This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Kelly Moore, Jennifer Lindline, What Works Clearinghouse, Kate Krause, Inc. ACT, Patricia MacGregor-Mendoza, Sukhmani Singh, C. Holly A. Andrilla, Michele McNeil, and Laura-Mae Baldwin.
(2012). The "Generous Heart": Teachers and Immigrants in the 21st Century, Teacher Education and Practice. Immigrants are a fast-growing segment of the United States population. Presently, some 39.9 million immigrants call America home (Passel & Cohn, 2012; U.S. Census Bureau, 2011b). Today, immigrants come from all over the world, but most new Americans originate in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Asia. It is because of the mass migration of the two last generations that many states–including Hawaii (77.1% minority), the District of Columbia (64.7% minority), California (60.3% minority), New Mexico (59.8% minority), and Texas (55.2% minority)–are now "majority/minority" (U.S. Census, 2011a). The significant increase in the immigrant-origin population is a visible reality throughout schools, where 23.7% of all children are the children of immigrants (Migration Policy Institute, 2011). The data point to a future of growing diversity in the American classroom: As of July 1, 2011, 50.4% of the littlest Americans–those under age 1–were minorities. Immigration's echo, the children of immigrants, make the United States one of the few countries where immigration is both history and destiny. To be a teacher in 21st-century America means teaching immigrant students. In this article, the authors stress that if the heart of education is to develop an engaged, flourishing citizenry who is ready to partake in this globalized world, then teachers should first become aware of who their charges are. The children in today's schools originate from all over the world, from all socioeconomic strata of society, and contend with negotiating multiple cultural rules of engagement. Teachers today need to prepare all their students to function in a world that is evermore interconnected, miniaturized, and fragile. The rewards to teachers can be priceless. [More] Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Demography, Immigrants, Immigration
(2012). States Punch Reset Button under NCLB, Education Week. Given the flexibility to revise their academic goals under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, a vast majority of the states that received federal waivers are setting different expectations for different subgroups of students, an "Education Week" analysis shows. That marks a dramatic shift in policy and philosophy from the original law. The waivers issued by the U.S. Department of Education let states abandon the goal of 100 percent proficiency in reading and mathematics for all students and instead hold schools accountable for passing rates that vary by subgroup–as long as those schools make significant gains in closing gaps in achievement. The leeway to set the new academic goals tacitly acknowledges that the 100 percent goal is unrealistic. But it also means that members of racial and ethnic minorities, English-language learners, and students with disabilities will fail to master college- and career-readiness standards by the end of the 2016-2017 school year at greater rates in most waiver states. Offered the new flexibility, only eight states–Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Oregon–set the same targets for all students, according to the "Education Week" analysis of the 34 new state accountability plans. (Wisconsin has the same goal in 2017 for all students, but sets different targets until then.) Although virtually all observers agree now that the NCLB law's demand of 100 percent proficiency for all students is unworkable, many also say the message was important–that schools should be able to get all students to achieve at grade level in math and reading within 12 years after the law took effect. Now, the message is different, and seemingly more realistic: Academic goals can vary, even by subgroup, as long as states significantly close achievement gaps. [More] Descriptors: Federal Legislation, Academic Achievement, Goal Orientation, Expectation
(2008). Leadership Is the Key to Sustainable Community Development in Ecuador, International Journal of Educational Leadership Preparation. I come to the field of educational administration from a rather unorthodox background. The search which led me to education began as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Sierra Leone. I left there frustrated with what passed as "development". I heard the term "sustainability" thrown around and saw nothing sustainable about what was being done. I saw not only short-term improvement in people's lives, but also an incredible waste of resources and a feeding frenzy of development officers getting fat on NGO and western government funding. Sadly, in the years following my service in Sierra Leone, I also saw the peaceful Sierra Leoneans turn into symbols of humanity's darkest side (referring to the gruesome civil war in Sierra Leone). It was depressing, really. Fate took me next to working with immigrants in New Mexico with a literacy project. I found the results of education much more rewarding and tangible. My belief in the potential of education was confirmed once again as I next worked with English teachers in northeastern Siberia in the Sakha Republic from 1993-1996. I decided education was always the common denominator in any "sustainable development" approach, so I returned to the U.S. and the University of New Mexico for graduate degrees in education. It was my doctoral research on an educational project aimed at sustainable community development via "moral leadership" and "personal and social transformation" that is the topic of this article. In my opinion, this is a example of a community development project that deserves the blue ribbon label of "sustainable". My purpose here is to simply introduce educational leaders, as briefly as possible, to this model. I will conclude by suggesting how further exploration of "moral leadership" might help educational administrators and professors improve their practice. [More] Descriptors: Community Development, Immigrants, Educational Administration, Sustainable Development
(2010). ACT Profile Report: State. Graduating Class 2010. New Mexico. This report provides information about the performance of 2010 graduating seniors who took the ACT as sophomores, juniors, or seniors; and self-reported at the time of testing that they were scheduled to graduate in 2010 and tested under standard time conditions. This report focuses on: (1) Performance: student test performance in the context of college readiness; (2) Access: number of graduates exposed to college entrance testing and the percent of race/ethnicity participation; (3) Course Selection: percent of students pursuing a core curriculum; (4) Course Rigor: impact of rigorous coursework on achievement; (5) College Readiness: percent of students meeting ACT College Readiness Benchmark Scores in each content area; (6) Awareness: extent to which student aspirations match performance; and (7) Articulation: colleges and universities to which students send test results. (Contains 6 figures and 22 tables.) [This state report is part of "ACT Profile Report: National–Graduating Class 2010" (ED511420) and "The Condition of College & Career Readiness, 2010" (ED511409).] [More] Descriptors: High School Seniors, College Entrance Examinations, Academic Achievement, Core Curriculum
(2006). The Value of Professional Development Activities in Advancing the Careers of Women Chief Academic Officers in Community Colleges, Journal of Women in Educational Leadership. Previous research has shown that there are not distinct career lines leading to the chief academic officer (CAO) position in community colleges.Rather, it appears that a variety of skills and experiences contribute to advancement to this position. This paper examines the perceptions of women CAOs as to the importance of professional development activities to their career advancement. Responses from women community college CAOs from nine states (Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming) indicate that current position holders perceive that a number of professional development experiences were important to their advancement to the CAO position. [More] Descriptors: Community Colleges, Females, Professional Development, Deans
(2008). Access to Specialty Health Care for Rural American Indians in Two States, Journal of Rural Health. Context: The Indian Health Service (IHS), whose per capita expenditure for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) health services is about half that of the US civilian population, is the only source of health care funding for many rural AI/ANs. Specialty services, largely funded through contracts with outside practitioners, may be limited by low IHS funding levels. Purpose: To examine specialty service access among rural Indian populations in two states. Methods: A 31-item mail survey addressing perceived access to specialty physicians, barriers to access, and access to non-physician clinical services was sent to 106 primary care providers in rural Indian health clinics in Montana and New Mexico (overall response rate 60.4%) and 95 primary care providers in rural non-Indian clinics within 25 miles of the Indian clinics (overall response rate 57.9%). Findings: Substantial proportions of rural Indian clinic providers in both states reported fair or poor non-emergent specialty service access for their patients. Montana's rural Indian clinic providers reported poorer patient access to specialty care than rural non-Indian clinic providers, while New Mexico's rural Indian and non-Indian providers reported comparable access. Indian clinic providers in both states most frequently cited financial barriers to specialty care. Indian clinic providers reported better access to most non-physician services than non-Indian clinic providers. Conclusions: Reported limitations in specialty care access for rural Indian clinic patients appear to be influenced by financial constraints. Health care systems factors may play a role in perceived differences in specialty access between rural Indian and non-Indian clinic patients. [More] Descriptors: Access to Health Care, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Health Services
(2011). Staying on Track: Early Findings from a Performance-Based Scholarship Program at the University of New Mexico, MDRC. Although a growing number of individuals are enrolling in college in response to the increasing payoff to higher education, more than a third of them never finish. College completion rates are especially disappointing for low-income students, in many cases because they tend to enter college underprepared academically but also because they have more difficulty covering the costs of attendance. This report presents early results from a program at the University of New Mexico (UNM) that increases the financial support available to low-income entering students who enroll for a minimum number of credits and maintain a minimum grade point average. The program, called VISTA (Vision Inspired Scholarship Through Academic Achievement), is one of nine scholarship programs being tested across the country as part of the national Performance-Based Scholarship Demonstration. The demonstration is testing several types of performance-based scholarships in order to identify promising strategies to increase college persistence and completion among low-income students. Early findings, through one year, indicate that although VISTA had no effects on credits or grades during the first semester, effects did emerge after that point: (1) VISTA encouraged students to attempt and earn more credits; (2) VISTA led to a net increase in financial aid dollars and allowed some students to reduce their reliance on loans; and (3) Although VISTA did not affect overall enrollment rates for the third semester, it did result in students registering for more credits. A final report on VISTA will be published in 2014. Selected characteristics of sample members at Baseline, by Research Group are appended. [More] Descriptors: Grade Point Average, Program Effectiveness, Scholarships, Financial Support
(2012). Spanish as a Heritage Language Assessment: Successes, Failures, Lessons Learned, Heritage Language Journal. From its origins over three decades ago, interest in the field of Spanish as a heritage language (SHL) has grown and has produced a wealth of research. While our understanding of the sociolinguistic profile of Spanish heritage language learners has increased and we have advanced in our knowledge of the linguistic abilities and strategies Spanish heritage language learners bring to bear on specific language tasks, we are just beginning to apply this knowledge in meaningful ways for the purposes of assessment. The present paper describes the evaluation of the efficacy of the Spanish Placement Test (SPT) that has been used for over 15 years to evaluate students initiating their Spanish language study at New Mexico State University (NMSU). The SPT is intended to distinguish between students who would be best served by either the SHL sequence or the Spanish as a Second Language sequence and, further, to suggest which course within the appropriate sequence would best allow their skills to grow. An examination of the SPT was warranted as the population for which the SPT was originally designed did not appear to match that of NMSU's population of SHL learners. Additionally, at first glance, the items on the SPT did not appear to be a good fit with the goals of the courses in the SHL sequence. The present paper discusses the findings of our evaluation of the SPT in light of its ability to assess the skills of learners of Spanish as a heritage language and place them accurately in the sequence of SHL courses. [More] Descriptors: Student Placement, Sociolinguistics, Spanish, Heritage Education
(2012). An Exploratory Study of Pharmacists Professional Learning, ProQuest LLC. Today's healthcare professional is challenged to stay current with increasingly complex therapeutic challenges, greater societal needs and expectations, and a public demand for the best possible care. Professional learning opportunities are needed to develop new knowledge, skills, or abilities to address specific matters encountered during professional practice. Professional learning opportunities must be relevant to a specific professional practice setting and promote change(s) in behavior, attitude, or practice before improvement in patient outcomes and population health can be realized. While much research has investigated professional learning specific to physicians, pharmacists have not been included. The purpose of this study was to identify how practicing pharmacists acquire professional learning. A theoretical model was developed to guide semistructured interviews of a stratified purposeful sample of practicing pharmacists in New Mexico. Pharmacists practicing in community, hospital and specialty settings in both rural and urban locations participated. Replication logic was used in this multiple case study to identify common factors that contribute to professional learning in practicing pharmacists. The study found no significant difference in (a) access or availability of resources, (b) environmental conditions, or (c) individual learning as a result of practice setting or location. Participants provided strong examples of self-directed learning, a professional pride in lifelong learning and a professional responsibility to stay competent in their practice setting. The factors identified in this study supported the underlying propositions of the theoretical model. The study increases the understanding of how practicing pharmacists acquire professional learning and can be operationalized in more comprehensive quantitative studies. This research contributes to the understanding of professional learning and can be used to develop educational methods that lead to enhancement and support of more effective professional learning. [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: Pharmaceutical Education, Professional Education, Semi Structured Interviews, Case Studies
(2012). Effectiveness of a Science Agricultural Summer Experience (SASE) in Recruiting Students to Natural Resources Management, Journal of Science Education and Technology. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an increase in Natural Resource Management (NRM) jobs within the next 10 years due to baby-boomer retirements and a 12% increase in demand for these occupations. Despite this trend, college enrollment in NRM disciplines has declined. Even more critical is the fact that the soon-to-be-majority Hispanic population is underrepresented in NRM disciplines. The goal of the present study was to determine if an in-residence, two-week, summer science program for underrepresented minorities would not only increase interest in science, actual science knowledge, and perceived science knowledge, but also have an overall impact on underrepresented minority students' decisions to attend college, major in a scientific discipline and pursue a career in science. During a four-year period, 76 high school students participated in a Science Agricultural Summer Experience (SASE) in Northern New Mexico. A pre/post science-knowledge exam and satisfaction survey were administered to participants. We demonstrate that participants improved significantly (p less than 0.05) in all areas measured. In particular, comfort with science field and lab activities, science knowledge and perceived science knowledge were enhanced after exposure to the program. Students not only found science exciting and approachable after participation, but also exhibited increased interest in pursuing a degree and career in science. Of the 76 SASE participants within graduation age (n = 44), all graduated from high school; and 86% enrolled in college. These findings suggest that the implemented SASE initiative was effective in recruiting and increasing the confidence and abilities of underrepresented minority students in science. [More] Descriptors: Summer Science Programs, Agricultural Education, Program Effectiveness, Student Recruitment
(2012). Educators' Perceptions on Implementing Direct Reading Instruction in Native American Elementary Schools, ProQuest LLC. The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) established a System of Support program that included certain mandates for schools in restructuring and school improvement within the framework of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The Bureau operates 184 elementary schools and 24 colleges nationwide. Some of the schools are required to utilize scripted direct reading instruction programs to increase reading scores and student academic achievement in order to reach the required Annual Yearly Progress as outlined in the NCLB. The purpose of the present qualitative descriptive case study was to understand the perceptions of the school level educators regarding the mandates to implement direct reading instructional programs in a finite number of BIE schools in New Mexico. The study incorporated a descriptive case study design method to glean information from data collected via semistructured interviews, field notes, and available curriculum materials specific to the DI methodology for language acquisition. The study participants were drawn from three BIE schools and included three administrators, three reading coaches, and nine teaching faculty members. Four themes emerged from the results: (a) the appropriateness of the program for BIE schools, (b) DI relative to students' academic achievement, (c) DI relative to the classroom experience, and (d) the effect of a mandated implementation. One conclusion was that educators' perceptions about mandated instructional programs affect the success or failure of instructional curricula. The study provides an additional venue for future research regarding appropriate strategies to implement academic program. [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: Teacher Attitudes, Elementary School Teachers, American Indian Education, American Indians
(2012). Still "Unfinished Education": Latino Students Forty Years after the Mexican American Education Study, ProQuest LLC. The onus of this dissertation was to evaluate the educational conditions of Mexican American students forty years after the "Mexican American Education Study" published a six-volume study detailing the findings of the "Mexican American Education Study" (1970-1974). The "MAES" study focused on five southwest states Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. To learn the current status of Mexican American students, a three-tier scale of analysis was created. Each level of analysis had a specific focus: macro, meso, and micro. The macro level presented a descriptive analysis of the educational status of Mexican American students in the five states presented in the "Mexican American Education Study" ("MAES") reports. The second level of analysis (meso) focused on the state of Texas and examines the achievement gaps between student groups in state standardized assessments since assessment policies were introduced in the state. In micro level of analysis, the educational achievement of Mexican American students in Ysleta Independent School District, located in El Paso, Texas, was examined by analyzing student outcomes over a nine-year period (2003-2011). The findings of this dissertation indicated that nominal change has been evidenced in the educational performance of Mexican American students since the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights' "Mexican American Education Study." Notwithstanding the many federal and state educational reforms that have been enacted in the past forty years, the achievement and opportunity gaps have not been eradicated. Subsequently, Mexican American parents need to advocate with a unified voice and force change to the educational policy-making process. [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: Hispanic American Students, Mexican Americans, Educational Quality, Standardized Tests
(2012). Educators as Optimistic Futurists: A Critical Case Study Investigation into the Takeover of One Middle School in the Southwest United States, ProQuest LLC. Advocates of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) often champion a neoliberal agenda of privatization, deregulation, the mass firings of teachers and administrators, and takeovers of schools deemed to be "failing." School takeovers are sanctioned under the No Child Left Behind Act's Corrective Action measures, in which schools that have never made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) are subject to mass firings, restructuring measures, and any other action deemed appropriate at the state and/or district level. The inner dynamics of NCLB function to create a hegemonic state in which the ruling class creates the achievement standards and assessment methods, then makes costly improvement recommendations for "failing" schools. This becomes a form of deregulation in which federal funding is moved from the public sector into private education corporations. Such a system is designed to discipline educational institutions which act contrary to the privatization agenda. In December of 2008, the Puesta del Sol Independent School District, the largest school district in the State of New Mexico, announced that it would be removing the principals from La Independencia Middle School and Ortiz High School. The justification lie within each school's inability to make AYP. Yet throughout the takeover process questions were raised as to the nature and efficacy of the district's intentions. In this dissertation, I seek to understand the inner workings, motivations, and consequences of the removal of La Independencia Middle School's leadership, its impact on the remaining faculty and administration, and the changes to the educational realities of the students. [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: Federal Legislation, Educational Legislation, Educational Change, Change Strategies
(2012). First Step to Success. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report. "First Step to Success" is an early intervention program designed to help children who are at risk for developing aggressive or antisocial behavioral patterns. The program uses a trained behavior coach who works with each student and his or her class peers, teacher, and parents for approximately 50 to 60 hours over a three-month period. "First Step to Success" includes three interconnected modules: screening, classroom intervention, and parent training. The screening module is used to identify candidates who meet eligibility criteria for program participation. Classroom intervention and parent training comprise the program intervention component of "First Step to Success". Two studies of "First Step to Success" that fall within the scope of the Children Classified as Having an Emotional Disturbance review protocol meet What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) evidence standards, and no studies meet WWC evidence standards with reservations. The two studies included 243 children in kindergarten through third grade who attended schools in New Mexico and Oregon. Based on these two studies, the WWC considers the extent of evidence for "First Step to Success" on children classified with an emotional disturbance (or children at risk for classification) to be small for all domains examined in this report (external behavior, emotional/internal behavior, social outcomes, reading achievement/literacy, and other academic performance domains). Appended are: (1) Research details for Walker et al., 1998 and for Walker et al., 2009; (2) Outcome measures for each domain; (3) Findings included in the rating for the external behavior domain, the emotional/internal behavior domain, the social outcomes domain, the the reading achievement/literacy domain, and the other academic performance domain; and (4) Single-Case Design studies reviewed for this intervention. A glossary of terms is included. [More] Descriptors: Early Intervention, Behavior Modification, Aggression, Antisocial Behavior
(2006). National Indian Education Study, New Mexico Public Education Department. This report includes information from the National Indian Education Study of American Indian/Alaska Native students in grades 4 and 8 on the 2005 National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) in reading and mathematics. The national sample includes both public and private schools (i.e. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of Defense Education Activity, and private schools). States represented in the study are Alaska, Arizona, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Dakota. In both Grade 4 and Grade 8 Reading: (1) American Indian/Alaska Native students in Oklahoma had a higher average scale score and a higher percentage performing at or above "basic" than American Indian/Alaska Native students in the nation and other selected states; (2) Compared to the nation, American Indian/Alaska Native students in Alaska, Arizona, New Mexico, and South Dakota had lower average scores; and (3) No significant difference was found between the performance of Hispanic students and American Indian/Alaska Native students. In both Grade 4 and Grade 8 Mathematics, American Indian/Alaska Native students in grade 4 had lower average scores in mathematics than all other students in the nation. In Grade 4 Mathematics, American Indian/Alaska Native students in Montana and Oklahoma were not significantly different from their peers in the nation on average scores; but American Indian/Alaska Native students in Alaska, Arizona, New Mexico, North Dakota, and South Dakota had lower average scores than American Indian/Alaska Native students in the nation. In Grade 8 Mathematics, American Indian/Alaska Native students in New Mexico and South Dakota had lower average scores than American Indian/Alaska Native students in the nation. In both Grade 4 and Grade 8, American Indian/Alaska Native students had a higher average score than Black students; and performed lower than White students and Asian/Pacific students. In Grade 8, American Indian/Alaska Native students had a higher averagescore than Hispanic students. [More] Descriptors: American Indians, Alaska Natives, Grade 8, Grade 4