Reprint from the Progress Times - April 11, 2008
©Progress Times 2008 - All Rights Reserved

LJISD receives third American History grant

 

The La Joya Independent School District has been awarded their third American History grant in six years from the United States Department of Education to implement the Recent Immigrant and Special Education (RISE) Project. The public is invited to attend a $1 million check presentation to be made by Congressman Henry Cuellar to the La Joya ISD board of trustees and administration Friday, April 11 at 1 p.m. at the Juarez-Lincoln High School Library located at 801 N. Coyote Drive.

The RISE project is a comprehensive five-year American History teacher professional development project whose primary goal is to raise student achievement in the area of traditional American History by improving the quality of instruction in K-12 traditional American History classes. Forty elementary, middle school and high school teachers of recent immigration students and Special Education students will be served. The district will receive an additional $650,000 for years four and five of the grant. 

The three main project objectives for the money will be to increase teacher knowledge, increase student achievement and increase LJISD’s capacity to provide long-term, sustained professional development in the area of traditional American History beyond the life of the grant period.

LJISD Superintendent Alda T. Benavides says the program will especially help children with special needs.

“I love that Project RISE focuses on American History teachers of these two special populations; recent immigrants and special education students,” said Benavides. “It will enable us to promote even better opportunities for kids with special needs and some with deprived backgrounds. Our teachers will be able to bring the world to them.”

Social Studies Coordinator and the Teaching American History Grant Director Dagoberto Ramirez echoed Benavides’ statements.

“These American History teachers that work with recent immigrants and Special Education students often get left out when it comes to professional development in their content field,” said Ramirez. “Over the next five years this group of 40 teachers will benefit tremendously from the experiences they will participate in with our local and distant partners. 

Congressman Cuellar believes the district is on the right track.

“I congratulate Dr. Benavides and other La Joya ISD educators for their hard work in bringing this grant to the schools in La Joya,” said Cuellar. “Their continued hard work and dedication will make a difference in the quality of education provided to the children of La Joya.”

This latest grant award brings the district’s total awards for teaching American History to $3,638,688 in the last six years.