School leaders, educators, and community members are keenly aware that New Mexico has consistently ranked last in the nation in education, childhood poverty rate, and access to appropriate individualized educational support for children (Bobroff, 2019; Martinez, 2021; Rodriguez, 2019; Sanchez & Martinez, 2019). Now is the time to address the…

Industry certification and apprenticeship programs are vital in closing the labor shortage gap while improving graduation rates nationwide. New Mexico has trailed behind the rest of the nation in rebalancing the emphasis on skilled trades, particularly in rural schools. This phenomenological study interviewed ten Career and Technical Education…

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted education systems worldwide, exacerbating longstanding educational disparities, particularly concerning technology access and utilization. This qualitative study explores amplified technology inequities in rural New Mexico education, capturing students' experiences through the lens of teachers. Using a…

Principals of low-performing schools in northern New Mexico lack adequate professional development to improve student outcomes. Exploration of experiences in the professional development program, Principals Pursuing Excellence, studied the lived phenomena of 12 rural northeastern turnaround school leaders through the conceptual framework of…

The digital divide and digital equity have long been a concern for educators, and public schools. In 2020 when the COVID-19 global pandemic swept across the country, public schools closed for in person classes and moved to a new paradigm of online only classes, issues of digital equity and the digital divide became a critical focus for families…

As low-income, first-year, rural community college students struggle to find their place and space at their institutions to achieve socio-academic integration, current research fails to fully examine the hardships that are placed on this population of students or how they navigate these environments for ultimate success. This study examined how…

The six-year university graduation rate for minority, first-generation, and low-income students is significantly lower than it is for non-minority students, students whose parents went to college, and students from high-income families. The problem addressed in this study was small private, faith-based institutions do not have a viable model for…

The purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to contribute empirical research findings concerning the relationship of non-cognitive coaching interventions on at-risk student persistence at a rural public community college located in northwest New Mexico. The sample population included 210 undergraduate at-risk students who an alert was…

The purpose of this paper was to examine K-12 teachers' classroom experiences with standardized testing in rural New Mexico schools. Standardized tests have significantly changed the landscape of education with the use of students' test scores as a determining factor for advancement or failure for teachers (Simpson, Lacava, & Graner, 2013).…

Teachers in rural Native American Pueblo schools in New Mexico lack professional development opportunities due to the long distances between the Pueblos and academic institutions. Previously, most schools received "hit and run" professional development sessions conducted once or twice a year that did not address the real issues faced by…

Much has been written regarding the dire educational state of most schools in rural America. This case study profiles two elementary school principals (preK-6) in rural New Mexico whose schools achieved adequate yearly progress (AYP) for the 2009-10 school year. The focus of this study centered on specific characteristics of the school cultures…

The present study was designed to examine factors that led to the academic success of two rural secondary schools in New Mexico. The primary focus was on the characteristics and behaviors of leaders in two high-achieving rural schools and how these factors might have contributed to achievement of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in school year…

Research studies have demonstrated that effective parental involvement correlates with positive academic success. This study sought to gain more insight into the perceptions of parents and caregivers of Navajo children enrolled in a K-12 tribally controlled, public, charter, or Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) operated schools. By completing a…

As a nation, we should be committed to providing quality education to all of our students. However, only five percent of over 450 schools in New Mexico with a large ELL population met the AMAOs during the 2007-2008, and 2008-2009 school years (Title III AMAO Results, 2007-2008, and 2008-2009). The AMAOs are: 1) Making Progress in English, 2)…