November- December 2013 IDRA Newsletter – Governance Efficacy

“Whether at the school board, school administrator or teacher level, effective governance requires developing the shared habit of vision that eschews the tired excuses of the past and creates schools that work for all students.” – Dr. María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, IDRA President and CEO

See PDF of the November-December 2013 issue

Articles

School Boards Come of Age with a 21st Century Visionby Rosana G. Rodríguez, Ph.D., and Abelardo Villarreal, Ph.D.

The Challenge of Seeing, Part II – Shaping the Sixth Generation of Civil Rights and Educational Equityby Bradley Scott, Ph.D.

Families – School Board Electors and Partners, by Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed.

Texas Endorsement System Threatens to Track Poor and Minority Students, by Albert Cortez, Ph.D.

Extras

Listen to our podcast episode: Six Generations of Civil Rights in Education – Episode 132

Video: IDRA Highlights of Community Engagement and the PTA Comunitario Innovation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation 2013 Convening

Full Written Testimony: Texas Endorsement System Threatens to Track Poor and Minority Students

“Tracking, Endorsements and Differentiated Diplomas – When ‘Different’ Really is Less”

Video profiling IDRA President Dr. María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund for its presentation of its Excellence in Community Service Award to Dr. Robledo Montecel

October 2013 IDRA Newsletter – School Holding Power

“We need a new commitment to high school graduation for all – and ‘all’ must mean ‘all’ – high school with a path to higher education. Investment in change clearly must go beyond discrete dropout prevention programs. It must reflect our full commitment to quality public schools in all neighborhoods for children of all backgrounds.” – Dr. María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, IDRA President and CEO

See PDF of the October 2013 issue

Articles

Building College Readiness for All Students, by Nilka Avilés, Ed.D.

Texas Public School Attrition Study, 2012-13 – High School Attrition Rates Continue Downward Trends, by Roy L. Johnson, M.S.

The Impact of the Coca-Cola Valued Program on Students and Schools in the United States and Brazil, by Felix Montes, Ph.D., and Linda Cantú, Ph.D.

Extras

Counting Dropouts – Episode 62

The Power of Student Voices in Dropout Prevention – Episode 125

College for All – Episode 75

Continuities with Lessons in Dropout Prevention – Episode 63

Tracking vs. High Quality Education for All Students – Episode 124

Video: Parents and students talk about how the Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program has made a difference in their lives. (00:41)

September 2013 IDRA Newsletter – Student Engagement

“An effective school is one where all students feel welcomed, valued and above all achieve both academically and socially.” – Dr. María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, IDRA President and CEO

See PDF of the September 2013 issue

Articles

Semillitas Project Supports Tribal Language Preservation, by Rosana G. Rodríguez, Ph.D., with Della Warrior, M.Ed.

The Value of Cooperative Learning in Science for English Language Learners, by Nilka Avilés, Ed.D., and Juanita C. García, Ph.D.

The Learner-Centered Approach – Leading with the iPad and Other Tablets, by Veronica Betancourt, M.A., and Paula Johnson, M.A.

San Antonio Dropout Prevention Program Expands to Chicago, Detroit, L.A., New York City & Sacramento

Extras

The Power of Student Voices in Dropout Prevention – Episode 125

Continuities with Lessons in Dropout Prevention – Episode 63

Creating Leadership Opportunities for Students – Episode 30

Dropout Prevention for Students with Special Needs – Episode 26

Learnings from the Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program – Episode 15

“What Is Student Voice About?,” by Adam Fletcher

“Using Classroom Walkthroughs to Improve Instruction,” by Nancy Protheroe

“The Essential 5: A Starting Point for Kagan Cooperative Learning,” by Gavin Clowes

Kagan Cooperative Learning

Teaching with iPads for Diverse Students – Episode 122

Learning with iPads for Diverse Students – Episode 114

Affective Lessons are Effective Lessons – Episode 119

Science for English Learners #1 – Episode 104

Science Success for English Learners – Episode 93

Science in Early Childhood Bilingual Classrooms – Episode 20

Video: Teens talk about how the Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program has changed them. (00:45)

August 2013 IDRA Newsletter – Change Strategies

“Connections, collaborations and coalitions, established and nurtured, provide a dynamic and strong enough effort to affect the inertia of public educational institutions.” – Dr. María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, IDRA President and CEO

See PDF of the August 2013 issue

Articles

Family and Community-Led Education Reform, by Josie Danini Cortez, M.A.

A Post Session Assessment of Texas Education Policy Changes Considered, Adopted and Rejected in 2013, by Albert Cortez, Ph.D.

Immigrant Students’ Rights to Attend Public Schools – School Opening Alert

Affirming the Right to Inclusion and Success in Education, by María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, Ph.D.

Extras

School Change Strategies – Episode 53

Framing Systems Change for Student Success – Episode 8

Tool for Building Quality Schools – Episode 81

Latino and African-American Communities Leading School Reform – Episode 64

June- July 2013 IDRA Newsletter – Actionable Knowledge

“Real, lasting change in schools comes when people are engaged at all levels, from state capitols to board rooms, from classrooms to community centers and kitchen tables, and when people have the knowledge they need to take the right steps on behalf of all children.” – Dr. María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, IDRA President and CEO

See PDF of the June-July 2013 issue

Articles

Our Schools ~ The Power of Data and Grassroots Organizing, by Laurie Posner, MPA

The Foundation for Using Technology for Learning in the Classroom is in Our Own Hands, by Hector Bojorquez and Juanita C. García, Ph.D.

Federal Grant to Help Expand Relationship Between Parent and Community Groups in the Rio Grande Valley

Six Teens Win 2013 National Essay Contest Award

Extras

Engaging Parents through Powerful Coalition Building – October 11, 2011

Parents Using Data to Improve Schools – August 9, 2011

Tools for Building Quality Schools – December 9, 2010

What Parents Should Know about Their Schools – February 17, 2010

Communities Using Data to Improve their Schools – June 3, 2008

Video introduction to the IDRA OurSchool portal

May 2013 IDRA Newsletter – College Access and Success

“Our future depends on having an excellent public education system, where all students graduate from high school prepared for college or the world of work, no matter what the color of their skin, the language they speak, or where they happen to be born. And this is a goal I believe we can achieve.” – Dr. María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, IDRA President and CEO

See PDF of the May 2013 issue

Articles

Teaching Quality – What we Know and What We Still Need, by Albert Cortez, Ph.D.

Assuring Civil Rights Protection with State ESEA Flexibility Waivers, by Bradley Scott, Ph.D.

No Back-Tracking – Supporting More Opportunities Not Limitations – Preparing Our Children for College and 21st Century Options, by Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed.

Effective Dropout Prevention – IDRA Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program

Extras

Principal on Creating a College Going Culture – March 29, 2011

Connecting Every Student to a Meaningful Future – March 10, 2011

The Civil Rights Issue of Our Generation – April 29, 2011

Tool for Building Quality Schools – December 9, 2010

April 2013 IDRA Newsletter – Teaching Quality

“To graduate students who are prepared for later life, schools need competent caring teachers who are well-paid and supported in their work. That means teachers are prepared, placed in their field of study and informed by continual professional development.”– Dr. María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, IDRA President and CEO

See PDF of the April 2013 issue

Articles

New Teachers Learning and Leading through IDRA’s Transition to Teaching Programs, by Linda Cantú, Ph.D.

Science Classroom Strategies for English Learners – iPads and Other Tablets for Teachers, by Veronica Betancourt, M.A., and Paula Johnson, M.A.

Fostering Mutually Affirming Relationships, Curriculum Rigor and Relevance – Science Strategies for English Language Learners, by Nilka Avilés, Ed.D.

Extras

Learning While Teaching (A Conversation with New Teachers) – Episode 120

Teaching with iPads for Diverse Students – Episocde 122

Affective Lessons are Effective Lessons –Episode 119

Learning with iPads for Diverse Students – Episode 114

Visual Literacy in Math and Science – Episode 112

How Does it All Add Up? – Episode 108

Five Dimensions of Mathematical Proficiency – Episode 16

March 2013 IDRA Newsletter – Parent & Community Engagement

“The core of our dream must value young people – all young people. We cannot afford to value some schools and not others, some neighborhoods and not others, some ethnic or racial groups and not others, some families and not others.” – Dr. María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, IDRA President and CEO

See PDF of the March 2013 issue

Articles

Net Capital – Technology Tools that Support Community Leadership, by Laurie Posner, M.P.A.

Families Engaging Each Other to Improve Schools – IDRA’s Annual La Semana del Niño Parent Institute™, by Frances M. Guzmán, M.Ed.

PTA Comunitario as a Family Leadership Model – An “Investing in Innovation I3 Project”, by Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed.

Court Rules: Texas School Funding Must Serve All Students Equitably, by María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, Ph.D.

Extras

Family Leadership in the Field – Lasting Community Leadership in Education

Community Leaders Discuss How PTA Comunitarios Give Voice to Parents in their Children’s Education – Courage Connections Interview with ARISE South Tower PTA Comunitario Leaders

ARISE South Tower PTA Comunitario – A New Model of Parent Engagement

Parent Institutes for Education

Video introduction to the IDRA OurSchool portal

February 2013 IDRA Newsletter – Curriculum Quality

“If you look at all of the best, high-impact innovations – none involve stop-gap, slapdash or silver bullet solutions. Rather, they all have demonstrated a set of key features that include assuring that students have access to quality teaching and a high quality curriculum.” – Dr. María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, IDRA President and CEO

See PDF of the February 2013 issue

Articles

Building a Civil Rights Juggernaut Using the Common Core Standards, by Bradley Scott, Ph.D.

Asset-Based Lessons for Linguistically Diverse Classrooms, by Veronica Betancourt, M.A.

Access, Equity and Excellence in Early Childhood Education, by Rosana G. Rodriguez, Ph.D.

Extras

A Civil Rights Look at the Common Core – Episode 117

Affective Lessons are Effective Lessons (Science for English Learners) – February 25, 2013

Learning with iPads for Diverse Students (Science for English Learners #6) – October 1, 2012

Visual Literacy in Math and Science (Science for English Learners #2) – August 29, 2012

Science for English Learners #1 – March 30, 2012

Data and Vocabulary in Math and Science – March 9, 2012

Science Success for English Learners – August 26, 2011

Teaching Opportunities through Discovery on Science – May 19, 2008

January 2013 IDRA Newsletter – Focus on Fair Funding

“We must ensure that Texas provides equitable access to excellent education – to high quality curricula, good teaching, support services and facilities – for all students in all school districts. We can’t compete in the global marketplace if we do not get serious about creating top quality schooling for all students.” – Dr. María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, IDRA President and CEO

See PDF of the January 2013 issue

Articles

Education as Pathway Out of Poverty, by María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, Ph.D.

Highlights of IDRA’s Expert Reports and Testimony – Presented in the Texas 2012 School Finance Court Case

Fair Funding & Vouchers – Public Monies Must Go to Public Schools, by Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed.

Extras

Fair Funding Now! for Excellent Schooling – Episode 102

Implications of Inequitable School Funding – Episode 68

Fundamentals for School Change – Episode 52

Video: Interview with Dr. Daniel P. King, superintendent of the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo (PSJA) school district

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