UNM News:
Decades of research confirm that a college education greatly contributes to the economic and social well-being of our communities. Yet for years, New Mexico has routinely earned low rankings placing the state at the bottom of the list for its quality of education, coming in at #50 for education in US News & World Report’s 2023 Best States Rankings and the 2023 Kids Count Data Book’s child well-being rankings. Now, an innovative new program hopes to rectify that.
Since 2016, The Chicana/o Studies Department (CCS) at the University of New Mexico (UNM) has steadily been working to improve educational outcomes through its College Preparation Program (CPP). The high school to college pipeline program was designed to help New Mexico high school students from underrepresented backgrounds prepare for and succeed in college.
According to program staff, CPP participants have a higher high school graduation rate than their peers who did not participate in the program. In 2019, the high school graduation rate for CPP participants was 97%, compared to the statewide average of 75%.
Fueled by this unprecedented success, CCS plans to launch a new program called ISEE (Initiatives for Student-engaged Educational Ecosystems) COLLEGE!
“ISEE COLLEGE! is a novel, innovative, and uniquely inclusive approach that inspires and allows stakeholders, at every level of the educational ecosystem, to see a new path forward,” said Irene Vasquez, Chair of the Chicana Chicano Studies (CCS) Department. “It will provide a testable model that we hope to replicate across the state.”
Created as an expansion of CPP, ISEE COLLEGE! will partner with Albuquerque Public Schools to offer its Dual Degree classes to students in seven Albuquerque High Schools and two Middle Schools. It will also collaborate with high schools and teachers in Las Cruces, Los Lunas, Taos, and Santa Rosa/Las Vegas. Students in Dual Degree classes will be able to get college credit, interact regularly with CCS faculty and students, and receive online and in-person academic mentoring and advising from high school to college.
In New Mexico, over 50% of the population is Hispanic. Consequently, 70% of the students in K-12 schools, and 50% of the undergraduates at UNM are Hispanic. As part of the new program, culturally rooted curricula that draws on socially and culturally relevant history will be developed specific to students’ needs, incorporating local history, traditions, and communities.
“I have witnessed numerous instances of how the culturally relevant opportunities our classes provide to students has led to a positive learning environment,” said Gabino Noriega PhD Candidate and Career Enrichment Center high school teacher. “Having the opportunity to develop teaching curricula that is reflective and directly connected to minority students’ personal histories and experiences helps motivate students to personally invest in their academic success and career trajectory.”
Another important initiative of ISEE COLLEGE! is an academic program which will support high school and middle school teachers obtain advanced degrees. K-12 teachers in nine APS schools are currently enrolled in CCS MA and PhD programs and an estimated 80% of the students in their classes apply to UNM. Program administrators believe that when high school students can interact with their teachers in the college, it establishes a welcoming environment and creates an ecosystem that extends from high school to college.
“In a state where education scores are lower than average US standards, it’s important to all our communities and families throughout the entire state to find ways for all our children to go forward and succeed academically,” Dr. Maggie Werner-Washburne, Professor Emeritus of Biology said. “Knowing that someone is out there establishing a program that helps the teachers, the students, the schools, and contributing so much to the future, gives me hope.”
About The Chicana and Chicano Studies Department at The University of New Mexico
The Chicana and Chicano Studies Department at The University of New Mexico has the largest percentage of Hispanics in the country and is committed to promoting a critical understanding of Chicano/Hispano/Mexicano communities through teaching, research, and advocacy. To learn more about ISEECOLLEGE! visit the CCS website.