Discusses grading the high school newspaper production class. Focuses, in this first of two articles, on a system of assigning points for the many tasks that merely need completion (rather than quality effort). Includes a grade form to keep track of such tasks and a statement about overall grading practices for students and their parents. (SR)

Describes what the Columbia Scholastic Press Advisors Association has meant to the author, who has been a high school publications adviser since 1973. Notes that hope is the spirit that keeps advisers and students going, and notes instances for hope and celebration. Notes that writing things down gives them validity and that "what reads easy…

Offers 10 examples of first-place winners of high school and college newspaper and yearbook entries in 1994 and 1995 contests, including accounts of games, human interest stories, and opinion pieces. (PA)

Suggests ways for student reporters to correctly use the medium they have at their disposal and reach their audience more effectively than the daily professional newspaper, radio, or television. Discusses how to cover the games; how to get the advance, postgame, and in-depth stories; how to use photography effectively; and other areas. (MG)

Relates some of the ideas imparted during the over 230 sessions at the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) annual convention, such as suggestions about photo editing, writing short stories, graphic trends in yearbooks, challenging ethical questions, the impact of "Hazelwood" on student journalism, the First Amendment and the…

Describes the differences between high school and college journalism. Presents seven short essays that deal with: the added responsibilities of a newspaper editor; the challenges of being yearbook editor; the role of advisor for publications; the pace of college journalism; news editing; student participation; and selling advertising. (PA)

Describes the successful and relatively easy steps taken by a student newspaper advisor and teacher to increase coverage in the student newspaper of items of particular interest to minority students on campus. (SR)

Describes the author's life experiences in journalism. Offers many stories to describe how high school journalism empowers students, teaching them to ask questions on their own and to think on their own, providing an atmosphere where students not only learn for themselves, but share their learning with others, and a place where students find their…

Features opinions of newspaper and yearbook judges as to the state of student publications. Cites as strengths: graphic devices, more pull-out quotes, more double-page spreads with dominant elements, and overall improvement in the quality of magazines. Cites as trends: overdoing opinion at the expense of research, and too many stories that are…

Recounts: the experience of working collaboratively to publish a literary magazine; an advisors' recruitment methods for workers for the school paper; one newspaper's emphasis on "news"; vignettes from the working days of a yearbook advisor; vignettes from the coeditors of the same yearbook; and the experience of publishing a newspaper in a school…

Describes how the author, a veteran high school journalism adviser for a prize-winning paper, left that job to take another teaching journalism and advising a mediocre high school newspaper. Describes the process of adjustment and change, discussing how in three semesters they changed the paper six times. Includes short essays by two of the…

Argues that covering crime in school publications can be effective in helping to solve campus problems. Notes that, with the right to cover the crime, comes the responsibility to be as accurate and fair as possible. Offers five suggestions on how to go about getting such a story. (SR)