This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Brenda S. Seevers, Rebecca Smith, Charles B. Shuster, Chantel Reynolds, John Trokan, Gary D. Bond, Victoria Johnson, Michele Shuster, Laura A. Thompson, and Michele McNeil.
(2005). The Achiever. Volume 4, Number 10, US Department of Education. "The Achiever" is monthly publication for parents and community leaders. Each issue contains news and information about school improvement in the United States. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) "Nation's Report Card Results Show Progress"; (2) "'Choosing the Best Apple': New Mexico School Turns around Lagging Scores with Schoolwide Reform Efforts" (Nicole Ashby); (3) "Spellings Addresses PTA Convention"; (4) "News Show Offers Back-to-School Tips"; and (5) "The Facts about K-12 Education Funding." ["The Achiever" is published by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Communications and Outreach.] [More] Descriptors: Elementary Secondary Education, Educational Change, Public Education, Educational Improvement
(2005). Incarnational Immersion-Based Learning in Cultural Contexts: A Charity Model, Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice. The Religious Pastoral Studies and Behavioral Sciences Departments of a Midwestern college have collaborated in offering academic courses in theology and anthropology that include service immersion experiences with people of diverse cultures in South Dakota, North Carolina, New Mexico, Kentucky, and Honduras. This paper explores the incarnational dimension of immersion experiences between native peoples and college students. Using a contextual theology model, students and faculty from various social science and religious studies disciplines reflect with native people on the historical and contemporary elements of their culture and spirituality. This paper discusses the historical development of the immersion courses, methodology, curriculum design, student learning objectives and outcomes, incarnational value formation in Sisters of Charity charisms, and future directions. [More] Descriptors: Service Learning, Philosophy, Curriculum Design, Anthropology
(2005). Lifespan Differences in the Social Networks of Prison Inmates, International Journal of Aging and Human Development. Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (SST) (Carstensen, 1992, 1993) accounts for lifespan changes in human social networks and for the motivations which underlie those changes. SST is applied in this research with 256 prison inmates and non-inmates, ages 18-84, from Mississippi, Kansas, and New Mexico. Two research questions sought to identify (a) whether inmate networks change in size, and (b) whether overall closeness within an inmate's network changes over the adult years. Results indicate that older inmates, much like older non-inmates, have few peripheral partners, are buffered from the wider population of prisoners, and interact within a small group of very close partners. Although older inmates are not completely isolated, they do maintain fewer network partners as age increases, like their non-incarcerated counterparts, and overall are as emotionally close to network members as non-inmates. [More] Descriptors: Correctional Institutions, Social Networks, Institutionalized Persons, Questionnaires
(2007). Assessment of the Effects of Student Response Systems on Student Learning and Attitudes over a Broad Range of Biology Courses, CBE – Life Sciences Education. With the advent of wireless technology, new tools are available that are intended to enhance students' learning and attitudes. To assess the effectiveness of wireless student response systems in the biology curriculum at New Mexico State University, a combined study of student attitudes and performance was undertaken. A survey of students in six biology courses showed that strong majorities of students had favorable overall impressions of the use of student response systems and also thought that the technology improved their interest in the course, attendance, and understanding of course content. Students in lower-division courses had more strongly positive overall impressions than did students in upper-division courses. To assess the effects of the response systems on student learning, the number of in-class questions was varied within each course throughout the semester. Students' performance was compared on exam questions derived from lectures with low, medium, or high numbers of in-class questions. Increased use of the response systems in lecture had a positive influence on students' performance on exam questions across all six biology courses. Students not only have favorable opinions about the use of student response systems, increased use of these systems increases student learning. [More] Descriptors: Student Attitudes, Student Reaction, Biology, Alignment (Education)
(2005). ASPEN Plus in the Chemical Engineering Curriculum: Suitable Course Content and Teaching Methodology, Chemical Engineering Education. An established methodology involving the sequential presentation of five skills on ASPEN Plus to undergraduate seniors majoring in ChE is presented in this document: (1) specifying unit operations; (2) manipulating physical properties; (3) accessing variables; (4) specifying nonstandard components; and (5) applying advanced features. This manuscript does not attempt to teach the software, nor does it contain teaching materials for use by instructors. Lecture resources drawn from numerous sources are available online on the homepage of the author on the Chemical Engineering Department's web server at New Mexico State University (www.chemeng.nmsu.edu). Demonstration files can be obtained from the author, as well as the Knowledge Base of the ASPENTech website (www.aspentech.com). [More] Descriptors: Chemical Engineering, Teaching Methods, College Seniors, Science Process Skills
(2005). United World Prep Schools Seek Global Unity and Acculturate U.S. Teachers, Education Digest: Essential Readings Condensed for Quick Review. United World College of the American West (UWC-USA) which was founded in 1982 by the Occidental Petroleum magnate and philanthropist, Armand Hammer, is an upper-secondary school with 200 students and two dozen faculty from 80 countries or more. Situated amid traditional Hispanic settlements in New Mexico's scenic Sangre de Cristo Mountains, UWC-USA brings together young people (ages 16-19) from many nations, races, and social backgrounds for challenging pre-university studies and voluntary service. Its goal is to help students develop pride, become more articulate, and gain a sense of responsibility and a mature perspective on their own culture, background, and nationality. At the same time, to transcend that background and become aware of and involved in the challenges common to all humanity–justice, peace, or whatever issue facing the global community may be most interesting to them. This article also discusses the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum which all UWC secondary schools follow. [More] Descriptors: College Preparation, Global Education, Acculturation, Secondary Schools
(2007). Santa Fe Community College and the CCSSE: Using Data to Make Meaningful Change, Assessment Update. Like many institutions, Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) has struggled to move beyond anecdotal sketches of student experiences to a more detailed picture of student engagement supported by methodically and systematically collected quantitative data. In 2004, as part of its ongoing commitment to data-informed or data-based decision making, the college enthusiastically joined a New Mexico consortium of community colleges participating in the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE). Each fall, the director of the SFCC Testing Center convenes the CCSSE Workgroup, composed of faculty from all four instructional divisions, staff from counseling and advising, and program directors from academic support units. This group reviews the sample responses, identifies patterns, determines what additional data are needed, and makes recommendations to the campus community. By the middle of the semester, workgroup members report to their constituent groups via departmental meetings, staff and faculty senates, deans and department chairs, and senior management. Key findings and recommendations are posted on the SFCC Web site, along with follow-up reports on the preceding year's survey. Thus, CCSSE data are widely distributed, and at every opportunity, they are integrated into discussions on student learning, planning, budgeting, and operations. This article discusses how CCSSE data help SFCC make real improvements in the experiences of its students. [More] Descriptors: Community Colleges, College Governing Councils, Department Heads, Educational Change
(2004). A Snapshot of Children on the California Border. This snapshot of children on the California border examines the well-being of children along the U.S.-Mexico border, comparing California, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. It indicates more than one-quarter of all California residents are foreign born (26%), compared to 8% of residents in non-border states. In Texas, the percentage of the population that is foreign born is more than twice as high along the border as in the rest of the state (28% versus 12%). In California, the percentage of foreign born is actually higher in the rest of the state (27%) than it is along the border (22%). California has both a land border and an ocean border. Many of California's immigrants come from overseas. Less than half of the foreign-born population in California was born in Mexico (44%), compared to 72% in New Mexico, 66% in Arizona, and 65% in Texas. (Contains 4 endnotes.) [This KIDS COUNT Snapshot was produced for the Annie E. Casey Foundation by Children Now.] [More] Descriptors: Immigrants, Disadvantaged Youth, Population Trends, Child Health
(2001). New Mexico Tribal Libraries: Bridging the Digital Divide, Computers in Libraries. Describes the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Native American Access to Technology Program (NAATP) and explains how programs were developed in New Mexico tribal libraries. Topics include empowering Native communities through access to digital information resources; the grant process; on-site training; and the importance of collaboration with the tribes. Descriptors: Access to Computers, Access to Information, American Indian Reservations, American Indians
(2001). Involvement of Volunteers in Agricultural Education Programs in New Mexico, Journal of Agricultural Education. Secondary and middle school agriculture teachers in New Mexico (n=90) considered volunteers essential program components. Volunteers served as chaperones, guest speakers, event coaches, and in student organizations. The 13% who did not use them were either new, had small programs, or found it time consuming. Benefits included exposing students to broader expertise and freeing teacher time. (Contains 16 references.) Descriptors: Agricultural Education, Middle Schools, Secondary Education, Teacher Attitudes
(2005). Strengthening Families with First-Born Children: Exploratory Story of the Outcomes of a Home Visiting Intervention, Research on Social Work Practice. Objective: Using a theory of change framework, this study examines outcome measures of a home visitation program that provided services to first-born children and their parents living in southwestern New Mexico. Method: Home visitation workers conducted pretest and posttest assessments for prenatal and postpartum periods for 109 families receiving services in the First-Born Program. Families were assessed using the Revised North Carolina Family Assessment Scale. Paired sample t tests were used to assess effect. Results: Clients participating in the First-Born Program displayed significantly higher posttest scores on measures of family resiliency. Specifically, clients demonstrated improved scores in operationalized measures of resilience: social support, caregiver characteristics, family interaction measures, and a reduction in personal problems affecting parenting. Conclusion: The results are promising as participants were observed to make positive improvements in specific areas related to family resiliency. [More] Descriptors: Home Visits, Pretests Posttests, Prenatal Care, Birth Order
(2007). Governors Cite Education Records, Education Week. The three current presidential hopefuls with experience as state governors have records on education that offer voters an unusually detailed preview of what the nation's schools might expect if any of the three should win the White House next year. Those candidates–New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, on the Democratic side, and former Governors Mike Huckabee of Arkansas and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, in the Republican field–are still working to refine their positions on national education policy. But their state experience already offers clues to what their priorities might be and how they might work with Congress to get their platforms accomplished, said Jacob E. Adams Jr., an education professor who studies education governance at Claremont Graduate University in California. Despite ideological differences, the three gubernatorial veterans in the 2008 race share some experiences in dealing with education. Each served at a time when states were in the throes of implementing the testing and sanctions requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, signed into law in 2002, while grappling with the effects of the economic slowdown at the start of the decade. And for all of them, echoes of their time in the governors' mansions can be heard on the campaign trail. [More] Descriptors: Educational Attitudes, Federal Legislation, Educational Finance, Governance
(2005). A Report to the U.S. Department of Education on Educational Challenges and Technical Assistance Needs for the Southwest Region. The Southwest Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) is one of ten regional committees appointed by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to conduct an assessment of the technical assistance needs of educators, parents, and students in the region. During the period between December 2004 and March 2005 this committee, which includes members from the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas identified the major regional challenges to improving student achievement and implementing the provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The RAC has assessed the types of technical assistance that would enable educators in the region to overcome these challenges. [Report prepared by the Southwest Regional Advisory Committee.] [More] Descriptors: Federal Legislation, Technical Assistance, Geographic Regions, Educational Improvement
(2005). Roundtable: Higher Education and Corporate Leaders–Working Together to Strengthen America's Workforce. Hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, United States Senate, One Hundred Ninth Congress, First Session (May 19, 2005). Senate Hearing 109-134. This hearing was convened to examine issues relating to higher education and corporate leaders, focusing on defining the roles industry and institutions of higher education will have to ensure that the United States has the skilled and diverse workforce it will need to succeed today and in the future. The Committee heard statements by: Michael B. Enzi, chairman, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA); Patty Murray (D-WA); Johnny Isakson (R-GA); Louis Caldera, president, University of New Mexico; Edward Hoff, vice president, Learning for IBM; Patricia McGuire, president, Trinity University; James Mullen, president and CEO, Biogen; Edison O. Jackson, president, Medgar Evers College; Patrick Sweeney, president and CEO, Odin Technologies; Robert Craves, founder, Costco Corporation, currently CEO and president, Washington Education Foundation; Walter Nolte, president, Casper College; Charles Reed, chancellor, California State University; and Laura Palmer-Noone, president, University of Phoenix. [More] Descriptors: Higher Education, Colleges, Hearings, Labor Force
(2007). Saving the Dust Bowl: "Big Hugh" Bennett's Triumph over Tragedy, History Teacher. In the 1930s, years of injudicious cultivation had devastated 100 million acres of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico. This was the Dust Bowl, and it exposed a problem that had silently plagued American agriculture for centuries–soil erosion. Farmers, scientists, and the government alike considered it trivial until Hugh Hammond Bennett spearheaded a national program of soil conservation. The Dust Bowl tragedy developed from the carelessness of plenty. In history's perspective, the Dust Bowl was an economic, environmental, and human tragedy. For Hugh Hammond Bennett, affectionately nicknamed "Big Hugh," the Dust Bowl was only the most dramatic manifestation of the catastrophe of soil erosion. Born on April 15, 1881 on a South Carolina plantation, Bennett learned early the rigors of farm management, developing a love of the outdoors. After working through college, he became a surveyor for the USDA Bureau of Soils, choosing the job so he could work near the land. He traveled extensively throughout North and South America, conducting surveys on the chemistry and condition of soil. Bennett discovered that erosion–by wind or water–was rampant and destructive throughout America. He dedicated himself to the eradication of soil erosion and published a profusion of reports, yet was largely ignored. His ideas contradicted popular belief. This article details how Bennett has triumphed over soil erosion's tragedy for American farmland and the American people. [More] Descriptors: United States History, Soil Science, Conservation (Environment), National Programs