The IDRA Texas PIRC is a comprehensive, multicultural and multilingual parent leadership support program for strengthening partnerships between parents and schools for student success. The center is funded by the U.S. Department of Education to serve the state of Texas.

The IDRA Texas PIRC provides an innovative and results-oriented approach to strengthening partnerships between parents and school personnel in serving children, the working relationship between home and school, and enhancing the developmental progress of the children assisted in this program. Through these efforts, new collaboratives have emerged, and IDRA has become the catalyst for strengthening existing and emerging partnerships among critical organizations providing supportive services to parents and families.

IDRA brings unique multilingual and multicultural focus, including training-of-trainers, to its approach in serving parents in Texas. The IDRA model of valuing parents as leaders promotes an emerging cadre of parents committed to positive support throughout the educational pipeline from pre-kindergarten through higher education.

IDRA provides evaluation aimed at improving the process, training and technical assistance, and the development of materials. IDRA is committed to sharing lessons learned from the project throughout the state and elsewhere to ensure sustainability and scale-up of project activities.

Goals of the Texas IDRA PIRC

Goal 1: Provide parents and schools in the 1,229 school districts in Texas assistance and resources by using broad statewide parent involvement strategies that primarily address campuses not meeting Adequate Yearly Progress or ranked as low performing according to state’s accountability system.

Goal 2: Provide direct assistance and resources to parents and school districts, in helping education customers develop an understanding of state and local report cards and opportunities for local school choice and supplemental educational experiences.

Goal 3: Provide parent training and technical assistance to school districts in with the highest concentration of students in most need, in the implementation of parent involvement policies and activities as required by the No Child Left Behind Act and Title I.

Goal 4: Provide assistance and resources to early childhood parent training programs that will support instruction to effectively prepare children for a successful school experience when they enter kindergarten.

Goal 5: Provide focused, intensive, long-term assistance that will lead to increased parent involvement, student achievement and school success to 10 low performing or not meeting AYP schools and communities in Priority 1 service area.