For decades, IDRA has researched the critical transition between high school and college access and success, particularly for minority and low-income students. IDRA’s research provides critical insights and solutions, such as our studies of a community college that yielded strategies that improved its recruitment and retention of Hispanic, low-income students, and students who were the first in their families to attend college. In 2007 when the Texas Legislature was considering limiting the number of students offered automatic admission under the Top Ten Percent Plan, IDRA compiled and analyzed data on students entering the University of Texas at Austin and all the Texas high schools that contributed graduating seniors to those incoming freshmen classes between the years of 1995 and 2006. In another example, IDRA’s Alianza project and research helped several universities improve their teacher preparation programs, increasing the number of teachers prepared to teach English in bilingual and multicultural environments. IDRA’s InterAction initiative focused on improving college access and success of Latino students and building lasting linkages among K-12 schools, higher education, and the community and business sectors. IDRA’s research set the context for action with the resulting 31 policy solutions informing state policy. And just a couple of months ago, IDRA released College Bound and Determined, a report showing how a school district is changing how we think about college readiness. More examples and resources from IDRA’s curriculum quality research work are online at www.idra.org/research/.

Comments and questions may be directed to IDRA via email at feedback@idra.org.

[©2014, IDRA. This article originally appeared in the May 2014 IDRA Newsletter by the Intercultural Development Research Association. Every effort has been made to maintain the content in its original form. However, accompanying charts and graphs may not be provided here. To receive a copy of the original article by mail or fax, please fill out our information request and feedback form. Permission to reproduce this article is granted provided the article is reprinted in its entirety and proper credit is given to IDRA and the author.]

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