Nov. 8-10, 2009
San Diego, California

School districts frequently look to the small schools model -- splitting up large high schools or creating campuses with only a few hundred students -- when searching for ways to bolster student achievement and enhance the relationship between students and teachers. If students feel more connected to teachers and other adults at school, the thinking goes, then they will attend classes regularly, show more interest in coursework and do whatever it takes to graduate. Small learning communities have been found to improve school climate and student attitudes. For graduation rates and standardized test performance, the research isn’t as solid, which may have troubling implications for the small schools model’s long-term success.

Join the Education Writers Association for a three-day seminar exploring issues and story ideas related to small schools and high school reform. Participants will visit schools and take an in-depth look at programs in the San Diego Unified School District, hearing firsthand from teachers, principals, students and parents about their experiences.

Sessions include:

• Left Behind: The Big High School 
• Small in Size, but Not in Feel? 
• Reporters' Experiences Covering Small Schools
• What Big Districts Can Learn from Small Schools

Featured speakers include Michael Klonsky, Small Schools Workshop and Center for Innovative Schools; Libia Gil, American Institutes for Research; Ash Vasudeva, Stanford University School Redesign Network; Karin Chenoweth, The Education Trust; and Clara Hemphill, New School Center for New York City Affairs.

EWA can provide fellowships for journalists to cover hotel expenses and up to $300 in airfare. The seminar is tentatively scheduled to begin Sunday, Nov. 8 at 2 p.m., and conclude Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 2:15 p.m.

We have reserved a block of rooms at the Hotel Solamar. Contact (877) 230-0300 to make reservations. Let the hotel know that you are attending the EWA seminar. The hotel reservation deadline is Oct. 14.