This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Rebecca R. Martin, Sandra R. Hurley, Ruth Fletcher, Washington General Accounting Office, Anthony E. Garcia, Washington Food and Nutrition Service (USDA), Maria D. Chavez, Brenda S. Hudson, Pamela Bell Morris, and Jack T. Cole.
(1991). The Teacher as "Enabler": Heterogeneous Whole Language and Self-Esteem. A teacher who had directed a K-12 language arts program at the Alamo Navajo Reservation in Magdalena, New Mexico employed problem-solving skills that involved the affective domain as well as the sensory-motor areas important to education even in older children. This teacher's classrooms are heterogeneously grouped. A thematic approach is used across the curriculum to learn through language. Third- and sixth-grade students write across the curriculum: spelling, reading skills, math, and language arts texts are integrated to complement the social studies curriculum, for example. Reading, reflection, and revision play an important role in the writing process approach used in the classroom. Oral exercises include "raps" made with spelling words, and reading aloud utilizing "beat" techniques. Groups of students follow developmental progression, and an interactive, thematic approach to multicultural literature insures affective/cognitive development. Various research indicates that it is by hearing written language read aloud that the emergent reader-writer constructs surface structure. Group reading and writing projects should include creative parallel activities that involve motor skills. Working in small groups, students read and write with reflection, integrating concepts as they move towards a larger understanding. (Two samples of student writing are included; 25 references are attached.) [More] Descriptors: Cognitive Development, Elementary Secondary Education, Heterogeneous Grouping, Language Arts
(1993). Low Income Family Day Care Home Demonstration. Final Report. A 1-year demonstration project was conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to help remove or reduce barriers to the participation of low-income family day care homes in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). FNS funded six grantees to conduct a demonstration of three different strategies. The Ohio Hunger Task Force in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Greater Nashua Child Care Centers in Nashua, New Hampshire, conducted a strategy designed to overcome licensing barriers that prevent family day care homes from participating in CACFP. The Planning Council in Norfolk, Virginia, and the Office of Early Childhood Development in the District of Columbia focused on alleviating barriers by coordinating CACFP with state and local child care programs. The New Mexico Department of Health and Environment and the West Virginia Department of Education tested a third strategy, designed to reduce educational, language, or distance barriers to CACFP participation. All projects showed a net increase in the number of participating providers 6 months after the projects ended. (Three appendixes provide lists of demonstration project contacts, and barriers and facilitators to participation, as well as a summary of the study methodology. [More] Descriptors: Change Strategies, Demonstration Programs, Early Childhood Education, Family Day Care
(1994). Evaluation of a Current Awareness Service in an Academic Library. This paper describes the evaluation of a current awareness or selective dissemination of information (SDI) service at New Mexico State University. To provide expanded library services to faculty, a current awareness service was offered to 18 science departments in 1991. A profile for each researcher enrolled was entered into a program and was run against "Current Contents" diskettes weekly. Each week relevant citations were delivered to the faculty member who could then request the articles to be delivered. After 18 months of the service, a questionnaire was mailed to the faculty using the service. The purpose of this evaluation was to determine the level of satisfaction and to develop a method for deciding which profiles needed updating. There were 71 responses out of 98 profiles, for a response rate of 72%. It was concluded from the findings that the users were satisfied with the service; the majority of citations received were considered relevant; 35% of the users needed revision of their profiles; and few faculty members took advantage of the document delivery service. The survey instrument is included. [More] Descriptors: Academic Libraries, Access to Information, Communication (Thought Transfer), Delivery Systems
(1991). The Use of Negative Reinforcement in the Management of Television Newsrooms in the Southwestern U.S. A study highlighted the extent to which TV news directors and subordinates perceived negative reinforcement to be used to help establish working climate in their newsrooms, and examined the differences in their perceptions that working climate affects personal ability to do "best" work on the job. Twenty news directors and 40 subordinates from TV newsrooms randomly selected in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah were surveyed for their perception of negative reinforcement techniques in use, and their ability to do best work within the working climate established. Rankings to statements involving perceptions of interpersonal communication, job satisfaction, and program ratings were obtained for ancillary data, and response means and standard deviation were determined. Results indicated that news directors overwhelmingly reported use of negative reinforcement, and reported less ability to do "best work" on the job. Results also showed that subordinates reported greater perception of negative reinforcement in use, but reported better interpersonal relationships and more job security than that perceived by news directors. Students and scholars of organizational communication will welcome this useful study of employee attitudes, and further research should concentrate on confirming the existence of negative reinforcement in TV newsrooms nationally. (One hundred twenty-six references and six appendixes including survey instruments and statistics are attached.) Descriptors: Communication Research, Employee Attitudes, Employer Employee Relationship, Job Performance
(1990). School, College and University Partnership. The majority of Native American students in Arizona and New Mexico experience inferior elementary and secondary educations. They attend small rural schools with limited resources in remote locations on or near reservations. Poverty and unemployment rates are high. Northern Arizona University, the Navajo and Hopi Tribes, Northern Arizona Education Association, and the U.S. Department of Education have joined in a partnership to address these issues. The partnership supports a program to increase computer literacy and career awareness and to decrease dropout rates among rural educationally disadvantaged students. The school year component of the project features: (1) training of up to five teachers per school from seven target schools in the areas of high school retention, parent involvement, student career and personal development, and teaching of critical thinking skills; (2) on-reservation sessions to train parents to help their children academically and to deal effectively with teachers and the school district; (3) counseling and mentoring related to career and college preparation; and (4) installation of computer assisted instructional laboratories on the Navajo and Hopi reservations. The program's summer component, Nizhoni Camp, is a 5-week session at Northern Arizona University. This program introduces high school sophomores and juniors to the rigors of university life while improving specific skills identified as conducive to success in college. Nizhoni Camp's courses and workshops are described. Descriptors: American Indian Education, Career Guidance, College Preparation, College School Cooperation
(1994). Libraries and the Changing Face of Academia. Responses to Growing Multicultural Populations. The impact of a changing college-student population on educational programs and services is being felt throughout American higher-education circles. This book provides an overview for librarians and educators of multicultural issues in higher education and existing library programs that is related to multicultural and international students. The book consists of three parts. Part 1 examines related research and program development in the political and institutional context of cultural diversity in higher education, in the associated experience with international students in academic libraries, and in the practical literature on library services for multicultural populations. Part 2 explores the responses to multicultural student needs by libraries at three public universities in different parts of the United States. In-depth case studies are presented for library programs at the University of California, Santa Cruz; the University of New Mexico; and the University at Albany, State University of New York. Part 3 provides an analysis of the program approaches used at the case-study sites and considers libraries as public organizations as it draws from the organizational-responsiveness literature. Advantages and disadvantages of these programs are identified. An appendix provides information offered by the universities about their library services and resources. Contains 135 references and an index. Descriptors: Case Studies, College Students, Cultural Pluralism, Foreign Students
(1995). Charter Schools: A Growing and Diverse National Reform Movement. Statement of Linda G. Morra, Director, Health, Education, and Human Services Division. Testimony before the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations, U.S. Senate. This testimony on charter schools is based on a report prepared at the request of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and related agencies by the General Accounting Office. Remarks focus on charter schools' instructional innovations, autonomy, accountability systems, and the challenges they pose for federal programs. Unlike traditional public schools, charter schools operate under charters or contracts with school districts, state education agencies, or other public institutions. The 134 charter schools approved thus far in the in nine states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Wisconsin, have been developed by teachers, school administrators, parents, and private corporations. To date, 11 states have charter-school laws and another 14 may consider such laws in 1995. It is concluded that charter schools offer a new model for public schools that can be freer than traditional schools to use diverse and innovative approaches to education. The autonomy of charter schools poses challenges for holding them accountable for student performance. Accountability depends in part on how well student performance is assessed and reported. A final issue is whether charter schools can be treated as local education agencies (LEAs) for the purpose of receiving federal funds. The Secretary of Education has said that the Department of Education intends to encourage states to develop legal arrangements that best support state and local purposes and will work with states to address issues raised by the General Accounting Office on a case-by-case basis. [More] Descriptors: Accountability, Contracts, Educational Innovation, Elementary Secondary Education
(1991). Risk Factors and the Process of Empowerment. Bernard van Leer Foundation Studies and Evaluation Papers 1. In 1985, the Early Childhood and Family Education Program (ECFEP) established a preschool in a Hispanic neighborhood in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This paper discusses the risks for families in this community, and the ways in which these risks can be countered by an empowerment process model. The operation of the preschool is intended to empower parents. At the beginning of the school year, parents are timid at meetings with staff; but by the end of the year, parents are developing their own agendas and initiating their own tasks. The ECFEP has been able to facilitate this empowerment process because it has been concerned with the strengths of families and individuals, and guided by the respectful intervention process as described by Father Pantin in this document. As parents become empowered in the process of operating their preschool, they pass successively through several steps; they become observers, learners, collaborators, teachers, leaders, and finally, change agents. Members of the staff evolve from change agents to observers. The research literature on risk factors is reviewed, and risk assessment models are discussed. These models include an additive model and a model of accretion of risks over time. The process of empowerment is illustrated by three case studies. [More] Descriptors: At Risk Persons, Hispanic Americans, Intervention, Parent Participation
(1985). Strong Tribal Identity Can Protect Native American Youth. How Can We Help?. Research suggests that Indian youth who identify strongly with a specific tribal culture or with family members who maintain traditional Indian values are much less likely to be at risk for alcohol and drug abuse. This booklet describes four tribal programs that seek to increase the tribal identity of adolescents. Each of these programs emphasizes a sense of belonging among participants and sponsors activities that are drug and alcohol-free. On the Wind River Reservation (Wyoming), Shoshone and Arapahoe teenagers have built a living history village. Youth who have learned their tribal traditions dress in traditional clothing and operate the village as a tourist attraction. At Fort Peck Reservation (Montana), Assiniboine and Sioux youth give away star quilts made by their families during traditional ceremonies. Both giving and receiving a quilt are great honors. In San Juan Pueblo (New Mexico), several adults teach young people traditional dances, drumming, composing, language skills, and costume and moccasin making. The community dance group has performed internationally, and former dancers have become community leaders and new role models for youth. For two years the Gila River Indian Community (Arizona), with support from United National Indian Tribal Youth, has operated the Akimel O'Odham/Pee-Posh Tribal Youth Council. This 14-member youth council is a replica of the tribe's governing body and has the responsibility of advising tribal officials. [More] Descriptors: Adolescents, American Indian Culture, Community Programs, Identification (Psychology)
(1994). Learning To Read in a Violent Society–It's Not Natural or Easy!. A study investigated the nature of reading difficulties from the perspective of sixth graders in a low-income school district on the border of New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico. R. C. Bogdan and S. K. Biklin (1992) describe this style of research as an attempt to gain entry into the conceptual world of subjects to understand what meaning they construct around events in their lives. Participants were five Chapter 1 students. Three 50-minute interviews using a modified version of I. E. Seidman's (1991) model were conducted with each participant. The first interview centered on how the student became a low achieving reader; the second centered on current experiences; and the third centered on what the experiences meant to the student. In addition, students were observed for at least three class periods. Observations were done during regular reading class, compensatory reading class, and a content area class like social studies. Transcripts from the interviews with two of the students in particular point to a relationship between violence in the home and poor performance in school. The students themselves make this connection; it is also supported by the research of C. C. Bell and E. J. Jenkins (1991). There is sufficient evidence in this study, together with that of other studies, to suggest that further research must be done to flesh out what educators know about the relationship between exposure to violence in early grades and difficulties with literacy acquisition and achievement. (Contains 33 references.) [More] Descriptors: Case Studies, Disadvantaged Youth, Elementary Education, Ethnography
(1992). A Student Outcomes Model for Community Colleges–Measuring Institutional Effectiveness. In 1986, Santa Fe Community College (SFCC), in New Mexico, developed the Student Outcomes Model (SOM), an approach to student outcomes assessment which focuses on institutional mission, the college's diverse clientele, and the varied enrollment goals of its students. Through a series of ongoing outcomes studies, the SOM seeks to: identify what the college should be teaching, measure the extent to which the college is actually doing so, and collect information to help the college better fulfill its mission. The SOM is viewed as an internally valued activity, rather than an externally imposed process. To maintain consistent faculty and staff support, the data collected are incorporated into faculty performance evaluations. Student outcomes studies at SFCC seek to identify what students have learned, the applicability of the learning to their stated goals at the time of enrollment (e.g., success in transfer, success in job placement, employer satisfaction, etc.), and the students' assessment of the learning experience. Responsibility for conducting the outcomes studies rests with the departments, although research methods and tools are standardized by a special advisory committee. Outcomes assessments conducted by the college include studies examining the correlation between final exams and acquired competencies; licensure exams success rates studies; student opinion surveys; graduate and employer follow-up studies; college transfer rate studies; course success and completion rate studies; and semester withdrawal studies. Information is presented on the content of specific studies; sources of existing data; the relationship between outcomes areas and college mission; and the research methodology. [More] Descriptors: College Outcomes Assessment, Community Colleges, Educational Mobility, Followup Studies
(1993). Building Community & Changing Systems, Family Resource Coalition Report. This newsletter issue focuses on the twin themes that, together, represent the ways that programs to strengthen families also contribute to a better society. The newsletter includes the following articles: (1) "Family Center Planning Project: Family Support, Public Policy, and Community Development"; (2) "Pulling It All Together for Families: School-Linked Services under One Roof"; (3) "Creating Family Support Programs: Mobilizing Communities in Tucson"; (4) "On Families, Foster Care, and the Prawning Industry," arguing that child protection decisions should be made by families with assistance rather than intervention from child welfare authorities; (5) "Planting Seeds of Change by Training Frontline Workers: FRC's Experience with the JOBS Program"; (6) "New Mexico's Family Development Program and The Crucial Three Steps to Parent Involvement"; and (7) "Please Be Brilliant! An Alternative Way To View Staff Development and Your Organization." In addition, the newsletter includes an article describing the coordinated efforts of the National Coalition to Prevent Child Abuse, and a guide for family support professionals on the use of current telecommunications technology. [More] Descriptors: Agency Cooperation, Change Strategies, Child Abuse, Child Welfare
(1994). Don't Kill the Messenger! Conducting Program Evaluation and Facilitating Change through Negotiated Evaluation. This report describes a negotiated evaluation model used to examine the effectiveness of 10 regional center cooperatives (RCCs) that assist small rural New Mexico school districts in implementing provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The 9-month evaluation aimed to determine the scope of existing RCC services, the distribution of funding to member school districts, and the feasibility of RCCs assuming fiscal responsibility for program implementation. Evaluation consisted of 12 steps involving extensive consultation and negotiation with program stakeholders, including representatives from school districts, state agencies, school boards, parent organizations, and other groups who would be affected by study outcomes. The development phase of the evaluation included organization of available data, identification of major stakeholders, and input from stakeholders in the development and refinement of survey and interview instruments. The implementation phase involved visiting RCC sites to gather additional data, conduct interviews, and compile and analyze data. The last phase involved formulating options and recommendations and giving stakeholders the opportunity to disagree with interpretation of the findings and to modify recommendations. The negotiated evaluation model promoted educational change by involving stakeholders in the evaluation process and formulation of recommendations. This model is easily replicable and can be adapted to evaluations of programs serving various student populations. Contains a figure outlining the evaluation process. [More] Descriptors: Change Strategies, Cooperatives, Educational Change, Elementary Secondary Education
(1990). The Rural Southwest in the Year 2002: Implications for Educational Policy. As part of a 3-year school improvement project, the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory conducted statewide issues forums in five states to examine the conditions and needs of rural and small schools. Pre-forum teleconferences were held with advisors in each state to generate prioritized lists of rural educational issues. Advisors gave the highest priority to the following issues: Arkansas, identifying and publicizing strengths of rural schools; Louisiana, developing leadership for parent involvement programs; Oklahoma, middle schools issues; New Mexico, increasing attention to and resources for rural small schools; Texas, impact of educational leadership on policy and economic decisions. Issues forums were attended by legislators; state officials; and representatives of educational agencies and organizations, businesses, and institutions of higher education. Participants were assigned by role to groups and used the nominal group technique to identify priorities for rural education and develop an action plan to address each top priority. Although teleconference issues were related to priorities identified by forum participants, none was among the overall top five priorities identified. Such differences in outcomes supports the idea of expanding the interest groups involved in educational policy and decision making. The top priority for the region and for two states was securing adequate funding for rural education. The next four regional priorities were a well balanced, relevant, community-related curriculum; economic development; community support and involvement; and public recognition of economic trends and the role of education. [More] Descriptors: Educational Needs, Educational Planning, Elementary Secondary Education, Needs Assessment
(1990). Educational Placements for Graduates of Preschool Programs for Students with Developmental Disabilities: A Rural-Urban Comparison. This paper examines the first educational placement and current placement for 1068 New Mexico students who graduated from special education preschool programs, 1987-1989. All subjects met eligibility criteria for the developmentally disabled and were divided evenly between rural and urban districts. With regard to initial placements, 9% of subjects graduated to regular classroom settings, 40% graduated to regular education with some support, and 51% graduated to self-contained special education classrooms. For current placements, 11% were in regular classrooms with no support, 35% were in regular classrooms with some support, and 54% were in self-contained special education classrooms. Stability of initial placement was 84%. These results are similar to those of a 1988 Washington study. Comparison of initial placements in rural and urban districts found that 43% of rural students graduated to regular classrooms with some support, compared to 32% of urban students, while 36% of rural students graduated to self-contained special education classrooms, compared to 59% of urban students. One percent of urban students and 11% of rural students graduated to unspecified ("other") placements. This paper contains seven data tables and three figures. Descriptors: Developmental Disabilities, Early Childhood Education, Mainstreaming, Rural Urban Differences