• IDRA Newsletter • January 2016 •
The IDRA South Central Collaborative for Equity is one of 10 federally-funded equity assistance centers that provides technical assistance and training to school districts and other local education agencies in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. As exemplified in the article on Page 5, the center helps schools and educators provide an equal opportunity to a quality education for students who by virtue of their race, ethnic background, sex or national origin face being deprived of their civil rights in education.
In another example, the SCCE is working with school district leaders in the two large urban areas of Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In Oklahoma City, where schools are serving students representing more than 70 language groups, the district has launched a districtwide emphasis on building consistency of translation and interpretation to help the district communicate more effectively with parents in their own language.
In Tulsa, through a contract, IDRA is building capacity among the district’s English language development (ELD) coaches to sustain teacher training and support through dynamic coaching and instructional rounds in high-need schools. Additionally, we worked with the Tulsa Public Schools to adapt IDRA’s Good Schools and Classrooms for Children Learning English – A Guide for use at the secondary level for Tulsa PS’s current context. It will be piloted in selected secondary schools in Tulsa to build environments that improve English learner achievement.
Comments and questions may be sent to idra via email at feedback@idra.org.