Project Topic: Education

Eye on Education, Boston, MA

6 Mar, 2002 in Education

Eye on Education, Boston, MA 2002

Partners:

WGBH radio and television (PBS)
The Boston Globe
El Mundo Newspaper
WRCA-AM

The “Eye on Education” initiative addressed such issues as character education, vouchers, charter schools and high-stakes testing. In addition to regular reports, the project featured a special week of TV programming, March 28-April 4, 2002, culminating with “A Day in the Life,” a one-hour verite film that documented a single day at Jeremiah Burke High School from different perspectives.

Passing the Test, Monroe, LA

6 Mar, 2001 in Education

Passing the Test, Monroe, LA 2001

Partners:

The News-Star, newsstar.com
Louisiana Tech University
Grambling State University
SPJ Lincoln Collegiate Chapter

The paper used civic mapping to explore why more than a quarter of Monroe’s fourth- and eighth-grade public school students had failed high-stakes state math and reading tests. The project generated an outpouring of community help for local schools.

The News Star focused on five Monroe public schools for its mapping effort and partnered with the journalism schools at Louisiana Tech and Grambling to recruit the manpower needed to explore the five communities. Teams of one reporter and two students went into the community, meeting with teachers, administrators and parents and walking the streets to find “third places” outside the schools themselves.

2001: A Learning Odyssey, Savannah, GA

2 Mar, 2001 in Education

2001: A Learning Odyssey, Savannah, GA 2001

Partners:

Savannah Morning News
WSOK-AM

The paper brought together 60 citizens in August 2000 as the first step in its project on Savannah’s failing public schools. The 39,000-student district was among the worst in the nation. It had gone through three superintendents in five years, the school board was fighting with the governor over school reform, and six schools were about to be taken over by the state. Yet, the meeting was the first effort to involve citizens in developing strategies for school improvement.

Common Ground, San Jose, CA

2 Mar, 1996 in Education

Common Ground, San Jose, CA 1996

Partners:

San Jose Mercury News
KNTV (ABC)
KPIX-TV (CBS)
KIVE and KARA Radio
Santa Clara Public Libraries

“Common Ground” was an editorial page project designed to encourage public discussion on controversial topics and create public spaces where those discussions could occur. On its editorial and commentary pages, the Mercury News editorial board would publish lists of suggested reading on topics such as affirmative action or changing the state constitution. Library officials recommended the books and magazines and ensured the lists were broad-based and not slanted toward a particular view.

Grading Our Schools, Rochester, NY

6 Mar, 1995 in Education

Grading Our Schools, Rochester, NY 1995

Partners:

Rochester Democrat andChronicle
WXXI Public Television
WOKR-TV (ABC)

Eight years after a highly touted school reform effort began, Rochester area residents still had concerns about education. “Grading our Schools” got hundreds of them participating – through polls, televised town meetings, focus groups and chat rooms – in appraising and redirecting the effort. The project also laid the groundwork for several subsequent civic journalism projects on education, violence and youth issues.