Mislabeling Students With ADHD

Private School News // October 4, 2010

On August 17, 2010, USA Today reported exclusively on research findings from Michigan State University, revealing that the youngest students in their grades are 60% more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than their older classmates. A second study conducted by researchers at North Carolina State University came to similar conclusions. Both are scheduled for publication in the Journal of Health Economics.

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Stargazing In October

Private School News // October 4, 2010

Night sky observing this October (or for the southern hemisphere, this November) will be one of the best fall shows in decades. Hartley 2, a comet first discovered in 1986, will be the closest to Earth it’s been in decades, promising to add excitement to science classrooms worldwide. And, you don’t have to be a science teacher or student to find this night sky appearance exciting. For anyone with an interest in astronomy, this is something you should be sure to see. And, with several weeks of viewing opportunity, there really isn’t a reason not to steal a glimpse of this newly discovered comet.

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21st Century Learning: Can the Classroom Be a Game Space?

Academic Leadership // September 29, 2010

Early into this school year, the mom of a middle-school boy posted on Twitter: “Anyone else been told by their child's principal that because they play video games and talk of them at school they will have BIG issues later?” President Barack Obama urged families to “turn off the TV, put away video games, and read to your child.” On the other hand, the government has sponsored an application-design contest, looking for the best mobile-phone games and apps to battle the plague of obesity.

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Gaming and Democracy: Teaching Civic Involvement Online

Academic Leadership // September 29, 2010

Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor has embraced gaming to help teach children civics. iCivics.com is a Web site free to all schools and students.

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Flip-Teaching for 21st Century Classrooms

Academic Leadership // September 29, 2010

In an algebra class in Delaware, students are asked to complete a short series of problems when they arrive in class. First, the teacher sees cooperative learning going on, then moves on to discuss what he calls the drill so that the students will understand what they did right and wrong. Out in Colorado, algebra teacher Karl Fisch approaches his lessons backwards. He flips what we have all come to know as the standard class. Rather than spend time providing the lesson and then having students go home only possibly be frustrated and confused trying to complete the homework, Fisch uses class time to discuss the lesson, when he is there to help them understand it. Students watch the lesson at home on YouTube. Homework, he says is problematic. In the traditional teaching model, he’s found that one group of students “get it” and go home and do the homework correctly. A second group gives up before even trying, for a variety of reasons. The third group will struggle through it and probably do it wrong, which means going over the concept again.

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Back to School and . . . Ready for Hiring Season?

Business and Operations // September 22, 2010

You’ve survived the first rush of the school year—welcoming new and returning faculty and staff to campus, updating them on new policies and procedures, making sure payroll and stipends are all in order, etc. After taking a deep breath, it’s time to … focus on your hiring process? Actually—yes! Even though faculty hiring season is still 4 or 5 months away, now is the time to prepare. “But,” we can hear the objections, “I’m the Business Manager—the Head manages the hiring process. I just issue the contracts the Head tells me to issue; I don’t get involved until after the decisions are made.” While we’re not suggesting the Business Manager needs to own or manage the hiring process, he/she absolutely needs to ensure that a consistent, legally compliant process is in place in your school.

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Ask Michael

Business and Operations // September 22, 2010

Q: During orientation week, I noticed that a few of our new faculty and staff members have visible tattoos. That sort of thing is generally frowned on here. Can we ask them to cover their tattoos during the school day?

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Directors & Officers Insurance

Business and Operations // September 20, 2010

Let’s be honest: “Insurance” is never something that anyone wants to talk or think about, since it has to do with what happens when bad things happen to your school. Yet, it is vitally important for schools to have proper insurance coverage—including “D&O” insurance. We wanted to share a few thoughts regarding this misunderstood but important topic.

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Things to Consider When Developing Your Sexual Misconduct Policies and Protocols

Business and Operations // September 20, 2010

One of the primary “safety” risks facing schools is the question of establishing sexual misconduct awareness, prevention, and investigation protocols. The following represent topical lists of powerful steps that schools can and should take in protecting its students and the entire school community from the dangers of misconduct issues.

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Why We Need to Further Educate Students on Responsible Social Media

Advancement // September 14, 2010

For the past two years, schools have been scrambling to understand the social media phenomenon. (Check out ISM’s 15 Annual Head’s Retreat: The Social Media Revolution and Our Schools) Last year, the heat under schools feet to join the social media world got a little hotter. And, this past summer, the heat grew even more intense as two schools found themselves in court suing students for digital indiscretions that occurred outside the campus.

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