Meanwhile, Tacoma Public Schools’ 105-year-old Central 91心頭istration Building was humming with activity. New students were still registering and parents were stopping by for forms.

Grassia, whose office is just off the main hallway, is the chief information officer at the 30,000-student district, and the��the CIO’s roles and responsibilities are many. He jokes that if something in the district has power and the green light goes off, he gets a call.

On that day a few months ago, Grassia’s team was discussing how to avert a data disaster that could be brought on by a natural disaster: earthquake, flood, fire or an eruption of nearby Mount Rainier.

The threats are real. Aside from fires, which can happen at any district, the schools in Tacoma, Washington, sit in a high-hazard zone. The Pacific Northwest is always anxiously awaiting an earthquake, and then there is Mt. Rainier, the 14,411-foot volcano looming quietly over the landscape.

Schools and communities have regular so students and staff know what to do if a mudflow oozes down the mountain.

For Grassia, all of these threats are business as usual, and the CIO’s role is to develop and maintain a plan to recover data in any worst-case scenario.

During the meeting, he showed the group his spreadsheet and calmly ticked down the checklist of what to do; any disaster will call for an all-hands-on-deck approach.

More from 91心頭:油4 common technology adoption barriers

Grassia then instructed his staff to meet with the district’s many business offices to see how frequently they need to back up data. Is it once per week, once per day or every hour?

���Our motto is: ���It’s not if we are going to need disaster backup; it’s when,’��� he says. ���We have a disaster plan in place, but even though we’ve made our best efforts, we may still lose data. The question is: ‘How do we come back from it?’���

Handling cybersecurity challenges

While natural disasters are worrisome, the fear of hackers keeps Grassia awake at night.

���Most organizations don’t run 24/7, but hackers do,��� Grassia says. ���That’s why we have tools and automation, and hardware and software in place to mind the store when we aren’t here. If nothing else, it at least records what was attempted.���

Hacking attempts are staggeringly frequent, Grassia says. The district receives a half million emails every day, and only 10% are legitimate.

A couple of years ago, the district had a scare. A hacker sent a phishing email, including a PDF, to a district employee. The employee opened the PDF, which appeared to be blank but contained malware.

Over one weekend, the virus spread through the network to other computers. On Monday morning, the IT department noticed a lot of outbound email traffic, which was the virus ���trying to phone home,��� Grassia says.

The network security system blocked the virus’ attempts to communicate with its source. The IT department staffers then went around the district to unplug all the computers from the network.

More from 91心頭:油What K-12 leaders should know about 5G technology

Though disaster was averted, the incident underscored the district’s need to beef up its security software. An emergency board meeting provided more funds to improve network protections.

It took weeks to get the situation straightened out, Grassia says, but it could have been much worse.

���You don’t have to be a security expert, but you do have to be aware,��� Grassia says. ���Hackers take advantage of holes in your software, so you need to keep closing those holes. If you keep up on the patches, there’s a 90% chance you’re not going to be affected.���

Grassia recommends using when it’s available, as it adds an additional layer of security.

���The thought is that even if someone clicks on a malicious link in a phishing email or enters their credentials on a fraudulent site, the person who accessed the credentials still won’t be able to log in to the account without a phone number or secondary email address,��� he says.

When the district sees failed login attempts, administrators can change the password, for instance, before the attacker gains access. This safety strategy can be implemented if the correct cybersecurity programs are in place.

���Security has always been important, but the threat has changed,��� Grassia says, adding that there is a need for increased awareness and stronger passwords.

IT department members aren’t trying to make staffers’ lives more difficult. They are protecting everyone’s personal information.

Educating educators

Standing on stage before hundreds of employees during a late-summer training session at a local high school, Grassia explained to staff members how hackers can access the network through phishing emails that include attachments and links.

He went over the safety precautions the district has in place to prevent such schemes. For example, hackers obtain employees’ information through platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and they harvest emails from the school website or other websites associated with the users.

By being aware of the vulnerability of these targets, employees can guard against accidentally providing access to the district’s network.

Grassia also reminded staff about the safeguards in place to protect student information in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. He explained the reason for blocking certain sites and the process that is required for unblocking necessary ones.

He also told the group how personal devices fit into the overall security picture, and how and why wireless access and usage is monitored.

When Grassia became a CIO at Nevada’s Washoe County School District in 2010, students and staff didn’t access the wireless networks with their own devices.

���Now, we are in saturation mode,��� he says. ���Everyone has two or three devices connected, even teachers.���

More from 91心頭: How to control online courses in K-12 education

Bandwidth usage is monitored to determine if�����and when�����an increase is needed.

���Ideally, we stay ahead and anticipate demand since once the network slows down, it takes some time to do upgrades and catch up,��� Grassia says.

When Grassia first started, data used to live in the schools’ own data centers, which required buying and installing CDs. Now, all data, including student and staff information, is stored both in a cloud environment and on-site.

Constant communication

In addition to managing the IT department, Grassia serves as the technology liaison between departments. He attends school board and district administrator meetings, vets ed tech to make sure it’s safe, and oversees professional development for new ed tech initiatives.

���What it comes down to is that I spend a lot of time at my desk on my computer answering emails,��� he says. ���Then, I go home and sit on my couch and answer more emails.���

And if he can’t be found via electronic device, there’s always a less tech-savvy approach.

���People pop their head through my door all the time and say, ���Hey, Ed, I have a question,’��� Grassia says. ���I’m always happy to help.���

Shawna De La Rosa is a freelance writer in Washington state.

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Both then and now, paraprofessional training is key, she says. A wrong move as a para won’t crash a plane, but it could wreck the day of a special needs child.

���These are very vulnerable children that we work with,��� says Boyle, who retired from flying and has worked as a public school para for five years in Gig Harbor, Washington. ���We need professional development on an ongoing basis so we know how to properly react when a crisis suddenly occurs���without doing more harm than good.���

It’s difficult, for example, to track how many times a child has an outburst in class. In PD, Boyle learned to keep pennies in her pocket and to transfer the coins from one pocket to another to track behavior. It’s more subtle than taking notes on a clipboard.

She says she has also learned to smooth transitions, which can pose challenges for students who struggle with self-regulation. Some students benefit from five-minute warnings, while others need visual cues, such as a sand timer.

Boyle’s strategies prove that administrators need not break the bank or disrupt daily schedules to find the funds and time to provide paraprofessional training that’s required to ensure the success of students who need extra support.

You can’t pigeonhole a para

Cash-strapped districts may grapple with finding funds for training and compensation. Paras need PD for communicating with parents, finding their roles in the classroom and managing behavior (including how to respond to physical aggression), among other skills.

91心頭istrators can cut costs by leveraging PD already taking place in the district, says Shawn Pennell, a faculty member and a paraprofessional coordinator for the at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Sidebar: Earpiece powers real-time paraeducator PD

For example, paras, rather than doing busy work, can attend the same PD classes that teachers attend on days students aren’t in school. ���A lot of times, they are making copies and doing bulletin boards when students aren’t there,��� she says. ���It won’t cost anything to allow them to attend the classes as well.���

Also, paras can complete online training modules���which administrators can purchase for reasonable prices���during regular working hours, when they are already being compensated.

Including paraprofessional training funds in grants allows districts to pay stipends for participating in the programs, which should boost attendance. Also, administrators must make sure paras know when their districts have PD funds. ���Even $10 an hour helps,��� Pennell says. ���Buy them lunch; give them a stipend. Do something to elevate their status and show them appreciation.���

Pennell recommends that administrators assess their para pools for personnel who have higher levels of training. For example, one para with whom Pennell worked had a master’s degree in science from Mexico. She had been working with autistic children, but her district moved her into a biology class to assist Latino biology students.

���Districts can pair the strength they already have rather than hire new staff,��� she says. ���You can’t pigeonhole paras into one group. They have a variety of backgrounds, skill sets and levels of experience.���

Setting the teacher-para boundary

Districts must establish a para’s place in school���and clarify where their role ends. Teachers too often give paras full responsibility for some children, but ���that’s not their job,��� says Ritu Chopra, executive director of at the University of Colorado Denver.

���Way too much burden is placed on paras,��� Chopra says. ���Teachers should not wash their hands of a child. Paras may have a student who has autism or is deaf or blind, but paras are not the teachers of record.���

To help employees succeed, administrators must draw a clear line between the para’s and the educator’s responsibilities. For example, a teacher may ask a para to search for handouts online that a student can work on, or to find reading level-appropriate books that connect to the day’s lesson.

But only certified staff should create curriculum. ���The person who is guiding the daily work of paras has to be a licensed professional,��� Chopra says.

The teacher should give paras specific instructions, such as ���Look for Star Wars books at an AR Level 3,��� rather than ���find something for the student to read while we work on math.���

Sidebar: Explore these resources for paraeducator PD

Paraprofessional training should empower these educators to speak up when teachers ask them to do too much. This communication should happen during collaboration time, outside class. Since most schools only pay paras to be at school when the students are there, administrators should consider adding funds for para collaboration time.

Outside class, paras run the risk of saying the wrong thing, which could lead to legal trouble for the school. Paras are the eyes in the room, and are often friendly with students’ parents. PD should inform paras of the rules around discussing a student’s behavior, academic progress or other topics.

For example, a para may attend a meeting among a teacher, parent and special needs student. Without the specific training given to teachers and administrators, a para may inadvertently make a statement that the parent can use against the district. ���Paras need to be trained on how to respond when questioned by parents,��� says Alison Cianciolo, a paraeducator initiatives coordinator for the Capitol Region Education Council in Hartford. ���Paras need to be cautious about what they say.���

Paras should be polite but vague, and should reply to questions or complaints with a simple: ���I hear what you are saying, but you should bring your concerns to the principal or the teacher,��� Cianciolo says.

Washington state’s��paraprofessional training solution

In 2014, Washington began creating for paras. Funding had not been finalized at press time, but the program should be underway by the beginning of the 2019-20 school year.

���Paraeducators are a central part of the education team, but they didn’t have a lot of training and that was not benefiting the students,��� says Jack Busbee, program manager of Washington’s Paraeducator Board. ���It was common practice to hire paraeducators and not give them training, and then put them in the special needs classrooms.���

Web seminar: Supporting paraeducator effectiveness

The standards would require paraeducators to complete a district-administered ���Fundamental Course of Study��� within the first year of employment. The 28-hour course covers technology, cultural diversity and behavior management.

Paras then have three years to complete 70 hours of coursework to earn a general certificate. The curriculum can include anything the district deems appropriate for all instructors. The state also offers educator pathway and workforce development programs that can help paras earn teaching degrees.

Shawna De La Rosa is a freelance writer in Washington.

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LRP Publications offers a range of courses for paraeducators on topics such as child development, collaborating with teachers, discipline and curriculum planning.

The includes 120 self-paced courses covering both special ed and general education, as well as many other training options. The courses are arranged in bite-sized modules that allow participants to take a few at a time.

The provides resources for paras and school districts. It is in the process of developing programs that provide both information and support to paras.

The offers 10 key training topics for paraeducators. It also has courses on the roles and responsibilities of paras, and a guide on how to supervise paras.

The developed the Speciality Set of Knowledge and Skills for Paraeducators in Special Education guidelines, as well as a set of knowledge and skills for paraeducators who serve students who are deaf or blind.

There are also many options available locally through colleges and universities.

Main story: Paraprofessional training produces big benefits

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Coaches watch instruction via a video feed and offer suggestions through the earpiece. They can observe student responses when the para implements coaching suggestions.

���The para is the person who is with the students, but they get such limited support and training, so we decided to focus on that,��� says Kathleen Artman Meeker, an associate professor who developed the program with Nancy Rosenberg, the university’s director of applied behavior analysis.

After first testing it at the university’s , Meeker and Rosenberg piloted the program at Seattle’s K-12 . The school caters to neurodiverse students who require heavy paraeducator support in learning to express their needs and become more independent.

This program obviously allows paras to remain in the classroom while PD is taking place, and the cost of setup is minimal. The university crew installed small robotic cameras that swivel to follow the action, Rosenberg says.

Main story: Paraprofessional training produces big benefits

Interested in edtech? Keep up with the

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Eighteen years ago, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools administrator was an ELL student herself. Trez, now the North Carolina district’s executive director of , had just moved to the United States from South Korea, and she found herself in a classroom tasked with learning English and keeping up with her peers in core academic classes.

Despite the challenge���or perhaps because of it���Trez now firmly believes in maintaining rigorous math standards for all ELL students, and embedding language lessons in math instruction. ���For me, it’s all about high expectations,��� Trez says. ���I believe that language will come as they progress through the curriculum.���

These students use both sides of their brains, and there are so many benefits to that, she says. ���If we hold our students to a higher standard and believe in them, they will bring a lot of assets to our system.���

Read more: School districts expand supports to bring more ELLs to CTE

Educators must combine those high expectations with support, adds Rusty Bresser, a University of California San Diego lecturer who researches best practices for teaching math to ELLs. ���You have a lot of English learners who know a lot of math,��� says Bresser. ���The big idea is that you don’t want to dumb down the curriculum.���

Here, Trez, Bresser and other educators present five broad best practices for blending reading and language into math instruction.

1. Look at math as a language

Trez uses a professional development program called Personal Academic Command for English that integrates the language of math with math content, ���because we are all math learners,��� she says.

The program introduces techniques that teachers can integrate into their math curriculum. One strategy, called ���Novel Ideas,��� activates prior knowledge of math vocabulary and is completed in a cooperative learning environment.

An example of a math vocabulary word is ���steep,��� which has multiple meanings. Teams of students will compile all the meanings for that word and share their lists with the rest of the class. Each team will have a meaning or idea of the word that the other teams don’t have���that meaning will be considered a novel idea.

This exercise gives teachers guidance on what students already know about the term, and provides students with a visual list that shows the word’s various associations.

���The key takeaway is that the strategies and tasks are essential to ELLs, but are also beneficial for all learners,��� Trez says. ���We developed this professional development with the needs of our educators and students in mind to show that if we look at mathematics as a language and not as an isolated content area, our students will be able to gain a deeper understanding of math.���

2. Promote reading comprehension

ELL students must learn math problem-solving skills along with computation, says Michael Orosco, associate professor of special education at the University of Kansas.

���Teachers are comfortable teaching times tables,��� he says. ���But the students need to learn a more conceptual base for comprehending math problems.���

Read more: Real-world ���rithmetic education

Orosco, while a K12 teacher in Colorado, used the University of Chicago’s curriculum to shift to conceptual-based math. He noticed that when he put up a problem with numbers in it, the ELL students understood.

���Four is ���cuatro’ and it means the same thing in English and Spanish,��� he says. ���But when a word problem went up, guess what would happen?���

That’s when Orosco brought reading comprehension strategies into his ELL math classroom. He also conducted a study of 78 students and found that scores and achievement improved for the students who were taught math with reading comprehension.

���Our education system tends to be heavily reading-based,��� he says. ���Teachers have a lot of experience teaching reading, but don’t get enough practice teaching math. Story problems take practice, and they are the gateway to algebra.���

For example, the word ���discount��� must be understood before a student can figure out how much a $1,200 computer will cost if it’s on sale for 20 percent off. Teachers will have to sound out the word and then teach the concept of discount.

Once that is achieved, teachers can set up the model to have students solve
the problem.

���I’ve learned to work with teachers’ strengths, and at the elementary level, that is really about reading,��� Orosco says. ���We can teach a kid how to multiply 4 times 4, but it’s difficult to teach them a math concept.���

3. Leverage the power of literacy and images

Use everyday terms, or synonyms, in conjunction with academic terms, and whenever possible, use cognates like triangle and ���tri��臓ngulo,��� for example, says Bresser, of University of California San Diego. This strategy can only be used with languages that share roots.

Teachers should also make visual vocabulary charts and draw pictures, such as squares. Teachers can draw a picture that shows evens and odds, and give examples. Visuals make everything transparent, Bresser says.

Teachers can also provide support through the use of sentence frames. For example, if you are teaching about a square, frame the question like this: ���A (square) has (four) sides.��� Leave square and four blank. That way, students have a tool in which to frame the sentence and learn the important math concept.

Teachers should also differentiate questions based on a student’s level of English proficiency. Advanced English speakers can be asked open-ended questions, while new English learners should be asked yes or no questions, as in: ���Is this a triangle? Yes or no?���

Finally, Bresser says, consider using the native language to translate concepts.

4. Let your class collaborate

Teachers can partner students with math buddies. For example, place a fully bilingual student with an ELL, so the former can help translate. This will benefit both students, Bresser says.

Students also need opportunities to talk during a whole class discussion. For example, ask if eight is an odd or even number. Then have students turn to each other and talk about how they decided on an answer.

Another effective method is choral response, also called ���echo talk.��� For example, the teacher says: ���I’m going to say something, and you are going to say it back. The square has four vertices.��� That way, the teacher is modeling and the students are repeating the concept. It supports learning the new language, Bresser says.

5. Bring academic departments together

Rather than teaching language, language teachers now must work closely with the math department. ���Because of Common Core, there is no time for them to learn English first,��� says Trez, of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. ���They will be so far behind. We have to tackle language and content at the same time.���

Districts of Distinction: District holds ‘digital’ conference for ELL teachers

Educators also need to remember that learning a new language is difficult, regardless of age, Bresser adds. Currently, 10 percent of the U.S. student population is ELL. In some states, such as California, that number can be as high as 25 percent.

���There’s this misconception that it is super easy to teach English learners, but that’s so untrue,��� Bresser says. ���The way you learn concepts is by listening to people explain them and by explaining them yourself.���

Shawna De La Rosa is a freelance writer in Washington.

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Many countries use national benchmarks to assess students, and construct tests to gauge understanding of the core curriculum.

This was an original goal of the Common Core, but in the U.S., standardized tests have become more about ranking schools and even teachers.

“In most other countries, everything the kids do leads up to testing at the end of the year in June” says Dylan Wiliam, emeritus professor of educational assessment at University College London. “In many cases, those tests are used to determine a student’s future.”

U.S. students, of course, also take summative tests in the classroom that affect grade-point averages and, in turn, college eligibility. High-stakes SATs and ACTs also figure into the equation. But American standardized tests rarely determine which public school a child can attend. “In the U.S., it is high stakes for the teachers, not the students” Wiliam says.

From middle school to college, most students elsewhere in the world face a do-or-die climate that offers one shot at getting into the academic programs and schools that lead to better, more fulfilling jobs, Wiliam says.

Deeper testing?

In the U.K., students take the National Curriculum assessment before entering grammar school (which serves students ages 11 to 16). The results���a combination of testing and subjective teacher judgments���place students into “selective” or “super-selective” grammar schools.

The testing system in the Netherlands begins separating students at about age 12 with a test called the Cito Eindtoets Basisonderwijs. The scores steer students toward secondary schools that are either prevocational or that include both prevocational and secondary education.

But the test is not the only factor. Teacher and parent recommendations are also considered. Occasionally, an IQ test can accompany this assessment to identify children who do not test well or excel in school.

At the end of secondary school, Finnish students take a test that serves as both a high school graduation requirement and as a college entrance exam. Because school ends in mid-February and The Matriculation Examination takes place in late March, students have six weeks to prepare.

Wiliam says European testing tends to dig deeper into a student’s overall knowledge than does the U.S. approach. Students must analyze, write and explain their opinions���all important job skills.

“In England, students are asked to do a literary essay on a poem” he says.

Getting into the best schools

Stress may be even higher in Asian countries. Students spend hours cramming for big placement tests and often pay handsomely for tutors.

Students who can’t afford extra classes or tutoring can be left behind���a criticism often leveled against SAT and ACT prep in the U.S.

In Singapore, young students take two- to three-hour after-school classes to prepare for the Primary School Leaving Examination. The test assigns rankings���such as “average” and “highly capable”���to funnel students into secondary schools.

Japan’s high-stakes high school entrance exam places students into secondary schools that are ranked as vocational, educational or new comprehensive (which combines both). This assignment often determines what type of college students will attend, as well as what type of job they will eventually hold, says Akihiko Takahashi, an associate professor of mathematics education at the College of Education at DePaul University in Chicago.

While high stakes, everyone has a chance to succeed regardless of their financial background because all students are taught the same information throughout the school year, Takahashi says. The test aligns closely to school curriculum and is designed to discourage cheating.

The Chinese system is similar, says Andrew H. Chen, chief learning officer at WholeRen Education, a multinational education company that assists Chinese students who want to attend American schools.

In China, students sit for a nine-hour test called the Gaokao at the end of 12th grade. This national exam covers six subjects. All students are tested on Chinese, mathematics and a foreign language. Students also select from a variety of additional subjects such as science, politics or history. It is required for entrance into almost all higher education programs.

The test results rank students, who then request admittance to the schools of their choice. This streamlines the placement of a high number of graduating seniors. In 2018, 12 million students took the test.

Colleges and universities admit top-ranking students first. High school grades, extracurricular activities and teacher recommendations hold little weight.

The Gaokao also determines what major a student can pursue. “If you go to the best school, you get a different life” Chen says.

“There is no other way to get into a good school without scores. There is no transfer of schools, and it’s even difficult to change a major.”

Grasping the standards

Many in the Chinese education system believe the testing is fair because all the schools cost the same���a good college or university doesn’t cost more than a bad one, Chen says.

“If you are the child of migrant workers, you still have an opportunity to get into the best school” Chen says.

Chen also points out that student outcomes prove the system’s viability. “If you look at the product that these countries turn out, those that do well on the test continue to perform well and go further” he says.

On the other hand, the Chinese system is criticized for not being holistic and for implying that all questions have a standard answer. “People ask, ‘Where’s the creativity?'” Chen says. “If a student studies for a test for an entire year, it doesn’t encourage creative thought, problem-solving or individualism.”

Chinese families who oppose the high-stakes environment sometimes pull their students out of the education system. Those students attend an international school that prepares them for universities abroad, often in the U.S., Australia or the U.K.

Other countries have reached standardization that is difficult to achieve in the U.S. because states issue their own tests. This de-emphasizes alignment with the Common Core, says Depaul’s Takahashi.

“In Asian countries, the tests are very aligned to the standards” Takahashi says. “In the U.S., it is not very well aligned. The curriculum should be aligned to the test. It should be coherent.”

Shawna De La Rosa is a freelance writer based in California.

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Projects can be combined and shared across more than one district.

If accepted, they must devise a designated amount of money to fund the project through a fundraiser and/or grants.

Link to main story: Rochester City School District to send science experiment to space

Once funding is secured, teachers present the program to their students. Students devise their own science experiments.

A local board will select the top three experiments from its community. A national board will select the top one. The experiment will be created and sent to Cape Canaveral for launch to ISS.

More information at the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program website.

Shawna De La Rosa is a freelance writer in California.

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Dan Cohen, a University of Missouri doctoral candidate specializing in suicide prevention, cites a 2015 study titled “Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe” which found that educating students about the causes and consequences of depression and how to cultivate healthy emotions has the best results.

The study assessed three types of suicide prevention programs: systematic screening, the “gatekeeper” approach in which staff are trained to spot warning signs, and programs that build students’ coping skills.

Under systematic screening, all students in a school are evaluated for depression and at-risk behaviors such as suicide ideation and substance abuse. Questions include: Have you ever thought about dying? How often? Have you thought about killing yourself?

The gatekeeper approach trains teachers and other adults to identify youth who appear at risk. Los Angeles USD, for example, shows staff how to recognize subtle signs of suicidal tendencies, such as low self-esteem, isolation, despondency, depression, restlessness and fatigue.

Coping skills, regulating emotions

A program called Sources of Strength empowers students to help prevent suicide among their classmates. In 2010, the American Journal of Public Health study found youth trained in the Sources of Strength program were four times more likely than untrained peer leaders to refer a suicidal friend to an adult.

In Sources of Strength, students learn to spot the mental health problems that lead to suicidal behavior, and how to develop coping skills and access treatment.

Addressing problems before they start is key. The PAX Good Behavior Game is used during regular instruction to teach first- and second-graders to regulate their emotions, to focus and to cooperate, all of which can improve self-esteem. “It’s a highly effective behavior management tool” Cohen says.

Follow-up studies on students with behavioral risk factors���such as exposure to violence at a young age���show that those who have gone through the program are less likely to be affected by suicidal thoughts, drug use and even risky sex, Cohen says.

“(Youth suicide) is a disturbing trend” says Courtney Lenard, health communication specialist for the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “We all have a role to play in enhancing connectedness and preventing people from isolating themselves.”

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