Consequently, the entire project took about seven months. With fully trained reporters and properly equipped computers, Finney said, this type of story can be done inexpensively and much more quickly. Nevertheless, reporters and editors must understand the limitations as well as the possibilities of statistical analysis and that no story is completely contained in the numbers. While such analysis helps us to construct a strong and detailed foundation, the soul of the story resides in our schools. During the last months of the CAT scores project, she returned to school to earn a master's degree in communication with a speciality in research and applied statistics.
Parents assist children in a fourth grade math class.
Photo by Bill Batson, The Omaha World-Herald. The Omaha World-Herald. Photo by Bill Batson. Photo by Bill Batson, The Omaha World-Herald. Photo by Bill Batson, The Omaha World-Herald.