This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Henry DiMatteo, Perry A. Zirkel, Mickey Marsee, Heather E. Canavan, Paul Boyer, Reeves Wiedeman, Zorka Karanxha, Jessica R. Goodkind, Melissa Gonzales, and William L. Anderson.
(2008). Growing Your Donor Base: Strategies and Tools for Effective Fundraising Campaigns, Community College Journal. Pressured by constricting state appropriations and ever-increasing financial demands, the nation's community colleges are ratcheting up fundraising efforts to attract new donors. Many are finding success. Honolulu Community College in Hawaii, for example, recently received an estate gift of $3.5 million. Santa Fe Community College in New Mexico last year received a single-donor gift of $259,000. In 2006, Seattle Community Colleges launched a three-year, $25 million fundraising campaign for its member institutions. In this article, advancement executives point out that successful fundraising requires a top-down commitment from leaders at all levels of the college. It requires commitment–and involvement–from the president and college executives, as well as the integration of sophisticated applications used to manage the campaign and reach out to legacy, current, and potential donors. [More] Descriptors: Fund Raising, Community Colleges, Donors, Institutional Advancement
(2012). The Preparation of Schools for Serious School Violence: An Analysis of New Mexico Public High Schools, ProQuest LLC. This study surveyed New Mexico high school principals on their current state of preparedness for serious school violence. The researcher surveyed 119 public high schools, receiving a 65% return rate from a 25-question survey. Specifically, this study analyzed the relationships of three predictor variables: prevention, response, and building of social and emotional control competence measures with an outcome variable (the reported numbers of students suspended or expelled for school violence). The quantitative examination utilized the computer program Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) to test the research hypothesis. Two of the four hypotheses were not supported, while the third hypothesis received partial support. A negative relationship was hypothesized among prevention, response, and building of student emotional and social competence and an indicator of school violence–i.e., numbers of students suspended or expelled for violence. The assumption was that more efforts to prevent school violence would negatively affect numbers of instances of violence. Seeing that relationship brought a realization that the relationship could run in the opposite direction; that is, frequency of violence could positively affect the school's adoption of preventive measures. Schools with low instances of violence would have little motivation to work at prevention. The support for hypothesis four confirmed the conclusion that there would be a positive correlation among the three means used to deal with school violence (i.e., prevention, response, and social/emotional competency). Examining the correlations among the three kinds of efforts revealed that principals who reported taking one of the forms of action against school violence also reported taking the other two forms. Again, this might have been due to the fact that, across the board, a principal's efforts to deal with school violence seemed to depend not only on how much school violence had been experienced, but also upon the variety of those efforts as well. These variables were detailed further by the extent to which they were utilized (low, moderate, and extensive use). Though many actions were in extensive use to prevent school violence and build student social and emotional competence, the survey found that principals did not make adequate use of many other types of efforts questioned by the survey. This meant that principals facing violence issues on their campuses had a wider range of actions to consider than were currently in extensive use. [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: Surveys, Principals, High Schools, Emergency Programs
(2008). Gauging the Gaps in Student Problem-Solving Skills: Assessment of Individual and Group Use of Problem-Solving Strategies Using Online Discussions, CBE – Life Sciences Education. For the past 3 yr, faculty at the University of New Mexico, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology have been using interactive online Problem-Based Learning (PBL) case discussions in our large-enrollment classes. We have developed an illustrative tracking method to monitor student use of problem-solving strategies to provide targeted help to groups and to individual students. This method of assessing performance has a high interrater reliability, and senior students, with training, can serve as reliable graders. We have been able to measure improvements in many students' problem-solving strategies, but, not unexpectedly, there is a population of students who consistently apply the same failing strategy when there is no faculty intervention. This new methodology provides an effective tool to direct faculty to constructively intercede in this area of student development. [More] Descriptors: Interrater Reliability, Problem Based Learning, Problem Solving, Molecular Biology
(2014). Student-Curated Exhibits: A Vehicle towards Student Engagement, Retention, and Success, Research & Teaching in Developmental Education. In looking for ways to combine course content literacy and information literacy with active learning, in 2007, the English Department and Library at The University of New Mexico-Los Alamos combined efforts and created a course project for students to curate exhibits that would demonstrate their understanding of course material through library research. It is known that in developmental education active, student-centered learning is the best method to promote engagement, increase confidence, and build enthusiasm (Bransford, Brown, Cocking, & NRC, 2000). After discussing several strategies, authors Mickey Marsee, and Dennis Davies-Wilson, decided to incorporate an assignment involving student-curated exhibits, with a public reception, into the curriculum of a freshman capstone course, "Classics 107: Greek Mythology", in which many of the developmental-level students enroll. This assignment could be adapted to suit courses in any discipline. The assignment asks students to work in teams to curate exhibits using various methods of research. Students synthesize text, artifacts, and other visual images to explain and analyze a topic from the course and then present the exhibits to the campus and public during an opening event. The assignment had four instructional goals: for students to experience success engaging in a variety of learning intelligences and employing both cognitive (writing and research) and affective learning skills; to increase library awareness and information literacy; to contribute to the students' sense that they belong to the academic community; and to develop competency skills that translate into the workplace. Students conduct research, manage their time, create written documents, form artistic representations, and verbally present information. Here, Marsee and Wilson describe the role of the library, discuss the assignment, and show through outcomes assessment how students not only increase their critical thinking and writing skills, but also that they show a change in attitude about the library as a place and their role as a student on campus. In the end, this venture has provided for increased collaboration between librarians and faculty. It has also fostered interactivity between librarians and students, and has provided an additional opportunity for the library to be an integral part of the education process. [More] Descriptors: Exhibits, Learner Engagement, Student Participation, Academic Persistence
(2008). Develop, Link, Foster, and Encourage, Techniques: Connecting Education and Careers (J1). The third recommendation in ACTE's postsecondary reform position statement is to develop curriculum and instructional offerings that link to careers, foster lifelong learning, and encourage completion. Concrete linkages must be developed between middle and high school, postsecondary education and work, with lifelong postsecondary learning a part of this cycle. In this article, the author discusses how the Construction Apprenticeship Program at Central New Mexico Community College (CNMCC) and the College and Career Transitions Initiative (CCTI) project at Northern Virginia Community College had accomplished the goal to improve outcomes for students. Both of these programs had accomplished this goal through clearly delineated pathways, high levels of collaboration, curriculum and instruction that is integrated across learning levels and strong links to industry. [More] Descriptors: Lifelong Learning, Educational Change, Case Studies, Student Educational Objectives
(2008). "Finger Kits:" An Interactive Demonstration of Biomaterials and Engineering for Elementary School Students, Chemical Engineering Education. This article describes a hands-on activity and demonstration developed at the University of Washington and further reined at the University of New Mexico. In this activity, the authors present a real-world problem to the student: Someone has an injured finger joint, and the students in the class need to design an implant to replace it. After presenting the problem, the authors discuss how the students could go about making a replacement finger joint. In order to do this, the students need to understand what comprises a finger and consider what materials are available that match the properties of the components in a finger. As this is an engineering project, the authors ask students to develop design goals for the finger (e.g., that it is flexible, bends only in one direction, is able to pick up an object). [More] Descriptors: Elementary School Students, Graduate Students, World Problems, Engineering Education
(2008). End of What Trail?: Intertribal Colleges Support Thriving Cultures, Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education. Of the 37 tribal colleges and universities in the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, 33 are tribally controlled–located on Indian land and chartered by tribes. In governance and funding, the four intertribal colleges differ from tribally-controlled colleges. Institute for American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for example, is chartered by Congress, not a tribe. In their educational goals, they are much like their tribal college counterparts: Their vision is to not only train students for employment but also strengthen tribal cultures and, ultimately, advance tribes as sovereign nations. Providing culturally based education is a creative challenge at IAIA which serves students from over 75 tribes–each with its own history, traditions, values and language. Although methods differ from their tribal college counterparts, staff and students at IAIA believe they are finding ways to reflect culture on campus and strengthen cultural knowledge of their students. [More] Descriptors: Consortia, American Indians, American Indian Education, Foreign Countries
(2014). Public Higher Education Funding, Budget Drivers, and Related Issues: The State Community College Director Perspective, Educational Considerations. This article presents results from the 2012 National Survey of Access and Finance Issues conducted by the National Council of State Directors of Community Colleges (NCSDCC), an affiliated council of the American Association of Community Colleges, and includes a comparison of survey results from previous years dating back to 2003, with the exception of 2005 and 2006 when the survey was not conducted. This survey highlights critical access, system capacity, and funding challenges faced by public community colleges, regional universities, and flagship universities. Survey Instruments are reviewed by a panel of NCSDCC members, community college scholars. and practitioners. There are 51 members of the NCSDCC. Because Georgia has a dual system, responses are obtained from both the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia. Responses from Arizona, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania come from each state's respective community college association. New York's response is from the State University of New York system office. Survey results are presented in five areas: (1) capacity; (2) facilities; (3) tuition; (4) financial aid; and the special problem of (5) financing rural community colleges. Four implications can be drawn from the survey findings discussed here. First, public higher education is vulnerable to competing state priorities as a means to balance state budgets, especially in difficult economic times. Community colleges, public access regional universities, and flagship universities seeking to maintain affordability are all affected. Second, a lack of state facilities funding coupled with increases in deferred maintenance may threaten public higher education institutions' capacity to produce more earners of first certificates, as well as associate's and bachelor's degrees. However, the political reality is that capital resources may not be forthcoming. Third, affordable tuition and adequate state funded student financial aid are essential because increasing numbers of future jobs will require postsecondary education. Finally, many of the challenges described here may be compounded by geography, particularly for community colleges in rural areas with low property wealth. Previous survey reports are contained in the appendix. [More] Descriptors: Higher Education, Public Colleges, Educational Finance, Community Colleges
(2008). American Indian Law: A Surge of Interest on Campuses, Chronicle of Higher Education. Interest in Indian law is growing as the economic clout and political influence of the nation's 562 federally recognized tribes have expanded. Arizona State's Indian Legal Program allows students who are pursuing their J.D.'s to simultaneously earn certificates in Indian law. They study the differences between the legal systems of tribes and that of the U.S. government, and many go on to represent the interests of tribes, Indian clients, or the federal government. Wenona T. Singel, an assistant professor of law at Michigan State University, says about 20 law schools nationwide report having Indian-law programs, while other experts say the number of full-fledged programs is about 12. Among the other law schools active in Indian law are those at Harvard University, Lewis and Clark College, and the Universities of Colorado, New Mexico, Washington, and Wisconsin. [More] Descriptors: Law Schools, American Indians, Federal Government, Political Influences
(2008). State Ballots on Stem Cells and Race Are Decided, Chronicle of Higher Education. This article reports that a state ballot measure to ban affirmative-action programs based on race, gender, and national origin at public colleges and other state agencies was defeated. Colorado voters narrowly rejected such a referendum last week by a razor-thin margin that took two days to become official. Voters in Nebraska, however, took the opposite stand, approving a similar ballot question. Those measures were among 19 referenda related to higher education that voters in 15 states decided in last week's election. Among the ballot questions approved were a plan in Arkansas to create a state lottery, whose proceeds would go to college scholarships, and bond measures in New Mexico to pay for construction on college campuses. Michigan residents cast ballots on embryonic-stem-cell research, voting to relax that state's restrictions on such work. [More] Descriptors: Public Colleges, Educational Finance, Affirmative Action, Elections
(2014). Trends in Special Education Case Law: Frequency and Outcomes of Published Court Decisions 1998-2012, Journal of Special Education Leadership. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) obligates school districts to identify students with disabilities and provide them with a free and appropriate public education (FAPE), which includes specially designed instruction. Identification, FAPE, least restrictive environment (LRE), and various other issues under the IDEA sometimes become a source of contention between parents and school districts. The IDEA provides both the parent and the school district with the right to file a due process complaint on "any matter relating to the identification, evaluation or educational placement of the child [with disability], or the provision of [FAPE] to such child" (11415(b)(6)(A)) and the right of appeal to "any State court of competent jurisdiction or in a [federal] district court" (11415(i)(2)(A)). This article determines the frequency and outcomes of published court decisions under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for students from pre-K through grade 12, starting in January 1998 and ending in December 2012. The frequency of these decisions trended upward during the 15-year period, particularly during the most recent 5-year interval. The conclusive outcomes favored districts 3:1 both overall and on a relatively consistent longitudinal basis; however, the intermediate outcomes partially ameliorated this pronounced prodistrict tendency. The Second Circuit region (New York, Vermont, and Connecticut) had the highest volume of cases, and the Tenth Circuit (Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming) had the lowest. The Eighth Circuit (North Dakota, South Dakota, Nevada, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, and Arkansas), was the leader in the prodistrict outcomes, and the D.C. Circuit was the most district-favorable circuit court region. It is concluded that the upward longitudinal trend in the volume of published cases filed under the IDEA continues from earlier periods, particularly during the most recent 5-year interval of this study. Parents of children with special needs continue to seek redress and remedy for the education of their children from the courts. Such a finding underscores the need in the field of special education for educational leaders and teachers who possess the necessary knowledge, skills, and dispositions to meet the needs of children with disabilities. Additionally, it highlights an area of continued opportunity for attorneys to consider expanding the training on special education litigation in their practice. Finally, the continued growth in special education litigation is a signal for both school districts and parents to choose collaboration in providing the education students with disabilities need rather than engage in litigation. [More] Descriptors: Federal Legislation, Educational Legislation, Equal Education, Disabilities
(2014). Public Policy for Higher Education in the United States: A Brief History of State Leadership, State Higher Education Executive Officers. The State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) is the national association of the chief executives of statewide governing, policy, and coordinating boards of postsecondary education. Founded in 1954, SHEEO serves its members as an advocate for state policy leadership, as a liaison between states and the federal government, as a vehicle for learning from and collaborating with peers, and as a source of information and analysis on educational and public policy issues. SHEEO seeks to advance public policies and educational practices to achieve more widespread access and successful participation in higher education, more new discoveries through research, and more applications of knowledge that improve the quality of human lives. This document, written to commemorate the 60th Anniversary, and presented at the 61st Annual meeting of SHEEO provides an abbreviated history of the organization. It begins with a discussion of the influence of John Dale Russell who convened the first meeting of the association in 1954 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and provides details of his career. The history continues from the first years of the association, 1954-1958, to the expansion of the profession in 1959-1968. The years between 1969-1984 are described as the maturing of the association. 1984-2000 were the years in which the scope and capabilities of the association expanded. In the more recent past, the years between 2000-2014 brought with them dramatic changes in the economic and political environment that played an important role in shaping the association's development and services. State higher education leaders face the next 20 years with a goal, but no road map, and there is an "argument in the car about which direction to take." The challenges of state policy leadership in higher education are different and perhaps more difficult than those faced in the past. More than ever before, SHEEO sees an urgency to sustain and nurture the community of public policy leaders in higher education. Appended are: (1) Professional History of John Dale Russell;(2) 1954 Meeting Agenda; (3) Notable SHEEO Alumni, Staff and Policy Leaders; (4) SHEEO Chairs and Presidents Since 1975; (5) History of Leadership in SHEEP Agencies; and (6) Staff Who Have Served SHEEO. [This document was written in collaboration with James R. Mingle.] [More] Descriptors: Higher Education, Public Policy, Educational Policy, Educational History
(2003). Education Watch: New Mexico. Key Education Facts and Figures. Achievement, Attainment and Opportunity. From Elementary School through College. This report compares New Mexico's reading and mathematics performance on the most recent administrations of the state assessment with performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). To indicate how New Mexico is doing in narrowing the academic achievement gap between African American and Latino students and their white, middle class peers, the report presents NAEP data by race/ethnicity. The report presents other state-level data on K-college education, including demographic distribution across each educational level, participation and success in Advanced Placement, percentage of students taking high-level courses, school funding gaps, and high school and college graduation rates. On New Mexico's 2002 reading test, white 4th graders scored at the 65th percentile, while African American 4th graders scored at 48th percentile and Latino 4th graders scored at the 47th percentile. On the 1998 NAEP reading assessment, 52 percent of all 4th graders were basic or above in reading, with 22 percent proficient or above. On New Mexico's 8th grade mathematics assessment, white students scored at the 64th percentile while African American and Latino 8th graders scored at the 41st percentile. On the 2000 NAEP mathematics assessment, 49 percent of all 8th graders were basic or above in mathematics, with 13 percent proficient or above. In 1998, New Mexico had the ninth smallest Latino-White achievement gap on the NAEP 4th grade reading assessment. New Mexico's Latino-white 8th grade math achievement gap falls 14th among states on the 2000 NAEP assessment. Latinos are underrepresented in Advanced Placement exam taking and in enrollment in gifted and talented programs. About 37 percent of New Mexico high school students enroll in college, compared to 54 percent nationwide. Over one-third of New Mexico's secondary classes are taught by teachers lacking a major or minor in the field. Districts with the highest child poverty rates, and those with the highest minority enrollments, have fewer state and local dollars to spend per student. [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Advanced Placement, American Indians, Asian American Students
(2008). The Hispanic Women's Social Stressor Scale: Understanding the Multiple Social Stressors of U.S.- and Mexico-Born Hispanic Women, Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences. Measurement of social stressors among Hispanic women is a growing and important area of study, particularly in terms of understanding explanatory mechanisms for health disparities. This study involved adaptation of the Hispanic Stress Inventory and the Latin American Stress Inventory to create a measure of social stressors specifically for both immigrant and nonimmigrant Hispanic women. The measurement development process included review of existing scales, focus groups with Hispanic women (U.S.- and Mexico-born) in New Mexico, and creation, pilot testing, and factor analysis of a 41-item scale. Results indicate that the Hispanic Women's Social Stressor Scale is a reliable and valid measure of the social stressors experienced by U.S.-born and Mexico-born Hispanic women in the Southwest. Factor analyses revealed six reliable and conceptually distinct sub-scales of social stressors: immigration, socioeconomic, racism-related, familial, parental, and employment. Convergent and criterion validity were supported. [More] Descriptors: Stress Management, Females, Focus Groups, Predictive Validity
(2008). Student Support Services: A Practice Brief Based On BEAMS Project Outcomes, Institute for Higher Education Policy. Student support services are critical to student success, especially at campuses that enroll large numbers of academically under-prepared students. These programs assist students in addressing areas of academic deficiency and provide necessary resources to maximize students' intellectual and social capital while in college. Several Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) participating in the Building Engagement and Attainment for Minority Students (BEAMS) project have developed effective student support programs, strategies, and policies that are instructive not only for other MSIs but also for all postsecondary institutions. This practice brief introduces initiatives designed to improve student support services at four institutions: Jackson State University, Kentucky State University, St. Mary's University, and University of New Mexico. The four universities highlighted in this brief illustrate a growing trend on college campuses to create better integration among student support services. [More] Descriptors: Campuses, Minority Groups, Black Colleges, Hispanic American Students