Episode 63
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(December 17, 2009) The area of dropout prevention and holding on to our students through to graduation is perhaps the biggest challenge in education facing our country today. IDRA’s 26 years of experience with the highly-successful Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program demonstrate the positive affects schools can have on students who were once expected to drop out. IDRA has recently released Continuities – Lessons for the Future of Education from the IDRA Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program that vividly captures seven key lessons for improving the quality of education for all students. IDRA president and CEO, María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, Ph.D., describes how these lessons can serve as a guide and catalyst for future actions to transform education in this country. Dr. Montecel is interviewed by Bradley Scott , Ph.D., director of the IDRA South Central Collaborative for Equity. Send comments to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or fill out form online at www.idra.org/Podcasts. Sign up to receive free e-mail notices when new episodes are available.

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See resource links and show notes. (21.7 MB; 00:23:33 min.)

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Resources

Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program

Continuities – Lessons for the Future of Education from the IDRA Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program

Quality Schools Action Framework

School Holding Power Policy Principles

Graduation for All E-letter (English/Spanish)

Show Notes

* Dr. María "Cuca" Robledo Montecel talks about the importance of IDRA’s new Continuities publication and how it can guide future actions in education.

* Dr. Bradley Scott asks Cuca why our nation continues to struggle with high dropout rates.

* Cuca names and discusses each of the seven lessons listed in the Continuities publication, including the educational implications:

Valuing youth works.

Local ownership is key. There is no "silver bullet."

School leadership sets the tone. School leaders must inspire innovation, and they must embody engagement.

Realizing the power of one plus one plus one. To succeed, every child needs a caring adult at school and a reason to care at school.

Family and community engagement is essential.

Success demands well-defined partnerships.

Structure and innovation sustain impact.

* Cuca invites listeners to consider each of the lessons from their position in a school or in a community.

Show length: 23:33

Related podcasts

School Holding Power for Every Child – January 4, 2007

Action for School Change – October 21, 2008
Learnings from the Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program – June 28, 2007
Professional Learning Communities in Schools – November 26, 2007

Student Voices on Being Valued – May 14, 2009

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