IDRA Classnotes

Classnotes Podcast (August 18, 2015) The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown vs. Board of Education declaring segregated schools unconstitutional was an important point in the long battle that had preceded it. IDRA senior education associate, Dr. Bradley Scott, has been engaged in the struggle for several decades and has been able to track the successes and challenges from the 1970s to the present through IDRA’s programmatic work and his leadership.

In this episode, Bradley sits down with IDRA senior education associate, Aurelio Montemayor, M.Ed., to talk about some critical learnings from Bradley’s experience and his counsel today to those who want children’s rights in public education to be respected, protected and valued.

Show length: 14:46

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Infographic on the Six Generations of Civil Rights and Educational Equity

Courage to Connect: A Quality Schools Action Framework

Six Goals of Education Equity

Equal Access to a Quality Education – The Civil Rights Issue of Our Generation

The Challenge of Seeing, Part II – Shaping the Sixth Generation of Civil Rights and Educational Equity

The Challenge of Seeing – Shaping the Sixth Generation of Civil Rights and Educational Equity

Coming of Age

The Fourth Generation of Desegregation and Civil Rights

We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to [email protected].

To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.

The post Education Civil Rights Challenges – Podcast Episode 154 appeared first on IDRA.

Classnotes Podcast (July 16, 2015) Bringing more females, minorities and low-income students into STEM fields requires building an environment of not just access, but inspiration. Students need to feel free to ask questions and test their creativity. Math educator, Paula Martin Johnson, M.A., an IDRA education associate, continues our discussion of how schools can use art within STEM strategies (“STEAM”) to give students an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and learning. She gives several examples of STEAM activities that incorporate on an equal level the content and creative.

Paula is interviewed by Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed., IDRA senior education associate.

Show length: 14:37

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Education Closet Lessons

Rhode Island School of Design

Coca-Cola Sounds of Ahh videos:

Edutopia: STEM, Meet Creativity

STEM Data from the Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA)

Signs that fewer black students are taking calculus in high school

STEM to STEAM: Resource Roundup by Edutopia

We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to [email protected].

To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.

The post STEAM Education for Every Child Part 2 – Podcast Episode 153 appeared first on IDRA.

Classnotes Podcast (June 30, 2015) Despite efforts across the nation over the last decade to increase STEM education for girls and minority students, the data show we’re not succeeding. Reports last year revealed that, in two states, not even one female student took the AP computer science test, for example. In 11 states, there were no African American students who took the test, and no Hispanic students took it in eight states. One initiative that is showing promise is to move from STEM to STEAM by integrating the arts into STEM work.

Math educator, Paula Martin Johnson, M.A., an IDRA education associate discusses how STEAM strategies combine a content standard and an art standard, side-by-side. This gives students an opportunity to analyze and express the content learning, while drawing on their experience, making the abstract STEM concept concreate and real.

Paula is interviewed by Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed., IDRA senior education associate.

Show length: 14:20

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Education Closet Lessons

Rhode Island School of Design

Coca-Cola Sounds of Ahh videos:

STEM Data from the Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA)

Michelle Obama Presentation at the Mulberry School

We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to [email protected].

To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.

The post STEAM Education for Every Child Part 1 – Podcast Episode 152 appeared first on IDRA.

Classnotes Podcast (April 21, 2015) While many bilingual education programs across the country are designed to build students’ fluency in English, some dual language programs provide opportunities for students to grow academically in two languages. But one school district has taken this to a whole new level by encouraging students across the district become bilingual, bicultural and biliterate. In this podcast episode, dual language coordinator Rosalva Silva describes how the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo school district is supporting students to meet biliteracy graduation requirements.

This is the second part of our conversation with Ms. Silva and her sister Rosario Lucero, a retired educator from the Raymondville school district, following IDRA’s inaugural IDRA José A. Cárdenas School Finance Fellows Program symposium. They discuss the support and resources needed for a high quality education for English language learners and what it means to students to have their first language so valued and respected. Ms. Silva and Ms. Lucero were interviewed by Laurie Posner, MPA, director of civic engagement at IDRA.

Show length: 14:41

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IDRA José A. Cárdenas School Finance Fellows Program symposium

Texas Underfunds ELL Education; Impacts Student Achievement 

Framework for Effective Instruction of Secondary English Language Learners

Bilingual Discussion Guide: Bilingual v. ESL – Los programas bilingϋes y de inglés como segundo idioma (Slideshare)

Education of English Language Learners in U.S. and Texas Schools – Where We Are, What We Have Learned and Where We Need to Go from Here – A 2009 Update

“Successful Bilingual Education Programs”

Research Study Results: Good Schools and Classrooms for Children Learning English

Engagement Based Sheltered Instruction

National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition & Language Instruction Educational Programs (NCELA) 

We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to [email protected].

To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.

The post A School District Vision for Biliteracy – Podcast Episode 151 appeared first on IDRA.

Classnotes Podcast (March 31, 2015) The U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Justice recently published new guidance regarding education of English language learner students. The January 2015 statement was designed to remind states, school districts and schools of their “obligations under federal law to ensure that English learner students have equal access to a high-quality education and the opportunity to achieve their full academic potential.”

Kristin Grayson, Ph.D., an IDRA education associate who works with schools to improve EL student achievement, discusses steps schools and school districts need to take to make sure they are serving ELL students and their families in ways that protect their civil rights as required by law. Kristin is interviewed by Bradley Scott, Ph.D. director of the IDRA South Central Collaborative for Equity.

Show length: 14:58

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U.S. Departments of Education and Justice Release Joint Guidance to Ensure English Learner Students Have Equal Access to High-Quality Education, January 2015

U.S. Department of Education- English Learner Tool Kit

IDRA’s Framework for Effective Instruction of Secondary English Language Learners

IDRA South Central Collaborative for Equity

New Research on Education of English Learners in Middle School and High School Released at IDRA José A. Cárdenas School Finance Fellow Program Symposium, February 2015

Education of English Language Learners in U.S. and Texas Schools – Where We Are, What We Have Learned and Where We Need to Go from Here – A 2009 Update, Albert Cortez, Ph.D., and Abelardo Villarreal, Ph.D.

Good Schools and Classrooms for Children Learning English: A Guide

Assuring Civil Rights Protection with State ESEA Flexibility Waivers

Building a Civil Rights Juggernaut Using the Common Core Standards

We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to [email protected].

To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.

The post Civil Rights Update for English Learners – Podcast Episode 150 appeared first on IDRA.

Classnotes Podcast (March 6, 2015) In an environment where the pressure on educators is to push English and show results on English-language tests has been an excuse for side-stepping research and best practices, the effect has been dismal academic performance among English language learners. IDRA’s 2015 inaugural IDRA José A. Cárdenas School Finance Fellows Program symposium highlighted research for Texas showing that ELLs are among the lowest academically performing groups of students, particularly in middle school and high school.

In this podcast episode, dual language coordinator Rosalva Silva, however, describes her vision for her school district that ELL children have the opportunity to become bilingual, bicultural and biliterate. With her leadership in the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo school district, Ms. Silva is making sure teachers and administrators understand and use effective strategies for educating ELLs that give students a strong academic foundation in their native language, which catalyzes their learning of English.

Ms. Silva and her sister Rosario Lucero, a retired educator from the Raymondville school district, are interviewed by Laurie Posner, MPA, director of civic engagement at IDRA.

Show length: 15:20

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IDRA José A. Cárdenas School Finance Fellows Program symposium

Texas Underfunds ELL Education; Impacts Student Achievement

Framework for Effective Instruction of Secondary English Language Learners

Bilingual Discussion Guide: Bilingual v. ESL – Los programas bilingϋes y de inglés como segundo idioma (Slideshare)

Education of English Language Learners in U.S. and Texas Schools – Where We Are, What We Have Learned and Where We Need to Go from Here – A 2009 Update

“Successful Bilingual Education Programs” 

Research Study Results: Good Schools and Classrooms for Children Learning English. 

Engagement Based Sheltered Instruction

National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition & Language Instruction Educational Programs (NCELA)

We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to [email protected].

To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.

The post A School District Vision for ELL Education – Podcast Episode 149 appeared first on IDRA.

Classnotes Podcast (February 10, 2015) A revolutionary model of parent engagement is demonstrating how families and communities can collaborate with their schools to improve education for all students. In two earlier Classnotes podcast episodes, we outlined how to start a PTA Comunitario in three phases and then we focused on the first phase, “PTA Comunitarios are Born in their Communities.” In this episode, Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed., IDRA senior education associate, discusses the second phase of establishing a relationship with a school and the third phase of taking on education projects. Aurelio is interviewed by Sofia Bahena, Ed.D., senior education associate.

Show length: 12:14

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PTA Comunitario Webpage

eBook: Seven Elements of the PTA Comunitario Approach

PTA Comunitario as a Family Leadership Model – An ‘Investing in Innovation I3 Project

Hosting Superintendents, Quizzing Candidates and Marking Maps – A Fully Engaged PTA Comunitario

Community Leaders Discuss How PTA Comunitarios Give Voice to Parents in their Children’s Education

IDRA’s Family Leadership Principles

We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to [email protected].

To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.

The post PTA Comunitarios Focus on Strengthening their Schools – Podcast Episode 148 appeared first on IDRA.

Classnotes Podcast (October 30, 2014) Federal law and court rulings have taken steps to protect the civil rights of students in our public schools. What that looks like has changed over the decades as Bradley Scott, Ph.D. director of the IDRA South Central Collaborative for Equity, has described in previous Classnotes podcast episodes. Today, he gives an overview of what civil rights in education means for our schools today.

In particular, he outlines five priorities that the U.S. Department of Education has for the nation’s network of equity assistance centers: My Brother’s Keeper initiative, teacher equity plans, parent involvement, discipline guidance and dropout prevention.

Bradley is interviewed by Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed., IDRA senior education associate.

Show length: 13:28

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Improving Public Education Accountability Systems and Addressing Educational Equity

Equal Access to a Quality Education – The Civil Rights Issue of Our Generation

The Challenge of Seeing, Part II – Shaping the Sixth Generation of Civil Rights and Educational Equity

The Challenge of Seeing – Shaping the Sixth Generation of Civil Rights and Educational Equity

Coming of Age

The Fourth Generation of Desegregation and Civil Rights

We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to [email protected].

To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.

The post Education Civil Rights for Today and Beyond – Podcast Episode 147 appeared first on IDRA.

Classnotes Podcast (October 14, 2014) Families need to know how schools are doing, and they can use available data to give them a big picture view of their neighborhood public school. But parents can also dig deeper by surveying each other. In this episode, Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed., IDRA senior education associate, describes how some family groups have conducted parent-to-parent surveys, finding common goals and concerns. The process is helping their schools listen to families and more importantly is helping families and schools partner together to meet the challenge. Aurelio is interviewed by Bradley Scott, Ph.D. director of the IDRA South Central Collaborative for Equity.

Show length: 13:28

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Community Conversations about Math Learning and Teaching

Montemayor, A.M. “This We Know – All of Our Children are Learning

Sample survey for students about mathematics learning (doc)- Download

Sample survey for parents about their children’s mathematics learning (doc)- Download

Student Presentation of Survey Results (ppt)- Download

PTA Comunitario Webpage

Hosting Superintendents, Quizzing Candidates and Marking Maps – A Fully Engaged PTA Comunitario

Community Leaders Discuss How PTA Comunitarios Give Voice to Parents in their Children’s Education

IDRA’s Family Leadership Principles

We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to [email protected].

To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.

The post Building Parent Voice for Action – Podcast Episode 146 appeared first on IDRA.

Classnotes Podcast (September 29, 2014) Karen Leahy knew that having a Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program tutor work with students in her elementary classroom would help the tutors strengthen self-esteem. And she welcomed that opportunity. But she was surprised to see how they genuinely helped her first grade tutees get up to grade level in reading. Ms. Leahy is first grade teacher at the NOW Academy in the Los Angeles Unified School District and describes how she selected the students the Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program tutors would be assigned to and how the tutors were embraced by not just her two charges, but by the whole class.

The IDRA Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program is a research-based, internationally-recognized dropout prevention program that has kept 98 percent of its tutors in school. It works by identifying junior high and high school students who are in at-risk situations and enlisting them as tutors for elementary school youngsters who are also struggling in school. Valued Youth tutors learn self-discipline and develop self-esteem; schools shift to the philosophy and practices of valuing students considered at-risk. Results show that tutors stay in school, have increased academic performance, improved school attendance and advanced to higher education. Ms. Leahy is interviewed by Dr. Sulema Carreón-Sánchez, a senior education associate.

Show length: 17:17

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Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program

Video: Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program Tutors at the NOW Academy in the Los Angeles Unified School District

Continuities – Lessons for the Future of Education from the IDRA Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program

Video: Elementary teacher describes why she likes having a Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program tutor in her classroom. [00:32]

Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program Student Essays

Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program – Strengthening Student Connections with School

We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to [email protected].

To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.

The post Tutor’s Success Surprises Elementary Teacher – Podcast Episode 145 appeared first on IDRA.