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Why Four-Day School Weeks Are Gaining Ground
Districts use shorter schedule to cut costs, recruit teachers
(EWA Radio: Episode 185)
Once more common to rural communities, the four-day school week is growing in popularity in suburban and urban districts as a way to reduce costs, boost student engagement, and even retain staff. Tawnell Hobbs of The Wall Street Journal found the number of school systems following a four-day academic week has skyrocketed in the past decade, from about 120 districts in 17 states to at least 600 districts in 22 states this year.
Mining Federal Civil Rights Data for Local Stories
Every year, the U.S. Department of Education investigates thousands of school districts and colleges around the country for civil rights violations. The issues include racial discrimination in school discipline, sexual violence on campus and inequitable access to advanced coursework, to name a few. What should journalists know before diving into this notoriously messy data? What are some tips for using the data as the backbone of local news stories?
Survey of Teen Voters: What’s on Their Minds as Election Nears?
Get embargoed access to Education Week data, analysis at reporters-only webinar
Millions of young people — including many college students and some still in high school — will get their first chance to vote in a general election next month. What is on the minds of these youths, who have come of age in the time of President Trump and when the school shootings in Parkland, Fla., have helped to catalyze a surge of student activism?
What Will the 2018 Election Results Mean for Education?
National Press Club • November 9, 2018
1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
No matter which way the 2018 elections go, one thing is clear: The outcome is sure to have big consequences for P-12 and higher education. Not only is control of the U.S. Congress in question, but 36 governors are on the ballot, along with 6,000 state legislative seats, seven state superintendents, plus countless local school board races.
By the Numbers: Big Stakes for Education in Statewide Races
It’s hard to overstate the potential implications for education in the 2018 elections. The reasons have less to do with the high-profile battle for control of Congress. It’s really about the volume of state-level contests in November.
The Feds Have 13,000 Migrant Kids in Custody. Who’s Teaching Them?
Investigation finds little oversight of private companies providing required academic instruction inside detention facilities
(EWA Radio: Episode 184)
Thousands of migrant children have been taken into custody while crossing the border into the U.S., either on their own or while traveling with family members. While they await a court date, the federal government is required to provide school-age detainees—being held in facilities across the country—with daily schooling. In a new investigation, Lauren Camera of U.S.
Formula for Fairness: Striving for Educational Equity
Providence, Rhode Island • November 29-30, 2018
Persistent inequities in education—along lines of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status—are sparking renewed efforts to upend conventional practices in public education. Fostering more “student-centered” learning. Reducing segregation in schools and classrooms. Revamping school funding formulas. Promoting more equitable access to high-quality teachers and challenging coursework. Rethinking student discipline. The list goes on.
Seminar on the Teaching Profession
Chicago • October 18-19, 2018
From state capitols to the U.S. Supreme Court, teachers are making headlines. Perennial issues like teacher preparation, compensation, and evaluation continue to be debated while a new wave of teacher activism and growing attention to workforce diversity are providing fresh angles for compelling coverage.
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Teachers Turn Focus to Ballot Box, But Threat of More Strikes Looms Large
In May, after massive teacher strikes shook up politics in a half-dozen states and thousands of teachers returned to the classroom fresh off the picket lines, a central question lingered: Was the “educator spring,” as the teacher walkouts were dubbed, a one-off event or just a taste of what’s to come?
How Much Does College Really Cost? New ‘Tuition Tracker’ Tool Offers Answers.
Interactive Database Shows Sticker Price and ‘Net’ Price for Campuses, Plus Other Key Information
This webinar provides a demonstration of the updated “Tuition Tracker,” a collaborative data project of The Hechinger Report, EWA and The Dallas Morning News. Journalists can get embargoed access to a new tool documenting how prices at individual colleges have changed for different income groups over the last seven years. The embargo will lift on Thursday, Oct. 18, at 12:01 a.m. EDT.
The new Tuition Tracker provides:
Want to Help Students in Poverty? Help Their Families, Too.
A review of research finds positive benefits to boosting family well-being
(EWA Radio: Episode 183)
In the debate over how to boost student achievement, especially among kids from low-income families, out-of-school factors are often cited as hurdles that even the best school-based programs and services can’t fully overcome. But what about programs that focus on lifting an entire family out of poverty?
Education and the 2018 Elections
The stakes for education are high in the 2018 midterm elections. But the reasons go far beyond whether President Donald Trump will still have a Republican-controlled Congress. A host of state and local races, including gubernatorial and school board contests, will matter — a lot.
Come Together: How to Cover College Mergers
Small colleges struggling because of declining enrollment and tuition revenues face stark choices: If they can’t rebound, financial realities may force them to shut down.
More Than Numbers: Getting Inside the Data on Student Absenteeism
As states prepare for new ESSA reporting requirements, advocates push for accountability, raising family awareness
With a new federal accountability mandate looming, teachers and school administrators are trying just about everything to improve student attendance — from offering cold cash to students who show up regularly to texting warning messages to parents when their kids miss class.
These efforts come as some advocates and researchers warn that the nation faces a “chronic absenteeism” crisis.
School Board Races Heat Up Around Country
Often overshadowed, these local elections can have big consequences
While the election cycle spotlight typically focuses on state and federal movers and shakers, the outcomes of local school board races this fall could shake up education policies and priorities at the local level in many communities, with seats up for grabs from coast to coast.
Is It Time to Turn The Page on How Schools Teach Reading?
Outdated instructional approaches are hurting student learning, experts say
(EWA Radio: Episode 181)
Across the country, the way most students are being taught to read is out of step with more than 40 years of scientific research on how children learn this essential skill. That’s the case being made in a new radio documentary from APM Reports’ Emily Hanford, who describes the devastating domino effect of inadequate literacy instruction on students’ academic progress and opportunities.