This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Albert S. Gomez, Karla Sampson, Donald J. Annalora, Scott Nutter, Jerry C. Cavatta, Clyde Eastman, Virginia Bodner, James M. Horton, Ernest J. Gerlach, and Calvin W. DeWitt.
(1984). New Mexico Dropout Study: 1983-1984 School Year. Each public school that had students enrolled in grades 9-12 was surveyed to gather data on the extent and nature of the school dropout problem in New Mexico during the 1983-84 school year. Data on grade, sex, ethnicity, and reason for dropping out were collected. Information was obtained from all 88 public school districts and from 99% of the schools surveyed. Data indicated that 5,868 ninth- through twelfth-grade students dropped out of school, resulting in a dropout rate of 7.3%, up slightly from the 1982-83 7.2% level. This represents an interruption of a downward trend in the dropout rate. The highest dropout rate for both male and female students occurred at grade 11 and the lowest at grade 9. Males tended to drop out of school proportionally more than females at all grade levels. Native American students (12.3%) and Hispanic students (7.9%) had the highest dropout rates. Only Native American students experienced their highest dropout rate at grade 9. The highest portion (39.1%) dropped out for reasons related to "motivation or interest", while 17.6% cited "home and related" reasons. The remaining 15.0%, 11.2%, 9.9%, and 7.2% dropped out for reasons related to "other,""reenrollment,""discipline," and "pregnancy or marriage" respectively. Descriptors: American Indians, Black Students, Dropout Characteristics, Dropout Rate
(1973). Final Report of Outcome of Southeastern New Mexico Bilingual Program. The Southeastern New Mexico Bilingual Program's final report analyzed performance objectives to determine the outcome of the goals set for academic growth in the standard curriculum, as well as in the English and Spanish language arts, and growth in social development of students. The random sample consisted of 20 third and fourth graders from the standard program and 20 bilingual third and fourth graders. Groups were matched by chronological and mental age, IQ, family income, family situation (both parents, only father, or only mother), number of children in family, parents' education and occupation, and home language. The evaluation instruments were the California Test of Basic Skills, the Self-Image Test, the Spanish Language Arts Criterion Reference Test, the Otis-Lennon Mental Ability, and the Metropolitan Achievement Test. The findings showed: (1) Spanish speaking students profit richly from a systematic study of their first language and (2) non-dominant Spanish children attain a second language facility in Spanish when taught through systematic language arts curricula. Notations of staff development, acquisition of materials, parent/community involvement, and management are also given. [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Comparative Analysis, Elementary Education, Grade 3
(1997). New Mexico Arts Content Standards and Benchmarks, 1997. This guide to the New Mexico arts content standards and benchmarks provides a coherent structure to guide curriculum, instruction, and assessment. When developing these content standards and benchmarks for the arts, the writing committees considered and appreciated the importance of the arts to education. Some of the ideas and beliefs in the guide are that the arts, like science, are about discovery and invention; the arts, like mathematics, are about systematic divisions of time and space; the arts, like language studies, are about creativity, communication, and interpretation; and the arts, like sports, are about pushing to the limit for a singular achievement and working cooperatively to accomplish a goal. In this guide, the eight standards represent the four arts disciplines: (1) visual art, (2) dance, (3) theater/drama, and (4) music. Arts content standards and benchmarks in the guide are based on three unifying concepts: (1) learning in the visual and performing arts is grounded in production and performance; (2) learning in, about, and through the visual and performing arts develops imaginative, critical, and reflective thinking, as well as problem-solving skills; and (3) learning in, about, and through the visual and performing arts incorporates an understanding of cultural and historical contexts. The guide lists benchmarks under groupings for grades K-4, grades 5-8, and grades 9-12. [More] Descriptors: Academic Standards, Art Education, Benchmarking, Dance
(1981). New Mexico School District Profile, 1979-80 School Year. Representing a broad cross section of data bearing on the operation and performance of public schools in New Mexico during the school year 1979-80, the document presents data on school district characteristics, teacher characteristics, pupil characteristics, school finance, high school graduates, American College Testing (ACT) results, and results of standardized testing programs for each school district. An overview of district characteristics is presented in section 1 which includes: the 40-Day Average Daily Membership (ADM) in school districts ranged from 62 to 78,532 students; 46 districts offered bilingual education programs; statewide average in special education was 3.3%; pupil-teacher ratio ranged from a low of 8.1 to a high of 21.0%; average years of teacher experience was 10.5 years; Anglos constituted 73%, Hispanics 24%, and Native Americans 1% of the teacher population. Student characteristics included Anglo students comprised 47%, Hispanics 41% and Native Americans 8%; high school drop-out rate was 9.2%; expenditures per pupil averaged $1,556; 18,334 students graduated; and 47% planned to continue their education beyond high school. Section 2 consists of tables and section 3 contains graphic presentations of data by school district with statewide values displayed. Descriptors: American Indians, Anglo Americans, Educational Assessment, Elementary Secondary Education
(1997). Best Case Practices of Technology at Eastern New Mexico University. This paper presents examples of best case practices of technology use in classes at Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU). The examples include successful and not-so-successful applications, with insights on the overall process of incorporating technology into the classroom. The paper focuses on the authors' experience in languages, business, and science. The pedagogical and epistemological impact that technology has made in courses in these areas is discussed. Topics covered include: (1) an overview of ENMU's approach to utilizing technology; (2) computer facilities and services currently available on campus; (3) current challenges, including the fact that merely providing faculty with technology and know-how does not necessarily lead to the incorporation of technology in the classroom throughout campus, and the need for dissemination of examples of appropriate uses of technology; (4) examples and experiences, including approaches to technology utilization that exemplify a wide variety of strategies; (5) extending technology used in Modern Languages to other fields, including special language-learning software, pronunciation programs, World Wide Web-based assignments, videos, presentation software, and incorporating meaningful graphic images into classroom presentations and assignments; (6) business school applications and experience, including presentation graphics and interactive television (ITV); (7) simulations in science; and (8) ITV in distance education. [More] Descriptors: Appropriate Technology, Business Administration Education, Computer Simulation, Computer Uses in Education
(1999). Lessons from the Mud: Nurturing an Outdoor Classroom in New Mexico, Orion Afield: Working for Nature and Community. A muddy area between two new elementary schools was transformed into a school "wetlands"–an outdoor learning center used for nature study and various creative and sensory activities. The area encourages children's natural curiosity, provides many discoveries about nature, and promotes a sense of stewardship. Descriptors: Discovery Learning, Elementary Education, Environmental Education, Outdoor Education
(1977). Indian Employment in New Mexico State Government: 1977. To update a 1974 report on the status of American Indian employment in the state of New Mexico, a 1977 study on the composition of the state's work force was undertaken, including descriptions of the overall distribution of state employment by job category, grade, and salary level. Despite progress, it was found that: (1) Indians still constituted only about 2% of the state's merit system work force; (2) Indian employees continued to be concentrated in a few agencies, with 60% working for the Employment Security Commission, Health and Social Services, and the Highway Department; (3) few Indians were employed even in areas where large proportions of Indians resided; (4) American Indians continued to be concentrated in low skill, low pay jobs with little upward mobility (almost 40% of all Indian employees were classified as paraprofessionals or in service/maintenance); (5) improvements notwithstanding, a disproportionate number of Indian employees remained concentrated in lower salary levels and in lowest grade levels (more than 72% of Indian employees were between grade levels 01 and 10 compared to almost 55% of entire work force, and only 9% were at or above level 15 compared to more than 20% of total employees). The report contains numerous statistical comparisons broken down by race/ethnicity and sex. [More] Descriptors: Affirmative Action, American Indians, Black Employment, Employed Women
(1982). Phase II: Final Report. Northern New Mexico Energy Education Project. Objectives of the Northern New Mexico Energy Education Project were to: (1) improve teachers' knowledge of energy-related subject matter and energy-related educational materials; (2) develop continuing communication and cooperation between elementary and junior high staffs and the university on energy-related matters; and (3) provide follow-up technical assistance to classroom teachers to prepare students for roles as citizens and consumers and to provide information on careers in energy-related fields. Included in this document are individual reports from teachers who participated in the project. Reports, related to the project's third objective, are grouped by the following areas: primary; intermediate; secondary home economics; secondary industrial arts; secondary mathematics; secondary science; and secondary social studies. Presented in the reports are energy-related activities, lessons, units, programs, information, and comments on the impact of the project on students. General areas addressed include energy sources, alternative energy sources, energy conservation, solar collectors/houses, fuels, utilities, and others addressing the needs of students in or subject matter focus of the areas previously indicated. For example, the construction of a solar food dryer by industrial arts students is described. Descriptors: Alternative Energy Sources, Career Awareness, Conservation Education, Educational Games
(1977). Youth in Northern Taos County, New Mexico: No One Cares. An impressionistic, interpretative analysis of information from direct observation, known informants, and interviews provides a picture of the life situation of Spanish American youth living in rural Taos County, New Mexico. Northern Taos County has experienced dramatic social change over the last several decades, altering the traditional, folk-type, village-centered society. The majority live better physically and economically than they did before; more are affluent and better educated. Still, forces producing these benefits have also gutted the villages of their cohesive structures, reducing them to relatively atomized clusters of kin groups interspersed with increasing numbers of Anglo strangers. The life situation of youth has changed dramatically as well. The young people are oriented predominantly toward informal peer associations of extremely limited local and ethnic nature. Major ties to larger social systems are through television and school classes. They hold liberal attitudes toward sexual activity and begin using alcohol and "pot" at a relatively early age. They neither attend church regularly nor consider themselves particularly religious. While they like their communities, all want to leave, at least temporarily, when they finish school. They are uncertain about their futures and tend to think nobody cares about them, their needs and aspirations. Descriptors: Community Study, Culture Conflict, Ethnic Relations, Family Influence
(1973). A Socioeconomic Analysis of Labor Mobility, North-Central New Mexico. New Mexico Agricultural Experiment Station Research Report 258. The study identified the social and economic factors affecting present commuting behavior and the willingness to commute and to relocate of the residents in north-central New Mexico. Central hypothesis was that Spanish Americans were less mobile than Anglo Americans in this region. Data were collected in a personal interview survey of 800 households in the 7-county region. Every city and most rural villages were cluster-sampled to reflect the rural-urban, sex, and occupational makeup of the region's population. Willingness to commute and to relocate were measured by specially constructed bidding games. Analyses were restricted to data from 643 completed questionnaires. Analysis included 2 phases: (1) a cross-classification analysis of mean scores by ethnic group and other socioeconomic variables and (2) a stepwise multiple regression analysis of socioeconomic characteristics and the 2 dependent variables–willingness to commute and to relocate. Some findings were: (1) Spanish Americans were more willing to commute but less willing to relocate than were Anglo Americans; (2) young household heads were more willing to commute than the older ones; (3) commuters tended to be younger, Spanish American, and male with lower occupational status, lower educational levels, and larger families (more dependents); and (4) Anglo Americans with 0-6 years of education indicated the greatest willingness to relocate. [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Age, Anglo Americans, Comparative Analysis
(1981). New Mexico Standardized Testing Program Report, 1980-81. New Mexico school districts participated in the 1980-81 Statewide Testing Program at grades 5, 8, and 11, to measure achievement in basic skills using the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills. Longitudinal comparisons by years (1979, 1980, and 1981) and grade level, and item analyses assessing students' performance in meeting instructional objectives and content are shown in reading, language, mathematics, reference skills, science, and social studies. The test results indicate national percentile ranks, the percentage of students who scored above the 50th percentile, and a distribution of the percentage of students who scored within each of four national quartiles. In comparison with 1980 and 1979, fifth and eighth grade students' national percentile ranks (NPR) improved or stabilized in all test areas. Eleventh grade NPR's stabilized in all areas over the 3-year period. The appendices contain statewide summary data for comparison with local school district item analysis data, sample work graphs to analyze performance, and a description of the optional Short Form Test of Academic Aptitude. Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Achievement Tests, Basic Skills, Elementary Secondary Education
(1982). Effects of Declining Enrollments: A New Mexico Study. Because 66 of New Mexico's 89 public school districts experienced declines in 1981-82 enrollments and most were unable to decrease educational costs at the same rate as their decline in enrollment, the legislature requested a study on effects of declining enrollment and possible adjustments to the school distribution funding formula to cushion adverse outcomes. Current literature, interviews, and data compiled by the public school finance division over a 5-year period (1975-76 to 1980-81) provide comparisons and demonstrate trends. Statewide forecasts indicate that declines will begin abating within 3 to 4 years, but there will continue to be school districts experiencing major unpredicted decreases in population which cannot be easily addressed within the current formula for distribution of state funds. Although the degree of negative impact from declining enrollments varies, reports of educational deterioration in some districts must be of paramount concern to planners and decision-makers. To adequately address declining enrollment problems, increased leadership and assistance from agencies and institutions throughout the state are needed. Among the recommendations are: greater flexibility in determination of standards for teacher certification, especially in the area of multiple certification, and expansion of course offerings in remote areas and incentives for nontraditional delivery systems. [More] Descriptors: Comparative Analysis, Cooperation, Costs, Curriculum Problems
(1984). Variables Affecting Academic Achievement in New Mexico Schools. To determine if a relationship can be found between school size and academic achievement, a study examined correlations for 566 New Mexico public schools (grades 5, 8, and 11) from 1978 to 1981. The measure of academic achievement used was the schools' average "total scale score" on the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills. The two questions to be answered were whether there is a relationship between school enrollment size and student achievement, and whether there is such a relationship when correlations have been made for certain other predictors of achievement. Examining the 12 multiple regression model results (3 grades times 4 years) indicated that in 11 cases, school enrollment size was not significantly related to academic achievement. The study concluded that school enrollment size was not related to academic achievement, and that percentage of students eligible for Title I and percentage of Native American and Spanish American students appeared to be significantly related to academic achievement. Recommendations were that since academic achievement seems unrelated to school size, other factors should be considered when school consolidation is contemplated, and since academic achievement appears highly related to socioeconomic and cultural/ethnic factors, these two areas should be considered when developing new programs. Descriptors: Academic Achievement, American Indians, Comparative Analysis, Consolidated Schools
(1974). Student Dropout Study of Ft. Wingate [New Mexico] High School, BIA Education Research Bulletin. The report examined the American Indian dropout rate for the fall semester, 1973-74, at Ft. Wingate High School (FWHS) in Gallup, New Mexico. For that period, the FWHS dropout rate was 26 percent, compared to a national average of about 25 percent (FWHS) statistics are for one semester; national statistics are for an entire year). Dropouts were defined as students who had enrolled in the Federal boarding school and later withdrew without completing a full year. Reasons for leaving were: (1) illness, (2) transferred to another school, (3) did not return from home leave, and (4) some kind of trouble. A questionnaire was developed and sent out to each of the identified dropouts, with a 35.4 percent return rate. Section A asked reasons for withdrawal, covering health; absence; parental influence; dorm conditions; and trouble with police, other students, or at home. The major reasons for dropping out were: (1) sent home for drinking or AWOL (17.2 percent); (2) stealing in dorms (16.6 percent); and (3) missed too many days. Things the respondents liked most about FWHS were counselors (92.7 percent), teachers (91.2 percent), and activities (90.6 percent). Things disliked most were other students (30.9 percent) and dorm staff (28.8 percent). Activities and classes were felt to be the best things about Wingate High School; drinking and stealing in the dorms were the worst. [More] Descriptors: American Indians, Attendance, Boarding Schools, Delinquency Causes
(1976). Use and Adequacy of Health-Care Services in New Mexico. New Mexico Agricultural Experiment Station, Research Report 320. Patterns of health care use in New Mexico were examined to determine whether income, education, occupation, or other socioeconomic characteristics were associated with use of the service. Adequacy of services were assessed relative to the State's immediate neighbors and the United States from the perspectives of structure, process, and outcomes. Personal interviews were conducted with 599 rural and urban households in 12 southern counties in 1972 and with 688 households in 20 northern counties in 1974. Secondary data sources were used to assess adequacy of services. Some findings were: variation in household use of health care services was not consistently related to ethnicity, education, occupation, income, or age; rural people rated travel time and distance as their biggest difficulty; most respondents were reasonably well satisfied with both the quality and accessibility of health care services; the ratio of persons per doctor was about 20% higher than the national ratio and the ratio of hospital beds per 1,000 population was about 20% lower; general practitioners received the most visits and emergency services the fewest; and more Spanish Americans used home remedies and were more inclined to gather their own while Anglos looked to commercial sources. [More] Descriptors: Expenditures, Folk Culture, Health Facilities, Health Needs