Describes how one school district installed a high-speed data-network infrastructure that included a free telephone system and video. The asynchronous transfer mode system chosen by the school district is described, along with its telephone and video components. (GR)

Keeping up with athletic equipment purchasing and safety/equity regulations is becoming increasingly complex. Schools should use a local dealer, have equipment suppliers help student athletes test new equipment, ensure that purchases meet all manufacture and design standards, attend to details, and order replacement parts beforehand. (MLH)

Considers the factors of cost, life-cycle, structural design, and building interior when deciding on a school roofing system. (GR)

Discusses how changes in the educational tools used and the way children are taught have made classroom furniture of the past nearly obsolete. Furniture options for flexibility and buying decisions in tight budgets are addressed, including buying over the Internet. Questions to ask for buying the right furniture for school districts are…

Discusses school furniture flexibility that can accommodate changing instructional styles, a diverse student characteristics, and classroom technology demands. Characteristics to look for that can enhance a chair's ergonomics are highlighted along with tips for better furniture budgeting.(GR)

Discusses the factors that educational facilities managers must consider when selecting doors and windows for their buildings. These include finding a balance in terms of security, energy efficiency, accessibility, aesthetics, and durability; cleaning and maintenance; and noise issues. (EV)

Examines built-up, modified bitumen, and hybrid combinations of the two roofing systems and offers advise on how to assure high- quality performance and durability when using them. Included is a glossary of commercial roofing terms and asphalt roofing resources to aid in making decisions on roofing and systems product selection. (GR)

Discusses how school furniture is evolving to meet the needs of the changing designs of college and university libraries. Advice is offered on trimming the furniture, finishes, and equipment costs of using high-end furniture. (GR)

Examines the integration of basic school communications technologies into single systems that allow for a growth path into the Internet and for sophisticated media retrieval. Descriptions and benefits of these systems for two school districts are discussed. (GR)

The Domain Specific Innovativeness Scale was included in a survey of student consumers to measure how innovative participants were with regard to buying online. Data analyses confirmed hypotheses that an innovative predisposition toward online buying would be associated positively with more hours of Internet use, greater Internet purchasing,…

Since technology is so expensive, making the wrong purchasing decisions can have severe financial consequences. The purpose of this article is to describe three technology decisions that failed to achieve their original intent. For each of the three, the author's discuss the expectations of the chief information officer, the vendor's sales pitch,…

This report describes statistical indicators developed by the Council of the Great City Schools and its member districts to measure big-city school performance on a range of operational functions in business, finance, human resources and technology. The report also presents data city-by-city on those indicators. This is the second time that…

In the early days of computer technology, few, if any, school districts had chief information officers (CIOs). Information Technology (IT) was handled by computer or technology coordinators, many of whom were classroom teachers with passing interests in computers and associated high-tech gadgets and gizmos. As districts began embracing CIOs, the…

No one can doubt nowadays that ethics in business is an important issue. Recent corporate scandals involving corporations such as Enron, WorldCom, and Freddie Mac, to name just a few, have exposed highly questionable business practices and criminal behavior. In this paper, the author would like to distinguish between illegal practices and legal,…

Background: Across the nation, schools have become actively involved in developing obesity prevention strategies both in classrooms and in cafeterias. We sought to determine the type of foods being offered during lunch in the cafeteria of 3 public high schools in 1 county and if this reflects the purchasing patterns of students. By labeling foods…