of the college's 21,000-plus students, contained in a bound computer printout, was reported missing from a worker's desk Nov. 28. Nassau County police are investigating. Third Squad detectives 'have begun interviewing' college employees, said Det. Lt. Raymond Cote."
Connecticut Report: Add new preschool seats, bolster teaching skills
Date CapturedWednesday December 06 2006, 4:42 PM
AP reports, "The report advises better outreach to poor families without access to good early childhood education programs, and to others that might not understand the value of preschool. It also calls for more equitable funding for programs that currently receive state reimbursement, more support for school readiness councils in local communities, and better tracking of how children perform during and after preschool to ensure that programs are effective."
Personal info disappears from Nassau Community College
Date CapturedTuesday December 05 2006, 2:18 PM
Newsday reports, "The list contained students' names, addresses, Social Security Numbers, and phone numbers, said Sgt. Anthony Repalone, a Nassau County Police spokesman. He said the college informed the police Nov. 28 about the missing computer list. The incident is being investigated by the Third Squad, Repalone said. Tuggle said the college also notified the Long Island offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Homeland Security. Representatives of those agencies could not be immediately reached."
Online learning demand outgrowing supply at Empire State College, ACC
Date CapturedTuesday December 05 2006, 1:29 PM
Post-Star reports, "The Sloan study showed that 38 percent of chief academic officers found that online courses presented several barriers, including more time and effort to prepare the courses, students needing more self-discipline to succeed, and faculty often aren't convinced online learning is worthwhile."
Amendments to Commissioner's Regulations 120.4 regarding Supplemental Educational Services (SES)
Date CapturedTuesday December 05 2006, 9:56 AM
The New York State Education Department invites you to comment on proposed amendments to Commissioner’s Regulations 120.4 regarding Supplemental Educational Services which have been filed with the Department of State for publication in the State Register on December 6, 2006. The amendments, in their entirety, are available for your review here.
Can calculators help Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS)?
Date CapturedTuesday December 05 2006, 8:45 AM
East Valley Tribune reports, "Educators and parents pleaded with the state [Arizona] Board of Education on Monday to let students use calculators on the high-stakes AIMS test. But state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne says use of the instruments could cause hundreds of Arizona schools to fail the No Child Left Behind law because federal officials won’t allow calculators to be used on state exams. Not everyone in the standingroom-only crowd agreed, however, with some East Valley educators saying Horne and the state board need to take responsibility for helping children succeed on the math test."
Systems Struggling to Address Student Health
Date CapturedTuesday December 05 2006, 8:26 AM
Washington Post reports, "Leonard Turkel couldn't believe his ears when he learned what happened to the results of eye screenings of thousands of Miami-Dade County public school students. Although the tests are mandated by the state, the businessman-turned-philanthropist discovered that nobody was actually using the scores to ensure that kids could see the blackboard in class."
School safety: ICSD security upgrades necessary
Date CapturedTuesday December 05 2006, 7:49 AM
Ithaca Journal opines, "The ICSD Board of Education is currently weighing whether to invest $500,000 in a new security system that incorporates a key card access system and cameras. The money would come in the bond referendum the BOE is deciding to bring before voters early next year. It is still too early to tell whether each component on the district's wish list is worth the money needed to pay for a new security system. But the events of Nov. 13 should give everyone in the district something to think about when deciding what should and should not be approved. Perhaps our old system of locking doors just isn't working."
Schools track students with online tool
Date CapturedTuesday December 05 2006, 5:31 AM
Times Union reports, "Shenendehowa plans to open the system's parent portal by next fall, which would provide parents access to some of their student's academic information through the Internet. The district is discussing what should be accessible to parents, but teachers will retain control over what part of their electronic grade book will be permitted viewing, according to district officials. Shenendehowa staff now records attendance electronically. Teachers have home access to the system, which makes grading at home easier, said Koopman, who teaches social studies, science and reading."
Pod-class aids learning
Date CapturedTuesday December 05 2006, 5:10 AM
NY Daily News reports, "A new program at Lehman College is making it easier to learn what faculty members have been up to by putting some of their research online in podcast form. The college describes the project, which began as a CUNY-wide initiative, as an opportunity to showcase prominent Lehman faculty, as well as their involvement in important research."
New York State Education Department
Date CapturedMonday December 04 2006, 2:23 PM
From the Desk of Jean C. Stevens, Interim Deputy Commissioner December 1, 2006.
Migrants learn to help their kids
Date CapturedMonday December 04 2006, 8:15 AM
Arizona Republic reports, "Parent Institute for Quality Education, or PIQE, is a nine-week course that teaches mostly Spanish-speaking immigrant parents how the state's public school system works and how to advocate for their child's education. The California-based program claims success with hundreds of thousands of parents and their children."
College Libraries Vie for Student Traffic
Date CapturedSunday December 03 2006, 2:52 PM
NPR interview: "Many college libraries are working hard to attract young scholars to facilities that no longer serve as a gathering place. In-room Internet access is a major competitor. The head of libraries for the University of Massachusetts, Jay Schaefer, tells Scott Simon about the changes at his library's W.E.B. DuBois building."
Putting schools and heads together
Date CapturedSunday December 03 2006, 2:38 PM
Buffalo News reports, "Over the next three weeks, city residents are being given the opportunity to look at proposals the Niagara Falls School Board is considering to consolidate schools. While they learn about the plans, they also will be asked to share ideas that might improve upon them."
Tracking Teachers
Date CapturedSunday December 03 2006, 8:08 AM
NY Times op-ed contributor RICHARD DE LISI, dean of the graduate school of education at Rutgers University writes, "What New Jersey needs next is research to determine what aspects of teacher preparation are most important and whether one approach is more effective than another at promoting student achievement. Unfortunately, a key tool that would make this research possible is missing here: a database that tracks both student and teacher information from prekindergarten to 12th grade. Several states have developed strong database systems. But here, concerns about cost and privacy have kept us from creating one. These concerns are serious. But other states, sometimes through trial and error, have overcome them, and we can learn and benefit from their experiences."
Now Class Must Tackle Cheating at Columbia
Date CapturedSunday December 03 2006, 7:57 AM
NY Times KAREN W. ARENSON writes, "As Columbia University continues to grapple with allegations of cheating on a final exam in a journalism ethics course, students have been assigned to write an essay on an issue that parallels the one faced by their own professors. The topic: What should a newspaper’s executive editor do after receiving 'a tip from a credible source that one or more unspecified articles in recent editions of the newspaper contain fabricated material'?"
Study says localities curb ed reform
Date CapturedFriday December 01 2006, 8:52 AM
The Boston Globe reports, "Under the No Child Left Behind law, schools that fail to meet minimum testing standards for two consecutive years must let students transfer to a different school in the district, then pay for tutoring in the third year. Schools eventually could face the removal of their leaders. Several of the studies mentioned the low rate of parents accepting the transfers or tutoring, in part because many schools don't tally their test results until the subsequent school year."
California poll finds support for posting public schools' data on the Web
Date CapturedFriday December 01 2006, 8:26 AM
LA Times reports, "[Gov.]Schwarzenegger wants large amounts of data — from enrollment numbers and school test scores to reports on the quality of textbooks and individual school budgets — to be posted online in a user-friendly way."
Philadelphia parents get mass truancy warning
Date CapturedFriday December 01 2006, 8:17 AM
Philadelphia Daily News reports, "Letters telling parents it is their duty to make their children attend school - and warning that failure to do so could result in fines or jail time - went to thousands of homes of children ages 12 to 14. Some protested, saying they couldn't make their kids go to school. Others complained that they had sent letters giving legitimate reasons for absences and been summoned unfairly." Children and parents were asked to sign a "Family School Attendance Agreement."
Secret Program Target Of Suit
Date CapturedThursday November 30 2006, 1:42 PM
The Hartford Courant reports, "Students at Yale Law School are suing the federal government to learn more about Operation Front Line, a secretive program that is overseen by the Department of Homeland Security and gathers information on immigrants."
Parents claim Newark district violates federal school law
Date CapturedThursday November 30 2006, 1:05 PM
AP Jeffrey Gold reports, "Parents of Newark public school students are asking a federal judge to force New Jersey's largest school district to comply with a law aimed at offering children educational help, including the chance to switch schools. Under the No Child Left Behind law, children in failing schools are entitled to free tutoring and the right to transfer to other schools, but Newark has denied those rights, the parents charged in a lawsuit announced Thursday. The lawsuit asserted that more than 30,000 of the district's 43,000 students are in failing schools."
Secretary Spellings Delivered Remarks at Federal Student Aid Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada
Date CapturedThursday November 30 2006, 9:17 AM
U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today delivered remarks to some 3300 participants attending the 2006 Federal Student Aid (FSA) conference in Las Vegas. Attendees included financial aid officers and other officials of more than 2000 colleges and postsecondary institutions, as well as representatives of the lending industry, guaranty agencies, non-profit organizations, higher education associations, and software developers. Spellings says, "But more must be done to simplify student access to aid, to notify students of eligibility early, to target resources to the neediest students, and to minimize the risk of tuition inflation. As policymakers and legislators begin to look at this issue, we must make sure that we're offering long-term solutions that fix the system's underlying problems... without ultimately increasing the cost of higher education."
Internet Access in U.S. Public Schools and Classrooms: 1994-2005
Date CapturedThursday November 30 2006, 8:55 AM
"This [NCES] report presents 11 years of data from 1994 to 2005 (no survey was conducted in 2004) on Internet access in U.S. public schools by school characteristics. It provides trend analysis on the percent of public schools and instructional rooms with Internet access and on the ratio of students to instructional computers with Internet access. The report contains data on the types of Internet connections, technologies and procedures used to prevent student access to inappropriate material on the Internet, and the availability of hand-held and laptop computers to students and teachers. It also provides information on teacher professional development on how to integrate the use of the Internet into the curriculum, and the use of the Internet to provide opportunities and information for teaching and learning." Wells, J., and Lewis, L. (2006). Internet Access in U.S. Public Schools and Classrooms: 1994–2005 (NCES 2007-020). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.
For $150, Third-World Laptop Stirs a Big Debate
Date CapturedThursday November 30 2006, 7:15 AM
NY Times reports, ""Five countries — Argentina, Brazil, Libya, Nigeria and Thailand — have made tentative commitments to put the computers into the hands of millions of students, with production in Taiwan expected to begin by mid-2007. "
Montana school officials defend new student ID numbers
Date CapturedWednesday November 29 2006, 9:22 AM
Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports, "Every [Montana] student will get a unique nine-digit number, so that their achievement on statewide reading and math tests can be tracked, and those results can be broken down by gender, race or ethnicity, and whether the student is low-income and qualifies for free and reduced-cost lunches. Special education, limited English and migrant status will also be recorded. That should make it easier for OPI to report on students' progress, information sought both by the Montana Legislature and by the federal government, under the No Child Left Behind Act. Quinlan said it should help schools figure out, for example, if a new reading program is working, how well low-income American Indian fourth-graders are performing, and better track graduation and dropout rates. School officials are still subject to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which protects the privacy of student records, Quinlan said."
As it collects student data, New Jersey wades past resistance
Date CapturedWednesday November 29 2006, 9:13 AM
Star-Ledger reports, "The new system would mesh information from individual districts into a central clearinghouse so officials can follow students across school and district lines. That would mean better information on developments like dropout rates and more insight into which school programs are working."
So Many Schools, So Few Options:How Mayor Bloomberg’s Small High School Reforms Deny Full Access to English Language Learners
Date CapturedWednesday November 29 2006, 7:08 AM
Key findings: ELLs Are Not Given Full and Equitable Access to All Small High Schools, Parents of ELLs and Students Reported Barriers in the High School Admissions and Enrollment Process, The Small School Policy for ELLs Appears to be Forcing ELLs to Remain in Large High Schools that Do Not Have Services to Meet Their Needs , Small Schools are Not Being Created in Queens, in which the Largest Number of ELLs Reside. A joint report by: The New York Immigration Coalition & Advocates for Children of New York In collaboration with: Chhaya Community Development Corporation Chinese Progressive Association Chinese-American Planning Council Council of Peoples Organization Haitian Americans United for Progress Make the Road by Walking Metropolitan Russian American Parents Association November 2006.
New York City Schools hit on immigration bar
Date CapturedWednesday November 29 2006, 7:01 AM
NY Daily News Erin Einhorn reports, "The report charges the vast majority of small schools either don't have services for so-called 'English language learners' (ELLs), who comprise almost 12% of the high school population, or exclude them altogether. It also says that immigrant families have less access to information about options for their kids. The city Education Department allows new schools to exclude both ELLs and special-ed students in their first two years because the schools are too new to properly serve those kids. It's a policy being reviewed by the U.S. Education Department's Office for Civil Rights, which launched a probe after a complaint from a citywide group of high school parents. "
Indiana's high school graduation rate plummets under new formula
Date CapturedTuesday November 28 2006, 10:12 AM
The Times (Indiana) reports, "A 2003 law allowed the state to assign a tracking number to every student that entered high school in 2002. Having tracked that class, the education department now reports that the statewide graduation rate -- estimated at 89.8 percent last year -- is actually 73.7 percent." Previously, students who dropped out over the summer simply vanished from the equation using the older state formula.
SIUC Student Code under fire after incident
Date CapturedTuesday November 28 2006, 8:39 AM
The Southern (Illinois) reports, "The SIUC Student Code was based on a national model published in the 'Journal of College and University Law,' Dietz said. It was most recently reviewed top to bottom in 2003 by a committee dedicated to the purpose. Specific sections of the code are open to review when a formal request is made by an organization formally recognized by the university. The code as it stands now addresses two issues of student misbehavior - 'academic dishonesty' and 'social misconduct.' It is the latter part that seems to have attracted the most negative attention. The issue is due process. Dietz said two philosophies are at work in the student conduct code. One favors student development and uses education to change behavior. The idea is for the student to learn from the error."
Academics Get Exemption from DVD Copyright Law
Date CapturedTuesday November 28 2006, 8:19 AM
NPR Joel Rose reports, "The Digital Millennium Copyright Act made it illegal to reproduce copyrighted material from DVDs -- even short excerpts. That proved to be an enormous obstacle to the professors of college film-studies programs, who wanted to be able to burn discs of selected scenes for their classes. Three professors from the University of Pennsylvania asked for an academic exemption to the law. And surprisingly, they say, it has been granted."
Red Hook school district officials look to cut down on frequent flyers sent home
Date CapturedTuesday November 28 2006, 7:38 AM
The Daily Freeman reports, "School officials are seeking to slow the flow of flyers that businesses and groups would like to have sent home with students."
New York State Education Department (NYSED) Application Portal
Date CapturedMonday November 27 2006, 9:33 AM
Pennsylvania urging districts to get tough on school-skippers
Date CapturedMonday November 27 2006, 7:53 AM
Post Gazette reports, "The state said the recommendations came from a Statewide Task Force on School Attendance and Truancy Reduction. Because federal and state performance standards require growing percentages of students to post gains on math and reading tests, the state considers truancy a growing concern. Dr. Cupples said the Pittsburgh district will send parents a letter to explain the policy changes, remind them of their obligations under the state's compulsory attendance law and outline the penalties violators face. For repeated violations, parents face $300 fines, jail sentences, parenting classes and even the possibility of having their children placed in foster care. But the state says it wants to deal with truancy in the school whenever possible."
No Child Left Behind law deemed a burden on schools
Date CapturedMonday November 27 2006, 6:19 AM
The Journal News reports, "Although Cornell and her report praise the good intentions of NCLB - which seeks to give all children a quality education on a level playing field - Cornell said she saw no evidence that the law had actually done any good in that direction since its enactment in 2002. Instead, she recorded evidence that the law seems to broaden the differences between rich and poor, creates barriers to schools trying to educate children with diverse needs, and costs taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars as schools put programs in place to help struggling students with almost no reimbursement from the federal government that requires them."
Balancing views on campus
Date CapturedMonday November 27 2006, 5:19 AM
Boston Globe contributor Cathy Young writes, "DIVERSITY in higher education was a major topic of discussion at a recent conference in Cambridge . The focus, however, was not on the familiar concept of diversity as a desirable mix of races, genders, and ethnic groups. Rather, participants deplored the lack of intellectual and political diversity on college campuses."
Telling Tales Out of School, on YouTube
Date CapturedMonday November 27 2006, 3:36 AM
NY Times reports, "In the good old days, students simply used technology like cellphones to cheat on tests. Now, they’re posting what happens in their classrooms on YouTube. "
Pima Community College creates "traffic school" for plagiarists
Date CapturedSunday November 26 2006, 1:03 PM
KVOA.com reports, "The five-step program requires students to read articles about plagiarism and write a paper explaining why they stole someone else's work. They must then meet with a writing tutor to learn about proper citation, and sit down with a faculty committee to talk about the process."
Rockland to weigh scary scenario: school terrorism
Date CapturedSunday November 26 2006, 9:37 AM
THE JOURNAL NEWS reports, "More than 400 education and law enforcement professionals from Rockland, Orange and Sullivan counties are scheduled to attend a two-day terrorism seminar this week at Rockland Community College. The seminar is based on the 2004 siege of a school in Beslan, Russia."
New York City's libraries must do a better job of policing Web porn
Date CapturedSunday November 26 2006, 9:15 AM
NY Daily News contributor ROWENA DALY writes, "All city libraries must be in compliance with the Children's Internet Protection Act, or CIPA, which requires them to install Internet-filtering software on their public-access computers to prevent the display of obscene content. Even research libraries are supposed to fall under the CIPA provision. When someone logs on to a computer with his or her library card, the system automatically checks the user's age. No one under 17 is supposed to be able to access adult Web sites. But despite the monitoring, there have been cases when people have been able to break through the filter, according to the Brooklyn and Queens libraries. Library officials need to devise a plan. It may be time to install partitions to divide computers or keep separate banks of terminals for adults and minors."
Colleges in N.Y. to link computer resources
Date CapturedSunday November 26 2006, 8:52 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "Colleges across the state, including some in the Rochester region, are establishing a computerized network that allows them to act collectively like a statewide supercomputer ready to tackle elaborate computational problems. University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, State University College at Geneseo and Alfred University are among nearly two dozen higher education institutions behind NYSGrid."
Schools spending more on security: Utica, Rome respond to recent shootings
Date CapturedSunday November 26 2006, 8:23 AM
Observer-Dispatch reports, "Woodward [ director of training and technical assistance at the Center for Study and Prevention of Violence at the University of Colorado] suggests school districts do a comprehensive review of their individual needs before spending. For example, districts should annually survey parents, students and teachers to identify possible dangers. Then administrators should target money to areas which present the greatest threat."
Massachusetts home-school policy adopted: Students can take extracurricular sports, activities
Date CapturedFriday November 24 2006, 5:23 PM
Norton Mirror reports, "Home-schooled students wishing to participate in teams or co-curricular activities must give 90 days prior notice to the school systems and obtain signed permission from their parent or guardian, building principal and the director of the team or club they are interested in. Home-schooled students participating in team sports must abide by the guidelines of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association and provide proper physician notes and proof of insurance. They are subject to the disciplinary rules and regulations set forth by the MIAA, as well as the newly instituted Norton athletic user fees. School Committee Vice Chairman Kevin O'Neil suggested home-schooled students be issued a student identification card once all requirements have been completed. The School Committee agreed."
Institute trains parents to be school advocates
Date CapturedFriday November 24 2006, 9:33 AM
HERALD-LEADER reports, "CIPL was established in 1997 to cultivate parent leaders. Participants are encouraged to become involved in school district politics in the form of school decision-making councils, district PTAs and the county school board. The program has been particularly successful in Fayette County, with 60 percent of the school board having completed the course. 'The final biggest step of parent leadership is to serve our families and communities on the school board,' said Alice Nelson, former manager of the program."
Cell phone letters fall on deaf ears
Date CapturedFriday November 24 2006, 5:39 AM
The Queens Courier reports, "Although the situations of angry parents and students who sent complaints about the City's cell phone ban in schools were varied, their messages were similar: 'Our children have the right to have immediate access to their parents,' one parent wrote."
NYC Students Can Get Cellphone Waiver
Date CapturedThursday November 23 2006, 6:39 AM
The Queens Gazette reports, "A prior medical exemption provision allowed students to bring cell phones to school, but prohibited them from using or carrying the phones from class to class. Under the revised provision, students must have a doctor fill out a form describing their condition and explaining why they need to carry a cellphone during school hours. It is then up to the school principal to approve the student's request to carry the cellphone."
Recommendations for Berlin Central School District discussed
Date CapturedWednesday November 22 2006, 7:13 AM
Troy Record reports, ""The charge to the committee, a 25-member group of parents, teachers, staffers and other stakeholders, was to explore long and short term solutions to the table for the board to consider. With the help of Questar III, the committee explored a number of options and outlined the pros and cons of each option. Now the board will have to determine which options to take."
No spare time for lost school bus: Call in, ask for help
Date CapturedWednesday November 22 2006, 6:23 AM
The Journal News opined, "Buses will be delayed by traffic conditions or road detours at times. Substitute drivers are sometimes needed. Yet, we believe this incident was all the more upsetting because a health department worker first appeared to downplay the situation, and the parents believed they were given little information not only during, but after the event. Really, what matters here is common sense and clear procedures. If a bus is more than 10 minutes behind schedule, an aide or driver should have an easy and efficient way to communicate with a supervisor or dispatcher, which, in turn, should alert parents. If a driver is unsure about a route, early contact within minutes is needed. The communication technology is available. It should be used. There should never be a question about the location of a school bus."
SUNY submits $5.9B budget
Date CapturedWednesday November 22 2006, 4:59 AM
Times Union reports, "It includes money for 133 new faculty and new initiatives, such as an online program that tracks student progress, redesigning introductory courses to make them more engaging for students and a salary boost for graduate students."
Critics Question the Effectiveness of New Jersey’s High School Drug Tests
Date CapturedWednesday November 22 2006, 3:40 AM
NY Times reports, "The program, adopted in June by the state’s Interscholastic Athletic Association, made New Jersey the first state to require such tests. Only public and private school athletes competing in state playoffs, including players in this fall’s football playoffs, are subject to the tests. During this school year, about 500, or .002 percent, of the state’s 240,000 high school athletes are expected to be tested. Critics say that is too small a number to create a deterrent, and some suggest that the money spent on the program could be better used to educate more students about drugs and their risks."
Erasing Divide, College Leaders Take to Blogging
Date CapturedWednesday November 22 2006, 3:28 AM
NY Times reports, "Leah Martin, president of the student government at Trinity, said the column fed into an ongoing debate over Web pages, free speech and the honor code, adding the president’s voice to the mix. 'People wanted to know what she thought,' Ms. Martin said. Bob Johnson, a consultant to many universities on marketing, said he was mystified that university officials had not generally embraced blogs. Mr. Johnson said student blogs, for example, could be a “hugely effective” recruitment tool, even if they carried the implicit promise — or threat — of uncensored truth, however unflattering. Mr. Johnson encourages presidents to be bold. 'Just because you can’t beat them,' he said, 'doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it yourself.'”
Manhattan: Parents Protest Columbia Plan
Date CapturedWednesday November 22 2006, 3:26 AM
NY Times reports, "Much of the anger from parents seemed to stem from the fact that preliminary decisions were made without them."
COLUMBIA'S STONEWALL
Date CapturedMonday November 20 2006, 8:03 AM
NY Post opined on Columbia University, "If Columbia no longer holds freedom of speech in the highest regard, its neighbors surely can be forgiven for wondering if the university can be trusted on more mundane matters."
Confidential ACS files found dumped on street
Date CapturedMonday November 20 2006, 7:41 AM
NY Daily News reports, "More than 200 case files filled with confidential information about the city's most at-risk children were dumped on a Manhattan streetcorner, the Daily News has found."
Plattsburgh State to increase dorm security
Date CapturedMonday November 20 2006, 6:20 AM
The Press Republican reports, "Replacing the Cardinal Cards students now use for identification, meal plans and debit purposes, the new ones will include proximity-card readers, which allow touchless entry to buildings. The project will also include the installation of security cameras at all doors with electronic access, as well as in elevators and laundry rooms. The cameras will record but will not be constantly monitored. University Police Chief Arlene Sabo said all the security measures are things students have requested."
New York toughens road to teaching
Date CapturedMonday November 20 2006, 5:48 AM
Star-Gazette reports, "People will no longer be able to receive initial certification in childhood education after Feb. 1, 2007, or in other areas -- including middle childhood education, adolescent education, special subjects and students with disabilities -- through individual evaluation after Feb. 1, 2009. An option is still available to adults -- the more traditional path, a four-year degree leading to certification. State education officials, trying to toughen the requirements for all teachers, said they have had a notice posted on the state education Web site regarding this decision since 2004. Elmira College officials said they were first made aware of this deadline by Board of Cooperative Educational Services officials on Sept. 7, and immediately began to counsel all of the students affected."
Angry UCLA students demand probe of Taser incident
Date CapturedSaturday November 18 2006, 3:47 PM
AP reports, "UCLA will meet student demands for an independent probe of a campus police officer's use of a Taser gun on an Iranian-American student, the acting chancellor said Friday."
Use of Technology in Education
Date CapturedFriday November 17 2006, 5:46 PM
The Board of Regents created a statewide Technology Policy and Practices Council to study the use of technology in education. As part of this effort, the Metiri Group will be conducting random surveys of school districts and other members of the University of the State of New York. Commissioner Mills urges all selected to participate in the survey process; a letter from him with additional information is available at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/metirisurvey.htm.
Cops, dogs case Newburgh's South Junior High in lockdown drill
Date CapturedFriday November 17 2006, 7:07 AM
Times Herald-Record reports, "Lots of districts conduct lockdown drills and surprise searches, but helping police train is a new idea in Newburgh. Of course, if the K-9 teams find contraband that hasn't been planted for the drill, they'll proceed accordingly. In a similar exercise at the district's high school Wednesday, K-9 units from local agencies sniffed out a dime bag of marijuana in an 11th-grade girl's locker. The student was issued an appearance ticket for possession of marijuana and suspended, pending a superintendent's hearing."
Homework not fonework, sez Mike
Date CapturedFriday November 17 2006, 5:11 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Parents and students have argued that cell phones are useful in emergencies. But Bloomberg has repeatedly said cell phones disrupt classes. And despite growing calls for him to lift the ban on the phones, iPods and other gadgets, the mayor says he's not budging."
Police use stun gun on student who wouldn't show ID at UCLA library, refused to leave
Date CapturedThursday November 16 2006, 6:06 PM
AP reports, "Police say the student refused to show I-D and wouldn't leave when told to. They say he invited others at the library to join in his resistance, and when a crowd gathered, the officer used a stun gun on him."
NYSED REVISED PROPOSED REGULATIONS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT THROUGH DECEMBER 15, 2006
Date CapturedThursday November 16 2006, 5:31 PM
Revised proposed regulations relating to Behavioral Interventions, including Aversive Interventions have been published in the State Register and are available for public comment. A two-page summary of the major revisions to the regulations that were adopted through emergency action in June 2006 is available to assist the public in its review of the revised proposed rules. A full text of the revised proposed rule can be accessed at http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/behavioral/proposedterms1106.htm
Rome schools may get security system, including video surveillance
Date CapturedThursday November 16 2006, 5:51 AM
Observer-Dispatch reports, "The plan calls for 86 surveillance cameras to be installed at Rome's eight elementary schools. The funding will be covered through federal grants and state aid, said Deputy Superintendent Jeffrey Simons. Along with the new cameras, most building access will be limited to the main doorways at the schools, making it safer for both students and staff, he said."
Big classroom squeeze in New York City
Date CapturedThursday November 16 2006, 4:23 AM
NY Daily News Erin Einhorn reports, "The average class-size details for kindergarten to eighth grade were released for the first time yesterday under City Council legislation requiring the Department of Education to turn over the data twice a year. High school classroom sizes will be released at a later date, officials said."
Open Campuses
Date CapturedThursday November 16 2006, 3:54 AM
Washington Post opined, "Any doubt about the benefits of attracting foreign students should be erased when weighed against the fact that other countries have started their own programs to aggressively recruit these same smart students. This week a delegation of college presidents, led by education and State Department officials, is in Asia on a mission to recruit foreign scholars. America can't afford not to put out the welcome mat."
New York City parents peeved over cell phone ban
Date CapturedWednesday November 15 2006, 4:59 AM
amNewYork City Michael Clancy reports, "The public school system has prohibited cell phones in school buildings for years, but the policy was generally not enforced at most schools. Last spring, the issue exploded when school officials started performing random searches for weapons systemwide and guards seized hundreds of cell phones. Critics of the ban also say students who attend schools with permanent metal detectors suffer more than children at schools without the detectors because students at those schools are allowed to bend the rules."
Dozens of NYC parents e-mail City Hall over cell phone ban
Date CapturedWednesday November 15 2006, 4:12 AM
AP reports, "Gotbaum [public advocate] and some other lawmakers say principals should set their own policies. They site safety as the No. 1 concern. In the e-mails, some parents pointed to the Sept. 11 disaster and the daily threat of terrorism as the primary reasons why their children need phones. "The reality is that the NYC subway system is vulnerable to terrorist attack," said the parent of a ninth grader. 'When we have so little control over these horrific incidents, and must continue to live our lives (as Mayor Bloomberg suggests we do), something as simple and basic as cell phone contact with our children should not be up for negotiation.' Another wrote: 'She and I both feel a little less crazy knowing that if something major happens - an accident, a crisis - that she can be in touch with me. If your child went to school blocks from ground zero, you'd know what I'm talking about.'"
'Guinea Pig' Kids Uproar
Date CapturedTuesday November 14 2006, 5:35 AM
NY Post CARL CAMPANILE and STEPHANIE GASKELL report on students as subjects in university studies, "More than 50 of those studies focused on health, psychology, race, ethnicity and religion - mostly on kids in the poorest neighborhoods. All were conducted with parental consent, but as an incentive, parents and kids often were compensated. 'This is outrageous,' Brooklyn Councilman Charles Barron said. 'I'm concerned about any form of therapy going on in our schools.' But Mayor Bloomberg defended the research. 'We've been doing this for a number of years and we will continue to do it,' he said.
Buffalo schools weather test of new, speedy phone system
Date CapturedMonday November 13 2006, 11:29 AM
Buffalo News reports, "In Buffalo, school officials can specify who will receive the calls - for example, all parents and staff, students at one particular school or in a single class, all sixth-graders in the district, or a handful of students scheduled to be honored at a Board of Education meeting."
Class Drug Swabs
Date CapturedMonday November 13 2006, 4:51 AM
NY Post HEIDI SINGER and DAVID ANDREATTA report, "In a matter of minutes, officials can determine what kind of illegal narcotics are in their school, where drug dealers might be lurking and how young the users are. Newark school officials want to use the information to fine-tune their anti-drug message, adjusting it to the reality of what drugs kids are actually using, said Willie Freeman, security director for the Newark School District. But officials won't be using the test to bust individual kids, he said."
'Guinea Pig' Kids Stir Furor
Date CapturedMonday November 13 2006, 4:49 AM
NY Post CARL CAMPANILE reports, "City [New York City] education officials last year quietly approved more than 50 research projects related to health, psychology, race, ethnicity, gender and religion - mostly on kids in the poorest neighborhoods, a Post investigation has found. Nearly 200 studies - some of them financed by multimillion-dollar grants - were OK'd. All of the studies were conducted with parental consent. But as an incentive, parents and kids often were compensated. The city allows 'modest cash payments' to parents and teachers and gift certificates for kids, education officials said."
New York City Ed Dept. tells school bigs: Clear all talks first
Date CapturedMonday November 13 2006, 4:37 AM
NY Daily News ERIN EINHORN reports, "The Department of Education has ordered school bigwigs to powwow with a new external-communications team before accepting or declining invitations to speak with community groups or public officials. The new public-appearance protocol is pitched as a way to ensure that DOE reps are fully prepared, according to a memo obtained by the Daily News. 'And it will help them think strategically about how the DOE is publicly presenting itself,' the memo states."
POLL FINDS SUPPORT FOR DRUG TESTS
Date CapturedSunday November 12 2006, 4:31 PM
Courier News reports, "In the weeks ahead, Central Jersey's high-school athletes will face a new challenge that has nothing to do with X's and O's or executing plays. They'll be subject to new, random testing for performance-enhancing drugs. An exclusive Courier News poll of 100 playoff-bound athletes shows widespread belief that the testing will level the playing field and create more of a dialogue about performance- enhancing drugs, but also some concerns about the program's fairness."
Parents want Nobel Prize winner's novel pulled from school
Date CapturedSunday November 12 2006, 8:50 AM
Daily Freeman reports, "'According to (a school district) policy ... set in place in 1985, if a parent has a problem with one of the books that's being read, they submit a petition to the board, and that gets the process going,' Callejo [school board member] said. Callejo said the committee being assembled to consider the book's suitability for students will include a school district administrator, a teacher, a parent, a psychologist and a community member."
Purple Heart Hall of Honor is dedicated in Vails Gate, New York
Date CapturedSaturday November 11 2006, 10:17 AM
Mid-Hudson News reports, "The $6 million facility [Purple Heart Hall of Honor] will recognize the brave men and women who have served their country with dignity and distinction. Their stories will be preserved and shared through a series of exhibits, live and videotaped interviews with veterans themselves, and the Roll of Honor, an interactive computer program detailing the stories of each individual."
When student turns 18, it's a whole new world
Date CapturedSaturday November 11 2006, 8:55 AM
The Seattle Times reports, "Some local schools automatically switch control to 18-year-old students and leave it up to parents to provide signed statements to maintain access; others assume students still living at home are dependents and keep parents in the loop."
New York City Mayor Bloomberg won't blockade military from schools
Date CapturedSaturday November 11 2006, 8:28 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Despite some protests against them, the city won't ban military recruiters from public high schools, Mayor Bloomberg said yesterday."
Elmira College offers new master's program
Date CapturedSaturday November 11 2006, 7:56 AM
Star-Gazette reports, "Elmira College will offer a new master's degree program in January that school officials hope will prepare the local work force for the future. Four areas of concentration -- in general management, information technology management, health services management and emergency-disaster preparedness management -- will be offered during the winter term that starts Jan. 8."
Provision of Special Education Services to Parentally Placed Nonpublic Elementary and Secondary School Students with Disabilities
Date CapturedFriday November 10 2006, 8:28 AM
Provision of Special Education Services for the 2007-08 school year: The public school district where the nonpublic school is located must begin to develop procedures for the evaluation and provision of special education services to students with disabilities enrolled in nonpublic schools located in their district for the 2007-08 school year in accordance with the new federal regulations. In this process, the school district must consult with nonpublic school representatives and representatives of parents of parentally placed private school students with disabilities for nonpublic schools located within the boundaries of the school district. Additional guidance will be issued upon further changes to State law.
Reminder of Annual AHERA Notifications to Employees and Parents
Date CapturedFriday November 10 2006, 8:16 AM
Public and nonpublic schools must also provide a written notification to all parent, teacher, and employee organizations of the availability of the school’s asbestos management plan for public inspection. A description of the steps to notify these organizations, as well as a dated copy of the notification, is to be maintained in the asbestos plan. The asbestos management plans are to be made available for inspection to representatives of the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the State, the public, including parents, teachers, and other school personnel within five working days after receiving a request for its inspection.
From the Desk of Jean C. Stevens, Interim Deputy Commissioner, New York State Education Department
Date CapturedFriday November 10 2006, 8:08 AM
ELA and Mathematics Results on the New York State Testing and Accountability Reporting Tool (nySTART): Beginning November 14, authorized users in schools and districts will be able to access parent reports for the grades 3-8 State assessments in mathematics using nySTART. Beginning November 13, files containing the mathematics parent reports will be distributed to Regional Information Centers and the Big 5 school districts. If your district has contracted with a Regional Information Center or BOCES to print the reports, please contact them for information about the printing and distribution schedule. Information about interpreting student scores, particularly the standard performance indices, is available at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/nystart/2006/InterpretingStudentScores_files/frame.htm. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Accountability Verification: On November 14, school districts and charter schools will have access to two sets of reports allowing them to verify student data that will be used to determine each district’s and school’s accountability status at the elementary and middle levels for the 2006-07 school year. Each school superintendent, school principal, and staff member with account administrator privileges can access these reports through nySTART, using their personal UserIDs and passwords. The deadline for submitting data changes to your district’s Regional Information Center or Level 1 Repository operator is November 20. More information about the verification process is available at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/nystart/. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Essential Elements Schools to Watch: New York State is one of 14 states that has joined Schools to Watch, a national recognition program developed by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform. In New York, seven schools were selected for the 2006 group of Schools to Watch by distinguishing themselves in academic excellence, developmental responsiveness, social equity and organization and structure. A list of the schools is available at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/mle/news/schools2watch.htm. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reminder of Annual AHERA Notifications to Employees and Parents: The federal Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) requires all schools to provide public notification regarding inspections and other activities related to asbestos. Schools must also make its asbestos management plan available for public inspection. For more information, go to http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/facplan/AHERA/aheranotifyreminder.htm. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VESID Update: National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) and National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC): Guidance regarding NIMAS and NIMAC, as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, is now available at http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/publications/persprep/nimas.htm. NIMAC is designed to streamline access to instructional materials that meet the NIMAS standard for students who are blind or have other print disabilities. Please review and share as appropriate; a response is needed no later than November 30, 2006. Provision of Special Education Services to Parentally Placed Nonpublic Elementary and Secondary School Students with Disabilities: This memorandum, available at http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/publications/policy/ nonpublic.htm, informs school districts of their responsibilities to provide special education services to parentally placed nonpublic school students with disabilities for the 2006-07 school year. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Previous News and Notes: 10/27/06 10/20/06 10/6/06 11/09/2006
New York City schools shakeup fury
Date CapturedFriday November 10 2006, 4:35 AM
NY Daily News Erin Einhorn reports, ""Every single year that I've been involved in the school issue, it's been a fight from one borough to another and from one district to another over a totally insufficient pie,' said Leonie Haimson of the advocacy group Class Size Matters. Officials have proposed cutting seven schools from its five-year construction plan because of increased costs." Hearings on the construction plans will be held.
Making the Grade: Online Education in the United States, 2006
Date CapturedThursday November 09 2006, 8:46 AM
Study concludes: "Problem areas identified in previous years are still seen as areas of concern among academic leaders. • Only 4.6 percent of Chief Academic Officers agreed that there are no significant barriers to widespread adoption of online learning. • Nearly two-thirds of the academic leaders cite the need for more discipline on the part of online students as a critical barrier. • Faculty issues, both acceptance of online and the need for greater time and effort to teach online, are also important barriers. • Neither a perceived lack of demand on the part of potential students nor the acceptance of an online degree by potential employers was seen as a critical barrier." I. Elaine Allen, Ph.D., and Jeff Seaman, Ph.D., November 2006
Academics unite to protect New York state
Date CapturedThursday November 09 2006, 5:28 AM
Times Union reports, "Protect New York will sponsor panel topics such as the ethics of surveillance and the psychiatric aspects of disaster and organize reviews of current research priorities and educational offerings related to homeland security and disaster planning. The group will host a conference on lessons learned and future directions in the fight against terrorism and natural disasters in New York City in 2007."
New York City School-bus info hotline
Date CapturedThursday November 09 2006, 4:41 AM
NY Daily News reports, "A new hotline will help parents and teachers negotiate upcoming changes in city school bus service."
New York City student cell ban adds med waiver
Date CapturedThursday November 09 2006, 4:40 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Although a medical exemption to the controversial cell phone ban was already on the books, the Department of Education yesterday set up a formal process to apply for the waiver."
More students turn to the Web for college classes
Date CapturedThursday November 09 2006, 3:55 AM
The Washington Times reports on a survey to be released today, "The Sloan survey results also suggest academic officials are becoming more comfortable with online learning. About 62 percent of chief academic officers said they felt students learned as well or better from online courses as they did in face-to-face ones. However, that left about 38 percent who found online courses degraded the educational experience. And almost all said they aren't certain online learning will be more widely adopted. Among the obstacles are that online courses take more time and effort to prepare, students need more self-discipline and faculty often aren't convinced online learning is worthwhile."
Forum seeks input on resolving conflicts between Pittsburgh charter, public schools
Date CapturedWednesday November 08 2006, 8:07 AM
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports, "School board members have said they're frustrated with charter schools, which they believe are held to lower standards than district schools. Charter schools say school districts don't like competition. Mr. Papale [A+ Schools' executive director] said the forum, one in a series the group has held about local education issues, will explore how charter schools are created and funded and whether there's a better system for regulating them."
Is big brother watching you?
Date CapturedWednesday November 08 2006, 8:01 AM
The Cavelier Daily reports, "You use your ID card to swipe into the dining hall or gym, and to unlock your dorm or office. You sign on to University computers and log into Webmail, ISIS or Toolkit. You use your Social Security number to check out library books and obtain financial aid. With the sheer volume of data a student produces in a single day, it begs the question: Can the University track your every move?"
Ap-parent Snub
Date CapturedWednesday November 08 2006, 6:00 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "Overall, just 1,189 schools [New York City], or 82 percent, have an operational association, despite rules set by the chancellor that require schools to hold elections for parent officers in June and for each school to have an association in place within a year of its existence."
Columbia show must-steam TV
Date CapturedTuesday November 07 2006, 4:40 AM
Daily News reports, "Columbia officials said the station has a faculty adviser but is run by students without any oversight from the administration. It is funded by student activity fees. 'The university doesn't censor or edit or monitor what they do,' said a Columbia spokesman."
School district wants to inform about dangers of social networking
Date CapturedMonday November 06 2006, 2:53 PM
Pantagraph.com reports, "'We take student privacy issues very seriously, and we are very careful about releasing student information,' said McArdle[Lexington school Superintendent]. 'Unfortunately, many times students are too willing to share too much information on Web sites (such as myspace.com, youtube.com, xanga.com, or webtickle.com) with no thought that someone might use it inappropriately.' In response, the school district, in conjunction with the Lexington Council of Churches, will sponsor a presentation at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday featuring Jack Bristow, former DARE officer for Livingston County. Bristow serves as the liaison for Pontiac High School and gave a social networking presentation at a recent meeting of the Illinois Principals Association."
Schools attempt to improve through contract with parents
Date CapturedSunday November 05 2006, 9:35 AM
Myrtle Beach online reports, "'The contract to me is very condescending," said 'Reid. 'It reads as if CMS is the parent and the parents at West Charlotte are the children.' A meeting last week drew about 350 parents to West Charlotte to talk about the school's turnaround plan. Everyone who spoke agreed that parents and students must be part of the solution. But Reid's husband, Norbert, raised questions about the tone of the contract and why CMS is singling out parents at the four schools. All of them have high poverty levels and serve mostly black and Hispanic students. A handful of others approached Principal John Modest afterward and agreed with the criticism."
South Carolina private student data used to promote campaign
Date CapturedSaturday November 04 2006, 2:02 PM
Santa Cruz Sentinel reports, "Parents and educators at Soquel High are upset over a campaign mailer that apparently used protected student information to reach voters."
Private schools wary of vouchers
Date CapturedSaturday November 04 2006, 1:43 PM
The Greenville news reports, "McCreary [director of research, evaluation, accountability and testing for Greenville County school district] says the simple fact that parents have chosen to pay for private school education is a statistically significant indicator of academic achievement. 'If you have the means to afford a private education, then normally things at home are different than they are with some public school students,' he said. 'When parents choose, they're usually more involved in their children's education,' he said. 'There's more reading, more books, more opportunities for learning at home.' There's no reason why people of disadvantaged backgrounds shouldn't be able to avail themselves of the opportunity to choose, however, said Thomas Simuel, president and CEO of the South Carolina Center for Grassroots and Community Alternatives, a school-choice group focusing on low-income black communities. 'I totally disagree with the assessment that vouchers would rob public schools,' Simuel said. 'I think public schools are already robbing from too many children who aren't cutting it in the public education system.' His group is holding 'town meetings' across the state to encourage parents in black communities to seek school choices, whether with publicly funded magnet or charter schools, or in home schools or virtual schools, or religious and secular private schools."
Help Negotiating Needs For Special-Ed Students
Date CapturedFriday November 03 2006, 9:16 AM
Washington Post reports, "Five school systems are testing a new state program designed to help parents and educators avoid the conflict that sometimes makes it difficult to develop education plans for students with special needs. The process of drafting an individual education program, or IEP -- a blueprint for what services and support a special education student needs to be successful -- often is contentious. Parents and educators sometimes disagree about what services a student needs."
Parity ordered for STAC cheerleaders
Date CapturedFriday November 03 2006, 6:46 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "Vestal also was cited for a publication that its booster club produces as an annual fundraiser, Capobianco said. The Vestal booster club sells copies of a yearly program, featuring player rosters, photos and paid advertisements. The Office of Civil Rights determined that the girls' and boys' publications were of unequal quality."
A School-Bus Stop for 40,000 City Kids
Date CapturedFriday November 03 2006, 5:24 AM
NY Post David Andreatta writes, "'We want to spend money on schools rather than on buses that kids aren't taking, while also ensuring that every child who wants and is eligible for busing gets it,' said DOE spokesman David Cantor. 'This plan will achieve that.' Cantor noted that the department has made 16 attempts since June to notify parents of the new bus-registration requirement through letters sent home with kids, reminder e-mails to principals and press releases. The plan affects only general-education students, not special-ed kids."
Teachers' special-ed input sought
Date CapturedThursday November 02 2006, 9:42 AM
Buffalo News reports, "The effort to reform Buffalo's special-education system will involve input from teachers, School Superintendent James A. Williams said at Wednesday evening's Board of Education meeting. 'We will call on you to work with us,' Williams said of district staff members. 'It will not work unless we have input from the teachers.'"
Improving our schools calls for collaboration
Date CapturedThursday November 02 2006, 9:03 AM
Times Union contributor LINDA HILLMAN, President, Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce in a letter to the editor writes, "Good decision-making does not happen in a vacuum. The community, including the business community, must join the dialogue on how to support the best possible education for our children, a critical factor in successful economic development initiatives."
Web conference to address state of Internet laws
Date CapturedThursday November 02 2006, 7:45 AM
The Daily Orange reports, "The Syracuse University community will have the opportunity to witness a global discussion of Internet governance, which concerns creating internationally-accepted laws for the Internet, today from 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. in Eggers Hall. The event is a live broadcast of a Web conference in the Maxwell Global Collaboratory. Participating in the conference are representatives from two larger conferences in progress, one in Greece and the other in Grenada, and from the Internet Corporation for Assigning Names and Numbers. The broadcast, which is hosted by the School of Information Studies' Collaboratory on Technology Enhanced Learning Communities, is open to the public."
Air Force grants Binghamton U professor $300K
Date CapturedThursday November 02 2006, 6:21 AM
Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "Craver [professor] plans to use the Air Force funding to develop an automated process to break digital watermarks, in which information is secretly embedded in a file. Watermarks can be used to provide proof of ownership or as copy protection devices. Craver's research will be relevant to any security system that relies on a detection algorithm, including face-recognition and thumbprint recognition systems, university officials said."
Group of University Researchers to Make Web Science a Field of Study
Date CapturedThursday November 02 2006, 3:31 AM
NY Times reports, "Web science is related to another emerging interdisciplinary field called services science. This is the study of how to use computing, collaborative networks and knowledge in disciplines ranging from economics to anthropology to lift productivity and develop new products in the services sector, which represents about three-fourths of the United States economy."
Time for Vermont to consider district consolidation
Date CapturedWednesday November 01 2006, 8:05 AM
Burlington Free Press reports, "Commissioner Cate deserves credit for moving this discussion [consolidation] forward. However, the ultimate decision will -- and should -- rest with local communities. Montpelier cannot insist that any district share its governance, close a school, shrink its personnel or impose other cost-saving measures. Instead, the commissioner, governor, lawmakers and the public should continue to openly discuss the proposal."
Got m.i.l.k.? Oakland charter school takes part in safety plan
Date CapturedWednesday November 01 2006, 7:21 AM
Inside Bay Area reports, "In the first local event of its kind, the children's pictures, fingerprints and other identifying data will be saved on a computer disc and sent to their families, along with software that will allow them to update the information. If a child is lost or missing, caregivers will be able to send their photos and other data instantly to the authorities, who can post it publicly."
New York State Education Department PARENT and FAMILY PARTNERSHIPS
Date CapturedTuesday October 31 2006, 5:12 PM
NYSED: Please share your perspective on these Key Questions. Thank you for your thoughtful contribution to informing the Board of Regents and the State Education Department and to improving family partnerships throughout the state of New York.
Parental apathy – or just poverty?
Date CapturedTuesday October 31 2006, 12:58 PM
The News-Sentinel columnist Kevin Leininger writes, "The statistics seem to support the connection between poverty and academic achievement, or the lack of it. Of the 11 schools on probation, almost all are at or near the top when ranked by the percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals. (See chart.) And when there are exceptions to that ranking, other demographic factors may be at work, Coutts said. At South Wayne Elementary, nearly half of students moved at least once last year, playing havoc with academic continuity. The mobility rate at Lakeside Middle School was 33 percent. And about 8 percent of the students at Maplewood Elementary list a language other than English as their primary tongue – an impediment to doing well on state-mandated English-language tests."
Student journalists deserve an apology
Date CapturedTuesday October 31 2006, 7:15 AM
St. Petersburg Times reports, "Orr [principal of Florida high school] stripped an article from the October edition of Red & Black, the school newspaper, that described the gap in academic performance between white and minority students. Never mind that the figures were compiled by other governmental agencies, that student journalists have broad legal rights to publish or that the data was readily available on the school district's own Web site."
School threat probed
Date CapturedTuesday October 31 2006, 4:38 AM
Newsday writes on increased security report at John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore, "The statement also said a letter will be sent home with students today."
Parental involvement key to a child's school success
Date CapturedSunday October 29 2006, 8:49 PM
Bay News 9 reports, "School district [Polk County, Florida] officials said classroom teaching is not enough. Parents are an integral part of the education process. So, the school board just approved nearly $250,000 in funding to hire outreach facilitators. Their job will be to talk to parents about homework, testing and truancy."
Yonkers parents split on school uniform policy
Date CapturedSunday October 29 2006, 7:35 AM
The Journal News reports, "Close to 5,400 parents responded, representing more than 25 percent of the district's student households. 'We want to look at the data, and we wanted a broad look,' Martinez [Board of Education Vice President] said. 'We didn't want to just listen to a few parents who were able to come to a meeting. We wanted to give parents an opportunity to respond to the question.'"
Wyoming School Safety Drill Upsets Some Parents
Date CapturedSaturday October 28 2006, 7:01 PM
Newsday reports, "Principal David Britten said students weren't told ahead of time to make the drill as realistic as possible. Teachers were informed moments before it took place, he said. 'I think this is the best way to do it,' Britten said. 'We're not looking to scare anyone, but we want a sense of urgency.' But Wyoming Police Chief James Carmody said his officers were not aware students and parents were not told. He said his department will mandate that parents be notified ahead of time in the future."
DODEA seeks parents’ opinions in online survey
Date CapturedSaturday October 28 2006, 6:45 PM
Stars and Stripes reports, "The survey, which is based in part on the Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools, helps DODEA identify areas that need improvement. Teachers, parents and students in grades four and five, six through eight and nine through twelve are given separate surveys. Questions focus on areas such as curriculum, instruction, standards, assessment, technology and student support, according to a DODEA statement."
Strip-searches probed at Rockland BOCES high school
Date CapturedSaturday October 28 2006, 8:39 AM
The Journal News reports, "The strip-searches appear to violate rules and regulations of both the Police Department and the Rockland Board of Cooperative Educational Services. Usually, students are not questioned by police without their parents or guardians being notified or present."
COLUMBIA: A DUBIOUS NEIGHBOR
Date CapturedSaturday October 28 2006, 8:24 AM
NY Post opined, "More than three weeks have passed since Columbia University hosted one of the most brazen attacks on free speech and academic freedom in recent memory. Since then, not a word of apology has been offered to those whose rights were trampled, nor an ounce of punishment meted out to the offenders. The only thing, in fact, that Columbia's administrators have done is to assure students, alumni, faculty and others who care deeply about the university that an 'investigation' is under way. But with weeks gone by and a public relations office deflecting calls on the matter, it's starting to look like the term 'investigation' may be a euphemism for 'cover-up.'"
FURY OF BOOTED NEW YORK CITY SCHOOL PARENTS
Date CapturedSaturday October 28 2006, 8:16 AM
NY Post David Andreatta writes, "Parents claimed the principal, Olga Livanis, has cut student counseling sessions, single-sex math and science classes and sports programs; failed to supply students with a crossing guard and a nurse; and ignored their complaints. Some suggested Livanis, whose predecessor stood with parents in their loud public fight against the charter school, had a mandate to quash parent involvement."
Teen-drinking epidemic definitely crosses line
Date CapturedSaturday October 28 2006, 7:56 AM
Troy Record opined on teen drinking and school imposed consequences and plans to deal with the problem, "We are glad that teens who engage in such activity will have to face these tougher consequences. More school districts should take a cue from Averill Park. At the same time, parents everywhere need to be more vigilant and must hold their children accountable for their actions. Teachers and schools are not substitutes for a solid foundation of values taught at home. Children - even today's 'worldly' teenagers - want to know where the line is drawn. It is up to parents to make their children understand what will happen should they cross that line."
School Board is supporting exceptions to Tennessee’s open meetings law
Date CapturedFriday October 27 2006, 9:44 AM
The City Paper reports, "The board is asking to exempt meetings to consider employee dismissal, compensation, discipline or performance, as well as collective bargaining matters, from the law. This could effect certain aspects of union negotiations. Frank Gibson, executive director of the Tennessee coalition for Open Government, said these meetings should be held in public to hold the board accountable."
Campus to discuss ROTC chapter at Plattsburgh State
Date CapturedFriday October 27 2006, 8:58 AM
Press Republican reports, "The campus community will gather Nov. 2 to discuss the future of a proposed Reserve Officers Training Corps at Plattsburgh State. The meeting is open only to students and college employees, which has some faculty and community members upset. The media will be allowed to attend the meeting, however, and faculty members concerned about the openness of the matter are hopeful a future meeting will be held that the public can attend. 'Not allowing any outside guests will ensure the most open conversation,' Presiding Faculty Officer Dr. Douglas Skopp said in explaining his decision."
FIRST 5 CALIFORNIA
Date CapturedThursday October 26 2006, 8:03 PM
Research shows that a child’s brain develops most dramatically in the first five years and what parents and caregivers do during these years to support their child’s growth will have a meaningful impact throughout life. Based on this research, First 5 California, also known as the California Children and Families Commission, was established after voters passed Proposition 10 in November 1998, adding a 50 cents-per-pack tax on cigarettes to fund education, health, child care and other programs for expectant parents and children up to age 5.
Pittsfield (Massachusetts) Public Schools not making the cut
Date CapturedThursday October 26 2006, 5:41 PM
Capital News 9 reports, "The Pittsfield [Massachusetts] School Committee now faces questions from concerned parents. Some wonder why they have not been included in school improvement plans. 'One thing that seems to be missing out of those school improvement plans is the word parent. The word parent is missing from many of those plans,' concerned parent Tricia Farley-Bouvier said. For the past four years, the school district has failed to make Adequate Yearly Progress required by the No Child Left Behind Act. Now the district is being placed into 'corrective action.'"
Ithaca Central Schools consider security upgrades: Key card access, cameras may be part of project
Date CapturedThursday October 26 2006, 7:29 AM
Ithaca Journal reports, "Security upgrades costing an estimated $500,000, including a combination of cameras and a key card access system, could be part of an Ithaca City School District facilities bond project. The proposed key card access system, as outlined for the Board of Education on Tuesday, would allow the district to lock or unlock doors and windows through its data network. Facilities Director Paul Alexander said a new access system that would use key cards would save the district time and money."
Monticello school e-mails in 'poor taste'
Date CapturedThursday October 26 2006, 5:50 AM
Times Herald-Record reports, "Inappropriate e-mails exchanged at the Monticello school district have been 'blown way out of proportion' and aren't racist, said a lawyer for one female secretary placed on administrative leave last."
Unclear 'Net Tutors Aided Kids
Date CapturedThursday October 26 2006, 4:55 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "Thousands of struggling city students unwittingly relied on online tutors based in India who were neither fingerprinted nor subjected to criminal background checks, probers charged."
Middletown teacher says camcorder confiscation is unfair
Date CapturedWednesday October 25 2006, 5:56 AM
Times Herald-Record reports, "Media journalism teacher Fred Isseks says his class' second camera was confiscated because he was using it to expose construction dangers inside the high school ahead of the scheduled opening on Sept. 7. He says he handed it over to two house principals as soon as he was approached and has not seen the camera since. The school district charges that he was using school property for personal use and did not comply with instructions from his superiors."
Tips for dealing with No Child Left Behind
Date CapturedTuesday October 24 2006, 10:52 AM
Macon Telegraph prints Washington Post story, "A recent study by the public interest law network Appleseed, based in Washington, found many flaws in how schools deal with parents under the No Child Left Behind law. The report, 'It Takes a Parent,' reached five conclusions." Most of the conclusions were related to communication with parents. READ REPORT ON EDUCATION NEW YORK ONLINE, EDUCATION POLICY PAGE, NCLB FOLDER.
Grades go home, but tests don't
Date CapturedTuesday October 24 2006, 9:13 AM
Dallas Morning News reports, "A Plano parent's four-year struggle to review his daughter's tests at home reveals a common practice at several area high schools. Teachers often prohibit students from taking graded tests home because they want to reuse them without worry of cheating or test-swapping on the Internet. The Plano school district is weighing two sides of the equation: parents' right to help their children vs. teachers' desire to keep difficult-to-prepare tests secure."
Delaware County, Indiana schools teaching flu pandemic prevention
Date CapturedTuesday October 24 2006, 7:32 AM
Star Press reports, "With so much media attention given to the possibility of a flu pandemic, school officials are often asked if they are aware and how they will respond if a major outbreak occurs, Muncie Community Schools Supt. Marlin Creasy said. The letter alerts parents 'preliminary steps' schools are taking now, Creasy said. Education and communication about potential hazards and prevention is key, said Bill Gosnell, Delaware County Emergency Director."
The racist e-mails
Date CapturedTuesday October 24 2006, 5:55 AM
Times Herald-Record opined, "The Monticello School District has placed an assistant principal and three office workers on paid administrative leave while it decides what to do to them for sending racist and pornographic e-mails to each other on school computers."
Respect kids’ privacy while checking e-mail, expert says
Date CapturedMonday October 23 2006, 8:58 AM
Terrell Tribune reports, "To safeguard against any inappropriate computer use, either by children or by people trying to contact them, computers should be kept in central locations in the home, Meadows [professor in Eastern Illinois University’s School of Family and Consumer Science] advised. That way, children are more likely to behave if 'they don’t know when you’re going to walk by and look over their shoulders,' she said."
Press #1 for a Bad Idea
Date CapturedSunday October 22 2006, 8:44 AM
NY Times op-ed contributor Rebecca Jacobsen, former teacher and doctoral candidate in the politics and education program at Teachers College, Columbia University writes, "THE Yonkers Public Schools just started an automated polling program, called Connect-ED, that asks parents to enter their opinions on school policies by pressing the number keys on their phones. The president of the Yonkers Board of Education, Bernadette Dunne, says the system will help close the information “backpack gap” — so called because school notices requesting parent responses typically get buried in children’s backpacks, never to emerge."
A Columbia Expert on Free Speech Is Accused of Speaking Too Softly
Date CapturedSunday October 22 2006, 8:35 AM
NY Times KAREN W. ARENSON and TAMAR LEWIN write, "These days, debate over what constitutes legitimate speech and legitimate protest rages anew. Students recently faced off at a debate sponsored by the Columbia chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union on whether demonstrators had the right to rush the stage at the Gilchrist speech."
Turmoil at Gallaudet Reflects Broader Debate
Date CapturedSaturday October 21 2006, 7:36 AM
NY Times DIANA JEAN SCHEMO writes, "Should Gallaudet be the standard bearer for the view that sees deafness not as a disability, but as an identity, and that looks warily on technology like cochlear implants, questioning how well they work and arguing that they undermine a strong deaf identity and pride? Or should Gallaudet embrace the possibilities of connecting with the hearing world that technology can offer?"
Title IX has impact on schools
Date CapturedSaturday October 21 2006, 12:08 AM
HERALD NEWS reports, "In recent years, the federal act has come under fire from critics who claim that creating gender equity comes at the cost of male sports. Last year, groups promoting Title IX were angered when a Title IX commission clarified that schools choosing to demonstrate compliance by proving they were fulfilling the needs and interests of female students could use an e-mail survey to gauge interest."
The American Competitiveness Initiative: The Education Revolution Begins
Date CapturedFriday October 20 2006, 4:05 PM
Baltimore Times reports, "With the announcement of American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI), low-income and minority students have an excellent opportunity to prepare themselves for well-paid careers in science and technology. However, this federal assistance program will best benefit students of color, only if their parents are aware of the initiative's goals, areas of focus and the criteria to qualify for financial aid to support secondary education."
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania schools to get silent 911 alarms
Date CapturedFriday October 20 2006, 10:22 AM
AP reports, "The alarm buttons would enable school personnel to signal the dispatch center directly without having to pick up a telephone, dial 911 or talk out loud. Similar panic buttons can be found in banks and district justice offices. The dispatch center would immediately send police to the school."
Steroid testing of Texas high school athletes
Date CapturedFriday October 20 2006, 9:00 AM
The Olympian reports, "In 2005, state lawmakers considered a testing program but instead directed the UIL [University Interscholastic League, the state's governing body for public high school sports] to develop an education plan about the dangers of steroid use. The UIL is surveying school districts to gauge how well that program is work-ing. The results are due in December."
Education-study data released after suit by advocates for poor
Date CapturedFriday October 20 2006, 8:53 AM
NorthJersey.com reports, "The New Jersey Education Department released documents Thursday, including some cost projections for public education, after advocates for poor chil- dren sued to gain access to the data."
Alliance using the workplace to encourage greater Iowa parent involvement in education
Date CapturedFriday October 20 2006, 8:39 AM
The Courier reports, "The Alliance for People Promoting Learning & Education --- or Apple --- launched an effort Tuesday encouraging businesses to promote the idea that parents and other employees should be involved at schools. A parent's involvement in their child's education has been identified as an important factor in how well the child does in school."
Feds need to keep hands off student records
Date CapturedThursday October 19 2006, 8:28 AM
The majority of the Herald's 10-member board of student editors opined, "There has not been any indication that the information would be used for homeland security purposes - a move that would raise its own ethic al questions. But among the reasons Spellings listed for the database were better ways of notifying students of their eligibility for academic aid and better preparing high school graduates for college. These raise nanny state, not police state, concerns. Students already should be aware of such opportunities. It is the faculty's duty to remind students, and it is the students' duty to take advantage of what they have."
Upgrade could save Rochester district $1 million annually in costs
Date CapturedThursday October 19 2006, 6:13 AM
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "Each school will be equipped with a communications platform with embedded voice mail capabilities, making it adjustable to increased user demand, and increasing the chance that district computer needs won't outgrow the computer system's capabilities." The phones have can send text messages in case of emergencies.
Standardized tests can send students who fail into tailspin
Date CapturedWednesday October 18 2006, 6:36 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle guest essayist Dan Drmacich, prinicipal School Without Walls, Rochester School District writes, "Students who are poor, who are from English-as-a-second-language families, who have special education needs, who desire to have a vocational education or who have unique interests or learning styles, have suffered under the one-size-fits-all Regents education process. Even those students who do well on Regents tests suffer because they are often denied the opportunities to focus their studies on areas of personal interest, citizenship and other lifelong-learning skills. Each person who agrees should voice his or her concerns to school district officials, state and federal representatives. Only through active citizenship can we create an education system that truly meets the needs of our students and our society."
Alabama school catches up with attendance 'glitch'
Date CapturedTuesday October 17 2006, 8:04 AM
The Huntsville Times reports, "In late August, the state Department of Education [Alabama] cited the school on Carter's Gin Road for failing to maintain at least 95 percent daily attendance last year. Assistant Principal Melanie Barkley attributed the problem to a bookkeeping error: Students who arrived late for class were being marked absent when they should have been counted as tardy. Employees combed through attendance logs and found late-arriving students were mistakenly marked absent 403 times last school year, Barkley said. Giving those kids credit for coming to class late bumped Sparkman Middle's daily attendance from 94.42 percent to about 96 percent - comfortably above the state's goal."
Don't invade student privacy
Date CapturedTuesday October 17 2006, 7:29 AM
USA TODAY contributor David Shi, president of Furman University and chairman of National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities opined, "We oppose a new individual tracking system because we fear a larger, more intrusive government bureaucracy. Greater transparency and accountability in higher education can be achieved without threatening privacy. To their credit, some proponents of a student unit-record system are willing to try to address our concerns. Yet more needs to be done. My colleagues and I are eager to work with the department to find ways for colleges to provide more useful and accessible data for applicants while protecting parents' and students' fundamental privacy rights."
Time to grade colleges
Date CapturedTuesday October 17 2006, 7:14 AM
USA TODAY opined, "While fears of compromised privacy are hypothetical, the need for a new system is real. The current state systems are incompatible, so comparison among schools in different states is impossible. Federal statistics miss students who start part-time, enter later or transfer from other institutions. Better data, through either a comprehensive database or scientifically valid sampling, could answer many pressing questions. Consumers who now see only a school's sticker price might learn what students actually pay, after financial aid is calculated. Researchers might learn why students drop out and where they go. Or what impact college has on their future success."
'No Child Left Behind" law gets review
Date CapturedMonday October 16 2006, 3:30 PM
Sacramento Bee reports, "The law is scheduled to be reauthorized by Congress next year, and educators are starting to strategize on how to lobby lawmakers to change it. 'As we begin the conversation about reauthorization, one thing we thought really important was that, to the extent possible, California speak with one voice,' said Rick Miller, a spokesman for the state Department of Education, which organized the meetings this week for teachers, administrators and parents to weigh in."
Why the left fears free speech on campus
Date CapturedMonday October 16 2006, 4:44 AM
NY Daily News guest essayist David French, director of the Alliance Defense Fund's Center for Academic Freedom opined, "In the '60s, the excesses of campus radicals eventually led to a cultural backlash that ushered in the Reagan era. These same excesses committed in an era of blogs, YouTube downloads and talk radio lead to a much more immediate response. So, rather than reveling in last week's momentary triumph, Columbia's leftist radicals find themselves on the defensive, blaming others for the violence and begging the administration not to search the Internet for clues about the protesters' identities."
'Ghetto' party, photos stir controversy at Texas law school
Date CapturedSunday October 15 2006, 10:15 AM
The Western Star (AUSTIN, Texas) reports, "The dean of the School of Law at the University of Texas has urged students to 'think twice' and 'think twice again' about their future conduct after the Internet posting of photographs taken at an off-campus party organized around a 'ghetto' theme."
Classroom Controversy: Is the First Amendment Relevant in Today's Classroom?
Date CapturedThursday October 12 2006, 7:13 PM
30th Annual LYC Statewide Conference: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 through Friday, October 27, 2006. The Desmond Hotel, Albany, NY. 800.448.3500
Schools clamp down on use of cell phones by students
Date CapturedThursday October 12 2006, 8:48 AM
Buffalo News reports, "Concerned about classroom disruption, cheating on exams and even the potential for violence, local schools are tightening their bans on student cell phone use during the school day."
No Undergrad Left Behind
Date CapturedThursday October 12 2006, 8:27 AM
Heritage Foundation fellow and former deputy secretary of education during President Bush’s first term, Eugene Hickok writes, "One of No Child Left Behind’s hallmarks is transparency. Today parents know more about the performance of their children’s schools than ever before. This same principle needs to be applied to higher education. Colleges and universities need to be able to explain why they charge the tuition they charge, what their graduation rates are, what they feel constitutes an educated person and how they propose to get first year students from here to there. The various college rating systems and publications are entertaining and interesting to read, but they don’t provide the sort of objective data tuition payers need to make informed decisions."
MIXED REVIEWS FOR BLENDING GENERAL AND SPECIAL-ED STUDENTS
Date CapturedThursday October 12 2006, 12:11 AM
Staten Island Advance reports, "While 75 school districts in New York were warned by the state last week that their work with special education students was deficient, the city Department of Education was singled out for having taken some positive steps. One of the most significant of those has been its determination in recent years to increase the number of classes that mix general and special education students -- known as Collaborative Team Teaching (CTT)."
Michigan plan on hold for special ed room policy
Date CapturedThursday October 12 2006, 12:06 AM
The Detroit News reports, "Seclusion -- or timeout -- rooms have been a hot button issue in the county [Livingston County, Michigan]since the agency's parent advisory committee discovered a 5-by-5- foot padded room during a tour of the new $5 million special education school, Pathway, last month. They said they were not told of the room during the planning sessions for the school."
Too Controversial for Columbia
Date CapturedWednesday October 11 2006, 7:30 AM
Wall Street Journal op-ed contributor Ross Kaminsky opined, "It is a remarkable thing about liberals (or, at Columbia, outright leftists) in free societies: They are far more intolerant than conservatives. The protesters hate people who oppose illegal immigration. They accept the use of intimidation and violence to keep such people from speaking, then blame the victim for having been controversial."
Schools bridge culture gap
Date CapturedWednesday October 11 2006, 6:15 AM
The Journal News reports, "The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires school districts to work on parental involvement and to devote 1 percent of Title I funding toward such efforts. For immigrants and other parent groups, the efforts go beyond the traditional PTA structure into new kinds of organizations. All the efforts have grown out of research that ties parental involvement to academic performance."
Appeals court: School boards not immune from federal lawsuits
Date CapturedTuesday October 10 2006, 10:33 PM
AP reports, "A federal appeals court [2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan], ruling in a case of a 75-year-old teacher who claims he was fired because of his age and his exercise of free speech, said Tuesday that local boards of education cannot claim they are arms of the state immune from lawsuits."
October Proclaimed Cyber Security Awareness Month in New York State
Date CapturedMonday October 09 2006, 1:50 PM
Office of Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure: "Whereas, each of us has a critical role in maintaining the security of cyberspace, and a greater awareness of computer-associated risks will improve the integrity of New York State’s information infrastructure and economy; the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, the US Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance have designated October as National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and New York State joins in the observance of this worthy cause and in support of its crucial goals;"
New York state and Guardian Angels partner in online safety prgram
Date CapturedMonday October 09 2006, 1:45 PM
AP reports, "Teachers will also be taught to make sure students' work has not been plagiarized and learn how to detect and stop cyber-bullying: attacks on children by other children through e-mail, instant messaging or rumors on Web sites."
Making the grades
Date CapturedMonday October 09 2006, 4:58 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Teachers and principals have publicly worried that the department [New York City Department of Education] will oversimplify their efforts, dismissing the many subtleties of creating a safe and successful school."
Sold school computers might hold senstitive info
Date CapturedSunday October 08 2006, 12:52 AM
AP reports, "Snook [heads Cardinal school district in Iowa] said two of the computers sold had been used in school offices but should have had grades and other information deleted before the sale."
The Protest
Date CapturedSaturday October 07 2006, 8:52 AM
Video of Columbia University Minuteman Project protest.
COLUMBIA PREZ TALKS TOUGH
Date CapturedSaturday October 07 2006, 7:47 AM
NY Post opined on Columbia University event, "During the fracas, hooligans didn't merely shout down a speaker who happened to oppose illegal immigration; they physically attacked him, forced him to flee and sparked an outright brawl."
New Policy To Oversee Jamestown HS Volunteers
Date CapturedSaturday October 07 2006, 7:31 AM
The Post-Journal reports, "While infrequent volunteers only need a building principal’s clearance, those working in the classroom on a near daily basis will now need to be fingerprinted and approved by the school board."
Five Buffalo area districts draw warnings on special ed
Date CapturedFriday October 06 2006, 10:28 AM
Buffalo News reports, "Lake Shore also has begun hand-delivering invitations to high school students to attend the annual special education committee meeting that evaluates their situation. That likely will help students in their transition out of high school, because they will be involved in the process leading up to it, Capell [director of special education] said."
Five Buffalo area districts draw warnings on special ed
Date CapturedFriday October 06 2006, 10:28 AM
Buffalo News reports, "Lake Shore also has begun hand-delivering invitations to high school students to attend the annual special education committee meeting that evaluates their situation. That likely will help students in their transition out of high school, because they will be involved in the process leading up to it, Capell [director of special education] said."
Infringement and Sales of Student Admissions Data
Date CapturedFriday October 06 2006, 9:52 AM
PR Newswire reports, "The evidence revealed that XAP sold certain information such as social security numbers, names, addresses, and dates of birth for at least 600,000 students. CollegeNET's claim was also based upon the false or misleading statements made by XAP to colleges and universities that student data would not be sold."
Columbia University Investigation to Look at Facebook
Date CapturedFriday October 06 2006, 9:11 AM
Columbia Spectator reports, "The investigation comes after a violent protest broke out in Roone Arledge Auditorium during a speech by Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minuteman Project, an organization that patrols the U.S.-Mexican border for illegal immigrants. Shortly after the speaker took the stage, several audience members rushed onto the stage with banners, sparking a physical conflict and prompting the early cancellation of the speech."
President Bush Says He'll Strengthen Education Policy
Date CapturedFriday October 06 2006, 7:22 AM
LA Times reports, "The president said that parents are not necessarily getting information about students' progress quickly enough to switch a child's enrollment to another school if they think a change is necessary." Bush suggested school districts were not appropriate in their use of federal funds provided for tutoring.
Nanuet turns to text-messaging to notify parents
Date CapturedFriday October 06 2006, 6:37 AM
The Journal News reports, "It used to be that phone calls and, more recently, e-mails were the only way to reach parents during school emergencies. The Nanuet school district is adding a new tool to its communications arsenal: text messaging."
Columbia University's Speech Thugs
Date CapturedFriday October 06 2006, 4:57 AM
NY Post opined, "Can it be true that free speech at Columbia applies only to those who are deemed 'legitimate' by a self-proclaimed group of political purists? So it would seem. And, sad to say, Wednesday night's fracas was no isolated incident."
North Rockland meetings on TV
Date CapturedThursday October 05 2006, 6:50 AM
The Journal News reports, "He [North Rockland Schools Superintendent ] said he couldn't guarantee how many people would watch North Rockland's school board meetings, but he wanted them available to the public. 'Under the circumstances, it seems the more information people have, the better for everybody,' he said."
New York City Considers Plan to Let Outsiders Run Schools
Date CapturedThursday October 05 2006, 3:19 AM
NY Times reports, "Randi Weingarten, the teachers’ union president, urged the administration to make its discussions more public. 'I have been concerned about the sub rosa debate on whether to privatize the management of the school system for quite a while,' she said. 'On an issue that is this transcendent there has to be a real public debate.'”
Recent School Shootings Raise Questions About New York City Schools Cell Phone Policy
Date CapturedWednesday October 04 2006, 7:30 PM
NY1 reports, "He [NYC Mayor Bloomberg] says the city has taken the appropriate steps to help make children safe in the classroom, with school safety officers at all schools and police walking the beat near every junior high and high school in the city. And the mayor says cell phones can actually do more harm than good."
Hawaii High School Audit Prompts Background Checks: Audit Found Coach Had Murder Conviction
Date CapturedWednesday October 04 2006, 7:19 PM
TheHawaiichannel.com reports, "The state [Hawaii] auditor's report found that the school dismissed a head coach three months into the job when it was discovered he had a murder conviction. An assistant coach was also let go because of a previous assault and abuse conviction. The audit also found that last school year three new coaches were hired and had finished the season before the background checks were completed."
Group wants e-mail records:Mason schools says destroying them OK
Date CapturedWednesday October 04 2006, 6:37 PM
Cincinnati.com reports, "In the latest dispute between a tax-accountability group and Mason's [Ohio] school district, Mason Citizens for Accountability and Results in Education says the Mason City School District is trying to destroy e-mail records before the group can obtain copies. But district officials say according to their records retention policy e-mails can be destroyed as they are read and that the group's latest lengthy records request is too general to fulfill."
Parents must help information-age kids cope with fear amid news of school shootings
Date CapturedWednesday October 04 2006, 9:07 AM
AP reports, "Today’s adolescents and teens happen upon an endless amount of news while researching homework on the Internet or talking with friends through instant messaging systems, chat rooms and blogs. Some even receive news updates on their cell phones. So while parents’ instincts might be to shy away from talking about frightening real-life stories of harm to children, chances are they will need to confront the news instead."
Conservatism’s Big Test
Date CapturedWednesday October 04 2006, 8:32 AM
National Review Michael J. Petrilli writes, "Parents need the information yielded by standards and tests for the education marketplace to function efficiently. But most states have proven unable to develop these tools and current federal policy is pushing them in the wrong direction."
Cyber Bullying has become a trend that can't be ignored
Date CapturedWednesday October 04 2006, 6:24 AM
The Press Republican reports, "McBride [educator and expert] asked students what would happen if there were laws preventing youths from purchasing cell phones until they were 17 and requiring parental oversight and approval before sending e-mails. Cyber bullying, she said, is causing adults around the world to consider such laws. 'You are taking this technology stuff to another level, and you understand this technology better than we do. We are not being overprotective; we are trying to get to the level where we can protect you.'"
Regrading grades
Date CapturedWednesday October 04 2006, 6:18 AM
Star-Gazette opined, "Typically, a weighted grade, an A for instance, is multiplied times a factor of 1.01 or more in figuring a mathematical grade point average. The unweighted courses are multiplied by 1. Some districts use different multipliers for more challenging courses -- honors or accelerated -- while others might add bonus points to final averages for specific courses. Whatever the technique, it should be made clear to students and parents what courses carry extra numerical weight."
U of California Davis rise in reported sex offenses reviewed
Date CapturedTuesday October 03 2006, 9:50 AM
The Sacramento Bee reports, "Jennifer Beeman, head of the UC Davis Campus Violence Prevention Program, said she believes the increase in the number of reported sex offenses on UC Davis campuses in 2005 could reflect the success of campus programs that seek to educate students about sex assaults and to encourage them -- and others aware of such crimes -- to report them."
Experts argue North Carolina tests need elevated standards
Date CapturedMonday October 02 2006, 1:46 PM
The Sun News reports on raising standards, "Raising standards creates a political dilemma, however. Fewer students are likely to pass, and more schools could face sanctions under the federal No Child Left Behind law. 'It will be a shock to the system,' state board Chairman Howard Lee says. 'But I think the citizens and parents have a right to know the truth.' National comparisons In many quarters, North Carolina's tests are viewed as too easy. In July, editors of the education journal Education Next gave North Carolina an 'F' for the rigor of its testing program.
When a positive is a negative
Date CapturedMonday October 02 2006, 1:40 PM
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) reports, "Although a growing number of school districts nationwide are requiring athletes to pass drug screenings as a condition to participate in sports and extracurricular activities, the idea has come under heavy criticism by researchers and civil liberties groups that say its ineffective and intrusive. A federally funded 2003 study by the University of Michigan found that student drug use did not decrease in schools where students were being randomly tested."
More families relocating during school year
Date CapturedMonday October 02 2006, 1:34 PM
The Star Press reports, "Mount Pleasant Township Community Schools Supt. Mary Ann Irwin notices more students from other countries who move to Delaware County after living in another state. Indiana's student tracking number makes it easier to transition students into a new school, Irwin said. Teachers can easily access academic information for students who move within the state."
Endicott principal shows value of warning system
Date CapturedMonday October 02 2006, 7:06 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "Tomic, who received national recognition for his conduct, was alerted by a hazard warning radio activated by a National Weather Service signal that automatically turns the radio on and announces a potential hazard. They are installed in many schools -- and required in six states (but not New York or Pennsylvania) -- but now the Homeland Security Department has decided to provide $5 million to make sure the radios are in every public school in the United States, some 97,000 in all."
Make policy clear, apply to everyone
Date CapturedMonday October 02 2006, 6:52 AM
Utica.com opined on school policy, "Ideally, establishing policies would be a joint effort by school officials, parents, community and students. Definite boundaries should be set, and the final policy should not only be part of the student handbook, but included in the district newsletter so all taxpayers are aware of it."
Attendance and school funding in California school district
Date CapturedSunday October 01 2006, 2:00 PM
Desert Dispatch reports, "Parents get the calls — an electronic voice notifying them their child was absent from school. What follows can go any number of ways, but it usually involves kids trying to convince their parents they were in school and not ditching. It turns out they might be telling the truth."
California law tightens school rules: It could become harder to avoid summer school
Date CapturedSaturday September 30 2006, 8:23 AM
Press Telegraph reports, "The law allows districts to further involve parents in the decision about whether children should attend summer school or other programs, he [spokesman for Long Beach Unified School District] said. Districts could 'make sure that the parent is aware of these opportunities and is fully informed before their child does or does not participate,' he said."
Is Your Child’s School Effective? Don’t rely on NCLB to tell you
Date CapturedFriday September 29 2006, 8:10 AM
Hoover Institute Education Next writes, "It must also be admitted that most states could not have used growth scores when NCLB was enacted, simply because most states had not constructed the tracking system Florida has put together. Congress may have done all that it could in 2002. But since other states are now beginning to build their own warehouses of data that follow the progress of individual students, the time has arrived when a legislative fix should be feasible." Paul E. Peterson, professor of government at Harvard University and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and Martin R.West, assistant professor at Brown University both serve as editors of Education Next.
Public forum is part of school reform
Date CapturedFriday September 29 2006, 8:04 AM
Selma Times-Journal letter to the editor: Gerald Shirley, Principal, School of Discovery, Selma, Ala. writes, "Engaging the public is now a form of school reform. Public dialogue can generate positive action-oriented results. It is more than just talking or offering lip service."
Evaluating your school's safety plan
Date CapturedFriday September 29 2006, 1:41 AM
CNN Gerri Willis writes, "Parents should know who's in charge. If something goes wrong you need to know the chain of command. Make sure your child's school has procedures for communicating with parents, local and state government officials and the media. Kenneth Trump of SchoolSafety.org told us that cell phones can actually make the situation worse by accelerating the spread of rumors and causing parents to flock to the scene. This could distract officials from the crisis."
Is the Feds' Lesson Plan Working? YES: Expectations + Rigor = Promising Results
Date CapturedFriday September 29 2006, 12:19 AM
Op-ed by Secretary Margaret Spellings, in the San Francisco Chronicle on September 26, 2006, "Going forward, we are working closely with states to help them comply with NCLB. States that follow the 'bright lines' of the law—assessing students regularly, disaggregating data, hiring highly qualified teachers and informing parents about their options—may qualify for flexibility in measuring and reporting their results. We prefer collaboration to confrontation. Many states, including California, clearly have room to improve. But the bottom line remains the same. No Child Left Behind has added a fourth 'R' to reading, writing and 'rithmetic—results. We are beginning to see those results. And soon the world will, too."
September 28, 2006 Press Release - Closure of Taylor Business Institute
Date CapturedFriday September 29 2006, 12:01 AM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, SEPTEMBER 28, 2006: “We identified several areas of consistent non-compliance at Taylor. These areas include inadequate rigor, level and content of coursework that could impact a student’s ability to transfer credits to other degree-granting institutions; inadequate investments in critical educational services, such as faculty, library resources, equipment and support services; rapid turnover of staff and faculty; understaffed student support services; and hiring of staff and faculty who lack requisite skills and experience. In short, the students at Taylor are not receiving the college-level education that they are paying for,” said Johanna Duncan-Poitier, Deputy Commissioner for Higher Education and the Professions. "The State Education Department will directly contact all Taylor students to inform them about the school’s closure and detail all options for continuing their education at other institutions. The Department has arranged a College Transfer Fair for the Taylor students on October 18th from 2-7 p.m. at the CUNY Graduate Center. Representatives of other educational institutions will be there to discuss transfer opportunities. Information and guidance about State and Federal student financial aid will also be provided. “We want the transition to go smoothly so that students will choose to continue their education and graduate,” said Duncan-Poitier. "The Department has also created a page on its Web site for Taylor students."
It Takes a Parent: Transforming Education in the Wake of the No Child Left Behind Act
Date CapturedThursday September 28 2006, 1:07 AM
"With the goal of demonstrating the importance of parental involvement as a key strategy for improving student success, this report provides recommendations for education leaders and policymakers. It focuses on three major strands that are crucial to effective parental involvement: 1. Information: The opportunities and challenges of parental awareness about student and school performance; 2. Engagement: The importance of meaningful parental engagement with school officials and teachers; and 3. Advocacy: The critical role that effective parent advocacy, based on good information and informed engagement, plays in student and school performance." The report was produced by Appleseed, in coordination with several other key law firms and groups. Law firm, Holland & Knight, coordinated and carried out much of the research and drafted the final report, with assistance in two states from volunteers from DLA Piper. The National Center for Children and Families at Teachers College, Columbia University and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP played key roles in gathering and assessing information.
Congress Hears of Internet Piracy, But Hesitates on Action
Date CapturedWednesday September 27 2006, 4:21 PM
Fox News reports, "University initiatives to stop illegal downloading of music, movies and more among college students will be critical to success because the federal government is unlikely to crack down on campuses, said witnesses at a House hearing Tuesday on Internet piracy."
School and Parent Interaction by Household Language and Poverty Status: 2002-03
Date CapturedWednesday September 27 2006, 3:35 PM
NCES: Language minority parents may face a number of challenges when trying to communicate or become involved with their child’s school. This Issue Brief describes school-to-home communication practices and opportunities for parent involvement at school as reported by parents of U.S. school-age students from primarily English- and primarily Spanish-speaking households during the 2002–03 school year. Among the findings: A greater percentage of students in English-speaking households than in Spanish-speaking households had parents who reported receiving personal notes or e-mails about the student; receiving newsletters, memos, or notices addressed to all parents; opportunities to attend general meetings; opportunities to attend school events; and chances to volunteer. Differences were still apparent after taking poverty status into account. This Issue Brief was prepared by Christine Enyeart, Juliet Diehl, Gillian Hampden-Thompson, and Marion Scotchmer of the American Institutes for Research.
Higher Ed Panel Calls for College Database
Date CapturedWednesday September 27 2006, 8:49 AM
NPR reports, "The panel says students and parents would benefit from a common database that explains what different schools offer."
Data Proposals Threaten Education and Civil Rights Accountability
Date CapturedWednesday September 27 2006, 8:14 AM
The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University concludes, "Data tracing trends over time is, of course, a central requirement of the No Child Left Behind Act, essential for judging compliance with various civil rights court orders, and required by the special education law. In some states, the change will make it appear that individual racial groups suddenly are performing substantially better or worse on some achievement tests even when nothing has changed about actual test results. One must not confuse the increases and losses in proficiency levels with actual achievement. In fact, policymakers would do well to be wary that the proposed guidelines do not result in unfair and arbitrary sanctions on schools and districts since the changes do not reflect actual improvements or losses in achievement levels."Lee, C. and Orfield, G. (2006). Data Proposals Threaten Education and Civil Rights Accountability. Cambridge, MA: The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University.
College overhaul called ‘overdue'
Date CapturedWednesday September 27 2006, 7:07 AM
USA TODAY Mary Beth Marklein reports, "Proponents of a database that tracks students, including the State Higher Education Executive Officers, say federal data on graduation rates gives an inaccurate picture because it doesn't account for transfers to other schools. And though many schools keep their own records, they don't necessarily make the data public. About 35 states have systems in place, but they operate as 'islands unto themselves,' Spellings said. Spellings said her plan would make information available to parents, policymakers and others in an easy-to-understand format. Data could include students' majors, costs after student aid and how quickly they graduate. To protect privacy, the commission recommended that the database use anonymous identification numbers, not Social Security numbers."
Secretary Spellings Announces Plans for More Affordable, Accessible, Accountable and Consumer-Friendly U.S. Higher Education System
Date CapturedWednesday September 27 2006, 1:13 AM
Secretary Spellings has called for a privacy-protected student-level data system—similar to what currently exists for K-12 students—that would create a higher education information system and provide transparency and ease when students and families shop for colleges. Armed with this information, the Department's existing college search website can be redesigned and made more useful to answer such basic questions as how much a school is really going to cost and how long it will take to get a degree. In recent years, the number of non-traditional students has increased as more Americans of all ages seek additional degrees mid-career or attend college for the first time. Secretary Spelling's plan would facilitate their access to information on colleges, financial aid and provide data on affordability.
Experts: Education plan likely won't fly
Date CapturedTuesday September 26 2006, 8:18 AM
The Houston Chronicle reports on the Commission of the Future of Higher Education's 62 page report, "The commission did not recommend mandatory testing, but encouraged institutions to measure learning and make the results available to students and tuition-paying parents."
Calling for a watchdog: Suffolk County grand jury urges New York state to create monitor of schools' spending
Date CapturedTuesday September 26 2006, 4:57 AM
Newsday reports on Suffolk County's grand jury's recommendation to create a new state office of Inspector General for Education and a "New state law requiring school boards to post on their Web sites, or provide copies in libraries and district offices, all employment contracts and any amendments at least one month before any board vote."
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Date CapturedMonday September 25 2006, 7:52 PM
Schools, parents and police monitor online hangout in search of bad guys - and good information
Date CapturedMonday September 25 2006, 8:37 AM
Newsday reports on website, "'In one way, it's a tool for a parent,' Palmer [parent] said. 'We found it [MySpace] just to be really an avenue where we can kind of get a grasp on what kids are doing, what they're talking about, what they're getting involved in.'"
'No Child Left Behind' commission
Date CapturedMonday September 25 2006, 6:10 AM
Herald Tribune reports, "States have widely different standards for how they are measuring school progress under the law, and testing can be skewed by students with disabilities and those whose first language isn't English. 'Most groups felt they were not fully involved with writing the initial legislation, so now they want to have their say,' said Jack Jennings, director of the Center for Education Policy."
Elmira student information available online (second story)
Date CapturedMonday September 25 2006, 5:32 AM
Star-Gazette reports, "Parents of Elmira City School District students may register at any time for ParentCONNECT, an online program that allows them to view information about their child's attendance, classes and grades as well as their discipline and attendance records."
Maine-Endwell Central School District Board of Education decision reflects the district's needs
Date CapturedSunday September 24 2006, 9:56 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin contributor Waneta Griffin, president of the Maine-Endwell Board of Education writes, "The board developed the proposed capital improvement plan after receiving input from a volunteer group of residents called the Capital Project Facilities Committee. The project contains work identified by that group. The district also held two public meetings where comments were encouraged and recorded. Further, district administrators, board members and project professionals requested and received community feedback through surveys and other communications. The project team worked diligently to create a plan that addresses the district's education and infrastructure needs, and maintains fiscal responsibility."
Beacon Club advocates for disabled students at University of Louisiana
Date CapturedSunday September 24 2006, 9:05 AM
"'I didn't know about these services until the end of my freshmen year,' he [student] said. 'It makes a difference to take a test in a distraction-free environment. Before I was taking a test in an environment with 30 to 100 students. It adds a different level of stress when you have a condition like ADHD.' Through the Services for Students with Disabilities office, he's able to have extra time to take his tests in a quiet environment."
Norwich Free Academy's club's initiative informs students about recruitment privacy rights
Date CapturedSunday September 24 2006, 8:50 AM
Norwich Bulletin reports, "The federal government's No Child Left Behind Act stipulates school administrators must share a range of student information with the state and federal governments, including high school students' contact information for military recruiters."
New York City charter schools grounded
Date CapturedSunday September 24 2006, 7:28 AM
NY Daily News reports, "What Imagine Schools and other groups weren't told is that eight of the state's 100 charters are going unused - even though 22,000 New York children are on waiting lists for seats in charter schools. The eight unused charters are being held hostage by a wrinkle in state law."
TEST-SCORE BLUNDER PUTS NEW YORK CITY CHILDREN IN LIMBO
Date CapturedSunday September 24 2006, 7:17 AM
NY Post reports, "Educators (New York City) admitted Friday they overestimated how many fifth-graders should not be promoted - after basing their estimate on preliminary, rather than actual, statewide exams scores from January."
President Bush Reading Program Gets Failing Grade
Date CapturedFriday September 22 2006, 11:51 PM
AP Ben Feller writes, "The new report from the Office of Inspector General - an independent arm of the Education Department - calls into question the program's credibility."
Privacy? What privacy?
Date CapturedFriday September 22 2006, 11:35 PM
Minnesota Daily Kate Nelson opined on higher education online security breaches, "These threats to privacy and their effects are very real and are much more deserving of attention than the supposed dangers of Facebook. The notion that our "private" information is available to virtually anyone seeking it is not a possibility - it's reality.
Wyoming 'Virtual school' policies sought
Date CapturedFriday September 22 2006, 11:03 AM
AP reports, "The University of Wyoming and the state's community colleges offer classes online. But Wyoming is one of the few states without any written policy for online and other distance learning at the K-12 level."
Secretary Spellings encourages free tutoring program
Date CapturedFriday September 22 2006, 9:45 AM
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH reports, "Spellings said some school districts haven’t been forthcoming enough about parents’ options, perhaps because the districts pay for the tutoring with the federal funding it receives."
Ad assignment goes awry on MySpace
Date CapturedFriday September 22 2006, 9:14 AM
AP reports on threatening online posting, "The school later traced the postings to a school computer. It refused to identify the suspect because of federal privacy laws regarding students." The student could receive sanctions, including expulsion.
Accountability in Syracuse
Date CapturedFriday September 22 2006, 6:05 AM
The Post-Standard reports Syracuse's $900 million school renovation project's website will allow people to "easily access information on the project and monitor progress." The website address is: http://www.syracuse.ny.us/jscb.us/.
Data is driving education now
Date CapturedThursday September 21 2006, 8:25 AM
South Idaho Press contributor Mike Chesley, superintendent of the Cassia Joint School District (Idaho) writes, "Across America, educators, parents and students are swimming in data. Over the past decade, education based on academic standards has become the norm. This has fueled the push for data to show how students are doing and to guide efforts to improve. The trend has only grown since the early 2002 signing of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, mandating all students in public schools (Cassia School District #151 included) be proficient in math and reading by 2014. Guess what? It is a good thing."
'Dangerous' special ed controversy
Date CapturedThursday September 21 2006, 4:57 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Parent leaders and educators are steamed about a state list that labels three special education schools in Queens 'persistently dangerous.' They charge the report is inaccurate and has needlessly upset parents."
College notifying applicants of "misplaced" data
Date CapturedWednesday September 20 2006, 5:16 PM
AP reports, "Officials at Berry College say personal information on more than 2,000 students who applied for financial aid was 'misplaced' by a consultant, creating a possible security breach. In a statement posted Wednesday on Berry's Web site, President Stephen R. Briggs said college officials were notified late Monday afternoon that information from federal student aid forms collected during the 2005-06 academic year had been misplaced by a financial aid consultant. The data included names, Social Security numbers and reported incomes related to 2,093 people who submitted a federal aid application to Berry, a private college in northwest Georgia. Of those, 1,322 are currently enrolled at Berry, Brigg said."
RFID and student privacy in California
Date CapturedWednesday September 20 2006, 12:19 PM
e-week reports, "Last year the Brittan Elementary School District in Sutter, Calif., required all its students to wear an ID badge implanted with a radio-frequency chip [RFID]. The badges, which stored a 15-digit identifier for each student, were intended to be used as an attendance aid. Parents, however, were up in arms over the practice, which many said violated their kids' privacy rights."
Community needs to analyze bond requests
Date CapturedWednesday September 20 2006, 7:50 AM
Ithaca Journal guest columnist Allen Lambert, former member of the Ithaca City School District Board of Education writes, "Of what use is a public hearing when citizens do not have details to comment on, or when it is too late to influence a decision? No information was available to the public until the evening of Sept. 7. And little detail has been published in newspapers so citizens can begin to examine particulars. Yet, the board of education is expected to make a huge decision without adequate time for itself or the community."
Ithaca Central School District bond project: Focus on discussion, not false deadlines
Date CapturedWednesday September 20 2006, 7:48 AM
Ithaca Journal opined, "With no pressing crisis to resolve, district officials, board members and ICSD residents must spend the time needed to thoroughly analyze options and build community consensus on how to proceed — and let the timeline assemble itself as it may."
Highlights of the Final Report of the Secretary of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education: A Test of Leadership-Charting the Future of U.S. Higher Education
Date CapturedTuesday September 19 2006, 5:24 PM
U.S. Department of Education press release: "Secretary Spellings formed the Commission on the Future of Higher Education to launch a national dialogue on the need to strengthen higher education so that our students and our nation will remain competitive in the 21st century. As a college diploma becomes more critical, higher education must be accessible to all Americans and meet the needs of America's diverse and changing student population. The Commission found that: College access, particularly for low-income and minority students, is limited by inadequate academic preparation, a lack of information and persistent financial barriers; The current financial aid system is confusing, complex and inefficient, and is therefore frequently unable to direct aid to the students who need it most; and There is a shortage of clear, comprehensive, and accessible information about the colleges and universities themselves, including comparative data about cost and performance."
State audits Port Jervis schools and finds $27,000 food tab
Date CapturedTuesday September 19 2006, 6:55 AM
Times Herald-Record reports, "According to a state comptroller's audit, the Port Jervis School District has lacked written policies on items such as district food expenses, cell phone usage and employee contracts."
Classes at West Side School End with Bang
Date CapturedTuesday September 19 2006, 4:56 AM
NY Post DAVID ANDREATTA and C.J. SULLIVAN report on use of dynamite near a New York City school, "A Department of Education spokeswoman said the school - at West End Avenue and West 70th Street - and its students were safe. But parents insisted the blasting caught them off guard, saying they learned of it from the school's principal only yesterday."
Law firm targeting California schools on vital data
Date CapturedMonday September 18 2006, 9:18 AM
Mercury News reports, "Having up-to-date and complete report cards as required by law can help parents and others make informed decisions about schools and make campus comparisons easier, according to lawyers with Public Advocates, the San Francisco-based law firm that conducted the survey."
School buses in 11 states tune in to radio programming aimed at kids
Date CapturedMonday September 18 2006, 5:21 AM
USA TODAY reports, "Radio on the bus helps keep students 'focused,' says Linda Farbry, director of transportation for Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia, the nation's 13th-largest school system. She says most of the district's buses play radio from an approved list of stations, and because the ads aren't directed at students, kids easily ignore them. Farbry opposes Bus Radio because she says it would be harder for kids to tune out ads geared to their interests."
Student leads revolution
Date CapturedSunday September 17 2006, 8:42 PM
Iowa City Press-Citizen reports, "Called Student's Against Facebook News Feed (Official Petition to Facebook), the group challenged a feature that displayed details about friends, calling it an invasion of privacy."
Rochester District advice council to meet
Date CapturedSunday September 17 2006, 7:10 PM
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "All parents and guardians of district students are welcome to attend. Topics will include a review of the opening of schools and organizing standing committees. DACT works with state and national coalitions supporting programs under the federal No Child Left Behind Act."
South Carolina school district considers background checks
Date CapturedSunday September 17 2006, 11:47 AM
Island Packet reporter Dan Williamson and reporter Devon Morrow of The (Columbia) State write, "'That's [background checks] something we need to do as soon as possible,' she [Connie Long, the district's assistant superintendent for human resources] said. 'We want to make sure that the people who are working closest with our children are people of integrity and people with nothing to hide and who are genuinely interested in the education of our students and don't have an ulterior motive.'"
Oregon wins first round in school funding lawsuit
Date CapturedSunday September 17 2006, 11:12 AM
AP reports, "Generally, news coverage of the amendment before the November, 2000 election did not imply to voters that a 'yes' vote on the measure would result in a new - and expensive - fiscal mandate, Fletcher said, an argument that found favor with Judge Marshall."
Johnson City schools seek input on funds
Date CapturedSunday September 17 2006, 9:42 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports on EXCEL, a one-time allocation to help school districts fund new building projects, "The Johnson City Central School District received an unexpected gift in April when state lawmakers approved $2 million more in building aid for the district. Now, school board members are asking the public to help determine how to spend the money. They are asking district residents to participate in focus group sessions in October to get feedback on the best use of the $2,030,375 coming to Johnson City under EXCEL, or Expanding our Children's Education and Learning."
Parental consent form one of many special education changes
Date CapturedFriday September 15 2006, 10:54 PM
The Wilton Villager reports on 2004 reauthorization of the national Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA] changes, "The teacher is required to change his or her teaching style, slow down, work in small groups and work one on one with the child before having the student evaluated for special education services."
IDEA 2004 Regulations -- Schedule of Community Meetings -- Sept. 26, 2006 -- Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2006.
Date CapturedFriday September 15 2006, 8:00 PM
To provide the public with an overview of the regulations, OSERS [Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services] will be hosting a series of community-based public meetings. These public meetings will serve two major purposes. First, the meetings will provide the public with an opportunity to learn about the major concepts and principle changes in the new regulations. Second, the meetings will serve as a mechanism for the public to learn about and obtain some of the many resources and supports available from OSERS to assist in the implementation of these regulations. A list of the meetings sites, and available information on the locations and times that have been finalized can be accessed through link. Please check regularly for updates on meeting locations and times as they become available. The reception will be followed by a presentation about the regulations, which will include a taped welcome from Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, information about the regulations and the Web site, as well as an opportunity to ask questions about the regulations and OSERS' implementation plans. Meeting are scheduled between Sept. 26, 2006 and Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2006.
Volunteers sought to research school configuration
Date CapturedFriday September 15 2006, 6:48 PM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "The Susquehanna Valley Board of Education is still looking for volunteers to research a possible reconfiguration of the school district's two elementary schools. The volunteers will study having one of the schools house kindergarten through second grade students, and the other school house third through fifth grade students, district officials said."
'He saved lives': Tier principal Charles F. Johnson wins national award
Date CapturedFriday September 15 2006, 7:11 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "The Mark Trail Award, which is presented annually by the federal agency and Congress, recognizes individuals and organizations that use the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration's alert systems to save lives and protect property."
Iowa education group violated meeting law, judge rules
Date CapturedThursday September 14 2006, 1:25 PM
The Des Moines Register reports, "The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the information council, The Des Moines Register, the Iowa Newspaper Association, the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier, the Cedar Rapids Gazette and the Associated Press." The education group must now pay more than $9,000 in attorney fees and court costs.
Principal's cell grab is right call: Mayor Bloomberg
Date CapturedThursday September 14 2006, 8:20 AM
NY Daily News reports, "But some students and parents, including a group suing the city over its cell phone ban, maintain the phones are needed in cases of emergency."
History-making Syracuse meeting goes virtual
Date CapturedThursday September 14 2006, 5:50 AM
The Post-Standard reports, "Not many people would chortle about getting a chance to participate in a Syracuse school board meeting, but Education Commissioner Nancy McCarty did."
University of Hawai'i athletics to review privacy policy
Date CapturedWednesday September 13 2006, 10:55 AM
The Honolulu Advertiser reports, "Manin [sports information director] said the department, faced with some athletes who requested privacy and some who agreed to waivers, wanted to adopt a uniform approach. She said the policy was 'implemented to protect the privacy of student-athletes in accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).'"
Derby [Connecticut] to ease cell phone ban
Date CapturedWednesday September 13 2006, 9:05 AM
Connecticut Post reports, "Cell phones are banned classrooms, but Board of Education members are trying to balance that policy with parents' desire for their children to have access to them during emergencies."
Petition seeks busing for Auburn, New York pupils
Date CapturedWednesday September 13 2006, 6:06 AM
Post-Standard reports, "Another parent with concerns about her child walking was critical of the lack of response to her inquiry about a walk-back pass. Susan Phillips Coe said safety 'should be a top priority, along with communication between the school and parents.'"
Illinois state's plan to raise special ed limit questioned
Date CapturedTuesday September 12 2006, 11:06 PM
Chicago Sun Times KATE N. GROSSMAN Education Reporter writes, "A proposal to raise the limit on special needs students in general education classrooms from 30 to 40 percent under certain circumstances and to do away with special education labels is raising red flags for some advocates and the state's [Illinois] largest teachers union."
Angry taxpayers speak out at Haverstraw Town Board meeting
Date CapturedTuesday September 12 2006, 6:19 AM
The Journal News reports, "The higher taxes reflect a combination of a reassessment of property — Haverstraw's first in four decades — and tax repayments to the Mirant Corp., the company that owns the Bowline and Lovett power plants. The plants had been overtaxed for decades. 'If you knew this is going to happen, how come tax increases weren't phased in slightly over the 10-year period?' resident Joel Dietch asked the board last night."
Kentucky schools will compete in attendance
Date CapturedMonday September 11 2006, 2:03 PM
The Cincinnati Post reports, "Decades ago, rounding up kids cutting school was the job of the police truancy officer. It's an image best captured in the famous Norman Rockwell painting of the officer sitting at a diner counter next to a young boy who appears to be set to run away from home. Rockwell was so 20th-century. Today, Newport Independent Schools is the only district in Kentucky to track truants electronically and with lightning-speed."
Nursery-school students get head start on computers
Date CapturedMonday September 11 2006, 9:32 AM
The Columbus Dispatch reports, "About two-thirds of children in nursery school use computers and 23 percent of them use the Internet, according to a national study." (read study on Education New York Online --- see Education Policy page, Information Policy link)
Cooperstown plans kickoff for new academic targets
Date CapturedMonday September 11 2006, 7:00 AM
Cooperstown Crier reports, "The initiative is designed to push the Cooperstown School District from 'good to great' by 2010, officials said, and has been worked on by committees made up of parents, faculty, staff, administrators, community members and students since February."
Educators say they like new way of reporting test results
Date CapturedMonday September 11 2006, 6:59 AM
The Daily Star reports, "One of the features in the system is a unique 10-digit number being assigned to every child in pre-K through grade 12, according to the release. Previously, test results did not always accurately account for students who might have moved from a district, Gilbertsville-Mount Upton Superintendent Douglas Exley said. But under the new system, the identification numbers will move with the students. This feature is expected to produce better."
Massachusetts principal wary of changing military recruitment policy
Date CapturedSunday September 10 2006, 11:49 AM
The Boston Globe reports, "The federal No Child Left Behind law requires schools to provide the military the same access to students that is available to other potential employers and higher-education institutions. The law also gives military recruiters access to students' names, addresses, and telephone numbers, although parents and students can request that such information not be released."
SMART PASS NABS SUB-PAR TEACHERS
Date CapturedSunday September 10 2006, 10:13 AM
NY Post reports, " A sophisticated swipe-card system to track the city's army of substitute teachers - and keep criminals away from classrooms - will soon be installed at every public school around the city."
New York schools test scores made easy for parents
Date CapturedFriday September 08 2006, 5:22 AM
Times Union Rick Karlin wites, "'These reports are designed to be parent-friendly,' Martha Musser, coordinator of information and reporting systems for the Education Department, said Thursday as the agency unveiled the new reports. They also will allow parents to track how their children are doing on standardized tests over time, said Acting Deputy Commissioner Jean Stevens."
Dayton, Ohio schools want parents to know tutoring choices
Date CapturedFriday September 08 2006, 12:39 AM
Dayton Daily News reports, "No Child Left Behind requires districts that accept federal money for low-income children to set aside 20 percent of those funds to pay up to $1,600 per child for tutoring each year at schools not making the grade under NCLB."
NEW YORK STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT UNVEILS NEW SYSTEM TO TRACK AND REPORT STUDENT DATA, SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE NEW TOOLS TO IMPROVE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Date CapturedThursday September 07 2006, 6:10 PM
Beginning this fall, test results will be delivered directly to schools in an electronic format, giving authorized school administrators and teachers instant access to data regarding individual student performance, performance by groups of students (including breakdowns by race, ethnicity, disability status, gender, English proficiency, economic status, and migrant status), and overall performance by school and school district. This electronic system will give schools interactive reports on all this information. Parents will receive more detailed printed reports explaining their children’s performance on the tests. The reports will not only give the overall score but will also give a more detailed breakdown of a student’s performance on several indicators of achievement. All individual student information will be protected during every phase of data collection and reporting.
Curfew education
Date CapturedThursday September 07 2006, 6:29 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle opined on curfew, " Teachers should make sure that kids understand the curfew, and also why city leaders feel it is necessary. Eight people under the age of 18 died violently in Rochester last year and more were injured. In July, there were at least 38 shootings and at one point this summer eight people were killed over as many days. As school starts up again, young people ought to be discussing what they can do to end this plague of violence."
Arizona educators see NCLB as good but cumbersome
Date CapturedWednesday September 06 2006, 1:17 PM
Eastern Arizona Courier reports, "As a group, the school administrators also conveyed the message that there needs to be better communication between federal and state education agencies and between those agencies and the public schools."
Louisiana high school keeps parents involved
Date CapturedWednesday September 06 2006, 9:32 AM
Daily World reports, "Several years ago, she [Leger, school principal] said, the school installed a voice mail system where parents can call to confirm their child's homework assignments. Leger said teachers are required to have their weekly assignments into the system by 3 p.m. on Mondays. They remain one of the few schools who still maintain the hotline. 'This allows teachers to leave messages on the system, and parents can also leave messages on the system, which keeps parents and teachers in constant communication,' she said. Leger is using computer technology to her advantage. She encourages teachers to exchange e-mail addresses with parents for easier contact."
Welcome to a new school year of building bridges
Date CapturedWednesday September 06 2006, 7:57 AM
Ithaca Journal guest columnist Judith Pastel, superintendent of the Ithaca City School District, writes, "Last year, many ICSD employees worked closely with me to upgrade our internal communications processes, that is, how we communicate with each other. This was the first major step toward a culture of on-going and improved communication. This year, we will build on those initial efforts and make serious headway with our external communication. Community members and the public will read monthly guest columns by district staff. Our goal is to publish a district newsletter during October and during May. Serious review of our Web site is in progress in order to improve accessibility and content. By the end of the school year, I will be asking community members to provide input on our efforts."
Computer and Internet Use by Students in 2003
Date CapturedTuesday September 05 2006, 11:00 AM
This report examines the use of computers and the Internet by American children enrolled in nursery school and students in kindergarten through grade 12. One of the more important findings presented in the report is that schools appear to help narrow the disparities between different types of students in terms of computer use. Differences in the rates of computer use are smaller at school than they are at home when considering such characteristics as race/ethnicity, family income, and parental education. DeBell, M., and Chapman, C. (2006). Computer and Internet Use by Students in 2003 (NCES 2006– 065). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.
Editorial: The nation's learning curve
Date CapturedTuesday September 05 2006, 6:16 AM
The Journal News opined on special education, "Among the high-profile changes in Congress' 2004 reforms now taking effect: States can no longer use the discrepancy formula as the sole reason for rejecting a child as learning disabled. Actually, New York's regulations have said for years that the formula's use was not required; in fact, if it was used, it couldn't be the sole determinant of learning difficulties. However, hundreds of appeals by parents to the state's education commissioners reveal widespread use of the practice by districts. No more. Under the new regulations, no state or district can rely solely on the discrepancy canard. Parents fighting for services for their children should know that."
School Bus Sign-Ups
Date CapturedTuesday September 05 2006, 6:15 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "Looking to trim fat from its budget, the city Education Department will require some 110,000 general education students eligible for busing to register for the service this year, The Post has learned."
Half-Booked HS a Classic: NEW YORK CITY WAS TOO LATE ON ELITE BROOKLYN LATIN SCHOOL
Date CapturedTuesday September 05 2006, 6:07 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports on new high school, "But when the bell rings in the new academic year today, less than half of the 125 seats at the Bushwick school will be occupied, because the city did not introduce it to top students early enough for them to apply."
Summer's bell tolls for kids: New schools, rules as class resumes
Date CapturedTuesday September 05 2006, 4:26 AM
NY Daily News talks with NYC Chancellor Klein about school choice, teachers, and cellphones, "We have charters that are ready and we could open in the fall of [2007]. We will continue to work with them in the hope and the optimistic sense that this cap will be lifted."
Back to School in a System Being Remade
Date CapturedTuesday September 05 2006, 3:23 AM
NY Times reports on NYC schools reform, "Chancellor Klein said last week that he was intent on moving the school system 'from a culture of excuse to a culture of accountability.' 'Our parents will come to see that the information they’re getting, the quality education their kids are getting, the sense of what it’s like at the school, is going to change,' he added. 'And I think our parents will insist on sustainability.'”
2 majors in crime new to college: Roberts Wesleyan College introduces degrees in white-collar issues, forensic science
Date CapturedMonday September 04 2006, 11:28 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports on Roberts program and courses at State University College at Buffalo, Genesee Community College and Hilbert College, "The economic-crime investigation program has courses in criminal justice, accounting and computer science, and students will specialize either in accounting or computers. And for the major, the college is creating courses on white-collar crime, computer forensics and computer network security."
COLLEGE PHONE PLAN AN EASY 'CELL'
Date CapturedMonday September 04 2006, 9:13 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "Baruch College students searching for an open computer on campus, assignments for a missed class, and even their best friends this fall semester now need only check their mobile phone for the info."
Back to school, on to the future ... AND ... with smart new leaders (2 editorials)
Date CapturedSunday September 03 2006, 8:02 AM
NY Daily News opined on New York City schools Chancellor Klein and school reform plans, "Even more ambitious, a new computer system will let teachers and administrators check whether a child has improved by a full performance level, or gone down by half a level, and compare results by classroom, by demographic group and by individual student. Success will become readily apparent, as will failure. Performance will finally count."
Standing by their principals: 'Empowerment' bigs win freedom from educrats
Date CapturedSunday September 03 2006, 7:56 AM
NY Daily News Erin Einhorn reports, ""The thing people are really concerned about is where they go if there's a problem,' said Tim Johnson, head of a citywide parents group. 'There doesn't seem to be a clear path of accountability like there is in the current system.' Empowerment principals say they understand the concerns, but they argue that the consequences of failing will drive the schools toward success."
Rochester district to boost security measures: Two 'dangerous' city high schools take extra safety steps
Date CapturedSunday September 03 2006, 7:51 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "As required by the No Child Left Behind Act, the district sent letters to parents and guardians of the more than 2,000 students in both schools to alert them that students can transfer if they wish. The district received about 60 transfer requests before those letters were sent."
Residents upset by surveillance cameras used by Pennsylvania college
Date CapturedSaturday September 02 2006, 7:29 PM
AP reports, "The recent installation of closed-circuit cameras meant to protect students at Franklin & Marshall College has raised the ire of nearby residents concerned about their privacy."
New York unsafe schools cited
Date CapturedSaturday September 02 2006, 9:42 AM
NY Daily News Erin Einhorn reports, "The union [teachers] is testing an online system that allows teachers to report violent incidents and crimes into its central computer."
Where's the courage in education reform?
Date CapturedSaturday September 02 2006, 9:07 AM
Scrippsnews contributor Star Parker writes, "According to NCLB, students in failing schools must be notified and permitted to transfer to another school. We have found that 250,000, about 30 percent, of the students in the LA system are eligible for such transfers, yet notification is not being given and there have only been only slightly more than 500 transfers."
What the Public Really Thinks of School Choice
Date CapturedFriday September 01 2006, 11:07 AM
Andrew J. Coulson, Center for Educational Freedom opined on PDK school choice poll, "Phi Delta Kappan could do its part to remedy that knowledge gap by returning to the original wording of its question. But we needn't conduct a poll to know that that isn't likely to happen. Phi Delta Kappa is an advocacy organization for the public school monopoly, and the last thing a monopolist wants to do is remind people that in other countries, families enjoy real educational choices, and schools have to compete for the privilege of serving them."
NO TAKERS FOR 44 ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS
Date CapturedFriday September 01 2006, 8:13 AM
NY Post reports, "'There is one thing perfectly clear: This is not a performance issue,' Gibbons [spokesman for the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators] said. 'Some of the [assistants] were not even informed they [lost their jobs] until this week, and the Department of Education has not yet posted vacancies or tried to place these people.'"
Financial aid records of college students examined in terrorist search
Date CapturedThursday August 31 2006, 6:52 PM
USA Today Greg Toppo writes, "Project Strike Back is virtually unknown within the higher education community, even among top financial aid and admissions officials. The program was mentioned in a September 2002 Education Department report to Congress, noting that it had been initiated. And a May 2004 Government Accountability Office report on data mining noted that the program compares Department of Education and FBI data 'for anomalies. Also verifies personal identifiers.'"
Flap over summer reading at least shows engaged parents
Date CapturedThursday August 31 2006, 9:33 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle opined, "From hundreds of channels of cable television to satellite radio to the World Wide Web, young people have access to more media than ever. They need parents who are paying attention."
Tweaking of 'No Child' Seen
Date CapturedThursday August 31 2006, 8:57 AM
The Washington Post reports on NCLB, charter schools, and a national student "unit" tracking system, "Saying that the federal government has 'done about as much' as it can in many ways, Spellings [US Department of Education Secretary] noted that states need to do much of the remaining work on NCLB in order to meet the goal of reading proficiency by 2014."
Late exam results test city parents' patience
Date CapturedThursday August 31 2006, 8:22 AM
NY Daily News ERIN EINHORN and CARRIE MELAGO report, "'When the data are finally released, schools will get the information electronically, which Dunn [state Education Department spokesman] argued would make it 'more useful to them in helping children.' Parents also will be given user-friendly reports that explain how their child fared, he said."
Education Secretary Spellings: No Child act needs no changes
Date CapturedWednesday August 30 2006, 6:16 PM
AP reports, "Spellings said her job is to present Congress with good data to help lawmakers do their job. She said she is open-minded about ways to improve the law. But when asked if she meant the law is truly '99.9 percent' close to working properly, she said, 'I think it is that close.'"
New California law blocks censorship of college journalists
Date CapturedTuesday August 29 2006, 8:24 PM
Contra Costa Times reports, "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill Monday that protects college journalists from censorship, giving them the same freedom of speech as high school journalists."
Audit finds sensitive data vulnerable at Arizona education agency
Date CapturedMonday August 28 2006, 8:20 PM
AP reports on the vulnerable systems, "The systems are used for a variety of purposes, ranging from teacher certification to tracking student attendance that is used to allocate state funding to school districts and charter schools. Confidential information kept on the department's computer systems include teachers' names, birth dates and Social Security numbers and students' names and birth dates, the audit report noted. Many of the security flaws have been noted previously but the audit found that only some of them had been fixed, the department said."
A tally to avoid?
Date CapturedSunday August 27 2006, 9:31 AM
The Journal News opined, "The violence-reporting process is more than five years old in New York, and wrought with problems — challenges complicated by the added federal performance requirements of No Child Left Behind, instituted three years ago. Still, New York remains only in a 'training' phase, with its Education Department continuing to clarify criteria and teach local administrators how properly to report violent incidents. Even the state Comptroller's Office is involved now, looking anew over shoulders because random audits of schools earlier this year found reporting compliance abysmal."
Debate continues over content of kids' required reading
Date CapturedSunday August 27 2006, 8:09 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports on censorship in schools, "We face enough problems trying to raise children today. What they see on TV or at the movies is bad enough, but when you give it to them and call it curriculum, we begin to lose the battle," she (a parent) said. 'I don't want to shelter my children from what happens in life, but I think we need to be held accountable for our choices in teaching them life lessons.'"
Shed light on exams: New York should be more parent-friendly in explaining tests
Date CapturedSunday August 27 2006, 8:02 AM
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle opined, "A lot of this information is now available on the Education (New York) Department's Web site. But getting to it requires weeding through a lot of dense education-speak. The site, which should be regarded as a prime information source for literally millions of New Yorkers, lacks clarity and readability — two standards, by the way, of writing that the state purports to measure."
Tutoring Glance
Date CapturedSaturday August 26 2006, 7:27 PM
AP reports on No Child Left Behind and tutoring, "School districts: provide yearly notice to parents about how they can enroll their children and which tutors are available; must use clear language."
Stealth Students Test Tolerance of the Affluent
Date CapturedSaturday August 26 2006, 9:14 AM
NY Times reports, "Just as Mexicans sneak into California because that’s where the better jobs are, students sneak into Greenwich because that’s where the better schools are. Greenwich, one of America’s wealthiest towns, has not yet surrounded itself with a chain-link fence and National Guard troops. But it has its own version of a border patrol. A private eye, the kind who might be expected to snoop around motels, has been hired to check out tips of juvenile border crossings."
Students get a homework 'Buddy'
Date CapturedSaturday August 26 2006, 8:36 AM
NY Daily News reports, "June Herold, vice president and general manager of AOL education and consumer services, says the company spent two years with teachers, students and parents and found that many complained there was no one place to get the homework help and info needed for every subject. StudyBuddy.com is an education site with a search engine, math and science review and a writing wizard."
2007 VESID State Plan Virtual Public Meeting
Date CapturedFriday August 25 2006, 6:31 PM
As part of the Vocational Rehabilitation State Plan development, VESID is seeking public comment on achieving high quality employment outcomes. Discussion will focus on transition, postsecondary education, and individual plan for employment (IEP) development.
Education Department working to fix web site glitch after data breach
Date CapturedWednesday August 23 2006, 9:54 PM
AP reports, "The Web site program includes names, birthdates, Social Security numbers, addresses, phone numbers and in some cases account information for holders of federal direct student loans. It does not involve those who have loans managed through private companies."
Researchers Yearn to Use AOL Logs, but They Hesitate
Date CapturedWednesday August 23 2006, 10:18 AM
NY Times reports, "Companies occasionally mete data out to academic researchers. Microsoft has done this, but in a controlled fashion. Yahoo shares some statistical data with researchers who are approved case by case through an internal vetting program, according to Joanna Stevens, a company spokeswoman, but query data, she said, has never been distributed."
Glitch reveals too much on Education Dept. website
Date CapturedWednesday August 23 2006, 8:39 AM
Boston Globe reports, "A federal Department of Education official said yesterday that a routine software upgrade made Sunday night introduced a bug into the system that mixed up the data of different borrowers."
State's list of dangerous schools grows: Berkshire Farm, Philip Livingston Magnet among 23 targeted after comptroller's critical audit
Date CapturedWednesday August 23 2006, 8:25 AM
Times Union reports, "Under the federal No Child Left Behind law, parents are supposed to be able to transfer their children out of a dangerous school if another school in their district has room to enroll them. Mills said that releasing the data Tuesday, about two weeks before the new school year starts, should give parents time to seek alternatives. For many parents and students, though, alternative schools are filled up. Students attending Berkshire's school are doing so under court order."
CLASS-KICKERS: 'DANGEROUS' SCHOOLS SOAR - AND N.Y. MAY BE LOWBALLING COUNT
Date CapturedWednesday August 23 2006, 8:00 AM
NY Post DAVID ANDREATTA and LEONARD GREENE report, "'Since the school system no longer shares incident data, no one really knows the true state of safety in our schools,' said United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. 'But we do know that having only 14 [city] schools on the 'persistently dangerous' list doesn't make sense.'"
Majority Of State's Most Dangerous Schools Are In New York City
Date CapturedTuesday August 22 2006, 4:35 PM
NY1 reports, "Eleven of them (persistently dangerous) are schools for special education students and city sources say those schools are usually exempt from list."
Rome Free Academy joins state's 'watch list' for potentially dangerous schools
Date CapturedTuesday August 22 2006, 4:24 PM
Observer-Dispatch CARA MATTHEWS reports, "Another 17 schools, including two in Rochester, have been added to the Education Department's list of 'persistently dangerous' institutions after recording a large number of serious incidents for two consecutive years, Commissioner Richard Mills announced."
Gaps in checking teaching credentials can miss predators
Date CapturedTuesday August 22 2006, 8:34 AM
USA Today Greg Toppo writes on school safety, "Schools need to follow up on background checks and notice if a job candidate switches schools frequently, experts say. They also should carefully review applications for inconsistencies or omissions and administer new criminal checks when contracts come up for renewal."
Ed contracts will be eyed after no-bid report
Date CapturedTuesday August 22 2006, 8:14 AM
Daily News reports, "'The fact that the [Department] of Ed is now doing $120 million in no-bid contracts without any form of public review or vote or scrutiny by any outside body is outrageous.'" [Assemblyman James Brennan ]
Florida schools to receive a piece of $3.7 million from Microsoft settlement
Date CapturedMonday August 21 2006, 9:27 PM
Boca Raton News reports on Microsoft lawsuit, "Signed in April 2003, the settlement resolved class action lawsuits that alleged Microsoft violated Florida's antitrust laws. The settlement provided benefits to consumers and businesses that purchased licenses for Microsoft operating system, productivity suite, spreadsheet or word processing software between Nov. 16, 1995, and Dec. 31, 2002, for use in the state of Florida. A maximum amount of $202 million was available to Florida consumers and businesses. Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft committed one-half of any unclaimed settlement funds to Florida's public schools in the form of vouchers. Microsoft denied each allegation but reached a settlement."
California student tracking system receives a failing grade: Millions spent, yet state can't calculate dropouts
Date CapturedMonday August 21 2006, 5:20 PM
Union Tribune reports, "California has fallen far behind other large states with sophisticated student tracking systems, such as Texas and Florida, and cannot accurately calculate a basic fact about school performance: the dropout rate."
OL' COLLEGE PRY: POL PROBES SCHOOL PORK
Date CapturedMonday August 21 2006, 7:19 AM
NY Post correspondent GEOFF EARLE reports, "A powerful U.S. senator is demanding five New York colleges justify millions in federal pork-barrel funds sent to their campuses and reveal whether they've hired political muscle to get more taxpayer money. Among the schools getting a letter from Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) are New York University, the State University of New York and Columbia University." Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sen. Charles Schumer boasted last year about getting funds for Cornell University's Center for Grape Genetics.
Independent Colleges and State University System Forge First-Ever Partnership to Create Higher Education Internet Portal Promoting Economic Development in NY
Date CapturedSunday August 20 2006, 3:59 PM
The Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU) and the State University of New York (SUNY) announced, "their first-ever partnership to develop an online 'portal,' which will function as an easy-to-use Internet gateway to approximately 175 higher education institutions. The portal will have significant benefits for New York's businesses and the state economy."
Family life key to success in school
Date CapturedSunday August 20 2006, 2:16 PM
The Buffalo News former editor Murray B. Light opined on factors that impact learning, "None of the education studies I've reviewed has factored in one of the most dominant elements in American life - television viewing. It most certainly is a factor in the education and intellectual promise of school-age children. Almost every element of American life is now the subject of polls. I have never been satisfied that poll results are meaningful because the respondents may or may not be responding truthfully. Be that as it may, one cannot overlook the enormous influence television is today."
Rochester city school board TV
Date CapturedSunday August 20 2006, 8:52 AM
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle opined, "From now on, busy parents and others who care about public education in the city can tune in to RCTV (Channel 15) and watch the Rochester school board's monthly business meetings. That's a step toward greater public accessibility that ought to be emulated."
Arizona State Education computer system is exposed for attacks
Date CapturedFriday August 18 2006, 8:58 PM
The Daily Dispatch reports on Arizona Auditor General's Office findings, "The report, being released today, noted that the agency makes many of its applications accessible via the Internet so that schools can report information and access data. Auditor General Debbie Davenport said her staffers found that private information, like teacher names, birth dates and social security numbers 'could be viewed by individuals who have no right or need to access it.'''
Does extra layer of smart people in education help, hurt communication?
Date CapturedThursday August 17 2006, 6:52 PM
Benton Courier city editor Mike Dougherty opined on the education communications divide, "How can the state talk with the locals successfully to achieve what is best for educating our children when they seem to be talking a different language?"
Montana one of many states failing NCLB teacher equity requirements
Date CapturedThursday August 17 2006, 6:23 PM
AP reports, "The Education Department is asking the Montana Office of Public Instruction to do one of two things: either provide data showing that poor and minority children are taught by teachers with similar qualifications and experience as those who instruct other children, or submit a revised plan. McCulloch said Wednesday that the state would provide the department with more information, but that her office doesn't have the technology to collect information on teacher experience levels, which the department is requiring."
Word of the Day: NET NEUTRALITY
Date CapturedWednesday August 16 2006, 10:53 AM
Searchnetworking defines net neutrality, "Net neutrality is the principle that data packets on the Internet should be moved impartially, without regard to content, destination or source. Net neutrality is sometimes referred to as the 'First Amendment of the Internet.'"
Elmira school board to get laptops
Date CapturedWednesday August 16 2006, 8:48 AM
Star-Gazette reports, "Most information will now be e-mailed to board members or posted on a Web page protected with a password, according to the district. Each board member will have an e-mail account to allow them to communicate with district employees, parents and community members."
Cato-Meridian looks at putting cameras in schools
Date CapturedMonday August 14 2006, 9:51 AM
Post-Standard reports, "'It's an option to consider for enhancing safety,' said Deborah D. Bobo, school superintendent."
Professors ban in-class Web surfing
Date CapturedMonday August 14 2006, 9:20 AM
The Buffalo News reprints a Chicago Tribune information policy news story, "With universities rapidly installing wireless networks, Internet surfing has taken the place of the crossword puzzle as the most popular classroom distraction. Some professors are so fed up, however, that they're banning laptops or finding ways to shut off the wireless capabilities in their classrooms." University of Chicago law school, professor Randy Picker has no intention of banning laptops or Internet access.
Implementing Graduation Counts: State Progress to Date
Date CapturedSunday August 13 2006, 9:52 PM
NGA Issue Brief written by Bridget Curran, Education Division, National Governors Association. (08/07/2006). "In 2005 governors of all 50 states signed the Graduation Counts Compact and made an unprecedented commitment to a common method for calculating each state's high school graduation rate. In addition to agreeing to a common formula for calculating the graduation rate, the governors committed to leading efforts to improve state data collection, reporting, and analysis; reporting additional indicators of outcomes for students; and reporting annually on their progress toward improved high school graduation, completion, and dropout data."
Search Me? Google Wants to Digitize Every Book. Publishers Say Read the Fine Print First.
Date CapturedSunday August 13 2006, 7:29 PM
The Washington Post reports, "Last fall, the Authors Guild and a group of major publishing houses filed separate suits in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, charging Google with copyright infringement on a massive scale. Google argues that under the "fair use" provisions of copyright law, it has a perfect right to let its users search the text of copyrighted works -- as long as, once the search is complete, it only shows them what it calls "snippets" of those works. Nonsense, say the authors and publishers: In order to find and display those snippets, Google must first copy whole books without permission."
New sour note for Harlem choir
Date CapturedSunday August 13 2006, 9:33 AM
NY Daily News ERIN EINHORN reports on NYC schools Promise Academy II charter school facility. "'The [Department] of Education is doing this behind parents' backs,' steamed Diana Boyd, a former member of the Choir Academy parent's association. 'This is being done without our consent.' Parents learned that the charter was coming after a city educrat was seen at the building last week checking out the space."
Keeping kids on a (technological) leash
Date CapturedSunday August 13 2006, 9:21 AM
Jerry McGovern, the Press-Republican's coordinator of Newspapers-in-Education opined on school information policy and safety regarding cell phones, "Whatever childhood is, it's not as loose and free as it used to be. And there is no turning back. Parents want to keep their children on shorter leashes, even if they are technological leashes."
Commission on the Future of Higher Education Report Urges Higher Education Shake-Up
Date CapturedFriday August 11 2006, 12:29 AM
NY Times reports on concerns of some commission members, "Another council member, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, which represents 900 private institutions including liberal arts colleges, major research universities and church- and other faith-related colleges, attacked the recommendation to develop a national database to follow individual students’ progress as a way of holding colleges accountable for students’ success. The association called the proposal a dangerous intrusion on privacy, saying, 'Our members find this idea chilling.'”
Manhattan: School's Discipline Code Criticized
Date CapturedThursday August 10 2006, 9:23 AM
NY Times ELISSA GOOTMAN reports on New York City schools Internet use related information policy, "Civil rights advocates criticized proposed changes to the city Education Department’s discipline code yesterday, saying that a proposal to punish students who post 'libelous or defamatory material' on the Internet was unconstitutional."
CUNY Seeing Fewer Blacks at Top Schools
Date CapturedThursday August 10 2006, 2:03 AM
NY Times KAREN W. ARENSON reports on equitable access to CUNY, "Laura M. Schachter, the dean for diversity and compliance at Hunter, said that many qualified black and Hispanic students did not know much about Hunter and did not apply. 'It is our job to make them aware,' she said."
Dallas school sued over racism accusations
Date CapturedWednesday August 09 2006, 7:59 PM
Chron.com reports, "Attorneys for the plaintiffs opened their case by presenting an e-mail they said was sent by the school's PTA president. The e-mail said only a few Hispanic students would be selected to appear in a brochure intended for residents of Preston Hollow, one of the city's more affluent neighborhoods."
Online peer bullying
Date CapturedWednesday August 09 2006, 2:58 PM
USA Today reports, "Allen [National Center for Missing & Exploited Children] advocates a 'three-pronged solution': education, enforcing existing laws and improving tools such as filters."
NOT A JOB FOR THE SCHOOLS
Date CapturedWednesday August 09 2006, 8:33 AM
NY Post opined on schools' plan to restrict Internet use from home, "It's certainly good to see education brass concerned about the need to assure an unintimidating environment for learning. But don't they have their hands full monitoring activity at school, without trying to police behavior at home, too?"
Proposal Adds Options for Students to Specify Race
Date CapturedWednesday August 09 2006, 7:55 AM
NY Times reports, “'We basically have a continuous way of defining these categories that’s gone on for close to 40 years, and this is going to be a big change,' said Gary Orfield, the director of the Civil Rights Project at Harvard, who said the proposal would harm the ability of researchers and civil rights groups to track race on campus."
SUNY expands library access to 60 campuses: SUNYConnect brings most new benefits to community colleges and smaller SUNY schools
Date CapturedWednesday August 09 2006, 7:44 AM
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "The 18 million volumes are housed in SUNY libraries, and thousands of electronic resources and images also are available. Users can get information ranging from articles in the latest medical, nursing and science journals to images of paintings and sculpture from the cave shrines in Dunhuang, China."
PARENTS DIGGING UP DATA ON TEACHERS
Date CapturedWednesday August 09 2006, 7:37 AM
NY Post exclusive by David Andreatta reports, "The moms and dads are taking advantage of a little-known provision of the federal No Child Left Behind law, which grants parents or guardians of students attending public schools that receive federal poverty aid the right to see the credentials of teachers and their aides."
Pennsylvania anti-bullying policy might be mandatory
Date CapturedTuesday August 08 2006, 12:03 PM
Times Leader reports, "Though the bill would define student bullying to include written, verbal and electronic intimidation, it would allow districts to develop their own procedures and punishments for student bullies."
College Paper Joins Gannett
Date CapturedTuesday August 08 2006, 12:19 AM
NY Times reports, "College journalists have always had to grapple with a variety of concerns, from soothing the ruffled feathers of administrators to keeping beer out of the newsroom. Now seems to be the time to add a new one: dealing with corporate owners."
A victory for education
Date CapturedMonday August 07 2006, 11:53 PM
Boston Globe columnist Adrian Walker writes on high-stakes testing and freedom of speech, "Superior Court Judge Hiller B. Zobel ruled last week that the DOE [Massachusetts] violated Kohn's civil rights by blocking him from speaking at an education conference in 2001. Kohn had been booked to speak on standardized testing. The department, which had funded the conference, threatened to withdraw its money if Kohn was allowed to speak. Kohn's offense was that he is an outspoken opponent of high-stakes testing generally, and of the MCAS specifically."
Official Response from the Board of Education to the Comptroller's Audit (including Appendices)
Date CapturedMonday August 07 2006, 11:35 PM
William Floyd UFSD response to State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller draft Audit Report of Examination dated May 16, 2006, "Given the extraordinary time and money that was invested in improving its practices, the Board, the administration and the taxpayers of the District looked forward to your office conducting a neutral, objective, impartial and constructive audit of our current practices. Specifically, we looked forward to knowing - - in accordance with your stated purpose - - what current practices should be corrected or improved. We hoped to rely on your considerable expertise in following your recommendations as they pertained to 'current and emerging fiscally related problems.'"
Niagara County Community College launches high-tech upgrade
Date CapturedSunday August 06 2006, 4:28 PM
Buffalo News reports, "College technicians will be able to upgrade software in any of the school's 1,000 desktop computers, and discover a software problem on any one of them and fix it without leaving their laboratory. They also will be able to plug security holes in the school's Windows computer operating system to prevent hackers from accessing it."
Kentucky schools and afterschool programs share student database
Date CapturedSaturday August 05 2006, 11:21 PM
AP reports, "The Louisville project has caught the attention of educators in other states. It may turn into a national model of how schools can work with community groups, particularly as afterschools take on a greater role in helping students read and do math."
Illinois community college, state spar in court
Date CapturedSaturday August 05 2006, 1:20 PM
Pentagraph.com reports, "In November, the executive inspector general began investigating the community college. By March, the office issued subpoenas to the college's auditing firm, Kerber, Eck and Braeckel LLP, as well as the institution's board of trustees to produce audio and/or video recordings of most executive sessions held since May 2004. A recording of a November 2004 closed session was destroyed."
A new high-tech take on school group project
Date CapturedFriday August 04 2006, 9:34 AM
Boston Globe reports, "The technology is most commonly associated with Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia written and edited by the public with nearly 2 million registered users . But it has broader uses, and educators are experimenting with wiki textbooks, wiki lesson plans that teachers share, and projects in which students develop wikis as they would write papers."
Libraries more crucial than ever
Date CapturedFriday August 04 2006, 8:57 AM
Press-Republican opined, "Perhaps most important, libraries offer Internet services to people who can't afford or for whatever reason don't have a computer. Kids from poor families are thus put onto even footing with their wealthier classmates."
Instant msg-ing messes with grammar? As if! lol!
Date CapturedThursday August 03 2006, 7:34 AM
University at Toronto writes on research by linguists Sali Tagliamonte and Derek Denis, "The study finds that instant messaging language does mirror patterns in speech, but that teens, surprisingly, are actually using a fusion of different levels of diction. Teens are using both informal forms that their English teachers would never allow, yet they also use formal writing phrasing that, if used in speech, would likely be considered 'uncool.'”
TXTING IS OK 4 U: KIDS' GRAMMAR 'SURVIVES' HI-TECH HABIT
Date CapturedThursday August 03 2006, 7:28 AM
NY Post David Andreatta writes, "Researchers found that while teens routinely use speech slang that makes English teachers cringe, their instant messages contain formal phrasing worthy of a pat on the back from Shakespeare or, at least, a British grandfather."
On the Public-Private School Achievement Debate
Date CapturedWednesday August 02 2006, 6:28 PM
Paul E. Peterson and Elena Llaudet discuss methodological problems with NCES's study requested by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), "The results from the Alternative Models should not be understood as showing that private schools outperform public schools. Without information on prior student achievement, one cannot answer questions about schools’ efficacy in raising student test scores. The NCES analysis is at serious risk of having produced biased estimates, because its adjustment for student characteristics suffered from two sorts of problems: a) inconsistent classification of student characteristics across sectors and b) inclusion of student characteristics open to school influence. To avoid bias, classification decisions must be consistent for both groups under study. This rule was violated repeatedly in the NCES study." PEPG 06-02. Program on Education Policy and Governance Department of Government, FAS Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
The new learning curve: Technological security
Date CapturedWednesday August 02 2006, 8:51 AM
USA Today reports, "Raising awareness among computer users about privacy protection is a never-ending job, especially on college campuses where the student population changes each year."
Why break in? The reasons vary
Date CapturedWednesday August 02 2006, 8:41 AM
USA Today reports, "A USA TODAY review of 109 computer-related security breaches reported by 76 college campuses since January 2005 found that about 70% involved hacking — breaking into or gaining unauthorized access to a computer system."
Marist College Named a Technology Innovator by Tech Magazine
Date CapturedTuesday August 01 2006, 12:10 PM
PR Newswire reports, "Marist achieved this national distinction in the area of podcasting. Magazine editors noted that Marist stood out from other institutions because Marist is the only college or university to have student-driven course content."
NO FREE SPEECH FOR SUNY PROFS?
Date CapturedTuesday August 01 2006, 8:02 AM
NY Post op-ed contributors Greg Lukianoff and Robert L. Shibley of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) write, "As the Supreme Court wrote in the landmark opinion of Sweezy v. New Hampshire (1957), 'The essentiality of freedom in the community of American universities is almost self-evident. No one should underestimate the vital role in a democracy that is played by those who guide and train our youth. To impose any straitjacket upon the intellectual leaders in our colleges and universities would imperil the future of our nation.'"
MySpace blurs line between friends and flacks
Date CapturedMonday July 31 2006, 8:41 AM
CNET News.com reports, "Kids are especially at risk, critics say, because as a thriving group on social networks, many younger teens are not sophisticated enough to treat with skepticism this new, seductive form of advertising."
A Language to Air News of America to the World
Date CapturedMonday July 31 2006, 8:31 AM
NY Times reports, "Special English was developed nearly 50 years ago as a radio experiment to spread American news and cultural information to people outside the United States who have no knowledge of English or whose knowledge is limited."
Student data vault exceeds intent
Date CapturedMonday July 31 2006, 8:05 AM
Times Union includes article by op-ed contributor Haley Will, president of Gettysburg College and chair-elect of the Annapolis Group, "The commission calls our nation's colleges and universities unaccountable, inefficient and inaccessible. In response, it seeks to institute collection of personal information designed to quantify our students' performance in college and in the work force."
Parents’ Rights (and Wrongs)
Date CapturedSunday July 30 2006, 11:15 AM
NY Times contributors Kate Stone Lombardi and Sandra Salmans write, "Colleges fear that parental interference prevents students from developing into independent and resilient adults. So they hold special orientation sessions to help parents understand what role they should play in their child’s next four years."
The Importance of Policies in E-Learning Instruction
Date CapturedSaturday July 29 2006, 10:11 PM
By Shirley Waterhouse and Rodney O. Rogers. EDUCAUSE Quarterly, Volume 27 Number 3 2004. Authors discuss E-learning policies inlcuding policies in the syllabus, student privacy, e-mail policies, software standards policies, assignment policies, technical help policies, student code of conduct and intellectual property rights policies. Adapted from a chapter in The Power of Elearning: The Essential Guide to Teaching in the Digital Age by Shirley Waterhouse Boston, Mass.: Allyn & Bacon, October 2004.
Professor claims criticizing policies cost him a promotion
Date CapturedFriday July 28 2006, 7:46 PM
Buffalo News reports, "A Fredonia State College instructor said he is being denied a promotion for speaking out against campus policies in the media."
EDUCAUSE
Date CapturedFriday July 28 2006, 11:04 AM
EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Date CapturedThursday July 27 2006, 9:36 PM
"The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. Students to whom the rights have transferred are 'eligible students.'" parent or eligible student in order to release any information from a student's education record. However, FERPA allows schools to disclose those records, without consent, to the following parties or under the following conditions (34 CFR § 99.31): School officials with legitimate educational interest; Other schools to which a student is transferring; Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes; Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student; Organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the school; Accrediting organizations; To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena; Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies; and State and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to specific State law. Schools may disclose, without consent, "directory" information such as a student's name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and dates of attendance. However, schools must tell parents and eligible students about directory information and allow parents and eligible students a reasonable amount of time to request that the school not disclose directory information about them. Schools must notify parents and eligible students annually of their rights under FERPA. The actual means of notification (special letter, inclusion in a PTA bulletin, student handbook, or newspaper article) is left to the discretion of each school.
EDUCAUSE/Cornell Institute for Computer Policy and Law
Date CapturedThursday July 27 2006, 8:44 PM
NYS Education Dept. Office of Professions & Teacher Certification accepting applications for immediate vacancies on the New York State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching
Date CapturedWednesday July 26 2006, 3:42 PM
NYS Education Department: Apply for appointment to the Board if you have an interest in helping to shape teaching policy in New York State and if you qualify for appointment in one of the following categories: Higher Education (President or chief academic officer of a NYS college or university that prepares teachers), Teacher (Either a classroom teacher or pupil personnel service professional in a New York State school) Public (Representative of business, parent group, community organization, etc.) Teacher Education Student (Student matriculated in a teacher preparation program at a NYS institution, full-or part-time). Application information here.
Massachusetts school district cell phone search policy on hold
Date CapturedWednesday July 26 2006, 10:57 AM
The Boston Globe reports, "The American Civil Liberties Union objected to the proposed policy, saying school officials were acting more like police than administrators."
SCHOOLS 'NET RIGHTS JAB
Date CapturedWednesday July 26 2006, 7:55 AM
NY Post reports, "The head of the New York Civil Liberties Union said yesterday that the group would challenge a city Department of Education proposal to discipline students who post defamatory comments related to their schools online."
MYSPACE INVADERS FOR CITY STUDENTS, SCHOOLS TAKE AIM AT NASTY BLOGGERS
Date CapturedTuesday July 25 2006, 7:51 AM
NY Post reports, "The proposed changes to the code have yet to be adopted by the city's Panel for Educational Policy, but civil-rights lawyers are already sounding the alarm over the Internet provision. 'What happens on the Internet at a student's home is not the Department of Education's business," said veteran civil-rights lawyer Elizabeth Fink. 'Any person who believes in the Constitution would have a vast problem with this.'"
Schools tackle new threats, from Net to stun guns
Date CapturedTuesday July 25 2006, 7:38 AM
NY Daily News reports, "With some kids using the Internet to harass each other or start fights and others bringing items to school - like paint-ball guns - that no one thought to ban before, city educrats are proposing a host of new rules to keep order in city schools."
Public School Finance Programs of the United States and Canada: 1998–99 (NEW YORK STATE)
Date CapturedSaturday July 22 2006, 10:14 PM
NEW YORK: Funding for public education in New York comes from three sources: approximately 4% from federal sources, 40% from state formula aids and grants, and 56% from local revenues. The descriptive information in this publication is designed to be useful to the education finance research community and fiscal policy analysts whose backgrounds and training are very diverse. Brian O. Brent, Warner Graduate School, University of Rochester. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Public School Finance Programs of the United States and Canada: 1998–99. NCES 2001–309; Compilers Catherine C. Sielke, John Dayton, C. Thomas Holmes, of The University of Georgia and Anne L. Jefferson of the University of Ottawa. William J. Fowler, Jr., Project Officer. Washington, DC: 2001.
Senator Clinton frets chips will be put in kids brains
Date CapturedFriday July 21 2006, 7:26 AM
NY Daily News reports, "The New York Democrat said the country was performing a 'massive experiment' on kids who average more than six hours a day with media and advertising, soaking it up through TV, computers, games and iPods."
The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) and Libraries
Date CapturedThursday July 20 2006, 8:56 PM
American Library Association -- Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP) policy brief explains, " the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act or “CALEA” and how it relates to our Nation’s libraries. This is an important issue because it may impact library budgets in the very near future, require certain technology expenditures and impose administrative burdens on library personnel to administer certain security requirements under the law."
Eastchester school critics forced to change Web site name
Date CapturedThursday July 20 2006, 8:12 AM
The Journal News reports, "A citizens group critical of the Eastchester school board has changed the name of its Web site to avoid a potentially costly legal battle with the school district."
DC public schools auditors fault special-ed data
Date CapturedWednesday July 19 2006, 9:17 PM
THE WASHINGTON TIMES reports, "Auditors had sought to determine whether foster children were getting the required amount of special education during the 2004-05 school year. They concluded that shoddy record keeping by the CFSA and the school system made the task nearly impossible."
Texas AG: Laptop Computers Not Equivalent To Textbooks ; Money set aside for books can't be used to buy hardware or other equipment, the state attorney general ruled
Date CapturedWednesday July 19 2006, 8:17 PM
Information Week reports, "The opinion was published on Tuesday by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott in response to a request by Geraldine Miller, chair of the state's board of education. Miller had raised the issue after a bill was introduced in the Texas legislature that would have changed the word "textbook" in state law to 'instructional material,' and would have potentially allowed for the purchase of laptop computers to meet textbook requirements in schools."
Education Law Center sues NJ over access to information
Date CapturedWednesday July 19 2006, 6:54 PM
AP reports, "An education advocacy group is suing New Jersey, claiming the state is illegally withholding information about how much it costs to adequately educate a child in the state's public schools."
Fathers of U.S. Children Born in 2001: Findings from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort
Date CapturedWednesday July 19 2006, 10:33 AM
This NCES publication presents information on specific demographic characteristics of resident and nonresident biological fathers’ involvement in pregnancy and birth, fathers’ attitudes about fathering, and father involvement. By Kirsten Ellingsen, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Christine Winquist Nord, Westat; Frank Avenilla, Education Statistics Services Institute; Emily Rosenthal, Teachers College, Columbia University; Jerry West, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
'Ringing' in the school year; New York City fights over whether to allow cellphones in schools, echoing a debate nationwide
Date CapturedTuesday July 18 2006, 8:03 AM
Christian Science Monitor reports, "At City Hall, several council members are pushing for a legislative solution. If these efforts fail, the issue may end up in Albany."
Teachers use data to tailor education
Date CapturedMonday July 17 2006, 8:00 AM
The Arizona Republic reports, "The Arizona Department of Education is not allowed to collect student data beyond what state and federal law requires. Student grades, discipline records and the names of teachers who taught them are among the things that cannot be legally tracked."
College Campuses Latest Battleground in Online Privacy Debates
Date CapturedFriday July 14 2006, 7:37 PM
AP reports, "The Federal Communications Commission wants to expand the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, first passed in 1994, to encompass Internet phone calls and broadband wireless providers. A federal appeals court in Washington sided with the federal agency last month in a series of protests filed by Dempsey's group and the American Council on Education."
Arlington middle school to get security cameras
Date CapturedFriday July 14 2006, 8:37 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "The cameras will be installed in an effort to prevent theft, fights and other incidents in the cafeteria."
Commission proposes federal tracking of students to improve colleges' accountability
Date CapturedThursday July 13 2006, 8:42 AM
Gainesville Sun reports, "A plan to track college students throughout their academic careers, and perhaps well into their time in the workforce, has some fearing that private student records will be exposed in a Big Brother-style program."
MySpace parent company pledges millions for safety campaign
Date CapturedThursday July 13 2006, 8:01 AM
USA Today reports, "The campaign comes as parents, schools and law-enforcement officials increasingly warn about the dangers of sexual predators at social-networking sites, which provide messaging and other tools to encourage users to expand their circles of friends."
Parents to Sue Over Schools’ Cellphone Ban
Date CapturedThursday July 13 2006, 7:27 AM
NY Times registration, ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS reports, "The lawsuit, which the plaintiffs said they intended to file today in Manhattan, will argue that the ban jeopardizes the students’ safety by making it hard for them to keep in touch with their parents before and after school."
Survey: Majority opposes student database
Date CapturedSunday July 09 2006, 2:27 PM
Herald Sun reports, "A recent survey shows that nearly two-thirds of Americans oppose creating a national database to collect personal information from every college student -- a move a federal commission has suggested as a way for Congress to track federal funding and make more informed policy decisions."
Massachusetts principals claim right to cell searches
Date CapturedFriday July 07 2006, 9:24 AM
Milforddailynews reports, "High school administrators under a new policy are claiming the right to snatch information stored in students' cell phones when they search for drugs or stolen property at school."
Protect your passwords; University-level ID theft raises concerns at Arizona State U.
Date CapturedFriday July 07 2006, 12:25 AM
statepress.com reports, "A recent increase in computer security breaches at universities nationwide has led to concerns that computer hackers may be attempting to obtain personal information, such as social security numbers of students, faculty and alumni to be used for identity theft."
College Student Tracking Assailed
Date CapturedFriday July 07 2006, 12:01 AM
Washington Post registration required. Washington Post reports, "The controversial concept of a national student 'unit' tracking system has been floating around for about two years. It was given a boost last month when Education Secretary Margaret Spellings's Commission on the Future of Higher Education released a draft report endorsing such a plan."
District 26 Seeks Repeal Of Schools Cellphone Ban
Date CapturedThursday July 06 2006, 1:50 PM
Queens Chronicle reports, "Saying that cellphones improve students’ safety, members of Community District Education Council 26 in Bayside voted last week to have the chancellor repeal the ban in public schools."
Tax dollars to fund study on restricting public data
Date CapturedWednesday July 05 2006, 11:05 PM
USA Today reports, "The federal government will pay a Texas law school $1 million to do research aimed at rolling back the amount of sensitive data available to the press and public through freedom-of-information requests."
Access to information is key to independence
Date CapturedWednesday July 05 2006, 10:04 AM
Special to The Washington Post by US 39th President Jimmy Carter on FOIA, "It is a critical tool in fighting corruption, and people can use it to improve their own lives in the areas of health care, education, housing and other public services. Perhaps most important, access to information advances citizens’ trust in their government, allowing people to understand policy decisions and monitor their implementation."
Boost for free internet access to public-funded research
Date CapturedMonday July 03 2006, 9:57 AM
The Guardian reports, "The push for so-called open access to publicly funded academic research got a boost yesterday as the body which oversees the UK's eight research councils came out in support of placing articles published in subscription journals, but based on work paid for by taxpayers, on the internet for free."
Schools' rules on cell phones reflect a variety of factors
Date CapturedSunday July 02 2006, 8:43 AM
Tech Faceoff: Net Neutrality, In the Eye of the Beholder
Date CapturedSunday July 02 2006, 8:34 AM
Washington Post registration required
Closing U at Buffalo School of Informatics is a terrible mistake
Date CapturedSaturday July 01 2006, 7:05 PM
University of Rochester zaps personal data on Web site
Date CapturedFriday June 30 2006, 8:40 AM
Forum Guide to the Privacy of Student Information: A Resource for Schools
Date CapturedThursday June 29 2006, 10:50 AM
This NCES guide was written to help school and local education agency staff to better understand and apply FERPA, a federal law that protects privacy interests of parents and students in student education records.
Update: Net neutrality rejected in tie-vote by panel
Date CapturedThursday June 29 2006, 10:07 AM
Divided Senate panel rejects 'Net neutrality'
Date CapturedWednesday June 28 2006, 10:32 PM
Perspective: Why 'Net neutrality' means more federal regulation
Date CapturedTuesday June 27 2006, 9:22 AM
Net Neutrality Battle Goes to Washington
Date CapturedMonday June 26 2006, 10:47 PM
NPR
No Neutral Ground in This Internet Battle
Date CapturedMonday June 26 2006, 9:37 AM
Washington Post registration
Council Bill Steps Up Fight For School Cells
Date CapturedThursday June 22 2006, 8:20 PM
queenstribune.com
Philadelphia Students May Be Permitted to Carry Cell Phones to School
Date CapturedThursday June 22 2006, 10:57 AM
Sprint calls off tower
Date CapturedThursday June 22 2006, 7:15 AM
NY Daily News
ACLU files lawsuit over Miami school book ban
Date CapturedWednesday June 21 2006, 5:42 PM
ANTENNAS ON SCHOOL A HARD 'CELL' (NY Post registration)
Date CapturedTuesday June 20 2006, 8:25 AM
School bus scuffle leads board to reassess video access policy
Date CapturedMonday June 19 2006, 9:37 PM
Pols dial in votes to veto school cell ban
Date CapturedMonday June 19 2006, 7:18 AM
Texas district survey says parents seek more online interaction
Date CapturedSunday June 18 2006, 10:11 AM
Online Party Crashers (NY Times registration)
Date CapturedSunday June 18 2006, 8:54 AM
Texas district approves policy on student cellphones
Date CapturedFriday June 16 2006, 9:15 AM
Dutchess County panel will examine countywide Wi-Fi plan
Date CapturedFriday June 16 2006, 8:30 AM
Computer crash lesson for college
Date CapturedThursday June 15 2006, 6:15 PM
Pioneering Wi-Fi city faces setbacks
Date CapturedThursday June 15 2006, 4:27 PM
School Cell Phone Fight May Be Heading To Court
Date CapturedWednesday June 14 2006, 7:24 PM
City Council Committees To Recommend Ending Ban On Cell Phones In Schools
Date CapturedWednesday June 14 2006, 11:32 AM
Wiretap ruling offers hope for schools
Date CapturedTuesday June 13 2006, 7:24 PM
Habits: More TV, Less Sleep, a Children's Study Finds (NY Times registration)
Date CapturedTuesday June 13 2006, 9:20 AM
Summit at UMass Amherst to Consider Technology-Driven Changes in Media, Politics
Date CapturedMonday June 12 2006, 7:31 PM
Teens Are Wired ... And Yes, It's OK
Date CapturedMonday June 12 2006, 7:13 PM
Colleges open to IT security lapses
Date CapturedMonday June 12 2006, 9:34 AM
Virginia county gets grant for wireless plans
Date CapturedSaturday June 10 2006, 9:35 AM
Can't cell council
Date CapturedSaturday June 10 2006, 7:43 AM
Albany: Bill to End Cellphone Confiscation (NY Times registration)
Date CapturedFriday June 09 2006, 7:22 AM
Senator McCain and Senator Obama Announce Campaign for Nation's First Public Internet Channel
Date CapturedThursday June 08 2006, 9:46 PM
Hackers honing in on college systems
Date CapturedWednesday June 07 2006, 9:19 AM
State cuts newsletter for disabled
Date CapturedWednesday June 07 2006, 9:00 AM
Academic journals' futures up in air
Date CapturedWednesday June 07 2006, 8:55 AM
Parents and the Web: 'Complete dichotomy'
Date CapturedWednesday June 07 2006, 8:43 AM
Lost in MySpace?
Date CapturedWednesday June 07 2006, 7:30 AM
POLS BOOST SCHOOL CELLS (NY Post registration)
Date CapturedTuesday June 06 2006, 8:30 AM
St. Petersburg College pioneers cyber security curriculum
Date CapturedMonday June 05 2006, 9:15 AM
Harvard profs lay down Law: No laptops in class
Date CapturedSunday June 04 2006, 9:16 AM
Live Internet searches as classroom tool
Date CapturedSaturday June 03 2006, 9:17 PM
‘Jam on it’ is call on cell phone debate
Date CapturedFriday June 02 2006, 7:25 AM
Illinois School District to Police Student's Online Activities
Date CapturedThursday June 01 2006, 7:44 PM
Colleges learning a tough lesson
Date CapturedThursday June 01 2006, 8:20 AM
College Door Ajar for Online Criminals
Date CapturedTuesday May 30 2006, 9:56 AM
MySpace, MyPolitics
Date CapturedSunday May 28 2006, 11:35 AM
Electronics policy important to Utah schools
Date CapturedTuesday May 23 2006, 2:38 PM
New Jersey community college draws censure, lawsuit over newspaper adviser's removal
Date CapturedMonday May 22 2006, 3:53 PM
Let the People Know the Facts: Can Government Information Removed from the Internet Be Reclaimed? *
Date CapturedMonday May 22 2006, 9:32 AM
Hanging Up on Parents?
Date CapturedMonday May 22 2006, 8:52 AM
Phones put on hold
Date CapturedSunday May 21 2006, 8:26 AM
Tell kids to defy school cell phone ban?: No
Date CapturedSunday May 21 2006, 8:23 AM
Tell kids to defy school cell phone ban?: Yes
Date CapturedSunday May 21 2006, 8:17 AM
199 cell phones snagged at Egbert
Date CapturedSaturday May 20 2006, 4:43 PM
College faces ire, litigation over newspaper adviser's removal
Date CapturedFriday May 19 2006, 5:42 PM
Study guide for U.S. citizenship test omits freedom of press
Date CapturedWednesday May 17 2006, 9:17 AM
Bill calls for MySpace age limit
Date CapturedTuesday May 16 2006, 3:05 PM
Cellphones in Schools: From Irritant to Brouhaha (NY Times registration)
Date CapturedMonday May 15 2006, 7:39 AM
School IT Leaders Must Employ Acceptable Use Policies to Educate Parents and Students of Internet Dangers
Date CapturedFriday May 12 2006, 10:51 AM
California House bill would ax MySpace access at schools, libraries
Date CapturedFriday May 12 2006, 10:23 AM
Parents Leave a Message: Let Students Have Their Cellphones (NY Times registration)
Date CapturedFriday May 12 2006, 4:47 AM
Student Info Accessed In 3rd Data Breach At Ohio University
Date CapturedThursday May 11 2006, 12:28 PM
Read, write, redial
Date CapturedThursday May 11 2006, 7:27 AM
Schools await wire-tap ruling
Date CapturedWednesday May 10 2006, 12:32 PM
Dept. of Education bans 2 popular Web sites (Staten Island Advance registration)
Date CapturedMonday May 08 2006, 11:42 AM
Some Publishers of Scholarly Journals Dislike Bill to Require Online Access to Articles (NY Times registration)
Date CapturedMonday May 08 2006, 10:14 AM
Internet safety fears spark education effort
Date CapturedMonday May 08 2006, 8:34 AM
Special-needs kids in cell rules hangup
Date CapturedMonday May 08 2006, 7:52 AM
CITY SCHOOLS BLOCK KIDS' WEB CLIQUES (NY Post registration)
Date CapturedMonday May 08 2006, 7:44 AM
Taxpayer Alliance Supports Senate Bill Broadening Access To Federal Research
Date CapturedSaturday May 06 2006, 10:35 PM
School Cell Phone Ban Stays in Place
Date CapturedSaturday May 06 2006, 8:40 AM
Cell phone ban? Klein says hang on
Date CapturedFriday May 05 2006, 8:10 AM
Bill to expand online access to research
Date CapturedWednesday May 03 2006, 4:36 PM
PBS to Launch Blog Examining How Technology Is Changing Education
Date CapturedTuesday May 02 2006, 11:01 AM
Bunker Hill Community College Receives National Science Foundation Grant for Computer Forensics Education Program
Date CapturedTuesday May 02 2006, 9:24 AM
TEACHERS SOLD ON CELLS (NY Post registration)
Date CapturedTuesday May 02 2006, 6:17 AM
Internet use involves both pros and cons for children and adolescents
Date CapturedSunday April 30 2006, 8:05 PM
Bloomberg tone-deaf to cell phones
Date CapturedSunday April 30 2006, 7:46 AM
Can You Hear Me, Mom? (NY Times registration)
Date CapturedSunday April 30 2006, 12:27 AM
School Newspaper's Immigrant Editorial Sparks Controversy
Date CapturedSaturday April 29 2006, 9:01 AM
see slideshow
New Jersey district blocks e-mail sites
Date CapturedSaturday April 29 2006, 8:47 AM
Bloomy sets ringtone: Cell no, kids won't gab
Date CapturedSaturday April 29 2006, 6:44 AM
Parents get real education in cyberspace
Date CapturedFriday April 28 2006, 2:21 PM
The Cellphone Wars (NY Times registration)
Date CapturedFriday April 28 2006, 12:35 AM
School Cellphone Ban Is Enforced, and Parents Howl, Too (NY Times registration)
Date CapturedWednesday April 26 2006, 11:16 PM
Suit claims illegal use of recruitment database
Date CapturedTuesday April 25 2006, 1:50 PM
Texas College Says MySpace Not Banned, Just 'Suspended'
Date CapturedTuesday April 25 2006, 9:15 AM
Web and work don't mix, Mike sniffs
Date CapturedTuesday April 25 2006, 8:09 AM
2 Florida lawmakers sue education chief over secret FCAT essay graders
Date CapturedMonday April 24 2006, 11:37 PM
Mayor Mike Says Judge Is Wrong About Wired Workers
Date CapturedMonday April 24 2006, 8:53 PM
Bentley College-Watchfire Survey of Online Privacy Practices in Higher Education Reveals Risk Management Issues
Date CapturedMonday April 24 2006, 1:17 PM
read full report on education new york online, EDUCATION POLICY link, INFORMATION POLICY folder.
Texas community college bans MySpace.com
Date CapturedSunday April 23 2006, 11:26 AM
Court looks to balance free speech, offensive messages
Date CapturedFriday April 21 2006, 2:52 PM
Milwaukee students to get online access
Date CapturedWednesday April 19 2006, 8:23 AM
TX bible study group sues to be treated like other clubs
Date CapturedTuesday April 18 2006, 9:06 AM
Schools must teach kids about Web sickos
Date CapturedMonday April 10 2006, 7:05 AM
Education Critic Honors Student Who Taped Teacher's Lecture
Date CapturedFriday April 07 2006, 11:26 PM
Students Prevail in Lawsuit Against Department of Education
Date CapturedMonday March 27 2006, 12:42 PM



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