This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Elyse Ashburn, Celia Einhorn, Louis Fox, Carole Gallagher, Patrick A. Curtis, Peter Smith, Jon Lehrmann, Laura Weiss Roberts, Roxanne Fulcher, and Steven Berg.
(2007). Instant Read on Reading, in Palms of Their Hands, Education Week. This article discusses teachers' use of hand-held computers in a rural New Mexico district to assess student's reading progress. With the help of a federal Reading First grant, the district began using the DIBELS assessments across its elementary schools along with the mCLASS: DIBELS assessment and reporting system. The district's experience helps illustrate the ways educators can use one popular assessment tool to better inform and shape classroom teaching and learning–a concept often labeled "formative assessment." The assessments include thrice-yearly benchmark tests to help screen and group students, as well as more-frequent, one-minute "progress monitoring" measures. Those measures track youngsters' responses to instruction on a particular literacy skill, such as initial sound fluency, phoneme segmentation, reading of nonsense words, or oral-reading fluency. Using the mCLASS: DIBELS assessment system, developed by Wireless Generation, a for-profit company based in New York City, teachers are able to give and record DIBELS results on hand-held computers and get instant feedback. Teachers can then upload the results to the Wireless Generation Web site to track class, school, and district performance over time using online reports. [More] Descriptors: Computer Uses in Education, Student Evaluation, Reading Achievement, Elementary School Students
(1999). Staking a Claim on Their Future, MultiMedia Schools. Describes the New Mexico High School Supercomputing Challenge, a year-long project sponsored by New Mexico Technet, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and other statewide institutions that engages high school students, teachers, and professionals in complex scientific problem-solving that include written reports, mathematical models, and computational solutions. Descriptors: Competition, Group Activities, High School Students, High Schools
(2007). Connecting with Communities: Four Successful Schools, Young Children. The average public school serving children who are economically disadvantaged cannot afford to provide the above-average education that many of these children need to achieve at the same levels as their more advantaged peers. It becomes necessary for schools to ask, "Who else has the resources to help children succeed?" Because of these challenges facing children and public schools, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) launched Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids (SPARK) in 2001 to connect communities, families, schools, and early care and education providers to get children ready for school and schools ready for children. As part of SPARK's efforts, its Initiative Level Evaluation (ILE) Team visited four "ready schools" to learn why and how these schools succeed in meeting the unique needs of children from families with low incomes and minority groups. In this article, the authors present these four schools: (1) Ka 'Umeke Ka'eo Public Charter School in Hilo, Hawai'i; (2) La Mesa Elementary School in Albuquerque, New Mexico; (3) Nailor Elementary School in Cleveland, Mississippi; and (4) International Community School in Decatur, Georgia. Using observations from their visits to these four schools, the authors describe strategies the schools, early care and education programs, and families use to work together with the community to ensure children's success in school. [More] Descriptors: Economically Disadvantaged, Minority Groups, Community Schools, Charter Schools
(2010). Exploring Educational Material Needs and Resources for Children Living in Poverty, Online Submission. The purpose of this study was two-fold. It was first to find out what the educational materials needs were for children living in poverty, and second, to learn of the challenges, obstacles, and strengths by the programs already in place that were supplying educational materials to these children. This study used interviews and surveys as data gathering methods. Of the 244 electronic surveys sent to educators around the U.S., 17 survey responses were returned from participants in California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. In addition, 15 key informants were chosen because of their personal and professional knowledge about the specific needs for educational materials when dealing with children living in poverty. Results from the 32 educators in this study showed that books were the most needed item in both classrooms and in homes. All of the participants stated that any books or reading materials would be of help to the children. When family priorities dictate that they choose food and clothes over the purchase of books, parents and caregivers must next rely on public schools to provide a good education for their children. Needs in schools included English and bilingual books, magazines, newspapers, pens, pencils, paper, current maps and globes, art supplies, educational videotapes, and computers. Very few programs or organizations could be found that specifically supplied educational materials to children living in poverty. Eighty-three percent of the organizations who provide educational materials for children living in poverty interviewed said that they did not personally conduct ongoing evaluations of the children they served due to a lack of funding and resources. While some authors have written from their personal experiences about the poor conditions of the schools in the U.S., no studies have reported what schools in poverty need in their classrooms or what educational materials children living in poverty need from the point of view of receiving an equal education. A website could be established for teachers in the U.S. or possibly around the world for sharing ideas and communicating with one another about their classroom needs, and the availability of excess materials for children living in poverty. Next, teachers could be encouraged to both donate and solicit books and other materials from their communities by hosting a book fair at the end of each school year. [More] Descriptors: Reading Materials, Equal Education, Poverty, Instructional Materials
(2002). Two Sides of the Same Coin: Leadership, Community College Enterprise. This article presents a transcript of Steven Berg's interviews with James MacGregor Burns and Ritchie McKay regarding leadership. James Burns is a senior fellow in the Jepson School of Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond, Virginia. Ritchie McKay is Head Coach of the men's basketball team at University of New Mexico. Steven Berg is an Assistant Professor of English and history at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Michigan. Descriptors: Administrator Attitudes, Community Colleges, Educational Objectives, Instructional Leadership
(2007). "At Risk" of Greatness, Teaching Tolerance. Because teachers are human, they sometimes judge their students based on where they live or the language they speak. Students are channeled into honors, regular or remedial classes based on these judgments. Separate sets of expectations are imposed upon separate sets of children, limiting access to information and opportunity. Teachers must counteract such influences. They must realize that education should get personal. They must know that education always should allow children to hope. They must know children are not empty receptacles, passively waiting for knowing adults to pour isolated, irrelevant facts into their heads. Children have opinions–and a need to be heard. The sole purpose of education is not for job preparation. When Lisa M. Weinbaum reflects on her teaching career–the past nine years teaching so-called "at risk" students in southern New Mexico–her memories are not of standardized test scores or the latest NCLB requirement. She remembers kids who break stereotypes, defy odds and make the world a better place–every day. In this article, she shares some of her strongest memories. [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Labeling (of Persons), Teacher Expectations of Students, Teacher Attitudes
(1999). The Unexplored: Art Education Historians' Failure to Consider the Southwest, Studies in Art Education. Observes that, as concerns for multicultural education increase, art-education historians' inattention to areas outside of the Northeast becomes apparent. Uses New Mexico as an example of a state meeting multicultural needs in art education, but points out that much information about New Mexico cannot be found in mainstream art-education publications. Descriptors: Art Education, Curriculum Design, Diversity (Student), Educational History
(2008). School Health Assessment of Bureau of Indian Education Schools in New Mexico. An assessment of school health programs, policies and practices in the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools was initiated because of concerns by Native American serving providers and advocates that American Indian youth have limited access to school health services, and because there is increasing national and state momentum with respect to health disparities and inconsistency in school health programs. A telephone survey was developed and administered to BIE principals or their designees between October 2006 and April 2007. Thirty-nine (95%) of the schools participated. Domains assessed included health facilities; school health staffing and collaboration; behavioral/mental health services; health education; student, family and community engagement; school health records; immunization; procedures for student medication and management; acute care management; and care of medically complex and medically fragile students. Special analyses were conducted comparing boarding and day schools, and BIE-operated and BIE grant schools. The report provides a summary of demographic information on the BIE schools in New Mexico. This is followed by the section describing data obtained in each of the domains structured to provide: (1) A description of each domain; (2) School health guidelines and standards established by national organizations; (3) A summary of the data; and (4) Key findings. The report concludes with the following sections: (1) A comparative analysis of school health services that examines: (a) BIE- operated schools vs. BIE grant schools (b) Boarding schools vs. day schools and (c) Student population; (2) Perspectives from interviewees regarding their school's strengths and unmet needs regarding school health services and programs; (3) A discussion of the "main themes" that emerged from analysis of the BIE School Health Assessment data; (4) Recommendations for the BIE and for state agencies that may have resources to contribute to BIE schools for school health programs; and (5) Appendices which provide more detailed information. Appendices include: (1) School Health Staffing and Collaboration; (2) Behavioral and Mental Health Staffing and Collaboration; (3) Health Education; (4) Student Health Records; (5) Immunizations/Procedures for Student Medication Administration; (6) Summary of Main Themes and Key Findings; (7) Healthy People 2010; and (8) References. [More] Descriptors: American Indian Education, School Health Services, Health Facilities, School Personnel
(2007). Can You Hear Us Now? A White Paper on Connecting Minority-Serving Institutions in the West to U.S. Advanced Cyberinfrastructure. Lariat Summit on Minority Institutions and Cyberinfrastructure in the West (Bozeman, Montana, August 14-15, 2006), Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. Advanced information, communication, computation and collaboration technologies, known as "cyberinfrastructure," have become essential elements for research, education, and innovation in the 21st century. A major challenge confronting the United States today is how to ensure that all colleges and universities, including those that have not traditionally benefited from leading-edge research infrastructure, can participate seamlessly in national and multinational cyberinfrastructure-enabled efforts. The minority-serving-institution community has unique expertise, knowledge, and resources to share. Western leaders from the fields of science, education and cyberinfrastructure recognize an urgent need for action. Participants in the 2006 "Lariat Summit on Minority Institutions and Cyberinfrastructure in the West" gathered in Bozeman, Montana to develop strategies and recommendations for connecting minority-serving institutions in the West to national advanced cyberinfrastructure. This document is a first step towards developing both the will and the resources to ensure that minority-serving institutions are among the "connected" institutions in the Western states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, and Washington. (Contains 2 figures and 11 endnotes.) [Financial support for this white paper was provided by the University of Washington, Internet2, and the Pacific Northwest Gigapop.] [More] Descriptors: Higher Education, Minority Groups, Information Technology, Computer Mediated Communication
(2007). Making It Happen, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. It was not too long ago that the primary lifetime expectations for women included getting married and having children. These traditions were–and in many regards continue to be–more entrenched in the Latino community, but things are changing. Latinas who earn a degree are no longer the exception. In fact, more Latinas earn doctoral degrees today than their male counterparts. And yet, Latinas still encounter obstacles like low expectations, financial constraints and a lack of knowledge about what it takes to apply and graduate from college. This article presents four accomplished Latinas who speak about how they, against the odds, realized their higher education and professional dreams. They are: (1) Dr. Gloria Rodriguez, president of Nuestros Ninos and founder of AVANCE Inc., a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that focuses on parent education and early child development; (2) Dr. Evangelina Holvino, president of Chaos Management Ltd.; (3) Dr. Sylvia Ramos, president of Richard J. Daley College in Chicago; and (4) Felicia Casados, campus executive officer for New Mexico State University-Grants. [More] Descriptors: Higher Education, Parent Education, Doctoral Degrees, Foreign Countries
(2007). A Real Alternative: Tragedy and Hope in an Urban Immigrant Community, International Journal on School Disaffection. Father Bruce Wellems didn't know the dropout statistics when he came to Back of the Yards in 1990 to serve as a parish priest. Born and raised in New Mexico, Wellems initially had only vague notions of what an inner-city ministry might look like and little commitment to the neighborhood's struggling youth. But after some prodding from a local park district supervisor, he began trying to build relationships with teens in the community who were gang members, many of whom were spending their days on the streets instead of in school. He quickly discovered that most of them desired one of two things: (1) a decent job; or (2) the chance to continue their education. For several years, Wellems tossed around the idea of starting a community-based high school that would serve the kids he'd gotten to know on the streets. But with so many other pressing needs in the parish, the high school stayed on Wellems' back burner until February 1998, when a tragic incident of youth violence moved him to act. With the city's gaze focused on Back of the Yards in the wake of two murders, Wellems decided to try to use the attention to make something good from the tragedy. This article describes the launching of the Irene Dugan Alternative High School and how it has been life-changing–a refuge, a second chance, a step down a different, more hopeful path–to troubled kids. [More] Descriptors: Tragedy, High Schools, Violence, Urban Areas
(2008). Personal Health Care of Residents: Preferences for Care outside of the Training Institution, Academic Psychiatry. Objective: The personal health care issues of residents are important but have received minimal study. Available evidence suggests that residents experience difficulties obtaining care, partly related to both the demands of medical training and concerns about confidentiality and privacy. Methods: A self-report survey was distributed in 2000-2001 to advanced residents at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. Questions related to personal health and health care attitudes, behaviors, preferences, and experiences, and vignettes related to personal illness and treatment. Here, the authors report findings regarding preferences for obtaining health care "at" versus "outside" of one's training institution. Results: Data from 141 residents are presented. A substantial minority of residents had obtained care outside of their institution in the preceding year. Residents expressed concerns about their medical privacy and confidentiality related to obtaining care within their own institution, including concerns about being seen by other residents or by past or future attendings. Women expressed more concern than did men on numerous issues, as did residents in primary care versus specialty training. Residents expressed a preference for care outside the training institution when taking into account confidentiality and prevention of embarrassment; care at their own institution was preferred when considering expense and scheduling. Outside care was more strongly preferred for more stigmatizing illnesses (e.g., mental health-related). Most residents felt poorly informed regarding their personal health care confidentiality rights and did not know whether their institution had confidentiality policies regarding residents who develop physical or mental health problems. Conclusion: Residents worry about confidentiality and privacy when deciding where to obtain personal medical care. Trainees' concerns are relevant to crafting policies on resident health care. Programs should strive to inform residents thoroughly about policies and rights pertaining to personal health care. [More] Descriptors: Medical Services, Mental Health, Disabilities, Confidentiality
(2008). Formative Assessment Policies, Programs, and Practices in the Southwest Region. Issues & Answers. REL 2008-No. 041, Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest (NJ1). This study examines evidence about state- and district-level formative/diagnostic policies, programs, and practices of states in the Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest (REL Southwest). Using case study methodology and data collected through document analyses and interviews with state- and district-level representatives, researchers compared the ways in which Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas define formative assessment, regulate formative assessment practices, and support the development and implementation of formative assessment practices at the state and district levels. In addition, a sample of locally-initiated formative/diagnostic assessment practices drawn from these states is described. Findings suggest that substantial variability exists across states in the REL Southwest in the ways in which each defines formative assessment and in the degree to which each guides or supports development and/or use of formative assessments at the state and district levels. Because of the dearth of empirical evidence on the impact of state policies on formative assessment practice, a call for research emerges to support state decision-makers seeking to better understand the ways in which state-level guidance may foster effective local formative assessment practices and ensure cross-district consistency with the state's educational goals. Five appendixes are included: (1) State Statistics; (2) Study Methods and Limitations; (3) Side by Side Comparison; (4) Letter of Introduction; and (5) Questions for District Representatives. (Contains 7 tables and 2 boxes.) [This report was prepared for the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) by Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest administered by Edvance Research.] [More] Descriptors: Formative Evaluation, Program Effectiveness, Policy Analysis, State Programs
(2007). It's a Family Affair, Chronicle of Higher Education. On paper, Mariella Castillo's family makes her likelier than other students to drop out of college. Her mother left school after the fifth grade, and her father has only a middle-school education. Her parents speak little English, and Castillo, who was born in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi, spoke her first words in Spanish. Numerous studies have shown that students who, like Castillo, are the first in their families to attend college are likelier than others to need remedial math and English, to struggle in their courses, and to lack awareness of campus support services that could improve their chances of graduating. Many first-generation students also have parents who do little to help them stick with their studies. As such, college leaders have begun exploring ways to bring Hispanic families, among others, into academic life–cultural events, parent orientations and counseling sessions, and, now, asking family members to participate in classes. In this article, the author describes how various colleges such as the Dallas County Community College District, the University of New Mexico-Valencia, and Palm Beach Community College developed programs that tap into the families of Hispanic students to help them stay in college. [More] Descriptors: First Generation College Students, Community Colleges, Family School Relationship, Family Involvement
(2007). Nursing in Crisis, Community College Journal. Both the nation's health-care and nursing education systems are in crisis. While the care provided by registered nurses (RNs) is essential to patients' recovery from acute illness and to the effective management of their chronic conditions, the United States is experiencing a nursing shortage that is anticipated to increase as baby boomers age and require more health care. In the face of this crisis, one might reasonably conclude that the three educational systems responsible for providing the nation with its nursing workforce would be working as a team to develop proposals to strengthen nursing education and provide the nation with the nurses it needs. While the U.S. faces a critical shortage of nurses, the debate continues over the educational path to an RN license. In several states–New York, New Jersey, Michigan, and New Mexico–state-level nursing organizations are focused on changing state law to support these national groups' position, which would force associate-degree RNs to obtain second undergraduate degrees from bachelor's degree programs. Ten years after RNs receive their nursing licenses, they would become ineligible to practice in the state in which the proposal is adopted if they have not obtained bachelor's degrees. [More] Descriptors: Nursing Education, State Legislation, Nurses, Supply and Demand