How Did We Get Here? One District’s Approach to Device Assisted Learning Technology Implementation

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the importance of online and device-assisted learning. What was demonstrated at this time was how prepared districts were to make this transition. Lincoln Public Schools, in Lincoln, Nebraska, was one district that successfully planned and implemented device-assisted learning technology into their school system ahead of the pandemic. This study sought to better understand the process that district leadership enacted to inform practice on developing a technology plan and its implementation. The study's findings show that five key elements are required for successful replication: (a) shared goals, (b) right people and right-fit, (c) cross-communication, (d) implementation, and (e) growth and support. This article serves as a practitioner's guide to implementation as many districts across the country are still trying to figure out how best to serve their students and families.

EVERYDAY LIFE IN DROHOBYCH TEACHER’S INSTITUTE: A NEW DOCUMENT IN HISTORY (1946–1949)

Summary. The purpose of the article is to publish and analyze an underground document from the Lapayev Archive "Report on Life at the State Teachers’ Institute in Drohobych" (1949) as a source for the history of everyday life at the Drohobych Teachers’ Institute in particular and in Western Ukraine in general. Research methodology – the principles of science, objectivity, historicism, methods of external and internal criticism of sources. The scientific novelty is that for the first time a hitherto unknown document on everyday life at the Drohobych Teachers’ Institute (1949) is introduced into scientific circulation and its analysis is carried out. Conclusions. Thus, the published document ("Report on Life at the State Teachers’ Institute in Drohobych") is an important source for studying the everyday history not only of the Drohobych Institute (1948–1949), but also of the whole of Western Ukraine. It is stored in the Archives of the Center for the Study of the Liberation Movement (Fund 63, Volume 4, Sheet 1‒4). The author of the document is the propaganda officer of the Drohobych OUN supra-district leadership J. Luzhetsky-"Stone" (who in this document signed one of the pseudonyms "5-TR"). The document itself was prepared on August 9, 1949. Although it includes information reports for 1948 – the first half of 1949. Note that the published documents are an important source for a comprehensive study of everyday life Drohobych Institute (1948–1949) in particular and postwar life residents of the Western Ukraine in general. The vocabulary, author’s and editorial features of the sources are preserved in the publication as much as possible. Own and geographical names are given without changes. Only the most obvious grammatical flaws could be corrected. Each document is accompanied by a legend, which indicates the place of storage of the document (name of the archive, fund number, description, case, sheets).

Powerful Learning with Computational Thinking: Our Why, What, and How of Computational Thinking

The Powerful Learning with Computational Thinking report explains how the Digital Promise team works with districts, schools, and teachers to make computational thinking ideas more concrete to practitioners for teaching, design, and assessment. We describe three powerful ways of using computers that integrate well with academic subject matter and align to our goals for students: (1) collecting, analyzing, and communicating data; (2) automating procedures and processes; and (3) using models to understand systems. We also explore our four main commitments to computational thinking at Digital Promise: PreK-8 Integration; Commitment from District Leadership; Inclusive Participation of Students Historically Marginalized From Computing; and Participatory and Iterative Design.

A District’s Journey of Transformative Leadership: Moving Beyond Open Access to the Improvement, Inclusion, and Success of Students of Color in Advanced Placement

Leadership is a critical component of creating and sustaining a school culture that promotes the inclusion and success of students. The purpose of this study was to examine how school leaders helped to enact and sustain a reformed Advanced Placement (AP) culture designed to increase participation and success of students of color. Building on existing work of transformative leadership, this study describes the experience and challenges of educational leaders in understanding how leadership practices change the AP culture. The case study method examined one mid-sized urban district in Southern California that utilized transformative leadership. The methods included 15 open-ended interviews with educational leaders in a variety of capacities (i.e., district leadership, school administrators, counselors, and teacher leaders). The findings demonstrated critical components leading to deep and meaningful cultural change in AP. The analysis showed leaders in this district, who sought equity, were driven to create meaningful change, and were grounded in the community. Being grounded in the community had a great impact in promoting a transformed culture at the classroom, site, and district level.

Designing Schools as Learning Centers

There are several variables that need to be considered when rethinking education delivery for the 21st century. Designing schools as learning centers is more than just about restructuring the physical space of schools. Effective education leadership and administration must successfully align several often-competing goals. These goals include guiding a human-centered organization, consisting primarily of young, evolving learners while continually managing knowledge and information delivery and balancing the needs of students and teachers with the education policy requirements set by federal and state legislation and subsequently interpreted by school districts. This chapter explores the ‘rethinking education delivery' theme through several topics such as learner's comfort levels, teacher- training and professional development, and school district leadership. A case study looks at a six-year research project focused on the effect of district and school leadership styles on teaching and learning.

The Pushed-Out Principal

Kathleen Pitts was hired as an elementary principal with the intent of diversifying the educator ranks in a town with growing racial, economic, and cultural diversity. Upon starting her new position, Kathleen faced resistance from the staff and community. In addition, she received little support from her administrator colleagues as she forged ahead with implementing new curriculum. This case explores the critical intersection between building capacity for entering a school community, supporting new administrators, and fostering responsive and inclusive environments for staff and students. Discussion questions and activities provide a platform for exploring the complex nature of both school and district leadership, especially in contexts experiencing change.

The Benefit of Utilizing E-Government Based Public Services

The aim of this article to research government efforts in the implementation of bureaucracy reform as stipulated in the law No. 25 of 2009 about public services related to the service to its residents with quality service standards, fast, easy, affordable and be measured. It is in accordance with Presidential Instruction No. 3 of 2003 about national policy on e- Government development. In its development, e-Government is still far from expectations, government institutions both in the center and the region do not yet consider the important e-Government. E-Government is considered a project and a one of the sub-districts in Medan that has been conducting bureaucracy reform by providing public services based on electronic (e-kecamatan) in managing Administration and Increase Community participation. This study uses qualitative research methods with the type of descriptive research. The results showed the success of public services electronic-based public services in Kecamatan Medan Barat had a prerequisite, namely (1) the support from the District Leadership (Camat), (2) availability of Financial Resources and Human Resources (3) Transparency In the public service process with application system. In addition, e-kecamatan based momentarily trend. Kecamatan Medan barat where the research will be done services facilitate the residents to obtain information and manage various purposes in the form of administrative services products.

Safe Zones, Dangerous Leadership: Decolonial Leadership in Settler-Colonial School Contexts

Recent studies of Indigenous educational leadership have contributed instructive conceptual insights to decolonize public schools. Building on these theoretical insights, we investigate the organizational and policy constraints leaders face when attempting to enact decolonial strategies. Combining “safety zone theory” and Critical Policy Analysis, we examine how one Apsáalooke educational leader, Cummins negotiated and challenged institutionalized practices delimiting “safe Indian-ness.” These include: (a) transactional, policy inscribed relations between schools and Native communities; and (b) tepid district implementation of pro-Native legislation, such as policies expressing a commitment to preserving Native American cultures. We convey how Cummins made, unmade, and remade new policy meanings through local leadership practices, such as creating more humanizing Apsáalooke-defined spaces for community-school engagements and orchestrating local pressure to move district leadership to fulfill policy commitments to serve Native students. Data includes 18 interviews with Apsáalooke tribal members, education policy texts, and collaborative auto-ethnographic memos. Based on these findings, we develop the notion of dangerous leadership: a decolonial leadership praxis that challenges settler–colonial conceptions of safety and negotiates material, communal, and personal threats that such acts of subversion tend to provoke. We conclude by discussing implications for dangerous leadership amid nonideal and constantly shifting settler-colonial school contexts.