No time to attend an in-person seminar? Get your training on-demand with EWA's free online series. All of our past events are archived here, with new live events scheduled throughout the year.
No time to attend an
in-person seminar? Get your training on-demand
with EWA’s free online series. All of our past events are
archived here, with new live events scheduled throughout the
year.
When it comes to school district finances, the numbers aren’t
easy to add up. But tracking and analyzing this information is a
powerful tool to drive smart news coverage.
Veteran education journalist Tawnell Hobbs of The Wall Street
Journal shares tips and tricks for digging into district
operating budgets and actual expenditures, as well as salary
databases, overtime requests, check registers and credit card
accounts, purchase orders, and more. Learn how to evaluate fiscal
data that’s readily available and make the most of open records
requests.
School’s out, but there’s no shortage of compelling summer
stories to pursue on the education beat.
How might President Trump’s proposed budget cuts for education
impact summer learning programs? How is your state incorporating
summer learning into its revamped accountability plan under the
federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)? What’s the latest on
summer Pell Grants?
Looking to liven up your coverage of classroom technology and how
it’s playing out in your local schools? Join Nichole Dobo of The
Hechinger Report and EWA public editor Emily Richmond for an
“express” 30-minute webinar on digital learning and classroom
technology. You’ll come away with ideas for quick-hit daily
stories, data-driven takeouts and enterprise reporting. Plus, get
the inside scoop on how to make the most of EWA’s newest Topics
Page on Digital Learning &
Technology.
Looking to liven up your coverage of classroom technology and how
it’s playing out in your local schools? Join Nichole Dobo of The
Hechinger Report and EWA public editor Emily Richmond for an
“express” 30-minute webinar on digital learning and classroom
technology. You’ll come away with ideas for quick-hit daily
stories, data-driven takeouts and enterprise reporting. Plus, get
the inside scoop on how to make the most of EWA’s newest Topics
Page on Digital Learning &
Technology.
Space is limited! Sign up today to reserve your spot.
With states revamping their school accountability systems under
the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, recent actions by
Congress and the Trump administration raise important questions
about what’s ahead. First, the Senate last week narrowly approved
a bill to repeal ESSA accountability rules issued by the Obama
administration. (President Donald Trump is expected to sign the
measure.) Also, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos just
issued new ESSA guidelines for states.
How will the U.S. fare against other countries when the results
from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) are
released Dec. 6? At our reporters-only webinar, get advance,
embargoed access to the full report, as well as an opportunity to
ask questions about the findings from a leader at the Paris-based
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Should schools measure skills like cooperation, communication,
self-confidence and the ability to organize? Efforts to gauge
these so-called “soft skills” are gaining traction in the
classroom, especially with the passage of the Every Student
Succeeds Act. The new federal law calls on states and school
districts to incorporate at least one measure beyond test scores
and graduation rates in their accountability systems.
Get ready. A fresh wave of global test results for dozens of
nations is about to hit U.S. shores. Outcomes from two major
exams will be issued just days apart: TIMSS on Nov. 29. PISA on
Dec. 6.
Once again, we’ll get a snapshot of how U.S. students stack up
against their peers overseas in key subjects, including math,
reading, and science. And we’ll hear lots of rhetoric about what
it all means.
How many first-generation students does a college have? How much
does the school charge students from families earning $30,000
versus more than $75,000? And how many students are repaying
their student loan debt three years after college?
Standardized testing has loomed larger on the education beat this
school year than ever before, as most states rolled out new
assessments pegged to the Common Core. How did the assessments
really go? What’s the state of the testing backlash?
The nation’s private and public universities own endowments that
together total more
than half a trillion dollars – tax-free investments that
schools use to sustain their long-term financial health.
Over the past decade, many states and school districts have
overhauled the way they evaluate teachers. Some rely primarily on
test scores; others add classroom observations. Some even bring
student surveys into the mix. Meanwhile, new federal leeway may
spark a fresh round of changes around the country.
What are some practical ways for journalists to write about the
evaluation systems in the school districts they cover? What
questions should they ask about design, implementation, training,
and teacher attitudes toward the evaluations?
For education reporters, coming up with fresh ideas for
back-to-school stories is an annual ritual. And if you’re
balancing the K-12 and higher education beats, it can be an even
bigger challenge.
Most education reporters at one time or another cover test results on NAEP, known as “the nation’s report card.” But if that’s all you do, you’re missing out on a powerful tool that can complement your daily reporting.
While students are celebrating the start of the long summer
break, there’s a significant tradeoff for the three months of
leisure – on average, students will return to school in the fall
a month behind where they performed in the spring. And the
learning loss is even greater for low-income students, who are
often already behind their better-off peers.
As part of its effort to help close the achievement gap for
disadvantaged students, the U.S. government spends more than $14
billion annually through the Title I program. But a sizable share
of those billions go to affluent school systems. Why do some
high-poverty districts receive less federal Title I aid than
those that serve a far smaller proportion of low-income students?
This week, U.S. News & World Report released an exclusive
investigation on the federal funding stream.
EWA journalist members received an early opportunity to review
Education Week’s newest Quality Counts report, which includes a
special focus on school accountability.
As part of its annual Quality Counts report, Education Week
grades states on a wide range of indicators, including the
Chance-for-Success Index, K-12 Achievement Index, and school
finance.
Despite continued debate over the Common Core, the standards are
now a classroom reality for thousands of schools across more than
40 states. But what exactly does that mean? What does it look
like in action? How is implementation going? Two journalists who
have dug into Common Core implementation offer fresh angles on
coverage, as well as suggestions on how to interview parents,
teachers and students about their experiences with the standards.
Follow the Money: Digging Into School District Finances
When it comes to school district finances, the numbers aren’t easy to add up. But tracking and analyzing this information is a powerful tool to drive smart news coverage.
Veteran education journalist Tawnell Hobbs of The Wall Street Journal shares tips and tricks for digging into district operating budgets and actual expenditures, as well as salary databases, overtime requests, check registers and credit card accounts, purchase orders, and more. Learn how to evaluate fiscal data that’s readily available and make the most of open records requests.
Summer Story Ideas: Local Angles on Federal Issues
Trump Budget, ESSA, Pell Grants ... and More!
School’s out, but there’s no shortage of compelling summer stories to pursue on the education beat.
How might President Trump’s proposed budget cuts for education impact summer learning programs? How is your state incorporating summer learning into its revamped accountability plan under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)? What’s the latest on summer Pell Grants?
“3 in 30” – Three Stories to Steal on Digital Learning
Looking to liven up your coverage of classroom technology and how it’s playing out in your local schools? Join Nichole Dobo of The Hechinger Report and EWA public editor Emily Richmond for an “express” 30-minute webinar on digital learning and classroom technology. You’ll come away with ideas for quick-hit daily stories, data-driven takeouts and enterprise reporting. Plus, get the inside scoop on how to make the most of EWA’s newest Topics Page on Digital Learning & Technology.
“3 in 30”- Three Stories to Steal on Digital Learning
Friday, May 12, 1:00-1:30 p.m. ET
Looking to liven up your coverage of classroom technology and how it’s playing out in your local schools? Join Nichole Dobo of The Hechinger Report and EWA public editor Emily Richmond for an “express” 30-minute webinar on digital learning and classroom technology. You’ll come away with ideas for quick-hit daily stories, data-driven takeouts and enterprise reporting. Plus, get the inside scoop on how to make the most of EWA’s newest Topics Page on Digital Learning & Technology.
Space is limited! Sign up today to reserve your spot.
Covering ESSA Accountability in the Trump Era
With states revamping their school accountability systems under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, recent actions by Congress and the Trump administration raise important questions about what’s ahead. First, the Senate last week narrowly approved a bill to repeal ESSA accountability rules issued by the Obama administration. (President Donald Trump is expected to sign the measure.) Also, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos just issued new ESSA guidelines for states.
New PISA Results: Putting U.S. Achievement in Global Context
How will the U.S. fare against other countries when the results from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) are released Dec. 6? At our reporters-only webinar, get advance, embargoed access to the full report, as well as an opportunity to ask questions about the findings from a leader at the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Measuring the Soft Skills: What Reporters Need to Know
Should schools measure skills like cooperation, communication, self-confidence and the ability to organize? Efforts to gauge these so-called “soft skills” are gaining traction in the classroom, especially with the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act. The new federal law calls on states and school districts to incorporate at least one measure beyond test scores and graduation rates in their accountability systems.
An Insider’s Guide to International Test Results
Get ready. A fresh wave of global test results for dozens of nations is about to hit U.S. shores. Outcomes from two major exams will be issued just days apart: TIMSS on Nov. 29. PISA on Dec. 6.
Once again, we’ll get a snapshot of how U.S. students stack up against their peers overseas in key subjects, including math, reading, and science. And we’ll hear lots of rhetoric about what it all means.
Know the Score: Finding Stories in College Scorecard Data
How many first-generation students does a college have? How much does the school charge students from families earning $30,000 versus more than $75,000? And how many students are repaying their student loan debt three years after college?
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Common Core Testing: What Reporters Need to Know
Standardized testing has loomed larger on the education beat this school year than ever before, as most states rolled out new assessments pegged to the Common Core. How did the assessments really go? What’s the state of the testing backlash?
The Debate Over College Endowments & How to Cover Them
The nation’s private and public universities own endowments that together total more than half a trillion dollars – tax-free investments that schools use to sustain their long-term financial health.
Pre-emptive Strike: Stopping Teacher Misconduct Before It Starts
Recent news stories once again have shined a spotlight on the troubling issue of teacher misconduct. Consider these headlines:
More Than Scores: How to Cover Teacher Evaluation
Over the past decade, many states and school districts have overhauled the way they evaluate teachers. Some rely primarily on test scores; others add classroom observations. Some even bring student surveys into the mix. Meanwhile, new federal leeway may spark a fresh round of changes around the country.
What are some practical ways for journalists to write about the evaluation systems in the school districts they cover? What questions should they ask about design, implementation, training, and teacher attitudes toward the evaluations?
Back-to-School: You Need Stories, We’ve Got Ideas
For education reporters, coming up with fresh ideas for back-to-school stories is an annual ritual. And if you’re balancing the K-12 and higher education beats, it can be an even bigger challenge.
NAEP Data: Beat Reporters’ Secret Weapon
Most education reporters at one time or another cover test results on NAEP, known as “the nation’s report card.” But if that’s all you do, you’re missing out on a powerful tool that can complement your daily reporting.
School’s (Still) In: Smart Story Ideas on Summer Learning
While students are celebrating the start of the long summer break, there’s a significant tradeoff for the three months of leisure – on average, students will return to school in the fall a month behind where they performed in the spring. And the learning loss is even greater for low-income students, who are often already behind their better-off peers.
On Target? Following Federal K-12 Aid for Poor Students
As part of its effort to help close the achievement gap for disadvantaged students, the U.S. government spends more than $14 billion annually through the Title I program. But a sizable share of those billions go to affluent school systems. Why do some high-poverty districts receive less federal Title I aid than those that serve a far smaller proportion of low-income students? This week, U.S. News & World Report released an exclusive investigation on the federal funding stream.
Exclusive Access: Education Week’s ‘Quality Counts’ 2016
EWA journalist members received an early opportunity to review Education Week’s newest Quality Counts report, which includes a special focus on school accountability.
As part of its annual Quality Counts report, Education Week grades states on a wide range of indicators, including the Chance-for-Success Index, K-12 Achievement Index, and school finance.
Covering Common Core in the Classroom
Despite continued debate over the Common Core, the standards are now a classroom reality for thousands of schools across more than 40 states. But what exactly does that mean? What does it look like in action? How is implementation going? Two journalists who have dug into Common Core implementation offer fresh angles on coverage, as well as suggestions on how to interview parents, teachers and students about their experiences with the standards.