Transforming Education By Putting Kids First |
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IDRA Newsletter – This Issue's Focus: Family Engagement |
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In This Issue
Effective Family Outreach in the Pandemic Era
Engaging Families in STEM Conversations with Students
Effective Education Reform During COVID-19 Requires Authentic Family Engagement
IDRA's Innovative Family Engagement Model
Bring the Texas Chief Science Officer Program to Your School!
School Opening Alert – Immigrant Students’ Rights to Attend Public Schools
IDRA EAC-South Family Engagement Online Assistance Package
Recent IDRA News ~ IDRA In the News
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Effective Family Outreach in the Pandemic Era |
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by Karmen Rouland, Ph.D., and Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to many issues at the intersection of teaching, learning and family engagement with schools. Families and students need school districts to use culturally responsive family engagement practices and foster strong relationships with families as this strange school year evolves. This article gives strategies for educators in the age of COVID-19.
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Engaging Families in STEM Conversations with Students |
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by Stephanie Garcia, Ph.D.
Children have personal experiences with STEM because it is all around them. Families can help students make connections to STEM with their culture, interests, language, home knowledge and community concerns. Educators also can reinforce these connections in ways that expand opportunities for students in STEM and build their STEM identities.
The Chief Science Officer program fosters such opportunities. As IDRA began to lead the program’s expansion in Texas last year and then made adaptations for COVID-19 realities, we ensured the model was radically inclusive of families. This article gives ideas for educators and families to engage in STEM conversations with students.
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Effective Education Reform During COVID-19 Requires Authentic Family Engagement |
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by Terrence Wilson, J.D.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic caused schools to close in early 2020, families took on a new role in the educational activities of their children. Many, though, experienced a lack of authentic engagement with teachers and school administrators that left some parents with mixed feelings about their students’ educations. Given the importance of family engagement to the crucial decisions facing education leaders, several states have begun to focus on engaging with families to plan for the future. This article highlights input from families and educators and features actions communities are taking. When schools and families work together, they are powerful forces for policy reform.
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IDRA's Innovative Family Engagement Model |
An Education CAFE (Community Action Forums for Excellence) is a family group rooted in a community-based organization, rather than in a single school. Its sole purpose is to collaborate with schools to improve the success of students in the community. Learn more and see how to start and Education CAFE in your community. |
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Bring the Texas Chief Science Officer Program to Your School! |
The Chief Science Officer program empowers middle and high school students to enrich school STEM culture and career awareness by bringing STEM-related opportunities to their schools and local communities.
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As schools kick off this school year, IDRA is releasing this new infographic as a reminder that public schools, by law, must serve all children.
Schools should not discourage students without certain documents from attending school. In fact, students are required to attend school under the state’s compulsory education laws.
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Family Engagement Online Assistance |
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The IDRA EAC-South‘s Family Engagement Online Technical Assistance Package gives educators tools for embracing what, for many, is a new vision for engaging with families and community members. It includes five chapters, each with a video and supporting resources. |
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5815 Callaghan Road, Suite 101
San Antonio, Texas 78228
Phone: 210-444-1710
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The Intercultural Development Research Association is an independent, non-profit organization. Our mission is to achieve equal educational opportunity for every child through strong public schools that prepare all students to access and succeed in college. IDRA strengthens and transforms public education by providing dynamic training; useful research, evaluation, and frameworks for action; timely policy analyses; and innovative materials and programs.
IDRA works hand-in-hand with hundreds of thousands of educators and families each year in communities and classrooms around the country. All our work rests on an unwavering commitment to creating self-renewing schools that value and promote the success of students of all backgrounds.
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