21st Century Schools

The U.S. ranks near the bottom of other industrialized nations in math and science education.  Kids in much of the industrialized world are so far ahead of our kids that some experts say only a radical restructuring of how we teach math and science will close the gap.  “21st Century Schools” is a multi-media campaign comprised of stories and programs on radio, television, newspaper and the internet.  These special reports explore:

* How bad the math/science gap is nationally and locally
* Why this gap exists and how it’s affecting our regional economy
* What changes might we make in our schools so kids in Northeast Ohio can better compete in the global economy

Friday, April 11th
90.3 WCPN during Morning Edition: A Preview of Our Series on 21st Century Schools
Morning Edition Host Eric Wellman highlights next week’s special coverage of education on 90.3 and WVIZ/PBS.  On radio, TV, and our website, we’ll have extended coverage about the education gap in science and math between the U.S. and the rest of the industrialized world.  U.S. students are trailing far behind in standardized international test scores and the gap will probably become wider unless major changes are made in the way students are taught.  Our reports over seven days will explore how bad the situation is nationally and locally, ask why, and explain how this is affecting Northeast Ohio’s economy.  It will also offer ideas of how to address the math/science gap.  We’ll hear from leading educators nationally and locally, from students and from employers.  We’ll visit a trail-blazing Ohio school and hear about other schools on the drawing board that are being designed specifically to make Ohio students better able to compete in the global economy. 

Monday, April 14th
90.3 WCPN during Morning Edition: The Jobs – Skills Mismatch (In-Depth Segment)
Too many high school graduates don’t have adequate knowledge or skill for even entry level jobs.  Contrary to the common perception that jobs are draining out of Northeast Ohio, area employers report that there are many employment opportunities in the region, but a lack of qualified applicants.  David C. Barnett explores this disconnect between supply and demand in visits to an auto parts manufacturer in Eastlake, a remote monitoring systems company in Avon and the Cleveland Clinic’s nursing division.

Akron Beacon Journal Article: Akron’s New Math and Science Middle School
In conjunction with ideastream’s focus on the math/science education gap, the Akron Beacon Journal reports on an experimental middle school being formed by Akron Schools, the city of Akron, the Inventors Hall of Fame and the University of Akron.  The school aims to get kids beyond the problems they traditionally encounter with fractions and 8th grade algebra.  The school system is creating an entirely new curriculum.  Scheduled to open in the fall of 2010, construction will begin this summer and the new facility will be attached to the Inventors HOF.  GAR Foundation is leading fund raising efforts with a goal of securing $15 million.  80% of the students will come from Akron with the balance from surrounding districts.  To get into this unique middle school, applicants must show interest and win a spot through a lottery.  ABJ reporter, John Higgins, and educators involved in the school’s formation will be on The Sound of Ideas Tuesday to talk more about the concept and the driving forces behind the school.

Tuesday, April 15th
90.3 WCPN during Morning Edition: Columbus Tries Radical Approach to Teaching Science (In-Depth Segment)
There are many ideas out there about how to turn around our schools: small schools, business involvement, more parental involvement and new ways of teaching students to think, communicate and collaborate just to name a few. One new high school in Columbus is trying all those ideas. Is this small, science-focused, public high school the future of education? Ohio State with help from the Battelle Education Initiative - along with 16 Franklin County districts—are some of the big investors betting that it is.  ideastream education reporter Dan Bobkoff traveled to Columbus to take a look at the Metro School, to find out what makes it different and how well it’s working.

90.3 WCPN - The Sound of Ideas (9:00 AM): Science-focused Education in Akron
Host Dan Moulthrop explores the ideas behind the experimental math and science middle school being formed in the Akron Public School system.  Guests include Akron Beacon Journal reporter John Higgins, author of the April 14th AJB article about this experimental school and regional educators.

Wednesday, April 16
90.3 WCPN during Morning Edition: What College Students Don’t Know
If college journalism students can’t name a single country that borders Israel, and some of them think Islam is the principal religion in South America, are these young adults getting the right education—in this age of information? Maybe it’s time to bring back current events as part of the curriculum.  Will our global economy tolerate American students who lack a basic understanding of geography, history and civics?  Some educators think this is more important than job-related or career specific education.  Noted Case-Western Reserve University professor Ted Gup writes about the problem in the Chronicle of Higher Education and talks with us about it on Morning Edition. 

90.3 WCPN - The Sound of Ideas (9:00 AM): Entrepreneurship Preparatory School in Cleveland
On Wed., April 16th The Sound of Ideas’s topic will be Entrepreneurship Preparatory School (E-Prep) - a 21st-century Cleveland school that appears to be succeeding where others are struggling. Started last year, E-Prep is a Cleveland charter school for 6th and 7th graders.  Students spend 10-hours per day in class with no extended summer break. They have a strict dress code.  All E-Prep kids are on a track for college and are outperforming their public school peers in math, reading and language skills.  E-Prep is the creation of Cleveland businessman John Zitzner who helped build a curriculum that pieces together what some consider the best practices of successful schools around the country.  SOI will be on site at the school for this show to meet some of the people involved in the school’s creation and ongoing operations, including teachers, students and administrators.

WVIZ/PBS - ideas: 21st Century Schools at 8:00 pm Wednesday April 16th; at 8:30 am on Saturday April 19th and at 4 pm on Sunday April 20th
Through a mix of in-depth field segments and lively, town-hall meeting discussion, this program looks to the future of education in Ohio and in the United States.  This one-hour broadcast deals specifically with how well our students are being educated in math and science, and how to better prepare them to compete in a global economy.  Ohio students perform close to the average level in math and science compared to the rest of the country, but the U.S. ranks near the bottom in comparison with thirty other industrialized nations. Viewers will see a vivid example of the gap when we give a high school math test from #1 ranked Finland to students in NE Ohio.  We’ll visit a potential model school in Columbus which is taking a markedly different approach to education and we’ll hear about plans for a similar school in Cleveland. We’ll talk to professors who study education here in the US and abroad about why we lag behind, and offer suggestions on how to improve the odds.  We examine a new approach to teaching with Ken Kay President of Partnership for 21st Century Skills - an education initiative now at work in six other states and supported by major US companies. ideastream’s Dan Moulthrop, Rick Jackson and Dan Bobkoff are joined by a studio audience of students, parents, educators and regional leadership.

Thursday, April 17th
90.3 WCPN during Morning Edition: Show Me the Money - Six Figure Salaries for Teachers (In-Depth Segment)
A New York City charter school set to open next year will test one of the most fundamental hypotheses in education: Is significantly higher pay for teachers the key to improving schools? The school, which will include fifth to eighth grades, promises to pay teachers $125,000, plus a potential bonus based on school-wide performance.  ideastream education reporter Dan Bobkoff will have details on the plan, as well as reactions from educators and policy makers in northeast Ohio. 

Friday, April 18th
WVIZ/PBS - Feagler & Friends (8:30 PM):  Filling the Math/Science Void
In February, the Cleveland School District received a 600-thousand dollar state grant to fund a new high school focused on science, technology, engineering and math.  Dick Feagler will talk to organizers of the so-called STEM school to find out where things stand and how exactly a STEM school will be different and better than other educational opportunities in the district.

Sunday, April 20th
WVIZ/PBS: School’s Out: Building the Foundation for Our Region’s Future (5:00 PM)
Originally broadcast on Cleveland’s NBC affiliate WKYC Channel 3, this is the fourth in a series of locally produced documentaries exploring issues affecting Northeast Ohio’s children.  This episode focuses on employers’ needs and examines how school and community programs are needed to build job-critical skills.

Monday, April 21st
90.3 WCPN during Morning Edition: Employers and Job-Seekers at a Crossroads (In-Depth Segment)
ideastream reporter David C. Barnett visits a local jobs fair to examine the latest match-making techniques corporate recruiters are using to find the best and brightest to fill their job openings.  We’ll see how employers select the workers they need and hear their suggestions for those on a job-hunt.  Barnett will also introduce listeners to those who are struggling to find work, despite having acquired the right qualifications.

Friday, April 25th
90.3 WCPN: City Club Broadcast: Cleveland Schools that are Making a Difference (12:30 PM)
A new study to be released April 25th identifies 13 Cleveland schools as models of “best practices” in raising student performance. The schools are being highlighted for what they teach, the way they teach, their vision and their parental involvement. Seven are public schools; others are private, parochial or charter schools.  Hear a full discussion of the findings as 90.3 broadcasts the City Club forum speaker, Gerry House. She is chief author of the study and CEO of The Institute for Student Achievement, a non-profit organization that partners with high schools to transform them into academically rigorous learning communities. This is the final installment in our series on 21st Century Schools on 90.3.

Support for the presentation of Education topics on WVIZ/PBS comes from: The Cleveland Foundation, The GAR Foundation, The George Gund Foundation and the Thomas H. White Foundation, a KeyBank Trust.