Grants Announced for Comprehensive School Reform Program; 16 New Schools to Receive $53,000 Each

(Santa Fe, NM)— The New Mexico State Department of Education (SDE) announced today that $848,000 in federal Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) Program grants have been awarded to 16 schools new to the program, with each school receiving $53,000. This brings to 54 the number of schools currently receiving funding through the CSR Program to provide for the implementation whole school reforms.

“The CSR Program seeks to improve student achievement by supporting the implementation of comprehensive school reforms based on scientifically based research and effective practices so that all children, especially children in low-performing, high-poverty schools, can meet the state’s challenging content and academic achievement standards,” said Barbara Bianchi, state coordinator for the SDE’s CSR Program.

Because a single reform model may not be able to provide all the elements of school reform, new federal guidelines require the schools to draw together individual initiatives to best meet their needs. The initiatives must be based on strong academic content and research-based strategies, measurable goals, support by and for staff, professional development, parental and community involvement, technical assistance, evaluation and the coordination of resources.

Today’s announcement represents the fifth round of awards for the CSR Program, formerly the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) Program.

The 16 awardees include the following:

Albuquerque Public Schools: Adobe Acres Elementary, Alamosa Elementary, Atrisco Elementary, Carlos Rey Elementary, Mary Ann Binford Elementary and Jimmy Carter Middle

Central Consolidated Schools: Natanni Nez Elementary

Espanola Public Schools: Alcalde Elementary and Hernandez Elementary

Hobbs Municipal Schools: Taylor Elementary

Jemez Mountain Public Schools: Lybrook Elementary

Santa Fe Public Schools: Alvord Elementary and Kearny Elementary

Tucumcari Public Schools: Tucumcari Middle

West Las Vegas Public Schools: West Las Vegas Middle

Zuni Public Schools: Dowa Yalanne Elementary

The grant awards will be issued for one year, beginning on July 1, 2003. The awardees may be eligible for continuation funding should Congress appropriate additional CSR Program funds in the future.

Thirty-eight awardees are in the third and fourth (final) rounds of funding in the following districts: Albuquerque, Belen, Bernalillo, Deming, Espanola, Farmington, Gallup, Hatch, Las Cruces, Lordsburg, Los Lunas, Loving, Magdalena, Mesa Vista, Santa Fe, Taos, Truth or Consequences and West Las Vegas.