Major Conference for Education Writers Comes to Stanford in May

The National Education Writers Association’s  flagship annual conference has been scheduled to be held  May 2-4, 2013 on the Stanford campus,  jointly sponsored by the Stanford School of Education,  the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education (SCOPE), and the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the Washington-based national research association for 25,000 scholars engaged in research in education and learning.

Titled "Creativity Counts: Innovation in Education and the Media," the event will capitalize on Stanford's location in the heart of Silicon Valley to explore approaches that differ from prevailing practice in both education and journalism.

The EWA conference, known as the National Seminar, attracts approximately 300 journalists, communications professionals, scholars, and newsmakers, who are working at the crossroads of education and media. 

“Stanford is a gorgeous campus with a storied history, and holding our conference there will give our reporters access to some of the leading scholars in education,” said Stephanie Banchero, national education reporter for the Wall Street Journal and president of the EWA Board of Directors.

The 2013 gathering will mark the second time in as many years that the AERA will co-host the event; the research organization partnered with the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education to co-host EWA’s 2012 National Seminar in Philadelphia last May.

“We are very pleased to continue our collaboration with EWA, and to join with Stanford to co-host this seminar,” said Felice J. Levine, AERA Executive Director. “AERA is committed to encouraging research of the highest quality and to working with journalists on effective use of research. This collaboration exemplifies that ambition.”

Stanford officials said they were excited by the opportunity to host the convening. “The nation is focusing an unprecedented amount of attention on education and nearly every dimension of schooling is up for reconsideration: pedagogies, models of school governance and financing, use of technology, assessment, and so on,” noted Claude Steele, the I. James Quillen Dean of the Stanford School of Education. “In this process, education media and researchers play vital roles in ensuring that sound, well-researched knowledge informs change.”

The EWA national seminar will take place in the Bay Area within days of AERA’s national conference. The two organizations intend to take advantage of that proximity to bring together reporters and researchers to explore best practices in the use of data to inform both education and its coverage.

“This seminar is a fantastic opportunity for members of these two groups to come together to examine the research, practice, and policies that will ensure that all students receive a good education," Steele said.

Along with a rich menu of speakers, site visits, and interactive workshops, the program will set aside time for talking with colleagues and making new contacts. EWA also will honor the winners of the annual National Awards for Education Reporting and announce the recipient of the Fred M. Hechinger Grand Prize for Distinguished Education Reporting.

“We want everyone — from newcomers to newsroom veterans — to come away with new skills, knowledge, contacts and story ideas,” said EWA executive director Caroline Hendrie. “Creativity Counts will show how innovation is transforming education — and help participants unleash their own creativity.”