Maggie Rivas
Program Associate
Maggie Rivas is a Program Associate with SEDL's Improving School Performance program. Ms. Rivas works with SEDL’s Southeast Comprehensive Center, for which she provides technical assistance, professional development, and resources to build state and local capacity for addressing the provisions of Title III of the No Child Left Behind Act. Through the state education agencies, she assists district- and school-level staff in identifying, selecting, and using research-based instruction for preK–12 students with a focus on English language learners (ELLs). In addition, she provides professional development and technical assistance addressing family and community involvement, with an emphasis on outreach to diverse families.
Contact Information
You may contact Maggie Rivas at 512-391-6551
Ms. Rivas’s interests include early childhood education; second language acquisition; English language learners; ESL reading/language arts/writing instruction; migrant education; and family and community involvement.
- Early Childhood and English Language Learners: Ms. Rivas professional career has focused on early childhood and bilingual education. For more than 20 years, she taught general and bilingual classes, ranging from kindergarten to fourth grade. At SEDL, she has more than 30 years of experience in ELL instruction and helping Spanish-speaking children ages 3 to 5 make the transition to English-speaking classrooms. This work includes helping to develop and provide training for the nationally recognized Follow Through model, a language development approach to improve the academic success of low-income kindergarteners with limited English proficiency.
During her career at SEDL, Ms. Rivas has worked with the Multifunctional Resource Center and as a senior trainer for the Follow Through program. Prior to joining SEDL in August 1975, she was a bilingual teacher in the Edgewood schools; taught fourth grade in a corporate-run school in Tia Juana, Venezuela; and taught elementary classes in Brownsville and Los Fresnos, Texas. Education
Ms. Rivas holds a BS in elementary education and sociology from Texas Women's University and an MA in early childhood education from the University of Texas at San Antonio. SEDL Publications
- La deliberación pública: Una forma de enlazar la reforma escolar con la diversidad cultural (1999)
- Public Deliberation: A Tool for Connecting School Reform and Diversity (1999)
- Rivas, M. (2008–2009). Title III monitoring and planning for professional development. A series of technical assistance activities for the Louisiana Department of Education Title III and Migrant Education, Baton Rouge, LA.
- Rivas, M. (2008). Jazzin’ it up: A medley of notes for creating a culture that supports English language learners. SECC ESL Institute, New Orleans, LA.
- Rivas, M. (2007–2009). Facilitated Revision of English language proficiency standards. A series of Title III technical assistance activities for the Mississippi Department of Education, Jackson, MS.
- Rivas, M., Meibaum, D. L., & Davidson, V. (2005, March). English language learners: From theory to practice. First in a series of three regional workshops for teachers and administrators conducted in partnership with the Mississippi Department of Education, Jackson, MS.
- Rivas, M., Meibaum, D. L., & Davidson, V. (2004, November). English language learners: Promoting parental and community involvement. Last in a series of four regional workshops for teachers and administrators conducted in partnership with the Mississippi Department of Education, Jackson, MS.
- Rivas, M., Crawford, M. J., & Keith, C. (2004, May and August). Migrant parents interviews. Two technical assistance activities for the Georgia Department of Education Migrant Program, Atlanta, GA.
- Rivas, M., Meadows, M. L., & Roberts, D. (2004, March). ELL instructional teaching strategies for secondary regular classroom teachers. Last of two regional workshops for teachers and administrators conducted in partnership with the Alabama State Department of Education, DeKalb County.
- Rivas, M., & Meibaum, D. L. (2003–2005). Migrant education comprehensive needs assessment. Series of technical assistance activities for the Mississippi Department Education Migrant Education Program, Jackson, MS.
- Rivas, M. (2002–2004). ESL instructional teaching strategies for elementary and secondary mainstream teachers. A series of training inservices conducted in partnership with the Northwest Arkansas Education Service Cooperative, Springdale, AR.
- Rivas, M., Clausing, C., & Crawford, M. J. (2002–2003). Migrant parent survey, migrant administrators survey, migrant student survey, and migrant school survey. Developed for the Georgia Department of Education Migrant Program, Atlanta, GA.
- Rivas, M. (2001–2004). ESL instructional teaching strategies for migrant staff. A series of training and follow-up workshops conducted in partnership with the Southwest Arkansas Migrant Cooperative, Hope, AR.
