Since the advent of No Child Left Behind 12 years ago,
standardized, fill-in-the-bubble tests have become a major part
of the school experience. Some say too much of a part.
But beyond the debate over how much schools test, major
changes are under way in how they test. Underlying
those changes are questions about just what they’re testing for.
This intensive, journalists-only seminar will focus on a
range of hard-fought changes under way that together are
rewriting the rules of the U.S. teaching profession. What are the
roots of today’s controversies over teacher training, tenure,
evaluation and pay? In a pivotal year in the push for new
standards and tests, are teachers still on board? What does
the nation’s new majority-minority student population mean for
classroom teachers? How are teacher colleges responding to new
accountability pressures?
This fall, the share of K-12 students in the United States who
are Latino is projected to climb to nearly one quarter, a figure
expected to rise to nearly 30 percent by 2022. And
proportionately more Hispanic students are enrolling in
postsecondary education than white, non-Hispanic students.
University of Washington BothellDeadline: 3 AM of your timezone on Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Data journalism
is more than just reporting on numbers. It’s taking the
records of a half-million students and uncovering alarming
absentee rates. It’s tracking the attrition of students from
neighborhood schools.
For many college students — whether fresh out of high school or
adults returning to school — their most serious obstacles to a
degree won’t be homework or tests, but rather the challenges of
navigating student life. Colleges are now being forced to face
the longstanding problems that have often led to students’
flailing and failing on their own.
As policy and political leaders sound the alarm on America’s
dwindling competitive edge, it’s up to journalists to vet those
claims and examine the measures used to gauge whether U.S.
students are prepared to thrive in the 21st century economy.
Central to the debate over the country’s international standing
is the question of whether the U.S. education system is up to par
in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.
Growing public distrust, cagey lawmakers and big money from all
directions—it’s not just the standards and assessments that are
common in the roll out of the Common Core State Standards.
Despite the pushback, the standards are fast becoming a reality
across the country. What does that mean for education and the
journalists who cover it? Are the standards making a dramatic
difference in the way teachers work? How well have school
districts planned their curricula around Common Core?
More than 50 reporters joined EWA for our seminar “More Than
Scores: Assessing the Future of Teacher Evaluations,” held Oct.
10th and 11th at the University of Chicago. As always, we look
forward to the coverage inspired by the event. So far, we know
about the following stories:
More than 50 journalists joined EWA for our annual Higher
Education Seminar, held Sept. 27-28 at Northeastern University in
Boston. As always, we look forward to the coverage inspired and
informed by the event. So far, we know about the following
stories:
Note: Only sessions with multimedia or associated reading are
listed on this page.
Thursday, May 2
Site Visit
Blended Learning Takes Off. Rocketship was
founded in 2006 as the first elementary blended-learning school
model in the country, and has become both the highest-growth
charter school system in the country and the highest-performing
low-income school system in California.
Feb. 8, 2013University of Maryland-Baltimore County
If you couldn’t make it to our Feb. 8 seminar, Under the
Microscope: Examining STEM Education, we’ll be collecting
resources from it on this page over the next few days.
How much should students have to pay to earn a postsecondary
degree? At EWA’s 2012 Higher Education Seminar,
leading experts took a range of approaches to this question,
which has vexed students, administrators and policymakers. This
journalists-only event was hosted by the Indiana
University School of Education and Indiana University-Purdue
University-Indianapolis.
Ready to Teach: Rethinking Routes to the Classroom
How well is America teaching its teachers?
As accountability pressures on the nation’s teaching force mount,
scrutiny of colleges of education is intensifying as well. During
this one-day EWA seminar, journalists and experts delved into the
growing efforts to revamp how aspiring educators are prepared for
the classroom and how teacher-preparation programs are held
accountable for results.
Several urban districts and some states are quickly translating
Common Core proficiencies into new teaching practices and more
complex classroom activities. This represents a sharp departure
from the “basic skills” drilling experienced by many
English-language learners under high-stakes accountability
policies.
Turnaround Schools: Are SIG Dollars Making a Difference?
Since 2009, the federal government has poured more than $4.6
billion into the School Improvement Grants program, one of the
most ambitious attempts at education reform in recent history.
Our March 24, 2012 seminar at the University of Chicago took a
close look at the federal School Improvement Grant program, the
research base behind school turnarounds, and how charter schools
factor into attempts to reimagine and reform chronically
low-performing schools.
What can you conclude about the teacher-turnover rates in your
local schools? What is the relationship between students’ family
backgrounds and high school graduation rates? Which schools are
beating the demographic odds in student learning growth? Do
students’ grades in your local high schools line up with their
need for remediation in college?
Few education issues are as fraught with controversy as teacher
evaluation. Fierce debates are playing out at the local, state,
and national levels, as efforts accelerate to revamp systems
widely seen as ineffective at meaningfully distinguishing among
teachers or helping them improve.
Bursting the Bubbles: Reassessing Assessment
Since the advent of No Child Left Behind 12 years ago, standardized, fill-in-the-bubble tests have become a major part of the school experience. Some say too much of a part.
But beyond the debate over how much schools test, major changes are under way in how they test. Underlying those changes are questions about just what they’re testing for.
The Push to Upgrade the Teaching Profession
This intensive, journalists-only seminar will focus on a range of hard-fought changes under way that together are rewriting the rules of the U.S. teaching profession. What are the roots of today’s controversies over teacher training, tenure, evaluation and pay? In a pivotal year in the push for new standards and tests, are teachers still on board? What does the nation’s new majority-minority student population mean for classroom teachers? How are teacher colleges responding to new accountability pressures?
From Preescolar to Postsecundaria
Covering Latino Education
This fall, the share of K-12 students in the United States who are Latino is projected to climb to nearly one quarter, a figure expected to rise to nearly 30 percent by 2022. And proportionately more Hispanic students are enrolling in postsecondary education than white, non-Hispanic students.
Diving Into Data Workshop
Data journalism is more than just reporting on numbers. It’s taking the records of a half-million students and uncovering alarming absentee rates. It’s tracking the attrition of students from neighborhood schools.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Covering the College Student Experience
2014 Higher Ed Seminar
For many college students — whether fresh out of high school or adults returning to school — their most serious obstacles to a degree won’t be homework or tests, but rather the challenges of navigating student life. Colleges are now being forced to face the longstanding problems that have often led to students’ flailing and failing on their own.
Recap: The 67th National Seminar
Blog posts, videos, podcasts and more from our 2014 National Seminar.
Building a Child’s Mind: Inside Early Childhood Education
Join EWA and your fellow journalists Feb. 3-4 at our first seminar in 17 years to focus solely on covering early childhood education.
STEM and Beyond: Strengthening the Skills of Students and Journalists
As policy and political leaders sound the alarm on America’s dwindling competitive edge, it’s up to journalists to vet those claims and examine the measures used to gauge whether U.S. students are prepared to thrive in the 21st century economy. Central to the debate over the country’s international standing is the question of whether the U.S. education system is up to par in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.
Recap: Common Core at the Crossroads
Growing public distrust, cagey lawmakers and big money from all directions—it’s not just the standards and assessments that are common in the roll out of the Common Core State Standards.
Despite the pushback, the standards are fast becoming a reality across the country. What does that mean for education and the journalists who cover it? Are the standards making a dramatic difference in the way teachers work? How well have school districts planned their curricula around Common Core?
Recap: Assessing the Future of Teacher Evaluations
More than 50 reporters joined EWA for our seminar “More Than Scores: Assessing the Future of Teacher Evaluations,” held Oct. 10th and 11th at the University of Chicago. As always, we look forward to the coverage inspired by the event. So far, we know about the following stories:
Recap: What Demographic Changes Mean for Colleges and Reporters
More than 50 journalists joined EWA for our annual Higher Education Seminar, held Sept. 27-28 at Northeastern University in Boston. As always, we look forward to the coverage inspired and informed by the event. So far, we know about the following stories:
Creativity Counts: Innovation in Education and the Media
EWA’s 66th National Seminar
Note: Only sessions with multimedia or associated reading are listed on this page.
Thursday, May 2
Site Visit
Blended Learning Takes Off. Rocketship was founded in 2006 as the first elementary blended-learning school model in the country, and has become both the highest-growth charter school system in the country and the highest-performing low-income school system in California.
Coverage
Recap: Examining STEM Education
If you couldn’t make it to our Feb. 8 seminar, Under the Microscope: Examining STEM Education, we’ll be collecting resources from it on this page over the next few days.
First, check out this video report featuring participants from our STEM Science Fair:
View the conference agenda
Background reading for the seminar
Higher Ed Seminar 2012
Degrees vs. Debt: Making College More Affordable
How much should students have to pay to earn a postsecondary degree? At EWA’s 2012 Higher Education Seminar, leading experts took a range of approaches to this question, which has vexed students, administrators and policymakers. This journalists-only event was hosted by the Indiana University School of Education and Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis.
2012 Teachers Seminar
Ready to Teach: Rethinking Routes to the Classroom
How well is America teaching its teachers?
As accountability pressures on the nation’s teaching force mount, scrutiny of colleges of education is intensifying as well. During this one-day EWA seminar, journalists and experts delved into the growing efforts to revamp how aspiring educators are prepared for the classroom and how teacher-preparation programs are held accountable for results.
Finding Common Ground: Common Core and ELLs
What Common Core Standards Mean for English Language Learners
Several urban districts and some states are quickly translating Common Core proficiencies into new teaching practices and more complex classroom activities. This represents a sharp departure from the “basic skills” drilling experienced by many English-language learners under high-stakes accountability policies.
65th National Seminar – Learning from Leaders: What Works for Stories and Schools
EWA held its 65th National Seminar in Philadelphia May 17-19. The conference featured roughly 120 speakers and 40 sessions.
The sessions are featured chronologically. We will continue to update as we obtain more materials.
*Names that contain a hyperlink open up to a video, PowerPoint, or PDF
Photos from the National Seminar
Thursday, May 17
Site Visit – Tackling Turnarounds: Mastery Charter Schools
School Improvement Grants Seminar
Turnaround Schools: Are SIG Dollars Making a Difference?
Since 2009, the federal government has poured more than $4.6 billion into the School Improvement Grants program, one of the most ambitious attempts at education reform in recent history.
Our March 24, 2012 seminar at the University of Chicago took a close look at the federal School Improvement Grant program, the research base behind school turnarounds, and how charter schools factor into attempts to reimagine and reform chronically low-performing schools.
Diving Into Data 2012
EWA Seminar on Data-Based Journalism
What can you conclude about the teacher-turnover rates in your local schools? What is the relationship between students’ family backgrounds and high school graduation rates? Which schools are beating the demographic odds in student learning growth? Do students’ grades in your local high schools line up with their need for remediation in college?
EWA Teacher Evaluation Seminar
Evaluating Teachers: Beyond the Rhetoric
Few education issues are as fraught with controversy as teacher evaluation. Fierce debates are playing out at the local, state, and national levels, as efforts accelerate to revamp systems widely seen as ineffective at meaningfully distinguishing among teachers or helping them improve.