3/11/09

Measures Could Severely Limit the Texas Top Ten Percent Plan
IDRA presents testimony on IDRA’s research showing the probable effects of proposed changes that would limit the number of students offered automatic admission under the Top Ten Percent Plan being considered by the Texas Legislature.
Read testimony text
See research summary

9/09/08

Graduation for All - A Framework for Policy and Action Speech
Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed., outlined four recommendations for increasing school holding power during the Graduation for All: A Framework for Policy and Action Education Summit, held by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Inc., on September 9, 2008.
Read text online.

4/23/07

Graduation for All Students – Dropout Prevention and Student Engagement Strategies and the Reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act
Dr. María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, IDRA executive director, presented testimony before the Committee on Education and Labor, U.S. House of Representatives, in Washington, D.C., in a hearing on “NCLB: Preventing Dropouts and Enhancing School Safety.”
Read five-minute verbal testimony
Read written testimony
View archived webcast at the committee’s web site

10/13/06

Framing Systems Change for Student Success
Dr. María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, IDRA executive director, spoke at a conference in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, entitled "High Poverty Schooling in America: Lessons in Second-Class Citizenship" in October. The event was held by the North Carolina Law Review; the University of North Carolina Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity; the UNC Center for Civil Rights; and the UNC School of Education. Dr. Robledo Montecel sat on the closing panel which focused on: What are the most promising strategies to improving achievement in high poverty schools. Her presentation is framed around the IDRA Quality Schools Action Framework that shows how we can strengthen public education for all students. Read text online     Listen to podcast of the speech.

12/08/05

“Increasing School Holding Power for All Students" – Podcast Series with Transcript
Dr. María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel led this teleseminar hosted by the National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities. Her presentation includes an overview of IDRA research on dropouts and school holding power, five characteristics of school holding power, overview of Coca-Cola Yalued Youth Program, discussion of the seven lessons from Texas about dropouts and school holding power, and an overview of IDRA’s new quality schools action framework.

11/04/05

Texas School Dropout Problem – Available in audio only
Dr. María "Cuca" Robledo Montecel, describes why Texas is losing one student every four minutes and what we must do to make graduation a guarantee.

02/27/04

“From ‘Dropping Out’ to ‘Holding On’ – Six Lessons from Texas”
Speech to Education Writers Association by María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, Ph.D. 

09/12/02

“Texas Needs Diplomas, Not Delusions”
Testimony by María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, Ph.D.

09/00

“Texas School Dropout Counting and Reporting – A Need for Credibility”
Testimony by María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, Ph.D.

08/00

Testimony on Texas Open Enrollemnt Charter Schools
by María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, Ph.D.

12/07/99

“Musical Chairs and Unkept Promises”
Award winning keynote on dropout prevention by María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, Ph.D.

10/12/99

Testimony before the Senate Education Committee
by Albert Cortez, Ph.D., division director, IDRA Institute for Policy and Leadership

05/18/99

Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program
Testimony before the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee

01/07/99

“319 Billion Dollars and 1.2 Million Students Lost”
Remarks to the State Board of Education Committee on Planning, María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, Ph.D., IDRA executive director