<<On the Blackboard>>
Winners of National Reporting Contest
Confronting a plagiarizing English professor; exposing the misdeeds of a top Missouri sports figure; chronicling one southern school district’s struggle to keep its accreditation all were some of the best education stories of 2008. EWA has recognized top journalists who produced groundbreaking print, broadcast, radio, online and multimedia stories in our annual reporting contest. The grand prize winner will be announced at a special awards banquet during EWA’s annual meeting Saturday, May 2, in Washington, D.C. Congratulations to all winners!
EWA Announces Candidates for 2009-2010 Officer Positions
EWA is announcing candidates for officer positions to serve the 2009-2010 calendar year. Please go here to see the list of candidates. Under EWA's by-laws officers may serve two one-year terms, and board members may serve two two-year terms. If you have any questions about the nominating process, please contact Linda Lenz at lenz@catalyst-chicago.org or Lisa Walker at lwalker@ewa.org.
“Reality Check—Where Is Education Heading?”
In these tough economic times, it’s difficult to convince your editors to let you attend a conference. Fortunately, EWA can offer assistance. We have scholarships that close that funding gap. Our scholarships for education reporters and editors can cover the registration fee (except awards banquet), up to $250 for airfare, train fare or mileage, and one night of hotel—or two, if you’re willing to share a room. We also have a special scholarship for higher education reporters that covers two nights.
Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine has joined our lineup, which also includes aul Tough, New York Times Magazine editor and author of Whatever It Takes, about Geoffrey Canada’s cradle-to-adulthood experiment in education in Harlem; Arne Duncan, the new U.S. education secretary; Pedro Noguera, a sociologist who has long studied the achievement gap; Michelle Rhee, D.C.’s newsmaking school chancellor; and Diana Natalicio, president of University of Texas-El Paso, among other luminaries.
Topics include dropouts, rethinking financial aid, the millennial generation in college, school reform and others. Practical sessions will offer guidance to K-12 and higher education reporters new to the beat, tips on FERPA and FOIA, jobs beyond newsroom journalism, deciphering school budgets and using social networks for reporting and Blogging 201.
Check out more information here. If you already know you want to attend, apply for a scholarship now. Hope to see you this spring in the nation’s capital!
Writing About Testing: Beyond the Numbers
Linda Perlstein
EWA’s public editor
With testing season approaching in his state, a colleague recently came to me with a question. How can he publish the list of state test scores every year, he asked, without alienating principals whose schools fall at the bottom of the list? Here are the suggestions I gave him. They’re not designed to placate principals; rather, they’re just good journalism.
First, you have to set the stage early. If the score release day is the first time you are writing about the tests all year, you’re doing readers, and schools, a disservice. The news isn’t just the test results; it’s how instruction is shaped all year around the goal of succeeding on the test.
Second, let educators show what they’re up against. One of the most effective reporting tools I have is to phrase things in terms of “challenges you face.” Confront a principal about the failure to make AYP, and you’ll receive a defensive response, if any. Ask that principal to explain to you—or better yet, show you—the challenges the school faces in making AYP, and you’ll get a much better conversation, and a much richer understanding of what’s going on. Ideally you’ll have done this well before testing, but even framing the subject in this way for your test-results day story can help.
If you have already written a story showing the dissonance between the life skills instruction some special ed students must receive and the math and reading skills they face on the state test, if you have shown English language learners struggling over vocabulary on practice tests, if you have laid out the gaps between the state reading standards for third graders and those that will actually be tested, and if you have portrayed all schools do in spite of these challenges, those scores will have much-needed context. (And the principals will be more likely to take your calls—though that’s not reason alone to write these pieces.)
If tests are approaching in a week or two, stories that show the stress surrounding testing, and the desperate and sometimes bizarre things schools do to ease that stress (or, frankly, ramp it up), are great. But even this close to T-Day it’s not too late to give more meaningful context to what’s going on. It’s not too late to ask teachers what they’re worried and confident about, or to explain a school’s forecast for itself, based on all the benchmark tests given over the year.
After the results come out, ask principals: Is this what the benchmark tests showed throughout the year? If not, do you have a guess at why? I have seen principals blindsided when the benchmarks, which were created by the school system to mimic the state test, give them no reason to think students will falter when the real deal comes, but then they do. That’s a story.
Third, at any time of year, articles can explain what information schools get beyond the basic numbers, and how that affects the usefulness of the data. In Maryland, for example, reading test results are given for each student only in the broad categories of “comprehension of literary text,” “comprehension of informational text” and “general reading processes.” The state testing director told me once that breaking down the data any further would render them statistically insignificant, while teachers complain that such an approach gives them little idea of how their students really performed. How well did they understand main idea? Vocabulary? Did a certain child fail simply because she didn’t finish in time?
When I was writing about testing in Maryland, teachers could see the state test before it was given. Can they in your state? They certainly see the test while they are proctoring it. Yet in many states they may not look at students’ graded tests. This secrecy, officials say, is necessary for test security—after all, most states reuse the tests from year to year—but it also can preclude educators from getting the kind of information they need to truly alter their instruction based on students’ needs. I encourage you to write about the rules in your state, and whether they help or prevent educators from helping children.
Which is the point, isn’t it?
The Educated Reporter
Speaking of testing … I’m back to the bookshelf after some time away, and I would be remiss if I didn’t recommend a terrific book on understanding test scores. Dan Koretz at Harvard is probably on your source list already—well, he should be—but before you call him again, read Measuring Up: What Educational Testing Really Tells Us.
Measuring Up is the best book I know of to explain, from a technical viewpoint, the real value and limits of educational testing. (For the best book on the human aspects, I could recommend Tested: One American School Struggles to Make the Grade, but since I wrote it, that would be tacky. Still. Really. You might.)
Validity, bias, causation, sampling error: You may think you understand these terms, but Koretz puts them in Technicolor, with solid examples and accessible writing. Chances are, you’ll come away from the book wanting to do away with publishing the school test score rankings at all, and your editor will bonk you over the head and tell you to get real.
These days, the entire American education system revolves around these numbers. So it’s crucial to give them context, in a way that goes far beyond hastily acquired quotes from principals the day after scores come out. With the wisdom you’ve gained from reading Measuring Up, and the approaches I mention above, at least you’ll be able to explain better what the test scores tell us and, just as important, what they don’t.
Public editor Linda Perlstein is available to help you. Contact her at 410-539-2464 or lperlstein@ewa.org.
Reports: Upcoming Math Report, Higher Ed Salaries, High School to College Programs and More!
Early College High Schools
Jobs for the Future has released Early College High School Initiative: Lessons from the Lone Star State, which analyzes the challenges of blended high school and college programs targeted to low-income, first-generation students. Texas is the national leader in this initiative, with 29 programs. The JFF report focuses on El Paso Community College in South Texas and its ability to sustain an economic model to keep programs thriving. The school and its partners use high school faculty who qualify as adjunct professors to deliver college curriculum, and online courses taught by faculty to help students—turning per-pupil funding sources for both K-12 and higher ed into sustainable financing streams for schools of its kind. But policymakers will need to consider ways to provide sufficient start-up funding, facilities and qualified staff if they want to sustain these types of programs, the report says.
Math Achievement
The Scientific Evidence in Education Forums will release new research on elementary math curriculum March 24. The Forums will focus on the recent findings of the Institute of Education Sciences study Achievement Effects of Four Early Elementary School Math Curricula, which analyzes the achievement results for first graders in 39 schools. You can register here for the event.
So What Are They Really Thinking?
Want to know what parents, teachers and school principals think about how stimulus dollars should be spent on improving schools? The National Speak Up 2008 Data Findings will tell you in its survey. Project Tomorrow will release results on Capitol Hill March 24. Go here for more information.
And if you need to know how much your school district is getting from the federal stimulus package, then check out Learning Point Associates web tool. With one click you can find how much money your school district will receive in Title I and IDEA funds. Learning Point Associates also provides links to other organizations that can help you write stories about the stimulus.
Faculty Salaries
If you are looking for a meaty higher ed story, then you might want to examine faculty salaries. The College and University Professional Association for Resources just released its report finding that the rate of increase for faculty salaries is down to 3.7 percent this year, compared to last year’s 4 percent. The findings reflect data collected through October. Legal Profession and Studies, Engineering and Business Management and Marketing and Related Support Services are the highest-paid disciplines for private and public institutions. About 837 colleges and universities participated in this year’s survey. You can see CUPAR results here.
Census Data
Hispanic students are making up more of the U.S. school population. Census data show that 23 percent of kindergartners and 20 percent of K-12 students are Latino. On the other hand, Hispanic students made up only 12 percent of undergraduate and graduate students in 2006 a topic that will be discussed at EWA's National Seminar.
The University of Notre Dame has released an index examining some of the leading issues in Latino studies today. Three authors explore in essays the best practices of educating Latino students.
Looking for a Story? Try These Suggestions...
The economy has taken a big bite out of college admission travel budgets. A news report says that Harvard University is cutting its travel budget by 50 percent for the upcoming academic year. The school plans to do more e-mailing and telephone calling to recruit prospective students. MIT finds itself in the same boat. Do you know if the colleges you report on are making similar decisions? Next time you are on campus, get the scoop.
Looking for a lighter story to start up some office chatter? Higher ed reporters should look no further than their college cafeterias. Sodexo, the leading food service provider, has observed the 20-year food trends of college students. Sodexco finds the current crop of college students prefer locally grown produce and international cuisine.
Learning Beyond Boundaries
The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) will kick off its annual meeting in Orlando today. ASCD will explore a ton of topics this year, ranging from why creativity should be explored in schools to the benefits of learning “mindfulness in the classroom.” On that subject, actress Goldie Hawn will speak on her foundation’s work with children. If you want to keep up to date about other issues ASCD will discuss concerning student learning, literacy and technology, follow its blog through Monday, where updates will be posted regularly.
Media Notes
The Rocky Mountain News published its final edition two weeks ago and the paper’s multi-media team chronicled the last days of employees in this touching web video. You can also read former Rocky Mountain News ed reporter Nancy Mitchell, and past EWA contest winner, lamenting the paper’s end in this piece written for Salon. The Rocky Mountain News is the first major American daily newspaper this year to shutter its printing presses because of profit strains, but Wall Street is predicting it won’t be the last. Read this story about the top 10 dailies that are expected to fold or go digital in the next year.
Upcoming Seminars
The Nieman Conference on Narrative Journalism is sponsoring “Telling True Stories in Turbulent Times” March 20-22. The three-day conference will feature notable guest speakers as Gwen Ifill, Jon Lee Anderson and Connie Schultz. Go here to register for the event.
The Poynter Institute is sponsoring a seminar called “The Essential Skills for the Digital Journalist.” The deadline for application is March 23.
The Knight Digital Media Center is accepting applications for its May 17-22 multimedia training for mid-career journalists. Visit this web link to apply.
The American Educational Research Association (AERA)’s 90th annual meeting is April 13-17 in San Diego. This year’s conference is expected to bring more than 12,000 education researchers from the U.S. and abroad. For more information, visit http://www.aera.net/ or contact AERA Communications at outreach@aera.net or (202) 238-3200, ext. 234 or 235 for press registration.
From the Beat
President Obama’s Speech on Education
Read President Barack Obama’s speech to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on a Complete and Competitive American Education. Obama calls for more Americans to seek a higher education, expansion of pre-K programs and pay for performance for teachers.
National Standards Gain Steam
By David J. Hoff
Education Week
National standards—once the untouchable “third rail” of American education policy—now have the backing of the nation’s governors, a growing number of education leaders, and the U.S. secretary of education. (Subscription required)
Michelle Rhee Threatens End-Run Around Teachers' Union
Thomas B. Edsall
The Huffington Post
Michelle Rhee, education chancellor of the District of Columbia has laid down the gauntlet before the Washington Teachers Union, declaring that she will unilaterally impose a new teacher evaluation system that will result in widespread dismissals of teachers who fail to meet minimum standards.
House Panel Says Texas Schools Must Embrace Electronic Textbooks
Terrence Stutz
The Dallas Morning News
Advocates for more technology in the classroom—and fewer textbooks—are stepping up their arguments for change this year, trying to convince Texas lawmakers that the future of electronic textbooks is now.
Anxious College Hopefuls Look for Reassurance Online
Gale Holland and Seema Mehta
The Los Angeles Times
Thousands of students put their test scores, grade-point averages and other stats on college discussion websites, hoping their peers will reassure them they're on their way to their dream schools.
Secular Education, Catholic Values
Javier C. Hernandez
The New York Times
On his first day of eighth grade at the former Holy Name Roman Catholic school last fall, Jeffrey Stone bowed his head, clasped his hands and began to recite the Lord’s Prayer. Within seconds, his teacher chided him: “We don’t do that anymore.” Over the summer Holy Name, along with six other financially troubled Catholic schools in Washington, D.C., had converted into a charter school, packing up crucifixes, redesigning uniforms and expunging religion from its curriculum. But virtually the entire staff and much of the student body stayed the same through the transition, and they had come to expect lessons in faith and values alongside algebra and literature.
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, 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, Tanya Schevitz, higher education reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle; John Merrow of Learning Matters Inc.; Rodney Ferguson, executive vice president of Lipman Hearne Inc.; Stephanie Banchero, reporter for Chicago Tribune; Cornelia Grumman, executive director of the First Five Years Fund; Elizabeth Green, reporter for Gotham Schools. org; Scott Elliott, columnist for the Dayton (Ohio) Daily News. Find contact information at our Web site, http://www.ewa.org.
