NM Access Inventory final 10-15-12 (1)

New Mexico College Access Inventory
Prepared by:
Elizabeth Morgan, NCAN
Meriah E. Heredia Griego, Graduate Research Assistant
Amil Guzman, Graduate Research Assistant
September 30, 2012

2
This report was produced with funding from the Kresge Foundation for
the benefit of the New Mexico College Access Network.

3
Table of Contents
Page
Executive Summary 4
New Mexico State Profile 7
New Mexico Access Provider Survey Results 21
New Mexico Stakeholder Interview Summary 38
Recommendations 52

4
Executive Summary
With numerous public colleges and universities and generous state-supported financial aid, New
Mexicans are fortunate to have many affordable higher education options. New Mexico lags the
national average, however, when it comes to the percentage of residents who have completed a
postsecondary credential. Thirty-one percent of New Mexicans ages 25 and older hold at least an
associate’s degree, compared to 36 percent for the U.S. By 2018, 58 percent of New Mexico’s jobs
will require postsecondary education, so the state faces a significant workforce shortage if
postsecondary attainment rates do not increase. What can New Mexico do to better understand the
lag in postsecondary attainment and make changes that will lead to higher graduation rates?
In March 2012, the National College Access Network (NCAN) undertook a review of postsecondary
education attainment in New Mexico on behalf of the College Success Network of New Mexico
(known as New Mexico College Access Network). This report consists of three parts: (1) a review of
data of New Mexico’s population and educational attainment in comparison to the nation as a
whole, (2) a statewide survey of college access and success program activity, and (3) a summary of
stakeholder interviews. Based on this information, the final section includes a list of
recommendations for consideration by the New Mexico College Access Network (New Mexico CAN)
and others in the state.
National and State Data Comparison
Key data points from the comparison research include the following:
 New Mexico ranks third in the United States for state support for higher education per
$1,000 of personal income.
 New Mexico has a relatively high college continuation rate of 68 percent compared to the
national average of 63 percent. This statistic measures the rate at which students enter
college immediately after high school graduation. However, New Mexico’s relatively low
high school graduation rate (57 percent versus the national average of 72 percent)
significantly reduces the number of New Mexicans who enter higher education.
 New Mexico has a higher than average proportion of its population that has started higher
education but not completed it (25 percent in New Mexico compared to 21 percent across
the U.S.).
 At two-year public colleges, New Mexico’s graduation rates are lower than the national
average for Whites, Asians, and Hispanics, but exceed the national average for Blacks and
American Indians.1
1
This report uses the racial/ethnic categories defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, unless the specific reference
cited uses other terminology.

5
 College graduation rates in New Mexico are significantly lower than the national average for
public institutions, especially for four-year schools. The national average graduation rate for
public four-year institutions is 56 percent, compared to New Mexico’s 41 percent.
 Although New Mexico’s high school proficiency rates vary widely by race and ethnicity,
graduation rates at four-year public institutions in New Mexico are significantly lower than
the national average for every racial/ethnic group.
New Mexico College Access Program Survey
Key findings from an electronic survey of 48 organizations providing many college access and
success programs and services in New Mexico include the following:
 67 percent of respondents are very small organizations with annual budgets under
$500,000.
 70 percent of respondents serve fewer than 500 students per year.
 The program goal listed most frequently by respondents was high school retention/dropout
prevention.
 The number-one challenge listed by respondents was fundraising.
 Only 21 percent of respondents use college completion as an evaluation metric.
 Only 4 percent listed “training” as a program challenge, but 71 percent listed professional
development as the top service the New Mexico College Access Network could provide.
Key Stakeholder Interviews
Key findings from the interviews of 16 stakeholders (state education leadership, policy-makers,
program administrators, and direct service providers in secondary and post-secondary education)
include the following:
 Many stakeholders frequently raised the barriers poverty poses to educational attainment
and some said that poverty shouldn’t be an excuse for not striving for excellence. The
practitioners who work closely with students and families emphasized the need to support
students and families in all aspects of their lives to improve education outcomes.
 Several stakeholders recognized that New Mexico has a high level of college access but faced
challenges in retaining and graduating students. Participants discussed how the low
persistence rate was highly correlated to the need for academic remediation of students.
Additional factors included lack of student supports in higher education, lack of alignment
between K-12 and higher education curricula, and inflexibility of state-based financial aid.

6
 Stakeholders said they rely on supportive relationships they have established across the
state and across institutions to help students and families. They prefer to refer students and
families to individuals they know personally and have a track record of supporting them
with care and compassion.
Recommendations
Key recommendations to improve college access and success based on this research include the
following:
 Improve retention and completion rates at New Mexico’s public institutions, particularly at
four-year colleges and universities.
 Encourage adults with “some college, no degree” to complete. New Mexico has a relatively
high percentage of adults ages 25 and older in this category.
 Amend the Lottery Scholarship program to (1) be more flexible in its eligibility
requirements to meet the needs of low-income students, and/or (2) focus more resources
on students with financial need.
 Build on the relative success in graduating Black and American Indian students from New
Mexico’s two-year public institutions.
 Help public higher education institutions to align their college readiness expectations with
their feeder public high schools and districts.
 Advocate for and support increased use of student outcome data to guide development of
better services for students.
 Identify and promote models for improved remedial education.
 Promote dual enrollment and early-college high schools to increase success for low-income
students.
 Protect New Mexico’s college affordability.
 Raise expectations about education outcomes for poor students.
 Explore the need for some potential college access network services more thoroughly,
including professional development, fundraising, and collaboration/coordination across the
state.

7
New Mexico State Profile: Demographics, Educational
Attainment, and Workforce Projections
Examining the population, education, and workforce trends of New Mexico in comparison to the
United States shows how New Mexico differs from the national average and what implications that
has for the state. The U.S. Census Bureau-estimated population for New Mexico in 2011 was
2,082,224, which is less than one percent (.67 percent ) of the total U.S. population of 311,591,9172.
An Aging Population
The age range of New Mexico’s population is an important factor in the education and workforce
pipeline. Figure 1 indicates the age distribution of New Mexico’s population in comparison to the
rest of the nation. New Mexico’s population mirrors that of the rest of the nation at various stages of
the distribution, but the state has a slightly lower percentage of its population in the 25 to 44 range
(25 percent versus 26.5 percent) and a slightly higher percentage of adults age 60 to 74 (13.7
percent versus 12.6 percent) relative to U.S. population.
Figure 1: Age Distribution in New Mexico and the U.S.3
Knowing the current status of the population is beneficial, and looking at the future trends for the
population can be even more helpful. Between 2000 and 2030, New Mexico’s population is
expected to grow 15 percent, far below the national average of 29 percent.4 Figure 2 indicates the
age of the projected population for New Mexico and the nation. In 2030, New Mexico is expected to
continue to have a lower percentage of adults age 20 to 44 than the national average (26.2 percent
versus 31.6 percent) and a higher percentage of adults age 60 and older (32.5 percent versus 25.1
percent).
2
U.S. Census Bureau, State and County QuickFacts, 2010. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/35000.html
3
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (2010).
4
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Interim State Population Projections, 2005. Internet Release Date: April
21, 2005. Table 1: http://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/projectionsagesex.html

8
Figure 2: Projected Percent of Population in Each Age Bracket, New Mexico and U.S., 20305
Figure 3 provides a more detailed view of how New Mexico’s population is aging. By 2030, the state
will have a significantly higher percentage of residents age 60 and older and a significantly lower
percentage of residents of workforce age, between ages 24 and 60, than it did in 2000.
Figure 3: Population Pyramids of New Mexico: Percent of Total Population6
In comparison, Figure 4 shows the population projections for the United States. Although the
overall U.S. population is expected to age, the population of New Mexico will age more than that of
the country as a whole. From a fiscal perspective, population pyramids ideally resemble the shape
after which they are named, meaning that there are more individuals in the lower age ranges than
in the higher ones. For New Mexico, the older population will grow without enough expansion at
the lower age ranges to balance the pyramid, meaning there will be relatively fewer New Mexicans
of working age to fill jobs and help support relatively larger numbers of retirees.
5
U.S. Census Bureau, Interim State Population Projections, April 21, 2005. New Mexico Table 3:
http://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/statepyramid.html
6
U.S. Census Bureau, Interim State Population Projections, April 21, 2005.

9
Figure 4: Population Pyramids of the United States: Percent of Total
Population7
An Increasingly Diverse Population
In addition to age, the racial and ethnic make-up of New Mexico is also an important factor in
educational attainment. In the United States, 64 percent of the population is White and 36 percent
are minorities such as Black, Hispanic, American Indian, and Asian.8 Figure 5 displays the
racial/ethnic distribution of the national population in 2010, followed by the comparable
distribution for New Mexico.
Figure 5: U.S. Racial and Ethnic Composition, 2010
Figure 6 indicates the racial/ethnic distribution of the population in New Mexico. In contrast to the
nation, New Mexico is a “majority-minority” state, which means all racial and ethnic minority
groups together make up the majority of the population. In particular, Hispanics represent the
7
U.S. Census Bureau, Interim State Population Projections, April 21, 2005.
8

10
largest racial/ethnic group at 46 percent. New Mexico also has a relatively large American Indian
population and relatively small Asian and Black populations.
Figure 6: New Mexico Racial and Ethnic Composition, 20109
The U.S. Census Bureau no longer provides state population projections by race and ethnicity, but
examining recent growth rates gives us a sense that New Mexico’s “minority” populations will
expand at rates higher than the state average. For example, New Mexico’s overall population
growth rate from 2000 to 2010 was 13.2 percent. Several subpopulations grew faster than the state
average: Asians (46.5 percent), Hispanics (24.6 percent), multi-racial (16.1 percent), and Blacks
(15.9 percent). Non-Hispanic Whites grew at just 2.5 percent, and American Indians grew at 11.4
percent. Barring dramatic changes in birth rates, New Mexico can expect its “minority” populations,
and particularly Hispanics, to represent an even larger majority of its population pie chart by
2020.10
High Rates of Poverty
Poverty is another factor related to educational attainment, and New Mexicans experience poverty
at higher rates than the national average. New Mexico ranks third of the states with the highest
percentage of residents living in poverty,11 behind only Mississippi and Louisiana. New Mexico’s
per capita income and median household income both fall well below national averages, as
demonstrated in Table 1.12
9 U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (2010).
10
Alcantara, Ph.D., Adelamar N. Research Professor and Director, Geospatial and Population Students, University
of New Mexico. “Population Transformation in New Mexico and the U.S. According to the Census,” presented Nov.
3, 2011. http://bber.unm.edu/DUC/Dely_DUC2011.pdf
11
U.S. Census Bureau, 2007 American Community Survey; R1701. Percent of People Below Poverty Level in the
Past 12 Months (For Whom Poverty Status is Determined).
12
U.S. Census Bureau, State and County QuickFacts. Data derived from Population Estimates, American
Community Survey.

11
Table 1: New Mexico vs. U.S. Poverty Data, 2006-2010
New Mexico U.S.
Per capita income $22,966 $27,334
Median household income $43,820 $51,914
Persons below poverty level, % 18.40% 13.80%
New Mexico’s Education Pipeline
Understanding how New Mexico students fare along the Pre-K – 20 educational pipeline is another
important indicator for understanding college access and success in the state. The high school
graduation, college entrance, and college graduation rates are explored below.
Educational Attainment
In comparison to the nation, a smaller percentage of New Mexicans has a high school degree, and a
smaller percentage holds a bachelor’s degree. The total percentage of individuals (17 percent) with
less than a high school degree is also higher than the nation as a whole (14 percent). New Mexico
also has a higher than average proportion of its population that has started higher education by not
completed it.Figure 7 shows the percent of the U.S. and New Mexico population over 25 years old
by education level.
Figure 7: Percentage of Population at Each Level of Education, New Mexico and U.S. Ages 25+13
New Mexico’s Education Pipeline for New Mexico
Another way to look at educational attainment is to view high school entrance and graduation,
college enrollment, college persistence, and college graduation together to form the educational
13

12
pipeline. The pipeline in Figure 8 shows the success of students receiving their high school and
postsecondary education in New Mexico. Only 12 out of every 100 high school freshmen in New
Mexico graduate from high school on time, enroll immediately in college, persist to sophomore
year, and complete a degree or certificate within 150 percent of expected time (three years at two-
year colleges or six years at four-year colleges). This is much lower than the national average of 21
out of every 100 high school freshman that persist through the educational pipeline.
Figure 8: Education Pipeline, 9th Grade through Completion14
New Mexico’s K-12 Achievement
Early student academic preparedness is a crucial component of college readiness. Figure 9
indicates that only 13 percent of New Mexico’s K-12 schools met the federally required adequate
yearly progress (AYP) in New Mexico for the 2011-12 academic year. In contrast, the percentage of
U.S. public K-12 schools reaching AYP was 60 percent for the 2009-2010 year, the most recent year
for which national data was available.15
14
NCES: Common Core Data; IPEDS Residency and Migration, Fall Enrollment, and Graduation Rate Surveys.
“Education Pipeline” at www.higheredinfo.org
15
U.S. Department of Education Ed Data Express, http://www.eddataexpress.ed.gov/state-
report.cfm?state=US&submit.x=15&submit.y=5

13
Figure 9: Percent of N.M. Schools Making AYP, 2011-201216
Even with the delay in statistics, it is clear that New Mexico is far behind the national average in
terms of reaching the No Child Left Behind benchmarks.
A breakdown the academic benchmarks by subject area also shows that students across New
Mexico are not currently meeting national standards in reading, mathematics, and science. Figure
10 below indicates overall New Mexico student scores on statewide assessments since 2007. Large
percentages of New Mexican students are failing to meet K-12 proficiency standards.
Figure 10: Percent of N.M. Students Scoring At or Above Proficient, 2006-201117
16
New Mexico Public Education Department: http://ped.state.nm.us/ayp2011/
17 New Mexico Public Education Department: http://ped.state.nm.us/ayp2011/
13%
87%
Schools
Making AYP
Schools not
making AYP

14
When disaggregated by racial/ethnic subgroup, these data also present a dismal picture from the
perspective of equity. Figure 11 indicates the percent of all students performing at or above grade
level on the state’s standardized assessment. During the 2010-2011 school year, White and Asian
students outperformed their Hispanic, African American, and American Indian counterparts in
nearly all subjects by at least 20 percentage points.
Figure 11: Percent of N.M. Students Performing At or Above Grade Level by Racial/Ethnic Group18
High School Completion Rates and College Readiness
The final transition in the K-12 education system is high school graduation. Figure 12 shows New
Mexico’s graduation rates by race/ethnicity and as compared to the United States.For the national
student population, the average high school graduation rate in 2008 was 72 percent whereas for
New Mexico it was only 57 percent. This gap of 15 percentage points means that for every 100
students who enter high school in New Mexico, 15 fewer students will graduate than the national
average.
18
New Mexico Public Education Department: http://ped.state.nm.us/ayp2011/

15
Figure 12: High School Graduates by Race/Ethnicity (Class of 2008)19
Two areas of note are with African American and American Indian students. New Mexico hovers
close to the national average for their American Indian graduation rate (53 percent) and graduates
African Americans (59 percent) at a slightly higher rate than the rest of the nation.In particular, the
American Indian statistic is significant because the population of American Indians is higher in New
Mexico (approximately 10 percent) than in the rest of the country (just over 1 percent).
As one measure of the college readiness of these high school graduates, Figure 13 indicates the
percentage of students who took the ACT and are ready for college-level work. New Mexico trails
the nation in every subject area.20 Based on these data, students from New Mexico who do graduate
high school and enter higher education are less academically prepared than their peers around the
nation.
Figure 13: Percentage of ACT Tested Graduates Ready for College-Level Course Work
19
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), “Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the
United States: 1972–2009,” 2011.
20
ACT, “The Condition of College and Career Readiness, 2011.”

16
College Enrollment and Retention Rates
College enrollment and retention rates are indicators for college completion. New Mexico’s college-
going rate for 2008 (defined as first-time freshman enrolling the fall after graduating from high
school) was 68 percent, which is higher than the national average of 63 percent21. However, we
must remember that this is 68 percent of the students who graduated from high school, and the
previous section shows that only 57 percent of New Mexico students graduate from high school
compared with the national average (72 percent).
New Mexico slightly lags behind the national return rates among students after their first year of
college. Figure 15 shows the percentage of first-time college freshman returning for their
sophomore year for New Mexico and the nation. At two-year institutions in New Mexico, the return
rate is 51 percent in comparison to 54 percent for the nation. Among the state’s four-year colleges
and universities, the retention rate of 71 percent is also below the national average of 77 percent.
Figure 15: First-Time College Freshmen Returning for Their Sophomore Year, 201022
College Affordability
As in many states, New Mexico’s financial support for higher education has declined during the last
five years. From fiscal year 2006-07 to fiscal year 2011-12, New Mexico’s state spending decreased
by 16 percent.23 New Mexico remains, however, at the top of U.S. states for relative spending on
higher education. For fiscal year 2011-12, New Mexico ranks third in the nation for state support
21
Tom Mortenson, Postsecondary Education Opportunity, aggregated by the National Center for Higher Education
Management Systems (NCHEMS), “College Going Rates for High School Graduates” at www.higheredinfo.org
22
NCES, IPEDS Fall 2010 Enrollment Retention Rate File. “Retention Rates,” www.higheredinfo.org
23
Grapevine Center for the Study of Education Policy, 2012. Annual Grapevine Compilation of State Fiscal Support
of Higher Education Results for fiscal year 2011-2012, Table 1. http://grapevine.illinoisstate.edu/tables/index.htm

17
for higher education per $1,000 of personal income and fifth in the nation for state support per
capita.24 This spending advantage is a tremendous strength for the state.
One generous aspect of New Mexico’s support for college affordability is the Legislative Lottery
Scholarship, which has been funded from proceeds of the New Mexico Lottery Authority lottery
ticket sales since 1996. Since its inception, the Lottery Scholarship has provided more than 75,000
New Mexico students with tuition support. Currently, the Lottery Scholarship covers 100 percent
of tuition for eight consecutive semesters of eligibility beginning with the second semester of
enrollment at any of 25 New Mexico public colleges, universities or junior/technical colleges.
Graduates of New Mexico high schools and GED earners are eligible for the scholarship as long as
they maintain a 2.5 GPA and meet other requirements.25 Students who transfer to another eligible
college retain their scholarship, even if tuition increases.
The availability of the Lottery Scholarship may increase students’ understanding that college is
affordable, with related benefit for college enrollment rates. Although state data shows that
students who receive the Lottery Scholarship graduate college at 18 percent over non-scholarship
recipients, research on the disaggregated data would determine the extent to which the Lottery
Scholarship is helping to increase college persistence and completion for low-income students who
likely would not have attended college without its support.
Additionally, public higher education tuition in New Mexico is extremely affordable. Figure 16
presents average in-state tuition for public institutions in the U.S. and New Mexico.
Figure 16: Average In-State Public Tuition in U.S. and New Mexico, 2010-1126
24
Grapevine Center for the Study of Education Policy, Table 5, 2012.
25 New Mexico Lottery, http://www.nmlottery.com/legislative-lottery-scholarships.aspx
26
College Board, Trends in College Pricing, 2011, http://completionagenda.collegeboard.org/state-
performance/state/new-mexico

18
Higher Education Completion Rates
To properly examine New Mexico’s college completion rates, it is helpful to analyze the data based
on the type of higher education institution (public, private, for-profit, etc.). Figure 17 provides the
college completion rates for students across New Mexico and the nation by institution type. As
evidenced by the data, most New Mexico institutions have lower graduation rates than the national
averages.For-profit institutions in New Mexico are the only exception, with slightly higher rates
than average.The biggest graduation gap is at New Mexico’s public four-year schools, where
graduation lags the national average by 15 percentage points. This side-by-side comparison shows
that the college graduation rates vary dramatically by institution type, both nationally and in New
Mexico.
Figure 17: Percent of Students Graduating in 6 Years by Institution Type, New Mexico and U.S.
When disaggregated by subgroup, this lagging trend generally continues. Figures 18 and 19
provide the six-year graduation rate for students in both New Mexico and the nation. New Mexico
institutions have lower graduation rates than the national average for most racial/ethnic
populations, except among African Americans and American Indians attending two-year colleges.

19
Figure 18: Percent of Students Graduating in 6 years at 4-Year Institutions, New Mexico U.S.27
Figure 19: Percent of Students Graduating from 2-Year Institutions, New Mexico and U.S.28
Workforce Trends and Future Projections
Over the next decade, the percentage of jobs requiring a college education is expected to reach 63
percent nationally, and the current projected supply of workers with at least an associate’s degree
will fall short by nearly 3 million. For any state, aligning resources in postsecondary education with
regional workforce needs is an important strategy for ensuring that both the regional economy will
prosper and graduates will find jobs with solid family-supporting incomes.
In New Mexico, 58 percent of all jobs will require postsecondary education by 2018.29 Currently, 33
percent of the state’s working-age adults have an associate’s degree or higher. Between now and
27
Complete College Toolkit. Chronicle for Higher Education. Compilation of Data via New Mexico Profile.
http://collegecompletion.chronicle.com. Note that graduation rates at two-year institutions do not include
students who transfer and graduate from other institutions.
28
Complete College Toolkit, Chronicle for Higher Education.

20
2018, New Mexico will develop 292,000 job vacancies due to both new openings and retirements.
Of these positions, 57 percent will require a postsecondary credential.30
29
Georgetown Center for Education and the Workforce, Help Wanted: Projections of Job and Education
Requirements through 2018 (New Mexico), 2012.
http://www9.georgetown.edu/grad/gppi/hpi/cew/pdfs/newmexico.pdf
30
Georgetown Center for Education and the Workforce, 2012.

21
New Mexico State Provider Survey Results
During March 2012, the National College Access Network administered an online survey to 48
providers of college access services in New Mexico. Table 2 provides a list of the survey
respondents and their locations.
The surveyed organizations range from university-based outreach and bridge programs to small
independent community-based organizations. Collectively, these organizations provide a variety of
services to thousands of New Mexico’s young people and adults to help promote college access and
success. This portion of the New Mexico College Access Inventory summarizes the results from this
online survey and provides an in-depth look at the types and characteristics of access organizations
working in New Mexico, the challenges these providers face, the types of students they serve, and
the services they offer.
Summary
Sample and Response Rate
Invitations to complete the provider survey were sent to 157 organizations/programs across the
state. Forty-eight (48) of those organizations contacted completed the survey, for a response rate of
31 percent. Frequencies reported in this narrative are thus based on a sample of 48 respondents,
unless specified for the sub-sample of those who provided responses on an individual survey item.
Provider Locations in New Mexico
The map on the following page, Figure 20, illustrates the locations of the organizations that
responded to this survey. While many of these organizations provide services beyond their local
area, this geographic display provides a sense of the availability of services statewide. Overall, half
of the college access providers within the state are located in the populous Bernalillo County.
Characteristics of Providers
New Mexico’s college access providers range from small independent organizations with small
budgets to those funded by large federal grants. Some college access providers serve individual
students while some programs also include parents and other family members. This portion of the
report provides an overview of the organizational characteristics of survey respondents and helps
to further understand the survey findings on the types of services available and the numbers of
students receiving services across the state.

22
Perspectives on Collaboration and Statewide Network
Almost all respondents indicated that they were interested in being part of a local, regional, or
statewide college access network. There was some preference for a regional, rather than statewide,
structure. Respondents also largely agreed that coordination with other organizations could
increase effectiveness.

23
Figure 20: Map of New Mexico College Access Survey Respondents
Counties with more than one college access program=
Counties with one college access program=

24
Table 2: Location of New Mexico College Access Survey Respondents
Name of Respondent Location County
Students served
during 2010-2011
Supercomputing Challenge Albuquerque Bernalillo County 3,000
Albuquerque GED Inc. Albuquerque Bernalillo County 312
Magdalena Schools Magdalena Socorro County 178
Jobs for America's Graduates - New Mexico
(JAG-NM)
Albuquerque Bernalillo County 100
Southwest Creations Collaborative Albuquerque Bernalillo County 246
El Centro de la Raza Albuquerque Bernalillo County 69
Bridges Project for Education Taos Taos County 7,000
ENLACE New Mexico Albuquerque Bernalillo County 200
Educate New Mexico Albuquerque Bernalillo County 7,600
GEAR UP at Eastern New Mexico
University-Roswell
Roswell Chaves County 140
Youth Development Inc. Albuquerque Bernalillo County 1,270
Academy at Larragoite Santa Fe Santa Fe County 15,000
NMSU-Carlsbad Carlsbad Eddy County 75
American Indian Student Services Albuquerque Bernalillo County 774
Gallup High School Gallup McKinley County 5,000
UNM ECO Albuquerque Bernalillo County 1,150
Eldorado High School Albuquerque Bernalillo County 1,000
Clovis Community College TRiO Upward
Bound Program
Clovis Curry County 1,900
ENMU-Roswell Roswell Chaves County 50
NMHU/RNNM GEAR UP Las Vegas San Miguel County 2,500
Community Engagement Center Albuquerque Bernalillo County 1,100
Central NM Community College Albuquerque Bernalillo County 150
Catholic Charities Albuquerque Bernalillo County 180
ENIPC Inc. Education Department Santa Fe Santa Fe County 1,001
Northern NM ENLACE Espanola Rio Arriba County 85
Student Support Services-TRIO Albuquerque Bernalillo County 400
Eastern New Mexico Universtiy Talent
Search
Portales Roosevelt County 160
Alamo Early Childhood Center Alamo Socorro County 1,254
NM Public Education Department - 21st
CCLC
Santa Fe Santa Fe County 108
Breakthrough Santa Fe Santa Fe Santa Fe County 7,000
Albuquerque Public Schools Title I
Homeless Project
UNM Health Sciences Office of Diversity Albuquerque Bernalillo County 6,410
APS Even Start Albuquerque Bernalillo County 200
Valencia High School Los Lunas Valencia County 740
College Horizons Inc. Pena Blanca Sandoval County 1,000

25
TRiO Student Support Services Santa Fe
Community College
Santa Fe Santa Fe County 400
Upward Bound Albuquerque Bernalillo County 160
Los Lunas Schools Los Lunas Valencia County 130
Student Support Services Las Vegas San Miguel County 450
HiddenFromView Albuquerque Bernalillo County 361
Career Guidance Institute Albuquerque Bernalillo County 0
LULAC National Educational Service
Center
Upward Bound Portales Roosevelt County 150
NMJC Student Support Services Hobbs Lea County 65
YDI Albuquerque Bernalillo County 185
UNM CEOP HEP Albuquerque Bernalillo County 1,000
EOC Albuquerque Bernalillo County 60
Characteristics of College Access Programs in New Mexico
New Mexico’s college access and success organizations provide services that collectively are
targeted towards raising awareness and improving the likelihood of students enrolling and
succeeding in postsecondary education. The organizations focus on activities that will help students
with this process such as helping students graduate from high school, navigate the financial aid
admissions process, and develop study skills. Table 3 highlights the organizational structure of
programs responding to the survey.
The majority of responding organizations providing college access services in New Mexico are
housed in non-profit college access organizations (21 percent), community organizations (17
percent), TRIO (21 percent), and other (10 percent).
Table 3: Types of Organizations Responding to the Survey
New Mexico Access Providers Number Percentage
Non-profit college access and success program 10 21%
Higher Education outreach program 4 8%
High Schools 4 8%
School Districts 4 8%
Community Organizations 8 17%
GEAR UP 3 6%
TRIO 10 21%
Other (Higher Education) 5 10%

26
Budgets
Of the 48 survey respondents, 42 provided information on their operating budgets. Of these 42, 14
reported an operating budget of over $500,000 and 12 respondents indicated a budget between
$250,000 and $499,999. The largest percentage of providers (31 percent) indicated an operating
budget of $100,000 to $249,999. Figure 21 provides an overview of the providers’ operating
budgets.
Figure 21: Annual Operating Budgets
Capacity and Staffing
Responding organizations varied significantly in the number of students that the serve, with the
largest number of respondents (36 percent) assisting fewer than 100 students each year. Figure
22 provides an overview of the number of students that providers serve each year. Table 4
provides an overview of the staffing of the organizations that completed the college access provider
survey. The majority of staff are employed part-time. A substantial number of the providers (26)
also employ students.
Figure 22: Number of Students Served Annually

27
Table 4: Staff Employed by New Mexico College Access Providers, by status
Name of Respondent
Full-time Part-time America Corps
Vista
Work-
Study
Supercomputing Challenge 3 1 0 0
Albuquerque GED Inc. 0 3 0 0
Magdalena Schools 2 5 1 1
Jobs for America's Graduates -
New Mexico (JAG-NM)
80 5 0 3
Southwest Creations
Collaborative
6 0 0 0
El Centro de la Raza 1 1 0 0
Bridges Project for Education 6 0 7 7
ENLACE New Mexico 2 0 0 0
Educate New Mexico 3 33 15 28
GEAR UP at Eastern New
Mexico University-Roswell
1 0 0 0
Youth Development Inc. 4 0 0 1
Academy at Larragoite 500 120 4 30+
NMSU-Carlsbad 13 2 0 0
American Indian Student
Services
3 17 0 2
Gallup High School 5 0 1 6
UNM ECO 120 0 0 0
Eldorado High School 4 1 0 1
Clovis Community College
TRiO Upward Bound Program
250 20 0 0
ENMU-Roswell 3 10 0 1
NMHU/RNNM GEAR UP 4 35 n/a 12
Community Engagement
Center
6 4 0 5
Central NM Community College 4 4 120 75
Catholic Charities 3 3 0 2
ENIPC Inc. Education
Department
12 8 N/A N/A
Northern NM ENLACE 1 0 0 0
Student Support Services-TRIO 2 3 0 6
Eastern New Mexico University
Talent Search
3 2 0 14
Alamo Early Childhood Center 4 0 0 5
NM Public Education
Department - 21st CCLC
30 1 0 0
Breakthrough Santa Fe 15 0 0 0
Albuquerque Public Schools
Title I Homeless Project
2 24 0 0
UNM Health Sciences Office of
Diversity
14 7 0 0

28
APS Even Start 8 4 0 2
Valencia High School 26 45 0 0
College Horizons Inc. 100 25 0 1
TRiO Student Support Services
Santa Fe Community College
2 1 0 0
Upward Bound 4 0 0 0
Los Lunas Schools 5 20 0 3
Student Support Services 1 0 0 0
HiddenFromView 8 0 0 17
Career Guidance Institute 1 0 0 0
LULAC National Educational
Service Center
1 0 0 0
Upward Bound 2 2 0 5
NMJC Student Support Services 3 0 0 3
YDI 4 5 0 3
UNM CEOP HEP 22 0 0 0
EOC 4 0 0 6
Goals and Objectives
Providers were asked to identify three main goals that drive their work in college access. Figure 23
provides an overview of the most frequently citied goals of New Mexico college access providers.
The majority of providers (73 percent) focus on improving high school retention and preventing
high school dropouts. Sixty percent of respondents indicated increasing high school
graduation/obtaining GED as their top goal, and 48 percent indicated improving academic
preparation as a top goal. In open-ended responses, the providers indicated additional goals such as
“providing quality preschool for 3 and 4 year olds,” “preparing children for kindergarten entry,” and
“building the capacity of the native tribal nations.”

29
Figure 23: Top 3 Goals for New Mexico College Access Providers
Types of Services Provided
Table 5 provides an overview of the most common services offered by New Mexico college access
providers. More than three-quarters of college access providers within the state focus on enhancing
academic skills, and 60 percent provide advising for selecting the right institution of higher
education. Respondents, however, reported low rates of providing assistance with college
retention, college graduation, or scholarships. For example, only 35 percent provided college
success programming, and only 12 percent of respondents provide unmet need aid. Additional
open-ended responses indicated that respondents also provide “employability skills curriculum,”
“college prep academic planning,” and “financial literacy awareness.”

30
Table 5: Types of Services Provided
Major Services Provided Number of Providers Percentage
offering this service
Academic enhancement/tutoring/study skills 38 79%
Career exploration and/or career counseling 35 73%
Financial aid advising 30 62%
College admissions advising 29 60%
Scholarship searches and applications 28 58%
College fairs and visits 25 52%
Mentoring/shadowing/internships 24 48%
Services for parents 20 42%
College transition/retention support 19 40%
Test preparation 17 35%
College success programs 17 35%
Encouraging academically rigorous curriculum 17 35%
Fee payments for tests, housing, admissions 11 23%
Unmet need aid (last dollar grants) 6 12%
Early Awareness 4 11%
Characteristics of Populations Served by Surveyed Providers
The vast majority of surveyed providers indicated that they target their services to low-income (94
percent), minority (83 percent), and/or first-generation college-going students (79 percent).
Additional responses indicate students with disabilities (50 percent) and undocumented students
(48 percent). Open-ended responses indicated that providers also focus on “youth involved in the
juvenile justice system,” “native children,” and “migrant seasonal workers”. Fewer respondents
targeted foster children (29 percent) and veterans (25 percent). See Figure 24.

31
Figure 24: Populations Targeted by Provider
Figure 25 provides additional information on the services provided to students across the state.
Generally, college access programs in New Mexico provide the aforementioned services students
spanning a wide range of ages. Most of these services, however, are concentrated on students who
are in 10th and 11th grade (65 percent).
Figure 25: Percentage of Providers Targeting Each Age/Academic Level
Challenges
Survey respondents identified the top three challenges they are currently facing. Figure 26
provides an overview of these results. By far the biggest challenge revolved around
funding/sustainability (46 percent). Respondents indicated the capacity to serve all the students in

32
need as the second biggest challenged (42 percent) followed by engaging parents/families (19
percent), program evaluation (19 percent), and retaining students in the program(19 percent).
Open-ended responses in the survey provided an additional context to understand the challenges
faced by New Mexico’s college access providers. These additional responses included “retaining
students in college,” “identifying new college partners,” and “data gathering and use of data.”
Figure 26: Top 3 Challenges Faced by College Access Providers
Evaluation and Data Collection
In terms of measuring evaluation and program success, the majority of survey respondents report
collecting information on high school graduation (56 percent) and students who enroll in
postsecondary education (56 percent). Figure 27 indicates that nearly 30 percent of respondents
collect data about how many students complete a FAFSA, and 25 percent collect data on whether
their students graduate with a postsecondary credential.
Figure 28 provides an overview of the data indicators that respondents collect to evaluate their
programs. The majority of respondents indicated focusing their evaluations on high school
performance and enrolling in college. Additional answers provided by survey respondents included
“obtaining a GED,” “obtaining employment,” and “entry into health professions.”

33
Despite their goal to increase the number of students entering and succeeding in postsecondary
education, a small percentage (21 percent) of respondents use college completion as a metric in
their evaluations. For the programs that do collect this critical information, the average percentage
of seniors during the 2010-2011 school year that persisted towards postsecondary education was
61 percent.
Figure 27: Percent of Providers that Collect Key Data on College-Going
Figure 28: Percentage of Providers that Evaluate Key Outcomes
New Mexico’s College Access Providers Communications
Table 6 provides an overview of how New Mexico’s college access providers promote their
programs to students and families. Printed materials, web sites, and communications with school
personnel are the most common methods.

34
Table 6: Mediums Used to Promote College Access Services
Mediums to promote college
access programs
Numbers of providers
using this medium
Percentage
Brochures and other printed materials 42 88%
Website 40 83%
Schools (counselors, teachers,
announcements)
37 77%
Information table at outreach events 29 60%
Direct mail 23 48%
Email newsletter 23 48%
Social Media (Facebook, YouTube) 23 48%
Print publications (newspapers,
magazines
12 25%
Radio 11 23%
Other (networks, alumni, community
presentations)
9 19%
Internet advertising 7 15%
Television 5 10%
Local Business cross promotion 4 8%
College Access Providers’ Perspective on Collaboration and Statewide Network
First, 92 percent of respondents said they would be interested in participating in a local, regional,
or statewide college access network (44 respondents).
When asked if they believed their organization has done an excellent job in engaging key
stakeholders in advancing their mission, about two-thirds of respondents (69 percent) agreed.
Figure 29 provides an overview of these results. Respondents were also asked if regional
partnerships, rather than statewide, would make a more substantive impact on increasing college
awareness. Slightly more than half (52 percent) of respondents favored developing regional
partnerships instead of at the state level. Figure 30 provides an overview of these results.

35
Figure 29: Percentage of Respondents Indicating Positive Stakeholder Engagement
Figure 30: Percent of Respondents that Prefer Regional Partnerships
Regarding coordination of services, only 17 percent of respondents agree that there is little overlap
in postsecondary support services across the state whereas the remainder are neutral or disagree.
Figure 31 provides additional detail. Similarly, only 19 percent of respondents agreed that college
access/success organizations across the state are well aware of each other's activities (see Figure
32). Lastly, 79 percent of survey respondents believed that they could benefit from coordination
with other organizations to achieve better outcomes (see Figure 33).

36
Figure 31: Strong Awareness Exists of Activities of Other College Access/Success Programs
Figure 32: There Is Little Overlap in Postsecondary Support Services
Figure 33: Coordination with Other Organizations Could Achieve Better Outcomes

37
Finally, the survey asked respondents to identify the most useful services they could receive as a
member of the college access network. Figure 34 provides an overview of these results. Overall, a
majority of the respondents indicated that professional development for school counselors, staff,
and advisors (71 percent), aggregate data (56 percent), and FAFSA completion programs (56
percent) are the most useful as a New Mexico College Access Network member.
Figure 34: Most Helpful Network Services

38
New Mexico Stakeholder Interview Summary
In April 2012, the National College Access Network (NCAN) began interviews with key stakeholders
from across New Mexico regarding their perspectives on college access and success in the state. The
interview participants came from a range of professions, including state policy-makers, program
administrators, and direct service providers in secondary and post-secondary education. The
participants also represented public and private sectors from various parts of the state. The
interview questions were modeled after questions in previous inventories and adapted by the New
Mexico College Access Network (New Mexico CAN) to meet unique state considerations.
NCAN worked in partnership with New Mexico CAN to identify key stakeholders in the college
access and success community. Nearly 25 participants were contacted and 16 separate interviews
were conducted over the course of two months. Interviews were conducted in person or over the
phone based on the participant’s location and preference. The interviews were audio recorded and
partially transcribed for this report.
Several themes emerged from the discussions with stakeholders:
Social Issues
Social issues were a common topic of conversation throughout the interviews. Social factors such as
socioeconomic status, cycles of poverty, transient families, and young parents, among other factors
present barriers to college access and success. The practitioners who work closely with students
and families emphasized the need to support students and families in all aspects of their lives to
improve education outcomes. These stakeholders saw this theme as a constant throughout post-
secondary education, college readiness, college completion, and career readiness discussions.
Participants also related these social issues to the low expectations of students and a lack of
mentors and role models in students’ homes and communities.
Retention
Several stakeholders indicted that New Mexico has a high level of college access due to the diverse
range and number of higher education institutions, relative to the number of people in the state.
The challenge for New Mexico in relation to postsecondary education is retaining and graduating
students. Participants discussed how the low persistence rate was highly correlated to the need for
academic remediation of students. They pointed out that students’ chances of completing a post-
secondary degree decreases substantially for each remediation course needed after high school.
Additional factors included lack of student supports in higher education, lack of alignment between
K-12 and higher education curricula, and inflexibility of state-based financial aid.

39
Supportive Relationships
Supportive relationships and human capital was another common theme from the stakeholder
interviews. As college access and success practitioners, the stakeholders rely on relationships they
have established across the state and across institutions to support students and families. They
prefer to refer students and families to individuals they know personally and have a track record of
supporting them with care and compassion. Since these stakeholders assist students relationally,
the students and their families have established trusted relationships to assist them with navigating
through bureaucracies. Stakeholders highlighted these relationships as an integral part of the
strengths in New Mexico because of the potential to create strong networks of support for students.
Relationships, however, also have histories that can present challenges for people and
organizations trying to work together. For this reason stakeholders also regarded relationship
dynamics as a weakness. The stakeholders discussed how strained professional relationships
among individuals in the field have limited the capacity for organizations to work together, enhance
competition, and prevented collaboration. Relying on relationships, rather than systems within and
among organizations and institutions, may also limit the number of students who receive support
along the pathway to and through college.
Access
Stakeholders frequently noted various types of access (proximity of institutions, admissions
standards, and affordability) as strengths. Three key characteristics surfaced as critical to college
access in New Mexico:
1) There are 14 public higher education institutions in across the state, many with multiple branch
campuses. With the exception of the two largest 4-year institutions, the admissions requirements
are nearly open enrollment for all high school graduates and GED recipients.
2) The 2-year institutions are also sources of adult education, GED support, and remedial education
to prepare individuals who are not yet college-ready.
3) The New Mexico Legislative Lottery Scholarship provides New Mexico high school graduates
with full tuition for any New Mexico public institution.
Still, some of the stakeholders were concerned that although there is access in terms of proximity of
institutions, admissions standards, and affordability, there is inequitable access for students in
rural communities, poor communities, students of color, English language learners, and students
from underperforming schools.
Aggregated Interview Responses
The following is a summary of participant responses for each interview question. The responses are
not attributed to any one participant. Although there were 16 participants, some participants

40
provided multiple answers for each question, while others refrained from answering questions they
believed to be outside the scope of their work. Additionally, high-level policy makers were provided
a truncated list of questions due to time constraints and relevance.
Figure 35: What are the top issues for New Mexico students related to postsecondary education?
Participants presented numerous issues of high concern about post-secondary education in New
Mexico. The three primary issues were social issues, college readiness, and the availability of
information. The first area of concern, social issues, was comprised of symptoms of poverty and the
systematic inability to meet students’ social needs. Issues such as substance abuse, cycles of failed
attempts at education, high mobility, homelessness populations, and a lack of integrated services
present barriers to students pursuing higher education. The interview participants gave examples
of how the immediate financial and emotional needs of parents and families take precedence over
students’ education when faced with these challenges.
The participants pointed out that based on the state’s low high school graduation rate, it is not
surprising that many of the current high school students would be first-generation college students
and have undereducated parents. Most stakeholders were optimistic that systematically engaging
parents in education, for themselves and their children, can ease these barriers for students.
Additionally, stakeholders expressed the need to work holistically with students - integrating
academic support services with public assistance, health, and financial support programs.
College readiness was nearly equally noted by stakeholders as critical issue for post-secondary
education. Participants cited the high college remediation rate as evidence that high school
graduates are underprepared for college, requiring pre-college courses. The need for remediation
courses has a high correlation with low student retention and completion rates. Some participants
pointed to the lack of a rigorous high school curriculum and a lack of systematic support for English
language mastery as two sources of the underpreparedness.

41
Stakeholders also raised the issue of inconsistent college information. There is a sense that students
are often provided inaccurate or incomplete information about what is it takes to be admitted and
be successful in post-secondary education. The limited ability for school counselors to provide
college guidance for students and families exacerbates the information gap. Furthermore,
stakeholders noted that college information is limited or largely inaccessible to students of color,
English language learners, and students with physical and learning disabilities.
Figure 36: What are the top issues for New Mexico students related to college readiness?
Social issues like poverty, substance abuse, and being first-generation students topped the list in
the area of issues for college readiness. During this discussion with stakeholders the topic of social
issues expanded to include shortcomings of the education system, namely lack of child care, lack of
transportation, and disparities in the quality of public schools across the state.
Stakeholders also discussed college readiness in more detail than in the previous question. They
described how many high school graduates lack critical skills necessary to be ready for college,
work, and life. Some of the skills mentioned were basic reading and writing, critical thinking, and
study skills. Stakeholders felt that the high school curriculum the lacks rigor and relevancy
necessary prepares students to go to college.
Other concerns during the college readiness discussion, in order of frequency, were: the lack of a
cohesive (cradle-career) education system, low expectations of students, and the lack of school
college counseling. The state has 14 public higher education institutions that work independently
and have individual admissions standards and processes, contributing to a gap between high school
graduation and postsecondary education. The stakeholders felt that higher education does not
work well with public education to prepare students for college and that higher education
institutions are unclear about what skills are necessary to be successful in college. The lack of
cohesion and alignment between public and higher education leaves gaps that make for a difficult
transition to college.

42
Low student expectations were of concern to some of the participants. “Mediocrity has become the
norm,” stated one stakeholder while describing these low expectations. A few participants felt that
schools and the community-at-large have neither engaged, inspired, nor expected students to have
a self-vision that include postsecondary education. While school counselors are well positioned to
engage, inspire, and guide students to postsecondary education, they are limited in number and
lack the institutional support to provide students with adequate college guidance. The counselors
are pulled away to administer testing and other administrative duties, limiting direct service to
students and families. One stakeholder also noted that there is no state-level accountability for how
school counselor work time is spent, allowing for schools and districts to require counselors to
perform other duties not specific to guiding students to high school completion, college, and career.
Figure 37: What are the top issues for New Mexico students related to college persistence?
Once again, social issues topped the list of issues for students, this time related to college
persistence. The social characteristics such as poverty, a lack of role models, access to affordable
and quality childcare, transportation, and family dynamics were seen as creating challenges for
students already in post-secondary institutions. Often, the need to financially contribute to the
family household pushes students to work at a high rate, having a negative impact on student
persistence.
In addition to the family and social issues that affect students’ ability to pay for college,
stakeholders identified the New Mexico Legislative Lottery Scholarship as contributing to the issue
of college persistence. In 1996, the State Legislature established the Legislative Lottery Scholarship
using state lottery revenue to fund college attendance. The scholarship provides full tuition to
qualified New Mexico high school graduates and GED recipients at eligible New Mexico colleges and
universities. The scholarship provides full tuition for eight consecutive semesters. While a great
funding opportunity for students, the scholarship standards and limitations become an issue of
persistence when a large number of students lose the scholarship due either to falling below the

43
eligibility criteria or exceeding the number of allowable semesters to access the scholarship. A few
participants pointed out that the lack of academic preparation and the required remediation cause
students to take much longer than eight semesters to complete their degrees. Once the lottery
scholarship runs out, students either cannot or chose not to complete the degree due to the lack of
funding.
Stakeholders indicated a lack of support systems such as tutoring, mentoring, coaching, and
meaningful parental involvement. There are pockets of strong higher education support programs
and services, but these are limited in capacity and do not have broad institutional support. The
participants expressed optimism about the passionate people working in strong support services,
but were disheartened by the lack of a systematic approach to provide cohesive, ongoing support to
students and families throughout post-secondary education. Additionally, a participant described a
hostile campus climate not conducive to supporting students from diverse backgrounds and
experiences and student frustrations with being underprepared as issues contributing to low
college persistence rates.
Figure 38: What are the top issues for New Mexico students related to career readiness?
The top three issues in career readiness were: a lack of information, lack of institutional alignment
with industry needs, and lack of career preparation. The stakeholders said there is limited access to
information about a variety of jobs and careers and little to no information provided to students
about the education and skills necessary to enter a desired profession. Students are unclear about
the expectations and requirements to be successful in a chosen career path. Additionally, some
stakeholders felt that youth are neither inspired nor encouraged to think of non-traditional
professional pathways, opportunities beyond the limited exposure they have to professionals.
Some stakeholders described a misalignment between public education, higher education, and the
job market. They believe that the educational institutions do not adequately prepare students for

44
college and careers. Furthermore, the public school system is ill-equipped (in human capacity and
funding) to provide the type of curriculum and technology necessary to appropriately prepare
students for high-tech industry.
A few of the stakeholders expressed their belief that education and the economy have come into
conflict about the true purpose of education. Modern discussions about the purpose of education
describe successful educational outcomes as the preparation of students with marketable skills to
attract industry and improve the economy of the state and nation. The participants challenged the
dominant discourse though the following statements, “it is so much more than preparing [students]
for jobs,” “we need [students] to be prepared for life,” and “[students] need to have the ability to
transfer the talents and skill sets that they have to any profession.”
Figure 39: What are New Mexico’s strengths with respect to helping students enroll in
postsecondary education?
A large majority of the stakeholders considered the amount of people and programs in New Mexico,
working on college access and success, to be the number-one strength. According to the
participants, there are many caring people across the state who are passionate about increasing the
college completion rate. The programs they work with are “pockets of excellence” that need to be
looked at for scale-up of best practices.
Stakeholders also identified the Lottery Scholarship and other sources of student funding as an
advantage that New Mexico has when it comes to timely enrollment of students in post-secondary
education. Students must begin college the first semester after receiving a high school diploma or
GED to be eligible for the scholarship. This criterion incentivizes students to enroll in one of the 14
public institutions directly out of high school. Additionally, the stakeholders described higher
education in New Mexico as being widely accessible due to the number of institutions and the
relatively low cost of attendance.

45
Figure 40: What are New Mexico’s weaknesses with respect to helping students enroll in
postsecondary education?
Stakeholders discussed a broad range of weaknesses with respect to enrolling students in post-
secondary education. The most frequently noted weakness was low expectations of students (i.e., in
academic performance and in the ability to excel personally and professionally. Participants
pointed to the lack of a college-going culture in schools and families as the source of low
expectations. They explained that students internalize the low expectations. As a result, many
students have fear and self-doubt about their ability to be successful in college and life.
Upon completing high school, the bureaucratic college systems (i.e., jargon, policies, procedures,
paperwork, and cultural norms) can be cumbersome, intimidating, and difficult to navigate for
students and families. This is particularly challenging for first-generation students who do not have
a family member to assist them and students whose guardians have limited English proficiency.
A few participants highlighted access as a weakness for rural New Mexico students. During this
discussion, these participants felt that students from rural communities have limited access to post-
secondary education due to limited high school curricula, lack of technology to connect to
accelerated learning opportunities, lack of transportation, and distance from college campuses.
Currently 37 percent of New Mexicans hold a college degree. When thinking about the New
Mexico college completion rate, would you say it is of concern, on target, or excellent?
The stakeholders unanimously thought the degree attainment in New Mexico was of concern. One
participant added the word “appalling,” while others said that the completion rate should be higher
considering the low population relative to the number of public higher education institutions in the
state. Three of the interview participants expressed concern that 37 percent was artificially high

46
due to the number of highly credentialed employees imported by companies such as Intel, Sandia,
and Los Alamos National Laboratories.
Figure 41: Thinking about the students you work with or the students in your community, how
aware are students and their families of the college access resources in their community or state?
Which student resources do you most often promote?
The stakeholders generally believe that students and families have limited knowledge about the
college access resources in their community and across the state. Those participants who indicated
that students and families were not at all aware of the resources predominantly work with low-
income, English language learners, and immigrant families. Those that said not very aware,
somewhat aware, and aware focused on how students have trouble filtering the large amount of
information and resources that bombard them. These participants said that students receive a large
amount of information from schools, colleges, and community organizations, but parents are much
less aware of the available resources. They felt that engaging parents could increase student
participation in support programs and college access resources. The stakeholder that works closely
with private schools said the students and families are very aware of the college access resources
due to high parental engagement, educated parents, high expectations of students, and effective
school counseling.
The stakeholders provided a combined list of approximately 50 types of resources to which they
refer students and families for college access support. The resources covered higher education
(two-year and four-year) based organizations, school-based organizations, community-based
organizations, and various student funding opportunities.

47
Figure 42: What is the number one thing that New Mexico (K-12) schools and community
organizations need to do in order to best help students successfully prepare for postsecondary
education?
The stakeholders struggled to provide one answer for this interview question. It was clear that
most participants felt a series of things need to happen to better prepare students for post-
secondary education. Comments related to relationships were the most frequently mentioned
action items for K-12 schools and community organizations. These comments addressed the need
for schools and organizations to build relationships and to harness existing relationships to create a
strong support network for students and families throughout the education process. Although
participants did not mention specific organizations, there was a sense from some of the participants
that there are many strong organizations that are in competition with one another and do not work
together to benefit students. Participants expressed a need for creating genuine partnerships and
strengthening of current relationships without “pointing fingers” regarding the past failures.
Additionally, stakeholders want schools and organizations to create strong relationships with
parents, beginning with welcoming spaces for students and families in the schools.
Inspiring excellence was the second most frequently noted action item from stakeholders. This
topic included suggestions like engage students in education, raise expectations of students,
educate undereducated parents, and begin informing students about college at a young age to
create a college-going culture.
Stakeholders also discussed the need for a holistic approach (integrated academic, personal,
financial, and health support services) to working with students. It is evident that the participants
regarded social issues such as the socioeconomic status of students, students with children, lack of

48
transportation and other issues beyond academics as barriers to college completion. A holistic
approach to working with students through the integration of social support services would
address some of the challenges for students, as opposed to schools and organizations attempting to
work on academic success in isolation.
Additionally, stakeholders suggested a more cohesive systematic approach as an important
initiative for schools and community organizations. Suggestions for systematic changes included:
address racism and classism in the education system, scale up and institutionalize highly effective
programs and services so that more students can benefit from them, and invest in early childhood
education “because kindergarten is just too late.”
Figure 43: What are New Mexico’s strengths and/or weaknesses when it comes to helping students
complete a postsecondary degree?
Most stakeholders pointed to strong organizations and programs providing support services to
students as strengths related to students completing a post-secondary degree in New Mexico. The
stakeholders stressed the valuable resources across the state investing money, time, and human
capital into supporting students. The programs were predominantly higher education-based
services that include institution, state, and private funding. Many of these organizations have been
assisting students for 20 to 40 years and have long-established relationships with communities and
policy-makers.
Once again, the Lottery Scholarship surfaced as a strength related to helping students complete a
college degree. The stakeholders who mentioned the scholarship emphasized the value of the
program for low-income students. For many students, this incentive pulls them through post-
secondary education to degree completion. Additionally, participants noted access to higher
education as an asset when it comes to assisting students with completing a degree. This strength

49
was described as the high number and location of institutions with open access, “no matter where
you live in the state, you can go a half-hour and be on a [college] campus.”
Figure 44: What are New Mexico’s strengths and/or weaknesses when it comes to helping students
complete a postsecondary degree?
Most stakeholders pointed to systematic flaws within P-20 education as weaknesses. These flaws
included: institutionalized racism and classism, no way to track student progress across schools,
administrators and policy-makers embedded in maintaining the status quo, a lack of cohesion
between the state Public Education Department and the Higher Education Department, and a lack
of a state-wide transfer articulation between two-year and four-year institutions. Participants also
discussed the following weaknesses related to supporting degree completion: college readiness, a
lack of student engagement in schools and their own education, and how higher education
institutions are funded.

50
Figure 45: In your opinion, is there a New Mexico student population most difficult to reach?
Which population most struggles with college completion?
The stakeholders provided a broad list of student sub-groups that are most difficult to reach.
Topping the list were Native American students, followed by students with low family support and
engagement, non-traditional (adult and commuter) students, and poor students. One participant
used the term “lost students” to describe a difficult population to reach. This group refers to
transient, homeless, sexually-active youth, youth involved in the justice system, and students
suffering from addiction, substance abuse, and other forms of abuse.
Table 7: New Mexico CAN is the state-wide college access/success network. Please comment on the
level of benefit the following supports would be if provided by New Mexico CAN for its
membership?
A student advisement tracking system (for practitioner use) 4.8
Regular network communications 4.5
Policy updates and advocacy efforts 4.5
Major program public relations/media (FAFSA Free-for-All, etc.) 4.4
Scholarship coordination (promotions, database, etc.) 4.4
Professional development for college access practitioners 4.4
An annual convening 3.9
Fundraising and/or sub-grants 3.5

51
Stakeholders rated the following supports on a scale of 1 to 5, five being extremely beneficial, and
one being not beneficial at all. Overall, stakeholders thought these supports would be beneficial to
the college access and support community in New Mexico. They particularly gravitated to
developing networks of support for practitioners, highlighting best practices, and sharing
resources. Participants approached ratings for an annual convening, network communications, and
professional development with caution. They discussed how they have spent a lot of time in many
similar initiatives, with very little results and action. The participants stressed a need to be
intentional and impactful when providing annual convenings, communications, and professional
development through the inclusion of youth voice, parents, follow-up, and follow-through activities.

52
Recommendations
As mentioned earlier in this report, 33 percent of working-age New Mexicans currently hold an
associate’s degree or higher, but by 2018 58 percent of New Mexico’s jobs will require at least some
postsecondary education. The information collected through this assessment points the way to
several strategies New Mexico can pursue to improve college access and success and meet the
state’s future workforce needs.
 Improve retention rates at New Mexico’s public institutions. New Mexico’s college
retention rates lag national averages, particularly at public four-year institutions. Analysis
of these data for each institution could identify pockets of excellence and provide examples
of best practices to be implemented elsewhere in the state by both institutions and by
college access/success programs. New Mexico CAN could also identify relevant examples
from other states. Advocates could also raise awareness of this issue with the state
legislature and encourage the state to begin create funding incentives based on college
retention and graduation rates, rather than on enrollment.
 Encourage adults with “some college, no degree” to complete. New Mexico has a
relatively high percentage of working-age adults in this category. Several states have
launched successful efforts to reach out to these adults and encourage them to re-enroll and
complete a credential.
 Amend the Lottery Scholarship program to (1) be more flexible in its eligibility
requirements to meet the needs of low-income students, and/or (2) focus more
resources on students with financial need. Currently, the scholarship’s requirements
that recipients enroll full-time immediately after high school graduation and maintain a 2.5
GPA are likely to be limiting the number of students who benefit. The lack of financial need
requirements mean that a significant number of families benefit from the program who
could otherwise afford college. Implementing a financial need requirement could make
more funds available to benefit low-income students and raise the state’s college success
rates.
 Build on success with Black and American Indian students at two-year colleges. By
examining the relative success at New Mexico’s two-year public institutions in graduating
Black and American Indian students, New Mexico CAN could identify and share best
practices with the four-year institutions.
 Help public higher ed institutions to align their college readiness expectations with
their feeder public high schools and districts. Convening the higher ed institutions with
their feeder schools to review college enrollment, persistence, and graduation data for local
students could be a powerful way to begin this interaction and create meaningful change.
 Advocate for and support improved use of student outcome data. First, New Mexico
would benefit from advocates who are monitoring and encouraging the work of the state’s

53
Data Warehouse Council, the home of the longitudinal state education database, to improve
the availability and use of data to improve student performance, including performance on
college access and success indicators. A 2011 analysis from the Data Quality Campaign
indicates that New Mexico has a number of actions yet to take to link data systems, provide
timely access to data, create student progress reports, and promote strategies to raise
awareness and use of available data.31 Second, New Mexico’s college access providers would
benefit from support to collect and analyze outcome data for their students in order to
improve their program effectiveness.
 Identify and promote models for improved remedial education. Programs in New
Mexico and around the country are exploring ways to accelerate students’ progress through
remedial education. By encouraging adoption of such programs, New Mexico could increase
college retention rates and ultimately achieve cost savings.
 Promote dual enrollment and early-college high schools. These programs are
demonstrating success around the country in improving college-going for low-income
students.
 Protect New Mexico’s college affordability. Many states have made relatively larger cuts
to their higher education funding than New Mexico, pushing more costs onto students and
families. Advocates in New Mexico will want to be sure that advocacy efforts to improve
higher ed outcomes also emphasize the need to maintain the state’s financial investment.
 Raise expectations about education outcomes for poor students. Stakeholder
interviews in particular emphasized the barriers that poverty presented for students. As the
state with the third-highest rate of poverty in the nation, this is an understandable and
highly relevant topic for New Mexicans. A holistic understanding of all circumstances that
limit educational attainment is crucial. It presents an opportunity for the New Mexico
College Access Network to change the conversation and share strategies from other
communities that are helping low-income students overcome multiple barriers and achieve
their intellectual and workforce potential.
 Explore some potential college access network services more thoroughly. The college
access program survey and stakeholder interviews produced a mixed picture of what the
most valued member services for the New Mexico College Access Network might be. More
exploration is warranted for a few categories: professional development, fundraising, and
collaboration/coordination across the state.
31
Data Quality Campaign, http://dataqualitycampaign.org/stateanalysis/states/NM/

NM Access Inventory final 10-15-12 (1)

Empfohlen

Empfohlen

Weitere ähnliche Inhalte

Was ist angesagt?

Was ist angesagt? (20)

Andere mochten auch

Andere mochten auch (20)

Ähnlich wie NM Access Inventory final 10-15-12 (1)

Ähnlich wie NM Access Inventory final 10-15-12 (1) (20)

Mehr von Amilcar Guzman

Mehr von Amilcar Guzman (8)

NM Access Inventory final 10-15-12 (1)