UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT The graduation rate in NM is below the U.S. average and it has been flat for two years Gaps persist in graduation rates between different ethnic/racial groups in NM Increasing graduation rates is good for students and the economy (ROI) State formula funding for schools is lower today than in 2008 NM is in the lowest third of all states in per pupil expenditures Teacher salaries in NM continue to lag behind those in other states (lowest 20% of states) THE BIG FIVE TO FOCUS ON FIRST 1. Parents and Students: Need to be supported, valued, and engaged in deeper ways o Expand NM models that have proven to be effective in engaging students and parents o Adapt the educational structure of schools to meet the needs of all students & families 2. The Curriculum: Needs to be more relevant and challenging for all students in the state o Incorporate and build upon the strengths of emerging bilingual students o Emphasize the importance of respectful relationships and high expectations o Foster innovation and creativity o Ensure technology is accessible to all students and is used to innovate education 3. Teachers and School Leaders: Need to be better prepared and supported to be effective with diverse learners o Embed mentoring and professional development into the prek- 12 system o Increase the professionalization of, and compensation for, teachers/school leaders o Expand successful NM programs and models such as Enlace, MC 2, Math Snacks, etc. 4. Assessments: Need to be fair and beneficial o Eliminate high stakes testing and use formative assessments/tests that improve teaching and learning o Use multiple best practice indicators to assess student learning and school improvement o Evaluate schools and teachers in a supportive and relevant manner 5. Funding: Needs to be transparent and sufficient for all learners. As New Mexico Voices for Children recommends in their Policy Priority Agenda 2014, NM can increase revenue for the public schools by: o Closing tax loopholes and requiring that all corporations pay their fair share of taxes o Supporting use of a small percent of the Land Grant Permanent Fund income as an adequate and sustainable funding source for early care and education programs o Reversing the downward trend in percentage of the State budget dedicated to a) K- 12 education (it is currently 44%) and b) above the line funding (district controlled) New Mexico State University, MSC 3AC Las Cruces, NM 88003 575-646- 1358
The Graduation Rate is Lower in New Mexico than in the U.S.; Ethnic/Racial Gaps Persist Percent 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 High School 4 Year Cohort Graduation Rates 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 Academic Year N.M. U.S. Graduation Rate Gaps in New Mexico Percent 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 64% 52% 50% 45% 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 Academic Year Caucasian African American Hispanic American Indian 76% 68% 64% 62% Data sources: U.S. Department of Education,"Dropouts, Completers, and Graduation Rate Reports"; U.S. Department of Education, "Public High School 4- year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate by Selected Student Characteristics and State"; NM Public Education Department, "4 Year Graduation Rates" New Mexico State University, MSC 3AC Las Cruces, NM 88003 575-646- 1358
The Economic Benefits of INCREASING THE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATE in New Mexico 2014 cohort: 25,170 students 69% graduated in 4 years (17,367 students) NM would have: Imagine if 90% had graduated (22,653 students) ü 5,286 more graduates ü $42,288,000 more in annual earnings ($8,000 per student) ü A large increase in annual federal, state, and local tax revenue Sources: NM PED website; http://ped.state.nm.us/ped/graduation_data.html; all4ed.org website; http://impact.all4ed.org/#nm/increased- federal- tax/all- students New Mexico State University, MSC 3AC, Las Cruces, NM 88003 575-646- 1358
Percent Change in State Formula Funding per Student Inflation- adjusted, the Difference Between Fiscal Years 2008-2016 - 24.2% North Dakota Alaska Washington Connecticut Pennsylvania Delaware Massachusetts New York Wyoming Minnesota Oregon Ohio Vermont Nebraska Montana Maryland Colorado New Hampshire Rhode Island Tennessee Missouri - 0.5% - 1.4% - 1.8% - 1.9% - 2.5% - 2.6% - 3.0% - 3.5% - 3.8% - 4.7% - 5.8% - 5.9% - 6.2% - 7.5% - 7.7% - 8.3% - 9.0% - 9.0% - 10.5% - 10.6% - 10.9% - 12.7% - 14.9% - 17.3% 18.2% 16.5% 13.4% 13.2% 9.9% 9.5% 8.3% 7.1% 6.9% 6.3% 5.7% 5.7% 5.5% 4.4% 4.4% 4.3% 4.1% 2.8% 2.8% 2.4% Maine Louisiana Georgia New Jersey Arkansas Florida Nevada Illinois Virginia West Virginia South Carolina New Mexico Iowa Michigan South Dakota North Carolina Mississippi Utah Texas Kentucky Idaho Wisconsin Arizona Alabama Oklahoma 29.9% Data source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Most States Have Cut School Funding, and Some Continue Cutting, Michael Leachman, Nick Albares, Kathleen Masterson, and Marlana Wallace, January 4, 2016-30 - 20-10 0 10 20 30 40 New Mexico State University, MSC 3AC, Las Cruces, NM 88003 575-646- 1358
Per Pupil Expenditures in 2012 Adjusted for Regional Cost Differences Vermont Alaska Wyoming New York New Jersey ConnecUcut Maine New Hampshire Delaware Rhode Island Pennsylvania Nebraska North Dakota West Virginia Montana MassachuseSs Hawaii Maryland Louisiana Michigan Ohio Wisconsin Iowa United States Illinois Minnesota Kansas Indiana Arkansas Missouri South Dakota Kentucky Oregon South Carolina Virginia New Mexico Mississippi Alabama Georgia Washington Florida Tennessee Colorado North Carolina Oklahoma California Nevada Idaho Texas Arizona Utah New Mexico is in the lowest 1/3 of all states Data source: Kids Count Data Center, A Project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, http://www.datacenter.kidscount.org/ Per Pupil Educational Expenditures Adjusted for Regional Cost Differences $0 $2,000 $4,000 $6,000 $8,000 $10,000 $12,000 $14,000 $16,000 $18,000 $20,000 New Mexico State University, MSC 3AC, Las Cruces, NM 88003 575-646- 1358
$75,000 New York Massachusetts District of Columbia $70,000 $65,000 $60,000 $55,000 California Connecticut New Jersey Alaska Maryland Rhode Island Pennsylvania Michigan Illinois Delaware Oregon New Hampshire United States Wyoming Hawaii Vermont Ohio Nevada Minnesota Wisconsin Teacher salaries in New Mexico continue to lag behind most states even when adjusted for cost of living Washington Georgia Iowa $50,000 $45,000 Kentucky Indiana Montana Virginia Texas Colorado Nebraska Louisiana Alabama North Dakota South Carolina Florida Tennessee Arkansas Missouri New Mexico Utah Arizona West Virginia North Carolina Oklahoma Idaho Maine Kansas $40,000 Mississippi South Dakota Data sources: National Education Association Research; Rankings & Estimates: Rankings of the States 2014 and Estimates of School Statistics 2015; Kahlerfinancial.com teacher salaries adjusted for Cost of Living, retrieved April 20, 2016 (NM rank = 48) Average Salaries of Public School Teachers, 2013-14 ($) New Mexico State University, MSC 3AC Las Cruces, NM 88003 575-646- 1358