Policy Agenda Brochure 2008

ENLACE NEW MEXICO COLLABORATIVE

ENLACE’s Regional Data Central Region ♦

A total of 509 students are enrolled with Los Compañeros, with a total of 23 mentors.

Eastern Region ♦

Family Leadership Institute is a multi faceted educational program focused on providing knowledge and inspiration to families. To date we have graduated 300 families and many have continued involvement geared towards educational success.

Northwestern Region ♦

Native American Parents will work with in the schools (DZ Grant School) to empower parents in the schools in the Reservation.

Northern Region Southern Region ♦

The students have improved academically with an overall .5 to 1.0 increase in their G.P.A. Of the seniors who completed the program, 90% have transitioned to secon-

Statewide Team: Lawrence Roybal Interim Executive Director ENLACE New Mexico MSC06 3700 1 University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131-0001 Phone: 505.277.1804 Fax: 505.277.4376 [email protected] ____________________________________ Benigno Chavez Central New Mexico UNM School of Law 1117 Stanford N.E. Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131-0001 Phone: 505.453.2083 Fax: 505.277.0068 [email protected] ____________________________________ Sylvia Montaño Eastern New Mexico P.O. Box 19000 CMS Clovis, New Mexico 88130 Phone: 505.714.2151 [email protected] _____________________________________ Ron Martinez Northern New Mexico 705 La Joya Suite C Española, New Mexico 87532 Phone: 505.747.7238 Fax: 505.747.7258 [email protected] _____________________________________ Freddy Marquez Southern New Mexico P.O. Box 30003, MSC 3AE

Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003 Phone: 505.646.7927 Fax: 505.646.1962

THE FOUNDATION OF EVERY STATE IS THE EDUCATION OF IT’S YOUTH.

POLICY AGENDA 2008 NEW MEXICO LEGISLATIVE SESSION

ENLACE’s Policy Background: ENLACE’s Policy Agenda reflects the issues, concerns and priorities of the statewide community of ENLACE, including staff, students, parents and other community members in promoting educational equity for all New Mexico’s students and to enhance the P—20 pipeline.

Parent Blurb: “ENLACE has taught me to speak up for my children. I came on board to make a change. ENLACE works with everyone. You see bright red heads, AfriParent can-Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics. Everyone!” Picture ~ Rosie Soto (Antoninette Gabaldon on the left)

Student Blurb:“The ENLACE program has helped me comprehend the true value of a higher education. I can proudly say that I am working on becoming a successful business woman. ENLACE has inspired me to complete my educational goals at the University of New Mexico. The wonderful staff, students and co-workers at ENLACE have helped me in countless ways. As long as ENLACE stays in the public school system, the program will be able to help future students in their time of need.” ~ Cherie Nanco

ENLACE’s Statewide Data

ENLACE’s Legislative Priorities: Though this year’s legislative session will be a short, 30-day session focusing on state budget matters, each of the alliance’s priority bills will be on the legislative agenda because they are germane to state budgeting or because they are anticipated to be on the “Governor’s call.” The bills include:

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There are over 8,500 students currently active in ENLACE programs. Participation ranges from kindergarten to college, with about one third of participating

ENLACE AT CERTAIN SCHOOLS

students in college.

Mirror bills will be introduced for both the House of Representatives and Senate. Representative Rick Miera will be sponsoring the bill on the House side. Senator Bernadette Sanchez will carry the bill through the Senate. Both legislators have been ENLACE champions for the past several years.

• Over 83% of ENLACE graduates go onto college. • ENLACE has a 97% retention rate of students in the educational pipeline.

DEVELOP IMPROVED STUDENT ADVISEMENT PLAN Students from ENLACE Southern have worked with Senator Nava to develop legislation that will create a taskforce charged with studying issues affecting counselors and advisors. Specifically, examining factors that attribute to the high student to counselor ratio. Recent data shows that New Mexico’s student to counselor ratio is 401:1. The National Association of American School Counselors suggests the ideal ratio be 250:1. We are clearly not where we need to be.

ENLACE’s Ongoing Legislative Focus Areas:

• Over 9,400 parents were served through ENLACE family centers in 2007. •

Surveys of teachers in the Year 5 evaluation showed that most teachers considered ENLACE to be extremely helpful in improving students’ achievement levels.

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In the Summer Bridge program, reading levels improved dramatically in 2 out of 3. locations. Participating teachers comment the culturally relevant class material is helpful in maintaining students’ interest in reading.

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Average GPAs of ENLACE scholarship recipients at TV-I over three terms, increased from 3.26 to 3.50 (on a 4.0

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Bilingual Education

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Curriculum

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Family and Youth Resource Act

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Financial Literacy

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Lottery Scholarship

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Parental Involvement

scale)

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The Year 5 evaluation of ENLACE revealed increases in achievement motivation among middle and high school students; enhancements in students’ cultural awareness and self concept; and betterment in students’ knowledge, literacy skills, and overall academic abilities.