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.
This is an important moment for higher education, and an exciting
time for the journalists who cover it. In the face of severe
economic difficulties, experts are pointing to postsecondary
education and training as key weapons in the fight to get America
back on track economically and secure its long-term prosperity.
EWA held its 64th National Seminar in New Orleans
April 7-9. The conference featured 90 speakers and 30
sessions.We’ve rounded up stories, blog items, Power Point
presentations, and podcasts on nearly all of them.
The sessions are featured chronologically. We will continue to
update as we obtain more materials.
The discussion at our daylong conference went beyond the commonly
discussed topics of teacher pay and evaluation to ask: Is it
feasible to make entry into the profession more competitive? Why
is there often a large gap between what aspiring teachers learn
in school and the skills they need in the classroom? And why do
so few teachers feel they are getting the help they need to
improve?
EWA wishes to thank the Carnegie Corporation of New York for its
support of this project.
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.
Some of the best minds in education gave a reality check at the
62nd annual conference of the National Education Writers
Association April 30-May 2 in Washington, DC.
Nearly 230 top education journalists and others gathered to hear
from an all-star lineup about where education is heading.
Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne talked about the future of
the news industry and education coverage and New York Times
Magazine editor and author Paul Tough gave reporters insight into
a blossoming education reform in Harlem.
Washington, D.C., January 11, 2010 — The National Education
Writers Association (EWA) selected 20 journalists from
newsrooms around the country to attend its sixth annual research
and statistics training program.
President Barack Obama has issued an ambitious goal: for the
United States to once again lead the world in college attainment,
by 2020. Though some programs show promise, college graduation is
still out of reach for many Americans, for academic, financial
and institutional reasons.
School districts frequently look to the small schools model–
splitting up large high schools or creating with only a few
hundred students– when searching for ways to bolster student
achievement and enhance the relationship between students and
teachers. If students feel more connected to teachers and other
adults at school, the thinking goes, then they will attend
classes regularly, show more interest in coursework and do
whatever it takes to graduate. Small learning communities have
been found to improve school climate and student attitudes.
Deborah Loewenberg Ball, dean of the University of Michigan
School of Education, has been running an experimental summer
program where she teaches math to rising fifth graders while
observers –both teachers and researchers — watch. The students
are from local school districts, are generally from lower-income
families, and are struggling with math.
EWA collaborated with the Elementary Math Laboratory staff and
Ball to offer a webinar to reporters on Aug. 19, 2008 to discuss
the lessons and what reporters can learn about the way math is
taught.
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.
EWA Higher Ed Seminar for Journalists
20 Million Degrees and Rising: Meeting the Demand for More College Graduates, Nov. 4-5, 2011
This is an important moment for higher education, and an exciting time for the journalists who cover it. In the face of severe economic difficulties, experts are pointing to postsecondary education and training as key weapons in the fight to get America back on track economically and secure its long-term prosperity.
64th National Seminar – Recovery and Reform: Aiming for Excellence in Uncertain Times
EWA held its 64th National Seminar in New Orleans April 7-9. The conference featured 90 speakers and 30 sessions.We’ve rounded up stories, blog items, Power Point presentations, and podcasts on nearly all of them.
The sessions are featured chronologically. We will continue to update as we obtain more materials.
The Promise and Pitfalls of Improving the Teaching Profession
The discussion at our daylong conference went beyond the commonly discussed topics of teacher pay and evaluation to ask: Is it feasible to make entry into the profession more competitive? Why is there often a large gap between what aspiring teachers learn in school and the skills they need in the classroom? And why do so few teachers feel they are getting the help they need to improve?
EWA wishes to thank the Carnegie Corporation of New York for its support of this project.
Cheaper, Faster, Better: The Challenge Facing Higher Education
Feb. 4-5, 2011, Poynter Institute, St. Petersburg, Fla.
EWA’s annual conference for higher education reporters was held Feb. 4-5, 2011 at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla.
2010 National Seminar Recap
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.
Recap: 2009 Reality Check – Where is Education Heading?
See what happened at EWA's 2009 national seminar in Washington, DC.
Some of the best minds in education gave a reality check at the 62nd annual conference of the National Education Writers Association April 30-May 2 in Washington, DC.
Nearly 230 top education journalists and others gathered to hear from an all-star lineup about where education is heading.
Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne talked about the future of the news industry and education coverage and New York Times Magazine editor and author Paul Tough gave reporters insight into a blossoming education reform in Harlem.
EWA follows Fellows for 2010 Research and Statistics Boot Camp
Washington, D.C., January 11, 2010 — The National Education Writers Association (EWA) selected 20 journalists from newsrooms around the country to attend its sixth annual research and statistics training program.
Miles to Go: College Completion under the Obama Plan
President Barack Obama has issued an ambitious goal: for the United States to once again lead the world in college attainment, by 2020. Though some programs show promise, college graduation is still out of reach for many Americans, for academic, financial and institutional reasons.
Small Schools and High School Reform: Shrinking Size, Diminishing Returns?
School districts frequently look to the small schools model– splitting up large high schools or creating with only a few hundred students– when searching for ways to bolster student achievement and enhance the relationship between students and teachers. If students feel more connected to teachers and other adults at school, the thinking goes, then they will attend classes regularly, show more interest in coursework and do whatever it takes to graduate. Small learning communities have been found to improve school climate and student attitudes.
Tips From Math Lessons: a Webinar on Observing a Classroom
Deborah Loewenberg Ball, dean of the University of Michigan School of Education, has been running an experimental summer program where she teaches math to rising fifth graders while observers –both teachers and researchers — watch. The students are from local school districts, are generally from lower-income families, and are struggling with math.
EWA collaborated with the Elementary Math Laboratory staff and Ball to offer a webinar to reporters on Aug. 19, 2008 to discuss the lessons and what reporters can learn about the way math is taught.