from Learning Leaders What Works for Stories and Schools May 17-19, 2012 Philadelphia, Pa 65th NATIONAL SEMINAR hosted by the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education and the American Educational Research Association Welcome to the 2012 National Seminar of the Education Writers Association! rofessional development isn’t just important to the educators EWA members cover; for reporters, it’s integral to the job. Whether mining data, observing classrooms, or parsing the nuances of education policy, everyone has something new Pto learn. Over the next three days, some of the most interesting minds in education and journalism will discuss issues that affect education and journalism at all levels. We’re excited that you’re joining us, and trust that what you learn at this year’s National Seminar will inform your work for years to come. Over the next three days, some of the most interesting minds in education and journalism will discuss issues that affect their fields at all levels. EWA welcomes 12 exhibitors this year. Please see page 3 of the program for descriptions of their offerings. EWA extends special thanks to sponsors and other supporters of our 65th National Seminar. Sustaining Sponsors Bronze Sponsors The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Corinthian Colleges, Inc. The Joyce Foundation The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice Lumina Foundation National Education Association The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation Scholastic, Inc. The Walton Family Foundation Event Supporters Platinum Plus Sponsors Council of Chief State School Officers The College Board First Five Years Fund W.K. Kellogg Foundation The Hatcher Group Jobs for the Future Gold Sponsors KnowledgeWorks American Institutes for Research Measured Progress Campaign for Grade-Level Reading StudentsFirst Pearson University of Phoenix The Wallace Foundation Widmeyer Communications Wireless Generation #ewa12 2012 National Seminar of the Education Writers Association 1 2 2012 National Seminar of the Education Writers Association 2012 Exhibitors The American Institutes for Research is the major The Hatcher Group is a full-service public affairs and coordinating body for all the nation’s higher education communications firm that works with local and national institutions, representing more than 1,600 college organizations addressing education and poverty to close and university presidents, and more than 200 related achievement gaps and increase economic opportunity. associations, nationwide. Materials will include a sample of Their table will provide information on Attendance Works, recent reports and products. the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, the Center for Educational Policy, Horizons National, National Summer The College Board is a leading education organization that Learning Association, YouthBuild and others that are working provides programs and services to help students prepare on issues including school improvement, early reading and for and succeed in college. They partner with schools school readiness, chronic absenteeism, expanded learning and educators to enhance the learning process, foster time and education policy. achievement and support students on their path to higher education. The most reliable road to success leads through Measured Progress is a Dover, N.H.-based not-for-profit college, and for over a hundred years, the College Board has organization dedicated to improving instruction and student provided students with a map for their journey. learning in standards-based classrooms. The National Education Association is your resource for Corinthian Colleges is one of the largest postsecondary data and statistics, background information and on-the-record education companies in North America. Their mission is comment. Stop by their table for resources on education. to change students’ lives. They offer diploma and degree programs that prepare students for careers in demand or for Pearson, a leading education services company, is advancement in their fields. Their program areas include health serious about evolving how the world learns through deep care, business, criminal justice, transportation technology and education experience and research, investment in innovative maintenance, construction trades and information technology. technologies, and promotion of collaboration throughout the They have 119 Everest, Heald and WyoTech campuses, and education ecosystem. Real change is their commitment, and also offer degrees exclusively online. its results are delivered through connecting capabilities to create actionable, scalable solutions that improve access, The Council for Chief State School Officers is a affordability and achievement. For more information, visit nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public www.pearsoned.com. officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the StudentsFirst will present findings for national and state- Department of Defense Education Activity, and five U.S. level polling done around education issues and distribute extra-state jurisdictions. CCSSO provides leadership, materials recounting the work StudentsFirst has done in advocacy, and technical assistance on major educational states across the country, as well as highlighting the growth issues. The Council seeks member consensus on major of the organization as a whole. educational issues and expresses their views to civic and professional organizations, federal agencies, Congress, and The Wallace Foundation is an independent, national the public. foundation dedicated to supporting and sharing effective ideas and practices that improve education and enrichment The First Five Years Fund is a nonprofit organization opportunities for children. The foundation is currently that aims to focus nationwide attention and resources on focusing its efforts to strengthen education leadership to comprehensive, high-quality early-learning experiences for improve student achievement, enhance after-school learning children from birth to age five. They will be presenting “Invest opportunities, re-imagine and expand learning time during in US,” a five station exhibit devoted to the importance of school and over the summer and expand participation in arts early-childhood education, featuring touch-screen computers and culture. For more information and research on these and that allow you to explore the brain science and economic other related topics, please visit the Knowledge Center at research behind early learning and give you a look inside www.wallacefoundation.org. high-quality classrooms and programs. Wireless Generation is the leading provider of innovative education software, data systems, and assessment tools for reading, writing and math that are aimed at improving schools. 2012 National Seminar of the Education Writers Association 3 Conference Agenda At-a-Glance Thursday Hall of Flags Bodek Lounge Ben Franklin Golkin Class of 49 Amado (Irvine) Café 58 (Irvine) May 17 11:45 a.m. – Lunch & Panel 1:20 p.m. Discussion: What’s in Store From Common Core 1:30 – Advocates’ How to Improve Top Reporters’ Learning From How to Do 2:40 p.m. Session: Moving Your Access to Tips on Mining Experts on How Enterprise Stories the Iceberg on Schools School and to Observe on the Fly Social Media College Data Classrooms 2:45 – Examining Cutting Edge School Violence: Using Federal Advocates 3:50 p.m. College Spending Web Tools for What Reporters Education and Session: Reporter and Its Link to Journalists Can Uncover Census Data in Roundtable Price: A Practical Reporting Workshop 3:55 – What About Will Open Covering Are Vouchers 5:05 p.m. Principals? Source College ‘Collective Making a Courses Roil Impact’ and Comeback? the Waters? Its Link to Education 5:15 – 6 p.m. Pre-Dinner Speaker: Steven Brill – Stories I’d Like to See About Education 6 – 7 p.m. Dinner 7 – 8:30 p.m. Reception Friday Hall of Flags Bodek Lounge Ben Franklin Golkin Class Amado (Irvine) Café 58 May 18 of 49 (Irvine) 8 – 9 a.m. Breakfast & Speaker: U.S. Senator Michael Bennet – The Federal Role in Transforming Education 9 – 10:15 a.m. Tomorrow’s Teacher: Higher Ed Paths to Prestige and Plenary Session: Effectiveness Can Community (9 a.m. – 12 p.m.) Colleges Get Better? 4 2012 National Seminar of the Education Writers Association Friday, May 18 continued 10:45 a.m. – Tomorrow’s Teacher Higher Ed 12 p.m. (continued) Plenary Session: New Research on State Policy and College- Going Gaps 12:30 – 2 p.m. Lunch & Buskin Lecture: Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, N.J. 2:15 – Beyond Race? Access to High- Building Should Funding 3:30 p.m. Affirmative Action Quality Care for Narratives and Facilities Up for Debate Disadvan-taged Around Follow the Child? Kids Dropping Out 3:45 – 5 p.m. Summer Idyll or Early Learning: Blending What Is Being College Afford- Idle? Combating The Key to Classroom and Done to Shore ability: Covering Learning Loss Success? Online Learning: Up Charter the Costs Best of Both Quality? Worlds? 5:15 – EWA Business 5:45 p.m. Meeting 6 – 7 p.m. Reception Saturday Hall of Flags Bodek Lounge Ben Franklin Golkin Class of 49 Amado (Irvine) Café 58 (Irvine) May 19 8 – 9:15 a.m. Breakfast & Serious Fun: Speakers: Making, Not Are Americans Playing, Games Really ‘Losing for Learning Our Minds’? 9:30 – Looking at Story Lab Part How Schools Use 10:45 a.m. Patterns of I – Chronic Data to Improve Success, Not Absenteeism: Learning Failure, in Focus on the Communities of Data Color 11 a.m. – A Philadelphia Story Lab Part Reporting on 12:15 p.m.