District Administration - November 2009 - (Page 90)

How Well Does This Web Site LEARN WHAT OUR WEB ANALYST SAYS IS RIGHT AND WRONG WITH THIS DISTRICT SITE Eastchester Union Free School District www.eastchester.k12.ny.us By Laura R. Bona THE EASTCHESTER UNION FREE School District, located in New York, serves more than 3,000 students in ﬁve schools. According to the district’s history, “the term ‘union free’ refers not to the workers’ unions we know today, but instead means an independent school district, sharing no services or connections with any other district.” Design is site’s design is simple and barebones, with a scarcity of photos or graphics and an emphasis on textual information. e home page oﬀers sections for news, upcoming events, and links to individual school sites. e school sites are presented in various designs. e district logo (at the top left on the main district site pages) does not oﬀer a direct link back to the main home page; however, there is a prominent “Home” link underneath the logo. Navigation ere is a consistent top navigation bar with links for “Home,” “Contact,” “Email Sign-up” and “Sitemap.” e left nav bar has 14 choices, including “Administration,” “Calendar of Events,” “Directory,” “Policies,” “Procedures,” “Programs,” “Services” and “Superintendent.” e bottom nav bar, with links to “Employment,” “Registration” and “Transportation,” for some reason appears only on the home page. e search box, powered by Google, is located at the very bottom of the left nav bar—a somewhat odd and out-ofthe-way location; it would serve site visitors better if placed in the upper right corner, adjacent to the helpful site map 90 November/December 2009 This site’s design is simple and bare-bones, with a scarcity of photos or graphics and an emphasis on textual information. Because the text-heavy offerings are well-organized and there is not an overwhelming amount of content, the site offers a straightforward, albeit basic, online experience. link. e search results returned are relevant and appropriate. Usability ere is an adequate amount of information for the various site audiences. Because the text-heavy oﬀerings are wellorganized and there is not an overwhelming amount of content provided, the site oﬀers a straightforward, albeit basic, online experience. e site is not optimized for use by disabled users. School-to-Home Interaction ere is no formal section for parents or students provided on the site; however, applicable and pertinent content is peppered throughout the site. is includes important and timely student health-related announcements, directories of various district departments, a detailed listing of policies and procedures, a monthly calendar of events, and a newsletter, School Talk, in Adobe PDF format. e “Contact” link simply provides an e-mail address; however, the “AdministraDistrict Administration http://www.eastchester.k12.ny.us http://www.eastchester.k12.ny.us/Welcome.html

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - November 2009

District Administration - November 2009
Contents
Advertiser Index
From the Editor
Letters
News Update
Facilities & Construction
Stimulus Monitor
Administrator Profile
District Profile
Conversations
Mobile Learning Guide
The New Writing Pedagogy
Staying Ahead in Education
Tightening the Purchasing Process
Minding Your E-mail
New Books
How Well Does This Web Site Work?
Problem Solution
New Products
Professional Opinion
Crisis Response

District Administration - November 2009