Education Reporter
May 12, 2008
Your official newsletter of the Education Writers Association
<<On the Blackboard>>
Tips, Podcasts and Blogs From EWA’s Chicago Meeting
If you weren’t able to attend EWA’s fabulous meeting in Chicago, don’t despair. You may have missed a testy debate over gender differences, Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee sharing her struggles turning around District of Columbia schools and hearing powerful testimony from Iraq War veterans who have returned to college, but speaker presentations, podcasts, ED Beat tips and the meeting blog are all available at the EWA website. Martha Irvine and Robert Tanner of the Associated Press took home the Fred M. Hechinger Grand Prize for Distinguished Education Reporting for their “Teacher Sex Abuse” series. We’ll do it again in D.C. next year! Until then savor your memories....
Looking for a Good Job?
EWA’s Marc Dadigan is going to graduate school and EWA is seeking a seminars coordinator to oversee the development of regional training for reporters, including the development of seminars, audio conferences, webinars and other training and support materials for education reporters and writers. If interested, please send a letter of interest, 3 clips, resume and salary needs to Tracee Eason, Administrative Coordinator at Education Writers Association, 2122 P Street N.W. #201, Washington, D.C. 20037. Or fax materials to 202 452 9837.
Stories That Work by Linda Perlstein, EWA’s Public Editor
“Gaming the System?”
In March, Laurel Rosenhall of the Sacramento Bee visited schools in the advanced stages of “program improvement” to find out how they were trying to claw their way back to NCLB adequacy on state tests. What she saw in classrooms at Will C. Wood Middle School was common: longer language arts blocks, more dedicated reading time, rewards for students who read for fun. What the principal admitted to in an interview was less typical: After the school had missed AYP because of one category—African American students in math—he reclassified the race of a few children and pushed the subgroup below California’s n-size of 100.
Laurel had learned, from interviews at the district, that some schools originally short of making AYP in 2007 had their status changed after a data correction; she knew that Will C. Wood was one of them. She also knew she had a story on her hands, she said, when a lead teacher at the school told her, “I know to a reporter it may seem like gaming the system, but you have to be really careful about how you report your data or you’ll never get out of program improvement.”
Back at the newspaper, Laurel, who has covered education at the Bee for nearly six years, finished the school improvement story, which ran in late March. Except for a photo of a pancake breakfast held as a reading reward, Laurel only briefly mentioned Will C. Wood in the story, because of questions raised by the reclassification.
Meanwhile, she requested databases from the California Department of Education showing, at several points in time, which schools had made AYP in 2007. The department was cooperative: Five days later, CDs were ready for her to pick up. There was a huge amount of data: many, many fields across 6,000 Title I schools. Fortunately, Laurel had the help of colleague Phillip Reese, the Bee’s go-to guy for database reporting. Phillip set up queries in Access to identify the 113 schools that had had their AYP status changed after the initial release of test results.
Laurel chose a few to look at more closely, including Will C. Wood. According to Laurel, when she called the principal, Jim Wong, to say she wanted to follow up on something that had arisen in their interview, he said, “I had a feeling you would come back to that.” Wong didn’t seem thrilled to hear from her; nonetheless, he was forthright. In his mind, because the students he reclassified were biracial and he got permission from their parents to change their identification, what he was doing was above board. And the staff was still very proud of making AYP.
On April 27, the Bee published “Schools Reclassify Students, Pass Test Under Federal Law.” Depending on your point of view, Wong may not have come out smelling very sweet. Consider this quote: “You get a kid that's half black, half white. What are you going to put him down as? If one kid makes the difference and I can go white, that gets me out of trouble.” But in the end, though Wong wasn’t thrilled with the attention, Laurel said he told her the story was fair and accurate.
I think that one reason Laurel could write this piece and not wind up with a defensive, bitter source is that she didn’t play “gotcha.” It’s important, when you visit a school for one purpose, that you are very careful about sticking to your proclaimed agenda. If you see or hear something that you think would make a good, different story, come back to it. Re-report. Another key point is that Laurel let the staff of Will C. Wood have their say: Wong got to show everything the school is doing academically to improve test performance, and he was able to explain the pressures educators are under.
Laurel tried to find out, from Education Trust and the U.S. Department of Education, whether other states allow this kind of demographic reclassification after the fact. Nobody she spoke with knew the answer. Here’s where you come in. This is a story any beat reporter could replicate. From conception to publication, the piece took Laurel only three or four weeks, with only one week working on this exclusively. You may have to resort to a FOIA if your state isn’t as cooperative as California was; you may have to look a little harder to find someone who can help with the databases. But a search for this kind of data manipulation tells readers a lot about the pressures of No Child Left Behind and the ways schools and districts find to give the appearance of improvement.
Reports: Tracking Student Reading Habits, New Orleans School Recovery, and New education blogs and website
POLICY CHANGE: Oregonian reporter Betsy Hammond, representing EWA, drafted a letter to the U.S. Department of Education about the proposed changes to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (known as FERPA). Last month, the department announced because of advances to technology and provisions set forth by the Patriot Act, changes in policy were needed. Hammond found two important changes that would make it harder for reporters to gain access to data and records. For example, reporters could potentially be cut off from viewing data on student test scores and the dropout rate of students by grade and ethnicity if changes are passed in its current form. On behalf of EWA, she has asked the department to refine its language regarding the “personally identifiable information” to make it less broad. Read the etter and other stories about the changes on EWA’s website.
DEBATING READING FIRST: Critics have questioned whether public school students have benefited significantly from the Reading First program since it was passed by Congress in 2001. The latest report released by the Department of Education, “Reading First Impact Study: Interim Report” may support some critics’ assertions. The report finds the program has not significantly improved elementary school students’ test scores in reading comprehension. The department will release its final report on the Reading First program later this year. Read this Washington Post story about the program. Also, check out this report “Too Good to Last: The True Story of Reading First,” released by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute in March.
NEW ORLEANS RECOVERY: The 2008 State of Public Education in New Orleans finds schools are making incremental progress two years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city. The Tulane University’s Scott S. Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiative, the New Orleans City Council Education Committee and the Greater New Orleans Education Foundation produced the report. It says schools have shown improvements in technology, facilities and leadership. However, the report says schools still have too many students categorized in special education classes and a good number of parents aren’t satisfied with their choice of schools and information given to them in a timely matter to make decisions.
SQUEEZED OUT!: The Project on Student Debt has released a report that finds almost one million community college students don’t have access to federal loans. The report says since many colleges don’t participate in the federal loan program it forces students to seek private loans and use credit cards to pay for tuition. However, some educators disagree with the results of the study saying students have other financial aid options available to them that keeps college affordable.
COLLEGE GAP AND TEACHER ATTITUDES: The Education Sector has released two new reports, “Graduation Rate Watch” and “Waiting to be Won Over.” The first report finds black students continue to graduate at lower rates than white students. But Graduation Rate Watch identifies institutions such as Florida State University and others who do a good job at retaining minority students. Kevin Carey, the author of the report, also presented at the EWA conference on how reporters could do their own tracking of college grad rates, using the US Department of Education’s database. The latter report surveys teachers and their perspective on their profession today. The report finds that teachers are less likely today than five years ago to support the idea that other teachers should be paid more based on student test scores. In addition, teachers surveyed say unions are more essential today in contract negotiations.
STUDENTS AND WRITING IN THE DIGITAL AGE: The Pew Internet and American Life Project recently released a report at EWA’s annual meeting in collaboration with the College Board’s National Commission on Writing, examining how e-communications affects students writing today. The report finds two-thirds of middle and high school students have written informal instant messaging style language in their school work. The two groups say more research should be done to understand how technology can best be used in classroom writing. Read this San Jose Mercury story about the report and EWA’s blog.
BOOKS THAT STUDENTS LOVE: First graders love Dr. Seuss! That’s according to a report released by Renaissance Learning. The computer-based assessment technology company that works with k-12 schools has released “What Kids Are Reading: The Book Reading Habits of Students in American Schools”. The company tracked the reading habits of students through its accelerated reader software program and finds students read less as they move to upper grade levels. In addition, the report breaks down what students are reading by gender, geographical regions and grade levels. First graders are split on their favorite book. Boys prefer Dr. Seuss’s Foot Book, while girls prefer Green Eggs and Ham.
GET FLY: Check out Flypaper, a new blog produced by the education team at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.
NEW ED WEBSITE: The Learning First Alliance (all the national organizations that work with schools and school districts, including the unions) has put together a web site to highlight successful school programs called Public School Insights. Executive Director Claus von Zastrow says they only include programs that are supported by outcomes data. You can search for rural, urban and suburban schools and other topics.
EWA Notes
Jennifer Smith Richards, of the Columbus Dispatch is a finalist for the Livingston Awards for Young Journalists. Winners will be announced in June. Richards won first place in EWA’s 2007 reporting contest as a part of a team of Dispatch reporters for the “Blemished Backgrounds: The Past of School Bus Drivers” and she also earned a special citation for “The ABC’s of Betrayal.” Richards served as a panelist at our annual meeting in Chicago for the Paper Chase: Tracking down the records of abusive employees session.
Stephanie Banchero of the Chicago Tribune has been selected as a John S. Knight Fellow. Banchero will study at Stanford University during the 2008-2009 academic year.
Former Washington Times reporter Carol Innerst has published a pictorial history of York College of Pennsylvania. The book is a part of the Campus History Series and is available at Arcadiapublishing.com and Amazon.com. Innerst retired from newspaper reporting in 1998 and lives in York, Pa.
When he’s not serving as EWA’s board president, Richard Whitmire likes to chase trout. Yes, you read right. A short profile of Whitmire appeared in Eduwonk.com highlighting his hobby as a fisherman, as well as, his latest editorial in Politico.com about how education policies might be shaped under a John McCain administration. Keep reeling em’ in.
One of education’s favorite bloggers, Alexander Russo was selected as a Spencer Education Journalism Fellow. Russo and two other journalists -- NPR’s Nancy Solomon and Time’s Claudia Wallis -- are the first group selected for the foundation’s fellowship. Russo and company will each receive a $75,000 stipend and take courses at Teachers College and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. Congrats!
The Orlando Sentinel’s Vicki McClure and Mary Shanklin got a nod in the Washington Post’s first ever top ten newspaper investigations list. “Charter Schools: Missing the Grade” was named as an honorable mention by the Post staff for newspaper reporting.
Jobs, Media Fellowships and Freelance Opportunities: Chicago Trust, Freedom of Information Training
If you need help using public records in your reporting, then the Society of Professional Journalists is sponsoring a training session. The Freedom of Information Seminar for ethnic media is a one-day training to be held at the University of Idaho. Registration deadline is May 31.
The Chicago Community Trust is seeking a manager of public relations. Prospective candidates should have relevant experience, strong written and oral communication skills, ability to establish media relationships, multi-task and work under pressure. Knowledge of the not-for-profit sector is preferred. Interested individuals should submit resume, cover letter, names of references and salary history to resumes@cct.org.
The Harvard Education Letter is seeking free-lance writers. The publication operates under the guidance of the Harvard Graduate School of Education and is editorially independent. The publication’s main audience is educational professionals and policymakers. Pay is $1 a word. If interested, contact Nancy Walser at the Harvard Education Letter, 617-496-6195 or nancy_walser@harvard.edu.
Dream of seeing your byline in The New York Times? The American Society of Journalists and Authors is offering you a chance to learn what type of stories NY Times’ editors want. “How to Pitch The New York Times” will be held May 15 at CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. Reserve your spot today. The seminar will cost members and guests: $25; CUNY students $15; other non-members, $35.
Make sure you sign up for the Education Sector’s Towards 2014: Education Research on the Leading Edge of School Improvement scheduled for May 13. The event will be held at the Academy for Education Development Conference Center.
From the Beat
Teacher fired for refusing to sign loyalty oath
Richard C. Paddock
Los Angeles Times
When Wendy Gonaver was offered a job teaching American studies at Cal State Fullerton this academic year, she was pleased to be headed back to the classroom to talk about one of her favorite themes: protecting constitutional freedoms. But the day before class was scheduled to begin, her appointment as a lecturer abruptly ended over just the kind of issue that might have figured in her course. She lost the job because she did not sign a loyalty oath swearing to "defend" the U.S. and California constitutions "against all enemies, foreign and domestic."
School threats set off an avalanche of text messages — and absences
Greg Toppo
USA Today
In an age when schools are on alert for campus shooters, school officials nationwide say they're battling a new phenomenon: threats of violence that trigger a flurry of text messaging and drive up absenteeism among frightened students.
Orlando-area high school students skip classes at alarming rates
Dave Weber
Orlando Sentinel
There may be a simple reason why many Central Florida high school students get bad grades and struggle to earn enough credits to graduate. They skip so much school that failure seems inevitable. Absenteeism is epidemic in high schools across the region, with a quarter or more of students labeled "chronically absent" at some schools.
To Save Money, Some Schools In Region Plan Bigger Classes
Michael Alison Chandler
Washington Post
Under heavy pressure to contain spending, some Washington area school systems are planning to increase class size in the coming year to save money on teachers.
Atlanta parents camp out for coveted pre-k spots
Laura Diamond
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It was just after midnight Monday when Jackie and Michael Cottrell parked their 40-foot motor home across the street from Mary Lin Elementary School. Their plan was simple: Camp out to make sure Skyler gets into the highly coveted pre-k program at the school in Atlanta's Candler Park. Even if that meant spending three days and three nights in the camper until registration begins Thursday.
Please send your best stories and member news to Mesha Williams at publications@ewa.org.
**About us**
The Education Writers Association is the national professional organization of education reporters dedicated to improving education reporting to the public. Contact us by email at ewa@ewa.org, by phone at (202) 452-9830, by fax at (202) 452-9837 or by mail at
2122 P Street NW, Suite 201, Washington, DC, 20037
Our officers include: Richard Whitmire of USA Today, president; Kent Fischer, education reporter at the Dallas Morning News, vice president/actives; Marie Groark, senior policy officer and spokeswoman for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, vice president/associates; Kathy Baron, morning host/education reporter at northern California's KQED-FM (on leave), secretary; Linda Lenz, publisher of Catalyst, immediate past president. Our board members include Dale Mezzacappa, former reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer and now a Philadelphia-based freelance writer; Rodney Ferguson, executive vice president of Lipman Hearne Inc., Tanya Schevitz, higher education reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle; and John Merrow of Learning Matters Inc. Find contact information at our Web site, http://www.ewa.org.
