HSjournalismstudy

New study shows journalism kids do better – again

No one has a magic answer to improving student academic performance, but the Journalism Education Association and Newspaper Association of America Foundation want to share with you some information about the importance of journalism and media courses to your students and to your school system.

This past spring, the NAA Foundation released research by Dr. Jack Dvorak of Indiana University showing that, as the title indicates, “High School Journalism Matters.” Specifically, the research reveals that students who take journalism, or work on high school newspapers and yearbooks:
• Get better grades in high school,
• Score higher on the ACT, and
• Earn higher grades as college freshmen.

These statistically significant results mirror Dvorak’s 1987 research. Both were extensive studies with the 2008 version gathering responses from 31,175 students across the nation.

In an effort to allow your students to benefit in the same way, JEA and NAAF encourage school systems to support responsible student-directed journalism of all kinds, where students learn by applying the best concepts of decision-making, critical thinking and establishing authentic and thoughtful voices.

You can obtain more information about the study at http://www.naafoundation.org/ScholasticPress/High-School-Journalism-Matters.aspx

Schools with strong media programs enable students not only to learn at their best, but also demonstrate to the community the effectiveness of the local educational system.


	New study shows journalism kids do better – again No one has a magic answer to improving student academic performance, but the Journalism Education Association and Newspaper Association of America Foundation want to share with you some information about the importance of journalism and media courses to your students and to your school system. This past spring, the NAA Foundation released research by Dr. Jack Dvorak of Indiana University showing that, as the title indicates, “High School Journalism Matters.” Specifically, the research reveals that students who take journalism, or work on high school newspapers and yearbooks: • Get better grades in high school, • Score higher on the ACT, and • Earn higher grades as college freshmen. These statistically significant results mirror Dvorak’s 1987 research. Both were extensive studies with the 2008 version gathering responses from 31,175 students across the nation. In an effort to allow your students to benefit in the same way, JEA and NAAF encourage school systems to support responsible student-directed journalism of all kinds, where students learn by applying the best concepts of decision-making, critical thinking and establishing authentic and thoughtful voices. You can obtain more information about the study at http://www.naafoundation.org/ScholasticPress/High-School-Journalism-Matters.aspx Schools with strong media programs enable students not only to learn at their best, but also demonstrate to the community the effectiveness of the local educational system.	Additional downloadable journalism materials: • For a poster showing study results, click here • For more on the Journalism Education Association's Think First and Responsible Journalism campaign, go here • For points on the benefits of taking scholastic journalism courses, go here • For more about what strong journalism programs bring to students, school systems, go here • For numerous links and other resource materials for counselors and guidance about journalism, go to this American Society of Newspaper Editors site called High School Journalism.org, and look for the guidance button on the left
Kent State University
Back For more explanation of what is responsible journalism, click here