2007 DECEMBER
December 26, 2007

Chicago's Military Academies Raise Education Debate
Elizabeth Brackett reports on a controversial program that has some of Chicago's public schools following the model of military academies, and the debate over whether it is an effective way to boost student performance in tough urban neighborhoods.

  

December 11, 2007

Tuition Cut for Some Middle-, Upper-Income Students
Harvard recently announced cuts in tuition for middle- and upper-income students. Analysts Richard Kahlenberg and Scott Jaschik discuss the recent trend in making college more affordable.

  

NOVEMBER
November 27, 2007

Extremist Schools in Pakistan Complicate Global Terrorism Fight
In Pakistan, a complex picture emerges of the influence and scope of Islamic religious schools, or madrassas, which are often portrayed as incubators of extreme ideology.

November 23, 2007

Schools Chief in New Orleans Faces Tough Road to Rebuilding
In the newest in a series of reports on reforming troubled school systems, John Merrow returns to New Orleans for an update on how the city's schools chief is faring in his attempts to enact change in a system still working to recover from Hurricane Katrina.

  

November 22, 2007

Laptops Offer High-tech Hope in Developing Countries
The goal of the One Laptop per Child organization is to provide specially designed, low-cost laptops to children in the developing world. Organization founder Nicholas Negroponte details the campaign and the "Give One Get One" effort in the United States and Canada.

  

November 19, 2007

D.C. Schools Chief Rhee Faces High Expectations for System Reform
As part of a series of reports on how educators are attempting to reform urban schools, education correspondent John Merrow provides an update on the efforts of Washington D.C. school chancellor Michelle Rhee to turn around the city's troubled school system.

  

November 15, 2007

Las Vegas Races to Expand Social Services Amid Growth Boom
In the next Big Picture election report from Las Vegas, the NewsHour looks at how the Nevada city's recent population increase has strained school and health care systems and local residents and leaders discuss how the burden on social services is impacting their views on the 2008 election.

  

November 13, 2007

Documentary Explores Key Case on 'Intelligent Design'
The PBS series NOVA airs a documentary Tuesday about a 2005 landmark Pennsylvania court case that found it unconstitutional for schools to teach "intelligent design" as an alternate theory to evolution. The judge who decided the case reflects the legal battle.

  

November 1, 2007

Book Takes Closer Look at Duke Lacrosse Rape Case
Legal journalist Stuart Taylor discusses his new book, "Until Proven Innocent," which takes a deeper look at the controversy surrounding the Duke University Lacrosse team rape case.

  

OCTOBER
October 16, 2007

Schools Aim to Provide Healthy Lunches
While American schools celebrate National School Lunch week, many are making efforts to provide meals that are both tasty and health conscious. The NewsHour reports on such efforts in St. Paul, Minn., schools.

  

October 10, 2007

High Court Rules on Special Education Law, Hears Death Row Case
The Supreme Court affirmed Wednesday that New York City must pay private school tuition for a special education student and considered whether a Mexican man on death row should be granted a new hearing to comply with international law. A reporter provides an update.

  

October 3, 2007

Fifty Years Ago, Sputnik Launched Space Age
Fifty years ago this week, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first man-made satellite, into space. On the anniversary of the turning point in space exploration, a NASA historian and a science reporter assess the impact and legacy of the world's first satellite.

  

October 2, 2007

New Orleans School Chief Tackles Rebuilding Shattered System
In the second of two reports on efforts to improve education in urban public schools, education correspondent John Merrow explores the plans underway in New Orleans to create a new school system in a city still struggling to rebuild from Hurricane Katrina.

  

October 1, 2007

Education Leaders Attempt Reform in Washington, D.C., Schools
In the first of two reports on leaders in education who are trying to reform urban schools, NewsHour education correspondent John Merrow investigates improvement efforts in Washington, D.C.

  

October 1, 2007

Supreme Court to Weigh Education Law, More in New Session
The U.S. Supreme Court opened its new term Monday with a docket that includes cases on reimbursement for private education, election law and the rights of Guantanamo Bay detainees. The National Law Journal's Marcia Coyle previews the term and potential challenges for the court.

  

SEPTEMBER
September 28, 2007

Foreign Policy Analysts Debate Iraq at UVA
Top foreign policy analysts debated the war in Iraq on Thursday night. Margaret Warner moderated the Iraq debate at the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

  

September 25, 2007

Desegregation Pioneers Reflect on Education Milestone
Fifty years ago, nine black students entered Little Rock Central High School, marking a critical moment in the efforts to desegregate the nation's schools. Seven of the "Little Rock Nine" recall their experiences.

  

September 18, 2007

Exploring Generation Next
Generation Next is a term for the 42 million 16-to-25 year olds who watched the Twin Towers collapse, experienced the shootings at Virginia Tech University, grew up online and statistically speaking are better educated than any other generation in history.

September 12, 2007

Freed Iranian-American Describes Detention in Tehran
Haleh Esfandiari, an Iranian-American from the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, spent 105 days in an Iranian prison on suspicion of trying to undermine the government before her release last month. She speaks of her ordeal with Gwen Ifill.

  

September 4, 2007

Latest Suicide Bombings Highlight Terrorist Threat in Pakistan
Two suicide bombers killed at least 25 people in Pakistan Tuesday. Margaret Warner reports from Islamabad on the suspected extremist element in the country in the midst of its political uncertainty.

  

AUGUST
August 30, 2007

Virginia Tech Panel Raises Questions About Mental Health, Law
An investigation into the Virginia Tech shootings criticized the university for failing to respond to the behavior of Seung-Hui Cho and for communication problems. Two mental health experts explain the legal challenges of providing information about students' mental conditions.

  

August 30, 2007

Report Faults University for Response to Cho, Shootings
An investigation into the Virginia Tech shootings criticized the university for failing to respond to the behavior of Seung-Hui Cho and for communication problems. Panel member Tom Ridge discusses the findings.

  

August 23, 2007

House Leaders Debate Education Bill
The No Child Left Behind education law is up for reauthorization this year. The leaders of the House Education and Labor Committee answered your questions about it.

August 21, 2007

Teachers Address Education Law
Three 2007 Teacher of the Year awardees answered your questions about how No Child Left Behind has affected their classrooms, as Congress considers renewing the law.

August 20, 2007

U.S. News College Rankings Debated
U.S. News and World Report released its rankings of the country's colleges and universities. The editor of U.S. News and an education advocate who opposes the magazine's collegiate rankings debate their usefulness.

  

August 16, 2007

Teachers Grapple with Attaining Education Law's Goals
The third and final installment in NewsHour education special correspondent John Merrow's series looks at how some of the country's best teachers are dealing with the No Child Left Behind law.

  

August 15, 2007

Failing San Diego Schools Work to Meet Standards
A number of failing schools in the San Diego area are adjusting their practices to meet standards under the No Child Left Behind law. Special correspondent for education John Merrow continues a series of reports on the law and how it is affecting U.S. education.

  

August 14, 2007

School Districts Find Loopholes in No Child Left Behind Law
School districts are getting around certain requirements of the No Child Left Behind law by setting the bar measuring student progress low in the beginning. Special correspondent for education John Merrow begins a series of reports.

  

August 10, 2007

Homosexual Teens Coming Out Earlier to More Accepting Environment
The average age people used to come out as gay or lesbian was in their mid-20s, but that has dropped to the mid-teens over the last two decades. National organizations that advocate tolerance are working to create more accepting environments for these young people in their schools.

August 7, 2007

Shuttle Endeavour Carries Teacher into Space
Teacher Barbara Morgan joins the Endeavour crew for a planned Wednesday launch. She was selected as the backup candidate to Christa McAuliffe in the ill-fated 1986 Challenger mission. Idaho Public Television reports on her story.

  

JUNE
June 29, 2007

Key Decisions Mark Shift in Supreme Court
The Supreme Court, under Chief Justice John Roberts, ended its term with several 5-4 rulings addressing cases about the freedom of speech and the use of race in school enrollment. Legal experts evaluate the term.

  

June 28, 2007

Bald Eagle Removed from Endangered Species List
America's national symbol, the bald eagle, has officially been taken off the endangered species list 40 years after coming close to extinction. The NewsHour reports on how and why this iconic bird is thriving once again.

  

June 28, 2007

Court Strikes Down Racial Criteria in School Diversity Plans
The Supreme Court Thursday ruled against allowing race-based criteria in proposed diversity plans in two school districts. Following a report by Marcia Coyle on the ruling and the mood in the courtroom, Roger Clegg and Theodore Shaw, two experts in race relations analyze the likely impact of the Court's decision.

  

June 11, 2007

D.C. Weighs Record of Charter Schools
Washington, D.C., with a struggling inner city school system, has seen nearly a decade-long experiment in charter schools -- publicly funded schools that are given more autonomy than their peers -- result in a mixed record of student performance.

  

MAY
May 22, 2007

Panel Tours Virginia Tech Buildings, Seeks Records on Cho
The gubernatorial panel investigating the April 16 shootings at Virginia Tech University visited the buildings where 33 people died and sought access to private records on the gunman Seung-Hui Cho.

APRIL
April 25, 2007

Survivors of Virginia Tech Shootings Face Long Road to Normalcy
As classes resumed at Virginia Tech, survivors of the April 16 shootings worked to get back to their normal routines, a difficult task for communities affected by tragedy such as Columbine High School in Colorado. The NewsHour reports on the struggle to adjust.

  

April 20, 2007

Virginia Tech Campus, Nation Observe Day of Mourning
Members of the Virginia Tech community in Blacksburg, Va., observed a day of mourning in remembrance of the 32 victims of Monday's shootings, while other vigils were held nationwide.

  

April 19, 2007

Virginia Tech Community Responds to Media Flurry
Virginia Tech continued to reel in the aftermath of Monday's rampage. On Thursday, many criticized NBC's decision to air excerpts of gunman Seung-Hui Cho's tirade while university officials defended the decision to allow Cho back after being hospitalized in 2005.

  

April 18, 2007

Technology Helped Virginia Tech Students Connect After Tragedy
In the wake of shootings that left 33 members of their community dead, Virginia Tech students went to Web sites such as Facebook and MySpace to memorialize friends and make sense of the carnage.

  

April 18, 2007

College Officials Re-evaluate Handling of Troubled Students
Following revelations that professors at Virginia Tech had recognized gunman Seung-Hui Cho as troubled long before his rampage Monday, officials and experts consider the role of universities in handling such cases.

  

April 18, 2007

Virginia Tech Gunman Mailed Package to NBC Between Shootings
Seung-Hui Cho, the student at Virginia Tech University who killed 32 people Monday, mailed a package to NBC News between his two shootings. The NewsHour reports on these developments, including earlier stalking accusations against the gunman.

  

April 17, 2007

University Campuses Face Security Challenges
Monday's deadly shootings at Virginia Tech University have sparked concern over security at many colleges and universities around the country. Three education officials discuss the challenges of keeping students safe at often sprawling campuses.

  

April 17, 2007

Campus Attempts to Deal with Shooting Aftermath
A day after mass shootings left 33 people dead at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Va., the students and faculty were working on dealing with the aftermath, even as more information about the shooter was becoming available.

  

April 17, 2007

Police Uncover More Information About Virginia Tech Shooter
Police officials released the name of the Virginia Tech shooter, 23-year old student Cho Seung-Hui, who shot and killed 32 students Monday before killing himself in the worst mass shooting in American history.

  

April 17, 2007

Professor Saw Suspected Shooter as 'Troubled'
Cho Seung-Hui, a 23-year-old South Korean student from the western suburbs of Washington, D.C., has been identified as the gunman in the April 16 shooting rampage at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Va.

April 17, 2007

Virginia Tech Shooter Identified as 23-year-old Student
The Virginia Tech Police Department on Tuesday identified the gunman responsible for shooting 32 people on campus before taking his own life the previous day as a student at the university.

April 16, 2007

Shooting at Virginia Tech Deadliest in U.S. History
At least 32 people were killed Monday during a shooting rampage in a residence hall and academic building at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Va. Two reporters give the latest on the situation.

  

April 10, 2007

Financial Aid Officers Benefit from Student Loans, Probe Reveals
Financial aid officers at several high-profile colleges were put on leave after a probe revealed that they were receiving stock options, kickbacks and all-expense-paid trips from a preferred student loan lender. The NewsHour talks to an author who covers student debt.

  

April 5, 2007

Students Encounter Lessons of War at Fort Bragg School
For students attending schools at hundreds of military installations, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are a constant topic for discussion, even at the youngest of ages. Special correspondent John Merrow reports from one school in Fort Bragg, N.C.

  

April 3, 2007

Effectiveness of No Child Left Behind Debated
President Bush's No Child Left Behind education law, passed in 2002 to help close the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students, is set to expire this year. Two education administrators discuss the law and give their views on its effectiveness.

  

MARCH
March 30, 2007

Colleges Need to Improve Academic Success of Athletes, Studies Show
Recent studies of NCAA programs suggest that colleges need to do more to ensure their student-athletes graduate, rather than simply generate revenue and attention for their schools. The NewsHour takes a closer look at the issue.

  

March 19, 2007

Justices Weigh Free Speech for Students
The Supreme Court heard a case about free speech Monday after a Juneau, Alaska high school student was suspended for displaying a sign, "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" at an off-campus school activity. National Law Journal's Marcia Coyle discusses the case.

  

March 1, 2007

New Orleans Struggles to Revamp Public Education
Hurricane Katrina damaged more than 100 of New Orleans' 128 public schools and led to a state takeover of the district. As a result, schools, teachers and students have had to start from the beginning to improve the state of education.

  

FEBRUARY
February 19, 2007

Controversy Arises Over President Bush's Proposed Archive Site
President Bush has proposed to build an archive and public policy center at Southern Methodist University, an announcement that has been received with mixed reviews. Ray Suarez talks with historians about the politics of building presidential libraries.

February 12, 2007

First Female Harvard President Discusses Priorities and Goals
Harvard University named historian Drew Gilpin Faust as its first female president Sunday. The announcement ended the search for a successor to Lawrence Summers, whose remarks on genetic differences between the sexes sparked controversy. Faust discusses her new role.

  

February 12, 2007

Iraqi Education System Caught in Crossfire of Continued Conflict
In the last of a three-part series on Iraq's infrastructure, the Online NewsHour looks at the education system's decline because of violence and threats to students, teachers and academics.

JANUARY
January 23, 2007

President Bush Delivers State of the Union Address
President Bush, facing historically low support in opinion polls, focused largely on domestic issues, urging Congress to renew education reforms and expand health insurance coverage. The president also called for patience in Iraq and a continued effort to combat terrorism. The following is the text of the president's address.

  

January 15, 2007

High Schools Train Students to Be Entrepreneurs
NewsHour Special Correspondent for Education John Merrow reports on a program that trains high school students to be entrepreneurs.