Exam

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

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2/08/10 On this week's Exam, we discuss how technology at Mexico Middle School allows a group of seventh graders to work on their broadcast journalism skills. Also, preschools in Columbia teach toddlers sign language. Hosted by KBIA’s Steve Weinman. (Pictured right: Audrey Lasley gives her students water as the children take a break, Jan. 19. Lasley uses snack times and drink breaks as opportunities for the children to use sign language.)

2/01/10 On this week's Exam, we discuss one way the MU art department raises funds. Also, enrollment numbers at University of Missouri's College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources are at an all-time high. Hosted by KBIA's Steve Weinman. (Pictured left: The University of Missouri's art department now raises funds by making screen prints of rare historical plates that have been temporarily donated to the school.)

1/25/10 The Columbia Public School District Braces for what could be a third straight year of budget cuts. We talk to teachers about how this is affecting their classrooms. And one Columbia resident has spent 30 years creating a mural to teach her Sunday school students about the Bible. Hosted by KBIA's Sara Wittmeyer.

1/18/10 Parents are usually the typical volunteers at elementary schools. However, there are WatchDOGS on the playground and in classrooms at Parkade Elemetary School. In this week's Exam, KBIA's Chelsea George talks with a parent volunteer who brings a special presence to elementary school children. Also, returning from a major surgery is usually a long, tough road for an athlete. MU baseball player Ryan Gebhart is currently traveling that road, pushing to be ready for the season opener in February. KBIA's Parker Leppien takes us behind the scenes of Gebhart's path to back to the diamond. Hosted by Sara Wittmeyer.

1/11/10 In this week's Exam, we look at Columbia's Adult Learning Center. Teachers there work to help students become better English speakers. We also look at a program designed to help international spouses find friends, support, and resources in Columbia. Hosted by KBIA's Sara Wittmeyer. (Pictured right: Audra Jenkins with a student who takes classes in Columbia's Adult Learning Center.)

1/04/10 In this week's Exam, administrators at Helias High School in Jefferson City recently amended the school's dress code to ban "deck shoes." Alex Cooks looks at how the school's policy compares to other Jefferson City Schools. And we explore the issue of censorship and school newspapers. Hosted by KBIA's Sara Wittmeyer.

12/28/09 In this week's Exam, KBIA's Brandon Spencer travels to Laddonia, Missouri to look at how the district is using money from the EMINTS program to enhance student learning. EMINTS is a program that puts new technology in the classroom and then offers training to teachers so they can learn how to use the technology. Hosted by KBIA's Sara Wittmeyer.

12/21/09 For students who decide to drop out of high school, getting back in is almost impossible. But, the Ashland Alternative School has opened its doors to twenty high school students to give them a second chance. Also, more than a hundred students recently danced for eight hours straight to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network. (Pictured: Dance marathon participants)

12/14/09 In this week's Exam, we discuss UM System President's Gary Forsee recent town-hall meeting on the MU campus. Also, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education closes in on a partnership with one French academy. Hosted by KBIA's Steve Weinman.

12/07/09 In this week's Exam, we discuss the use of a learning garden to educate students at Southern Boone County Elementary School about ecology and nutrition. Also, there is a new addition to the dining halls at the University of Missouri, and it comes from the sea. Hosted by KBIA's Steve Weinman.

11/30/09 In this week's edition of Exam, we discuss one Mid-Missouri school's utilization of an initiative to help vision-impaired students. Also, Pilot Grove Elementary School encourages its students to read outside the classroom. Hosted by KBIA's Steve Weinman.

11/23/09 In this week's Exam we take a look at the FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid. We learn about what some legislators are doing to change the loan system. And Governor Jay Nixon reached an agreement last week not to severely cut colleges budgets if they would freeze tuition. We break down what this could mean for other parts of the budget. Hosted by KBIA's Sara Wittmeyer. Click the link on the left for more with Governor Jay Nixon on the tuition agreement. Video courtesy of Talking Politics commentator, Jason Rosenbaum.

11/16/09 In this week's Exam, we discuss how a new cell phone policy in Boonville's middle school is affecting enforcement of the school's dress code. Also, Missouri has some of the nation's toughest standards for assessing math and reading comprehension. Hosted by KBIA's Steve Weinman.

11/9/09 In this week's Exam, we discuss the increase in homeless students in Columbia's public schools and learn the story of one such student. Also, Moberly Area Community College enrollment continues to expand. Hosted by KBIA's Steve Weinman.

11/2/09 In this week's Exam, we discuss the use of grant funding to improve technological tools in fifth-grade classrooms in Laddonia. Also, schools in Moberly use the Internet to strengthen parent-teacher relationships. Hosted by KBIA's Steve Weinman.

10/26/09 In this week's edition of Exam, we discuss how a property tax increase will provide a key gain for Columbia's educators. Also, several Missouri universities' alumni associations are using Twitter to reach out to former students. Hosted by KBIA's Steve Weinman.

10/19/09 In this week's Exam, we discuss the Early Childhood Learning Center's use of palm pilots as part of a reading program. Also, Missouri schools are using new methods to communicate with district parents. Hosted by KBIA's Steve Weinman.

10/12/09 In this week's Exam, we talk to the leading planners for a Catholic high school in Columbia about the school's namesake. Also, KBIA's Hillary Mullin speaks to MU assistant professor Motoko Akiba about her new book, "Improving Teacher Quality: The U.S. Teaching Force in Global Context." The book explores teacher quality, work norms and professional learning opportunities in the United States compared to Japan and Australia. Hosted by KBIA's Steve Weinman.

10/5/09 In this week's Exam, we share the ideas discussed during Friday's MU Faculty Council Forum on Salary and Benefits. Also, with more than 2,000 student journalists as well as many industry professionals in town, Columbia officials seem to meet the press at every turn. KBIA's Shannon Whitney explores the media population density of Columbia. Hosted by KBIA's Steve Weinman.

9/28/09 Forbes magazine ranks Westminster College in Fulton as the best value college in Missouri and as the country's 26th best liberal arts college. Also, KBIA talks to author Dave Cullen about his best-selling book Columbine, which debunks myths about the 1999 Columbine High School tragedy. Hosted by KBIA's Steve Weinman.

Web Extra! Listen to the full interview with Columbine author Dave Cullen here.

9/21/09 Jefferson City Public Schools administrators receive permission to utilize enforcement dogs as part of the drug search policy in middle and high schools. And, Columbia College's president announces an expansion of the school's science program. Hosted by Steve Weinman. (Pictured Columbia College president Gerald T. Brouder gives the annual State of the College Address.)

9/07/09 In this week's Exam, we discuss President Obama's plans to address the nation's students; a new campus program designed to provide jobs for University of Missouri students and a controversial State Supreme Court ruling. Hosted by KBIA's Steve Weinman.

8/31/09 Friday marked the deadline for parents in the Columbia School District to request transfers for their children. Under the No Child Left Behind Act, parents can move their children out of Title One elementary schools that failed to meet proficiency goals. KBIA's Elle Moxley sat down with Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education Jack Jensen to discuss the impact Columbia's 150 transfer requests will have on the entire district. Also, KBIA's Justin Rottger reports on the impact of the school board's recent decision to give some Columbia public school teachers a raise. Sara Wittmeyer hosts.

8/24/09 An audio postcard from the first day of school at Mizzou and at Columbia's Lee Elementary ... and, for the first time, MU food science majors can specialize in enology ... winemaking. Justin Rottger hosts.

8/17/09 How Columbia and Jefferson City schools fared in state MAP assessment tests ... and, a talk with a reporter on "The Beat" of how schools are preparing for H1N1 flu. Sara Wittmeyer hosts.

8/10/09 How Columbia's schools plan to use federal stimulus money earmarked for technology ... and, a Columbia elementary school gets a federal grant to start a local-food program. Janet Saidi hosts.

8/3/09 MU professors raise funds for a Chinese grad student's medical bills ... and, a group of Columbia leaders pushes for a nighttime curfew on teens. Janet Saidi hosts.. Sara Wittmeyer hosts.

7/27/09 Changes to the University of Missouri's pension plan ... and, a profile of the UM System's new treasurer, John Miller (pictured). Sara Wittmeyer hosts.

7/20/09 Profiles of two new mid-Missouri school superintendents ... North Callaway's Bryan Thomsen, and Jefferson City's Brian Mitchell (pictured, right; photo courtesy Jefferson City Public Schools). Sara Wittmeyer hosts.

7/13/09 How the elimination of the D.A.R.E. drug program affects school resource officers ... Governor Nixon appoints two University of Missouri curators ... and, should day care providers be responsible for giving kids sunscreen in the summer months? Sara Wittmeyer hosts.

5/11/09 Columbia Public School Interim Superintendent Jim Ritter is proposing to raise salaries by 1% for many district employees, despite the fact the district is expected to face a multi-million dollar shortfall next year. KBIA's Sean Powers sat down with Missourian reporter Kim Tran to get the specifics on the proposal. Also, a look at Parents as Teachers, a program where parent educators visit families at home. They work to prepare children for school, beginning at birth and sometimes even before. Finally, conflicting views on the new "requirement" at MU's Journalism School, to have incoming freshmen purchase an iPhone or iTouch.

5/04/09 This week, student filmmakers express themselves at the second annual Silverscreen Film Festival. And, the increasing problem of school bullying has one Missouri legislator wanting to make explicit anti-bullying policies in public schools. Hosted by Martin Winkler.

4/27/09 Today, Exam looks at how the historic town of Arrow Rock celebrates Home School Day. We also look at how students in elementary, middle and high school are substituting the traditional Map tests for End of Course Assessment Exams. Hosted by KBIA's Martin Winkler. (Pictured left: Students learning at Arrow Rock)

4/20/09 Today we look at new technologies as an MU student, who had her identity stolen, has state lawmakers looking to tighten security on computer hackers. And we talk with MU associate professor and researcher, Dr. Joel Epstein, who is researching and developing a video game to teach children what happens to their bodies during drug use. Hosted by KBIA's Martin Winkler.

4/13/09 Today we take a look at how a new bill passed by the Missouri House of Representatives puts a cap on the amount of fat and sugar in foods sold in public schools. We also talk with MU economics professor Michael Podgursky about his research regarding teacher pay and teacher quality. Hosted by KBIA's Martin Winkler. (Pictured right: Lunch tray at Hickman High School)

4/06/09 This week in exam, the various different school board races are previewed. We start in Moberly, move to Jefferson City and have a quick preview from other districts around Mid-Missouri. Hosted by Martin Winkler.

To access archives of Exam features in streaming audio, click on year: