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Plan
Vision for Quality Education:
· Equitable educational opportunities provided
· Quality education delivered
· High student performance achieved
· Parents and communities involved
· Continuous improvement expected
Strategic Plan
Charting Student
Success in the New Millennium
Flora M. Sánchez, President ......Albuquerque
John Darden, Vice-President .....Animas, Belen, Carrizozo, Cobre, Deming, Estancia, Gadsden, Grants, Hatch Valley, Las Cruces, Lordsburg, Los Lunas, Magdalena, Mountainair, Quemado, Reserve, Silver City, Socorro, Truth or Consequences
Margaret A. Davis, Secretary ....Aztec, Bloomfield,
Central, Chama Valley, Cimarron, Clayton, Cuba, Des Moines, Dulce, Espanola,
Farmington, Gallup-McKinley, Jemez Mountain, Las Vegas City, Las Vegas West,
Los Alamos, Maxwell, Mesa Vista, Mora, Mosquero, Pecos, Penasco, Pojoaque,
Questa, Raton, Roy, Santa Rosa, Springer, Taos, Wagon Mound, Zuni
Dr. Marshall Berman ..................Albuquerque
Rudy Castellano ..........................Aztec, Chama Valley, Cimarron, Clayton, Des Moines, Dulce, Espanola, Jemez Mountain, Las Vegas City, Las Vegas West, Los Alamos, Maxwell, Mesa Vista, Mora, Mosquero, Pecos, Penasco, Pojoaque, Questa, Raton, Roy, Santa Rosa, Springer, Taos, Wagon Mound
Wallace Davis ..............................Bloomfield,
Central, Cuba, Farmington, Gallup-McKinley, Los Alamos, Zuni
Teresa Davis-McKee ...................Alamogordo, Artesia, Capitan, Carlsbad, Carrizozo, Cloudcroft, Clovis, Corona, Dexter, Dora, Elida, Eunice, Floyd, Ft. Sumner, Grady, Hagerman, Hobbs, Hondo Valley, House, Jal, Lake Arthur, Logan, Loving, Lovington, Melrose, Moriarty, Portales, Roswell,
Ruidoso, San Jon, Tatum, Texico, Tucumcari, Tularosa,
Vaughn
Dr. Patricia S. Kelliher ...............Albuquerque
Lynn M. Medlin ...........................Carlsbad, Clovis,
Dora, Eunice, Floyd, Grady, Hobbs, House, Jal, Logan, Loving, Lovington,
Melrose, Portales, San Jon, Tatum, Texico, Tucumcari
Eleanor B. Ortiz ..........................Bernalillo,
Jemez Springs, Rio Rancho, Santa Fe
Catherine M. Smith ....................Animas, Belen,
Carrizozo, Cobre, Deming, Estancia, Grants, Lordsburg, Los Lunas, Los Lunas,
Magdalena, Mountainair, Quemado, Reserve, Silver City, Socorro
Dr. Frances A. Stevens ................Gadsden, Hatch
Valley, Las Cruces, Truth or Consequences
Christine Trujillo ........................Albuquerque
Van D. Witt ..................................Alamogordo,
Artesia, Capitan, Carrizozo, Cloudcroft, Corona, Dexter, Elida, Ft. Sumner,
Hagerman, Hondo Valley, Lake Arthur, Moriarty, Roswell, Ruidoso, Tularosa,
Vaughn
MICHAEL J. DAVIS, State Superintendent of
Public Instruction
New Mexico State Board of Education
Strategic Plan for Education in New
Mexico
August 1999
· Equitable educational
opportunities provided
· Quality education delivered
· High student performance
achieved
· Parents and communities involved
· Continuous improvement expected
The State Board of Education is
constitutionally responsible for:
· Establishing school and
vocational educational policy
· Distributing funds
· Ensuring financial and
programmatic accountability in New Mexico public schools and
vocational rehabilitation
services
The State Board of Education
will:
· Provide high quality education
for all students
· Promote the state’s cultural and
linguistic diversity
· Establish high standards
· Hold schools accountable for
results
· Evaluate the results of our
policies
· Implement continuous, measurable
improvement
· Encourage lifelong learning
The State Board of Education
shall act to ensure that all students in New Mexico have the equal
opportunity to acquire the
skills and knowledge that will enable them to be successful and
responsible citizens.
We will respect, honor, and
build upon:
· The rich cultural diversity of
our state
· The dedication of students,
parents, teachers, local school districts, and future employers
The State Board of Education,
through the Department of Education, shall demonstrate
leadership and engage all
stakeholders in developing and implementing policies.
The Board will always act with
integrity and respect for the individual.
New Mexico State Board of Education
Strategic Issues for Education in New
Mexico
According to the New Mexico
State Constitution: “The state board of education shall determine
public school policy and
vocational educational policy and shall have control, management and
direction, including financial
direction, distribution of school funds and financial accounting for
all public schools, pursuant to
authority and powers provided by law.”
To help accomplish these
constitutional responsibilities, to provide guidance to the department of
education, to set learning
standards, to require academic and fiscal accountability, to set
priorities, to provide guidance
to the legislature, governor and school districts, to incorporate
modern education strategies and
scientific research, and to inform the citizens of New Mexico,
the State Board has created this
Strategic Plan. This plan is a living document. It will change and
grow as we and our partners
learn what works and what doesn’t.
The State Board recognizes the
many efforts that have been and continue to be pursued by
education stakeholders
throughout the state. New Mexico has many excellent teachers,
administrators, and schools.
However, there are inequities in the quality of education delivered to
our children. Some students have
not been provided with the education they need to meet the
increased demands of 21st Century
America. It is our goal to seek continuous improvement for
our better schools, and major
improvements among those schools and districts that are not
providing the educational
quality that our children need and deserve. The strategic issues
described in this plan will
build on efforts in place, create new initiatives where appropriate, and
continuously measure the results
of these efforts.
Our goal is no less than to
achieve World-Class excellence in all our schools. We hope that all
New Mexicans will join us in
this effort.
How can the State Board of
Education ensure rapid, effective, measurable, and sustainable
improvement in the academic
achievement of all New Mexico students?
Student academic achievement
represents the “bottom line” for public education. The Board’s constitutional
mandate for establishing educational policy clearly places the responsibility
for establishing criteria for student success with the Board. Academic
achievement is addressed in Standards for Excellence (which includes
specifications for the Educational Plan for Student Success, Content Standards
and Benchmarks, and Performance Standards), the New Mexico Student Achievement
System, and the accountability framework specified in the New Mexico
Accountability Plan.
State Board of Education
goals to address the strategic issue of Academic Achievement:
1.1. Establish clear and high
standards in all academic and vocational subjects and ensure that
assessments are aligned with
content, benchmark, and performance standards; require
alignment of school curricula
with performance standards and revise on a regular basis.
1.2. Improve student performance
on all assessments including, but not limited to, norm- and
criterion-referenced tests; set
minimum levels of achievement for all schools.
1.3. Assure early literacy.
1.4. Increase average student
attendance in every school.
1.5. Increase the student
graduation rate in every school.
1.6. Identify high performing
and high improving schools and provide rewards. Identify schools
in need of improvement and
increase student success through a corrective plan.
1.7. Analyze and communicate
performance results related to these goals in an annual report to
the public.
How can the State Board of
Education respond to the needs for recruiting, preparing, inducting, and
retaining qualified, well-trained, and adequately compensated teachers,
principals, and administrators?
Quality teachers, principals,
and administrators are essential components of the education system. The Board
must set high standards related to entry into the teaching profession through
licensure and professional development. The Board operates in partnership with
the Legislature and Governor to provide funds for educator compensation.
State Board of Education
goals to address the strategic issue of Quality Teachers,
Principals, and
Administrators:
2.1. Establish high standards
and competencies for teacher, principal, administrator, and
educational support personnel
preparation, evaluation, and ongoing professional development.
2.2. Work with institutions of
higher education to create a quality teaching work force that is
prepared to meet the needs of
New Mexico’s diverse student population.
2.3. Increase and expand
standards for licensure.
2.4. Ensure that all teachers
are teaching subjects which they are qualified to teach.
2.5. Establish a framework for
professional development directly tied to meeting identified
student needs, including the
requirement for continuing education, inservice training, and
periodic recertification; and
create an incentive system which links continuing education and
professional development to
improved student performance.
2.6. Establish a school district
employee evaluation system with input from administrators,
teachers, peers, parents, and
students; require remediation as a condition of continued
employment for employees who
receive unsatisfactory evaluations; and support school
districts in remediating and, if
necessary, discontinuing employment of any who fail.
2.7. Develop a system to reward
outstanding teachers, principals, and administrators based on
improvements from a baseline in
student performance; create structures to increase
compensation for those who are
certified under National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards.
2.8. Adopt a plan to increase
the supply of teachers in critical areas. Develop innovative paths for
those with exceptional expertise
but without education degrees to enter the teaching
profession.
How can the State Board of
Education reach out and improve public trust and support for public
education, including creating
new initiatives and recasting current initiatives to broaden and
expand the appeal of public
education?
Public trust is reflected in
both poll data, which demonstrates the widely held public perception of poor
quality in the schools, and the flow of students from public schools to
alternative non-public means of obtaining an education. Technology is creating
a new educational venue as the
information age unfolds.
Parents are increasing their demands for expanded choice in the
educational process affecting
their children. Public trust is measured by the satisfaction of the
parents and the students in
the job we are doing.
State Board of Education
goals to address the strategic issue of Accountability, Choice, and
Technology: Earning the
Public Trust:
3.1. Broaden and expand the
appeal of public education.
3.2. Ensure that every district
understands this strategic plan and supports its implementation.
Commit to better results as
specified in the State Department of Education Implementation
Plan.
3.3. Commit to having all
students leave the New Mexico public school system with the tools
necessary to ensure their future
successes in higher education and/or careers.
3.4. Expand choices in the
educational marketplace. Establish a consistent accountability
program, performance criteria,
and results evaluation for all school choice options so that
results can be compared and
continuous improvement fostered.
3.5. Expand the curriculum and
educational choices through technology; ensure that teachers are
prepared to employ new
technologies beneficially in their classrooms.
3.6. Develop criteria for all
accountability reports to ensure that the reports explain how resources have
created results.
3.7. Carefully review all state
statutes and regulations. Wherever appropriate, substitute local accountability
for state regulations.
3.8. The State Board of
Education and State Department of Education will continue to model a
commitment to accountability and
continuous improvement.
How can the State Board of
Education increase school safety and ensure classroom environments
that are conducive to learning
and mutual respect?
Many people believe that
schools are less safe and classrooms less respectful than they were in the
past. Although not universally true, these perceptions do have some basis in
fact. In
some schools, teachers may
struggle with classroom discipline and lack of parental support.
Recent events have shown that
acts of violence can occur in any school at any time. Some
schools are outstanding
examples of safety, decorum, and self-discipline, and should provide
models of excellence. The
State Board will promote regulatory and statutory changes and new
programs to ensure that
schools are safe and classrooms provide the proper environment for
learning, decorum, mutual
respect, and good citizenship.
State Board of Education
goals to address the strategic issue of Safe Schools:
4.1. Create school environments
that protect children and teachers from harm originating from
any source; eliminate theft,
intimidation, harassment, threats, and possession of weapons,
alcohol, and other drugs. Set
high expectations for self-discipline.
4.2. Ensure that building sites,
structures and infrastructures are safe and functional. Provide
adequate and equitable funding
to meet safety standards.
4.3. Set clear and consistent
behavioral boundaries that are equitably enforced. Establish
research-based protocols and
other beneficial codes of conduct. Promote teaching skills and
habits that encourage
cooperation, help create a healthy social environment, and nurture
positive relationships and
non-violent dispute resolution.
4.4. Review local district
policies that establish the authority and tools required to create
respectful and well-behaved
classroom environments.
4.5. Provide alternative
programs for disruptive and other students who are not successful in
school.
4.6. Review school safety plans
and their implementation.
4.7. Promote understanding and
practice of democracy and ethics. Provide opportunities for
meaningful student involvement
in leadership, decision-making and service.
How can the State Board of
Education assure equitable access and educational opportunities to
support student learning?
Equity includes issues
related to program access, financial support (both operational and capital), and
the support of diversity--both cultural and linguistic. Program direction and
funding recommendations are
designed to make all students competent in at least two languages.
Categorical funding is
sustained and enriched for instructional materials, transportation, and
technology needs. The
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and IDEA (Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act)
assure quality programs for diverse populations.
State Board of Education
goals to address the strategic issue of Equitable Access and
Opportunity:
5.1. Develop a structure for
individualizing and implementing educational plans for each student.
5.2. Create a funding mechanism
to ensure equitable building and infrastructure standards.
5.3. Provide adequate resources
to meet all instructional needs.
5.4. Enhance programs to ensure
access to appropriate technology for all students.
5.5. Develop programs that
encourage students to develop proficiency in two languages.
5.6. Develop
criteria for multiple and diverse high school diplomas.
How can the State Board of
Education ensure that dollars spent for public education bring
measurable results that
demonstrate student success?
Return on the financial
investment in students is measured using data about students, teachers,
schools, and school districts. Dollars invested in education must produce
measurable results.
State Board of Education
Goals to address the strategic issue of Return on Financial
Investment:
6.1. Require all districts and
schools to link district budgets with site-level budgets for each
school in the district.
6.2. Link local budgets and
expenditures to support State Board of Education performance
requirements and each school’s
Educational Plan for Student Success.
6.3. Develop an accounting model
that links individual schools’ budgets and expenditures with
program and grade level
performance measurements, and demonstrate that dollars expended
result in a return of measurable
results.
6.4. Improve audit and audit
follow-up procedures to enable schools to address areas of exception.
6.5. Develop licensure
specifications for school business personnel. Develop model criteria for
job performance evaluation of
school business personnel.
How can the State Board of
Education advance the public education system of New Mexico with
all educational partners?
Constructive engagement with
educational partners is a requisite in an increasingly complex environment in
which education is delivered. Increasing awareness of the interrelated support
other state agencies may provide public school students and the significant
policy roles the Legislature and Governor play through enacting statutes,
necessitates a more constructive engagement with these partners. The Board will
exercise leadership and will seek the advice and guidance of the education
stakeholders in the state, including students, parents, businesses,
universities, the legislative and executive branches, tribes, advocacy groups,
professional organizations and unions.
State Board of Education
goals to address the strategic issue of Constructive Engagement
with Our Partners:
7.1. Work with education
partners to identify educational issues and collaborate on solutions.
7.2. Expect schools and school
districts to work in partnership with parents, students, nonprofit
organizations and the business
community.
7.3. Work closely with all
levels of government including the legislative leadership and interim
legislative committees, the
governor and his/her staff, tribal governments, and the federal
government, to gain their
support and participation in the education system.
7.4. Establish links with
businesses to solicit their input and gain their support and participation in
the educational system.
7.5. Engage local districts,
schools, teachers, parents, students, and businesses in a commitment
to improve results of public
education in their communities.