Gorrell, Robert; Salamone, Frank (2011). New Mexico's Model for Funding School Facilities' Greatest Needs, School Business Affairs. The New Mexico Public Schools Facilities Authority (NM-PSFA) is a relatively small state agency (50 staff members) that manages the allocation of funding for public school facilities in the state while assisting school districts and state-chartered charter schools in facility planning, construction, and maintenance. Like the majority of other states, New Mexico faces the quandary of allocating limited state resources to school facilities' needs equitably, cost-effectively, and at maximum efficiency. New Mexico has developed an effective solution to that problem, overcoming key challenges that are likely common to public school facility programs across the country. The condition of all school facilities in New Mexico are ranked and compared against one another using NM-PSFA's weighted New Mexico Condition Index (wNMCI), which considers facility condition, educational adequacy, and other key facility-related priorities, such as life, health, and safety. New Mexico's assessment and ranking model, widely regarded as a national best practice, is its primary tool for allocating state capital to school facilities' needs. [More] Descriptors: State Agencies, Educational Facilities, Educational Facilities Planning, Models

Excelencia in Education (NJ1) (2012). Latino College Completion: New Mexico. In 2009, Excelencia in Education launched the Ensuring America's Future initiative to inform, organize, and engage leaders in a tactical plan to increase Latino college completion. An executive summary of Latino College Completion in 50 states synthesizes information on 50 state factsheets and builds on the national benchmarking guide. Each factsheet provides state level snapshots about Latinos in the educational pipeline and the equity gap between Latinos and White non-Hispanics in achievement. Additionally, examples of how evidence-based practices improve Latino college completion at institutions of higher education are provided. Highlights from New Mexico's fact sheet include: (1) New Mexico had the 9th largest Latino population in the U.S.; (2) Over half of the K-12 population in New Mexico (60%) was Latino; (3) In New Mexico, 46% of the state population was Latino. (Projections show a continued increase.); (4) The median age of Latinos in New Mexico was 29, compared to 40 for White non-Hispanics; and (5) In New Mexico, 21% of Latino adults (25 to 64 years old) had earned an associate degree or higher, compared to 33% of all adults. (Contains 5 footnotes.) [For the executive summary, see ED532055. For the National Fact Sheet, see ED532060.] [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Access to Education, Achievement Gap, Benchmarking

Booker, John M.; Schluter, Janette A.; Carrillo, Kris; McGrath, Jane (2011). Quality Improvement Initiative in School-Based Health Centers across New Mexico, Journal of School Health. Background: Quality improvement principles have been applied extensively to health care organizations, but implementation of quality improvement methods in school-based health centers (SBHCs) remains in a developmental stage with demonstration projects under way in individual states and nationally. Rural areas, such as New Mexico, benefit from the use of distance education techniques to reach providers throughout the state. Methods: The Envision New Mexico (ENM) Quality Improvement Initiative involves training in quality improvement concepts and methods, identification of best practices for selected clinical services, and repeated use of data to measure changes leading to improvement. The ENM employs the Model for Improvement and the "Plan-Do-Study-Act" tool, which enables providers to self-evaluate, set goals, and assess results with their own data. Results: Providers tend to overestimate their use of best practices. Contrasting these perceptions with findings from medical record reviews can provide impetus and focus for quality improvement through changes in specific clinical practices and management systems. Preliminary findings from New Mexico suggest that quality improvement interventions can be effective, with initial improvements over baseline reviews typically in the 20-40% range. Conclusion: Systematic efforts to enhance the quality of care can help improve both the effectiveness and efficiency of SBHCs, and provide evidence of the value of the care provided. Simple, efficient quality improvement techniques, with the use of distance learning technologies, can help achieve the full promise of expanded school-based health care. [More] Descriptors: Management Systems, Distance Education, Rural Areas, School Health Services

Ford, Julie Dyke (2012). Integrating Communication into Engineering Curricula: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Facilitating Transfer at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Composition Forum. This program profile describes a new approach towards integrating communication within Mechanical Engineering curricula. The author, who holds a joint appointment between Technical Communication and Mechanical Engineering at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, has been collaborating with Mechanical Engineering colleagues to establish a department-wide program with the goal of facilitating transfer of rhetorical instruction to engineering deliverables involving written and oral communication. To carry out this goal, the program incorporates a set of best practices informed by prior research in the areas of knowledge transfer, writing studies, and educational theory. These best practices and the theories informing them are described in this profile. In addition, the author offers preliminary lessons learned and presents implications for writing faculty interested in facilitating transfer through interdisciplinary initiatives. [More] Descriptors: Profiles, Interdisciplinary Approach, Engineering Education, Speech Communication

National Council on Teacher Quality (2009). State Teacher Policy Yearbook, 2009. New Mexico. This New Mexico edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) 2009 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" is the third annual look at state policies impacting the teaching profession. It is hoped that this report will help focus attention on areas where state policymakers can make changes that will have a positive impact on teacher quality and student achievement. The 2009 "Yearbook" presents a comprehensive analysis of state teacher policies. This evaluation is organized in five areas encompassing 33 goals. Broadly, these goals examine the impact of state policy on: (1) delivering well-prepared teachers; (2) expanding the teaching pool; (3) identifying effective teachers; (4) retaining those deemed effective; and (5) exiting those deemed ineffective. New Mexico has an overall "Yearbook" grade of D+ for 2009. New Mexico's major policy strengths include: (1) Ensuring that licensure advancement is based on effectiveness, earning the state a "best practice" designation; (2) Articulating consequences for teachers with unsatisfactory evaluations; and (3) Requiring that all new teachers pass subject-matter licensure tests prior to entering the classroom. New Mexico's major policy weakness include: (1) Failing to make evidence of student learning the preponderant criterion in teacher evaluations; (2) Lacking an efficient termination process for ineffective teachers; and (3) Offering a disingenuous alternate route. Goals for each area are appended. (Contains 124 figures.) [For the national summary, see ED511872.] [More] Descriptors: Teaching (Occupation), Teacher Education, Elementary School Teachers, Middle School Teachers

Collins, Ashleigh; Carrier, David; Moore, Kristin Anderson; Paisano-Trujillo, Renee (2010). Sustaining School-Based Services: Insights from New Mexico's Integrated School-Based Services. Research-to-Results Practitioner Insights. Publication #2010-09, Child Trends. Practitioners, school leaders, and policymakers serving the needs of youth and their families in New Mexico gathered in Albuquerque in June 2009 for four Roundtable discussions on sustaining integrated health, extended learning, and other social services in middle schools across the state that are a part of the Elev8 New Mexico initiative. Elev8 New Mexico sites function as full-service community schools combining educational and youth development best practices with in-house health, extended learning, and social services to assure that young people are prepared to learn and succeed. This statewide initiative is part of a larger national effort to bring together middle school students' extended learning, comprehensive school-based health, and direct family supports into a comprehensive and holistic program. This "Practitioner Insights" brief builds on three previous Roundtable discussions held on the topic in May 2008. This brief outlines the benefits, challenges and strategies for implementing school-based services that were discussed in the June 2009 Roundtables and shares the Roundtable participants' suggested improvements for sustaining these services. [More] Descriptors: Integrated Services, Middle School Students, Community Schools, Social Services

Whittlesey-Jerome, Wanda (2013). Results of the 2010 Statewide New Mexico School Social Work Survey: Implications for Evaluating the Effectiveness of School Social Work, School Social Work Journal. Today's school social workers are facing unique challenges in the workplace. The results of the 2009 New Mexico School Social Work Survey reinforced the idea that school social workers must be able to prove their effectiveness. Building on the school social work literature on practice outcomes evaluation, a more extensive statewide survey of school social workers was conducted in 2010 to explore further the extent to which they were prepared to evaluate, were evaluating, or had evaluated their own effectiveness. The results of this statewide survey suggest that school social workers in New Mexico are able to access their individual data as well as prepare for and evaluate their impact on student success. However, most do not have access to aggregated school social work data, nor do many share results of their work with decision-makers. Implications for school social work practice evaluation are discussed within the context of shrinking school system budgets and the fragile economy. [More] Descriptors: Social Work, School Social Workers, Program Effectiveness, Data

National Council on Teacher Quality (2008). State Teacher Policy Yearbook: What States Can Do to Retain Effective New Teachers, 2008. New Mexico. This paper presents the New Mexico edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's 2008 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook". The 2008 "Yearbook" focuses on how state policies impact the retention of effective new teachers. This policy evaluation is broken down into three areas that encompass 15 goals. Broadly, these goals examine the impact of state policy on: (1) identifying effective teachers; (2) retaining those deemed effective; and (3) exiting those deemed ineffective. Overall, New Mexico has done a good job in meeting some goals; however, significant room for improvement remains in several others. The state completely missed five goals, met a small portion of two, partially met five and fully met three, including one best practice designation. New Mexico's best performances are in its effort to ensure that only factors that advance teacher effectiveness are required for permanent licenses, its articulated consequences for teachers with unsatisfactory evaluations, and its effort to close loopholes that allow teachers who have not met licensure requirements to continue teaching. The state has the most work to do in ensuring its pension system is portable, flexible and fair and strengthening policies regarding teacher compensation issues. New Mexico's progress toward meeting these goals is summarized. The body of the report provides a more detailed breakdown of the state's strengths and weaknesses in each area. New Mexico has an overall performance of C for 2008. Goals for each area are appended. (Contains 57 figures.) [Additional support for the 2008 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" was provided by the Teaching Commission. For the national summary, see ED514690.] [More] Descriptors: Mentors, Teacher Competencies, State Government, Government Role

Voices for America's Children (2008). Increasing State Investments in Early Care and Education: Lessons Learned from Advocates and Best Practices, Spring 2008. This report showcases advocacy efforts of 11 member organizations in 10 states that recently passed an early care and education (ECE) legislative initiative. The aim of the report is to provide advocates with proven strategies for advancing progress in securing access to ECE and expanding the opportunity for all children to start school prepared for success. In each state, the political leadership, the resources and sophistication of advocates, connections and relationships with legislators and political influencers, political realities and public will came together in different ways. Organizations profiled include: (1) Alabama (VOICES for Alabama's Children); (2) Colorado (Colorado Children's Campaign); (3) Missouri (Citizens for Missouri's Children); (4) New Mexico (New Mexico Voices for Children); (5) Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children and Public Citizens for Children and Youth); (6) Rhode Island (Rhode Island KIDS COUNT); (7) Virginia (Voices for Virginia's Children); (8) Washington (The Children's Alliance); (9) Wisconsin (Wisconsin Council on Children and Families); and (10) Wyoming (Wyoming Children's Action Alliance.) [More] [More] Descriptors: Early Childhood Education, Change Strategies, Educational Strategies, Strategic Planning

Tom, Deborah F. (2012). Principals in Two High Achieving Elementary Schools in Rural New Mexico: A Case Study, ProQuest LLC. Much has been written regarding the dire educational state of most schools in rural America. This case study profiles two elementary school principals (preK-6) in rural New Mexico whose schools achieved adequate yearly progress (AYP) for the 2009-10 school year. The focus of this study centered on specific characteristics of the school cultures addressed by the principals, and instructional best practices routinely incorporated by teachers into the daily curricular program that have produced successful student outcomes and earned each of their schools AYP standing for the 2009-10 academic year. The methodology used to determine research findings was performed in three parts: Principals of AYP rural New Mexico schools were asked to complete an online survey on educational leadership according to the standards and functions of the Interstate School Leadership Licensure Consortium (ISLLC). The respondents chose either "Almost always," "To a considerable degree," "Occasionally," "Seldom," or "Never" according to the degree they deemed the leadership function necessary to the successful operations of their schools. The survey results were arranged into tables preceded with explanations and statistical analysis. Interviews were conducted with the two rural elementary school principals along with selected teachers and parents from each school. The researcher made on-site visitations and kept notes of the observations and interactions with staffs from each school. The main findings of the study arose from the results of the surveys and interviews conducted with individuals from the two focus schools. The researcher arranged data according to the leadership categories that emerged from the interviews. The survey results were divided into two categories: favorable ("Almost always" and "To a considerable degree") and unfavorable ("Occasionally," "Seldom," and "Never" categories). The results for each leadership standard and related function were reported in terms of statistical significance according to frequency counts in the two categories. Finally, there is a review of current literature focused on principles of educational leadership and rural education, demographic information about the profiled schools, and conclusions with further recommendations for future studies. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta… [More] Descriptors: Rural Schools, Principals, Profiles, Elementary Schools

New Mexico Higher Education Department (2007). Initial Report of the Task Force on Cultural Competence Education in the Health Sciences. This report summarizes the findings and recommendations of the Task Force on Cultural Competence Education and represents the distillation of the Task Force's efforts to fulfill its legislative charge. The report is intended to facilitate a statewide conversation about the health services provided to New Mexico's multicultural citizenry. It addresses potential best practices for preparing healthcare practitioners to work with patients from varying backgrounds and unique cultural traditions, and represents an initial attempt to compile information that is pertinent to the ultimate creation of a culturally and linguistically competent curricula for health-related educational fields. Summary of major findings include: (1) Nationally, the medical professions have not yet developed model curricula on Cultural Competence; (2) Efforts to create Cultural Competent curricula must be profession-specific and aimed at creating a knowledge and skill set based on the discipline; (3) For these reasons, and after broad consultation with representatives from the various health fields, the Task Force feels it would be best to develop profession-specific approaches rather than one single curriculum; and (4) Certain professions in New Mexico, such as Social Work, have tied Cultural Competence standards to accreditation criteria for academic programs and require testing of that competence for licensure. An appendix includes National Standards on Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS). Bibliography and resource list is included. (Contains 4 footnotes.) [This document was published by the New Mexico Higher Education Department.] [More] Descriptors: Health Services, Statewide Planning, National Standards, Patients

Butler, Tara A. (2009). State Education Activities to Support Mission Growth. NGA Center for Best Practices. Issue Brief, National Governors Association. The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) leads a Mission Growth Working Group, which consists of states that are significantly impacted by the growth of military bases. The group includes state representatives appointed by the governors of Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia. The Working Group's goal is to enhance the relationship between states, military communities, and military bases, with a particular focus on addressing growth issues outside the military fence line. The Working Group has identified education as one of the top challenges mission growth states face. Recognizing that there is no "one-size-fits-all" solution to meet the education needs of a growing state, the Working Group offers recommendations to respond to both the needs of incoming military dependent children, as well as long term workforce needs of a base: (1) Establish collaborative approaches that coordinate educational responses and represent diverse stakeholders; (2) Adjust educational programs to allow for flexibility; (3) Focus on teacher recruitment, retraining, and retention strategies; (4) Establish educational programs that support military dependent students and prepare future workforce; and (5) Identify and Secure Funding. Member listing of Mission Growth Working Group is appended. (Contains 38 endnotes and 1 table.) [Additional writing and research support was provided by Sue Gander and Ryan Reyna.] [More] Descriptors: Armed Forces, Facilities, Educational Demand, Population Growth

Weatherston, Deborah J.; Moss, Barbara Dowler; Harris, Deborah (2006). Building Capacity in the Infant and Family Field through Competency-Based Endorsement: Three States' Experiences, Zero to Three. In 1994, The Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health (MI-AIMH) began the development of a credentialing process to define the skills and experiences needed by professionals in the infant mental health field. This article describes MI-AIMH's process to identify competencies for best practices and to establish a comprehensive system for the endorsement of practitioners in the infant and family field. The article also describes how the Texas Association for Infant Mental Health and the New Mexico Association for Infant Mental Health collaborated with MI-AIMH to purchasing a license to use the MI-AIMH competencies and endorsement materials to build their own state-specific endorsement program. [More] Descriptors: Mental Health, Infants, Credentials, Competence

Peterman, Leinda (2003). Teacher Models of Technology Integration, T.H.E. Journal. Provides examples of best practices in technology integration from five Technology Innovation Challenge Grant (TICG) programs, funded through the Department of Education to meet the No Child Left Behind technology goals. Highlights include professional development activities in Louisiana and New Mexico; collaborative learning applications; and online resources. Descriptors: Faculty Development, Technology Integration, Technology Uses in Education

Florez, Viola E. (2002). School/University Partnerships: An Agenda That Works, Teacher Education and Practice. Examines the importance of high quality teachers for urban schools, discussing best practices for high quality school- university partnerships and describing the University of New Mexico and Albuquerque Public Schools Partnership programs, which support collaboration as a strong component of university-level teacher preparation and provide teacher candidates with appropriate experiences and training to become high quality urban and rural teachers. [More] Descriptors: College School Cooperation, Elementary Secondary Education, High Risk Students, Higher Education

Ramaswami, Rama (2009). Even! But No Longer Odd, T.H.E. Journal. With hundreds of K-12 schools routinely offering online courses, the idea of a full-time virtual school is no longer as outlandish as it once may have seemed. Thanks to giant improvements in technology and the quality of their academic instruction, most virtual schools now hold a trump card they had not possessed: credibility. "There were many questions five years ago and not enough experience with online learning in the K-12 arena," says Dawn Nordine, director of instructional technology services for Cooperative Educational Service Agency (CESA) 9 in Tomahawk, Wisconsin, who also serves as the director of Wisconsin Virtual School. "I think there was doubt as to the academic progress a student could achieve online and the quality of the experience." "There used to be a lot of the same concerns with traditional schools as well," says Susan Patrick, president and CEO of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL), a nonprofit group, and former director of the Office of Educational Technology at the US Department of Education. Whatever skepticism lingers is being put to rest by early research that affirms the value of online instruction–and the value of the students receiving it. "All of the preliminary data," Patrick says, "shows that virtual school students are equal to or better than students in traditional schools." "As with many innovations, it has taken some time for best practices to emerge and quality-assurance mechanisms to be put in place," Timothy Snyder, executive director of Innovative Digital Education and Learning-New Mexico (IDEAL-NM), a public education program, says, "Those practices and mechanisms are now largely in place." And they have made all the difference to the value and rigor of online instruction, Snyder believes. "The look, feel, and overall quality of today's online courses are far beyond those that existed even five years ago." Even as entrenched as virtual schools have become, Patrick says some old biases remain. "There are still people in leadership positions in education who say, 'I don't understand how students can be successful when they don't have a teacher teaching them.' There "is" a teacher teaching them–a faculty member who is trained to teach online who is teaching the child in a new way. There are not people who are actively against online learning. They just don't know what it is." [More] Descriptors: Traditional Schools, Elementary Secondary Education, Academic Achievement, Online Courses

Bird, Keith W. (). Bridges to Opportunity for New Mexico. This document, presented in PowerPoint slide print-outs, discusses the Kentucky Community and Technical College System's role as strategic partner in Kentucky's economic and workforce development system. The KCTCS is composed of 25 colleges in sixteen geographic districts. The KCTCS has 3 main goals that it hopes to achieve by 2020: (1) access throughout the commonwealth to certificate, diploma, technical and transfer degrees; (2) training to develop a workforce with the skills to meet the needs of new and existing industries; and (3) remedial and continuing education to improve the employability of citizens. Special attention is given to the following areas and its significance to the KCTCS: (1) partnership with KERA; (2) partnership with adult education; (3) New Economy Initiative; (4) Perkins Profiling Project; (5) partnership with the WIA system; and (6) numerous certificate and licensure programs. Important elements of a successful planning process are discussed and set up as guidelines to follow for the KCTCS system. Some of these elements are a research base to guide strategic decisions, strategies that can be implemented at the community level, and guidelines for sustainability. The document concludes with the statement that "random acts of progress" lead to "best practices," which leads to strategic systems. [More] Descriptors: Community Colleges, Labor Force, Planning, School Business Relationship

US Department of Education (2008). Making Charter School Facilities More Affordable: State-driven Policy Approaches. Innovations in Education. Securing appropriate facilities can be a significant challenge for those intending to open a charter school. Although, like all public schools, charter schools receive per-pupil dollars from the state, they generally receive considerably less. Additionally, because traditional public schools rely on their district to provide their school facilities, they can spend 100 percent of their per-pupil operational funding on their instructional program, whereas most charter schools must stretch operational dollars to cover facilities costs as well. This guide profiles policy interventions from eight states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Texas) and the District of Columbia that have been developed to help charter schools address various facilities-related challenges. By adapting the models described to local contexts as well as generating new models, it is hoped that states across the nation can lay the groundwork for offering all public school students the facilities needed to reach their education goals. Three appendixes include: (1) Research Methodology; (2) Statutes Pertaining to State-level Funding, Finance, and Provision of Charter School Facilities; and (3) Resources. A Glossary of Finance-related terms is included. [More] Descriptors: Charter Schools, Educational Innovation, Educational Facilities, Educational Facilities Improvement

National Employer Leadership Council, Washington, DC. (). Best Practices in School-to-Careers: The Utilities Industry. This document highlights the school-to-careers (STC) partnerships connecting workplace experiences to classroom learning to prepare students for successful employment in the utilities industry. First, the current state of the utilities industry and careers in the utilities industry are reviewed. Next, the following organizations and employers are profiled: (1) the National Employer Leadership Council (NELC) Employer Participation Model (a resource for employers considering involvement in STC and education and community organizations seeking ways to reach out to employers); (2) Public Service Company of New Mexico, Albuquerque (conducting career talks to cultivate awareness of the energy field); (3) Detroit Edison (providing practical hands-on experience for young people to examine how computer science, engineering, and business administration apply in the real world); (4) Xcel Energy Corporation of Minneapolis, Minnesota (offering students opportunities to shadow with employers working in electrical and natural gas operations); (5) Williams (Tulsa, Oklahoma) (providing postsecondary internships in the natural gas industry); (6) Duke Power (Charlotte, North Carolina) (enhancing the knowledge, skills, and perspectives of science teachers); (7) New York State Electric and Gas, Lansing (energizing energy curricula); and (8) UGI Utilities, Inc. (Reading, Pennsylvania) (teaching employers and the community how to become involved in career awareness and development activities in school and at work). Concluding the booklet are strategies for getting involved in STC and a glossary. [More] Descriptors: Career Awareness, Career Exploration, Curriculum Development, Education Work Relationship

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Coll. of Education. (). Contextual Teaching and Learning Teacher Education Programs. This report documents best practices in teacher education at five universities (George Washington University, Western Oregon University, the University of Louisville, Colorado State University, and the University of New Mexico). The universities were part of a project to identify and document how contextual teaching and learning can improve student achievement. Contextual teaching and learning involves teachers relating subject matter content to real world situations and helping students make connections between knowledge and its applications to their lives. The report contains five articles on best practices: "An Extraordinary Partnership Benefits Both Students and Teachers in Urban Areas" (George Washington University); "New State Standards Lead to Dramatic Changes in WOU's Teacher Education Program" (Western Oregon University); "Kentucky Education Reform Act Drives Educational Change" (University of Louisville); "Innovative Teacher Education Programs are a Success at CSU" (Colorado State University); and "A Long-Standing Partnership Benefits Pre-Service and In-Service Teachers" (University of New Mexico). A final article is entitled "The Office of Vocational and Adult Education and the National School-to-Work Office Fund Seven New Projects." [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, College School Cooperation, Context Effect, Educational Change

National Retail Federation, Washington, DC. (). Best Practices in School-to-Careers: The Retail Industry. This booklet, which is part of a series demonstrating the scope of employer involvement in school-to-careers, highlights the efforts of three retail employers and two "intermediary" organizations connecting workplace experiences to classroom learning for secondary education students. The introduction presents a series overview and lists the names, locations, and featured practices of the employers and organizations. The next sections examine the retail industry; reasons why school-to-careers is an ideal strategy for addressing retail industry skill needs; sales and service skill standards; and how the employer participation model works with students and teachers. These employers and intermediaries and their best practices are profiled: (1) the READY Program (Chicago, Illinois), which is helping employers provide a spectrum of opportunities for young people; (2) Sears (Albuquerque, New Mexico), which is helping prepare and hire from a trained pool of students; (3) Winn-Dixie (Jacksonville, Florida), which is highlighting career pathways from entry-level to vice president; (4) JCPenney (Dallas, Texas), which is taking part in curriculum development; and (5) Lancaster County Academy (Lancaster, Pennsylvania), which is serving all key partners. The following items are also included: (1) an annotated list of eight organizations and resources; (2) a glossary; and (3) a discussion of steps to build on the National Employer Leadership Council's agenda. [More] Descriptors: Academic Standards, Advisory Committees, Annotated Bibliographies, Career Awareness

Hospitality Business Alliance, Chicago, IL. (). Best Practices in School-to-Careers: The Hospitality Industry. This booklet highlights the efforts of four hospitality employers and one "intermediary" organization connecting workplace experiences to classroom learning for secondary school students. The introduction presents a series overview and lists the names, locations, and featured practice of the employers and organizations. The next sections examine the hospitality industry, reasons why school-to-careers is an ideal strategy for addressing hospitality industry skill needs, and how the employer participation model works with students and teachers. These employers and intermediaries and their best practices are profiled: (1) Holiday Inn (Somerville, Massachusetts), which is introducing students to the workplace through hands-on experience; (2) Baltimore Convention Center and 72 local restaurants (Baltimore, Maryland), which give students job shadowing opportunities; (3) The Outback Steakhouse (Denver, Colorado), which is building a strong foundation in skills through mentoring; (4) Hyatt Hotel (Savannah, Georgia), which is demonstrating that teachers can be students too; and (5) The Hospitality Business Alliance and New Mexico, which are bringing educators together to learn about industry needs and trends. The following items are also included: (1) an annotated list of eight organizations and resources; (2) a glossary; and (3) a discussion of steps to build on the National Employer Leadership Council's agenda. [More] Descriptors: Academic Standards, Advisory Committees, Annotated Bibliographies, Career Awareness

Benson, Chris, Ed. (2001). Teachers on Standards, Bread Loaf Teacher Network Magazine. This theme issue on standards contains 11 articles written by teachers of English and language arts in Bread Loaf's primarily rural, teacher networks. These narratives describe how teachers in Alaska, South Carolina, Ohio, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Arizona, and New Mexico are implementing state content standards while honoring local contexts for learning. Articles are: "A Call to Action: Standards in Alaska" (Scott Christian); "BLTN: Strengthening Best Practices in South Carolina" (Diane Crenshaw); "Raising the Bar with High Stakes Tests" (Hugh Dyment); "Excellence for All and from All: A Look at Standards in One Inclusion Classroom" (Lorrie Jackson); "Karina: A Personal Perspective on High Stakes Standards and Growth" (Tom McKenna); "Of Bombs, Blackness, and Beautiful Music" (poetry exchange between students in Massachusetts and Kenya) (Will Marinell, Lou Bernieri); "What Is Good Writing? Standard Deviation" (Jason B. Leclaire); "Listening to Voices: Integrating Standards and Culturally Relevant Content" (Maria Offer); "A Teamwork Approach to Implementing Curriculum Standards and School Reform" (Patricia C. Watson); "A Cross-Disciplinary BreadNet Exchange: Moving beyond the Facts" (Mary Lindenmeyer); and "Bridging the Gap with Communication Technology" (Lou McCall). This issue also contains "Aligning Electronic Exchanges with Standards: An Interview with Gail Denton" (Chris Benson, Gail Denton); brief articles on developments in the teacher networks and the Alaska teacher of the year; reports on state meetings of teacher networks; and lists of network members. Descriptors: Academic Standards, Accountability, Alaska Natives, Culturally Relevant Education

Information Technology Association of America, Arlington, VA. (). Best Practices in School-to-Careers: The Information Technology Industry. This booklet highlights the efforts of five employers that rely on information technology (IT) workers and one "intermediary" organization connecting workplace experiences to classroom learning for secondary education students. The introduction lists the employers' and organizations' names, locations, and featured practices. The next three sections examine the IT industry; reasons why school-to-careers is an ideal strategy for addressing information technology industry skill needs; skills and certifications; and how the employer participation model works with students and teachers. These employers and intermediaries and their best practices are profiled: (1) The Kemtah Group (Albuquerque, New Mexico), which promotes school-to-careers experiences for under-represented populations; (2) The Gallup Organization (Omaha, Nebraska), which is helping students explore and understand the needs and demands of technology-driven workplaces; (3) EDS (Dallas, Texas), which gives students work-based opportunities; (4) Manpower, Inc. (Milwaukee, Wisconsin), which provides training and certification opportunities for students; (5) Intel Corporation (Santa Clara, California), which is working with teachers to make a difference through technology; and (6) Greater Louisville, Inc. (Louisville, Kentucky), which is building coalitions to connect work and learning. The following items are also included: (1) an annotated list of eight organizations and resources; (2) a glossary; and (3) a discussion of steps to build on the National Employer Leadership Council's agenda. [More] Descriptors: Academic Standards, Adjustment (to Environment), Advisory Committees, Annotated Bibliographies

Benson, Chris, Ed. (2000). Professional Development, Bread Loaf Rural Teacher Network Magazine. This serial issue contains 12 articles on the theme of "Professional Development," specifically about how teachers in the Bread Loaf Rural Teacher Network (BLRTN) are fostering their own and each other's development as teachers. The BLRTN consists of approximately 260 rural teachers in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Vermont. Articles focus on academic conferences, online professional development and teacher collaboration, nontraditional teacher training in small rural schools, and weekend teacher workshops. Articles are: "From Personal Conversation to Professional Conference" (Taylor McKenna); "Staff Development in Remote Schools: A Testament to Teacher Networks" (Ginny Jaramillo); "Discovering Best Practices" (Helena Fagan, Tom McKenna); "On Becoming a Teacher and Writer" (Anne Shealy); "Creating Conditions That Foster Teacher Development" (Pam Landry, David Leo-Nyquist, Bill Rich); "Sustainable Partnerships: New Ideas for Professional Development" (Scott Christian); "Redemptive Conversations as Professional Development" (Dan Furlow, Barbara Pearlman); "The Key to Professional Development: Creating Interactive Peer Relationships" (Janet Atkins); "In the Trenches with Peer Mentors" (D. R. Boardman); "National Board Certification: A Complement to Bread Loaf" (Eva Howard); "Weekend Conversations" (members of Vermont BLRTN); and "Church Rock Elementary: An Environment for Teamwork" (Anne Berlin). [More] Descriptors: Collegiality, Computer Mediated Communication, Elementary Secondary Education, Faculty

Hubbard, Eleanor, Ed. (). Best Practices in Institutional Planning for Diversity. This monograph was created to help colleges and universities throughout the West strengthen their commitment to diversity. Twenty colleges and universities in four states–Idaho, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Oregon–participated in the Institute for Ethnic Diversity, with each campus, from large state research institutions to small community colleges, producing a locally developed diversity plan. Common strategies that emerged included the following: articulate the benefits of institutional diversity planning explicitly and clearly; develop a shared campus-specific vision; create a comprehensive institutional plan; include ongoing assessment and accountability measures; secure strong and active support from institutional leaders; ensure that all stakeholders participate in the planning process; establish open and ongoing communication with all campus constituencies; encourage campus leaders to deal with diversity issues and controversies in a direct manner; allocate sufficient resources for both planning and implementation; and seek out opportunities to work collaboratively with local, state, regional, and national bodies. Brief profiles of the seven institutions whose diversity plans are highlighted in this document are appended. Descriptors: Community Colleges, Diversity (Institutional), Governance, Higher Education

Robinson, Gail; Barnett, Lynn (). Best Practices in Service Learning: Building a National Community College Network, 1994-1997. AACC Project Brief. As part of the Learn and Serve America Program of the Corporation for National Service, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has helped develop campus-based programs that have instigated a growing community college service learning network. Ten colleges, selected in a national competition for grants ranging from $2,000 to $12,000 per year, trained faculty and developed or strengthened relationships with organizations that offered service placement sites for students to address community needs. A variety of "best practices" evolved from the strategies and resources developed at the colleges. The project, which led to permanent service learning programs in all 10 colleges, grew around the key areas of model programs, mentor teams, and clearinghouses. Information regarding implementation, outcomes, and contacts is provided for each of the following service learning community colleges: Albuquerque TVI, New Mexico; Alpena, Michigan; Flathead Valley, Montana; Hocking College, Ohio; Johnson County, Kansas; Kapi'olani, Hawaii; Monroe, New York; Northern Virginia, Virginia; Prestonburg, Kentucky; and Truman College, Illinois. [More] Descriptors: Community Colleges, Cooperative Learning, Educational Development, Educational Facilities

DeWitt, Calvin W.; Nutter, Scott; Ayala, Mary; Hall, Debra (). Best Case Practices of Technology at Eastern New Mexico University. This paper presents examples of best case practices of technology use in classes at Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU). The examples include successful and not-so-successful applications, with insights on the overall process of incorporating technology into the classroom. The paper focuses on the authors' experience in languages, business, and science. The pedagogical and epistemological impact that technology has made in courses in these areas is discussed. Topics covered include: (1) an overview of ENMU's approach to utilizing technology; (2) computer facilities and services currently available on campus; (3) current challenges, including the fact that merely providing faculty with technology and know-how does not necessarily lead to the incorporation of technology in the classroom throughout campus, and the need for dissemination of examples of appropriate uses of technology; (4) examples and experiences, including approaches to technology utilization that exemplify a wide variety of strategies; (5) extending technology used in Modern Languages to other fields, including special language-learning software, pronunciation programs, World Wide Web-based assignments, videos, presentation software, and incorporating meaningful graphic images into classroom presentations and assignments; (6) business school applications and experience, including presentation graphics and interactive television (ITV); (7) simulations in science; and (8) ITV in distance education. [More] Descriptors: Appropriate Technology, Business Administration Education, Computer Simulation, Computer Uses in Education

Rude, Harvey; Gorman, Roxanne (). Navajo Nation Teacher Education Initiative. The Navajo Teacher Education Initiative was developed in 1992 to improve the quality of Navajo education through the recruitment and training of prospective Navajo educators. Currently, the 242 schools on or near the Navajo Nation are staffed primarily by non-Navajo teachers who often do not understand the significance of Navajo culture, history, language, and values. The Navajo Nation is the largest reservation in the United States and is located in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. Members of the initiative include Navajo Community College, the University of New Mexico, Northern Arizona University, Prescott College, Fort Lewis College, the University of Northern Colorado, and the Navajo Nation Division of Education. Objectives of the initiative include planning and implementing an integrated field-based teacher education program through a consortium of colleges and universities; integrating Navajo philosophy, language, and culture into required teacher education courses; developing a monitoring system for assessment of pilot projects; implementing a computerized Navajo teacher education tracking system; expanding curriculum developed by Navajo Community College and based on the Dine' Philosophy of Learning to other consortium members; disseminating best teaching practices through publications and presentations; and influencing legislative and policy development agendas regarding alternative teacher education efforts and funding policies. In November 1995, the Ford Foundation (sponsor of the consortium) and the American Association for Colleges of Teacher Education cosponsored a Navajo Nation Education Policy Forum that attracted 200 representatives of state education agencies, universities, state legislatures, local education agencies, and community and business interests. As a result of the forum, priority policy areas were identified. [More] Descriptors: Access to Education, American Indian Education, American Indian Reservations, Consortia

Middle Tennessee State Univ., Murfreesboro. (). Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference Proceedings (2nd, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, April 6-8, 1997). Papers in this proceedings explore the theme of rethinking teaching and learning through technology. Along with general session papers that address asynchronous learning networks and the World Wide Web as a classroom without walls, the document contains papers in the following eight tracks: (1) Assessing the Effectiveness of Technology in Teaching and Learning, including evaluation of a notebook computing project, evaluation of three educational online delivery approaches, and return on instructional technology investment; (2) Distance Learning/ITV (Interactive Television), including training faculty to teach via two-way ITV, converting a desktop video conferencing system to classroom use, designing the computer-mediated conference, and hardware/software to support distance learning; (3) Faculty Development, including getting faculty and technology together, master classrooms at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), meeting faculty training needs in instructional technology, and MTSU's Digital Media Center; (4) Harnessing the Web for Instruction and Research, including creating a course homepage and practical tips/strategies for finding information on the Internet; (5) Instructional Technology Case Studies, including helping faculty create course Web pages, interactive television vs. a traditional classroom setting, best case practices of technology at Eastern New Mexico University, and the nature of teaching and learning in multimedia laboratory classrooms; (6) The Internet: An Electronic Course Delivery System, including enhancing learning through electronic communication technologies, a post-Gutenberg student research project, incorporating JavaScript in a Web-based multimedia development course, using electronic media to teach on-campus courses, and trailblazing/innovation; (7) Technology and Pedagogy, including critical thinking skills in a technology-related class, the virtual global village, the high-tech humanist, and DVI (Digital Video Interaction) in multimedia post-production techniques; and (8) University/K-12 Partnerships in Instructional Technology, including children's/young adult literature on the Internet, multimedia for middle level science teachers, a multimedia training program for K-12 teachers, and the University/Public School Keypals project. Papers from a workshop and several electronic demonstrations are also included. [More] Descriptors: Case Studies, College School Cooperation, Computer Uses in Education, Distance Education