The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "School Safety." Contents include: (1) Students Demand Safe, Supportive Schools:…

Career readiness in STEM is the foundation for developing the next generation of innovators and problem solvers in our rapidly advancing society. This Spotlight will help .identify the math skills students need for high-demand careers; review ways schools can help students take more college-ready courses; examine data on student demand for…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Education Research." Contents include: (1) Mexican American Studies -- A Deep…

Adolescents who struggle with reading and literacy face significant challenges in academic and future success. This Spotlight focuses on effective interventions to address learning gaps and support literacy development. From optimizing tutoring to emphasizing the importance of reading support classes, these articles offer valuable perspectives.…

Career and Technical Education (CTE) plays a vital role in preparing students for the workforce and postsecondary success. This Spotlight explores innovative approaches to CTE, highlighting strategies for expanding access to college-level coursework and real-world learning experiences. From developing effective career pathway models to integrating…

Schools experienced a massive expansion of technology over the past few years. They put in place 1-to-1 computing programs, are now using a record number of digital learning tools, and improved the availability of home-internet access for students. It was essentially a "fast-forward" for the evolution of digital learning in schools. But…

Each edition of the IDRA Newsletter strives to provide many different perspectives on the issues in education topics discussed and to define its significance in the state and national dialogue. This issue focuses on Student Voice and includes: (1) Youths in Action--Intergenerational Leadership (Aurelio M. Montemayor); (2) The Role of Conversation…

As the 2020-21 school year opens amid the COVID-19 pandemic's disruption, this third and final installment of Quality Counts 2020 delivers a data-driven portrait of the nation's school system along with A-F grades and rankings for each state on a wide range of academic, school finance, and socioeconomic indicators. This report also includes an…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Student Voice." Contents include: (1) Maybe One Day, the Pain Won't Feel the…

A broad range of factors go into weighing how well the nation's schools are living up to their responsibility to ensure that students are on track academically and prepared to take their place in a complex, ever-changing society. This third and final installment of "Quality Counts 2018" digs deeply into test scores, high school…

Each edition of the IDRA Newsletter strives to provide many different perspectives on the issues in education topics discussed and to define its significance in the state and national dialogue. This issue focuses on College Preparedness and includes: (1) Ready Texas: Gathering Stakeholder Input to Guide Research on New Texas High School Graduation…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "School Holding Power." Contents include: (1) Texas Higher Education Law Aims to…

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) and the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) joined hands in 2005 to enhance dramatically implementation of the "High Schools That Work" ("HSTW") improvement design in the state. Between 2005 and 2010, nearly 50 high schools in five cohorts joined the Texas Enhanced "HSTW" Network…

The "National Dropout Prevention Newsletter" is published quarterly by the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network. This issue contains the following articles: (1) A New Vision of Summer Learning (Brenda McLaughlin); (2) Using Summers More Strategically to Bridge the 8th-9th Grade Transition (Brenda McLaughlin and Hillary Hardt); (3)…

High schools and middle grades schools are making special efforts to keep students in school and to help them look forward with confidence to the next stage of life. They are connecting students to adult mentors or counselors who assist them in setting goals and completing a program of study for college and career readiness. They are assisting…