“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

Published 10 times a year, each edition explores issues facing U.S. education today and strategies to better serve every student. This newsletter is published in print and on the IDRA website, in addition to this eLetter format. 

by Linda Cantu, Ph.D.

To be successful, schools must have skilled, committed teachers who are passionate about innovation and engaging all students. IDRA has teamed up with universities and K-12 schools across Texas to address this need. IDRA’s teacher preparation strategy is cultivating hundreds of new teachers to serve a more diverse student body, engaging seasoned teachers as mentors, and building networks for ongoing growth and support.

During the past 12 years, IDRA has received five multi-year grants from the U.S. Department of Education’s Transition to Teaching program. These are statewide grants that have helped recruit, prepare, place and retain a critical mass of highly qualified mid-career professionals and recent graduates as teachers in high-need Texas school districts. The teacher certification occurred through accelerated programs offered to already-degreed professionals. As part of IDRA’s Transition to Teaching grants, IDRA has partnered with teacher preparation programs in colleges, universities and school districts throughout Texas. We have prepared teachers in high-need areas that were identified by school districts, such as bilingual/ESL, special education, math, science and other subjects with an added supplemental certification in ESL and special education. As a result, more than 600 prepared new teachers have been placed.

There have been and are many successful teachers who are part of IDRA’s Transition to Teaching programs working today in Texas high-need schools and working in high-need areas. Some of IDRA’s teachers have shared what is possible. – Keep reading

Learn more about Teacher Certification

by Veronica Betancourt, M.A., and Paula Johnson, M.A.

iPads and other tablets are the biggest technology craze to hit the education field and are popping up on campuses all over the country in an effort to transform learning (Associated Press, 2012). The beautiful thing about iPads is that they are designed to entertain, and so many apps are designed with education in mind. We have already explored some iPad possibilities as a student tool in our previous article, “Science Strategies for English Learners – How to Use iPads and Other Tablets” (Betancourt & Johnson, 2012) in which we discussed the learning potential for students when the iPad becomes a medium for producing knowledge.

In this article, our focus shifts to how teachers, as instructional leaders, can maximize the capabilities of iPads and other tablets in the classroom as a teacher tool. Certainly, the effectiveness of iPads directly correlates to the comfort level of the user, so it is essential to ensure that teachers are comfortable with utilizing the iPads as both a teacher tool and a student tool.

We recently had the privilege of training some teachers in South Texas on this subject. The teachers shared stories of what was already taking place in the classroom to give us an idea of the types of learning apps that could be incorporated into their routine. Each campus (K-12) demonstrated a different need, and the level of iPad implementation varied. So we responded accordingly. It should be noted that we provided training and support to teachers who serve English learners. One of the common supports we were able to provide was how to implement apps when class sets of iPads (and in some cases, WiFi) are not readily available or as a facilitation tool for whole group and small group instruction. – Keep reading

Learn more about science classroom strategies using iPads

by Nilka Avilés, Ed.D.

There is a significant shift in today’s population. Demographers predict that “minorities” will comprise the majority of schoolchildren by 2023, the majority of working-age Americans by 2039, and the majority of all Americans by 2042. Even though such demographic changes will vary across the country, today’s young people can expect to live in communities and work in organizations that are much more diverse than in the past. Consequently, the ability to thrive in a diverse environment will be among the top competencies and work-related skills in the workplace.

This change in the population has challenged schools to teach a more diverse group of students and prepare them to collaborate in numerous job settings to function in a diverse society. Unfortunately, many teachers do not feel prepared to meet these challenges to effectively address culturally and linguistically diverse learners in prekindergarten-12 pipeline…

IDRA’s publication, Science Instructional Strategies for English Learners – A Guide for Elementary and Secondary Grades, presents seven umbrella research-supported strategies for the science classroom (Villarreal, et al., 2012). This article describes one of the strategies: foster mutually affirming relationships, curriculum rigor and relevance in successful bilingual and ESL science. The strategies also can be used as a base for teacher professional development at both the elementary and secondary levels. – Keep reading

Learn more about Science Instructional Strategies for English Language Learners

Since IDRA’s earliest days, strengthening early childhood education has been a priority, particularly for students who are learning English. The central element to ensuring academic success for preschool children is valuing children’s cultural, linguistic, gender and racial uniqueness. Each April since 1994, IDRA has been providing the nation’s only gathering place for teachers and parents concerned with early childhood education of English learners. During IDRA’s Annual La Semana del Niño Early Childhood Educators Institute, hundreds of teachers, administrators and parents come together to explore, assess and reflect on research-based, effective practices that lead to young children’s success. They get to see in action IDRA’s Early Childhood Centers of Excellence Model that builds success for preschool English learners by nurturing their learning through excellent classroom-based instruction and home-based support. In addition, IDRA’s new Semillitas de Aprendizaje supplemental curriculum includes a teacher guide with planning tools connected to knowledge, skill and concept objectives to help lead students through the Semillitas de aprendizaje stories.

Learn more about IDRA's Early Childhood Centers of Excellence Model

Learn more about Semillitas de Aprendizaje

Register for the Annual La Semana del Niño Early Childhood Educators Institute

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