In this essay, the authors chronicle the overhauling of their English department's rubric design, curriculum, and portfolio in order to emphasize a wider range of "real-world" writing. The authors share that in the process of their overhaul, they redefined their identity--how they thought of themselves and how they wanted to approach…

Like many institutions, Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) has struggled to move beyond anecdotal sketches of student experiences to a more detailed picture of student engagement supported by methodically and systematically collected quantitative data. In 2004, as part of its ongoing commitment to data-informed or data-based decision making, the…

This annual report contains postsecondary data that has been collected and analyzed using the New Mexico Higher Education Department's Data Editing and Reporting (DEAR) database, unless otherwise noted. The purpose of the DEAR system is to increase the reliability in the data and to make more efficient efforts by institutions and the New Mexico…

After a decade or so spent largely on setting academic standards against which to hold schools accountable, states are themselves being held accountable for helping schools figure out how to meet them. The result is a huge leadership challenge. With few or no added resources, state education agencies are retooling to provide more technical support…

Reviews precedents, at the state level, to the movement for education reform. Reports, by year and state, on first reactions to reform. Outlines topics touched by state reform efforts, summarizes unifying themes, and predicts the future of reform. Includes a table of states requiring testing for initial certification of teachers. (IW)