Education Writers Association Stories

EWA Teams with College Board, NAHJ for May 31 Webcast on Latino Ed

Thu, 24 May 2012 18:09:43 GMT

Free event will be hosted live on Latino Ed Beat

A special webcast to help journalists understand key issues in Latino education takes place May 31 as part of the College Board’s — Prepárate™: Educating Latinos for the Future of America.

The event is co-hosted by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the Education Writers Association.

Join us for

Educating Latinos: The Game-Changing Stories Behind the Numbers

Thursday, May 31, 2012, 6 – 7:30 p.m.

View the webcast at www.latinoedbeat.org

Journalists are invited to tweet their questions in advance of the event to @CollegeBoard, using hashtag #preparate12.

Or attend in person at Miami Dade College, Red Room 2106, Wolfson Campus, 300 N.E. Second Avenue, Miami, FL
(in-person attendees should RSVP to mcorral@collegeboard.org).

Topics will include:

What is happening in classrooms as the numbers of Latino students boom?
How are students’ academic and linguistic abilities affecting their college ambitions?
How are undocumented students struggling to achieve their college aspirations?

To answer these questions, we’ll discuss the demographics of Latino students with a special emphasis on trends in emerging Latino markets; look at the drivers of the achievement gap and challenges for English-language learners; delve into the rate of student transfer from two- to four-year colleges; and provide highlights of progress in securing rights and resources for undocumented students. Journalists will share examples of how they leverage hot topics to explore complex issues, bringing special attention to Florida.

Eduardo Padrón, president of Miami Dade College, will make opening remarks, and Jim Montoya, vice president of higher education at the College Board, will close the session. AP journalist and South Florida’s Chapter of NAHJ vice president for print, Christine Armario, will moderate.

Presenters:

Mark Hugo López from the Pew Hispanic Center
Frances Contreras, author, associate professor and director of the Higher Education Program at the University of Washington
Alfred Herrera, assistant vice provost for academic partnerships at UCLA and undocumented student advocate
Katherine Leal Unmuth, award-winning education journalist, EWA member and blogger at latinoedbeat.org.

The College Board will unveil its first ever Repository of Resources for Undocumented Students at this session.

Helios Education Foundation Partners with NBC News and Others To Bring Education Nation "On-The-Road" To Miami, Florid

Ian Smith — Tue, 22 May 2012 19:17:52 GMT

Watch a live video stream of the Teacher Town Hall Forum on Helios' website at http://www.helios.org beginning at 1pm on Sunday, May 20

(TAMPA, FL) -- Helios Education Foundation is working with NBC News and other organizations to bring an education "power week" to Miami, Florida. Beginning Friday, May 18 and running through Friday, May 25, Education Nation Miami will include a series of education-focused events and programming across NBC 6, Telemundo network and Telemundo 51.
Foundation Chairman Vince Roig will provide welcoming remarks at the Teacher Town Hall Forum on Sunday, May 20 at 1pm EST. Helios will host a live video stream of the Teacher Town Hall on its website at http://www.helios.org beginning at 1pm on Sunday, May 20.

"Helios Education Foundation believes in the transformational power of education because education changes lives and it changes communities," said Foundation Chairman Vince Roig. "We are at a critical juncture in education where the very future of our nation depends on the postsecondary education success of students in America's classrooms today. Helios is thrilled to be partnering with NBC News and others who recognize the importance of elevating the dialogue around education success, and working to create a college-going culture where all students are academically prepared and equipped to succeed in today's globally competitive economy."
During the week, NBC News and its partners will air education-focused programming and host a series of special events that bring together South Florida-area educators, elected officials, business leaders, parents and students to share information, exchange ideas and inspire change. All events will be hosted at the New World Center in Miami Beach.

"The goal of 'Education Nation On-The-Road' is to ignite the Miami community around local and national education issues and bring solutions to the spotlight. We are very excited to partner with the NBC 6 and Telemundo teams to create an education forum in this great city at the New World Center," said Soraya Gage, General Manager of "Education Nation" at NBC News.

"Improving education in America requires that we all come together and focus on finding solutions, and the 'Education Nation' initiative is designed to do just that. We are thrilled that NBC News is bringing this tour to South Florida and we look forward to engaging our viewers and our community on this critical issue," said Manuel Martinez, President & General Manager of NBC 6.

"Education is one of the defining issues of our time a critical ingredient in the success of the next Hispanic generation and our country," said Alina Falcon, EVP of News and Alternative Programming for Telemundo Media. "We are extremely proud to join forces with the rest of the NBCUniversal family and to leverage our educational initiative 'El Poder de Saber' to continue to serve our community."

"It's really a pleasure for all of us at Telemundo 51 to be part of this very important, solutions-driven dialogue about education, where we will all have the opportunity to learn from the experts and where we will have the ability to hear about the successes of some of our best and most innovative local programs and educational institutions," said Jorge Carballo, Telemundo 51 President and General Manager.

NBC News, NBC 6, Telemundo network and Telemundo 51 will provide education-related reports leading up to and during the Miami leg of the "Education Nation" tour, as well as coverage of the "Education Nation Miami" events.
For the tour, NBC News is enlisting the support of several of its "Education Nation" sponsors and partners, including University of Phoenix, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Helios Education Foundation and knowledge partners including NBC Learn and Miami Dade College.

Schedule of Events

Opening Ceremony
To kick off "Education Nation Miami," on Friday, May 18 at 11:30am/et, Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez, Miami-Dade Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho and other leaders will join Miami-area students and the NBC News, NBC 6 and Telemundo teams at the official Opening Ceremony. NBC 6 Anchor Jackie Nespral will lead the event, portions of which will be covered by NBC 6 and Telemundo 51.

Teacher Town Hall Forum - Sunday, May 20
From 1:00-3:00pm/et, NBC News Chief Education Correspondent Rehema Ellis and NBC 6 Anchor Pam Giganti will lead a live Teacher Town Hall forum from the New World Center that brings together local teachers of all levels for a frank and open discussion about what works in the classroom and how to address the top challenges facing the region's education system. Teachers will be invited to participate in-person or via webcast with the ability to provide comments and feedback through EducationNation.com and social media platforms. The full Teacher Town Hall will be broadcast live on NBC 6 and streamed live on EducationNation.com. Telemundo 51 will broadcast the program from 1:00-2:00pm/et.

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute: Keeping the Promise; Partnerships for Latino Education Success - Monday, May 21
From 3:30-5:50pm/et, "Education Nation" will jointly host a special event at the New World Center with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute entitled, "Keeping the Promise: Partnerships for Latino Education Success," that will focus on the important role Hispanics will play in meeting future US workforce needs and feature celebrities Tony Plana, Wilmer Valderrama, Rep. Pedro Pierluisi and Latino education policy experts. Next, from 6:30-7:00pm/et, Telemundo's Jose Diaz-Balart will host "Noticiero Telemundo" live from the New World Center, featuring a segment on education as part of the "Education Nation" tour.

Job One: Preparing America to Compete in the 21st Century Monday, May 21

Then, from 7:30-8:45pm/et, Florida's leading business and civic leaders will gather at the New World Center for Job One: Preparing America to Compete in the 21st Century, a panel discussion moderated by NBC News Natalie Morales and Telemundo's José Díaz-Balart and NBC 6's Diana Gonzalez. Panelists and guests will share ideas and recommendations for ensuring the region's workforce has a competitive edge in our global economy. The "Job One" event will air on NBC 6 on Saturday, May 26th from 1:00-2:00pm/et.

Education Nation Express - May 21-25
In addition to the above listed events, from May 21-25th, the "Education Nation Express" bus will travel throughout the region as NBC 6 and Telemundo 51 reporters highlight examples of education innovation in action. For more information on "Education Nation Miami" visit EducationNation.com, check us out on Facebook: facebook.com/EducationNation or follow us on Twitter @EducationNation.
About Helios Education Foundation

Helios Education Foundation is focused on creating a high-expectations, college-going culture in Arizona and Florida by investing in initiatives that create opportunities for postsecondary education success. The Foundation focuses its investments across the education continuum in three key impact areas: Early Childhood Education, the Transition Years (Grades 5-12) and Postsecondary Scholarships. As an engaged foundation, embedded in communities across both states, the Foundation is contributing its leadership, expertise and financial resources to better prepare students to succeed academically and to compete in a globally competitive economy. Since 2006, Helios has invested nearly $115 million in education-related programs and initiatives in Arizona and Florida. For more information about the Foundation, visit www.helios.org.

About Education Nation

"Education Nation" seeks to create a thoughtful, well-informed dialogue with policymakers, thought-leaders, educators, parents and the public, in pursuit of the shared goal of providing every American with an opportunity to achieve the best education in the world. These discussions cover the challenges, potential solutions and innovations spanning the education landscape. By providing quality information to the public, NBC News hopes to help educate Americans so they can make decisions about how best to improve our education system both in the near and long terms, prepare students for the workforce of the future, and to shine a spotlight on one of the most urgent national issues of our time.

Deputy Director of Member Communications

Maisie McAdoo — Tue, 22 May 2012 19:14:02 GMT

Major New York City-based education union seeks communications deputy

Major education union seeks Deputy Director of Member Communications to help oversee all facets of the union's communications with its 120,000-plus members. The candidate must demonstrate substantial knowledge of and commitment to New York City public education and superb writing, editing and proofreading skills.

Duties

Write under tight deadline on breaking education and labor issues on behalf of union leadership for email blasts, fact sheets, newspaper columns and other venues;
Edit news stories in the union's biweekly member newspaper with an eye to clarity, style, accuracy and message;
Serve as editor and sometimes writer of all UFT-issued newsletters;
Draft online and print communications to mobilize members for the union's rallies and other political actions;
Support other member communication initiatives as needed; and
Help the director supervise the 18-person Member Communications Department
Qualifications:
Graduate degree preferred
Must be versed in urban education issues and able to demonstrate knowledge of the issues confronting the UFT and public education
At least five, and ideally 10 or more years of writing and editing experience
First-rate writing and editing skills and impeccable proofreading ability
Knowledge of and commitment to the labor movement
Meticulous attention to detail and able to juggle multiple tasks in a fast-paced, high-pressure work environment
A team player who contributes ideas and feedback in a productive manner and pitches in to help projects move forward
Willingness to occasionally work weekends and late nights
Expertise in Internet communications and website management a plus

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. Excellent salary and benefits.

Interested applicants should submit resumes, clips and cover letters by May 31, 2012 to:

United Federation of Teachers,
Communications Department
52 Broadway, 12th Floor
New York, NY 10004
Attn: D. McFadyen
Email: uftdeputyjob@uft.org
No faxes or phone calls please.

The Broadband Imperative: Recommendations to Address K-12 Education Infrastructure Needs

Douglas Levin — Tue, 22 May 2012 18:50:09 GMT

State Leaders Stress Importance of Robust Internet Access for Preparation of K-12 Students for College, Careers

May 21, 2012 (Washington, D.C.) Today the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) released The Broadband Imperative: Recommendations to Address K-12 Education Infrastructure Needs. This report examines current trends driving the need for more broadband in teaching, learning and school operations; provides state and district examples of the impact of robust deployment of broadband; and offers specific recommendations for the broadband capacity needed to ensure all students have access to the tools and resources they need to be college and career ready. "This information and guidance regarding broadband will assist states in understanding this critical cornerstone for providing equitable access to digital resources, professional development, and a personalized learning landscape," said Jorea Marple, West Virginia Superintendent of Schools.

Given existing trends and the experiences of leading states and districts, SETDA recommends that schools will need external Internet connections to their Internet service provider of 100 Mbps per 1,000 students and staff by 2014-15 and of 1 Gbps per 1,000 students and staff by 2017-18. Larry Shumway, Utah State Superintendent of Public Instruction, adds: "Utah supports the use of broadband technology in all of its classrooms. Broadband infrastructure is a vital tools for schools today and will help prepare students for college and careers in the future."

"Addressing teacher and student concerns regarding educational broadband reliability and speed is as critical as ensuring plumbing and electricity in schools. This report highlights the need for the federal government, states, districts and schools to invest not only in school broadband infrastructure but also more broadly to ensure students can access learning resources both in and out of school," stated Douglas Levin, Executive Director of SETDA. "Limited access to broadband must not become the stumbling block to helping all students make the most of their talents and abilities."

Wisconsin State Superintendent of Schools, Tony Evers, struck a similar theme by noting, "Digital learning offers exciting new opportunities for more personalized learning and student engagement in every classroom....We must move forward quickly to supply sufficient affordable broadband access to every student both in school and at home."

The Broadband Imperative is a product of collaboration among state educational technology leaders, leading technology companies, and policy and practitioner experts who every day are faced with the challenges of insufficient broadband and witness to the successes of robust access. The numerous examples in the report of successful broadband implementation by states and leading school districts illustrate the power of a fully implemented system.
Maine has long been a leader in leveraging technology for education and realizes the importance of robust broadband access. "Technology and broadband are key to giving students the power to take control of their own learning, and to engage frequently and instantly with learning tools across town and around the world. It's why the Maine Learning Technology Initiative made high speed Internet at all public schools a requirement," said Stephen Bowen, Commissioner of Education, Maine Department of Education.

As the report concludes, "Given that bandwidth availability determines which online content, applications, and functionality students and educators will be able to use effectively in the classroom, additional bandwidth will be required in many, if not most, K-12 districts in this country in the coming years. If we are serious as a nation about preparing all students for college and careers, a concerted national effort will be required to address both school-based bandwidth needs and out-of-school access for students and educators."

To access the full report, visit www.setda.org/web/guest/broadbandimperative

About the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA)

Founded in 2001, SETDA is the national member association that represents the interests of the educational technology leadership of U.S. state and territorial education agencies in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. SETDA members work collectively and in public-private partnerships to ensure that meaningful technology innovations with broad potential for systemic improvements and cost-savings in teaching, learning, and leadership are brought to scale. For more information, please visit www.setda.org.

National Seminar 2012: Tell Us What You Thought

Lori Crouch — Sat, 19 May 2012 15:38:15 GMT

national seminar 2012: tell us what you thought

National Seminar 2012: Tell Us What You Thought

The 65th National Seminar 2012, "Learning From Leaders: What Works For Stories and Schools," drew to a close on May 19 and now we need to hear from you. Please fill out the online evaluation form for the conference.

Scholarship recipients must respond in order to be reimbursed. But we would love input from all our attendees, especially about the new format we used for "Tomorrow's Teachers: Paths to Prestige and Effectiveness."

Thank you, everyone, for participating and we hope you collected lots of story ideas and sources from the conference.

New Advocacy Groups Shaking Up Education Field

Glen Baity — Fri, 18 May 2012 02:10:08 GMT

A new generation of education advocacy groups has emerged to play a formidable political role in states and communities across the country. Those groups are shaping policy through aggressive lobbying and campaign activity--an evolution in advocacy that is primed to continue in the 2012 elections and beyond. Stephen Sawchuk, Education Week, May 16, 2012

New Advocacy Groups Shaking Up Education Field

A new generation of education advocacy groups has emerged to play a formidable political role in states and communities across the country. Those groups are shaping policy through aggressive lobbying and campaign activity—an evolution in advocacy that is primed to continue in the 2012 elections and beyond. Stephen Sawchuk, Education Week, May 16, 2012

School-Test Backlash Grows

Glen Baity — Fri, 18 May 2012 02:02:47 GMT

The increasing role of standardized testing in U.S. classrooms is triggering pockets of rebellion across the country from school officials, teachers and parents who say the system is stifling teaching and learning. Stephanie Banchero, The Wall Street Journal, May 17, 2012

School-Test Backlash Grows

Up to 7.5 million Students Chronically Absent Each Year, Increasing Dropout Risk

Glen Baity — Fri, 18 May 2012 01:26:00 GMT

Up to 7.5 million students miss nearly a month of school each year, making them much more likely to drop out before they graduate, according to a new national report.

Study: Up to 7.5 million Students Chronically Absent Each Year, Increasing Dropout Risk

Up to 7.5 million students miss nearly a month of school each year, making them much more likely to drop out before they graduate, according to a new national report. Associated Press, May 17, 2012

'Chronically Absent' Students Skew School Data, Study Finds, Citing Parents' Role

Glen Baity — Fri, 18 May 2012 01:08:14 GMT

Up to 15 percent of American children are chronically absent from school, missing at least one day in 10 and doing long-term harm to their academic progress, according to a new study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Richard P�rez-Pe�a, New York Times, May 17, 2012

‘Chronically Absent’ Students Skew School Data, Study Finds, Citing Parents’ Role

Schools Benefit as Ad Astra Expands Services

Tracey Mershon — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:41:53 GMT

Higher education institutions document savings and efficiencies with data-driven professional services and analysis.

Overland Park, KS (May 16, 2012) Ad Astra Information Systems announces the expansion of the Professional Services division into four major areas of services, each offering a wide range of customized consultation and analytics solutions. The growth is in response to increasing demand from colleges and universities for tools and expertise that help them achieve systematic improvement and answer the call for greater cost savings and efficiencies on their campuses.

"Today's environment requires a new way of thinking. Higher education institutions are looking for solutions to shrinking budgets, growing enrollment demands and greater public scrutiny of their operations," said Tom Shaver, Ad Astra Founder and CEO. "Schools are coming to us with complex lists of needs and are asking for help. These consulting services are now better defined to help higher education institutions assess system capacity through skilled analysis."

The new categories in Professional Services are: Strategic Planning Services, Schedule Refinement Services, Product-Based Services and Technical and Data Services. Prior to this expansion, Ad Astra provided one primary strategic service called the Strategic Scheduling Check-Up, which helped schools evaluate their capacity issues and identify costs savings opportunities.

The Trend in Demand

Since January, Ad Astra has engaged with higher education customers for 43 sales of Professional Services. As a part of this demand, the company also is experiencing more higher education institutions seeking out Professional Services in a specific area of need before assimilating a new scheduling system.

For these schools, the specific services help them address problem areas and understand their capacity prior to launching into a major system change. Des Moines Community College (DMACC) and California State University at Long Beach (CSULB), for example, engaged Ad Astra to study their capacity issues and identify solutions. Together, Ad Astra and DMACC have pinpointed inefficient scheduling practices that led to capacity bottlenecks and identified gaps and inconsistencies among the campuses. At CSULB, classroom bottlenecks also were identified which helped them to accommodate greater enrollment growth.

MSU Serves More Students and Reduces Costs

Mississippi State University (MSU) is another example of a large institution that successfully utilized Ad Astra's Professional Services. In 2007, MSU was challenged to support annual enrollment growth of three to five percent through 2015, increasing enrollment from 17,000 to 22,000 without major facility construction. To reach this goal, Butch Stokes, University Registrar, knew they needed to assess how they were using their facilities and obtain buy-in from the top to make changes. After receiving findings and recommendations from Ad Astra, MSU was able to accommodate enrollment growth while absorbing budget cuts.

"MSU is now scheduling 4,200 more students and 50,000 more seats with 10 fewer classrooms," said Stokes. "An additional four classrooms will come off-line this year and we've reduced 103 faculty positions. The financial savings have been critical," he added.

MSU accomplished these results through metrics and goals developed by Ad Astra, including increasing enrollment ratios, improving seat-fill ratios, increasing room utilization and partnering with colleges and departments to tightly manage meeting patterns resulting in the lowest wasted space measured to date. For MSU, more opportunities lie ahead in the areas of student access to needed courses, which will improve graduation rates and has a potential savings of $102,800.

Professional Services Descriptions

"The expanded Professional Services division will help colleges and universities better assess their systems' capacity and inefficiencies. Our goal is to arm them with the tools and expertise to cut costs, conserve energy and manpower, improve student outcomes and, quite simply, connect all the dots," said Sarah Collins, Ad Astra Chief Business Development Officer, who led the expansion process.

Each Professional Service provides a comprehensive description, scope of services and set of deliverables. They are defined below:
Strategic Planning Services Ad Astra offers scheduling policy development, goal setting, process improvement and modeling for enrollment planning, construction planning, faculty and resource planning and academic program planning.

Schedule Refinement Services Often, the decentralized structure of academic units and the autonomy of scheduling from unit to unit serve as a cultural and political impediment to improving scheduling practices. Ad Astra consultants help schools break through these barriers by identifying high impact changes to create to an upcoming schedule, monitoring the progress of those changes and analyzing the financial and student success opportunities associated with each change. These services create momentum towards ongoing scheduling policy enforcement and refinement to ensure that progress in future academic terms.

Product-Based Services A variety of product-based services are available from implementation, continuing education and product training to high-impact services that leverage the products for optimal return on investment. Unique and custom product configuration services are available to support business needs and objectives, as well as using the products to create models and forecasts for future planning.

Technical and Data Services Ad Astra technical consultants work with clients to prepare data for implementations, create custom integration points for seamless interaction with other campus and even offer outsourcing of application hosting and application management services, reducing the technical footprint on a campus.

"In the past, higher education enjoyed complete autonomy and academic freedom," said Shaver. "Today, however, institutions must learn to operate with more transparency and efficiency. By being proactive, institutions can determine how to respond to the changing economic demands and implement systems that work for their unique needs."

About Ad Astra Information Systems

Based in Overland Park, KS, Ad Astra Information Systems has a North American presence with customers in the United States and Canada. More than 550 college and university campuses have licensed Ad Astra software products and services since 1996 to help them with their facilities scheduling, event management, resource management and more. The results of using the Ad Astra advanced technology include significant cost savings; better management of facilities, meeting space and classrooms; and greater student satisfaction and graduation rates. With scheduling and planning among the most strategically important activities in which an institution can engage, The Astra Schedule Suite has become the standard for higher education scheduling software. Ad Astra invests significant resources into research and development and was the first company of its kind to develop a web-based platform for higher education scheduling software. In 2010, the United States Patent Office issued Ad Astra a patent for its innovative method of determining student demand for academic course. The company is committed to improved student success and resource management efficiency in higher education. For more information, visit www.aais.com.

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New Directors Join EWA Board

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:36:33 GMT

2012-13 Slate of Board Officers Take Helm

Washington, D.C. (May 16, 2012) – The National Education Writers Association is pleased to announce the election of a new slate of officers and the addition of two new members to its board of directors. The new directors are Christine T. Tebbens of Grantmakers for Education and Greg Toppo of USA Today.

Stephanie Banchero will return for her second term as president and chairman of the 13-member board, while the board’s two vice presidents, Scott Elliott and Kent Fischer, also will start their second terms of office. Director Scott Jaschik, who joined the board in 2010, will assume the office of secretary. The officers’ one-year terms begin on May 17, as do the new members’ two-year terms of office.

“Greg and Chris bring a wealth of talent and expertise to EWA and to its mission to boost the quantity and quality of education coverage,” Ms. Banchero said. “As both the education and journalism landscapes undergo dramatic changes, we expect Chris and Greg to play significant roles in helping EWA grow and expand its influence.”

Ms. Banchero, a veteran education journalist, currently serves as national education reporter for the Wall Street Journal. Joining her in exercising leadership of the board for 2012-13 will be:

Scott Elliott, education reform reporter for The Indianapolis Star, as vice president/journalists;
Kent Fischer, vice president of GMMB, as vice president/advocates;
Scott Jaschik, co-founder and editor of Inside Higher Ed, as board secretary; and
Dale Mezzacappa, contributing editor at the Philadelphia Public School Notebook, as immediate past president.

New Members’s Bios

Christine Tebben is executive director of Grantmakers for Education, a Portland, Ore.-based membership organization for private and public philanthropies that support improved education outcomes for students from early childhood through higher education. Collectively, members of Grantmakers for Education invest over $2 billion each year to improve outcomes in early learning, K-12 public schools and after-school programs, and higher education. Tebben oversees and strengthen organization’s activities to improve the effectiveness of education philanthropy by helping foundation trustees, CEOs and program officers improve their knowledge of education issues, trends and effective grantmaking strategies. She also cultivates board leadership and develops the national nonprofit organization’s strategy.

Greg Toppo is the national K-12 education reporter for USA Today. A graduate of St. John’s College in Santa Fe, N.M., he taught in both public and private schools for eight years before moving into journalism. His first job was with the Santa Fe New Mexican, a 50,000-circulation daily. He worked for four years as a wire service reporter with the Associated Press, first in Baltimore and then in Washington, D.C., where he became the AP’s national K-12 education writer. He came to USA Today in 2002 and in 2005 broke the Armstrong Williams “pay for punditry” story that launched a widespread look at government propaganda. Toppo also co-led the USA Today team that in 2011 looked at educator-led cheating on standardized tests. The paper’s series prompted the Washington, D.C., inspector general to investigate high erasure rates in D.C. schools. Toppo was also a 2010 Spencer fellow at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

In addition to welcoming its new members, Ms. Banchero, other directors, and EWA staff members expressed their gratitude to two departing board members for their fine service to EWA: Outgoing board secretary Kathryn Baron of Thoughts on Public Education, San Jose, Calif.; and Cathy Grimes of The Daily Press Media Group, Newport News, Va.

Writer - Issue Briefs/White Papers

Fri, 11 May 2012 21:30:13 GMT

New York education non-profit seeks writer to research and edit a short series of issue briefs or white papers aligned with organizational mission.

The writer would work in collaboration with Executive Director and Program Development team to develop a series of targeted pieces directed to current clients (mostly school principals and teachers) as well as future clients. Please send inquiries to freelancingedreform@gmail.com and submit examples.

Blog Ghost Writer/Editorial Writer

Fri, 11 May 2012 21:29:03 GMT

New York education nonprofit seeks freelance writer to ghost write organization's blog

New York education nonprofit seeks freelance writer to ghost write organization's blog, working collaboratively with Executive Director, and to develop editorial pieces aligned with organizational mission. Please send inquiries to freelancingedreform@gmail.com and submit examples. The organization is shifting to a more reform-oriented agenda.

National Seminar Agenda Now Available

Glen Baity — Wed, 09 May 2012 16:01:06 GMT

Still thinking about whether you should attend our 65th National Seminar?

National Seminar Agenda Now Available

We're excited to unveil the full agenda for EWA's 65th National Seminar in Philadelphia on May 17-19. If you're joining us at the University of Pennsylvania, be sure to take a look, and get caught up on all the info you'll need to make your trip go smoothly.

What Studies Say About College Readiness

Thu, 03 May 2012 19:52:53 GMT

Among school reformers and policymakers, "college readiness" has become a ubiquitous rallying cry. But for all of the recent buzz about the term, it is difficult to say what it means, how such readiness might be measured, or what schools might do to produce it. EWA's new research brief delves into the current debates around, and research into, efforts to ensure that the majority of the country's young people receive a K-12 education that truly prepares them to succeed in college.

Click here to read the brief, and be sure to check out our previous briefs on Teacher Effectiveness and School Turnarounds.