ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Top 10 Energy Wasters in K-12 Facilities (and What to Do about Them)
Author: Leathers, Dave
Date: 2010-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Elementary Secondary Education,Energy Conservation,School Buildings,Educational Finance,Climate Control,Energy Management,Fuel Consumption,Maintenance,Lighting,Water,School Districts

Every year, K-12 facilities waste millions of dollars in excess energy consumption. Those dollars may take the form of lost heat through walls, windows, doors, and roofs. Or the villain may be poorly conceived or mismanaged control systems. Those excess funds that districts are sending to the local utility companies could be invested "at home" to improve the facility and work toward a zero net-energy environment. In this article, the author provides a list of top energy wasters and strategies to mitigate them. He also offers some suggestions on where one can start.
Technology and the Law: The Dangers of Sexting in Schools
Author: Russo, Charles J.
Date: 2010-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Legal Problems,Internet,School Business Officials,Handheld Devices,Computer Mediated Communication,Sexuality,Photography,Prevention,Consciousness Raising,Professional Development

Communication through technology occupies an increasingly greater role in people's lives, whether by way of cell phones and other handheld communication devices, such as Blackberries and iPods, or Internet access using computers. Not surprisingly, students and young adults have devised unanticipated applications for technology that raise significant legal implications for school business officials and other education leaders. The most recent and most troublesome misuse of technology involves sexting--the practice of sending or posting sexually explicit images or text messages via cell phones and other handheld devices. While photographing and exploiting nudity or sexually graphic materials have certainly been around since the proverbial time immemorial, today, in the cyber age of instantaneous far-reaching communication, images can be sent immediately and irretrievably. Based on the speed of electronic communications, questions arise about whether students or their parents fully comprehend the ramifications of their actions when young people engage in sexting and its potentially dire consequences. This article discusses the legal issues of sexting. Aware of the legal challenges that student sexting can present, school business officials, acting in conjunction with other education leaders and their boards, should develop policies to educate students, their parents, and staff on the severity and potentially long-term harmful consequences of sexting. Keeping in mind that the best intervention is prevention, policies should raise awareness of and provide professional development sessions for educators since they are on the front line of dealing with sexting and other abuses associated with technology. The authors provide some suggestions that should help school business officials and other education leaders as they devise policies that address sexting.
Critical Issues: Keys to Successful Contracting
Author: Zopf, Michael
Date: 2010-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Change Strategies,Contracts,Outsourcing,Organizational Change,Organizational Objectives,Expectation,Stakeholders,Alignment (Education),Context Effect,Ancillary School Services,School Administration,Delivery Systems

In today's restrictive school-funding environment, many school districts are evaluating different strategies for providing noninstructional support services to preserve financial resources for the classroom. Among the strategies they are considering on a wide scale is the contracting of support functions, including pupil transportation, custodial and maintenance services, and food service. Because contracting is often an emotion-laden issue among different stakeholder groups, including district employees, it is essential that officials identify and address any critical contracting issues before initiating contracts. Without a proper assessment of the critical issues, a contracting strategy may be difficult to implement at best. At worst, it may fall apart completely. What critical contracting issues must district administrators address? While some issues are common across districts, local conditions or situations may shape other issues unique to a particular school district. Regardless of the district, having a reliable approach for identifying, raising, and anticipating contracting issues can be a valuable tool for district leaders charged with executing an effective contracting strategy. Without promoting or discouraging contracting, this article provides one approach for district leaders to evaluate a contracting strategy and to identify what Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan describe as the "right critical issues." This approach embodies four key elements: (1) Understanding the contracting objectives; (2) Completing the contracting analysis; (3) Aligning stakeholder expectations; and (4) Understanding the context. The author looks at each element in turn.
Revenue Enhancement--The Other Side of the Coin
Author: Cox, Ron
Date: 2010-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Finance,School Districts,Recycling,Institutional Survival,Cost Effectiveness,Energy Management,Merchandising,Change Strategies,Organizational Change,Partnerships in Education

For the past two years, superintendents and school boards have directed school budget managers to &quot;contain costs&quot; wherever possible, to remove the wants and needs from their budget requests, and to focus on the essentials. Given the condition of the federal and state economies, this request is understandable. In Missouri, legislators continue to cut school funding, yet staff expectations and student standards have not decreased at the same rate as the funding sources. During the past few years, the Lee's Summit School District in Missouri has turned over each rock and reevaluated established programs, current policies, past practices, and district assets. During this process, it was discovered that although cost containment is clearly the only way to survive, the other side of the ledger is also important. The revenue enhancement side of the ledger can help mitigate or minimize the level of cost containment needed. This article describes how Lee's Summit School District increased revenues by renewing focus on the three fundamental Rs: (1) recycle; (2) renew; and (3) reuse.
Got Risk? Using Risk Transfers to Control Costs
Author: Bambino, Robert
Date: 2010-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Risk Management,Insurance,Court Litigation,Legal Responsibility,Financial Support,Risk,Cost Effectiveness,Contracts,School Administration,Program Guides

For public school districts, risk financing is the financial outlay associated with litigation, such as settlements, verdicts, and the cost of legal defense. Even when districts purchase insurance to finance risk, a viable risk transfer program can still benefit districts in different ways: (1) Liability policies are generally experience-rated; unfavorable loss experience negatively affects (raises) premiums; (2) Schools utilize retentions and deductibles; losses that fall within them are the district's responsibility; (3) Insurance does not always adequately cover every loss exposure; and (4) Verdicts in excess of policy limits are possible. This article discusses how districts can transfer risk through hold harmless and indemnification agreements and insurance procurement agreements in leases, construction and vendor contracts, transportation agreements, use of facility applications, consultant contracts, and inter-municipal cooperation agreements. Requiring a contractor or facility user to sign an indemnification agreement and provide proof of insurance is also a type of underwriting and can eliminate entities that cannot obtain or cannot afford business insurance. A properly designed and managed risk transfer program will help the district reduce its insurance and risk financing costs, with minimal investment. In addition to directly lowering the cost of risk, it shows commitment to the risk management process, evidencing a strong commitment to insurers and brokers. (Contains 2 tables.)
Qualified School Construction Bonds: One School District's Experience
Author: Morstad, Lisa Zimmerman
Date: 2010-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Tax Credits,School Construction,School Districts,Educational Finance,Bond Issues,Federal Aid,Federal Legislation,Economic Impact,Educational Facilities,Case Studies

Qualified school construction bonds (QSCBs) are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. These bonds allow school districts to finance capital projects at no or very low interest rates. In a nutshell, bondholders accept a lower interest rate because the corresponding federal tax credit they receive subsidizes that lower interest rate. The program was designed to stimulate building projects in a construction market where business was declining. The program's cost to the federal government is debatable, as projects are made possible through this financing strategy that may not have been possible otherwise. The program also stimulates the local economy by bringing large-scale building projects to communities that benefit the job market and that bring in income and sales tax revenues. This article describes the experience of Fayetteville School District in Fayetteville, Arkansas, when it participated in the QSCB program.
Building a Construction Curriculum for Your School District
Author: Ruder, Robert
Date: 2010-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Curriculum Development,School Construction,School Districts,Construction (Process),Energy Management,Knowledge Management,Technology Integration

Embracing the notion of going green, an affluent school district in Pennsylvania spent $83 million as part of the high school's renovation and expansion project. The three-level addition is now equipped with self-dimming lights, energy-efficient windows, a rooftop solar water heater, and a geothermal cooling and heating system. As a bonus for going green, the school district received a $250,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The district used that money to create an information center in the lobby of the building where a touch-screen computer provides students, staff, and visitors with data related to the operation of the school's energy-efficient water and electrical systems. The system will graphically depict utility use over the course of a year. The monitoring system and touch-screen computer can turn this school into a living lab, with science, math, and economics teachers using the data as teaching tools within classrooms. Teachers can also take advantage of the touch-screen computers to weave this technology into the content of their lessons. Clearly, this school district should be praised for incorporating green into its renovation and new construction initiatives. However, including data generated by the green monitoring system into an existing course of study may not happen easily. By using a thematic unit approach to curriculum design, educators can create units that embrace a school district's construction initiatives while integrating the overarching theme of construction into every strand of a school's curriculum. This process will allow students to become part of the construction process from the moment ground is broken at the construction site until the cornerstone is placed or the building is dedicated. Before a school district entertains the notion of a construction curriculum, it is important to ensure that the public will not perceive the venture as a waste of taxpayer dollars or a frivolous exercise. The district should follow policies related to developing a new curriculum or course; secure funding for curriculum development; and dedicate time to develop the courses of study. Using a systems approach that replicates phases of construction may give greater credibility to the value of such a process. This article offers some suggestions that may help educators design a comprehensive construction curriculum.
Preschool Facilities: Are States Providing Adequate Guidance?
Author: Lea, Dennis R.
Date: 2010-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Facilities Design,Preschool Education,State Standards,Facility Guidelines,Preschool Evaluation,Educational Facilities Planning,State Surveys,Web Sites,Position Papers,Content Analysis,Guidance Programs

The preschool facility is a critical element of an effective preschool program. The recent economic downturn in the United States makes it difficult for states and individual school districts to consider developing new preschool programs or enhancing current programs or facilities. Yet many Americans still agree that public investment in preschool education is important to the nation's economic well-being. Given the importance of preschool education and the physical environment that is necessary for its successful implementation, the authors reviewed all 50 states' department of education Websites for documents related to facility planning or construction. An analysis of that work indicates that decision makers should be familiar not only with the state facility planning or construction document(s) but also, in many cases, with state early childhood learning standards documents. Thirty-one states had documents specifically related to school facility planning or construction. Only North Carolina has a document exclusively focused on early childhood facilities. Some documents make no mention of early childhood environments, whereas others, such as Ohio's, address specific topics, such as program activities, spatial relationships, environmental considerations, finishes, features, and loose furnishings. The Ohio document also includes a sample classroom layout diagram. The majority of the state facility documents merely mention preschool in reference to some specific standard (e.g., square footage). The most often addressed topics are classroom square footage minimums; playground space requirements; and restroom, window, and exit requirements. When it comes to facility planning, the golden rule is &quot;Form Follows Function.&quot; Simply put, the facility design must reflect the instructional approach that has been selected by the community. In planning an early childhood facility, one must be familiar not only with the &quot;facility&quot; standards or guidelines of the state, but also any &quot;curricular&quot; standards or guidelines, as they will affect the facility planning process. Many states offer some form of guidance related to preschool facilities. However, those states provide research-based guidance specifically related to preschool learning environments. Preschools, for the most part, need only meet minimum local or state standards that are generally items related to health and life safety and minimum square footage requirements for indoor and outdoor areas. The development and enhancement of preschool facilities and programs state by state may be the most important educational change for the future success of the nation and its children.
Crafting a Successful Bully Prevention Program
Author: McMurrer-Shank, Marlene R.
Date: 2010-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Bullying,Prevention,Community Involvement,Peer Mediation,School Business Officials,Program Development,Program Effectiveness,Educational Environment,Student Participation,School Personnel,Teacher Role

Bullying continues to be a serious problem in schools everywhere, and states are enacting laws that target bullying and harassment on campus. Several state legislatures have proposed laws that require schools to establish anti-bullying policies and programs. Therefore, education leaders and school business officials should ensure that the bully prevention program in their district is comprehensive and is based on goals that correspond with the school's culture and community. School and community involvement with comprehensive data collection and analysis are crucial to creating a safe community for all students. Making school a safe place is the responsibility of students, parents, teachers, administrators, and the community. All faculty, staff, and students must learn what bullying is, how to prevent it, and what to do when they witness a bullying incident. The members of the support staff who see students throughout the day--such as bus drivers, custodians, and food service workers--should participate in the training as well. Many bullies believe that only teachers will see and stop their behavior. Empowering support staff to recognize and deal more effectively with bully behavior will decrease the number of incidences. Part of the training for students should include helping them understand that they can tip the balance of power away from bullies. As bystanders, they can step in and help one another as well as the victims. Programs such as teen court, peer mediation, and crime stoppers are ways for students to get involved in solving conflicts before they become violent. This article lists eight steps toward establishing an effective anti-bullying program that schools and districts should implement.
Earth, Wind, and Fire: Managing Risk in Today's Schools Part 1--Fire!
Author: Weeks, Richard
Date: 2010-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Risk Management,School Business Officials,Negative Attitudes,Administrators,Schools,School Personnel,Fire Protection,School Buildings,Safety,School Safety

If one word can characterize what may be troubling about risk management in today's schools, it is "complacency." Complacency is a negative behavior that could entrap people into letting their guard down. In "The School Business Administrator," authors Kenneth Stevenson and Don Tharpe write: "A successful school business administrator has a probing and questioning mind. The professional business administrator has the viewpoint of a scientist in running the administration, constantly appraising conditions. He/she is not content with existing conditions, but seeks a better answer or a better way of doing things." In that vein, this article, the first of two on risk management in today's schools, looks at fire.
Attorney Fees, School Boards, and Special Education
Author: Osborne, Allan G., Jr.
Date: 2010-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Fees,Court Litigation,Disabilities,Boards of Education,Lawyers,School Business Officials,Special Education,Federal Legislation,Parents,Educational Finance

A major expense associated with litigating disputes under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the right of parents who succeed in suits against their school boards to recover attorney fees. Yet until recently, boards were generally unable to recover attorney fees from parents even when they succeeded in demonstrating that they met IDEA mandates. In one of the more significant changes affecting the cost of delivering special education, the IDEA now allows school boards to recover attorney fees if they can convince courts that parental suits were unreasonable. In light of the significance of statutory language allowing school boards to recover fees, this article reviews the IDEA's key features and accompanying case law addressing attorney fees. It then briefly reflects on the meaning of the attorney fees provisions for school business officials and other education leaders who are responsible for overseeing school board finances.
Context Based Learning: A Role for Cinema in Science Education
Author: Arroio, Agnaldo
Date: 2010-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Interaction,Science Instruction,Films,Teaching Methods,Context Effect,Educational Technology,Sociocultural Patterns,Environmental Education,Scientific Concepts

This paper discusses the role of cinema as a tool for science education. Based on the socio-cultural approach put forward by Vygotsky, it draws attention to the fact that an audience can interact with the characters and share their emotions and actions showed in an audiovisual setting. Experiences come from an interaction with a learning environment and personal construction of knowledge occurs through the interaction between the individual's knowledge schemes and his or her experiences with the environment. In this way, movies are analysed by considering the potential of audiovisual, scientific and common languages to be used as a tool to mediating science teaching and learning. Audiovisual language shows itself as a valuable possibility to facilitate knowledge construction. This occurs because of the integration of an individual's reality with the surrounding environment, which develops, in the student, the sensitivity and perception of the setting.
Students' Conceptions about Energy and the Human Body
Author: Mann, Michael
Date: 2010-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Concept Formation,Human Body,Literature,Energy,Physics,Secondary Schools,Biology,Data Analysis

Students' understanding of energy has been primarily within the domain of physics. This study sought to examine students' understanding of concepts relating to energy and the human body using pencil and paper questionnaires administered to 610 students in Years 8-12. From students' responses to the questionnaires, conceptual patterns were ascertained and organized under three assertions and several alternative conceptions, which varied with students' age, were identified. Alternative conceptions that have not been previously reported in the science education research literature were related to the nature and functions of carbohydrates and fats as well as physiological processes, like respiration and digestion. (Contains 3 figures and 3 tables.)
An Analysis of the Educational Significance of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology in Scientific and Technological Literacy
Author: Laherto, Antti
Date: 2010-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Scientific Principles,Literacy,Technological Literacy,Models,Epistemology,Elementary Secondary Education,Curriculum Development,Educational Change

Due to the rapid development and growing societal role of nanoscience and nanotechnology (NST), these emerging fields are also growing in educational importance. The demands for incorporating NST-related issues into curricula are often expressed with reference to the goals of scientific and technological literacy. This paper reports on a theoretical part of a study that employs the Model of Educational Reconstruction to respond to the perceived need for education in NST. The educational significance of NST is scrutinised by analysing and synthesising two domains of literature: (i) recent conceptualisations of scientific and technological literacy, and (ii) studies on the nature and societal implications of nanoscale science and technology. Several social as well as epistemological aspects of NST are identified, which render these fields especially interesting and relevant to scientific and technological literacy. The article suggests that science education in general could use NST as a subject matter in order to evoke dialogue on important contemporary issues related to science, technology, and society, and to provide up-to-date views on the nature of science. (Contains 6 footnotes.)