DOCUMENT RESUME ED 459 044 RC 023 253 AUTHOR Montecel, Maria Robledo , Ed.; Goodman, Christie L., Ed. TITLE IDRA Newsletter, 2001. INSTITUTION Intercultural Development Research Association, San Antonio, TX ISSN ISSN-1069-5672 PUB DATE 2001-00-00 NOTE 155p.; Published 10 times per year. For volume 27, see ED 448 974. AVAILABLE FROM IDRA, 5835 Callaghan Road, Suite 350, San Antonio, TX 78228-1190. Tel: 210-444-1710. For full text: http://www.idra.org/Newslttr/Newslttr.htm. PUB TYPE Collected Works Serials (022) JOURNAL CIT IDRA Newsletter; v28 n1-10 Jan-Dec 2001 EDRS PRICE MF01/PC07 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Advocacy; Bilingual Education; *Bilingual Education Programs; Community Involvement; Dropout Rate; Early Childhood Education; *Educational Change; Elementary Secondary Education; *Equal Education; Foreign Countries; *Hispanic American Students; Mexican American Education; Minority Groups; Professional Development; Program Effectiveness; Teacher Education IDENTIFIERS Brazil; Technology Integration; *Texas ABSTRACT The 10 issues of IDRA Newsletter published in 2001 focus on education in Texas and on national and statewide educational issues concerning minority, low-income, or bilingual students. Feature articlesare: "Challenges and Strategies for Principals of Low-Performing Schools" (Abelardo Villarreal); "Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program in Brazil: Valuing Youth across Different Cultures" (Felix Montes); "Once Texas' Lowest Ranking School, Fox Tech High School Wins the National Blue Ribbon" (Rogelio Lopez del Bosque); "The Missing Piece of the Puzzle: Opportunities To Learn" (Pam McCollum); "Use of Tests When Making High-Stakes Decisions for Students" (Bradley Scott); "Transitions from Schools to College: Getting There from Here" (Albert Cortez); "Community and Parent Involvement in Education" (Micaela Diaz-Sanchez); "My Magnificent Twenty" (Jose A. Cardenas); "Boosting Our Understanding of Bilingual Education: A Refresher on Philosophy and Models" (Adela Solis); "'Recess' Provides Cognitive, Social and Psychomotor Opportunities for Growth" (Yojani Fatima Hernandez); "Brain Development and Mastery of Language in the Early Childhood Years" (Elaine Shiver); "Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program Addressing the Digital Divide" (Linda Cantu); "The Diversity Bookmarks Collection: A Tool for Optimizing Teacher Usage of the Web" (Laura Chris Green); "Enriching Your Classroom through Equitable Technology Integration" (Jack Dieckmann, Abelardo Villarreal); "Transformative Leadership in Latino Communities: A Critical Element in Successful and Sustainable Educational Change" (Rosana G. Rodriguez, Abelardo Villarreal); "Early Childhood Education" (Jose L. Rodriguez); "Successful Bilingual Education Programs: Criteria for Exemplary Practices in Bilingual Education" (Maria Robledo Montecel, Josie Danini Cortez); "Transforming Teachers with FLAIR" (Juanita C. Garcia); "Teacher Shortages: Implications for Reform and Achievement for All Students" (Albert Cortez); "High Expectations, Substandard Results: The 2001 Texas Legislative Session" (Maria Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Robledo Montecel, Albert Cortez); "Destined To Get an Equitable System of School Funding" (Anna Alicia Romero); "Successful Bilingual Education Programs: 10 Schools Serve as Models" (Maria Robledo Montecel, Josie Danini Cortez); "Texas Study Profiles Successful Bilingual Education Programs" (Oscar M. Cardenas); "Missing: Texas Youth--Cost of School Dropouts Escalates" (Roy L. Johnson); "Successful Bilingual Education Programs: Student Assessment and Outcomes" (Maria Robledo Montecel, Josie Danini Cortez, Albert Cortez); "Successful Bilingual Education Programs: Indicators of Success at the School Level" (Maria Robledo Montecel, Josie Danini Cortez); and "Bullying and Teasing in Elementary School" (Aurora Yanez). (Contains a cumulative index, January-December 2001.) (SV) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. IDRA Newsletter, 2001 Volume 28 Numbers 1-10 January-December 2001 Intercultural Development Research Association PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS Office ol Educational Research and Improvement BEEN GRANTED BY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 0 This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization Li) Go.c -t..c. oliginaling it. 0 Minor changes have been made to rssi 2 improve reproduction quality. (11 TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. Q.) at- BEST COPY AVAILABLE DEVEzo IDRA Focus: SELF RENEWING SCHOOLS...LEADERSH1P c4° IDRA Newsletter 1 ISSN 1069-5672 Volume XXVIII, No. 1 January 2001 0 0 1P S tt'c9 -ICH ASS° Challenges and Strategies for Principals of Low-Performing Schools belardo Mame, inside this Issue: School principals are challenged toinsights on how to frame responses to create the climate, structures and practices these challenges. 4 Attributes for school and for academic success of all students. A student success new principal in a school with a highsynthesis of the Litevature 4. The Coca-Cola Valued Youth percentage of English language learners Successful campuses "talk the walk" Program in Brazil and a campus considered academically(articulating what needs to be done) and low-performingmaybeespecially"walk the talk" (doing what should be 4- Early childhood educators challenged to create that climate. done). These campuses evolve in academic event new information As a new principal, your school is environmentsthataredeterminedto familiar. The campus has a turbulent past, succeed and have no excuses for anything has had a reshuffling of staff, and needs aless than success. They use and teach in new beginning for students who expectEnglish and the native language. These educational equity and excellence and a fair campuses embrace a philosophythat chance to graduate from high school andvalues what English language learners college. You are expectedto employbring to the school another language, innovative school reform initiatives adapted anothercultureandasetof unique to address English language learners, whoexperiencesthatarenot part of the nationally still remain a most academically mainstream. Successful campuses capitalize neglectedandshortchanged group ofon students' language and culture and students. You will be faced with the critical consider them national assets that should task of achieving equity-based educationalbe preserved and utilized. excellence and a challenge to balance Principals of these campuses are instruction that prepares all students for informed about the most recent knowledge state criterion and achievement tests andoflinguistic,cognitiveandsocial teaches a curriculum that is comprehensivedevelopment of English language learners. and more encompassing. Many principalsTheseprincipalshavebeenableto are faced with similar situations. neutralize or circumvent the effects of The purpose of this articleisto contextual issues (poverty, violence, etc.) provide principals with a framework forwithin families and communities on the executingresearch-basedchangesand qualityof education and achievement provide suggestions and procedures foroutcomes of English language learners. achieving these changes. First, this article The box on Pages 8 and 9is a gives a synthesis of the literature of whatchecklist that elaborates on the research- works in schools with high concentrationsbased attributes that contribute to school of English language learners. Second, thisand student success. Key indicators of articlediscusseskeychallengesthat school successare categorized by 10 principals face in campuses with theseattributesand may beusedasthe demographics. Third,itprovides some Challengescontinued on page 2 3 - Challenges continued from page I Excuses," describes how,inspiteof framework on which to build a blueprint for Mese ¢aumpuses egmbvace a numerous obstacles and difficult odds, change. This blueprint is framed in school teachers and administrators are able to do phn@s©plivghag uaDues improvementplansthathavebeen what they feelis needed in order for developed after consultation with personnel whag EnOsh Ilansaaze students to be successful. A task for the at institutions of higher education, teachers, Bearrnevs bv6no g© ghe s¢hon[l principal is to get teachers, administrators, parents and community members. families and communitiestogetherto an©gliev Danguage, develop a vision that is inclusive of all Chalienges in !Framing a an ghev 'maws and a seg ©g students. Non-negotiable at these meetings Bluegalin2 flor Change empeden¢ s ghag aveare the following ideas: Strive high; Every Principals assigned the responsibility student has the potential; No excuses; Si se of turning around a campus that has beennapave ©g ghenaMnsgweam. puede [Yes, it's possible] (Lein et al, 1997). struggling with academic low performance A diversity of languages and cultures and a negative image in the minds of thebanners that convey high expectations in intheschool was validatedthrough major stakeholders in the community are both English and the native language. One various cultural celebrations and integrating faced with complex and difficult challenges. school had a banner that read: "Only English language learnersinas many Below is a list of these challenges and aapathy will stop us from reaching the classes as possible. For example, at the