MINNESOTA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION
Volume 62, No. 2
TE S CH PE ED N CIA IT OL L IO O N GY
September-October 2009
Understanding and Using Web 2.0 Cell Phones in Schools and Policies Laptop Schools
Public Finance
Proven Solutions for Minnesota School Districts
Wells Fargo Public Finance is proud to work with Minnesota school districts to provide access to lowcost, tax-exempt funding options. Whether you are refinancing existing debt or raising capital for new projects, buildings or equipment, we can help your district access the funding you need. Contact us today and put our experience to work for you. Pam Lang, Senior Vice President (800)267-1262 Mary Webster, Assistant Vice President (800)835-2265 ext. 73110
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The purpose of MSBA Insurance Trust (MSBAIT) is “to provide for its members Denise Drill and their employees and officials various forms 800-324-4459 ddrill@mnmsba.org of insurance, including any forms of permitted group insurance, for the benefit of school Amy Fullenkamp-Taylor districts which are members of the MSBA and 800-324-4459 to effectuate cost savings in the procurement ataylor@mnmsba.org and administration of such programs.” To learn more about MSBAIT, visit John Sylvester www.msbait.org. 800-324-4459 jsylvester@mnmsba.org
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MSBA JOURNAL
Property, Inland Marine, and Crime Workers’ Compensation School Leaders’ Legal Liability Automobile
Group Term Life Long-Term Disability General Liability Excess Liability
VOLUME 62, NUMBER 2
Calendar SEPTEMBER 2009
5 6 35
STRAIGHT TALK Bob Meeks, MSBA Executive Director PRESIDENT’S COLUMN Jackie Magnuson, MSBA President ASK MSBA Bill Kautt, Associate Director of Management Services
Articles 8
WEB 2.0 THRIVES ON TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION Robin Smothers
12
MAKING THE RIGHT CALL ON CELL PHONE POLICIES Jennifer K. Earley
16
LAPTOP LEGACY Sara Gilbert Frederick
20
HIGH-TECH SCHOOL BOARDS Bruce Lombard
24
CHANGES IN TECHNOLOGY BRING THE CLASSROOM TO THE STUDENT Trac y Quarnstrom
OCTOBER 2009 1–2 .........MAEOP Conference 4–5 .........MSBA Board of Directors’ Meeting 5 .............MSBA Insurance Trust Annual Meeting 12 ...........Columbus Day Observed (no meetings unless declared not a school holiday) 15 ...........Learn@Lunch Seminar 15–16 .....Education Minnesota Conference 26–29 .....Free BoardBook Webinars
CONTENTS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009
Divisions
7 .............Labor Day (no meetings) 9 .............MSBA Fall Area Meetings 10 ...........MSBA Fall Area Meetings 11 ...........MSBA Fall Area Meetings 15 ...........Primary Election (if required – no meetings or activities 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.) 16 ...........MSBA Fall Area Meetings 17 ...........Learn@Lunch Seminar 17 ...........MSBA Fall Area Meetings 18 ...........MSBA Fall Area Meetings 27–29 .....MASA Fall Conference 30 ...........Last Day for Submitting Legislative Resolutions
N OV E M B E R 2 0 0 9 1 .............Daylight Saving Time Ends 3 .............Election Day (no meetings or activities 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.) 4-5 ..........MSBA Board of Directors’ Meeting 11 ...........Veterans Day (no meetings) 11 ...........MSBA Pre-Delegate Assembly Meetings 12 ...........MSBA Pre-Delegate Assembly Meetings 14 ...........MSBA Pre-Delegate Assembly Meetings 17 ...........Minnesota School District Liquid Asset Fund Plus Annual Meeting 19 ...........Learn@Lunch Seminar 26 ...........Thanksgiving Day (no meetings) 27 ...........Optional Holiday (no meetings if declared a holiday)
The MSBA Journal thanks the students of Rockford Area Public Schools for sharing their art with us in this issue. COVER ART: Brenna Comb
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009
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OFFICERS President: Jackie Magnuson, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan DISTRICT DIRECTORS District 1: Mary Kleis, Austin District 2: Kent Thiesse, Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial District 3: Daniel Zimansky, Tracy Area District 4: Carol Bomben, Eden Prairie District 5: Marilynn Forsberg, Spring Lake Park District 6: Rolf Parsons, White Bear Lake District 7: Roz Peterson, Lakeville District 8: Elona Street-Stewart, St. Paul District 9: Karen Kirschner, Mora District 10: Nancy Dashner, Frazee-Vergas District 11: Walter Hautala, Mesabi East District 12: Gary Lee, Fertile-Beltrami STAFF Bob Meeks: Executive Director Barbara Lynn: Executive Assistant/Director of Board Operations John Sylvester: Deputy Executive Director Tiffany Rodning: Deputy Executive Director Greg Abbott: Director of Communications Denise Drill: Director of Financial/MSBAIT Services Amy Fullenkamp-Taylor: Associate Director of Management Services Sandy Gundlach: Director of School Board Services Bill Kautt: Associate Director of Management Services Grace Keliher: Director of Governmental Relations Katie Klanderud: Director of Board Development Bruce Lombard: Associate Director of Communications Bob Lowe: Director of Management Services Kelly Martell: Director of Technology Cathy Miller: Director of Legal and Policy Services Sue Munsterman: MSBA Advertising Kirk Schneidawind: Associate Director of Governmental Relations Mike Torkelson: Elections/Management Services Specialist The MSBA Journal (USPS 352-220) is published bimonthly by the Minnesota School Boards Association, 1900 West Jefferson Avenue, St. Peter, Minnesota 56082. Telephone 507-934-2450. Entered as Third Class matter at St. Peter, Minnesota, permit No. 6. Call MSBA office for subscription rates. (Opinions expressed in the Journal are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent MSBA policy.)
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Quotes of Note captures some of the more interesting statements MSBA staff have read in local, state and national publications.
The decision to close schools “The schools in the district are all functionally in good shape, and working well. It isn’t like we can go in there and pick the low-hanging fruit, and say, ‘ah, there are several schools that are deficient.’”
Talking about the big picture A growing number of children are presenting us with huge challenges, and we have to adopt strategies to deal with these new issues. Maybe you disagree. But don’t tell me about the money; it’s a diversion. The central issue is implementing major educational reforms that will address the changing nature of a growing minority of our students. Unless you confront these issues and understand them, you are not in the game. You are talking about the Coke machine in the cafeteria, when you should be talking about education.” St. Cloud School Board chairman Jerry Von Korff
Anoka-Hennepin school closing committee co-chair
Males lagging in academic excellence
David McCauley
“There’s just something going on with males. I don’t know what it is, if guys don’t want to compete or girls are just stepping up more to take on leadership positions. It’s a noticeable problem.”
The connection bet ween schools and community “I believe the quality of our schools defines the quality of our entire community. Since joining the board 14 years ago, my goal has been to improve both our children’s education and the public perception of this critical community asset.” White Bear Lake School Board member Rolf Parsons
Former South Washington County Superintendent Tom Nelson
Teaching to the test “Teaching to the test was once used in a negative context. It was seen as somehow disingenuous or that it was cheating. But more and more, that theory has changed. We need to develop assessments that truly measure what we need to measure. And when we find that, we absolutely need to teach to the test.” Mankato Area Public Schools Curriculum Director Cindy Amoroso
Working together on a 13-school common calendar “The idea of working together in this way was very real and, I think, unprecedented. We’ve worked together individually—a school here and a school there—but this tied up a lot of the schools in southwest Minnesota. It was the whole package that we were excited about, not any one thing.” Redwood Falls Superintendent Rick Ellingworth
STRAIGHT TALK MAKING TRAINING EASY FOR BOARD MEMBERS
O
One of your MSBA’s main missions is to provide training for members. For decades, our staff has offered training on finance, board governance, parliamentary procedure and much more. We’ve offered training at Summer Seminar, our annual Leadership Conference, and numerous Phase programs, inservices and seminars set up around the state at different times of the year.
Bob Meeks MSBA Executive Director
Learn@Lunch provides inexpensive training to school board members and school officials across the state with the convenience of turning on their computer. No travel. No hotels. Just an Internet connection.
Board members have been responsible about taking time off from work, traveling to the nearest site and learning about the complexity of public education. But sometimes there are topics you may be interested in and can’t wait for the next session. Or in your busy life, you may not have time to jump in a car and drive to a seminar. So MSBA will be launching its Learn@Lunch Webinars in September, with a goal of providing inexpensive training to school board members and school officials across the state with the convenience of turning on their computer. No travel. No hotels. Just an Internet connection. We’ll showcase the technology with a FREE Webinar at noon, Thursday, Sept. 17 for all members entitled: “Getting Your Money’s Worth from Your MSBA.” It will highlight how your district can use our services to save money on everything from insurance to purchasing programs. We’ll also give you a rundown on the free and discounted services MSBA offers.
Our lineup for the rest of the school year includes four programs: Oct. 15: Keeping Your District in Compliance with the Open Meeting Law; Nov. 19: Lessons and Trends from Referenda and Election Results; Feb. 18: New Rules around Unrequested Leave of Absence; and April 15: Getting on the Same Page with Superintendent Evaluations Each Webinar will be live at noon on the third Thursday of the month. Members can view the Webinar for as little as $25. If they sign up for all four, it is only $75. The hour-long programs will give you information through PowerPoint handouts, videos and documents sent to each registrant. The 45-minute programs also give participants a chance to ask their questions either by e-mail or phone after the presentation. Registration is easy—simply go to MSBA’s Web site and register in the Members’ Area. And for those who are too busy to watch the Webinars at noon (or if you miss a Webinar), we will keep each Webinar archived for 90 days after it airs so members can view it any time and any day they want. We still find it important to keep doing our face-to-face training. We offer the Learn@Lunch series as a way to complement and add to what we provide. We hope you find this an easy and inexpensive way to get training to improve your board.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009
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PRESIDENT’S COLUMN HIGH-TECH STILL NEEDS HIGH TOUCH
A
As technology continues to change everything we do in schools, I think it is important for everyone to keep in mind that no matter what the technology, people still need basic faceto-face interaction.
Jackie Magnuson MSBA President
The real benefit of technology and New Media is that it gives people another CHOICE about how they can get information.
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SMART Boards are tools to help teachers teach. But with the advanced technology comes a bigger responsibility on the part of teachers to connect personally with each student, not just through the laptop. School boards may have paperless board meetings and broadcast their meetings so more people in the community can see what work we do. But that doesn’t stop the need to meet with people in the community face-toface and talk about issues that concern them. As the media splinters from newspapers and television to radio and Facebook and Twitter, board members still need to get the issues of education across to people. Those tools can extend our reach and may be the means to touch people in the community we haven’t reached before. But we can’t forget the most powerful way to communicate with other people—face to face.
The power of that touch—setting aside time for one individual, giving them your complete attention and having a discussion—there is no substitute or New Media tool that can compete. As the rush of new technology comes through, we may tell people: “We have the means to get information out to you electronically, so our paper newsletter will not be printed any more.”
It may save money. It definitely saves trees and the environment. But it is not really the right question to ask. The real benefit of technology and New Media is that it gives people another CHOICE about how they can get information. People want to choose whether they get information in paper form or electronically. Facebook and Twitter are just another medium to reach segments of your community that use those tools. It doesn’t mean you discard newsletters and other ways of getting information to the public. I know many newspapers put their stories online, but I still get a newspaper because I prefer to read the real thing. I know I can get books on Kindle electronically, but I still prefer to hold the book in my hand. Our district Webstreams video of our board meetings. Anyone with a computer can watch them. But we also have minutes available. We also still make an effort to get people to come to the meetings and talk face-to-face. We like to see New Media tools as a new choice for our district. A complement to the print materials we mail, the newspaper stories and television stories of our board actions and hard work in the classrooms, and the face-to-face discussions we have with our citizens. It’s also good to see MSBA keeping its face-to-face Phase programs and conferences intact while complementing them with a 24/7 Webinar learning option. We know that no matter how high-tech we get, we still need to be high-touch with our board members.
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Join. Connect. Act. Make a Difference. It’s about It’ b t making ki the th right i ht choices h i today. t d It’s about making a difference in our communities. It’s about our children’s future.
Contact USGBC - Mississippi Headwaters Chapter membership@usgbcmn.org visit usgbcmn.org *Westwood Elementary; Zimmerman, MN a LEED Certified Building, photo by Ralph Berlovitz
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ACHIEVING OUR CLIENTS’ GOALS SINCE 1947 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009
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Web 2.0
Ashley Danielson
thrives on tWo-Way communication
I
It seems like everywhere you turn these days, people are talking about social media. Whether it’s Conan O’Brien mercilessly mocking celebrity “Tweets” or a Minnesota couple’s unique wedding procession video hitting 1 million views on YouTube, social media is on everyone’s mind.
Robin Smothers
Social media is defined as any site or application that allows users to connect, collaborate, react, organize and quickly consume information. In other words, social media is people having online conversations. Examples of social media include: Blogs Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Ning (social networks) Flickr (photos) YouTube, SchoolTube (video) Twitter (micro-blogging)
Companies, nonprofits and government agencies alike seem to be rushing to set up a Facebook page and start tweeting. But what about K-12 public education? Are school districts in Minnesota (and across the nation) embracing this new technology? The short answer is, not quite. Like many other public institutions, public schools are moving slowly, wanting to ensure data privacy laws are adhered to, yet trying to balance the need for increased communications with limited staff and budgets. But there are some districts who have ventured into this new arena. 8
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bloGs According to a recent survey completed by school administrators and communications personnel from 148 Minnesota school districts, blogging is by far the most popular social media tool used today. Superintendents from districts of all sizes, both metro and out-state, blog regularly. Blogs are used for multiple reasons, from dispelling rumors to covering topical district news. Most districts’ blogs allow readers to post comments once they’ve been reviewed and approved. Official district blogs needn’t always be written by the superintendent. If issues or questions arise regarding staffing or financing, it’s best to let them be answered by the appropriate administration member. Board members should author blog posts that deal with board decisions or other appropriate community issues. Remember that blog posts are not edicts or places to post your district’s latest news releases: they are a place to connect with your parents, teachers and community members. Accordingly, the tone of a blog should be friendly and informal, just as if you were having a face-to-face conversation. Like all social media tools, blogs are meant to build relationships through a two-way dialogue. This means that comments, both negative and positive, should be allowed and addressed. Make sure blog post policies are posted which are clear about what types of comments are— and are not—allowed. Anything offensive, inflammatory, libelous or off-topic should be removed immediately. Inexpensive video cameras have helped increase the popularity of video blogging. No longer constrained by equipment, school board members, superintendents and other district officials can use a $100 Flip video camera to record and upload a 5-minute video message or response to a breaking news story.
youtube, teacher tube, schooltube, flickr, smuGmuG and podcasts Content sharing sites such as YouTube, SchoolTube, Flickr and SmugMug make it easy to share school-generated videos and photographs. School board meetings, graduation ceremonies and sporting events are only a few examples of how some districts are using these tools. TeacherTube was created in 2007 as a safe place for teachers and other education professionals to share instructional videos, audios and documents. Podcasts are also popular for conveying deeper, more detailed information. Question and answer sessions on budgets, referendums and other complex issues can be recorded and made available for download on school Web sites and iTunes, allowing listeners to participate at a time and place of their choice. Again, improved technology means expensive audio equipment is not necessary to record and share quality audio files.
facebook Created in 1994, Facebook is a freeaccess social networking Web site. Facebook was first made popular by the college students, who used it as a way to connect with friends on campus and beyond. Since then, it has slowly crept into the mainstream, with its popularity exploding over the past year. In April 2009, Facebook announced it had grown from 100 million to 200 million users
5 steps to social media success 1.
Get the riGht people on the bus. Some people get social media, and some people don’t.
2. start small. Listen first and experiment. 3. measure results. How else will you know if you’re making an impact?
4.
prepare for orGanizational chanGe. It’s a new world; your association must adapt.
5. embrace failure. Because you will fail, guaranteed. Failure is a part of any relationship. Learn from it and get better.
- Catherine Li, social media strategist and author of Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009
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Web 2.0
in just eight months. In July, the company announced that it has gone from 200 million to 250 million in just over three months. Facebook is also growing in every age/gender demographic, with women over 55 its fastest-growing segment. Very much a favorite of Gen Xers, 45 percent of Facebook’s U.S. audience is 26 years old or older. Despite its growing popularity within key demographics, Facebook seems to be the slowest social media platform adopted by public school districts. Only a handful of Minnesota schools and districts reported that they had created a Facebook page for the district itself, with another 15 reporting that they had plans to create a Facebook page in the next 6 to 12 months. The very characteristic that makes Facebook so popular is the same reason many school districts are hesitant to join in: its accessibility and public nature. Although it was originally created as an interactive information-sharing site (i.e., friends are able to post comments on their fellow friends’ pages), school districts that have created an account are using it primarily as another outlet to distribute information and do not allow “fans” of the page to post links, comments or pictures. On the flip side, many school-related organizations are finding Facebook an extremely effective way to reach others who share their interests. Hundreds of alumni organizations, booster clubs and cause-related movements are being added weekly. Even with its growing popularity, most Minnesota school districts have no plans to create a FB page. Lack of time for updating, privacy issues and lack of information about the platform itself are some of the top reasons given for opting out.
ninG Ning is a technology platform that enables users to create and join Ning networks for their own different interests and groups. For example, there are Ning networks for those who love Boxers on a leash and boxers in a ring, Twilight the movie as well as the Twilight Zone. The greatest benefit to Ning networks is that they can be made public or private for members only. Network administrators moderate members before they join, and photos, videos, groups, chat and events can all be moderated before they’re posted. Although less well-known than Facebook (whose groups are similar to Ning networks), school districts are finding innovative ways to leverage this technology. For example, the Mansfield, Texas, independent school district has created a network for their teacher mentoring program. 10
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tWitter The newest entry into the social media arena, Twitter, is a micro-blogging platform that allows users to send messages to other Twitter users who “follow” them. The catch? These updates—called tweets—are limited to 140 characters. Since its inception in 2006, Twitter has moved beyond celebrities tweeting mundane details about their lives into a way to instantly share photos, news and information. (Note: The first news and images of the January 2009 US Airways plane landing on the Hudson River was reported by a passerby on Twitter.) School districts across Minnesota are embracing Twitter as a way to share information. West St. PaulMendota Heights-Eagan Public Schools recently tweeted about Sibley High School being named as one of Newsweek magazine’s top U.S. high schools. Farmington tweets regularly, updating their followers on everything from school board meetings to the opening of the new high school. Twitter’s incredible speed in sharing information will ensure its future use in school settings. Imagine attendees tweeting live during a school board meeting at which a contentious issue is being discussed. Using Twitter, dozens of citizens supporting all sides of an issue could show up before the meeting is an hour old.
social bookmarkinG sites Social bookmarking sites let users mark—or “tag”— content they find especially useful. The most commonly used sites are Digg (users submit an article, image, or video online where other users can find it and “Digg” it if they find it useful); StumbleUpon (returns Web site recommendations based on your preferences); Reddit (a social news Web site on which users can post and rate links to content on the Internet) and Delicious (a space for storing, sharing, and discovering bookmarks). Hint: To take Delicious for a spin, visit www.delicious.com and see how many people have bookmarked your school district’s Web site.
benefits and challenGes of social media Don’t be fooled into thinking that social media is a passing phase. It’s not. It’s the natural next step in Web interaction. But just as importantly, don’t be fooled into thinking social media is the silver bullet that will fix all of your problems. One of the biggest mistakes companies make is jumping into social media without foresight or intent. Social media isn’t something to be entered into lightly. It’s a long-term commitment that takes time, effort and planning. Like any other method of community engagement, social media takes resources to maintain. Issues of access and ownership need to be worked through (although it’s usually best for a social media initiative to be headed by the district’s communication team). Another mistake is assuming that social media replaces current marketing communications channels and/or strategies. It does not. Social media should enhance the techniques, methods and strategies you or your district are already using—not replace them. Fortunately, there are numerous online articles, Webinars and books that can help you make sense of social media. Two books I recommend are The New Influencers by Paul Gillin and Groundswell by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff. As a first step, district personnel should “park the real estate,” or reserve the district, school building and superintendent’s username or vanity URL on as many popular social networking/social bookmarking Web sites as possible. (Hint: www.namechk.com lets you check dozens of sites at the same time.) As a board member, it would be smart of you to do the same.
remember, it’s about relationships With all the frenzy surrounding social media, it’s often easy to forget the most important thing: although facilitated by computers and technology, social media is about people and relationships.
districts usinG Web. 2.0 districts that “tWeet” West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan Public Schools @ District197 Farmington Area Public Schools @district192 Stillwater Schools @Stillwater834 Hopkins Schools @Hopkins270 Wayzata Public Schools @wayzataschools
superintendents Who bloG John M. Sweet, Delano Public Schools http://suptslog.blogspot.com Steve Jordahl, St. Cloud Area District 742 Schools http://www.sjordahl.blogspot.com/ Deb Henton, North Branch Schools http://supeoftheday.blogspot.com/ Keith Lester, Brooklyn Center Schools http://www.brookcntr.k12.mn.us/blog/3
fun minnesota-based school tube/youtube videos Minnesota at the National Association of Student Councils http://www.schooltube.com/video/9196/Minne sota-at-NASC-HD Lakeville Senior High School’s One Act Play http://www.schooltube.com/video/37705/OneAct-Play All About Magnet Schools (Northwest Suburban Integration School District)
Let me repeat: social media is not about the technology. It’s about people connecting, conversing and building relationships around shared interests (such as their local schools).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMdIWFAj0EQ
Conversations about education, our schools and school districts are taking place right now—both in person and in cyberspace. Why not leverage social media and join the discussion?
North Branch Public Schools
schools on facebook Northwest Suburban Integration School District Minnesota New Country School
Robin Smothers is a Minneapolis-based consultant and social media enthusiast. She can be reached at robin@g-swell.com or @robinmarie on Twitter. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009
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MAKING THE RIGHT CALL ON CELL PHONE POLICIES Madison Miller
Jennifer K. Earley Knutson, Flynn & Deans
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MSBA JOURNAL
Whether you love them or you hate them, there is no question that cell phones are a part of everyday life, particularly that of our nation’s teenagers. According to a recent national survey, four out of five teens carry cell phones or other wireless devices.1 Nearly half of today’s children have cell phones before they even hit their teens.2 As cell phone technology advances, these devices provide an invaluable tool for communication and education. Researchers predict that students soon will use cell phones to photograph field trips, search the Internet and answer classroom polls via text messaging, among other applications.3 Some schools have even integrated cell phone technology in their schools, allowing students to send text messages to school police officers.4 Students also can access homework and class assignments through their cell phones.
While cell phones can be a valuable resource, they also are the source of numerous problems when brought in to the school setting. One of the most common issues affecting schools is the disruption that cell phones can cause. Students who bring cell phones to class often fail to turn the devices off or silence them, causing the class to be disrupted when they receive a call. Additionally, some students are so adept at text messaging that they can text each other without detection by teachers. While such conduct does not disrupt the entire class, these students clearly are not focused on the learning process. Students also can use cell phones to copy tests and answer sheets to share with other students. Similarly, cell phones can be used to text answers to other students for assistance during assignments or tests. In some instances, cell phone usage can be much less benign. Students can quickly text others as to where and when to be, within minutes, for the purpose of confrontation (i.e., gang activity) or protest. It also is becoming quite popular for students to broadcast text messages ridiculing, threatening, bullying or harassing other students. Students use their cell phones for “sexting,” a trend among teenagers whereby they distribute nude self-portraits electronically. Cell phones now can access the Internet and download pornographic or other inappropriate materials. It is also of concern that cell phones with cameras can be used on campuses without the photographic subject’s knowledge, such as in locker rooms, bathrooms and other places where there is a high expectation of privacy. It also is a common practice for students to photograph or videotape incidents at school and transmit inappropriate pictures to their friends, or even post these pictures on the Internet.
stage for rapid spread of misinformation and allow parents to direct students in ways that may be at odds with school safety plans and instructions given by trained professionals in crisis situations.5 Such mass communications also can cause an overload in cell phone systems and impede communications with emergency personnel.6 In addition, these communications can draw parents to school, increasing traffic, creating crowd control problems and impeding the arrival of emergency personnel.7 Parents also insist that students carry cell phones due to the busy and ever-changing schedules modern-day families face. Parents have argued that banning cell phones deprives them of the ability to raise their children in the manner they see fit and to communicate with their children. In response to parents who have challenged school board policies on this basis, some courts have held that students have no constitutional right to possess and use cell phones at school, nor does such a prohibition interfere with parental liberty interests, as parents are free to communicate with their children before and after school.8
WHILE TECHNOLOGy
CAN bRING
MARvELOuS
AdvANCEMENTS,
ITS PITfALLS
CANNOT bE
In response to these concerns, the big question school districts face is whether, due to these issues, they should ban students from possessing cell phones in schools altogether or allow some degree of use. Regardless of the degree of limitations a school district chooses to impose, any limitation is often opposed by students as well as parents, and even school district staff.
School district staff also raise concerns about imposing an absolute ban on cell phones from the perspectives of enforcement and personal interest. Because of the size of cell phones and numerous ways they can be concealed, it is not necessarily easy for school personnel to detect which students possess a cell phone, making enforcement difficult. On the other hand, staff oppose the ban extending to their own use. Consequently, a ban applicable only to students gives the appearance of “do as I say but not as I do.” As a result, students often ignore the cell phone ban, viewing it as unenforceable and rendering it ineffective.
IGNOREd.
For example, parents argue that cell phones are essential to allow them to communicate with their child in cases of school emergencies. However, cell phone communications between students and parents in these situations create a
Despite opposition to cell phone bans, the courts have sided with school districts in upholding such policies when they are rationally related to legitimate school district goals.9 While there always will be opposition and problems associated with the adoption of any policy, many of these concerns can be resolved by considering the school environment. If a school district’s primary concern is classroom disruption, a complete ban may not be necessary. Rather, a school district may prohibit students from using cell phones during class but allow phones to be brought on campus and used during specified times and/or locations SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009
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MAKING THE RIGHT CALL ON CELL PHONE POLICIES
as long as such use is not disruptive. For other schools facing more serious problems with cell phone usage, such as gang violence or drug trafficking, a complete ban may be necessary. Whether a cell phone policy provides for a complete ban or a modified ban of cell phones, students should be informed in the policy that under no circumstances may cell phones be used for violation of any school policies (cheating, gang activity, harassment/bullying, etc.). Because discovery of such violations often involves a search of student cell phones, students also should be provided with notice and the circumstances under which their cell phones may be searched. A comprehensive policy should explain the standards and procedures the school district will employ in the cell phone search. Finally, students should be informed as to the consequences for violating the cell phone policy. Such consequences may include disciplinary action, ranging from a written warning to expulsion, as well as notification of law enforcement, depending upon the seriousness of the infraction. Consequences also may include confiscation of a cell phone. If confiscation is included as a penalty, the policy should enumerate for how long the cell phone will be confiscated, how the cell phone will be returned (i.e., returned to parent vs. returned to student) and how the school district will dispose of the cell phone if it is not claimed. Finally, no policy is effective unless it is publicized and consistently enforced. Students and parents should be notified of a school district’s cell phone policy in handbooks, student assemblies and newsletters. Similarly, staff need to be aware of the policy and their obligations to enforce and comply with the policy as well. With the continuous advancement of cell phone technology, it also is important that school boards reexamine their policies on a regular basis to ensure that the policy is compliant with present law and consistent with the school district’s needs and the new uses that advancements in technology provide. While technology can bring marvelous advancements, its pitfalls cannot be ignored. A well-reasoned and comprehensive cell phone policy can circumvent the problems that cell phones can raise, while recognizing the benefits cell phones also can provide.
Sources: 1. Staci Hupp, Cell Phone Bans Lifted in Schools Across Iowa, Des Moines Register, October 20, 2008, http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/desmoinesregister/access/16957 35261.html?dids=1695735261:1695_ 735261&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+2 0%2C+2008&author=Hupp+Staci&pub=Des+Moines+Register& edition=&startpage=A.1&desc=Cell+phone+bans+lifted+in+sch ools+across+Iowa. 2. Id. 3. Id. 4. Alexis Stevens, Marietta Board of Education: Students Allowed to Text Cops Goal is to Strengthen Safety Both In, Out of School, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 22, 2008, http://www.mobilestorm.com/press/marietta-board-ofeducation-students-allowed-to-text-cops-goal-is-to-strengthensafety-both-in-out-of-school. 5. A. Dean Pickett & Christopher Thomas, Cell Phones, Cameras and Other 21st Century Intrusions Into Learning: Legal Responses for Today’s Boards and Educators, School Law in Review 2005, National School Board Association (2005). 6. Id. 7. Id. 8. Price v. New York City Bd. of Educ., 51 A.D.3d 277, 855 N.Y.S. 2d 530 (N.Y. App. Div. 2008); appeal denied, 11 N.Y.3d 702, 894 N.E.2d 653 (N.Y. Aug. 28, 2008). 9. See Laney v. Farley, Co. No. 3:05-0762, 2006 WL 572331 (M.D. Tenn. 2006); rev’d and remanded on other grounds 501 F.3d 577 (6th Cir. 2007); Price v. New York City Bd. of Educ., 51 A.D.3d 277, 855 N.Y.S.2d 530 (N.Y. App. Div. 2008); appeal denied, 11 N.Y.3d 702, 894 N.E.2d 653 (N.Y. Aug. 28, 2008).
Jennifer Earley, a partner at Knutson, Flynn & Deans, practices in the area of education law, including student and employee issues and policy review and formulation. She may be contacted at (651) 222-2811 or jearley@kfdmn.com.
Michelle Pettit
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Laptop Legacy Oak-Land Junior High School teacher Katy Pupungatoa teaches ninth-grade physical science in a laptop setting.
How three Minnesota school districts have launched laptop initiatives, and the results they’re seeing from those programs
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Sara Gilbert Frederick
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When Matt Howe took the position of building technology coordinator at Oak-Land Junior High School in Stillwater three years ago, he noticed something different about the students there. The relationships between students— and even the relationships between the students and the teachers—seemed less distinct than he had experienced as a teacher elsewhere. Everyone, it seemed, was on the same level.
Howe chalked that difference up to the laptops that are provided to every seventh, eighth and ninth grader in the building within the first week of school every year and collected again during the last week of classes. With that technology in hand all day, every day, he says, the dynamics within the classroom change. “The students are all on the same level in terms of access to technology,” he reports. “And the teacher no longer stands up at the front of the
class filling the students up with information. Now the teacher is more of a facilitator, helping the kids to create the content themselves.” Leveling the playing field for both students and teachers is just one of the benefits the Stillwater Area Public Schools has seen since introducing a laptop initiative in November 2003. Mike Dronen, the technology coordinator for the Stillwater district, says that in the first six years of the program, both grades and attendance at the two participating junior highs have increased. “I’ve had teachers tell me that for the first time, they aren’t failing any students,” Dronen says. “They’re engaged, they’re interested, and they’re doing well.” To measure the success of the laptop program, the Stillwater district brought in a team of researchers from the University of Minnesota’s Center for Applied Research. The results of their year-long study showed, among other things, that the laptops provided greater access to more diverse materials, that teachers had a greater ability to individualize lessons and curriculum for their students, and that the students and teachers had greater access to up-to-date information. Those findings are definitely affirming, Dronen says. But so is the anecdotal evidence he hears from teachers, students and parents. “The teachers says the students work harder and are more engaged,” he says. “And the parents and students say that they love having the technology present too.”
Technology Takes Off
The success of the Stillwater program, and the growth of similar programs around the country, has encouraged other school districts in Minnesota to initiate pilot programs as well. Bloomington Public Schools is in the third year of a program in its middle schools, and Edina Public Schools launched a two-year pilot with a group of eighth graders at South View Middle School this fall. Although each program is independently designed with slightly different parameters (some are 1:1, 24/7 models, while others require students to leave the computers at school and some operate on a 3:1 ratio), all are aiming for essentially the same results: enhanced learning opportunities for their students, and broader content opportunities for their teachers. “We went in to our pilot program with the idea of seeing if the increased accessibility to laptops and the online community would change the way kids learn and teachers teach,” says Sue Burke, the technology integration coordinator for Bloomington Public Schools. “We wanted to see if it increased student engagement and achievement, and if it created a more student-centered learning environment.” Burke has already noticed that those things are happening. She’s heard from teachers that their classrooms are becoming increasingly student-centered, for example, and that they are able to personalize their daily lessons to individual needs. “A teacher can give reading assignments at one level for more advanced students and at another level for students who need more help,” she says. “And nobody in the classroom notices the difference at all.”
Financing available through
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Laptop Legacy
Dronen witnessed a similar benefit at Oak-Land, where approximately 10 percent of the students receive special education services. When groups of educators come to visit the school and watch the program in place, they often ask about how special education factors in. “We ask them, ‘Can you identify who the special needs students in that classroom were?’” he says. “They are quite often unable to do so, and I think we can attribute that to what the technology piece brings to those students and to the even playing field it creates.” Students participating in Bloomington’s pilot project leave their laptops at school every day. But Mike Burke, the director of media technology and TIES for Edina Public Schools (and, coincidentally, the husband of Bloomington’s Sue Burke), says his district opted to institute a 1:1, 24/7 program to facilitate what he calls “anytime learning,” or learning that goes beyond the classroom walls. “Our whole idea is that we want them to think about technology as a tool, and not just one they use at school,” Mike Burke says. “They can access information, their resources and their databases from home, a friend’s house, wherever they are with their computer.” The flip side of that equation is monitoring how the computers are used once they leave school grounds. Each machine is equipped with virus protection and anti-spyware, Mike Burke explains, and the networks at school filter out inappropriate materials automatically. Teachers will also be asked to make periodic checks of their students’ logs to see where they’ve been during the day. But he is planning to talk to the parents about what’s expected of the students—and of them—when the computers are at home. “It will be up to the parents to make sure they work with the kids at home,” he says. “We will be providing lessons on Internet safety for the students and the parents so they know what’s appropriate.” In Bloomington, where Apple computers are used, Sue Burke says that teachers have the ability to view their students’ screens remotely. Just knowing that technology is possible, she says, helps deter kids from logging on to Facebook or MySpace pages. “When I was in the classroom, all I had to do was show the students that I had the capability of doing that,” she says. “It only took a couple of times for them to stop playing and stay focused.” The biggest downside both Burkes see coming out of their respective pilot programs, however, is disappointment that they can’t include more students. “I think we will have people say, ‘Why isn’t my child part of it?’” Mike Burke says. “That’s the toughest part.” He’s also concerned that teachers might get too media-happy with their assignments. “What if they 18
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end up with five major online projects that they have to do?” he asks. “That could be pretty stressful for the students.” So far, the positives far outweigh the negatives in Bloomington, says Sue Burke. The teachers, who have also all been given their own laptops, have for the most part embraced the changes technology has brought in to their classrooms. Instead of journaling, their students are writing blogs and using wikis to post reports. Instead of opening a folder full of papers at conferences, one teacher had her students create a Keynote presentation of their work from the past quarter for their parents to see. Even one of the physical education/health teachers designed a lesson around the laptops. “That’s an area that you don’t normally associate with technology,” Sue Burke says. “But she did a disease unit and had them put together podcasts in first person about how to treat a certain disease. They added movie files and pulled picture files. It takes that unit to a whole new level and enables those students to take ownership in it.” Sue Burke is pleased to see so much good coming out of the pilot program already and is eager to see it expand in the near future. “The major problem, of course, is once the pilot program shows that it does make a difference,” she says, “we’ll have to find the funding to support this kind of initiative long-term.”
Price of Progress
Investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in technology initiatives may seem like a luxury in the midst of an international economic downturn and a statewide budget crunch. Such concerns came up at a meeting of the Stillwater Area School Board late last May; the 1:1 program at Oak-Land has come with a $420,000 annual price tag, much of which previously came out of the district’s now-expired technology levy. But although the board was reluctant to approve funds to purchase new computers for the coming school year, they were also reluctant to eliminate a program that has had such a positive impact on students. So the program continues, Mike Dronen says, with the same computers that have been used in the past six years. Remarkably, he adds, the number of machines that have been lost, stolen or damaged during that time can be tallied on two hands. “That is 1,000 students who have laptops with them 24/7,” he says. “They have risen to the occasion and taken care of this equipment. They know that it has to be in good working order because it is their lifeline at school. To have only seven or eight destroyed, that’s a pretty good number. It’s way better than my colleagues in the business sector see.”
Dronen is pleased the board saw the value in continuing the program—and is excited about the challenge that was laid out for him and the rest of the district. “The board wisely understood that we couldn’t make a significant change to the program,” he says, “but they’ve tasked us with taking a year to understand how to transition to an affordable model. That will be a real interesting experiment for us.”
Even as Dronen explores other technological options, he remains committed to continuing the laptop program in Stillwater—and to expanding it as much as possible. “My belief is that 1:1 access is inevitable in K-12 education, especially as equipment becomes more affordable,” he says. “I think some of it will be paid for by school districts, but we’ll also see more and more students bringing their own wireless devices to school.
One option right now is to change the wireless networks in the district to make it possible for students to bring their own laptops from home, which already happens both at Stillwater High School and at other high schools in the state. Dronen also reports that he and his staff are investigating how other mobile, handheld technologies might be integrated.
“I see it as an imperative, not just a nice option to do if we can.” Sara Gilbert Frederick is a freelance writer and editor based in Mankato. She can be reached at sgfrederick@mac.com.
“We have already seen a fundamental change from desktop computers to laptops,” he says. “Now we’re going to be seeing another change to mobile computing, equipment that you can carry in your pocket, purse or backpack.” “That’s the hard thing about technology,” Sue Burke adds. “Things move so fast. We’re focusing on one specific tool, the laptop, but there are also teachers doing great things with iPods right now. Is that the next tool? It can get frustrating when you don’t know the direction things are going to go in.”
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DLR Group
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listen.D ESI GN.deliver
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HIGHTECH School Boards School boards get innovative in their showing, running of meetings
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Josh Dahlstrom
Today’s students are armed with the latest technologies at school or home: razor-thin laptops, iPhones and hand-held video games.
Bruce Lombard
However, those students have nothing on some of today’s school board members. School boards across Minnesota are embracing new technologies to create innovative methods of running and presenting their board meetings.
In an effort to stay as transparent to the public as possible, two districts—Minnetonka and Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan—have adopted a new approach for broadcasting their meetings. Plus, districts across the state are signing on to BoardBook for paperless meetings.
Web slinging Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan was one of the first Minnesota school districts to webstream its board meetings. 20
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Tony Taschner, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan’s Director of Communications, said the district’s move to webstream technology in February 2008 opened up another avenue to keep information open to the public. “The public should have access to what’s going on at the school board meeting,” Taschner said. “We are providing easy access inside the board room to increase transparency.” Taschner said he no longer has to compose a written summary of each board meeting for the district and the public. “Why should I provide a filter to what people can look up for themselves? If you want to see what was said, you just click a button.” Minnetonka has earned national recognition for its achievement in technology integration. So it’s no surprise they recently joined Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan in utilizing webstreaming for its own board meetings.
Useful links http://isd196.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=4 http://www.minnetonka.k12.mn.us/administration/Board/Pages/Video.aspx http://www.granicus.com
The district commenced its board webcasts just this past June, according to Janet Swiecichowski, Minnetonka’s Executive Director of Communications. Swiecichowski said the foray into webcasting was precipitated by the district’s strategic plan, part of which calls for more community engagement. Another push came from community members who said they liked what they’d seen from webcasts produced by the City of Minnetonka for its meetings. “(Seeing the City of Minnetonka) proved that it could work for us,” Swiecichowski said. “It was an easy decision to make.”
Easy streaming Both Minnetonka and Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan can take a Monday night meeting and have it ready for viewing on their respective Web sites the next morning. Minnetonka uses four remote cameras to shoot with a single videographer who records and streams. RosemountApple Valley-Eagan utilizes a three-camera shoot. The meetings can be edited on the fly to change camera angles, insert titling banners of whoever is talking (e.g., a graphic reading “Board Chair Jane Doe” across the bottom of the screen) and edit the video’s index. The indexing system is one of the more convenient features webstreaming offers. If a board member or community member is interested in a particular topic, they can instantly jump ahead to their area of interest—without having to labor through the entire meeting. “Webstreaming provides community members and district members and anybody else the ability to quickly go in and view a portion of the meeting to see what was said specifically about a certain item,” Taschner said. “The indexing feature is so convenient, you don’t have to sit through the whole meeting,” Swiecichowski added. “You can skip to your agenda.” The webstreaming page of both districts’ Web sites is extremely user-friendly. Each meeting is listed with its date and running time, along with links to the agenda and minutes. If you click on one of the meetings, a split screen pops up with the video on the left side and a copy of the agenda to the right. If the agenda includes a document discussed in the meeting, a link to that document appears.
A viewer can “jump” down along the agenda to any part of the agenda. Even as the meeting video progresses along, a title of the current topic discussed will be displayed below the screen. There is also an MP3 mode if you only want to listen to the audio.
Thumbs up from the board Pam Langseth, Minnetonka Board Chair, said the webstreaming has gone very well. Langseth touted the user-friendliness of the webcasting system and the fact that the agenda and supportive materials are all included. She also emphasized the importance of narrowing the communication gap with the public. “The closer we can be to the community . . . and let them know information, the better,” Langseth said. Jackie Magnuson, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan’s vice chairperson, has heard plenty of positive feedback about the webcasting—especially from teachers. “They like that they can get it, especially those who don’t have access to cable,” Magnuson said. “They feel like they are not out of the loop.” Magnuson adds: “Parents have liked it for the student recognition (at the board meetings). For example, students can have their grandparents in Hawaii watch.” Both districts have also used their webcasting technology for other school-related events, including graduation ceremonies. “Our graduating class is large, so only a limited number of people can attend,” Langseth said. “It’s fabulous that out-ofstate family members can watch their loved ones graduate (through the webcast).” “Our graduation broadcast received more hits than our first board meeting,” Swiecichowski said. Minnetonka’s first board webstreaming still had a respectable audience, with more than 200 views. Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan also webcasts parent education conferences, guest speakers and student performances (like choir and orchestra).
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Enter Granicus
Going paperless
Both districts host their webcasting through the same vendor—Granicus, Inc. Founded in 1999, Granicus specializes in managing and distributing streaming media content for government entities of varying sizes.
Is your school district overburdened by the sheer volume of paper contained in those gargantuan board meeting packets? If you are fed up with that incredible bulk of paper—along with the costs and labor hours spent in its production—then you could follow the lead of other school boards in Minnesota and across the nation.
Taschner said the setup process with Granicus was relatively easy, taking around a month’s time.
HIGH-TECH School Boards
Langseth said she was impressed by the Granicus presentation to the board. “We were able to get answers to a lot of our questions,” she said. “The system is so easy to use,” Swiecichowski said. “After that (first) board meeting of training, we were set to go.” The only real hardware required is an encoder, housed at the school, which can upload the meeting video to Granicus. Taschner said while Granicus’ pricing is based on various factors, a district the size of Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan spends approximately $1,000 per month for Granicus’ services.
Cablevision The use of webstreaming has been a big improvement over an already-existing form of broadcasting: cable-access television. While cable-access TV remains another viable source for connecting the public to the boardroom, webstreaming appears much more effective. The boards’ cable broadcasts are shown during varying times of the day. It might not work for the average community member to fit the scheduled cable broadcast into their schedule. Also, more television consumers are opting for satellite providers like DirecTV and The Dish Network that don’t offer cable-access programming. Through the webstreams, access is available all day to anyone with a computer and Internet access. Plus, the cable replay quality of a taped board meeting is not consistent due to the fact that it is airing in several different parts of a district with several different cable service providers. “With the webstream, we have consistent picture and sound quality,” Langseth said. “Before, we didn’t have control over it; we couldn’t change it.” Whether for the webstream or cable, the board members said having a camera on them isn’t anything to worry about. “I don’t even think about (the cameras) anymore,” Magnuson said. “We can see what is on TV with the monitors.”
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Those boards are using BoardBook, a Web-based software application that streamlines the preparation, distribution and publishing of board agenda packets. BoardBook includes a searchable archive of meeting packets and minutes. “The whole purpose (of BoardBook) was to create a tool that relieves the burden of disseminating and creating materials for board meetings,” said Tim Curtis, BoardBook Services Manager. “It lets districts move to paperless meetings and put information on the Web for the public, and cuts meeting prep in half.” Developed around 2002, BoardBook is a partnership between MSBA and the Texas Association of School Boards. The genesis of the program came about from two directions: (1) from school districts approaching the association about the amount of paper they had to handle and (2) from people who worked at the association—that were formerly employed at school districts—who knew there was a better way. Using BoardBook can help save paper and money, and reduces the number of hours district administrative assistants put in to compiling and copying those massive board meeting packets. “It’s a great opportunity to save for the district; the amount of time and resources saved can have a real impact,” Curtis said. “Everybody is trying to have staff accomplish more now; BoardBook allows staff to do more important things than running paper through the copier.” Board members can scroll through their paperless agendas on their computers through BoardBook— rather than having to thumb through with reams of paper. The board packet can be viewed from any computer. “(BoardBook) allows board members access to all of their materials,” Curtis said. “It includes a history of all past meetings and decisions.” Currently, 22 Minnesota school districts and the Minnesota School Boards Association use BoardBook for their meetings—from Minneapolis Public Schools to Yellow Medicine East schools. Members from Alexandria, Buffalo-Montrose-Hanover and Mahtomedi said it was imperative for their boards to set a good example by adhering to the new technology. “We became aware of some options of doing things electronically,” said Kevin Donovan of Mahtomedi. “It’s
incumbent upon us to take part in technology because it is what we want out of our students.” Donovan also noted that going paperless saved on the extensive labor hours to assemble the packets, and labor dollars to have a courier deliver the packets to each board member’s home. Dean Anderson of Alexandria said that by using BoardBook, his board was “trying to set a good example for the rest of the district” by showing they were serious about technology. The Buffalo-Montrose-Hanover School Board has been using BoardBook for a little more than a year. Board member Dave Wilson said the district’s “forwardthinking” technology director had researched BoardBook and brought it to the board’s attention. “Everyone was interested in cutting back on paper,” Wilson said. “Our board packet was a quarter of a ream.” So, aside from saving paper and time, what do the board members think about BoardBook? “It’s a great thing. People have adapted to it and like it quite a bit. With any group, you have early adapters and those who are more ‘Luddite-like,’” Donovan joked. “We have a hodgepodge board with a woman in her 30s to a man in his 70s, and they are both certainly on board with it,” Wilson said. Wilson said his district was initially leery of BoardBook’s startup costs—along with purchasing laptops for each board
member—but he says his board likes what it is getting from its investment. “We’re very pleased with the whole process,” he said. “Everything is right in front of us during every meeting. It’s very easy to use. It’s as easy as signing on to e-mail.” Anderson said all his board colleagues at Alexandria like BoardBook, too. However, he said his superintendent is still old-school with his packets and prefers to have a paper hard copy. With BoardBook, members can still continue using paper if they choose. Donovan said he will print a few pages of the agenda if he is running the meeting at Mahtomedi. “If districts aren’t using it, they should at least take a look at it,” Donovan said. “Especially if you have a district that is big geographically.” Mike Elder, a BoardBook marketing consultant, will be offering free Webinar demonstrations of the program Oct. 26-29. Watch MSBA’s Web site for the free sign-up. (Elder can be reached at mike.elder@boardbook.org or 888-587-2665 for questions.) The cost is the same for every district: $2,000 for a year, which includes training and support. “We are continually enhancing the program all the time,” Curtis said. “The upgrades are automatically included in the price.” Visit http://www.boardbook.org/ for more information, or call MSBA’s Greg Abbott at 800-324-4459. Bruce Lombard is the associate director of communications for the Minnesota School Boards Association.
Key Benefits of Electronic Agenda Preparation Access to Information 1. Accessible everywhere from any computer 2. Publish to Web, or other methods of electronic and physical distribution 3. Provides resources for decision making such as online policy and best practices from your school board association 4. Documents and decision history are searchable Efficiency for Compiler 1. Time to assemble agenda packet is cut in half 2. Professional results—revisions are incorporated in seconds 3. Build multiple meetings at the same time Efficiency for District Officials 1. Meeting notices are automatically constructed 2. Saves money by improving staff efficiency and reducing paper and printing costs 3. Instant availability of materials 4. Enhance transparency 5. Model technology use SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009
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CHANGES IN TECHNOLOGY bring the classroom to the student
Brady Simonson
C
Cindy didn’t feel comfortable in large classrooms. She often felt that by asking questions, she would be singled out as not intelligent. As a 12th-grader with only 2 years of credits in her neighborhood school, she went looking for something that had one-on-one academic support in a small setting. She found Wolf Creek Online High School.
Tracy Quarnstrom
She feels more comfortable online in talking to her teachers one-on-one before engaging in a classroom discussion. Her confidence levels continue to grow, and she will achieve her diploma six months early by accelerating her learning online.
Hannah is an eighth-grade student who enrolled in Spring Lake Park Online Learning due to being diagnosed with childhood cancer. She spent a great deal of time in the hospital recovering from her cancer. Even with the diagnosis, her family wanted her to continue with her education and have something to focus on besides her cancer. Cancer is not often a word we associate with middle school students, but when it struck this young lady, her family was very thankful for the option of online learning available to them.
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There are many reasons why students choose online learning. But one thing is certain: Enrollments to online learning courses in Minnesota have increased in recent years. According to the Minnesota Department of Education, students enrolled in certified online learning programs almost doubled from 2006-2007, when 4,562 students participated, to 2007-2008, when enrollments numbered 8,181.
The history of online learning Online learning choices have existed in Minnesota for longer than most people realize. The first online opportunities in Minnesota occurred under the TRIO (Technological Regional Integrated Organization) grant funded by the Legislature from 1996-1999. From this cooperative a published report from the CAREI institute reported favorable results with online learning and the online programs in North Branch, Rush City, and Chisago Lakes (which would eventually become Wolf Creek Online High School) were formed. Other early entrants into the field of online learning include Houston public schools which formed Minnesota Virtual Academy, CyberVillage Academy, and several members of Northern Star Online. Minnesota now has 25 certified online learning providers listed on their Web site. Being a certified online provider in the state of Minnesota requires a number of qualifiers, including but not limited to: teacher and student interaction, course syllabi, and special education delivery services. MDE works with all online providers to ensure that the courses offered possess quality standards and rigor. It is within the power of any Minnesota district to challenge the validity of online
courses and work through the processes at MDE if they feel that an online course is not as rigorous as their own coursework. On a national level, the International Association for K12 Online Learning (iNACOL) has provided online schools with standards surrounding teaching and curriculum practices (at iNACOL.org). With the arrival of the technology age for students, this new age of online learning as part of the school day will continue to emerge as a trend. It is the belief of many in online learning that the courses offered in this fashion will never eliminate bricks and mortar schools but will instead allow for technological advances and advanced teaching methods that can be applied in any effective classroom in the future.
Two different types of online learning There are two main types of online enrollments in the state of Minnesota: supplemental and comprehensive. Supplemental (part-time enrollment) is when a student chooses to take up to 50 percent of their coursework from an online provider but remains enrolled in another enrolling district school. Comprehensive (full-time enrollment) indicates that the student is fully enrolled at the online school and will receive a diploma and all needed services from the online school. The requirements of how both supplemental and comprehensive enrollment is achieved can be obtained by consulting with the online learning provisions in law (MS 124D.095). The many providers across the state of Minnesota offer students a variety of choices for their online needs. Some
MINNESOTA K-12 CERTIFIED ONLINE LEARNING PROVIDERS Multi-District Programs
Consortia of Schools
Charter Schools
• Anoka-Hennepin Compass On-Line
• Freshwater Education District
• Blue Sky Online Charter School
• Insight School of Minnesota
• Minnesota Service Cooperatives Online
• EdVisions Off-Campus High School
• Learn at My Pace (LAMP) Online High School
• SW/WC Online Learning Community
• Minnesota Center of Online Learning
• SOCRATES Online
• North Branch Distance Learning Program
• INFINITY: Minnesota’s Digital Academy
• iQ Academy Minnesota
• Northern Star Online
• Lakeville Career OnLine
• Southeast Minnesota Virtual Academy
• Minneapolis Public Schools Online
• Online Development and Instructional Network
• Minnesota Virtual Academy
• Wolf Creek Online High School • Cyber Village Academy • Minnesota Online High School • Minnesota Transitions Schools Connections Academy • Minnesota Transitions Schools Virtual High School
• Spring Lake Park Online SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009
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schools are considered hybrid models, and students attend part of their school week on campus. Some schools offer only supplemental course offerings, and students still attend another enrolling district, while some schools offer only comprehensive enrollments. Many online providers offer both supplemental and comprehensive enrollments. Looking at more data collected from the Minnesota Department of Education, it is revealed that in the 2007-2008 school year 3,139 students participated in supplemental online options and 5,042 students participated in full-time online learning options. Some schools allow students to pay for courses under a tuition agreement, and others do not engage in these practices. MDE identifies online schools in the following manner: Consortia of schools or intermediate districts, of which 8 are listed on the Web site; Charter Schools, of which 7 are listed on the Web site; and finally multi-district schools, of which 10 are listed on the Web site (http://education.state.mn.us/mdeprod/groups/ Choice/documents/Publication/031616.pdf). Several large online schools have formed over the past five years, and many are using conventional advertising methods, such as radio or billboard advertisements. The impression may be given that most online schools are large schools, which is not
the truth in many cases. Many online schools serve small amounts of students and often serve many of these students on a part-time basis. Other online schools only serve in their own district or local area based on a seat time requirement that they impose. Finally, online learning opportunities provide a choice for many students who would not be in school anywhere else if it were not for the online choice. The goal of most online schools is to work with other districts in a positive manner to ensure that students are served effectively through online methods.
Why students enroll in online learning The rationale for individual students enrolling in online courses can be as varied as the providers themselves. Students indicate that they enroll in online courses for some of the following reasons: scheduling difficulties with bricks and mortar schools, medical conditions that make attendance in bricks and mortar schools difficult, and the desire to find challenging courses not taught in their local school setting. It should also be noted that many students who have seen their graduation date pass are attracted to online options that allow them to continue with full-time employment opportunities and also finish their high school diploma.
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Charles, a student at Connections Academy, enrolled simply to accelerate his learning. He is a first-grade student who is currently completing third grade work in the online program. Connections reports that they have several profoundly gifted elementary students who are accelerated in the curriculum and are able to move at a much faster pace and be placed at a higher grade level in the online learning program. This would be more difficult in a traditional environment since they might not fit in to a classroom socially with peers who are 2-3 years older than they. Traditional schools have for years tried to allow students to accelerate but found issues in busing students to the appropriate building and finding appropriate classes for gifted students. Online learning may be an effective choice for acceleration for some students.
A trend that is here to stay Online learning is a trend that many believe is here to stay in Minnesota. The Minnesota K12 Online Learning Alliance (MNOLA) is a group of online practitioners who meet every other month to discuss ways to promote quality online opportunities for Minnesota students. The collaboration among 15 of the state’s most reputable online providers allows for support among providers. One of the goals of MNOLA is to strengthen and ensure the quality of online instruction. The group attempts to build collaborative relationships with parents, students, and school districts who wish to engage in online opportunities. This year MNOLA supported legislation to require online providers to give more timely information to enrolling districts for collaborative purposes. MNOLA welcomes anyone interested in furthering the discussion of providing quality online courses to attend meetings or visit the website at MNOLA.org MNOLA sponsors an online conference each year in the spring and the conference is another opportunity to see the incredible work of online providers in action. If districts have questions or concerns about implementing online opportunities, this may be a great chance for them to learn more about online opportunities in Minnesota. Consult the MNOLA Web site for dates and specifics on the spring conference as the school year approaches. It is important to note that a district cannot deny students access to quality online courses or create policies that prohibit students from enrolling in these courses. Working together in a collaborative manner to ensure quality courses and communication between all parties is the best recipe for the success of online learning in the state of Minnesota. Online learning is not for all students, but the ability to have the choice to decide if online learning is for them is part of the fabric of school choice laws in Minnesota.
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Tracy Quarnstrom is the Director of Wolf Creek Online High School and immediate past president of MNOLA. You can direct your comments to Tracy at tquarnstrom@chisagolakes.k12.mn.us SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009
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MSBA’s VENDOR DIRECTORY MSBA’s Vendor Directory helps connect school districts with the products and services they need. The directory is always at your fingertips. You’ll find it printed in the back of every Journal magazine as well as on the MSBA Web site at www.mnmsba.org. Most listings in the Web version of this directory include a link so you can head instantly to a Web site or e-mail address. The directory includes everything you need to know to contact a company quickly—phone numbers, fax numbers and addresses—in an easy-to-read format. If you have a service or product you would like included in this directory, please contact Sue Munsterman at 507-934-2450 or smunsterman@mnmsba.org.
Actuary Hildi Incorporated (Jill Urdahl) 11800 Singletree Lane, Suite 305 Minneapolis, MN 55344 952-934--5554, Fax 952-934-3027 www.hildiinc.com jill.urdahl@hildiinc.com Van Iwaarden Associates (Jim Van Iwaarden) 10 South Fifth Street, Suite 840 Minneapolis, MN 55402-1010 612-596-5960, Fax 612-596-5999 www.vaniwaarden.com jimvi@vaniwaarden.com Architects/Engineers/Facility Planners Architects Rego & Youngquist, Inc. (Paul Youngquist) 7601 Wayzata Blvd., Suite 200 St. Louis Park, MN 55426 952-544-8941, Fax 952-544-0585 www.aryarch.com pyoungquist@aryarch.com ATS&R Planners/Architects/Engineers (Paul W. Erickson) 8501 Golden Valley Rd., Suite 300 Minneapolis, MN 55427 763-545-3731, 800-545-3731 Fax 763-525-3289 www.atsr.com information@atsr.com Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A. (Judith Hoskens) 201 Main Street SE, Suite 325 Minneapolis, MN 55414 612-379-3400, Fax 612-379-4400 www.cuningham.com jhoskens@cuningham.com DLR Group (Troy W. Miller) 520 Nicollet Mall, Suite 200 Minneapolis, MN 55402 612-977-3500, Fax 612-977-3600 www.dlrgroup.com tmiller@dlrgroup.com Foss Architecture & Interiors, Inc. (Robert Ames) PO Box 306 Moorhead, MN 56560 218-236-1202, Fax 218-236-4945 www.fossarch.com robert@fossarch.com
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INSPEC, INC. (Fred King) 5801 Duluth St. Minneapolis, MN 55422 763-546-3434, Fax 763-546-8669 www.inspec.com fking@inspec.com Perkins + Will (Ted Rozeboom) 84 10th Street S., Suite 200 Minneapolis, MN 55403 612-851-5000, Fax 612-851-5001 www.perkinswill.com ted.rozeboom@perkinswill.com TSP, Inc. (Rick Wessling) 18707 Old Excelsior Blvd. Minnetonka, MN 55345 952-474-3291, Fax 952-474-3928 www.teamtsp.com wesslingrg@teamtsp.com Wold Architects and Engineers (Scott McQueen) 305 St. Peter Street St. Paul, MN 55102 651-227-7773, Fax 651-223-5646 www.woldae.com smcqueen@woldae.com Attorneys Adams, Rizzi & Sween, P.A. (Steven T. Rizzi, Jr.) 300 First Street NW Austin, MN 55912 507-433-7394, 877-443-2914 Fax: 507-433-8890 www.adamsrizzisween.com srizzi@adamsrizzisween.com Kennedy & Graven Chartered (Gloria Blaine Olsen) 200 South Sixth Street, Suite 470 Minneapolis, MN 55402 612-337-9300, Fax 612-337-9310 www.kennedy-graven.com golsen@kennedy-graven.com Knutson, Flynn & Deans, P.A. (Thomas S. Deans) 1155 Centre Pointe Dr., Suite 10 Mendota Heights, MN 55120 651-222-2811, Fax 651-225-0600 www.kfdmn.com tdeans@kfdmn.com
Pemberton, Sorlie, Rufer & Kershner, PLLP (Mike Rengel) 110 N. Mill Fergus Falls, MN 56537 218-736-5493, Fax 218-736-3950 www.pemlaw.com m.rengel@pemlaw.com Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney, P.A. (Kevin J. Rupp) 730 Second Ave. S. 300 U.S. Trust Bldg. Minneapolis, MN 55402 612-339-0060, Fax 612-339-0038 www.ratwiklaw.com kjr@ratwiklaw.com Construction Mgmt. & Products Bossardt Corporation (John Bossardt) 8300 Norman Center Drive, Suite 770 Minneapolis, MN 55437 952-831-5408 or 800-290-0119 Fax 952-831-1268 www.bossardt.com jbossardt@bossardt.com Donlar Construction Company (Jon Kainz) 2277 W. Highway 36, Suite 210W Roseville, MN 55113 651-227-0631, Fax 651-227-0132 www.donlarcorp.com jon.kainz@donlarcorp.com Kraus-Anderson Construction Co. (Mark Kotten) PO Box 158 Circle Pines, MN 55014 763-786-7711, Fax 763-786-2650 www.krausanderson.com mark.kotten@k-a-c.com National Safe Surfacing Initiative, LLC (Shannon Godwin/Tim Mahoney) PO Box 506 Carlisle, IA 50047 866-345-6774, Fax: 515-989-0344 www.nssi-usa.com shannon@nssi-usa.com tim@nssi-usa.com
R. A. Morton and Associates (Becky Fulton) 3315 Roosevelt Road, Suite 100 St. Cloud, MN 56301 320-251-0262, Fax 320-251-5749 www.ramorton.com beckyf@ramorton.com Wells Concrete Products Company (Spencer Kubat) 835 Highway 109 NE Wells, MN 56097 800-658-7049, Fax 507-553-6089 www.wellsconcrete.com sales@wellsconcrete.com Educational Programs/Services Minnesota State Academies for the Deaf and Blind (Linda Mitchell) 615 Olof Hanson Dr. PO Box 308 Faribault, MN 55021-0308 800-657-3996/507-384-6602 Fax 507-332-5528 www.msa.state.mn.us linda.mitchell@msa.state.mn.us Electrical & Communications, Service & Construction Peoples Electric Company (Dean Larson) 277 East Fillmore Avenue St. Paul, MN 55107 651-602-6831 www.peoplesco.com dean.larson@peoplesco.com Employee Assistance Program (EAP) The Sand Creek Group, Ltd. (Joan Sirotiak) 610 N. Main Street, #200 Stillwater, MN 55082 651-430-3383, Fax 651-430-9753 www.sandcreekeap.com joans@sandcreekeap.com Energy Solutions Johnson Controls, Inc. (Arif Quraishi) 2605 Fernbrook Lane N. Plymouth, MN 55447 763-585-5148, Fax 763-566-2208 www.johnsoncontrols.com arif.a.quraishi@jci.com
Environmental Consultants Mississippi Headwaters Chapter, USGBC (Sheri Brezinka/Jennifer Tuttle) 5353 Wayzata Boulevard, Suite 207 Minneapolis, MN 55416 Brezinka: 952-564-3068 Tuttle: 612-596-4860 www.usgbcmn.org sbrezinka@usgbcmn.org jtuttle@kke.com Financial Management PaySchools (Patrick Ricci) 6000 Grand Ave. Des Moines, IA 50312 281-545-1957, Fax: 515-243-4992 www.payschools.com pricci@payschools.com PFM Asset Management, LLC MSDLAF+ (Donn Hanson) 45 South 7th Street, Suite 2800 Minneapolis, MN 55402 612-371-3720, Fax 612-338-7264 www.msdlaf.org hansond@pfm.com Sunergi, Inc. (Jodie Zesbaugh) 900 Long Lake Road, Suite 220 St. Paul, MN 55112 651-633-2223, Fax 651-633-2229 www.sunergi.com jzesbaugh@sunergi.com Fire and Security Peoples Electric Company (Sheldon Crabtree) 277 East Fillmore Avenue St. Paul, MN 55107 651-602-6860 www.peoplesco.com sheldon.crabtree@peoplesco.com Food Service Products & Services Lunchtime Solutions, Inc. (Chris Goeb) PO Box 2022 North Sioux City, SD 57049 605-235-0939, Fax 605-235-0942 www.lunchtimesolutions.com chris@lunchtimesolutions.com Insurance Minnesota School Boards Association Insurance Trust (MSBAIT) (Denise Drill, John Sylvester) 1900 West Jefferson Avenue St. Peter, MN 56082-3015 800-324-4459, Fax 507-931-1515 www.mnmsba.org ddrill@mnmsba.org jsylvester@mnmsba.org
Playground Equipment MSBA Playground Compliance Program (Shannon Godwin/Tim Mahoney) PO Box 506 Carlisle, IA 50047 866-345-6774, Fax: 515-989-0344 www.nssi-usa.com shannon@playgroundcompliance.com tim@playgroundcompliance.com Public Finance Wells Fargo Public Finance (Pam Lang and Mary Webster) 608 Second Ave. S. - 10th Floor; MAC: N9303-105 Minneapolis, MN 55479 Lang: 605-341-9945/800-267-1262 Webster: 612-667-3110 Fax 605-341-7696 www.wellsfargo.com/publicfinance pamela.a.lang@wellsfargo.com mary.k.webster@wellsfargo.com Roofing Four Seasons Energy Efficient Roofing, Inc. (Darrell Schaapveld) 410 Quant Ave. North Marine on St.Croix, MN 55047 651-433-2443, Fax 651-433-2834 www.fseer.com info@fseer.com
Technology Education PaySchools (Patrick Ricci) 6000 Grand Ave. Des Moines, IA 50312 281-545-1957, Fax: 515-243-4992 www.payschools.com pricci@payschools.com Temperature Control & Building Automation System One Control/Peoples Electric Company (Bill Gausman) 277 East Fillmore Avenue St. Paul, MN 55107 651-602-6839 www.peoplesco.com bill.gausman@peoplesco.com
Transportation Hoglund Bus Co., Inc. (Jason Anderson) 116 East Oakwood Drive PO Box 249 Monticello, MN 55362 763-295-5119, Fax 763-295-4992 www.hoglundbus.com salesmanager@hoglundbus.com Minnesota School Bus Operators Association (Shelly Jonas) 10606 Hemlock St. NW Annandale, MN 55302 320-274-8313, Fax 320-274-8027 www.msboa.com shellyj@msboa.com Telin Transportation Group (Todd Telin) 14995 Industry Avenue PO Box 10 Becker, MN 55308 763-262-3328, Fax 763-262-3332 www.superiortransit.com TTelin@superiortransit.com
School Supplies/Furniture Corporate Express, a Staples Company (Michael Teetzel) 1233 W. County Road E Arden Hills, MN 55112 651-234-4036, Fax 651-234-4185 www.corporateexpress.com michael.teetzel@staples.com Software Systems Skyward, Inc. 868 3rd Street South, Suite 101 Waite Park, MN 56387 800-236-7274 www.skyward.com Sunergi, Inc. (Jodie Zesbaugh) 900 Long Lake Road, Suite 220 St. Paul, MN 55112 651-633-2223, Fax 651-633-2229 www.sunergi.com jzesbaugh@sunergi.com Technology Sunergi, Inc. (Jodie Zesbaugh) 900 Long Lake Road, Suite 220 St. Paul, MN 55112 651-633-2223, Fax 651-633-2229 www.sunergi.com jzesbaugh@sunergi.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009
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Advertisers Wells Fargo Public Finance ...........................................Page 2 MSBAIT...........................................................................Page 2 Mississippi Headwaters Chapter, USGBC ....................Page 7 Knutson, Flynn & Deans, P.A. .......................................Page 7 Johnson Controls .........................................................Page 15 Midwest Dairy Council.................................................Page 15 Telin Transportation Group ........................................Page 17 DLR Group ...................................................................Page 19 Bossardt Corporation...................................................Page 26 Four Seasons Energy Efficient Roofing, Inc. .............Page 27 Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney, P.A. .................................Page 28 Wells Concrete Products .............................................Page 29 Skyward, Inc..................................................................Page 29 BoardBook ...................................................................Page 30 Kennedy & Graven Chartered ....................................Page 30 ATS&R ..........................................................................Page 31 MSDLAF+ .....................................................................Page 31 Stahl Construction Company .....................................Page 33 Donlar Construction ...................................................Page 34 MSBA Online Learning Center ..................................Page 36
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A goldmine of information awaits you in PEERNet How is the data organized in PEERNet? PEERNet has been created as a management resource for MSBA members. It is available as a reference/research tool and is comprised of four separate modules:
Bill Kautt Associate Director of Management Services
PEERNet (Public Education Employee Relations Network) is MSBA’s comprehensive database containing facts and figures on school district salary schedules, work day and year, and fringe benefits for licensed and non-licensed staff, administrators, and superintendents. In addition, the database includes copies of school district’s master agreements and information concerning grievance arbitration decisions. How does one access PEERNet? You can access PEERNet by clicking on the “Members Area” link located on the left-hand side of the MSBA home page (www.mnmsba.org) and proceeding with the log-on prompts. If you don’t have a “member account,” just contact either Kelly Martell or Donn Jensen (MSBA staff at 800-324-4459) to set up an account. How does one maneuver through PEERNet? A “User’s Manual” tab is located on the left-hand side of the PEERNet home page. This manual contains detailed instructions for using each module, along with definitions of terms and sample reports.
1. Grievance Arbitration Decisions. Search through reported decisions based on 39 different issues, staff type, arbitrator, results or school district. MSBA does not have the full documentation available for all of the cases, but the full documentation is available from the Bureau of Mediation Services. The Bureau’s Web site is www.bms.state.mn.us, or phone 651-649-5423. 2. The Master Agreement module contains language from a variety of districts and bargaining units. You can search by 13 types of bargaining units, school districts, districts located near you and districts that have had MSBA staff analyze their Master Agreements. (You must contact the individual school district to gain access to the report compiled by the staff. The school district will determine whether to share this information.) 3. The Administrative Salaries and Related Information module contains a detailed collection of salary, benefit, and other compensation information related to the administrative staff of member school districts. The module contains the following search options for the year: 16 administrative salary positions, school district, nearby districts and groupings based on size of the teaching staff or number of students. You also may gather financial information as well as information concerning insurance
and leaves. An additional feature allows you to select a single year and a single position (e.g., superintendent) and calculate the average figure for the districts selected. 4. The Licensed Salaries and Related Information module is by far the most detailed section. Information available includes financial data (BA min and max, MA min and max, number of steps, average salary, total package, and number of teachers at the maximum step in their lane of the salary schedule), intermediate salaries (the min and max salary at each lane), miscellaneous financial (Q-comp, years of experience allowed, sub pay, severance, early retirement, and 403B match), insurance (health, life, dental, and LTD), leaves (sick leave, personal leave, and association leave), work day (teacher-student contact minutes, prep time, lunch period, and total day), work year (pupil attendance days, additional work days, parentteacher conferences, and total duty days), extra duties (athletics and other positions), and staffing and pupil enrollment (number of administrators, number of classroom teachers, number of other instructional personnel, pupil enrollment, and specialists). Why isn’t data for all the school districts in PEERNet? Several times each year MSBA sends out requests to each school district requesting data. Unfortunately, not every school district responds to our requests. If all school districts would respond to our requests, PEERNet would be a much more robust tool that would benefit all of our members.
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