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New measure drops Pennsylvania charter school ratings
Analyzing state education data, The Morning Call found that only 28 percent of Pennsylvania charter schools met an adequate yearly progress rating, compared to 49 percent using a more lenient calculation implemented by the Pennsylvania Secretary of Education and later rejected by the U.S. Department of Education.
Read MoreUsing DocumentCloud, FOIA Project to track requests, responses by agency
The FOIA Project has documented more evidence of what its staff calls apparent failure of the Obama administration to fulfill transparency promises, and an upcoming expansion of the project could be a step toward establishing definitive evidence regarding the administration’s level of transparency. At the end of December, the DocumentCloud-powered venture from the Transactional…
Read MoreGun laws, state by state
“President Obama has indicated a move towards strengthening federal gun control measures, but the reality is that the majority of gun legislation in the US is enacted at the state level. That has brought broad variations across the country, with states taking different approaches to issues ranging from sales, permits, licensing, self-defense and carry laws.”…
Read MoreWinning T-shirt selected for NICAR 2013
RUNNER-UP WINNING PROPOSAL THIRD AND FOURTH PLACE The votes are in and the 2013 NICAR T-shirts have been selected! Proposal 8, a blue T-shirt with NICAR across the chest, came in first among finalists and is this year’s winning T-shirt. The winning design comes from Ben Welsh of the…
Read MoreSan Antonio withholds employee identifiers, with backing from Attorney General
By Joe Yerardi Back in September, I filed a public records request with the City of San Antonio asking for their last five years of payroll data. When I received the responsive records earlier this month, I was surprised to find that the data did not include employee identification numbers. As any data journalist worth…
Read MoreIntroducing Total Newsroom Training, a new program from IRE
IRE is launching a new program and is looking for news organizations dedicated to doing watchdog work. This is your newsroom’s opportunity to have intense, in-house investigative training — for free. If your organization is hungry for customized investigative training and can’t afford it, apply today. Spots are limited. Total Newsroom Training from IRE is designed to…
Read MoreBloomberg Administration Proposed, then Dropped, Database of Residents Needing Evacuation and Aid
WNYC reports that “in 2005, after Hurricane Katrina, Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed a registry that would allow disaster responders to know where to find people most urgently in need of aid. But he does not appear to have followed through.”
Read MoreWhere Congress stands on gun control
In the aftermath of the Newtown tragedy, President Obama on Wednesday will announce new national gun control measures. He has already urged members of Congress to do the same. ProPublica has created an app that lets you take a comprehensive look at where lawmakers stand on guns, as well as political spending and voting history.
Read MoreMenlo Park cop caught with prostitute keeps job
The Almanac looks at how binding arbitration, written into contracts with California police unions statewide, makes it nearly impossible for cities to fire problem officers. In this case, a Menlo Park police officer was caught with a prostitute and subject to internal investigation, but ultimately kept is badge.
Read MoreDiversity fellowships available for CAR Conference
Through the generosity of the Philip L. Graham Fund and the Chicago Tribune Foundation, IRE is pleased to offer Minority Fellowships to allow a limited number of professional journalists to attend the CAR (still accepting applications) and IRE conferences. These fellowships cover a 1-year IRE membership; conference registration fees; up to $600 for hotel accommodations and $500 reimbursement for travel.…
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