Exam 2008 Archive

exam 2008 archive

KBIA News brings you Exam, a weekly look at education issues important to mid-Missouri. Hosted by Martin Winkler.

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12/15/08 As the U.S. economy sinks deeper into a recession, we take a look at how schools and universities are feeling the constraints of tightening budgets. Hosted by KBIA's Martin Winkler.

12/8/08 A new bill being implemented this school year puts a cap on how much tuition can rise each year. KBIA's Steve Weinman reports about the tuition restraints and how higher-learning schools plan to deal with it. Hosted by KBIA's Martin Winkler.

12/1/08 For some teachers, retirement is a long-term goal and a destination to lazy days and reminiscing. To Patricia Powell of Rocheport, retirement presented a new way of life. KBIA’s Steve Sliker spent the day with Powell as she accepted her award for the “most distinguished retiree.” And KBIA's Celeste Miller reports on how students from a Jefferson City elementary school are walking across Missouri to promote healthy living. Hosted by KBIA's Martin Winkler.

11/24/08 The University of Missouri recently received a C- grade from The Sustainable Endowments Institute for its eco-friendly policies. And students learn the language and the culture at Columbia's Chinese Language School. Hosted by KBIA's Sara Wittmeyer.

11/10/08 Education majors at the University of Missouri are having trouble learning to teach new math programs that are different from traditional teaching methods. KBIA’s Susie Steimle reports. And, KBIA’s Ken Boehlke reports on the process the naming committee went through to select a name for Columbia's new elementary school. Hosted by KBIA's Martin Winkler.

11/3/08 A video of a physical altercation at Hickman High School hit the popular Internet site YouTube in October. The 70-second clip left the City of Columbia with a swell of opinions about who was in the right and who was in the wrong. KBIA’s Kevin Lewis reports. And, the Columbia School District is just one of several districts that are closed on Election Day. KBIA’s Tim Kanak reports. Hosted by KBIA's Martin Winkler.

10/27/08 With the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority’s financial woes increasing from the credit market crisis, finding a way to make colleges more affordable is one of the major issues facing Missouri’s gubernatorial candidates. Rebecca Layne reports from Jefferson City. And, KBIA's Alex Swoyer profiles the Hickman High School football team's offensive guard Even Conrad. Hosted by KBIA's Martin Winkler.

10/20/08 In Fulton, school enrollment has been decreasing over the past decade and now the district’s budget is also decreasing. KBIA’s Meghan Freeman reports. The number of students receiving a free lunch or a lunch at a reduced price at Columbia public schools reached a record high in 2008. KBIA’s Robby reports. Also, an after-school program with humble roots in Mexico, Missouri, received a financial boost in October. Hosted by KBIA's Martin Winkler.

10/13/08 MU has a tool that will help students recognize when they are plagiarizing before they turn in their assignments. Also, some colleges are exploring Facebook to learn more about potential students before admitting them. And, KBIA’s Tim Kanak reports on why the Sustainable Endowments Institute gave MU a C minus on its annual college sustainability report card, and how the college is trying to improve that score. Hosted by KBIA's Martin Winkler.

10/6/08 In this week's Exam, we cover several aspects in the life of today’s student, including walking to school and how parents in the Boonville Public School District have more access to their children’s grades instead of just a periodical report card. Also, the Columbia Public School districts are housing everything from salt to ether in storage. But what happens to those chemicals over the years? KBIA's Matt Jeffries reports on a new program the Department of Natural Resources is offering to Missouri schools. Hosted by KBIA's Martin Winkler.

9/29/08 We take a field trip on the Exam school bus to explore issues outside of the classroom and to visit different student extracurricular activities from dealing with peer pressure to the tradition of Friday night football. Hosted by KBIA's Martin Winkler.

9/22/08 We look at how different schools are dealing with change, such as MU’s School of Health Professions needing to change the size of their classroom facilities. Also, Columbia’s Grant Elementary School has a new classroom this school year after a fire destroyed one of its outdoor classrooms. And another elementary school is trying to bring peace to the world by using pinwheels. Hosted by KBIA's Martin Winkler.

9/15/08 The nutritional value of school lunches has some students concerned. The Reynolds Journalism Institute dedication ceremony featured prominent figures discussing the future of journalism. Some Central Missouri schools are going to extra lengths to ensure campuses are prepared in the event of a shooting. Hosted by KBIA's Martin Winkler.

9/08/08 A growing number of students spend time in a classroom where they can’t even understand what their teacher is saying. A program this summer helped prepare some native Spanish speaking school children for the year ahead. Hosted by KBIA's Martin Winkler.

8/25/08 An update on changes this year in the Columbia Public Schools District and how college freshmen are making the transition to life away from home. Hosted by KBIA's Sara Wittmeyer.

5/12/08 Last month the Missouri House and Senate approved an expansion to Access Missouri, the state's higher education scholarship program. The program was designed in 2007 to help Missouri’s economically neediest students. But as KBIA's Sean Powers reports, the program may also help upper middle class families pay for college.

This spring we’ve been checking in regularly with local teachers at the end of their school day to hear what’s on their minds. Today, in our last Exam of the season, we bring you a few additional comments from the four teachers we spoke with. Columbia and Jefferson City teachers Matt Webel, Amy Sprenger, Cathy Carter and Sue Ann Moore weigh in on what it takes to be a good teacher… And on some challenges they’ve faced along the way.

5/5/08 One Columbia preschool is taking an alternative approach to early education. Its teachers instruct students entirely in French. But the students may be learning more than just a second way to communicate. Some experts feel that 'studying a foreign language can help a child’s brain develop. KBIA's Austin Coates visited the school and spoke with a communications professor about brain development.

In our last segment we looked at human brain development. But two MU psychologists have focused their new research on one of the brain's limitations … specifically its memory limits. KBIA's Mike Moreau spoke with the researchers about how memory affects the ways students learn in the classroom.

4/28/08 The Columbia School District's budget is due in June, but there's still much work to be done before then. The board has hosted a number of meetings to determine areas where cuts can be made. At a recent meeting, the board voted to send a proposed budget to district administrators. However, the proposal still predicts a $340,000 deficit for the 2008-2009 school year. KBIA's Kevin Lorenz reports.

In our "Class Dismissed" segment we check in with Amy Sprenger, a third-grade teacher at Southwest Elementary in Jefferson City, to hear what's on her mind at the end of a school day.

4/21/08 Enrollment in online courses continues to grow at area colleges. But students' success in those classes may depend in part on their personality traits. That's the focus of a recent study by an MU professor. KBIA's Martin Winkler reports on the research and what it's like to be an online student.

Every year, The Missouri Council on Public Higher Education honors teachers from each of the state's 15 public four-year universities. The governor recently recognized the nominees at a "Teacher of the Year" award reception. The University of Missouri nominee is Veterinary Medicine Professor Richard Meadows. KBIA's Sean Powers spoke with Meadows about his honor.

4/14/08 The Columbia School District is facing some challenges as it plans for the construction of a new elementary school set to open in August 2009. As KBIA's Christy Millweard reports, members of Columbia's Environment and Energy Commission have raised concerns that the school's proposed design is not as energy efficient as it could be.

A topic up for debate in some education circles is how to most effectively teach students to read and write. KBIA's Mike Moreau recently spoke with an MU professor who has written a book about trends in literacy education, and with a Jefferson City middle school literacy coach about the ongoing discussion.

4/7/08 On today's Exam, we check in with Columbia School District Superintendent Phyllis Chase one day before the April 8 election to talk about the school board race, $5 million in budget cuts and a 54-cent proposed tax levy. We also talked about plans to redraw the boundaries for Columbia elementary schools.

Click here to listen to the full interview with Phyllis Chase.

3/31/08 The Missouri Senate has passed a bill that would allow professionals with bachelor's degrees in fields other than teaching to become teachers in a short period of time... students in the Fayette school district will no longer be allowed to bring cell phones into the classroom... and "Class Dismissed," featuring a conversation with Jefferson City's North Elementary first grade teacher Cathy Carter.

View a "Leprechaun Trap" slideshow by clicking one of the following links:
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3/24/08 Parents of students at Grant Elementary in Columbia are concerned about traffic congestion near the school. During drop-off and pickup hours, school traffic and traffic from the neighboring Columbia Public Library makes the intersection of Garth and Broadway very busy. KBIA's Bonnie Thomas looks at how the Columbia school district is working with the city to improve traffic safety.

3/17/08 Not all childhood bullying takes place on the playground anymore. Now, bullying occurs on the Internet too. KBIA's Sara Wittmeyer takes a look at how educators and lawmakers are working to combat the growing problem of cyber bullying.

Also, fourth and fifth graders from Jefferson City recently competed in a Battle of the Books event at the Miller Performing Arts Center. KBIA's Kevin Lorenz reports about how competition makes reading fun for kids.

3/10/08 Wineries are found throughout the valleys of California and the plains of upstate New York. Each of them educates a new generation of winemakers with the coming of every harvesting season. Starting this fall, Missouri will be able to contend with these age-old experts. The University of Missouri will begin offering a degree in viticulture, with an emphasis in enology, through the Institute for Continental Climate Viticulture and Enology. KBIA's Christy Millweard reports.

Click here for a behind-the-scenes look at the wine bottling process at Les Bourgeois Winery in Rocheport.

3/3/08 The Columbia Public School Board voted unanimously to approve Budget Reduction Parameters for the 2008-2009 school year. KBIA's Martin Winkler tells us where the school board is looking to save some extra cash.

California Middle School students in California, Missouri, reached across the continents recently in an effort increase literacy in Lesotho, Africa. KBIA's R. Evan Groll talked with one of the school's teachers to find out what the students did and how their hard work paid off.

In our new segment, "Class Dismissed," we check in Columbia Independent School teacher Sue Ann Moore to hear what's on her mind.

2/25/08 This week, we look at two bills being considered by Missouri lawmakers. One would make private schools more affordable by giving parents a break on property tax payments, and the other would create a quality rating system for Missouri and Kansas preschools.

2/18/08 Sometimes student pranks can be funny, but when a bomb threat is involved it's anything but. KBIA's Elle Moxley spoke with officials at the Missouri Department of Safety to learn about the dangers and consequences students face when making a false report.

Some Columbia high school students learn first-hand what it's like to be an astronaut during a space simulation at Hickman High School.

And University of Missouri President Gary Forsee takes time out from his first day of work to talk with reporters.

2/11/08 Most colleges and universities strive to have the best students, faculty, and research facilities. MU is no exception. One way the University seeks to reach this goal is by raising a billion dollars in funding. KBIA's Sean Powers takes a closer look at MU's "For All We Call Mizzou" campaign.

And, in a new segment called "Class Dismissed" we're checking in regularly with local teachers to hear what's on their minds. Matt Webel is an English teacher and chair of the language arts department at Rock Bridge High School. Webel thinks of teaching as an art form, where a natural ability also takes effort and determination to reach students.