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Toolkit

Talking About Education Reform

This toolkit features a compendium of research on how Americans think about the educational system and education reform, and how to increase public support for policies that ensure that all Americans are fully prepared for professional and civic life in the 21st century.

Introduction

Welcome to Talking About Education Reform – a toolkit compendium of research on how Americans think about the educational system and education reform, and how to increase public support for policies that ensure that all Americans are fully prepared for professional and civic life in the 21st century.

Also included are applications materials, based on the research findings, that can help engage the public in more fully understanding the American educational system and education reform.

This toolkit was developed by the FrameWorks Institute for the Nellie Mae Education Foundation and the Lumina Foundation for Education.

Message Memo

Framing Education Reform

This report summarizes findings about how Americans think about the education system, and offers key strategies for talking about education reform.

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Applications

This section provides a variety of framing tools intended to help advocates understand and apply the research findings and recommendations on how to talk about education reform.

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Digging Deeper: The Achievement Gap (Education Reform)

FrameWorks’ recent cognitive media analysis of the coverage of education issues and race found that “two frames were dominant in these articles [about education and race].

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Digging Deeper: 21st Century Skills (Education Reform)

The concept of “21st century skills” is a term that has gained currency among many education reformers over the past few years. In general, when education reformers talk about “21st century...

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Talking Points (Education Reform)

The talking points are intended for use in preparation for media interviews, editorial board visits, or other public communications as a reminder of the core elements of the education frame.

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FAQs (Education Reform)

This tool shows advocates how to navigate the swamp effectively with strategic framing. These FAQS are a series of questions about education that advocates are commonly asked to address. Examples...

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Sample Editorial (Education Reform)

This is an example of how to apply the framing strategies on education reform to the format of a guest editorial in a newspaper.

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Sample Letter to the Editor 1 (Education Reform)

Sample template for applying framing strategies to a Letter to the Editor format.

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Sample Letter to the Editor 2 (Education Reform)

Sample template for applying framing strategies to a Letter to the Editor format.

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Sample Letter to the Editor 3 (Education Reform)

Sample template for applying framing strategies to a Letter to the Editor format.

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Handling Competing Frames (Education Reform)

In this tool, we analyze a series of frame clashes – which is what happens when you say one thing but the public thinks another. This tool shows advocates what is in the swamp of public...

Framing in the Field

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Time for a renovation: We need to update our approach to K-12 education to meet the challenges of the new century

This article appeared in the Spring issue of Commonwealth Magazine. It was written by Nicholas Donohue, President and CEO of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, who discusses the Foundation's new...

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Key Framing Guides

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What’s in the Swamp of Education Reform?

A graphic representation of the swamp of dominant patterns of thinking about education. This can serve as a reminder of the themes in public thinking that your communications should avoid.

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You Say, They Think (Education Reform)

An analysis of a series frame clashes – you say one thing and the public thinks another –which shows how certain ways of framing education reform can get eaten in the swamp.

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Basic Message Templates (Education Reform)

The outline of a new frame for communicating about education reform. The talking points, FAQs, and Sample Op-Ed in this toolkit show a variety of ways to apply this basic template.

Research

Report

Preparing America for the 21st Century: Values that Work in Promoting Education Reform

This report explores the extent to which alternative values elevate public support for a wide range of education reforms.
Report

Orchestrating Systems and Remodeling Reform: Reframing Education Reform with Simplifying Models

People tend to to think that "teachers are the system" and that the education system is "broken beyond repair." Metaphors can help us reframe education reform.
Report

Reform What? Individualist Thinking in Education: American Cultural Models on Schooling

This report, based on 49 in-depth interviews, maps the patterned ways that Americans think about education.
Report

Enough Blame To Go Around: Understanding the Public Discourse on Education Reform

This report shares the results of 18 focus groups conducted in 7 cities with diverse groups of politically engaged people around the United States. This research shows that Americans generally...
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Put Down Your Pencils Please: Media Coverage of Education Reform 2007-2008

This study was designed to gain an understanding of how major and select local media cover the ongoing debates over education reform. Relevant stories about reforms aimed at the pre-K through high...
Report

Don’t Give Up on Education!: A Cognitive Analysis of the Media Coverage of Education Reform 2007-2008

In this media analysis, FrameWorks researchers uncovered the frames that dominated news coverage of education reform in 2007-2008 - and their impact.
Report

Invisible Structures of Opportunity: How Media Depictions of Race Trivialize Issues of Diversity and Disparity

This media analysis was conducted to examine the various ways in which race is presented to readers, directly and indirectly, in the nation’s news media.
Issues
Education
Countries
United States
Partners
Lumina Foundation Nellie Mae Education Foundation