Curriculum Associates

Ep. 8 Boosting Student Success with i-Ready: Insights from Dr. Samantha Echebelem

In this episode of the Curriculum Associates i-Ready Podcast, host Dr. Ricardo Garcia sits down with Dr. Samantha Echebelem, Duncanville ISD’s Director of Intervention Services, for an in-depth chat on student growth strategies. They share insights into leveraging i-Ready’s diagnostic assessments, academic discourse tools, and regular progress checks to support students. Tune in to hear about their "going green" approach to get students on grade level, the power of academic discourse in classrooms, and practical tips for continuous improvement throughout the school year. Perfect for educators looking to transform student engagement and learning outcomes! To learn more about Curriculum Associates, visit: https://www.curriculumassociates.com/ [https://www.curriculumassociates.com/]  Host: Dr. Ricardo Garcia Guest: Dr. Samantha Echebelem, Director of Intervention Services, Duncanville ISD Time Stamps & Show Notes:  (00:00 - 00:58) Introduction (00:59 - 01:37) Dr. Echebelem’s Background (01:38 - 02:23) Successes w/ Interventions (02:24 - 03:52) Data & Progress Monitoring (03:53 - 07:41) Implementation Plan (07:42 - 08:44) What’s Unique (08:45 - 09:52) Student Discourse (09:53 - 10:58) Words of Advice (10:59 - 13:12) Parent Engagement (13:13 - 13:38) Duncanville ISD in 3 Years (13:39 - 14:10) Closing

Ep. 7 Unlocking Student Potential & Personalized Learning Strategies With Dr. Elda Garcia

In this episode of the Curriculum Associates i-Ready Podcast, host Dr. Ricardo Garcia sits down with Dr. Elda Garcia, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Curriculum Associates, for an in-depth chat on student growth strategies. Dr. Garcia and guest Dr. Elda share insights into leveraging i-Ready’s diagnostic assessments, academic discourse tools, and regular progress checks to support students. Tune in to hear about their "going green" approach to getting students on grade level, the power of academic discourse in classrooms, and practical tips for continuous improvement throughout the school year. Perfect for educators looking to transform student engagement and learning outcomes! To learn more about Curriculum Associates, visit: https://www.curriculumassociates.com/ [https://www.curriculumassociates.com/]  Host: Dr. Ricardoo Garcia, Host Guest: Dr. Elda Garcia, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Curriculum Associates Time Stamps & Show Notes:  (00:00 - 00:42) Introduction (00:43 - 04:30) Dr. Elda’s Background (04:31 - 06:47) DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) (06:48 - 11:10) Dr. Elda’s Advice (11:11 - 14:28) Meaningful Data & Growth (07:29 - 15:58) What’s Unique (15:59 - 18:14) Personalized Instruction (18:15 - 20:13) Future Plans (20:14 - 22:11) Parent Engagement (22:11 - 23:40) Next 3 Years (23:41 - 24:33) Closing

Ep. 6 Driving Dual Language Success with i-Ready

In this episode of the Curriculum Associates i-Ready Podcast, host Dr. Ricardo Garcia welcomes Mina Naranjo, Principal at Birdwell Dual Language Immersion School, and Sarah Hancock, Master Teacher at Birdwell Dual Language Immersion School, to discuss the school’s successful first year with i-Ready. Mina and Sarah share how the i-Ready platform supported significant student growth in math and helped Birdwell achieve a distinction as a “super stretch” school. They discuss the power of data-driven insights in a dual language environment, highlighting how i-Ready’s Spanish reading assessment enables targeted support for language development and academic growth. Mina and Sarah also reflect on how they celebrate student achievements and involve parents in the learning process. Tune in for an inspiring look at how Birdwell is using data to impact instruction and foster individual student progress. Be sure to like and subscribe! To learn more about Curriculum Associates, visit: https://www.curriculumassociates.com/ [https://www.curriculumassociates.com/]  Host: Dr. Ricardo Garcia Guest: Mina Naranjo, Principal at Birdwell Dual Language Immersion School, Tyler ISD Sarah Hancock, Master Teacher at Birdwell Dual Language Immersion School, Tyler ISD Time Stamps & Show Notes:  (00:00 - 01:28) Introduction (01:29 - 04:58) First Year of i-Ready (04:59 - 06:20) Impacting Instruction for Students (06:21 - 09:41) Painting a Picture with Data (09:42 - 11:32) Bringing in Parents (11:33 - 16:28) Reasons to Celebrate (16:29 - 17:52) Advice for Administrators and Teachers (17:53 - 18:34) Looking to the Future (18:35 - 19:19) Closing

Ep. 5 The Power of Data-Driven Education: Insights from Dr. Angela Dominguez and Dr. Rick Garcia

In this episode of the Curriculum Associates i-Ready Podcast, host Dr. Rick Fernandez welcomes Dr. Angela Dominguez, Superintendent at Donna ISD and Dr. Rick Garcia, Superintendent and CFO. Dr. Garcia shares her expertise on the evolving landscape of education assessment and the power of data in driving institutional impact. She discusses how high-quality data from i-Ready supports teachers and administrators, providing insights that directly connect to accountability and outcomes. Dr. Dominguez and Dr. Garcia also share their background about themselves and Donna ISD, emphasizing the organization’s commitment to research-based practices and informed expertise. Tune in and explore how data-driven solutions can improve student growth, streamline processes for educators, and create meaningful change in education. To learn more about Curriculum Associates, visit: https://www.curriculumassociates.com/ [https://www.curriculumassociates.com/]  Host: Dr. Rick Fernandez, Host Guest: Dr. Angela Dominguez, Superintendent at Donna ISD  Dr. Ricardo Garcia, Superintendent & CFO Time Stamps & Show Notes:  (00:00 - 01:28) Introduction (01:29 - 02:47) Donna ISD & Dr. Garcia’s Background (02:48 - 04:24) Importance of Data (04:25 - 10:01) Interventions & Data (10:02 - 12:22) About iReady (12:23 - 14:36) Benefits of iReady w/ New Teachers and Leaders (14:37 - 16:39) Looking at Things From a CFO Lens (16:40 - 19:46) iReady Diagnostic (19:47 - 20:24) After Sales (20:25 - 22:22) Reach Out to Curriculum Associates (22:23 - 23:53) Trust Factor (23:54 - 25:37) Future of Donna ISD (25:38 - 26:19) Closing

Ep. 4: Using Data to Support Literacy Growth

In this episode of the Curriculum Associates i-Ready Podcast, host Dr. Ricardo Garcia chats with Stephanie Garcia, the Principal of Freedom Elementary School, who brings an unmistakable energy as she discusses the impact of the Magnetic Reading Foundations program. Principal Garcia shares her enthusiasm for the program's data-driven approach, which enables her team to track every student’s progress in real-time. But it’s not just her excitement—teachers were energized on the first day of school, too, excited to see students moving up grade levels ready to read. Don’t miss out on Principal Garcia’s contagious passion for improving literacy! To learn more about Curriculum Associates, visit: https://www.curriculumassociates.com/ [https://www.curriculumassociates.com/]  Time Stamps & Show Notes:  (00:00 - 01:10) Introduction (01:11 - 02:32) Prep for Magnetic Reading (02:33 - 04:06) Achieving More Faster (04:07 - 06:24) Data Supporting Growth (06:25 - 09:08) Striving for Academic Success (09:09 - 09:23) In 3 Years… (09:24 - 09:57) Closing