This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Georgia Epaloose, Catrine Tudor-Locke, Robert L. Rhyne, Elizabeth B. Keefe, Jim Travelstead, Ruth Hilberg, Barbara E. Ainsworth, Wilfred Eriacho, Michael Timms, and Carlotta Bird.
(2004). A Report on the Effectiveness of the Developmental Mathematics Program M.Y. Math Project–Making Your Mathematics: Knowing When and How to Use It, Mathematics and Computer Education. M.Y. Math Project is a developmental mathematics program that is aimed at: (1) fostering fundamental and problem-solving skills in developmental mathematics students by helping them to learn when and how to create and use algorithms; and (2) providing on-the-job training for developmental mathematics instructors through an instructional framework that requires them to develop and incorporate non-traditional instructional techniques. This project is funded in part by the U.S. Department of Education Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) which in turn provided funding for field testing in eight colleges and universities in Texas, Florida, Ohio, and New Mexico. The purpose of this report is to provide a description of the project as well as its effectiveness at increasing developmental mathematics students' performance by improving the quality of developmental mathematics instruction. All the developmental mathematics instructors are full-time graduate students. [More] Descriptors: Program Effectiveness, Program Descriptions, Higher Education, Graduate Students
(2007). Factors in Recruiting and Retaining Health Professionals for Rural Practice, Journal of Rural Health. Context: Rural communities, often with complex health care issues, have difficulty creating and sustaining an adequate health professional workforce. Purpose: To identify factors associated with rural recruitment and retention of graduates from a variety of health professional programs in the southwestern United States. Methods: A survey collecting longitudinal data was mailed to graduates from 12 health professional programs in New Mexico. First rural and any rural employment since graduation were outcomes for univariate analyses. Multivariate analysis that controlled for extraneous variables explored factors important to those who took a first rural position, stayed rural, or changed practice locations. Findings: Of 1,396 surveys delivered, response rate was 59%. Size of childhood town, rural practicum completion, discipline, and age at graduation were associated with rural practice choice (P less than 0.05). Those who first practiced in rural versus urban areas were more likely to view the following factors as important to their practice decision: community need, financial aid, community size, return to hometown, and rural training program participation (P less than 0.05). Those remaining rural versus moving away were more likely to consider community size and return to hometown as important (P less than 0.05). Having enough work available, income potential, professional opportunity, and serving community health needs were important to all groups. Conclusion: Rural background and preference for smaller sized communities are associated with both recruitment and retention. Loan forgiveness and rural training programs appear to support recruitment. Retention efforts must focus on financial incentives, professional opportunity, and desirability of rural locations. [More] Descriptors: Rural Areas, Recruitment, Graduates, Community Characteristics
(2002). Achieving Full-Day Kindergarten in New Mexico: A Case Study. Working Paper Series. The state of New Mexico passed legislation in 2000 to phase-in voluntary full-day kindergarten (FDK) classes for all 5-year-olds. This case study traces the evolution and development of New Mexico's FDK program. The case study highlights several elements and strategies of the FDK campaign, including framing FDK as a cost-effective educational reform, the strategic crafting of legislation, identification of funding sources, and attracting support and involvement of influential stakeholders. The case study also describes how, with abundant experience at confronting the political and budgetary realities that state policymakers face, the FDK supporters effectively defined the problem of inadequate student achievement, offered FDK as a policy solution, built political pressure and momentum, provided policymakers with funding solutions and implementation strategies, and monitored and influenced implementation after passage of the legislation. The case study notes that while far from a universal blueprint for state-level education policy reform, the advocacy campaign for FDK in New Mexico nonetheless offers lessons that can inform policymaking in other states, and lists several lessons learned about effective legislative advocacy, including the following: (1) successful advocacy campaigns may not require substantial resources or the support of broad coalitions; (2) child and family advocacy organizations should strive for bipartisan, issue-driven alliances and support; and (3) advocates should provide policymakers with funding solutions and implementation strategies. Lessons learned about FDK as an education reform are also detailed including the following: (1) policymakers are more likely to embrace FDK when it is framed as enhancing children's educational success; (2) FDK can be funded without substantial increase in tax revenues; and (3) legislation is only the first step–implementation matters. (Contains 114 references.) [More] Descriptors: Advocacy, Case Studies, Change Strategies, Educational Improvement
(2007). R. Burl Yarberry, Educational Perspectives. R. Burl Yarberry was born in 1920 in Pueblo, Colorado. He attended public schools in Pueblo and graduated from high school in 1938. After a year attending the Colorado School of Mines, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served in the Pacific during World War II. Following his discharge, he earned a BA in English from Western State College of Colorado and an MA in American and English literature from the University of Arizona. Between 1950 and 1954, Yarberry was teacher and principal at Ouray High School in Colorado. In 1956, Yarberry received a PhD in English from the University of New Mexico. Shortly thereafter, he arrived in Hawai'i as an English instructor at Hawai'i Vocational School, today known as University of Hawai'i at Hilo. He soon became the college's director, a position equivalent to chancellor today. In 1962, at the age of forty-one, Yarberry was selected by the state Board of Education to be superintendent of schools. After a four-year tenure as state superintendent, he became coordinator of secondary education and boys' school principal at the Kamehameha Schools. Two years later, he was named commissioner of education for the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands [TTPI]. Beginning in 1972, Yarberry was involved in various federal and private projects focusing on educational reform. This article presents a narrative on Yarberry's early life in Colorado, education, years as head of UH-Hilo, and tenure as state superintendent of schools. [More] Descriptors: English Literature, Vocational Schools, Tenure, War
(2000). Some Factors Predicting the Adoption of Technology Education in New Mexico Public Schools, Journal of Technology Education. Responses from 98 secondary technology education/industrial arts teachers in New Mexico identified the following best predictors of adoption of technology education: teacher perceptions, change agents' and opinion leaders' influence, optional vs. authority decision making, teaching endorsements held, and years of teaching. Barriers included fear of change and inadequate budget, facilities, resources, and preparation. [More] Descriptors: Adoption (Ideas), Industrial Arts, Public Schools, Secondary Education
(2001). Applying a Cultural Models Approach to American Indian Substance Dependency Research, American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research. American Indian "cultural models" of substance dependency and recovery were developed based on discourse analysis during ethnographic studies at an Indian rehabilitation clinic and with New Mexico Pueblo youth. Incorporating such social constructions of everyday life into the design and implementation of prevention and intervention programs may support local cultural revitalization while increasing program relevance and effectiveness. (Contains 30 references.) Descriptors: American Indian Culture, American Indians, Community Attitudes, Cultural Influences
(2004). Contemporary Civil Rights Challenges of "Brown vs. Board of Education": School Leaders Identify Current Issues, Intercultural Development Research Association. School leaders from five states gathered recently to examine civil rights issues facing students today. The session was held by the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA) South Central Collaborative for Equity, which is the federally-funded equity assistance center for Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. The center's annual focus group and work session was comprised of representatives from each of the state departments of education, school districts, the Offices for Civil Rights that serve the region, and other technical assistance providers. This review served as a foundation for a set of civil rights issues the group felt were important to continue to address if the promise of Brown and Mendez are ever to be achieved. The participants then identified persistent issues regarding race, gender and national origin. A summary of their findings are found in this document. [This document originally appeared in the "IDRA Newsletter", however some accompanying charts and graphs may not be provided here.] [More] Descriptors: Civil Rights, Gender Issues, Racial Discrimination, Student Diversity
(2002). The Hispano Ranchos of Northern New Mexico: Continuity and Change. Teaching with Historic Places. Northern New Mexico boasts river valleys surrounded by snow covered mountains. But it is also harsh and unforgiving. One settler called it a "glorious hell." The "Hispanos," as the early Spanish settlers and their descendants were called, and the "Anglos," the immigrants from the east, were often in conflict. The physical fabric of their early ranchos, which combines the traditions of both cultural groups, testifies to the Hispanos' age-old heritage and to their ability to adapt to change. Some of the small subsistence farms (ranchos), created in the mid-19th century, survive in the mountain valleys of the Pecos and Mora rivers. This lesson plan is based on the Valencia Ranch Historic/Archeological District, the La Cueva Historic District, and other sources. The lesson plan can be used in U.S. history, social studies, and geography courses in units on settlement of the West or New Mexico history, and in units on cultural diversity. It is divided into eight sections: (1) "About This Lesson"; (2) "Getting Started: Inquiry Question"; (3) "Setting the Stage: Historical Context"; (4) "Locating the Site: Maps" (Northern Provinces of New Spain; Spanish Settlement in New Mexico, 1769); (5) "Determining the Facts: Readings" (Hispanos and Anglos; Continuity and Change in the Valleys; Valencia and La Cueva Ranchos); (6) Visual Evidence: Images" (Traditional Hispano House; Plan of a Traditional House; Main House, Valencia Rancho; Romero House, La Cueva Rancho; Valencia Rancho; Aerial View of the Valencia Rancho); (7) "Putting It All Together: Activities" (Comparing Early Building Techniques; Traditional Building and Cultural Identity; Continuity and Change in the Community); and (8) "Supplementary Resources." [More] Descriptors: Built Environment, Cultural Pluralism, Heritage Education, Historic Sites
(2007). Aligning Science Assessment Standards: Texas and the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Issues & Answers. REL 2007-No. 011, Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest (NJ1). This policy research document is intended for policymakers to use when examining possible changes to the state assessment's alignment with the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The 2009 NAEP test is not yet in existence, so the purpose of this report is to give policymakers a headstart in determining where they might, if they so decide, begin to make changes in their assessment standards and specifications to develop an assessment system more closely aligned to that used for the NAEP. This report presents the findings of an alignment study comparing the new science framework for the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the accompanying science assessment and item specifications with the Texas state science assessment. The study was conducted for the Regional Education Laboratory Southwest, funded by the Institute of Education Sciences to provide research and support to Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The study was undertaken in anticipation of a growing need in the region to be better informed about how state assessment standards in science compare with those tested in the NAEP. The intent of this report is to inform those in the Texas Education Agency responsible for shaping the state assessment in science how the current assessment standards and test specifications compare with those of the national NAEP 2009 assessment. It is hoped that this study will be of use to policymakers and others in the state who are interested in the Texas state assessments in science. The following are appended: (1) The documents compared; (2) How the study was conducted; (3) Content alignment for grade 4; (4) Content alignment for grade 8; and (5) Content alignment for grade 12. (Contains 4 figures, 1 box, and 16 tables.) [This report was prepared for the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education by Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest, formerly known as Southwest Regional Educational Laboratory (SEDL), administered by Edvance Research, Inc.] [More] Descriptors: Science Tests, National Competency Tests, Science Education, Academic Standards
(2007). Reflections on 1972, Aztlan: A Journal of Chicano Studies. In this article, the author reflects on the events that took place in the year 1972. The author was a junior at the University of New Mexico back then, refusing to eat or buy grapes and lettuce, picketing grocers who did not carry United Farm Workers of America produce. He and his buddies cast their votes against granting Richard Nixon a second term. Nightly he prayed for a just and more peaceful world amid flickering candles to St. Jude, to St. Anthony, to the crucified Christ. His missives of supplication seemed to float into thin air without a listener or response–until, of course, the death of J. Edgar Hoover was announced in May of that year. The war in Vietnam raged on and on. At home in the United States, the war was raging just as fiercely. The peace movement and the repressive government response to it were politicizing Americans–Mexican Americans among them. In particular, the heavy-handed tactics of the Federal Bureau of Investigation were pushing many young Mexican Americans toward a greater consciousness of their own status as an oppressed and racialized minority. Despite their patriotism to the United States and heroic participation in the Vietnam War, their demand for an equal place in the American society was systematically denied. Thirty years earlier, in 1942, Mexicans in the United States were still trying to prove their American identity, despite their citizenship. More than thirty years later, in 2007, Mexicans in the United States still struggle for their rights and dispute those who would declare them felons for having crossed the border when indeed the border has long ago crossed them. [More] Descriptors: Foreign Countries, War, Patriotism, Peace
(2004). New Voices Ancient Words: Language Immersion Produces Fluent Speakers, Stronger Personal and Cultural Identities, Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education. Across Indian Country, people can hear voices speaking ancient words, in a Cochiti extended family in New Mexico, a Navajo community school on the Arizona desert, a Native Hawaiian kindergarten, a Salish/Kootenai summertime ceremony, on the North Dakota plains, and in a Blackfeet math classroom in Montana. Unlike other language instruction methods, language immersion follows the learning path an infant takes on the way to fluency in a primary language. As students study their Native language and culture, they develop stronger identities and knowledge of their individual roles in their culture and family. The language carries with it the knowledge of relationships, and the language learners acquire a sense of these connections. [More] Descriptors: Community Schools, American Indian Education, Language Fluency, Immersion Programs
(1999). Seven More Mountains and a Map: Overcoming Obstacles to Reform in Native American Schools, Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk. Explores the educational obstacles faced by Native Americans specific to their sociohistorical contexts. Seven specific obstacles and how they can be overcome through changes to structure, content, and processes are illustrated from work with Zuni students in New Mexico. Descriptors: American Indian History, American Indian Reservations, American Indians, Disadvantaged Youth
(1999). Handbook: Statewide Student Assessment System. Information for Parents, Students, Teachers, and Other School Personnel. This document provides basic information about the Statewide Student Assessment System in New Mexico. There are four components of the Statewide Student Assessment System that are guided by the State Department of Education. Each component serves a specific purpose and targets specific grade levels. The purpose of the reading assessment of grades 1 and 2 is to determine reading proficiency. Each local school district determines the methods of assessing students' progress in reading in these grades. The second component, the New Mexico Achievement Assessment Program, is administered to all students in grades 3 through 9 in the content areas of reading/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. The norm-referenced test used for this purpose is the CTBS5/TerraNova Survey Plus with a custom supplement test booklet for New Mexico. Together, these tests provide performance-level data about student progress toward the state's standards. The New Mexico Writing Assessment Program is a direct, on-demand assessment for student in grades 4 and 6. Districts have the option of using a version of this assessment for grade 8. The New Mexico High School Competency Examination is a criterion-referenced test. Passing this examination is a requirement for public high school students in New Mexico. Some information is also provided about exemptions from the testing program, test security, and using test results. [More] Descriptors: Academic Standards, Criterion Referenced Tests, Educational Testing, Elementary Secondary Education
(2000). Reconceptualizing Teacher Preparation for Inclusive Classrooms: A Description of the Dual License Program at the University of New Mexico, Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps. This article describes the Dual License Teacher Preparation Program at the University of New Mexico and the national and state context within which it was developed and continues to evolve. Graduates of the program are eligible for licensure in general education (K-8) and special education (K-12). Teacher collaboration is highlighted. (Contains references.) Descriptors: Disabilities, Educational Philosophy, Higher Education, Inclusive Schools
(2004). Walking Patterns in a Sample of African American, Native American, and Caucasian Women: The Cross-Cultural Activity Participation Study, Health Education & Behavior. This analysis describes walking patterns among African American, Native American, and Caucasian women from South Carolina and New Mexico. Walking was assessed using pedometer and physical activity (PA) record data based on 4 consecutive days on either three (Study Phase 1) or two (Study Phase 2) occasions. Participants walked 5,429 [plus or minus] 2,959 steps per day and recorded 159 [plus or minus] 59 minutes per day of total walking in the PA record. Most daily walking was accumulated during household (46%), transportation (26%), occupation (16%), and exercise-related (10%) walking. There was a modest correlation between steps per day and minutes per day. Steps per day were higher with education and household size, and lower with increasing age and body mass index. These findings have implications for developing PA surveys and for planning interventions related to walking patterns among women. [More] Descriptors: Body Composition, Physical Activities, Females, American Indians