SENATE MEMORIAL 25

54th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2020

INTRODUCED BY

Roberto "Bobby" J. Gonzales

 

 

 

 

 

A MEMORIAL

DECLARING FEBRUARY 15, 2020 "ADVANCEMENT VIA INDIVIDUAL DETERMINATION APPRECIATION DAY" IN THE SENATE.

 

     WHEREAS, the future of New Mexico's economy and quality of life for its communities and citizenry are dependent on its workforce and public education's ability to prepare students to be college and career ready and compete in a rapidly changing economy by achieving a college degree or post-high school industry credential; and

     WHEREAS, the national nonprofit advancement via individual determination college readiness system, also known as AVID, has been successfully closing the college career achievement gap for predominantly low-income, Hispanic and other underserved student subgroups for forty years in the United States and for nineteen years in New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico alliance for college and career readiness, a consortium of school districts and their superintendents, works together in a collective impact partnership to close the achievement gap and significantly increase the number of students who are college and career ready through the proven success with advancement via individual determination in New Mexico for low-income, Hispanic and other underserved student subgroups in kindergarten through twelfth grade; and

     WHEREAS, for nineteen years, advancement via individual determination systems have been used statewide and are now in ninety-five schools, including elementary, middle and high schools, and two national demonstration sites, one at Capital high school in the Santa Fe public school district and one at Truman middle school in the Albuquerque public school district, where sixty-five percent of the students served are low-income, based on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, seventy-six percent of the students served are Hispanic, ten percent are Caucasian and one percent is of other racial background; and

     WHEREAS, results show first-generation low-income advancement via individual determination students are four times more likely to graduate college than their national peers not involved with the program, with forty-two percent graduating with a four-year degree within six years compared to only eleven percent of their national peers not involved in the program graduating within the same time frame; and

     WHEREAS, ninety-five percent of New Mexico advancement via individual determination seniors completed college entrance requirements, and New Mexico advancement via individual determination low-income students do as well as or better than middle-to-high-income students not involved in the program nationally in the first fall semester after graduation in four-year college enrollment rates, including New Mexico advancement via individual determination students completing the free application for federal student aid at eighty-seven percent compared to students in New Mexico not involved with the program at just fifty percent; and

     WHEREAS, eighty-four percent of New Mexico advancement via individual determination students take at least one course of rigor and have an average high school grade point average of 3.2; ninety-nine percent graduate on time; eighty-seven percent apply to a four-year college or university; and seventy-eight percent are accepted to a four-year university, with New Mexico advancement via individual determination seniors enrolling at consistently higher rates between major student subgroups than the United States population overall; and

     WHEREAS, advancement via individual determination's powerful professional learning for all content teachers, including culturally responsive teaching and learning, English language learners, special education, career and technical education, science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics and counselors, complements and aligns with the public education department's school improvement tool, the New Mexico data, accountability, sustainability and high achievement, including leadership, systems, instruction and culture; and

     WHEREAS, teachers trained in advancement via individual determination prepare students with powerful proven critical reading and writing skills, problem-solving and teamwork skills, organizational skills, critical inquiry skills, opportunity knowledge and student agency, with the pathways and personal willpower to persist, self-advocate and effectively succeed in rigorous learning environments in kindergarten through twelfth grade, in college and in life; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico alliance for college career readiness seeks to expand the number of schools and school districts in New Mexico using advancement via individual determination's proven college and career readiness resources and coaching in order to significantly increase the number of low-income, Hispanic, Native American and other underrepresented or first-generation college students who are college and career ready and enrolled in post-secondary training and education who then stay in New Mexico and enhance a ready workforce and improved quality of life for all communities in New Mexico;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that February 15, 2020 be declared "Advancement Via Individual Determination Appreciation Day" in the senate to acknowledge the tremendous success of advancement via individual determination on college and career readiness in New Mexico for teachers and particularly low-income, Hispanic and other underserved students, as evidenced by ninety-five percent of New Mexico advancement via individual determination seniors completing four-year college entrance requirements and ninety-nine percent graduating high school; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor, the secretary of public education, the secretary of higher education and the secretary of children, youth and families.

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