As announced on May 22, 2023, the government of Puerto Rico is taking a new approach to educational transformation and has committed to decentralize the Puerto Rico Department of Education (PRDE). Puerto Rico has launched the Initiative for Decentralization of Education and Autonomy of Regions (IDEAR) or Iniciativa de Descentralización Educativa y Autonomía Regional (IDEAR) to begin the process of implementing a decentralized model. This move has provided an enhanced strategy to find solutions to overcome the system's challenges and ensure that students and families are benefitting from a school system that responds directly to their needs. The main deliverable of the IDEAR committee is a 90-day plan identifying the key areas in need of transformation and providing recommendations for how the implementation of a decentralized model may look like for Puerto Rico, informed by the broader community of Puerto Rico.
Note: The plan is available in English in the "Sección de Descargables", or download section, of the website.
Making an impact
Within months of taking office, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona formed the Puerto Rico Education Sustainability (PRES) team at the U.S. Department of Education (Department) to help Puerto Rico strengthen the stewardship of federal funds and improve educational outcomes for students. To date, the PRES team has provided technical assistance and training to the PRDE in the areas of financial and grants management, K-12 education, special education, and adult, career, and technical education.
Note: These resources are only available in Spanish.
Progress updates, chronology of progress
After the Decentralization Plan announcement, the Department has had a continuous presence on the Island, providing support and technical assistance for the transformation and decentralization.
One of the key aspects of this decentralization effort has been listening to the community and key education stakeholders to identify needs, opportunities, and areas that will be critical for success reimagining a transformed system. Community outreach efforts have consisted of a survey, listening sessions, expert workshops held around the Island, and design tables with key education stakeholders.
The plan has been completed and received by Secretary Cardona and Governor Pedro Pierluisi who has committed to implement all the proposed recommendations. The key pillars of transformation proposed on the plan are:
- Pillar #1 Adjust the structure of PRDE in SEA and LEA
- Pillar #2 Governance
- Pillar #3 Operational Processes
- Pillar #4 Academic Management
- Pillar #5 Monitoring and risk management system
These pillars will be implemented through six initiatives:
- Initiative 1: Installation of IDEAR in DEPR
- Initiative 2: Development of 3 Pilots
- Initiative 3: Strengthening administrative capacity in all schools
- Initiative 4: Process Reengineering
- Initiative 5: Regionalization of the PRED under the new configuration
- Initiative 6: Ensure the Organizational Transformation of the (SEA)
For current information about the process visit: https://de.pr.gov/idear/