Scholastic Press Research Articles

Visual representations of community in scholastic photojournalism: A thematic analysis of award-winning photographs from the national scholastic press association’s photo of the year contest

While journalism awards can enhance social capital and signify quality, they often reinforce a limited, negative perspective of what is newsworthy. This study builds on existing research examining award-winning photojournalism by focusing on the understudied population of student photojournalists. Via a qualitative analysis of 229 photographs from the National Scholastic Press Association’s Photo of the Year Contest, this research analyzes major visual themes and prevalent news values in award-winning scholastic photojournalism. The results from this exploratory study indicate that student journalists visually represent high school as a place for connection, collaboration, and citizenship and present a uniquely positive portrayal of their world. The findings also suggest that conventionalization of topics, tone, and techniques is present in student photojournalism award contests although the themes that are reinforced by this conventionalization are dissimilar to what has been observed in professional photojournalism contests.

MOTIVE AND CHARACTER EDUCATIONAL VALUES IN NOVEL THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET BY BRIAN SELZNICK

<p>This is a descriptive qualitative research that uses a psychological approach. The data source of this research is the novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, publisher of Scholastic Press, New York (original version) in 2007, Mizan Fantasi (Indonesian version) in 2012. The research data are in the form of words, phrases and sentences that related with the main character's motives and the character education values in the novel. Data obtained by reading and note taking techniques. This objective of this study to analyze the existence of the main character's action motives and the value of character education in the novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. The results of the analysis obtained the following conclusions: 1. Hugo's motives as the main character there are 20 quotes, namely as follows: a) motives for physical needs there are 3 quotations, b) motives for security and safety needs are 4 quotations, c) motives for trust and compassion consist from 5 quotations, d) the motive for self-esteem needs there are 3 quotations, e). The motives for self-actualization needs are 6 quotations. The prominent action motive is the motive for self-actualization needs. 2. The value of character education contained in Brian's novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret, consisting of; a) religious 2 quotes, b) honest 4 quotes, c) discipline 3 quotes, d) hard work 7 quotes, e) creative 2 quotes, f) independent 1 quote, g) curiosity 4 quotes, h) appreciate achievement 2 quotes, i) friends 3 quotes, j) peace love 1 quote, k) likes to read 2 quotes, l) social care 4 quotes, m) responsibility 2 quotes.</p>

Bone Hollow by K. Ventrella

Ventrella, Kim. Bone Hollow. Scholastic Press, 2019.
 Gabe isn’t sure what happens after he falls off a roof during a storm trying to rescue Miss Cleo’s prize chicken. And he isn’t sure why, when he wakes up in Miss Cleo’s room, no one will speak to him and everyone is crying. But it eventually becomes unignorable: Gabe died in that storm. Well, he almost died. Kim Ventrella’s second novel Bone Hollow, aimed at middle-grade readers, follows Gabe and his loyal dog Ollie as Gabe tries to figure out what happened to him, and what he’s supposed to do now that he’s dead.
 After some meanderings between the woods outside his town and the town itself, Gabe meets Wynne, a mysterious girl who shows him her home, the titular Bone Hollow. At the core of the book, Bone Hollow is a misty but cozy refuge from a world Gabe doesn’t fit into anymore. Gabe is searching for a new place to fit in, and Wynne is urgently searching for someone to take her place.
 Bone Hollow is a novel that takes its time, dwelling on sensory details that are alternately lush (like Miss Cleo’s sweet-and-savory biscuits) and grotesque (like Ollie’s propensity to lick every bit of Gabe he can find, including inside the wound that killed him). It’s not quite an adventure story, as there is no villain to defeat or ally to rescue. It’s not really a meditation on death; that theme is pervasive, but frequently interrupted. It’s not a gross-out or horror story, as plot threads that move in those directions—e.g., a creepy mortuary owner, and a hollow man with a bird inside his mouth—are abandoned as soon as they are begun. It’s a mix of all these things, in a way that defies expectations.
 Bone Hollow suffers somewhat from slow pacing and an unclear plot motivation. The climactic choice that Gabe must eventually make is barely foreshadowed before the halfway mark (although it is spoiled on the book’s dust jacket). Besides this momentous decision, his other movements through the story seem more orchestrated than agential: even after the tornado blows out, Gabe is buffeted around by childhood bullies, scared adults, ghosts, and speeding cars. He reacts to these events with grit, bravery, and no small amount of stubbornness, but he is, predominantly, reacting. Readers who are looking for an atmospheric, creepy, but ultimately reassuring story about loss, change, and finding one’s purpose may appreciate Ventrella’s blend of comforting and unsettling prose. Gabe’s voice is individual, funny, and charmingly Southern—you can tell he’s upset when he starts saying “gosh darn it!”—and his friendships with both his dog and Wynne are carefully traced. Squeamish readers might not appreciate the mild gore—mostly off-screen—and others might simply be put off by the focus on death and dying among humans and animals alike. For those who relish a more morbid take, this book might be a welcome addition.
 Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Amanda Daignault
 Amanda Daignault is a PhD Candidate in the Department of English and Film Studies at the University of Alberta. She studies contemporary children's middle-grade fantasy novels, using methods of book history and bibliography to figure out where all those giant trilogies came from and what they're doing.

Misfit Hero

Misfit Hero William Orchard (bio) The Way to Rio Luna Zoraida Córdova Scholastic Press https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/books/themap-to-fairyland-by-zoraida-cordova/# 336Pages; Cloth, $13.50 One of the most heartbreaking scenes in Zoraida Córdova’s new middle-grades novel, The Way to Rio Luna, occurs early in the story when the protagonist, Danny Monteverde, watches his foster father toss his favorite book into the trash can. The book — titled, like the novel, The Way to Rio Luna — is an out-of-print children’s story, and represents Danny’s connection to his older sister Pili, who ran away shortly after the two were separated in the foster care system. Pili and Danny used to read the book together, using the various lands and adventures chronicled in the story to imagine a better life for themselves beyond being orphans caught in the sometimes hostile and often contradictory foster care system of New York City. Although Danny’s foster father’s action is undoubtedly cruel, the narrative presents his action as an attempt to socialize an eleven-year-old Danny and break him of his youthful attachments to magic. Danny’s belief in magic is deep and is connected to a desire to reunite with his sister. Well versed not only in the details of his favorite book but also in a range of classic children’s literature, Danny looks for portals in wardrobes and rabbit holes to other worlds that might lead him to his sister. At one point, Danny buys a vile of glitter labeled “fairy dust,” and jumps off of a rooftop, believing this will make him able to fly. The allusions to canonical works like The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1865), and Peter Pan (1911) make the narrative one that would be satisfying to older readers while also inspiring younger ones to read further. Córdova even weaves in a sly reference to the Book of Cantos, which appears in her popular Brooklyn Brujas novels, which established her reputation as one of the rising stars of young adult writing. Much of the first third of the narrative presents several well-meaning adults trying to convince Danny that magic is not real and that he should face the harsh truth that his sister may never be found. Among these is Mrs. Contreras, a social worker, who wants Danny “to be good and ordinary” and reminds him that “sometimes kids … want to believe in something so much that their minds played tricks on them.” Danny tries to follow Mrs. Contreras’s advice as he is moved from foster home to foster home, sometimes treated well and other times bullied by the children that he lives with. While living in a situation in which he is consistently bullied by two twin brothers, his fortunes begin to change. Resigned to the fact that magic may not exist, he takes a school trip to the main branch of the New York Public Library. Although his foster brothers tease him for liking the library, Danny “didn’t feel so strange and out of place for loving books” when he was there. As with many protagonists in young adult literature, the library is a place where the protagonist can imagine new ways of relating to the world beyond those enforced by institutions like the school, the family, or the government. He becomes separated from his school group at the library, and encounters illuminated arrows that point him to a room that contains the original manuscript of Ella St. Clay’s The Way to Rio Luna. While admiring the manuscript, he meets Glory Papillon, a young woman about his age whose aunt is an archaeologist working at the library. The two of them explain that the book is an enchanted map that leads to Rio Luna, and that, because of his belief in magic, the book is revealing its secrets to him. One of these secrets is a check-out card at the end of the book that lists the previous children who made their way to Rio Luna, the last of which is his sister, Pili, who never...

Cocuyos Never Say Die

Cocuyos Never Say Die Jennifer Caroccio Maldonado (bio) Ghost Squad Claribel A. Ortega Scholastic Press https://shop.scholastic.com/parent-ecommerce/books/ghost-squad-9781338280128.html 256 pages; Cloth, $15.29 Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega is a Caribbean gothic tale wrapped up in a Florida mystery adventure. The mix of complex and straight forward language, Dominican culture, and 1980s movie references make it a delightful read for children and parents alike. Lucely Luna and her best friend Syd Faires find themselves up against a giant mist monster and evil spirits roaming the town of St. Augustine, Florida. Ortega’s narrative use of ghosts and magic shapes the world of a twelve-year-old Dominican geek, who loves playing Nintendo and staying close to her abuela and presents a supernatural fantasy that middle school readers are sure to enjoy. The child as medium is a common trope in gothic fiction. Lucely is able to see the ghosts of her relatives, who are tethered to a willow tree in the family’s backyard and take the form of fireflies, or cocuyos. Her father, Simon, hasn’t been able to see the family’s ghosts for a while. “Sometimes, when your heart is too heavy and sad,” he had told her, “you lose that part of you — that connection.” Lucely maintains her family’s connection to the ancestors. Later in the book when the girls finally tell Syd’s grandmother, Babette, about Lucely’s secret, it’s revealed that Lucely is a seer. What I like about Ghost Squad is that is very much a Caribbean/Dominican story that shows how the gothic child is not only present in British children’s literature. With Babette’s Spectral Master 4000 and Razzle-Dazzlers — ghost fighting devices imbued with magic — Ghost Squad enters the genre of Caribbean diasporic Science Fiction and Fantasy, such as Nalo Hopkinson’s Brown Girl in The Ring (1998). Ghost Squad is a fun mystery story that has a lot of nostalgic value but is very much set in the 2010s. Lucely and Syd search for clues to a missing spell in an old cemetery and use their cell phone lights to illuminate their path. The technology of the time shapes the story. However, Ortega fully grounds technology in Caribbean tradition. When the kids call Babette a Ghostbuster, she responds: “Humph. I am not a Ghostbuster, or scientist. I’m a witch. It might have a techy name, but the Spectral Master is very much tied to magic.” Like many children’s adventure stories, Lucely is faced with saving her family’s home and the connection to her ancestors: a similar predicament like in the 1985 cult classic movie, The Goonies. And sure enough, when we meet Babette and her many cats, we find out they are all named after characters from The Goonies. Don’t worry, Chunk does make an appearance. Babette’s fat cat that seems to understand what Lucely and Syd say is named after Jeff Cohen’s character Chunk. Refences to ’80s pop culture throughout Ghost [End Page 9] Squad will engage any Millennial/Generation X parents reading along with their child. The spirits of the Lunas use Spanish and English when talking to Lucely. The Spanish is not italicized. Which I think this offers familiarity to any Spanish-speaking kids reading the book, and at the same time, shows monolingual English-speaking children that Spanish is just as ordinary as English to use. Ortega uses dynamic language when describing scenes. She includes both straightforward description and specific references (such as comparing the sky to a Van Gogh painting) that I believe will engross both younger and older readers in the eight to twelve-year-old range. Children are so often relegated to a sort of non-person status. They are treated as if they do not have a complex understanding of the world. Adults lie or hide the truth from children, even though they are highly sensitive beings. Mr. Vincent, who is from the bank, visits the Lunas’ house to tell Lucely’s father that if he isn’t prompt with the next mortgage payment that the bank has no problem foreclosing...

Producing an Online Undergraduate Literary Magazine: A Guide to Using Problem-Based Learning in the Writing and Publishing Classroom

This article will illustrate how a problem-based learning (PBL) course (Savery, 2006) can be used in a writing program as a vehicle for both creative and preprofessional learning. English 420: Writing, Publishing, and Editing is offered every fall, and its counterpart, English 423: Writing, Publishing, and Editing is offered each spring. The courses, positioned at the end of a sequenced series of prerequisite writing courses, provide a creative, applied writing experience that offers students professional practice through producing the digital version of Cabrini College’s literary magazine, Woodcrest. In the 2012–2013 school year, the English Department ran its first cycle of this model, which, at the time of this writing, is in its third year. Three successive Gold Medal ratings of our online literary magazine (2012–2013, 2013–2014, 2014–2015) by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) and a Gold Crown Award (2013–2014) suggest that problem-based learning, when used to cultivate an authentic online literary publication, familiarizes students with the life cycle of creative projects and enhances their writing. Writing students benefit from experiencing the interdisciplinary, collaborative, and student-driven work that problem-based learning prioritizes. This article will provide many resources to illustrate how PBL can be used when transitioning a literary magazine from print to online in a class-based setting.

George by A. Gino

Gino, Alex. George. New York: Scholastic Press, 2015. Print.George is a bright, funny, and somewhat shy girl. Her main problem? Everyone thinks she’s a boy. She looks like a boy, she was born with all the parts of a boy, but she knows that she is a girl. She believes that she will have to hide her true self forever until the chance to play Charlotte in the school’s production of Charlotte’s Web arises and, with the support of her best friend Kelly, changes everything.There are few characters in George that perform with complete virtuosity or complete viciousness. Instead, Gino presents a cast that reflects our own society: some are confused, some say the wrong things, some are cruel, some supportive, and some just worry about George’s safety as she moves into a frequently victimized population. Gino’s prose throughout the novel refers to George as “her.” This pronoun choice in addition to the powerful insight that readers gain from seeing into the mind of George, make it clear that George simply is a girl. Gino does excellent work to create this connection and understanding between George and the reader so that the reader can feel how wrong it is when George is treated as if she’s a boy. The incessant gendering of everyday life is apparent and absurd when it is forced upon George. People, being such visual animals, often focus on the appearance of transgender individuals or can find it difficult to reconcile seeing a “boy” and being told that they are actually a girl inside. But because George’s story has taken the form of the written word, we are not so distracted by what we see and we can instead be more open to understanding.Not just for those questioning their own gender identity, this novel works to inform and inspire empathy for all readers. It is an absolute necessity for a collection that strives for diverse representation.Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Emily PaulsenEmily Paulsen is recent graduate from the School of Library and Information Studies Master’s program at the University of Alberta. She is born and raised in Edmonton and enjoys travelling, food, and photography.

Polar Bear Morning by L. Thompson

Thompson, Lauren. Polar Bear Morning. Illus. Stephen Savage. New York: Scholastic Press, 2013. Print.Ten years ago, Lauren Thompson and Stephen Savage collaborated on “Polar Bear Night”, which was a splendid picture book that swiftly became a New York Times best seller. “Polar Bear Morning” follows up on the simple story of a polar bear cub that ventures out onto the arctic tundra for an adventure, but this time our favourite cub meets a new friend. The story begins when the cub emerges from her dark den, peeks out at the clear blue sky, and follows the sound of seagulls. Soon after heading out into the snow and ice, she notices something tumbling down a snow hill. It’s a snow cub! The moment when the cubs first meet is beautifully portrayed in a two-page spread that shows two furry faces in profile looking at each other without words on the pages, which perfectly captures a child’s speechless, wide-eyed bliss upon meeting a new friend.The story continues with several charming scenes that show how the friendship develops: they climb the snow hill and tumble down together; they sprint beside the sea; they race past seals, walruses and whales; they pause at the ice’s edge; and finally, they jump into the sea together. It’s a delightful portrayal of a budding friendship, with simple, yet charming illustrations rendered in a gentle palette of soft blues, greys, pinks, and browns. This picture book is a joy to read and has all the makings of a beloved classic, including frolicsome illustrations, thoughtful design, and a captivating story. It’s a wholly satisfying picture book that will be a pleasure to read again and again.Recommendation: 4 stars out of 4Reviewer: Robert DesmaraisRobert Desmarais is Head of Special Collections at the University of Alberta and Managing Editor of The Deakin Review of Children’s Literature. A graduate of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Information Studies, with a Book History and Print Culture designation, he also has university degrees in English literature and publishing. He has been collecting and enjoying children’s books for as long as he can remember.

Whatever After: Fairest of All by S. Mlynowski

Mlynowski, Sarah. Whatever After: Fairest of All. New York: Scholastic Press, 2012. Print Ten-year-old Abby has just moved to Smithville with her parents and younger brother Jonah, and life just isn’t the same. One night, the two siblings knock on the creepy mirror in the basement and are instantly sucked into a fairytale land. They need to get home, but don’t know how to get there. They find themselves at the cottage where Snow White is living with the Seven Dwarfs, just as the evil stepmother in disguise is offering up a red apple to eat. They intervene and save Snow White from being poisoned! Initially they are pleased about this, but soon realize that they have interfered with Snow’s future and she won’t meet her Prince Charming. They decide to stay with Snow until they can set things right and ensure she lives happily ever after, enjoying many adventures along the way. This is the first story in a new series of modern fairy tale retellings (the second book will recount what happens to Cinderella when Abby shows up!). It’s an amusing and easy read with lots of action. Abby and Jonah have a pretty typical relationship, with a bossy older sister ordering around her rambunctious younger brother, and so they behave as you would expect. Abby is practical, but funny, and will always accomplish what she sets out to do. She therefore presents a strong female character with whom young girls can connect. The tale ends in such a way that the reader can be sure of more humorous exploits to come.Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Trish ChatterleyTrish is a Public Services Librarian for the John W. Scott Health Sciences Library at the University of Alberta. In her free time she enjoys dancing, gardening, and reading books of all types.

Wonderstruck by B. Selznick

Selznick, Brian. Wonderstruck. New York: Scholastic Press, 2011. Print. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Art and Design, Brian Selznick is an illustrator of children’s books and a professional puppeteer. He has received a Caldecott Honor Award for his illustrations in Barbara Kerley’s The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins. In 2008, Selznick’s bestselling novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, was awarded a Caldecott Medal. Wonderstruck, a book aimed at readers aged 9 and older, tells the story of two children from two different time periods. A boy who has recently lost his mother finds a mysterious clue that leads him in search of his father. In a parallel storyline taking place 50 years earlier, a deaf girl runs away from home, seeking a famous actress. Each child’s quest eventually leads to New York’s American Museum of Natural History where they discover the wonders it contains. Following the format used in The Invention of Hugo Cabret, beautiful black and white illustrations combine with vivid descriptions and an engaging story. Selznick skillfully alternates between the two storylines and weaves them together. The hybrid of text and images will appeal to readers who enjoy visual aspects of the graphic novel genre. Readers who revelled in the museum intrigue of E.L. Konigsberg’s From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler will find this book a treat. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Maria Tan Maria is a Public Services Librarian at the University of Alberta’s H. T. Coutts Education Library. She enjoys travelling and visiting unique and far-flung libraries. An avid foodie, Maria’s motto is, “There’s really no good reason to stop the flow of snacks”.

Overcoming “ecophobia”: fostering environmental empathy through narrative in children's science literature

Efforts to communicate with children about ecological themes often emphasize environmental threats. For some children, however, this approach can backfire, as they try to avoid continued exposure to problems they cannot solve. Another innovative approach is to promote the development of environmental empathy and environmental literacy through the use of narrative. Children's books that use narrative to convey key concepts about a given ecosystem could potentially reach a broad audience by making information about the books available on the internet. Examples of this approach are a special New York City edition of a book in the Magic School Bus series (Scholastic Press) and the Schoolyard Book series produced by the Long Term Ecological Research Network program.

"Are They Telling Us the Truth?" Constructing National Character in the Scholastic Press Historical Journal Series

The Scholastic Press Historical journal series, in both America and Australia, is immensely popular with young readers, librarians, teachers, and parents. The fictional journals are well positioned to inculcate their readers with particular sets of social ideas and values due primarily to their claim of adhering to recognizable and verifiable "facts." However, are they really telling us the truth about the nation's history? This article examines the series' treatment of historical content with particular emphasis on how historical fiction uses and thereby perpetuates national constructions of identity and culture in settler societies.

My Life in Science, Not the Restaurant Business

My Life in Science, Not the Restaurant Business

Tales from Shakespeare (review)

Journal Article Tina Packer. Tales from Shakespeare. Get access Tales from Shakespeare. By Tlna Packer. New York: Scholastic Press, 2004. Illus. Pp. 192. $24.95 cloth. Martha Tuck Rozett Martha Tuck Rozett Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Shakespeare Quarterly, Volume 55, Issue 4, Winter 2004, Pages 479–480, https://doi.org/10.1353/shq.2005.0033 Published: 01 December 2004

Cultural Voices or Pure Propaganda?: Publications of the Carlisle Indian School, 1879–1918

The publications run by and for the school-age American Indians sent to the Carlisle, Pa., Indian Industrial School during its existence from 1879 to 1918 illustrate the roles of a scholastic press at the residential school to educate Indian children to “white” ways and to promote the effectiveness of these efforts. This descriptive study of such publications as the Eadle Keatah Toh, The Arrow, The Morning Star, and The Red Man and Helper at the Carlisle Indian School explores the relationship between these publications, the Indian children, and the school's promotional efforts. This study assesses how these publications balanced their stated assimilationist agenda with representations of the cultural voices of American Indian children.

The Ghost of Moaning Myrtle Who Haunts the First Floor Toilet, Platform Nine and Three Quarters at King's Cross Station … and all that J. K. Rowling .Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, 1997;Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 1999;Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, 1999;Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 2000. New York, Scholastic Press.

(2001). The Ghost of Moaning Myrtle Who Haunts the First Floor Toilet, Platform Nine and Three Quarters at King's Cross Station … and all that. The San Francisco Jung Institute Library Journal: Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 7-15.

State Free Expression Laws and Scholastic Press Censorship

Perhaps no judicial decision affecting nation's scholastic press has received more attention from researchers than Supreme Court's 1988 Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier ruling, which allowed school administrators to censor school publications are not public forums if censorship is pedagogically related. Same researchers and commentators have stated ruling was a major change in status of freedom of high school press and has led to increased censorship and self-censorship (Student Press Law Center, 1994; Hernandez, 1995). Other researchers and commentators have contended ruling did nothing to change administrators' authority over ability of students to send and receive information through school publications and has had minimal effect on student press (Salomone, 1992; Click, Kopenhaver and Hatcher,1993; Dvorak, Lain and Dickson, 1994; Dickson and Paxton 1997). In wake of Hazelwood ruling and outcry over censorship of student press, four states enacted state freedom of expression laws covering high school journalists: Arkansas (Arkansas Student Publications Act, 1995), Colorado (Rights of Free Expression for Public School Students, 1990), Iowa (Student Exercise of Free Expression, 1989), and Kansas (Student Publications,1992]. A fifth state, Massachusetts, amended its freedom of expression law (Right of Students to Freedom of Expression, 1974), following Hazelwood. A sixth state, California, already had a freedom of expression law covering high school journalists when Hazelwood was decided (Student Exercise of Freedom of Speech and Press, 1983). A 1997 attempt to enact a similar law in Illinois failed when state Senate failed to override a veto by Gov. Jim Edgar (Illinois Lawmakers, 1997). This study, based on a national random-sample survey of high school newspaper advisors, is first attempt to determine on a nationwide basis whether amount of press freedom at public high schools differs in states with scholastic freedom of press laws and states without such laws. Hazelwood While not directly involving freedom of press issues, a 1969 U.S. Supreme Court decision appeared to solidify fundamental First Amendment rights of free expression for students in public schools. In Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District, Supreme Court overturned suspension of teen-aged students for wearing black armbands to class to demonstrate their opposition to Vietnam war. The Court's decision, while noting student expression disrupting classroom activity still could be banned, stated expression did not cause a disruption was protected by First Amendment. It can hardly be argued, Court said, that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at schoolhouse gate (p. 507). An indication Supreme Court was willing to differentiate between personal speech and school-sponsored speech came in 1986 when Supreme Court in Bethel School District v. Fraser ruled a high school student's free speech rights were not violated when he was punfished for making a speech filled with sexual innuendoes at a student assembly. As Court said, in its opinion, the freedom to advocate unpopular and controversial views in schools and classrooms must be balanced against society's countervailing interest in teaching students boundaries of socially appropriate behavior (p. 681). In well-publicized and much discussed 1988 Hazelwood decision, Supreme Court for first time addressed question of whether censorship of student expression in school newspaper was unconstitutional. In Hazelwood case, students enrolled in Journalism II at Hazelwood East High School in Missouri attempted to publish an edition of school newspaper containing two stories principal disliked. One was based on interviews with students (identified with pseudonyms) who had become pregnant. …

Preparing Scholastic Press Advisers for Roles after Hazelwood Decision

Supreme Court in Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (1988) allowed school officials to set journalistic standards higher than those demanded by some newspaper publishers ... in the 'real' world (at 272) and to exercise prior restraint on publications that are not open forums by policy or practice if the action reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns (at 273). Eveslage (1995) noted that the decision essentially challenged publications advisers to teach rights and responsibilities, but implied the direction to take when it identified professionalism as the (p. 3). question of what publication advisers are teaching about student rights and professionalism of the scholastic press of importance to college educators, who are responsible for preparing students to become knowledgeable school journalism teachers and advisers. Public forum Justice Byron White used a public forum analysis from Cornelius v. NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund (1985) and Perry Education Association v. Perry Local Educators' Association (1983) as the basis of his majority opinion in Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier. Traditional forums are those that have long been open to all expression. Limited forums are created by government designation of a place or channel of communication for use by the at large for assembly and speech, for use by certain speakers, or for the discussion of certain subjects, and the government must open a non-traditional forum for discourse (Cornelius at 802). At both traditional and limited forums, government restrictions must be narrowly drawn and serve a compelling state interest. Reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions are allowed if they are content-neutral and narrowly drawn and leave open alternative channels of communication (Perry at 45-46). A non-public forum one that is not by tradition or designation a forum for communication, and any government regulation in a non-public forum must be only reasonable in light of the purpose served by the forum and are viewpoint neutral (Cornelius at 806). Hazelwood majority determined that schools are not traditional forums and that the Hazelwood East Spectrum was not a limited forum in practice. It stated: The government does not create a forum by inaction or by permitting limited discourse, but only by intentionally opening a non-traditional forum for discourse (Hazelwood at 267, quoting Cornelius, 1985, at 802). However, when the forum rationale had previously been used by courts in regard to a student publication (see Zucker v. Panitz, 1969, and Gambino v. Fairfax County School Board, 1977), the newspapers were found to be limited forums for student expression. Justice William Brennan, author of the minority position in Hazelwood, stated that the school's control over the content of school-sponsored publications should be limited. He concluded that an earlier Supreme Court case, Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969), should be the standard for scholastic press freedom cases. Prior to Hazelwood, the Tinkerstandard was the `compelling reason' by which their (school officials') censoring actions would be measured (SPLC, 1994, p. 36). Tinker stated that restrictions can be put on student speech only if the speech materially disrupts classwork or involves substantial disorder or invasion of the rights of others (Tinker at 513). Until Hazelwood, courts had not ruled on whether prior restraint of scholastic publications for other types of content, such as libel and obscenity, was permissible (SPLC, 1985, p. 23). Though Brennan stated that the Court was deviating from precedent, he agreed with the Hazelwood majority that an educator may constitutionally censor material that ungrammatical, poorly written, inadequately researched, biased or prejudiced or material that does not meet high standards for . …

A Synthesis Model for Passing State Student Press Legislation

In the years since the U.S. Supreme Court gave public school administrators nearly absolute control of school-sponsored student publications (Hazelwood, 1988), supporters of the student press in 29 states have tried to convince their politicians to protect student expression by state statute (Arkansas Makes Six, 1995).(1) Efforts have been successful in Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, and Massachusetts, which increased to six the number of states having some form of statutory protection for student expression in school-sponsored publications. Prior to 1988, only California had included such protection in its Education Code. Shortly after the Hazelwood decision, one educator called upon university schools and departments to help the Third Press to secure laws forbidding (Knight, 1988, p. 47), while others decried the kind of censorship allowed under the Court's new guidelines (Garneau, 1988; Hentoff, 1988; Hazelwood: Experts React, 1988). Additionally, there emerged a new focus on research that could be related to successful campaigns for student publications legislation. The most helpful research has specifically tapped two areas: how principals, scholastic press association directors, journalism advisers, and students view various aspects of student publications; and what strategies are successful in securing political support for legislation. Very few scholarly studies or popular media articles have addressed the ways these two types of information may be synthesized to produce positive results, but such a synthesis was successful in the battle to gain student publications legislation in Arkansas (Plopper, 1995). With a failure rate of 83 percent in the 28 other states where efforts have been made to pass student press legislation since 1988, it may be time to reconsider the tactics being used by proponents of such legislation. By synthesizing views of the student press and information about successful political strategy, this study proposes a model for passing student press legislation. It also suggests that journalism and mass communication faculty take a major role in implementing the model. The student press In mid-1988, Click and Kopenhaver reported a nationwide study of high school principals and publications advisers that showed both groups, by overwhelming percentages, favored prior review of student publications (p. 50). Dickson (1989) reported that 98.6 percent of the Missouri principals he surveyed expected journalism advisers to talk to them if the advisers had any questions about the appropriateness of material scheduled for publication, and he documented several categories of subject matter that principals thought they would suppress in a student publication, if they found it objectionable (p. 171). Dvorak, Lain, and Dickson (1994), citing Dickson's previously unpublished 1990 nationwide study of high school newspaper advisers, reported that the kind of newspaper content causing the most conflict was that which was considered to be fair or balanced (p. 290). Click, Kopenhaver, and Hatcher (1993) surveyed principals and journalism advisers nationwide, asking about their attitudes toward student press freedom. They found that the two groups differed significantly in their attitudes toward factors relating to student newspapers (p. 69) and suggested, Advisers may be well advised to work with their principals to narrow this gap (p. 69). Olson, Van Ommeren, and Rossow (1993) asked the nation's scholastic press association directors about their attitudes toward the student press and found high agreement with the statement, High school journalism advisers should review all copy before it is printed (p. 11). They also concluded, Concerning press rights, the directors believe that high school journalists should be granted First Amendment protection coupled with a strong commitment, as one director puts it, to 'teaching, not supervision, advising, not control' (p. …

Self-Censorship and Freedom of the Public High School Press

For more than 25 years, researchers harbored three basic assumptions about the scholastic press: a) that school officials have shown little respect for student journalists' First Amendment rights; b) that student journalists are too deferential to school authorities; and c) that the student press tends to avoid controversial topics.Researchers expected to find that the situation had worsened after the Supreme Court's 1988 Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier decision, which allowed school officials to censor school-sponsored publications that are not public forums and to muzzle the speech of faculty members. Research following the ruling suggested that was not the case, however.Post-Hazelwood researchers found that high school principals and publications advisers did not see much change in the amount of student-newspaper censorship following the ruling. Critics of such research, however, say that these results are based upon arguably biased reports. They also suggest that unpublished prohibitions on content, pressure on student journalists, intimidation and student deference often negate the need for overt censorship. Phillips surmised the following from her pre-and post-Hazelwood study of North Carolina high schools:In all schools, advisers exert subtle pressure and, in practice, most of them are censors by the definition applied in this study: both cutting controversial material and instituting a policy or atmosphere of intimidation that causes students to refrain from printing certain materials in the school newspaper. Clearly, persistent student editor deference to such authority has a stultifying effect on the student press.(1)Post-Hazelwood researchers usually have studied only censorship and have been unable to determine if self-censorship is a problem for the scholastic press. Neither have they determined why press freedom did not suffer after the Hazelwood ruling. Their research points out the need for a reassessment of the extent of press freedom at U.S. public high schools. It also identifies a need to study factors associated with scholastic press freedom.Previous studiesStudies before 1969 often found that scholastic press freedom was limited by the whims of school officials.(2) But in 1969, the Supreme Court stated in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District that students did not lose their First Amendment rights while at school, if they were not disruptive. Because of that ruling, lower courts upheld student press freedom in a number of cases. Research conducted in the decade following the Tinker decision, however, found that the decision had not led to much of an increase in student press freedom.(3)While supporters of the scholastic press expected an increase in prior restraint to take place because of the Hazelwood ruling, researchers conducting surveys in three states shortly after the ruling concluded that few advisers or principals anticipated changes in their publications.(4) Several national studies of principals and advisers in the early years of the Hazelwood era seemed to confirm that the ruling had little impact on scholastic press freedom.(5)In the one reported study that included opinions of students, Crow found that Texas high school principals and student editors were in substantial agreement concerning the extent of prior restraint that had occurred at the school. Principals' and editors' responses to opinion questions about press freedom, however, were significantly different.(6)While research following the Hazelwood ruling called into question basic assumptions about the extent to which student press freedom existed, researchers' findings also were challenged. The Student Press Law Center, for example, reported that the number of requests for its assistance increased 143 percent from 1988 through 1992. It stated that [m]uch of the increase is believed to be the result of the U.S. Supreme Court's 1988 decision in Hazelwood School District v. …