Illinois (AP) Editors Association

NO REPORTER LEFT BEHIND

Every politician in America talks about it and all the newspapers in Illinois give it tons of ink: Education.

And so it was no real surprise that a Standing-Room-Only crowd showed up Jan. 20 for a daylong seminar sponsored by the Illinois Associated Press Editors Assn.

More than 50 reporters from 22 AP member newspapers attended the sessions in the auditorium graciously offered at the State Journal-Register.

The seminar, called "The School Beat beyond the Basics," featured:

Randy Dunn, interim Illinois State Superintendent of Schools;

Max McGee, former state superintendent now running a district in Wilmette;

Stephanie Banchero, education writer for the Chicago Tribune;

Niki Dizon, political and education reporter for Associated Press in Chicago, and

Tara Malone, education reporter for the Daily Herald in Arlington Heights.

They covered the “No Child Left Behind” law, school report cards, understanding school budgets, and related topics. (See separate story on the top reporting tips.)

Papers got their money’s worth ($25 for first registration; $15 for subsequent) judging from comments turned in:

All of the handouts should come in handy, esp. the "Show us the Money" glossary of terms on school finance packets. Hearing from a mix of journalists and school officials was also helpful.

Tara! Thank you for the glossary/primer! Niki, thank you for samples of quick hit stories. Stephanie, thank you for copies of your series. A real treat!

I’ve been to bigger conferences without nearly as many good handouts!

I particularly liked the glossary terms & primer on finances. I wish I had that when I was starting out rather than learning it the hard way.

I enjoyed all these sessions! A nice variety. I got several story ideas!

Stephanie was great! Dunn was annoyingly rambling and dodging questions.

It is great to know that you’re not alone in the trenches of education.

Given the time allowed, I was pleased with the content, though some tended to focus on fairly basic info (school report card).

Please don’t move this to Chicago! Downstate papers … would not be able to attend.

Great seminar, thank you!

Thanks! Overall I loved it and feel more energetic about education reporting.

The seminar was great. The talks were informative. Thanks!

Thanks! Good conference. Got some useful tips and story ideas.

Nice! Extremely lovely and amazing chairs. Great!

Last year’s session on political coverage was equally well received but had somewhat lower attendance.

The IAPEA board already is talking about a similar session for next year. One idea gaining favor is being called “Business Reporting for Dummies” although the marketing department will no doubt want to change it. Any other suggestions are welcome. Contact any board member.

TOP REPORTING TIPS

Numbers: You can get bogged down in numbers from schools. There are the report cards, the budget, the levy. Try to put a face on these numbers. What does it mean to little Joey if the budget was cut $300,000 and he won't have physical education classes anymore, for example. This helps break up the story. Numbers are still very important, but they need to be put into context.

Don't overly rely on administrators. Get into the schools. There are lots of stories to be found with students and teachers alone. Plus, since many of us are many years out of grade/middle/ high school, it also will help us better relate. Times have changed a lot and school isn't what it used to be. How can we write about schools if we don't know what they're like?

Look at changes over time. When crunching numbers, there can be big differences from one year to the next. However, maybe over the past five years, there's not really much change at all. Or, if there is a big difference in that one year, why? Did something happen in the school? Did administrators try a new curriculum and it worked/ didn't work.

Don't always believe what you hear/see. Don't take administrators’ word for what test scores were, or for what a tax levy will be. Learn how to do the numbers yourself. It also will help you better understand the process ... especially with tax levies/ budgets. Spend some time with the superintendent and learn about the budget process. It affects nearly every decision made.

On No Child Left Behind... We all know it's a pain to administrators. We know it's expensive. But what does it mean to the students themselves? Are they benefiting? Would be worthwhile following a student who got to transfer from a failing to a passing school and see how their school/ life experiences change.

Other tips heard and things learned.

Personalize and localize national education stories.

Some stories to check into: Bilingual education and the many languages spoken in the local districts; school transfers under No Child Left Behind; how tutoring is working out under NCLB.

Under Bush's proposal to add high schools to NCLB, seniors will have to take a national test that will allow comparisons between states. So that's something to watch for if it passes in Congress.

Look at long term test trends to see if students are really improving academically.

Press coverage can change state policy.

Your administrators are your experts, but don't forget about those teachers and parents.

After reporting the initial numbers story from the school report cards, go back and look for interesting tidbits of information. For example, changes in how many minutes they spend teaching on a specific subject; mobility rate; % of subgroups taking tests.

On the same report card note, keep the information to mine for data during slow periods and use the ISBE website to look for comparative stories over a span of time.

Take the story a step or two further. On an issue like NCLB or consolidation take a child or a class and follow them through this transition with periodic reporting.

Double check the numbers. School districts frequently quote us the numbers. Tax rates, increases and what it would cost the owner of a $XX,XXX home. Remember to check the math ourselves and not take their numbers for granted. Remember they have an agenda.



			NEWSLETTER NO REPORTER LEFT BEHIND Every politician in America talks about it and all the newspapers in Illinois give it tons of ink: Education. And so it was no real surprise that a Standing-Room-Only crowd showed up Jan. 20 for a daylong seminar sponsored by the Illinois Associated Press Editors Assn. More than 50 reporters from 22 AP member newspapers attended the sessions in the auditorium graciously offered at the State Journal-Register. The seminar, called "The School Beat beyond the Basics," featured: Randy Dunn, interim Illinois State Superintendent of Schools; Max McGee, former state superintendent now running a district in Wilmette; Stephanie Banchero, education writer for the Chicago Tribune; Niki Dizon, political and education reporter for Associated Press in Chicago, and Tara Malone, education reporter for the Daily Herald in Arlington Heights. They covered the “No Child Left Behind” law, school report cards, understanding school budgets, and related topics. (See separate story on the top reporting tips.) Papers got their money’s worth ($25 for first registration; $15 for subsequent) judging from comments turned in: All of the handouts should come in handy, esp. the "Show us the Money" glossary of terms on school finance packets. Hearing from a mix of journalists and school officials was also helpful. Tara! Thank you for the glossary/primer! Niki, thank you for samples of quick hit stories. Stephanie, thank you for copies of your series. A real treat! I’ve been to bigger conferences without nearly as many good handouts! I particularly liked the glossary terms & primer on finances. I wish I had that when I was starting out rather than learning it the hard way. I enjoyed all these sessions! A nice variety. I got several story ideas! Stephanie was great! Dunn was annoyingly rambling and dodging questions. It is great to know that you’re not alone in the trenches of education. Given the time allowed, I was pleased with the content, though some tended to focus on fairly basic info (school report card). Please don’t move this to Chicago! Downstate papers … would not be able to attend. Great seminar, thank you! Thanks! Overall I loved it and feel more energetic about education reporting. The seminar was great. The talks were informative. Thanks! Thanks! Good conference. Got some useful tips and story ideas. Nice! Extremely lovely and amazing chairs. Great! Last year’s session on political coverage was equally well received but had somewhat lower attendance. The IAPEA board already is talking about a similar session for next year. One idea gaining favor is being called “Business Reporting for Dummies” although the marketing department will no doubt want to change it. Any other suggestions are welcome. Contact any board member. TOP REPORTING TIPS Numbers: You can get bogged down in numbers from schools. There are the report cards, the budget, the levy. Try to put a face on these numbers. What does it mean to little Joey if the budget was cut $300,000 and he won't have physical education classes anymore, for example. This helps break up the story. Numbers are still very important, but they need to be put into context. Don't overly rely on administrators. Get into the schools. There are lots of stories to be found with students and teachers alone. Plus, since many of us are many years out of grade/middle/ high school, it also will help us better relate. Times have changed a lot and school isn't what it used to be. How can we write about schools if we don't know what they're like? Look at changes over time. When crunching numbers, there can be big differences from one year to the next. However, maybe over the past five years, there's not really much change at all. Or, if there is a big difference in that one year, why? Did something happen in the school? Did administrators try a new curriculum and it worked/ didn't work. Don't always believe what you hear/see. Don't take administrators’ word for what test scores were, or for what a tax levy will be. Learn how to do the numbers yourself. It also will help you better understand the process ... especially with tax levies/ budgets. Spend some time with the superintendent and learn about the budget process. It affects nearly every decision made. On No Child Left Behind... We all know it's a pain to administrators. We know it's expensive. But what does it mean to the students themselves? Are they benefiting? Would be worthwhile following a student who got to transfer from a failing to a passing school and see how their school/ life experiences change. Other tips heard and things learned. Personalize and localize national education stories. Some stories to check into: Bilingual education and the many languages spoken in the local districts; school transfers under No Child Left Behind; how tutoring is working out under NCLB. Under Bush's proposal to add high schools to NCLB, seniors will have to take a national test that will allow comparisons between states. So that's something to watch for if it passes in Congress. Look at long term test trends to see if students are really improving academically. Press coverage can change state policy. Your administrators are your experts, but don't forget about those teachers and parents. After reporting the initial numbers story from the school report cards, go back and look for interesting tidbits of information. For example, changes in how many minutes they spend teaching on a specific subject; mobility rate; % of subgroups taking tests. On the same report card note, keep the information to mine for data during slow periods and use the ISBE website to look for comparative stories over a span of time. Take the story a step or two further. On an issue like NCLB or consolidation take a child or a class and follow them through this transition with periodic reporting. Double check the numbers. School districts frequently quote us the numbers. Tax rates, increases and what it would cost the owner of a $XX,XXX home. Remember to check the math ourselves and not take their numbers for granted. Remember they have an agenda.

NEWSLETTER

NO REPORTER LEFT BEHIND

TOP REPORTING TIPS