Vote may cut sentences for 19,500 crack inmates

CNN -

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Buoyed by a Supreme Court ruling, some 19,500 federal inmates and their families, most of them black, are hoping the U.S. Sentencing Commission is ready to make its recent easing of crack cocaine punishment guidelines retroactive.

The seven-member commission, which provides guidelines for sentencing federal convicts, meets Tuesday to discuss retroactivity, and a vote is likely.

Inmate family representatives and other advocates of retroactive easing said a Supreme Court decision Monday could only improve chances the commission would dismantle yet another portion of the long-criticized disparity in sentences for crack and powder cocaine offenses. Crack is predominantly used by blacks; powder cocaine, predominantly by whites.

Making the guidelines retroactive is opposed by the Bush administration. A senior Justice Department official warned Tuesday that retroactive guidelines could have a disastrous effect on crime-riddled communities that are not ready to receive crack offenders who could be released early from prison as a result.

"Areas that already are seeing an increase in violent crime -- this is going to affect those areas dramatically," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the commission had not formally acted.

The Justice Department previously opposed retroactive changes to sentences for LSD and marijuana offenders.

In two decisions Monday, the Supreme Court upheld judges who rejected federal sentencing guidelines as too harsh and imposed more lenient prison terms, including one for crack offenses.

In the crack case, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's majority opinion said Derrick Kimbrough's 15-year sentence was acceptable, although guidelines called for 19 to 22 years. "In making that determination, the judge may consider the disparity between the guidelines' treatment of crack and powder cocaine offenses," Ginsburg said.

Kimbrough is black.

So are 86 percent of the 19,500 inmates who might see their prison terms for crack offenses reduced if the commission approves retroactive easing. By contrast, just over a quarter of those convicted of powder cocaine crimes last year were black.

The sentencing commission recently changed the guidelines to reduce the disparity in prison time for the two crimes. New guidelines took effect November 1.

Under the commission's plan, retroactive sentence reductions would not be automatic. A judge would have to review each inmate to decide whether a reduction was merited.

"The Kimbrough decision is a tremendous victory for all who believe that the crack and powder cocaine disparity is unjust," said Mary Price, vice president of Families Against Mandatory Minimums.

Kimbrough's case, though, did not present the ultimate fairness question. Congress wrote the harsher treatment for crack into a law that sets a mandatory minimum of five years in prison for trafficking in 5 grams of crack cocaine or 100 times as much powder cocaine.

Seventy percent of crack defendants get the mandatory minimum.

Kimbrough is among the remaining 30 percent who, under the guidelines, are supposed to receive even more prison time for trafficking in more than 5 grams of crack.

Neither the court's decision nor the commission's guidelines affect the minimum sentences, which only Congress can alter.

Calling the court decision a "minor fix," U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton of Washington, said, "The ultimate fix has to be done by Congress." Last month, Walton endorsed retroactive easing of the guidelines on behalf of the Criminal Law Committee of the federal judiciary.

In previous years, the sentencing commission reduced penalties for crimes involving marijuana, LSD and OxyContin, which are primarily committed by whites, and made those decisions retroactive.

New Mexico gets low rank on binge drinking

By Sue Vorenberg (Contact)
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Albuquerque Tribune

A study that shows declining rates of binge drinking in New Mexico might not be cause for celebration.

The state came in 38th overall in a 2007 ranking of healthy states by the United Health Foundation. That's a bit better than last year, when the state came in 40th.

And in binge drinking, the state was ranked the 10th lowest out of 50 states, with 13 percent of the population engaging in the practice.

But some experts find that statistic odd in a state that's known for its problems with alcoholism and drunken driving.

"The number is surprisingly low for New Mexico," said Terry Huertaz, executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. "Our statistics have always been focused on crashes, fatalities, and our state is in a slight decline, but we still have a lot of work to do."

The binge drinking data were gathered by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But state experts aren't so sure about their overall relevance in the fight against alcoholism, said Karen Armitage, chief medical officer for the state Department of Health.

"While it looks like we're not doing terribly badly around binge drinking, we have some outcomes that make us question whether that's cause for celebration," Armitage said.

"We still have violent deaths, vehicle crashes, homicides and suicides. These types of violent deaths are often tied to alcoholism and drugs."

And by drunken driving statistics, it seems the binge drinking rates - measured by a person having five or more drinks in one sitting - aren't all that low, Huertaz said.

"The average person arrested for drunken driving is twice the legal limit - so there's some serious drinking going on," Huertaz said.

The state also ranked well in its low prevalence of cancer deaths and obesity, although the obesity number is a bit deceptive, Armitage said.

In 1990, the state ranked sixth, with 9.8 percent of the population meeting the criteria for obesity. In 2007, the state ranked 11th lowest, with 22.9 percent of the population meeting the criteria.

"So the rate has almost doubled, and we're still doing better than a lot of other states," Armitage said. "All states have the same problem with obesity. We're all getting fatter."

New Mexico's rates are likely lower than others because of the mild climate and ample opportunities for outdoor activities, she said.

On the negative side, the report found a high rate of uninsured population at 22.9 percent; a high percentage of children living in poverty at 23.2 percent; and a low rate of access to adequate prenatal care.

That information is relatively similar to problems for other Southwestern states with rural populations, such as Arizona, Armitage said.

"One by one we're addressing the issues, but New Mexico has to struggle with geographic distances, poverty and limited access to health care," Armitage said.

A Bank of Their Own: Latin America Casting Off Washington's Shackles

"The bank, which will be officially launched on Dec. 5, will make development loans to its member countries, with a focus on regional economic integration. This is important because these countries want to increase their trade, energy and commercial relationships for both economic and political reasons, just as the European Union has done over the last 50 years. The Inter-American Development Bank, which focuses entirely on Latin America, devotes only about 2 percent of its lending to regional integration."

by Mark Weisbrot; Alternet; November 02, 2007

"Developing nations must create their own mechanisms of finance instead of suffering under those of the IMF and the World Bank, which are institutions of rich nations . . . it is time to wake up."

That was Lula da Silva, the president of Brazil -- not Washington's nemesis, Hugo Chavez -- speaking in the Republic of Congo just two weeks ago. Although our foreign policy establishment remains in cozy denial about it, the recognition that Washington's economic policies and institutions have failed miserably in Latin America is broadly shared among leaders in the region. Commentators here -- Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, the editorial boards and op-ed contributors in major newspapers -- have taken pains to distinguish "good" leftist presidents (Lula of Brazil and Michele Bachelet of Chile) from the "bad" ones -- Chavez of Venezuela, Rafael Correa of Ecuador, Evo Morales of Bolivia and, depending on the pundit, sometimes Nestor Kirchner of Argentina.

But the reality is that Chavez (most flamboyantly) and his Andean colleagues are just saying out loud what everyone else believes. So official Washington, and most of the media, has been somewhat surprised by the rapid consolidation of a new "Bank of the South" proposed by Chavez just last year as an alternative to the Washington-dominated International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank.

The media has been reluctant to take the new bank seriously, and some continue to call the institution, pejoratively, "Chavez's bank." But it has been joined by Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Uruguay and Paraguay. And just two weeks ago, Colombia, one of the Bush administration's few remaining allies in the region and the third-largest recipient of U.S. aid (after Israel and Egypt), announced that it wanted in. Et tu, Uribe?

The bank, which will be officially launched on Dec. 5, will make development loans to its member countries, with a focus on regional economic integration. This is important because these countries want to increase their trade, energy and commercial relationships for both economic and political reasons, just as the European Union has done over the last 50 years. The Inter-American Development Bank, which focuses entirely on Latin America, devotes only about 2 percent of its lending to regional integration.

Unlike the Washington-based international financial institutions, the new bank will not impose economic policy conditions on its borrowers. Such conditions are widely believed to have been a major cause of Latin America's unprecedented economic failure over the last 26 years, the worst long-term growth performance in more than a century.

The bank is expected to start with capital of about $7 billion, with all member countries contributing. It will be governed primarily on a one-country, one-vote basis.

How ironic is it that such an institution would be called "Chavez's bank," while nobody calls the IMF or the World Bank "Bush's bank?" The IMF and World Bank have 185 member countries but the United States calls the shots; it has a formal veto in the IMF, but its power is much greater than that, with Europe and Japan having almost never voted against Washington in the institution's 63-year history. The rest of the world, i.e., the majority and the countries that bear the brunt of the institutions' policies, has little to no say in decision making.

Politically, the new bank is another Declaration of Independence for South America, which as a result of epoch-making changes in the last few years is now more independent of the United States than Europe is. The most important change that has brought this about -- other than the populist ballot-box revolt that elected left-of-center governments in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay and Venezuela -- has been the collapse of the IMF-led "creditor's cartel" in the region. This was the main avenue of U.S. influence, and there's not much left of it. Of course the U.S. government still has some clout in the region, but without the ability to cut off credit to disobedient governments, its power is vastly reduced.

The need for alternative regional economic institutions, for both development lending and finance, is becoming increasingly accepted by most of the world. Ten years ago, in the wake of the Asian financial crisis, there was a whole series of proposals, even books by prominent economists, on how to reform "the international financial architecture." The current crisis triggered by the collapse of subprime-mortgage-backed securities may provoke another such discussion. But the fact is, a full decade after the Asian crisis, the rich country governments have made no significant movement toward reform. New leaders of the IMF and the World Bank were appointed in the last few months, and by tradition, these have to be a European and an American.

That tradition was honored, despite calls from a majority of the member countries and scores of NGOs and think tanks to open up the search process. For the World Bank, the Bush administration even managed to add insult to injury by appointing Robert Zoellick, a neoconservative in the mold of his intensely disliked predecessor, Paul Wolfowitz, to run the beleaguered institution. Without even the smallest symbolic changes, it is hard to imagine more substantive changes, e.g., in the voting structure, taking place in the foreseeable future.

With reform at the top blocked, positive changes will have to come at the regional, and of course, most importantly, at the national level. Latin Americans are doing their part, and the world will surely thank them for it.

Not everyone is happy to see the old order challenged. An insider at the Inter-American Development Bank told the Financial Times: "With the money of Venezuela and political will of Argentina and Brazil, this is a bank that could have lots of money and a different political approach. No one will say this publicly, but we don't like it."

Apparently, these institutions that preach the virtues of international competition are not so enthusiastic when it breaks into their own monopolistic market.

Albuquerque center unites police, services to help victims of violence

Albuquerque Tribune
By Maggie Shepard
Wednesday, October 24, 2007

In the criminal justice system, rape and domestic violence victims willing to come forward have had to tell their stories as many as six times.

First to detectives. Then nurses, service providers, prosecutors. And still others.

That's all going to change.

After a year of intense collaboration, Albuquerque police, the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department, the District Attorney's Office, State Police and area victim services groups have found a place that allows victims to tell their stories just once.

It's one floor within a 31,000-square-foot building.

It's called the Family Advocacy Center, at the northeast corner of Silver Avenue and Sixth Street Southwest.

In addition to the services for rape and domestic violence victims, the Police Department is moving 73 of its homicide, violent crimes and crimes against children detectives, plus school resource officers and others, to the building.

"So, it will be divided now (between) crimes against property and crimes against people," Police Chief Ray Schultz said, noting the change from the way the department has been organized for several decades.

The Sheriff's Department also is moving some of its detectives to the building.

The center is modeled after a similar building in Scottsdale, Ariz., where Schultz worked before taking his post here in spring 2005.

Officers from Scottsdale were on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday morning to see what ideas they could take back home with them.

Scottsdale Sgt. Joseph LeDuc said Albuquerque's center is larger and more technologically advanced.

Schultz said while the idea for the one-stop shop for victims of violence was under discussion before he took his position, he was able to connect the Scottsdale unit with the movers and shakers in Albuquerque.

Work really got started on the project a year ago. Funding was solicited, with the United Way of Central New Mexico providing about $1 million in startup costs. Albuquerque taxpayers will be supplying $500,000 in rent for the next year at least.

Service providers - including the Rape Crisis Center, Enlace Communitario, Para Los Ni¤os, Legal Aid, S.A.N.E. nurses and the Asian Family Center - have offices along the freshly painted hallways.

State Children, Youth and Families Department employees also have office space in the center.

The center's concept and design is logical - and goes a long way in warming what is normally a "cold system" for victims, District Attorney Kari Brandenburg said.

"This will help in getting them (victims) invested in the system," she said.

The current system can be challenging for victims after deciding to come forward - a difficult decision in itself.

In the case of rape, the victim usually reports the crime to police, then is transported to the University of New Mexico Hospital, then sometimes back to the police station.

As the case progresses, victims meet with prosecutors in their office Downtown. Agencies offering counseling or help were scattered around town.

Now, said Sandra Esvarvida, the program director for S.A.N.E., whose nurses conduct the medical exam, any rape or molestation victim will be brought to the center.

There, an advocate from one of the service providers will join them to help them navigate the entire system.

"They will know that everyone is working together to help them in that difficult journey from victim to survivor," Esvarvida said.

LeDuc said that once victims in Scottsdale learned of his center, the number of reported crimes increased by more than 60 percent. He added that successful prosecution rates increased, because of closer ties between attorneys and detectives working in the center.

State Police Chief Faron Segotta said he expects the center to quickly earn a red-tape-free reputation that he hopes will bring in victims reporting attacks, assaults and molestation from throughout the city and from the surrounding counties.

Schultz said that reputation and the increased reporting of crime is exactly what he hopes for from the center.

"This will be a place where people can self-report, and where they can come and we can all share that interview," Schultz said. "And they can get help."

Dream Act!

Kate Riley / Times staff columnist
Seattle Times
Maria's hopes rest on a DREAM

Five years ago, I wrote about Maria, a fresh high-school graduate who punctuated her talk about future plans with an occasional teenage giggle.

Though she had a University of Washington acceptance letter, Maria's future was not so bright. Maria — not her real name — had been living in the United States illegally since her parents brought her here at age 5. Thanks to the state Legislature's 2006 decision, students in Maria's predicament could pay lower in-state tuition — she could afford her degree. She graduated with a GPA north of 3.5 and honors in her department.

Now the girl is a shrewd and gutsy woman at the start of her second year at a Puget Sound area law school. Last week when we talked, she requested to do a pre-publication review of my column.

Uh, no! I told the budding lawyer. But I had to smile.

My young friend has matured immensely but still labors under her secret and the nation's stunted immigration system that threatens to dim her future. By all rights, save one, she should have the world by the tail. She is dogged by questions: When she graduates, will she be able to take the bar exam? Will she be able to keep helping low-income people as she's done during her internship this summer for a nonprofit legal-aid organization?

"The DREAM Act is my only hope," said Maria, echoing words she spoke when I checked in with her two years ago. "I hope and pray for it."

The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act of 2007 would give certain young people like Maria a chance to earn legal residency if they enlist in the military or attend college for at least two years. They must have been brought to the United States before age 15, lived here for more than five years, graduated from high school and have good moral character.

America needs comprehensive immigration reform. But after hopelessly stalled attempts this year, it likely won't happen until after the 2008 presidential election. Nevertheless, the DREAM Act — a less-controversial part of the debate — should be peeled off.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., is expected to try that this week. The Senate majority whip expects to offer the measure as an amendment to the defense-authorization bill, his spokeswoman said. The connection is that young people can earn legal status through military service.

Support is bipartisan. Among 26 co-sponsors are prominent Democrats, including presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and both of Washington's senators. Leading Republicans John McCain of Arizona, Richard Lugar of Indiana and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska are on board too.

But the 60 votes needed for anything to pass the Senate these days is a high hurdle, especially with the horse-trading bound to go on over defense spending.

I hope these young people are not lost in the politics. They have beaten the odds, many of them succeeding despite low family incomes and parents without much, if any, formal education themselves. Despite the dimmest of prospects, these kids have not only survived but achieved. In her high school, Maria was an elected student-body officer for three years.

Yet, in the most important ways, they must live in shadows, suffering not from their own actions but their parents' decisions to bring them into the country illegally.

These are kids on your daughter's soccer team and at your son's birthday party. A 2005 Pew Hispanic Center report estimated 1.7 million children under age 18 are living in the United States illegally.

Lucy Bottomley is another who has been caught in her parents' mistakes. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement intended to deport her two days ago — even though she was just five credits short of her Washington State University bachelor's degree. Brought to the United States at 10 from her native England, the aspiring teacher was stunned to learn at age 20 that her American stepfather never applied for her permanent legal status.

Fortunately, immigration officials relented and deferred her deportation until the New Year. She'll still be sent to a country she barely remembers.

Are Maria and Lucy the kind of young people our society should throw away — especially after investing in their public education?

I don't think so.

Only the DREAM Act will help Bottomley stay in the country she calls home, where she can teach young people to speak up for themselves as she has; only the DREAM Act will ensure the bright young lawyer, Maria, will be able to speak for low-income people without the means or wherewithal to advocate for themselves.

It's time for their dreams and the dreams of so many others to become a reality.

Party Patrol Says Ruling Won't Alter Practices

Party Patrol Says Ruling Won't Alter Practices

Albuquerque Journal
By Jeff Proctor
Journal Staff Writer
Albuquerque police party patrol officials say a recent court ruling that found three of its officers guilty of a Fourth Amendment violation won't change the way the unit does business.
That's because many of the issues that arose during the case already had been addressed, party patrol Lt. Mike Geier said.
U.S. District Court Judge William "Chip" Johnson ruled the officers were liable for entering Mary Roybal's home on April 8, 2005, without a search warrant. The action violated Roybal's protection against illegal search and seizure.
Geier pointed to a form party patrol officers use— which is different from the standard APD incident report— to document a bust made by the unit. It requires officers to list the grounds for the citation and whether consent was given to enter a residence.
Officers began using the new form after complaints against the unit prompted APD to hammer out some new procedures. The new form was created with the help of Albuquerque's American Civil Liberties Union affiliate.
Those talks, which began in April 2006, also led to party patrol officers stopping the practice of busting every underage kid at a party— regardless of whether a teen was in possession of alcohol.
Geier said that of the 1,400 parties the unit has broken up since he came aboard in 2002, "only about a half dozen times have we not been given consent to enter a home."
In those cases, party patrol officers always prefer to obtain a search warrant, he said. But in the case of an emergency— such as a teen choking on his or her vomit— another crime being committed on the property or officers pursuing a criminal, police will enter without a warrant.
Would an incident such as the one in 2005 happen today?
"I would say no, because our officers are much more reluctant to go in without really questioning whether it's the right thing to do," Geier said.

The Changing Racial and Ethnic Composition of U.S. Public Schools

August 30, 2007

by Rick Fry

Pew Hispanic Center

The 5-4 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in June to strike down school desegregation plans in Seattle and Louisville has focused public attention on the degree of racial and ethnic integration in the nation's 93,845 public schools. A new analysis of public school enrollment data by the Pew Hispanic Center finds that in the dozen years from 1993-94 to 2005-06, white students became less isolated from minority students while, at the same time, black and Hispanic students became slightly more isolated from white students.

These two seemingly contradictory trends stem mainly from the same powerful demographic shift that took place during this period: an increase of more than 55% in the Hispanic slice of the public school population. Latinos in 2005-06 accounted for 19.8% of all public school students, up from 12.7% in 1993-94.

In part because whites now comprise a smaller share of students in the public schools, white students are now more likely to be exposed to minority students. In 1993-94, fully one-third (34%) of all white students attended a nearly all-white school (this report defines a school as "nearly all-white" if fewer than 5% of the students are non-white). By 2005-06, just one in five white students (21%) was attending a nearly all-white school.

But even as the decrease in the white share of the public school population has led to a greater exposure of white students to minority students, it has also led to a diminished exposure of black and Hispanic students to white students. Roughly three-in-ten Hispanic (29%) and black (31%) students attended schools in 2005-06 that were nearly all-minority (by this report's definition, a "nearly all-minority" school is one in which fewer than 5% of the students are white), and these percentages were both somewhat higher than they had been in 1993-94, when they stood at 25% for Hispanic students and 28% for black students.

The report also provides detailed tabulations of school enrollment at the state level and finds that in nearly every state white students became more exposed to minority students since 1993-94. In many states Hispanic students and black students have diminished exposure to white students.

For full report: http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=79

Phill Casaus: In DWI fatality rates there is no good news

Albuquerque Tribune

By Phill Casaus
Saturday, August 25, 2007

When the subject in question is DWI, the (shot) glass is never half-full.

It's always half-empty.

And that's the problem.

And that's why you never hear law enforcement leading the cheers when even moderately good news on New Mexico's DWI front presents itself for a statistical lineup.

Oh, the folks with badges nod approvingly and clap politely; an opera audience after Act I. Yes, sure, of course, absolutely, they're appreciative of progress - no matter how achingly slow and incremental.

But swinging-from-the-chandelier happy? Sorry, pal, they've been to this roller coaster before - down one year, up the next. Been to the horrific and gory crash scenes. Been to the court dates and court cases and court delays.

"To a lot of people," says Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White, "(DWI) is just a blur."

So here's the most recent freeze-frame of DWI in New Mexico, according to stats released this week by the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration: In 2006, 136 people were killed in traffic accidents involving at least one vehicle operator with a blood-alcohol content above 0.08.

That's down 13 fatalities from 2005, when 149 people were killed in DWI-related crashes. An 8 percent decrease is a mark of success, to be sure - assuming you're not a family member or friend of one of the 136.

Problem is, we're always connected to the victims, because DWI is the ultimate there-but-for-the-grace-of-God kind of crime. Random. Terrible. Terrifying. I could be next. You could be next.

White, who occasionally rides with his DWI units, says he is close to his wits' end. He has seen the evolution of progress and doesn't dismiss it for a moment. But he questions whether it's really enough. Really, really enough.

He raises the specter of the Final Frontier on DWI penalties - making a first-time offense a felony punishable by mandatory jail time.

"I'm not saying I'm committed to (the proposal), but I think we should discuss it," he says. "They (drunken drivers) just don't care. There's not a single person in a bar tonight who says, `I know I've had too many beers and I might end up in that photo array in the newspaper.'

"No. They don't do that," he concludes. "After the fact, they regret it. But that didn't stop it."

First-time jail time is not exactly a new idea. But to many, it's the nuclear option - in part because some see it as Draconian and counterproductive.

Others wonder what it would do to a court system already choking on DWI cases. Knowing jail would be in their future, first-time offenders would not plead out their cases, says Albuquerque police Chief Ray Schultz. They'd go to court.

"Then it'd be 99 percent (going to court)," he says. "It'd be, `I'll take my chances on a case . . . even though I might be guilty as all get-out.' They'd have nothing to lose by going to trial."

Schultz, no less offended by DWI's frequency than White, ticks off the long, slow march New Mexico has made in fighting the problem. He remembers the war over drive-up liquor sales, over ignition interlock devices. He agrees there has to be a push on first-time offenders - they don't make for as many sexy headlines as the folks who've been arrested 14 or 20 or 28 times - but says new interlock laws and increasing heat on liquor establishments need to be given some time.

Just not too much time.

"If we don't see results, then maybe we can look at mandatory (penalties)," he ventures.

I can hear the sweep of the clock, and so can you. Tonight, someone is going to drink and drive. Pray that none of us becomes part of the next round of "good" news.

Lottery Achieves Scholarship Goal

Friday, August 24, 2007

Lottery Achieves Scholarship Goal

By Charles D. Brunt
Journal Staff Writer

The state Lottery met its new legislative edict to put at least 27 percent of its revenues into the lottery scholarship fund in July, the first month the benchmark went into effect.
Lottery CEO Tom E. Romero told Lottery Authority Board members at their meeting Thursday that, for July, the lottery sent the state $3,082,827 in net income. That amount equals 27.76 percent of July's gross revenues of $11,104,753.
Earlier this year, Gov. Bill Richardson signed legislation directing lottery officials to steer more lottery money to its primary beneficiary— the Legislative Lottery Scholarship program. Since the lottery started in 1996, the program has paid tuition for about 43,000 eligible students attending state-funded colleges and universities, about 15,000 of whom earned undergraduate degrees.
Since the lottery's inception, the Lottery Authority had been putting an average of 23.4 percent of its revenues into scholarships, while spending nearly that much on administrative and operating costs.
The bill signed by Richardson, who appoints the seven-member lottery board, earmarks 27 percent of lottery revenues for scholarships this fiscal year— which began July 1— and 30 percent in following years.
That forced lottery officials to trim $3.1 million from the just-ended fiscal year budget. Romero said budget cuts are still being made, particularly in advertising and operating costs.

1995 – 2005: Foreign-Born Latinos Make Progress on Wages

Rakesh Kochhar, Associate Director for Research, Pew Hispanic Center

Foreign-born Latino workers made notable progress between 1995 and 2005 when ranked by hourly wage. The proportion of foreign-born Latino workers in the lowest quintile of the wage distribution decreased to 36% from 42% while many workers moved into the middle quintiles, according to a new analysis of Census Bureau data by the Pew Hispanic Center.

Newly arrived Hispanic workers also were much less likely to be low-wage earners in 2005 than in 1995, in part because they were older, better educated and more likely to be employed in construction than in agriculture. Yet despite the clear movement into the middle range of the wage distribution, many foreign-born Latinos remain low-wage earners. Even though the share of Latino workers at the low end decreased, in absolute numbers this population grew by 1.2 million between 1995 and 2005.

Foreign-born workers in general did well during that time period, though there were significant differences among them. While Latino workers moved out of the low end of the wage distribution and into the middle, Asians significantly boosted their presence in the high-wage workforce.

This report uses the prism of the wage distribution to study the integration of foreign-born workers, especially Latinos and Asians, into the U.S. labor market. Immigrant workers represent a critical and growing part of the U.S. labor force. The share of foreign-born workers in the labor force grew from 7% in 1980 to 15% in 2005. Latinos, who also represent the largest share of foreign-born workers, accounted for 13% of the overall labor force in 2005, up from 6% in 1980. Since foreign-born workers account for the majority of new workers in the economy, their share of the overall workforce will continue to increase in the near future.

The report addresses several key questions about this fast-growing workforce: Are these foreign-born workers crowding into the low-wage segments of the workforce? What are the growth rates for immigrant workers in the middle- and high-income segments of the workforce? How are the newly arrived immigrant workers faring?

For complete report
http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=78

1,559 DWI arrests so far during statewide campaign

August 17, 2007

Tribune Staff
A summerlong state crackdown has taken more than 1,500 suspected drunken drivers off the highways since June 1.

New Mexico law enforcement agencies are in the midst of an ambitious program of DWI checkpoints and saturation patrols called the "100 Days and Nights of Summer" campaign. It runs through Sept. 8.

Here are some figures from their efforts:

•Total arrests by all law enforcement agencies, June 1-July 30: 23,599

•Arrests for DWI: 1,559

•Citations for not wearing seat belts: 2,353

•Citations for not having children restrained: 387

•Fugitives apprehended: 277

•People caught driving on a suspended/revoked license: 679

•People in stolen vehicles: 6

•Uninsured motorists: 2,097

•Speeders: 6,596

•Reckless drivers: 57

•The State Police Department alone set up 90 checkpoints from June 1-Aug. 15, with the following results:

•DWI arrests: 842

•DWI arrests in same period 2006: 657

Source: Department of Public Safety

It Can Be Done: Reductions in Youth Exposure to Alcohol Advertising in Magazines, 2001-2005

August 9, 2007

From CADCA.ORG

http://cadca.org/CoalitionsOnline/article.asp?id=1594

Youth Exposure to Alcohol Ads in Magazines Declined from 2001 to 2005
A new report released by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at Georgetown University showed that youth exposure to alcohol advertising in magazines declined 49 percent from 2001 to 2005. The study also found, however, that a substantial portion of the alcohol industry´s advertising remains in magazines with disproportionate youth (12-20 year-old) audience composition: 44 percent of advertisements and 50 percent of spending in 2005.

Magazines with disproportionate youth audience composition were defined as those with youth audiences greater than 15%, the proportion of youth ages 12-20 in the general population age 12 and above. Most alcohol companies have successfully shifted their advertising to publications that meet the voluntary maximum of 30 percent youth audience composition adopted by the beer and distilled spirits trade associations in 2003. According to CAMY's report, It Can Be Done: Reductions in Youth Exposure to Alcohol Advertising in Magazines, 2001-2005, less than 1 percent of alcohol advertisements and alcohol advertising dollars in 2005 were in magazines with youth readership exceeding the industry standard, down from a high of 11 percent in 2002.

“The alcohol industry has done a good job of following its voluntary standard when it comes to advertising in magazines," said David Jernigan, executive director of CAMY, "but the standard itself is not strong enough to adequately protect youth from needless exposure to this advertising.”

The CAMY report analyzed 16,635 alcohol advertisements placed in national magazines between 2001 and 2005 at a cost of nearly $1.7 billion.

As CAMY has previously reported, during this same period youth exposure to alcohol advertising on television increased by 41 percent, so that combined youth exposure to alcohol advertising in these two media changed very little between 2001 and 2005.
In 2005, advertising placed in magazines with disproportionate youth audiences accounted for more than 82 percent of total youth exposure to alcohol advertising in magazines, but only 55 percent of adult exposure.

In 2003, the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine recommended that alcohol companies move their advertising toward magazines with a maximum of 15% youth audiences, a figure roughly proportionate to the presence of persons ages 12 to 20 in the population age 12 and above. At that time, alcohol industry trade associations changed their voluntary youth audience maximum from 50% to 30%.
In December 2006, President Bush signed into law the Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act (or STOP Act). Among other things, the STOP Act requires the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to report annually on rates of exposure of youth to positive and negative messages youth about alcohol in the mass media.

In March of this year, the U.S. Surgeon General called on alcohol companies to ensure that "the placement of alcohol advertising, promotions and other means of marketing do not disproportionately expose youth to messages about alcohol."

Executive Summary
It Can Be Done: Reductions in Youth Exposure to Alcohol Advertising in Magazines, 2001-2005
From 2001 to 2005, youth¹ exposure to alcohol advertising in magazines fell by 49%,² according to an analysis conducted by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) of 16,635 advertisements costing nearly $1.7 billion. The largest year-to-year drop occurred between 2004 and 2005, when youth exposure fell by more than a quarter. Alcohol industry trade associations adopted a more restrictive standard for advertising placements in the fall of 2003, and by 2005 nearly all alcohol advertisements in magazines were placed in magazines with youth audience compositions lower than the industry standard. Major findings of CAMY's analysis included:

• Alcohol advertising in magazines declined overall, but youth exposure fell substantially more than adult exposure. From 2001 to 2005, youth exposure fell by 49%, while the number of alcohol advertisements placed per year fell by 20%, and adult exposure dropped by 30%. These drops reflect the trend of alcohol advertisers moving from magazines to television.


• Youth overexposure³ to alcohol advertising in magazines also declined. For instance, youth overexposure to beer advertising peaked in 2002 when youth saw 57% more beer advertising in magazines than adults, but fell to only 7% more exposure in 2005. In 2005, youth also saw 19% more advertising for alcopops⁴ per capita than adults, and slightly less advertising for distilled spirits than adult readers.


• Less than 1% of alcohol advertisements and alcohol advertising dollars in 2005 were directed to magazines exceeding the alcohol industry's voluntary standard of 30% maximum youth audience composition.


• Forty-four percent of advertisements and 50% of spending in 2005 were in magazines with youth audience compositions that exceeded 15%–– roughly the proportion of youth ages 12 to 20 in the general age-12- and-above population.


• In 2005, 81% of youth exposure to alcohol advertising in magazines came from advertisements placed in magazines with disproportionately large youth readerships.


• The majority of alcohol brands (127 out of 201 brands) had either all or more than half of their advertising in publications with youth readerships below 15%. However, 36 brands had all of their advertising and 38 brands had the majority of theirs in magazines read disproportionately by youth.


• More than half of youth exposure to alcohol advertising in magazines came from 18 brands, 16 of which overexposed youth ages 12 to 20 relative to adults age 21 and over. These 18 brands accounted for approximately 36% of all alcohol advertising spending in magazines in 2005.

In 2003, the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine recommended that alcohol companies move their advertising toward magazines with a maximum of 15% youth audiences, a figure roughly proportionate to the presence of persons ages 12 to 20 in the population age 12 and above.⁵ The U.S. Surgeon General recently called on alcohol companies to ensure that "the placement of alcohol advertising, promotions, and other means of marketing do not disproportionately expose youth to messages about alcohol."⁶ While the majority of alcohol brands do not disproportionately expose youth to their advertising, the placement practices of a relatively small number of brands need to change for further progress to be made in reducing youth exposure to alcohol advertising in magazines.

Why the Concern

Alcohol is the leading drug problem among America's youth. It is closely associated with the three leading causes of death among youth––motor vehicle crashes, homicide and suicide.⁷ The Surgeon General has termed the short- and long-term consequences of underage alcohol consumption "…astonishing in their range and magnitude, affecting adolescents, the people around them, and society as a whole."⁸ Each year, approximately 5,000 people under age 21 die from alcohol-related injuries involving underage drinking.⁹ In 2005, 45% of high school students reported drinking alcohol in the past month, and 29% reported binge drinking––typically defined as consuming five or more drinks on an occasion. Young binge drinkers were far more likely than other youth to engage in other risky behaviors, such as riding with a driver who had been drinking, being currently sexually active, smoking cigarettes or cigars, being a victim of dating violence, attempting suicide, and using illicit drugs.¹⁰

Recent research has found a significant relationship between exposure to alcohol marketing in various forms and youth drinking behavior. A national longitudinal study published in 2006 found that for every additional alcohol advertisement to which youth were exposed (above an average of 23 per month), they drank 1% more, and for every additional dollar per capita spent on alcohol advertising in a media market (above an average of $6.80), youth in that market drank 3% more on average, even when researchers controlled for level of alcohol sales in that market.¹¹ Other studies have found links between youth drinking and other forms of alcohol marketing, such as exposure to alcohol advertising in magazines or at beer concession stands at sporting or musical events,¹² exposure to alcohol brands in movies,¹³ and ownership of alcohol-branded merchandise.¹⁴

In recognition of the importance of monitoring alcohol marketing's potential influence on youth, the Federal Trade Commission has issued two 3 reports on the subject in the past eight years and has announced plans to issue a third in the summer or fall of 2007. Its first report, issued in 1999, concluded, "While many factors influence an underage person's drinking decisions, including among other things parents, peers, and the media, there is reason to believe that advertising also plays a role."¹⁵

---

Notes

¹ In this report, unless otherwise noted, youth are defined as persons ages 12 to 20, and adults are defined as persons age 21 and over.
² Youth exposure and overexposure (as well as "more likely to be read by" and other comparisons of youth and adult exposure to alcohol advertising in this report) are based on "gross rating points," which measure how much an audience segment is exposed to advertising per capita. Another way of measuring advertising exposure is "gross impressions" (the total number of times all members of a given audience are exposed to advertising). Had exposure been measured by gross impressions alone, youth exposure would have fallen by 47% from 2001 to 2005, and adult exposure would have fallen by 25%. The adult population will almost always receive far more gross impressions than youth because there are far more adults in the population than youth. Gross rating points are calculated by dividing gross impressions by the relevant population (e.g., persons age 21 and over) and multiplying by 100. See Appendix B for a glossary of terms.
³ Underage youth are more likely to see on a per capita basis, or be "overexposed" to, a magazine advertisement for alcohol when it is placed in a publication where the percentage of underage youth in the readership is greater than the percentage of underage youth in the general population. (In 2005, for example, this meant that youth were overexposed to advertisements in magazines where underage youth were more than 15.4% of the readership.)
⁴ "Alcopops" are also referred to as "low-alcohol refreshers," "malternatives" or "flavored malt beverages." Many of the brands in this category, including brands such as Mike's Hard Lemonade and Smirnoff Ice, have alcohol contents of between 4% and 6%, similar to most traditional malt beverages. (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau [TTB], "Notice No. 4—Flavored Malt Beverages and Related Proposals," Federal Register [March 24, 2003]: 14293.) The alcohol industry treats these as a distinct category of alcoholic beverages. This report follows this industry convention.
⁵ National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility, R.J. Bonnie and M.E. O'Connell, eds. (Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press, 2004), 138.
⁶ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, The Surgeon General's Call to Action To Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking (Washington, D.C., 2007), 44.
⁷ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, " 10 Leading Causes of Death, United States: 2003, All Races, Both Sexes," in the WISQARS Leading Causes of Death Reports, 1999–2003. (accessed November 28, 2006); and National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility, R.J. Bonnie and M.E. O'Connell, eds. (Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press, 2004), 60–61.
⁸ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, The Surgeon General's Call to Action To Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking (Washington, D.C., 2007), 10.
⁹ Ibid.
¹⁰ J.W. Miller, T.S. Naimi, R.D. Brewer, S.E. Jones, "Binge Drinking and Associated Health Risk Behaviors Among High School Students," Pediatrics 119, no. 1 (2007): 76–85.
¹¹ L. Snyder, F. Milici, M. Slater, H. Sun, Y. Strizhakova, "Effects of Alcohol Advertising Exposure on Drinking among Youth," Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 160, no. 1 (2006): 18–24.
¹² P.L. Ellickson, R.L. Collins, K. Hambarsoomians, D.F. McCaffrey, "Does Alcohol Advertising Promote Adolescent Drinking? Results from a Longitudinal Assessment," Addiction 100, no. 2 (2005): 235–46.
¹³ J.D. Sargent, T.A. Willis, M. Stoolmiller, J. Gibson, F.X. Gibbons, "Alcohol Use in Motion Pictures and Its Relation with Early-Onset Teen Drinking," Journal of Studies on Alcohol 67, no. 1 (2006): 54–65.
¹⁴ A.C. McClure, S. Dal Cin, J. Gibson, J. Sargent, "Ownership of Alcohol-branded Merchandise and Initiation of Teen Drinking," American Journal of Preventive Medicine 30, no. 4 (2006): 277–83.
¹⁵ Federal Trade Commission, Self-Regulation in the Alcohol Industry: A Review of Industry Efforts to Avoid Promoting Alcohol to Underage Consumers (Washington, D.C., 1999), 4.

A Majority of Aps Schools Don't Make Adequate Yearly Progess on Proficiency Tests

A Majority of Aps Schools Don't Make Adequate Yearly Progess on Proficiency Tests
By Martin Salazar
Journal Staff Writer
For the third consecutive year, nearly two-thirds of Albuquerque Public Schools failed to meet adequate yearly progress on annual standardized tests, continuing the district's trend of missed benchmarks under the Federal No Child Left Behind Act.
Of the 128 regular schools at APS, 64 percent failed to meet AYP. In 2006, the number also was 64 percent.
Designations released Friday revealed that more than half of APS elementary schools— 43 of 83— failed to meet standards on the 2006-07 tests, 26 of 27 middle schools didn't make the grade, and 13 of 17 high schools didn't measure up.
Information on Albuquerque Evening High School wasn't available.
APS spokeswoman Monica Armenta said the district will scrutinize the designations carefully to ensure their accuracy.
"We are going to go page by page, school by school, category by category," Armenta said.
Complete information on Albuquerque charter schools wasn't immediately available Friday. But of the 24 total charter schools on which information was available, half met AYP.
Statewide, more than 58 percent of New Mexico's schools didn't make adequate yearly progress. That figure is up slightly from 54.1 percent last year.
But state Education Secretary Veronica Garcia pointed out Friday that some schools found themselves on the failing list even though they met or exceeded proficiency standards in reading and math. Garcia pointed out 13 schools labeled as failing, even though they met proficiency targets for all students. Among those schools were Montessori of the Rio Grande and Twenty-First Century, both of Albuquerque.
"To label a school as failing— not making AYP for missing, for example, participation rate in one subgroup— and labeling the whole school as failing is very misleading to everyone," Garcia said. She said while the spirit behind the law is admirable, its implementation can be unfair.
The state Public Education Department released the results Friday afternoon. The ratings had been scheduled for release Wednesday, but difficulty in processing the reports forced a delay.
Proficiency scores for the state's schools will be released later this month, Garcia said.
The federal No Child Left Behind law requires schools to test students annually on standards set by the state for math and reading. New Mexico's standards are among the highest.
Scores from those tests— coupled with participation in the test and attendance and graduation rates— determine whether schools make adequate yearly progress.
Schools are judged in 37 categories, including whether English language learners, students with disabilities and different ethnic groups are meeting standards. If a school misses one of the 37 categories, it is labeled as failing to meet AYP.
Schools face progressively stiffer sanctions each year they fail to meet AYP. They can be required to offer tutoring, and districts must allow parents to transfer their students out of failing schools, with the district footing transportation costs.
After six years, the state can force a school to restructure, which could range from replacing staff to having it reopen as a charter school.
APS has 12 schools that have consistently missed AYP for at least six years.
Schools can shed designations if they meet AYP two years in a row.
Garcia congratulated the 14 schools that pulled off that accomplishment this year. Albuquerque schools accomplishing the feat were Alamosa, Mary Ann Binford and Painted Sky elementaries and Freedom High School.
Pat Woodard, principal at Painted Sky Elementary, said she and her staff worked hard to get off the list.
"At Painted Sky, we have a belief system that all kids can learn," Woodard said, adding that the school's goal is to have all of its students proficient in reading and math.
"I wanted to do the happy dance," said Shannon Apodaca, a fourth-grade teacher at Painted Sky.
Signed into law in January 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act states that all students must test at their grade level in reading and math by 2014. Requirements get more difficult each year.
The law is up for reauthorization this fall, and Garcia said if changes aren't made in how AYP is determined, "you would have probably zero schools making AYP" in 2014.
APS test results
These are individual schools' progress in meeting federally required testing standards.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
School Title I 2007 AYP 2006 AYP
Status Designation
A. Montoya No Met SI-1 Delay Not Met SI-1
Acoma Yes Band B Met Met
Adobe Acres Yes Band A Not Met SI-2 Not Met SI-1
Alameda Yes Band B Met Not Met
Alamosa Yes Band A Met Met CA delay
Alvarado Yes Band C Not Met Not met
Apache Yes Band B Met Met
Armijo Yes Band A Met Met
Arroyo Del Oso No Met Not Met
Atrisco Yes Band A Not Met Met
Restructuring 2 Restructuring 1
Bandelier No Not Met Not Met
Barcelona Yes Band A Not Met Not Met
Bel-Air Yes Band B Met Not Met
Bellehaven Yes Band C Not Met Not Met
Carlos Rey Yes Band B Not Met Not Met
Restructuring 2 Restructuring 1
Chamiza No Met Met
Chaparral Yes Band B Met Met
Chelwood Yes Band B Not Met Met
Cochiti Yes Band B Not Met Met
Collet Park Yes Band C Met Met
Comanche No Met Met
Corrales No Not Met Met
D. Chavez No Met Met
D. Gonzales Yes Band A Met Met
Double Eagle No Met Met
Duranes Yes Band A Not Met Not Met
E.G. Ross Yes Band C Met Not Met
East San Jose Yes Band A Not Met Met
Edward Gonzales Yes Band A Not Met SI-2 Not Met SI-1
Emerson Yes Band A Not Met SI-2 Not Met SI-1
Eubank Yes Band A Met SI-2 Delay Not Met SI-2
Eugene Field Yes Band A Met Met
G. O'Keeffe No Met Met
Governor Bent Yes Band B Not Met Not Met
SI-1 Delay SI-1
Griegos Yes Band C Met Met
H. Humphrey No Met Met
Hawthorne Yes Band A Not Met Not Met
Hodgin Yes Band A Not Met SI-2 Not Met SI-1
Inez No Met Not Met
John Baker No Met Met
Kirtland Yes Band B Not Met Met
Kit Carson Yes Band A Not Met SI-2 Not Met SI-1
La Luz Yes Band A Not Met Not Met
Restructuring 2 Restructuring 1
delay
La Mesa Yes Band A Not Met Met
Lavaland Yes Band A Not Met Not Met
Restructuring 2 Restructuring 2
Lew Wallace Yes Band B Met Met
Longfellow Yes Band B Not Met Met
Los Padillas Yes Band A Met Met
Los Ranchos Yes Band B Not Met SI-2 Not Met SI-1
Lowell Yes Band A Not Met Not Met
M.A. Binford Yes Band A Met Met
Restructuring
1 delay
D. MacArthur Yes Band B Met Met
Manzano Mesa Yes Band B Met Not Met
Marie M. Hughes No Met SI-Delay Not Met SI-1
Mark Twain Yes Band B Not Met SI-2 Not Met SI-1
Matheson Park Yes Band B Not Met Met
McCollum Yes Band B Met Met
Mission Ave. Yes Band B Not Met SI-2 Met SI-1 delay
Mitchell No Met Met
Monte Vista No Met Met
Montezuma Yes Band C Not Met CA Not Met SI-2
Mountain View Yes Band A Met Met
Navajo Yes Band A Not Met Not Met CA
Restructuring 1
Onate No Met Not Met
Osuna No Met Met
Painted Sky Yes Band B Met Met SI-1 delay
Pajarito Yes Band A Not Met CA Not Met SI-2
Petroglyph No Not Met Not Met
Reginald Chavez Yes Band A Not Met SI-2 Not Met SI-1
S.R. Marmon Yes Band B Not Met SI-2 Not Met SI-1
S.Y. Jackson No Not Met Met
San Antonito No Met Met
Sandia Base No Met SI-1 Delay Not Met SI-1
Seven Bar No Not Met Met
Sierra Vista No Not Met SI-2 Not Met SI-1
Sombra Yes Band C Met SI-1 Delay Not Met SI-1
Del Monte
Tomasita Yes Band A Not Met Not Met
Valle Vista Yes Band A Not Met Not Met
Restructuring 2 Restructuring 2
Ventana Ranch No Not Met SI-1 Not Met SI-1
Delay
Wherry Yes Band A Not Met SI-2 Not Met SI-1
Whittier Yes Band A Not Met Met
Zia Yes Band C Not Met Met
Zuni Yes Band C Met Met
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
School Title I 2007 AYP 2006 AYP
Status Designation
Cleveland No Not Met SI-2 Not Met SI-1
Desert Ridge No Not Met Met
Eisenhower No Not Met Not Met
Ernie Pyle Yes Band A Not Met Not Met
Restructuring 2 Restructuring 2
Garfield Yes Band B Not Met Not Met
Restructuring 2 Restructuring 1
Grant No Not Met CA Not Met SI-2
Harrison Yes Band A Not Met Not Met
Restructuring 2 Restructuring 2
Hayes Yes Band A Not Met SI-2 Not Met SI-1
Hoover No Not Met CA Not Met SI-2
Jackson No Not Met SI-2 Not Met SI-1
Jefferson Yes Band C Not Met SI-2 Not Met SI-1
James Monroe No Not Met SI-2 Not Met SI-1
Jimmy Carter Yes Band B Not Met Not Met
Restructuring 2 Restructuring1
John Adams Yes Band A Not Met Not Met CA
Restructuring 1
Kennedy Yes Band A Not Met CA Not Met SI-2
L.B. Johnson No Not Met Not Met
Madison No Not Met Not Met
McKinley Yes Band B Not Met CA Not Met SI-2
Polk Yes Band A Not Met Not Met
Restructuring 2 Restructuring 2
Roosevelt No Not Met CA Not Met SI-2
Taft Yes Band C Not Met Not Met
Taylor No Not Met SI-2 Not Met SI-1
Truman Yes Band A Not Met Not Met
Restructuring 2 Restructuring 2
Van Buren Yes Band A Not Met CA Not Met SI-2
Vision Quest Yes Band C Met Met
Alternative
Washington Yes Band A Not Met Not Met
Restructuring 2 Restructuring 2
Wilson Yes Band A Not Met CA Not Met SI-2
HIGH SCHOOLS
School Title I 2007 AYP 2006 AYP
Status Designation
Albq. Evening No n/a Not met SI-2
Albuquerque
High No Not Met CA Not Met SI-2
Cibola No Not Met Not Met
Del Norte No Not Met CA Not Met SI-2
Eldorado No Not Met CA Not Met SI-2
Early College No Met Met
Freedom No Met Not Met SI-1
delay
Highland No Not Met CA Not Met SI-2
La Cueva No Met Met
Manzano No Not Met CA Not Met SI-2
New Futures Yes Band A Not Met SI-2 Not Met SI-1
Rio Grande Yes Not Met CA Not Met SI-2
Sandia No Not Met CA Not Met SI-2
School on Wheels Yes Not Met CA Not Met SI-2
Sierra Alternative Yes Not Met SI-2 Not Met SI-1
Valley High No Not Met CA Not Met SI-2
West Mesa Yes Not Met CA Not Met SI-2
K-12
School Title I 2007 AYP 2006 AYP
Status Designation
Family School No Met Met
CHARTER SCHOOL TEST RESULTS
School 2007 AYP 2006 AYP
Status Status
21st Century Learning Center Not Met Met
Amy Biehl Charter Met Met
Cesar Chavez Community Not Met SI-2 Not Met SI-1
Charter Vocational HS Not Met CA Not Met SI-2
Charter Voc-Tech Center Met SI-1 Delay Not Met SI-1
Creative Ed Prep #1 Not Met SI-2 Not Met SI-1
Creative Ed Prep #2 Not Met Not Met SI-1
East Mountain HS Met Met
AIMS Met Met
Horizon Academy NW n/a Not Met
Horizon Academy South Not Met SI-2 Not Met
Horizon Academy West Met Met
Horizon Academy Tech n/a Not Met
La Academia de Esperanza n/a Not Met SI-2
La Academia La Lengua
y Cultura n/a Not Met SI-1
La Luz del Monte
Learning Center Met Met
La Promesa Early
Learning Center Met Met
Los Puentes Charter Not Met CA Not Met SI-2
Montessori of the Rio Grande Not Met Met
Mountain Mahogany
Community School n/a Met
Nuestros Valores Charter Not Met CA Not Met SI-2
PAPA Met Met
Robert F. Kennedy Not Met Not Met CA
Restructuring 1
School for Integrated
Academics and Technologies Not Met Not Met
South Valley Academy Met Met
Southwest Primary Met Met
Southwest Secondary Met Met
Learning Center
The Learning Community Not Met SI-2 Not Met SI-1
YouthBuild Trade & Technology Not Met Missing Data
Source: Public Education Department
Definitions
TITLE I SCHOOLS: These schools receive additional money from the federal government because more than 50 percent of their students are low-income.
TITLE I BAND A: 75 percent or more are low-income.
TITLE I BAND B: 60 to 74 percent are low-income.
TITLE I BAND C: 50 to 59 percent are low income.
AYP: Adequate yearly progress.
SI-1: SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT 1: Two years of missing adequate yearly progress. Parents can transfer their child to another school that did make progress. The district pays transportation costs.
SI-2: SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT II: Three years of missing adequate progress. Schools must provide free after-school tutoring for eligible students and begin an "improvement plan."
CA: CORRECTIVE ACTION: Four years of missing adequate progress. Schools much provide professional development and a new curriculum. They can replace some staff and extend the school year or school day.
RESTRUCTURING I: Five years of missing adequate progress. Schools must develop "alternative governance" plan tht includes reopening as a charter school, replacing staff or turning over management of the school to the state.
RESTRUCTURING II: Six years of missing adequate progress. Start the alternative plan developed under Restructuring I.

Teenagers Prefer Hard Liquor

Teenagers Prefer Hard Liquor
By Olivier Uyttebrouck
Copyright © 2007 Albuquerque Journal; Journal Staff Writer
Hard liquor is the alcoholic drink of choice among New Mexico high school students, topping beer and other beverages, according to a study published today by the federal Centers for Disease Control.
The finding suggests that high school students here and in other states are opting for alcoholic drinks that get them drunk faster and pose a greater risk of alcohol poisoning and other hazards.
"Youth are moving toward consuming something with a higher alcohol content," said Jennifer Cremeens, a CDC epidemiologist and lead author of the report.
Of the New Mexico ninth- through 12th-grade students surveyed, 42 percent said they had at least one alcoholic drink in the previous 30 days.
Hard liquor was consumed by 36 percent— more than one-third— of those, the study reported.
That compares with about 20 percent who said they usually consumed beer.
Another 20 percent expressed a preference for malt beverages or "alcopop"— flavored drinks made from malted grain, including brand-name drinks such as Smirnoff Ice, Bacardi Silver and hard lemonade.
Others listed wine, wine coolers, other drinks and "no usual type."
The study was based on a 2005 survey of about 5,600 students in New Mexico.
Similar surveys were performed in Arkansas, Nebraska and Wyoming. In each state, students listed a preference for liquor over other alcoholic drinks.
Arkansas had the highest number who preferred liquor— 45 percent. Nebraska had the lowest at 34 percent.
The percentage who said they'd had a drink in the past 30 days was about the same for all four states.
The findings are reported in the current issue of CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
The preference for liquor surprised researchers, who had expected beer to top the list.
"I actually went into it thinking that beer would come out on top," Cremeens said.
However, little research has been done to determine what kind of alcoholic beverages young people drink, Cremeens said.
The report suggests several possible explanations for teenagers' preference for hard liquor.
Liquor is easier to conceal than beer and can be mixed with soda and fruit juices to satisfy the tastes of young drinkers, the report notes.
For high school students intent on getting drunk, liquor simply works faster than beer.
"It might have to do with drinking specifically to get drunk," Jim Roeber, an alcohol epidemiologist for the New Mexico Department of Health who helped prepare the study.
Liquor is the clear favorite among underage binge drinkers, Roeber said. Liquor also offers a greater hazard to inexperienced drinkers, he said.
"Because it's potentially easier to drink to excess, it's potentially easier to end up in alcohol-related harm, such as a crash death," he said.
The survey included no questions about where teenagers obtain alcohol and how that may affect their preferences.
Linda Atkinson, executive director of the DWI Resource Center, said underage drinkers often drink what's available.
Liquor may be easier to conceal and shoplift or to remove from a parent's liquor cabinet, Atkinson said.
"Accessibility and availability probably play into what they're drinking and when," she said.

AYP Announcement Delayed by Secretary of Education

SANTA FE – Secretary of Education Veronica C. Garcia has postponed today’s AYP
announcement to allow for more time to get accurate information about the results to school
districts before the start of school.
The Public Education Department has until Aug. 5 to report AYP results.
“While I am comfortable with the quality of the data, we are working to sort out technical issues
that could affect whether some school meet AYP standards,” Secretary Garcia said. “I will not put
superintendents and heads of school in the position of reporting data that they can’t explain nor
will I put out misleading information to communities on this very high stakes announcement.
“However, we will do all that is possible to get these issues resolved as soon as possible and
provide the information before the August 5 statutory deadline,” said García.

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