Beyond the Border: Covering U.S. Education in a Global Context

In 2016, a wealth of new international testing data and analysis will be issued from two major assessments at the precollegiate level. The results for students in dozens of countries are sure to once again spark debate over U.S. standing on the global stage and the implications for schools.

Many analysts and policymakers have expressed alarm at what they see as lackluster student outcomes in the United States, especially when compared with places such as Finland, Singapore, Shanghai, or right across the border in Canada. Meanwhile, interest is growing in gleaning educational lessons from overseas to bring back to the United States, whether to improve teacher quality, educational equity, or career and technical education.

Join the Education Writers Association for a one-day seminar on Dec. 11 to help journalists make sense of the global data and discussions, and how they’re relevant to U.S. schools. What do the international assessments tell us, and what are their limitations? How much stock should U.S. educators and policymakers place in looking abroad for promising practices? And, what is the experience of U.S. schools, districts, and states that are engaged in efforts to put student achievement in a global context or incorporate educational practices from overseas.

We’ll bring together educators, analysts and fellow journalists — including some from other nations — to explore these and other issues about U.S. education on the global stage. You’ll come away with a deeper understanding, but also get practical ideas for how to build international data and context into your coverage on an ongoing basis.

Scholarships for registration, travel and lodging have closed. Scholarships were provided first come, first serve.