Press Releases

AVANCE Parent-Child Education Program Featured in Former Top U.S. Education Department Official’s new Book

Posted on March 3rd, 2009 by admin in Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Ruth M. Medellin, 210-270-4630 RMedellin.Nat@avance.org

San Antonio, Texas – The AVANCE National Office is proud to announce its’ most recent recognition. Dr. Susan B. Neuman, professor at the University of Michigan School of Education and former Assistant Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education under President George W. Bush features AVANCE in her new book, “Changing the Odds for Children at Risk”. Dr. Neuman writes, “We need to recast our priorities, to fund programs that have solid evidence of results – programs that stake their reputation on their abilities to exponentially improve the performance of at-risk children.”

“We are honored to be featured as one of Dr. Neuman’s nationally recognized educational programs focused on practicing the seven essential principles of education that break the cycle of poverty. Her research demonstrates how a program such as AVANCE delivers successful outcomes to at-risk families with children ages 0-3 by teaching the parent they are their child’s first teacher and their home the first classroom. The AVANCE Parent-Child Education Program educates families to help them overcome their children’s risk for early development problems which ultimately will affect their ongoing educational achievement and later contributions to society.” states Sylvia G. Garcia, President and CEO of AVANCE, Inc.

“Changing the Odds for Children at Risk,” published by Praeger, takes the reader along as Neuman goes into the field to investigate educational programs up-close and develops what she calls her “Seven Essential Principles of Educational Programs that Break the Cycle of Poverty.”

Since 1973, AVANCE (a-vahn-ceh) has provided low-literacy, low-income, parents of children between birth and three years of age the tools they need to prepare their children for school. Research tells us that a child’s brain continues to develop significantly after birth. This critical period of a child’s development is largely dependent on the actions of the parents and the child’s immediate environment.

“AVANCE helped lay the foundation for how my family raised me. Mom and Dad were only 22 years old when I was born. Both had grown up in pretty poor circumstances and knew only one world. AVANCE helped open their eyes to the value of education and the opportunities it offers.” – Hector Ledesma, Jr., 1983 child graduate of AVANCE Parent-Child Education Program, graduate of Syracuse University and well-known and successful Fox News Sports Anchor.

Neuman writes, “In light of this extraordinary convergence of increased awareness of the problem, knowledge of what works and renewed commitment toward educating every child in America, the bleak cycle of poverty and disadvantage that has until now appeared so intractable can be broken forever.”

Over 29,700 parents and children are served annually in the AVANCE parenting and adult literacy programs throughout the State of Texas and communities in New Mexico and California. Learn how AVANCE can help your community. For more information call Yolanda Rangel at 210-270-4630.

The AVANCE program:

  1. Actively target the neediest children.
  2. Begin early in children’s lives.
  3. Emphasize coordinated services, particularly for children whose families present multiple risks.
  4. Focus on boosting academic achievement through compensatory high-quality instruction.
  5. Deliver instruction by trained professionals, not by aides or volunteers.
  6. Acknowledge that intensity matters, defending against any dilution of program quality as a waste of public resources.
  7. Always hold themselves accountable for results and for children’s achievement.