While research has generated abundant insight into effective professional learning methods, the field continues to suffer from a lack of systemic approaches. In response, a group of national professional learning leaders recently developed a framework that links proven professional learning methods to the strategic priorities of higher education…

Many professionals in the early childhood field are inspired by community-driven initiatives that hold great promise for transforming outcomes for the youngest children and their families. However, most collective impact efforts are mobilized in large urban areas, where early childhood professionals and civic leaders take the lead. New Mexico has…

In 2009, the Coalition for Community Schools at the Institute for Educational Leadership (CCS-IEL) embarked on an ambitious action research and development project, leveraging the community school system infrastructure present in three geographic regions (Tulsa, Oklahoma; Multnomah County, Oregon; Albuquerque, New Mexico) to advance research and…

Superintendents and principals can have a positive and decisive impact on student achievement and higher graduation rates. Their essential leadership can illuminate the path to excellence for faculty and students. In upgrading curriculum and instruction, school leaders need to keep abreast of practices proven effective in other districts and…

The literature addressing how family and community involvement impacts a culture of college and career readiness suggests there is a positive association for certain types of involvement. Providing support and encouragement, as well as assisting with planning, increases the probability of attending and graduating from college. Key points include:…

The 8 Western States of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming in 1966 initiated a joint 3-year project entitled "Designing Education for the Future," organized for the purpose of planning on a 10 to 15 year projected basis for all aspects of education for which state education agencies are responsible…

This report describes the major approaches to participatory planning used by seven states in responding to the requirement for a three-year Adult Education State Plan of the 1978 Amendments to the Adult Education Act. (Information was collected during two visits per state to California, Delaware, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and New…

Accountability for student learning is the key focus of New Mexico's system of school improvement. The Public Education Department's commitment to continuous improvement is evident in the steps taken to refine the 2007-2008 School Improvement Framework to reflect No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements. The School Improvement Framework was…

Describes the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Native American Access to Technology Program (NAATP) and explains how programs were developed in New Mexico tribal libraries. Topics include empowering Native communities through access to digital information resources; the grant process; on-site training; and the importance of collaboration with…

This report focuses on the areas of difficulty encountered by states in developing their three-year Adult Education State Plan required by the Adult Education legislation of 1978. It highlights those areas when technical assistance from the United States Office of Education is warranted. Findings and recommendations are based on the Division of…

Many sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students in this nation are intelligent and talented, but are nevertheless performing at unacceptably low levels. Many middle-school initiatives do not address the need for comprehensive change in the policy and practices of district and state educational systems, nor do they address the content, quality,…

THE BULK OF THIS EVALUATION REPORT OF NEW MEXICO'S TITLE I PROJECTS IS A SERIES OF APPENDIXES. HOWEVER ONE SECTION OF TEXT OUTLINES THE ORGANIZATION OF THE PROJECTS (BUDGET, PERSONNEL, ETC.) AND ANOTHER THEIR ADMINISTRATION AT THE STATE LEVEL (CRITERIA FOR PROJECT APPROVAL, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CONSULTATIVE SERVICES, FISCAL MANAGEMENT, ETC.).…