The following are links to seven stories Sam reported in 2014, submitted for the Education Writers Association National Awards for Education Reporting.
In-depth series:
A two-part series about New Hampshire's Virtual Learning Academy Charter School, a statewide online charter school:
The Data Is Tricky To Parse, But Online Charter VLACS Seems To Work For Students
N.H. Online Charter School Growing By Leaps And Bounds
A two-part series about the current state of teacher preparedness in New Hampshire, and a pilot program that is creating a statewide "bar exam for teachers."
Raising The Bar? N.H. Teacher Prep Colleges Face New Requirements
After Pilot, 'Bar Exam For Teachers' Set To Launch State-Wide
Issues and policy features:
Reporting on the N.H. Supreme Court ruling to re-instate a controversial tax credit for donations to private school scholarship funds:
N.H. Supreme Court Reinstates Education Tax Credit Program
A story looking at the difficulties implementing Common Core standards in Manchester, N.H., a district that struggles financially and has been at the center of political fights over the new standards.
Few Changes Thus Far In Manchester Common Core Rewrite, Critics and Proponents Unmoved