"How to circumvent Proposal 2" by Chad Livengood in the Jackson (Mich.) Citizen Patriot's Taking Notes blog
How to Put Together Multimedia Packages
Kim Perry of the San Diego Union Tribune showedexamples of outstanding multimedia journalism and offeredsome helpful links.
Online Database Reporting
USC adjunct instructor Rebecca Fairley Raney offered a list of Web sites where reporters can find downloadable databases to help them with reporting: the U.S. Census Bureau's data Web site,the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports Web site (under "Crime in the United States," click on a year, then click on a type of crime, then under "browse by" click on "Colleges and Universities," then on the link for Table 9 for college and university data),the National Center for Education Statistics Web site and the NCES Digest of Education Statisticsand the Federal Election Commission campaign donor data Web site(search for candidates or donors then import into Excel).She also offered a handoutwith more details and a list of common mistakes and how to avoid them when using Census data.
Tools of the Multimedia Trade
Online journalist Andy Sternberg gave a handoutwith a long list of Web sites with video,audio, maps andother tools that reporters can use to tell stories.
Lessons from California Classrooms: English Language Learners
EdSource released a new analysis, "Similar English Learner Students, Different Results: Why Do Some Schools Do Better?,"that examined teaching practices in elementary schools and how they affect the academic performance of English Language Learners. EdSource also provided a concise version of the findings in a research brief.The study was based on survey data from nearly 6,000 teachers and principals in low-income elementary schools throughout California.
Margarita Calderon of Johns Hopkins University had a list of questions and thoughtsabout the study results that could help reportersbrainstorming for story ideas.
College Graduation Rates: Do They Matter?
How accurate are reported college graduation rates? Should colleges be held accountable for how students graduated in a timely way? Laura Horn of MPR Associates gave a presentation, "Graduation Rates 101: Know Your Denominator," onfactorsthat higher education graduation rates do not take into account.
The Future of No Child Left Behind: Tinkering around the edges?
As NCLB faces reauthorization, how should it change? Should the adequate yearly progress provision change to a growth model? Should students be allowed to transfer to other schools? And are teacher quality provisions adequate?
Jennifer Smith of the Aspen Institute Commission on No Child Left Behind described the conclusionsher group arrived at after their intensive study of NCLB. She also addressed myths and factsabout the law's requirement that educatorshave status as Highly Qualified Effective Teachers.
John Mitchell of the American Federation of Teachers outlined the organization's recommendationsfor improving No Child Left Behind. He also provided links to FAQs on NCLB topics, such as student testing and accountability;supplemental educational services;school improvement, corrective action and restructuring;public school choice;teacher quality;English Language Learners and NCLB testing requirements;and students with disabilities and testing requirements.
Community Colleges: Educating too many?
They're often overlooked, but community colleges educate almost half of all postsecondary students. They manage to do this while balancing a multitude of missions - preparing students for transfer, remediation, serving non-traditional students, adapting to local workforce needs and much more. But can community colleges maintain their tradition of universal access and quality instruction as their student bodies grow and state funding stagnates?
David Longanecker, executive director of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, told reporters about the impending crisisthat community colleges face as they try to serve more of the most-difficult-to-serve students at a lower cost and with fewer resources than universities.
Kay McClenney of the University of Texas at Austin told reporters why it's important they cover community colleges and suggested some story ideas in a presentation.
Can Mayoral Control Solve Urban Education's Problems?
Can mayors solve the ills of urban school systems? Several mayors are now working to take over their city's systems. But what is the track record in school districts where mayors have held control or influenced the schools?
Michael Kirst of Stanford University gave reporters some questions to consider when covering a mayoral takeover in a short presentation.
Lessons from Successful Charter Schools
Patricia Wohlstetter of the University of Southern California described an indexshe developed to measure charter schools on their academic progress. She also gaveEWA members the results of a report, "Charter School Indicators,"from the Center on Educational Governance at USC.
Getting Down to Facts: California School Finance
California schools, once very well regarded, are struggling to provide a good education for all of the state's children. A massive study examining the state's school finance system was released in March 2007, calling attention to relatively low education spending compared to other states, ineffective teacher policies and the lack of a student data system that would allow the state to track achievement.
Susanna Loeb, lead researcher for the study and aStanford University professor, provided an executive summary of the study's findings and gave an overview of the state's teacher policies.
Janet Hansen of the RAND Corporation offered insight into the inadequacy of the state's current data system.
The Quality of Education Research
Arthur Levine, former president of Teachers College at Columbia University, released a report,"Educating Researchers,"on "the need for quality education research and on the preparation of the scholarsand researchers who conduct it." He found most current research on education poor and made recommendations for improvement.
Teachers Colleges and Teacher Quality: Are teaching schools held accountable?
Are schools of education producing the product school districts need, especially as NCLB puts more pressure on finding "highly qualified teachers"? How can those schools be held accountable?
Linda Darling-Hammond, a Stanford University professor, provided an article she wrote about effective teacher preparation and a second articleabout lessons American teacher colleges can learn from the rest of the world. She alsoincluded her recent, well-sourced testimonyto the U.S. Senate on the issue of teacher quality, which includes several detailed examples of programs that foster teacher quality and a lettershe sent to Sen. Ted Kennedy.
Art Levine, director of the Education Schools Project, referred to a September 2006 report, "Educating School Teachers,"that includes an "action plan" for how to improve teacher training. The recommendations include making five-year teacher education programs commonplace and redesigning accreditation so that states have more uniform, outcome-based requirements.
The Admissions Frenzy
How much does where you earn your college degree influence future success? Is it worthwhile for parents to spend a lot of money on a consultant to help their children get into the "best" colleges and universities? Most importantly, what questions should reporters be asking about the admissions process?
Steven Roy Goodman, a college admissions consultant, in his presentation referred to an op-ed pieceabout the importance of college rankings that he wrote for the Arizona Republic.
The Economic Benefits of Pre-K
Preschool programs, particularly for at-risk children, may have an impact on long-term economic development. Are the results of model preschool programs enough to justify widespread implementation? And what kinds of questions should reporters be asking about such programs?
Dennis Winters, an economist with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, explained how pre-school programs affect the economy in "Economic Returns to Early Childhood Development."
Lawrence Schweinhart, a researcher on the High/Scope Perry Preschool Study, provided an overview of preschool in America and detailed what makes a program a high-quality one in "Recent Early Childhood Research Findings and Their Implications."
Narrative Writing: How to Take a Story Beyond the Mundane
Some writers can turn a news story into a gripping narrative and organize a story in a way that gives it tension and color.
Stephanie Banchero of the Chicago Tribune told how she reported and wrote "The Education of John Cobbins," which won first prize in the feature category of EWA's National Awards for Education Reporting.She suggested journalists read examples of excellent storytelling in the Nieman Narrative Digest.
Douglas McGray, a freelancer who writes for the L.A. Times' West magazine, spoke about his piece, "The Invisibles,"which won first prize in the regional magazine category of EWA's contest.
Title I Monitoring: How well is your school district spending its federal dollars?
Many school systems receive at least 7 percent of their budgets from the federal government. It's an area difficult for reporters to monitor and rife with potential for abuse.
Phyllis McClure, an independent consultant who has spent years researching Title I, recommendedgovernment Web sites that reporters can use to learn moreabout Title I fiscal issues,the way Title I funds are distributed among schools,and parent involvement in the program.Another site has audit reportsfrom the office of the inspector general and the U.S. Department of Education.
Brainstorming About Investigative Reporting
How do you turn a juicy tidbit into a big story? What steps should you take to go in the right direction rather than crash into a deadend?
Kathleen Carroll and Jean Rimbach, who won the grand prize in EWA's National Awards for Education Reporting at the meeting for their series, "Lessons in Waste,"shared tipsfor probing programs funded by public money.
Where's the Money? How to Get Beyond a School Budget to See What Your District Really Spends
School budgets are onlya road map of what districts are supposed to be spending. The real picture of what they do spend comes at the end of a school year and it can be an eye-opener.
Kent Fischer, education reporter for the Dallas Morning News, advised reporters which documents to check regularly and other things to look for in "District Procurement: Following the Money."
Associate Members Session: Thinking about Communications Media in the Age of YouTube, MySpace and Bloggers
Colin Moffett,vice president ofMindshare Interactive Campaigns, gave a presentationthat showed new options for news releases and circulating your organization's message.
Sponsors
Benefactors ($5,000 and over)
Lumina Foundation for Education
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The Pew Charitable Trusts
The Joyce Foundation
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
Pearson Education
Milton & Rose D. Friedman Foundation
PBS
American Institutes for Research
Texas Instruments
Commonwealth Club of California
University of Southern California Rossier School of Education
Partners ($2,500-$4,999)
The Hegeler Institute
The Education Schools Project
Friends ($1,000-$2,499)
Cable in the Classroom
Milken Family Foundation
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Education Week
Jobs for the Future
M Booth and Associates
Communication Works
Chiara Coletti
WestEd
Supporters (up to $1,000)
College Board
National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
Alliance for School Choice
National School Safety and Security Services
Fordham Foundation
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