Series: American RadioWorks: Focus on Education

Produced by American Public Media

Series image

From preschool to the post-secondary years, this series of documentaries explores the question, "What kinds of education are needed for people and communities to thrive in the 21st century?"

From preschool to the post-secondary years, this series of hour-long documentaries explores the question, "What kinds of education are needed for people and communities to thrive in the 21st century?" Stephen Smith and Emily Hanford pursue meaning behind research in how we learn and teach, and what's being done across the country to strengthen our systems of education.


7 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Caption: The campus of Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn., founded in 1874. , Credit: Steve Woit, courtesy of Macalester College.
The most popular college major in America these days is business. Does it pay to study liberal arts? (9/8/2011)

Bought by KSVR Studios: Skagit Valley Radio and WUIS


  • Added: Sep 08, 2011
  • Length: 00:54:00
  • Purchases: 2
Caption: College students in a Maryland science class. Some professors are abandoning the traditional lecture because research suggests it's not very effective, but lecture classes are still common. , Credit: Emily Hanford
Most college students spend a lot of time listening to lectures. But research shows there are better ways to learn. (9/1/2011)

Bought by KZYX, WFIU, and WUIS


  • Added: Sep 01, 2011
  • Length: 00:54:00
  • Purchases: 3
Caption: A student picks up new job skills at the Tennessee Technology Center in Murfreesboro, a technical school where many people who have quit college go to improve their chances in an increasingly competitive economy. , Credit: Doug Strickland
37 million Americans are college dropouts. What wlll it take to get them back? (8/25/2011)

Bought by WUIS


  • Added: Aug 26, 2011
  • Length: 00:54:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Teacher Joe Curtis working with a student at Hardy Elementary School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Credit: Emily Hanford
Kids need good teachers. It’s something people know instinctively. But experts disagree over how to measure teacher quality. (8/26/2010)

Bought by KZYX, WBEZ, 90.5 WSNC, and KXOT Public Radio


  • Added: Mar 17, 2011
  • Length: 00:54:00
  • Purchases: 4
Caption: Students on their graduation day from Montgomery College, a community college in Maryland. Most young Latinos looking for a way up through higher education choose community college, but a lot of them never make it to graduation day. , Credit: Emily Hanford
Young Latinos are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population, and they are among the least likely to graduate from college. (11/5/2009)

Bought by 90.5 WSNC and KXOT Public Radio


  • Added: Mar 17, 2011
  • Length: 00:54:00
  • Purchases: 2
Caption: A student in a preschool classroom at River Breeze Elementary, a public school in Palatka, Florida. Preschool used to be a radical idea, but now the majority of American children go to preschool. , Credit: Stephen Smith
There’s been a quiet revolution in America’s schools over recent decades. We’ve added an extra grade to a child’s education: Preschool. (10/29/2009)

Bought by KUNM, 90.5 WSNC, and KXOT Public Radio


  • Added: Mar 17, 2011
  • Length: 00:54:00
  • Purchases: 3
Caption: Students take a standardized test at a high school in Greensboro, North Carolina., Credit: Billy Barnes
There’s been a dramatic change in public education over the past 10 years and it’s all about numbers. (9/6/2007)

Bought by WAMU, KZYX, KWIT, and KXOT Public Radio


  • Added: Mar 17, 2011
  • Length: 00:54:00
  • Purchases: 4