EWA held its 63rd annual conference May 13-15 in San Francisco, Calif. The conference theme, "Examining the Evidence," explored research supporting the U.S. Department of Education's K-12 and higher education reform efforts.
Oscar-winning director and producer Davis Guggenheim addressed the 230 conference attendees about his documentary, "Waiting for Superman," which looks at education for the poorest of the poor students in the US.
EWA introduced its new executive director Caroline W. Hendrie, announced Bob Hohler of the Boston Globeas the 2009 Fred M. Hechinger Grand Prize winner and honored other winners from this year's contest at a special luncheon.
Please explore EWA's new Source Database, which was introduced at the meeting, as well as its Freelance Database. EWA's new stimulus tracking site, EdMoney.org, also gave a preview of its new database.
Many of our scholarship recipients blogged about various sessions. You can read about their accounts at EWA in San Francisco. You can also review the conference program, which provides contact information and biographies for the experts who spoke at the meeting. You can also view photos from the conference on EWA's Flickr page.
And please fill out our evaluation form to let us know what you thought about the conference and to add suggestions on what you would like to see at future meetings.
Please check back periodically as more materials from the annual meeting will be added.
Resources
Watch this video of the "What if Tests Weren't Multiple Choice" session. It was a discussion on how digital media can change assessment and featured panelists Jim Gee of Arizona State University and Dan Schwartz of Stanford University.
Social media and online reporting were key elements at the conference and one of the presenters, Louis Freedberg of California Watch, recently wrote a blog item about emerging education-related news sites.
EWA sponsored a session on early education geared to helping reporters recognize good teaching. One of the videos featured during the session is this video experiment on how a baby communicates with an adult and how the interaction shapes his responses.
For new education reporters, here's a guide to help you learn more about important issues and topics on the beat.
EWA also released a tips guide on early childhood issues and the best practices reporters should look for in classrooms. Here are additional resources on early childhood development.
The Foundation for Educational Choice and the Manhattan Institute provided a report on teacher pension plans for the conference. Stuart Buck, one of the report's co-authors, detailed findings during the "How to Tell if Your Pension Fund is Underfunded" session.
Silver Level ($2,500-$7,499) Educational Testing Service The Kauffman Foundation WestEd National Association of Charter School Authorizers The Joyce Foundation The Foundation for Educational Choice Jobs for the Future Education Week The Hegeler Institute
Supporters (Up to $2,499) Inside Higher Ed Education Development Center Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism Annie E. Casey Foundation The Wallace Foundation CommunicationWorks Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development American Council on Education MDRC National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Wellesley Center on Women and Girls National Panel on Latino Children and Schooling Pre-K Now National School Safety and Security Services Hager Sharp EdSource Widmeyer Communications
Fred M. Hechinger Grand Prize winner and honored other