This proceedings contains 11 papers that focus on issues and problems of rural communities in the Southwest. Papers include: (1) "Dilemmas of a New Age: A Half-Millennium of Landscape Change in New Mexico and the Southwest," by Paul F. Starrs; (2) "American Indians Today," by C. Matthew Snipp; (3) "The Southwest: Global…

The state of New Mexico has a generalist special education licensure that allows anyone with a special education degree to teach any child in special education regardless of disability. Although this works well to supply the demand for special education teachers in rural areas, it may not meet the unique needs of children who are deaf or hard of…

The University of New Mexico provided extracurricular activities in space science education to predominantly Hispanic middle-school students participating in New Mexico MESA (Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement). After exposure to the space science program, students displayed significantly more positive attitudes toward science and…

This document comprises a report on the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) of Hispanic Americans residing in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. A total of 2,400 people (600 per state) were interviewed by telephone between December 1988 and January 1989. The following sample characteristics are…

Investigated the antecedents of individual-level ethnic identity among 67 part-Japanese American students in Hawaii and 104 part-Hispanic students in New Mexico. Seventy-three percent of the part-Japanese students and 44 percent of the part-Hispanic students listed multiple identity on at least one measure of ethnic identity, suggesting that…

In Astronomy 101 at the University of New Mexico, we carried out a repeated-items experiment on quizzes and tests to investigate the impact of cooperative testing. This trial was the only change in a reformed course format that had been refined over previous semesters. Our research questions were: (1) Did cooperative quizzes result in gains for…

This booklet was designed in conjunction with a Festival of American Folklife focusing on New Mexico, but can be used when teaching lessons on the culture of New Mexico. It introduces young children to activities adapting Santa Clara Pueblo pottery designs, adobe model making, Rio Grande blanket designs, tinwork picture frames, and ramilletes de…

This paper provides an overview of dropout rates in New Mexico and reports the perceptions of Hispanic and Native American students on dropout-related issues. New Mexico has the third highest dropout rate in the nation. Over 7,500 students in New Mexico drop out each year, and many schools lose 30-50 percent of their students. Dropout rates are…

Risk factors associated with teenage pregnancy were studied among 95 Hispanic, Native American, and White ninth-grade females at a rural New Mexico high school. All respondents, regardless of ethnicity, reported moderate levels of health-compromising behaviors such as alcohol use, poor communication with parents regarding sex, and a false sense of…

This year the Center on Education Policy (CEP) analyzed data on the achievement of different groups of students in two distinct ways. First, it looked at grade 4 test results to determine whether the performance of various groups improved at three achievement levels--basic and above, proficient and above, and advanced. Second, it looked at gaps…

This study investigated the Spanish language proficiency of Hispanic students in bilingual education programs in north central New Mexico to determine the relative importance of a bilingual pedagogical approach in the development and retention of the minority language. Students from grades 1-8 (n=105) were subjects. Measures included a Spanish…

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…

Spurred by federal and state mandates for improved performance, school districts across the country have become adept at establishing districtwide goals to raise student achievement. They have identified learning gaps among various student populations and now seek to close them. They have targeted improved performance in reading or math by grade…

A rural New Mexico project identifies gifted Hispanic and Native American children in the visual arts. Committees of parents, teachers, artists, and administrators use identification procedures sensitive to cultural, linguistic, and ethnic differences and community ethnic identity. Program elements include culturally relevant differentiated…

The development of an inventory of Mexican immigrant students' reading preferences is described. A study involving 405 Mexican immigrant students in grades 6-9 in southern New Mexico examined various influences on reading preferences. Results indicate that although preferences differed by gender, grade level, and U.S. residence, titles reflecting…