ABE students participate in letter writing campaign.

Anyone who tells you that writing letters to your State Senators, Congressmen, Congresswomen, and Representatives is a waste of time is sadly mistaken. How do I know this, because last month students in every program within ABE participated in a State wide letter writing campaign? The purpose of this campaign, to increase the funding for ABE programs throughout the state. Students were asked to choose one individual, Tom Udall, Heather Wilson, Jeff Bingaman, Pete Dominici, or Steve Pearce. After selecting one to write to, each student wrote about why they decided to come back to school, what they planned on doing after they finished school, and how important it is for programs like ABE to continue receiving adequate funding. Now here it is May, just one month later and we are already receiving tons of responses from these busy people in Washington. These responses are the proof the our elected officials do care, and do listen to all of their constituents, so I leave with this, even though it seems as the years go on we have less and less connection with the advocates that are here to help us fight with what can sometimes be described as daunting tasks, everyone here at ABE now believes in the political system. They believe that their voices are being heard. The help is out there, it’s up to us as educators, students, and administrators to go out and get it.

Announcement of the New 2012 Series GED Tests

Announcement of the New 2012 Series GED Tests Release
The General Educational Development Testing Service™ (GED Testing Service) of the American
Council on Education is pleased to announce the development of a new 2012 Series of the GED
Tests, which will be released on January 1, 2012 (other non English-language editions will be
released in 2013).

The specifications for the GED Tests are assessed at regular intervals to certify that content
reflects current curricular and academic standards for high school graduates across the United
States and Canada. As expectations and standards change for high school students, GED Testing
Service aligns the Tests with these same expectations and standards. The new 2012 Series GED
Tests will reflect current curricular and academic standards for high school graduates.

All GED examinees should be advised that scores earned on the current 2002 series or previous
tests will not be able to be combined with those earned on the new 2012 Series GED Tests. By
December 31, 2011, examinees must have taken and earned minimum scores on all five content
area tests [Language Arts, Reading; Language Arts, Writing; Social Studies; Science; and
Mathematics] and earned the minimum total passing standard on the 2002 series, or they will
need to take the entire 2012 Series test battery.

A list of Frequently Asked Questions and additional information related to the release of the
2012 Series GED Tests can be found on the GED Testing Service website
( w ww.GEDtest.org / 2012). Individuals may also contact their local state/jurisdiction
administrator for additional information. A list of those administrators is located at
(www.GEDtest.org/administrators). In addition, Official GED Testing Centers may also be
found online (www.GEDtest.org/locator).

GED Administrators and Examiners are encouraged to distribute this information widely to
relevant agencies and educational entities, as well as through other appropriate communications
channels so that GED test-takers might receive appropriate counseling and planning assistance in
order to meet this deadline.

NM State ABE Audit Team Visit Soy Mariachi

NM State ABE Director Pam Perez and Program Specialist Michele Centrella visited Roswell's ABE citizenship class at Soy Mariachi on April 16, 2008. Michele interviewed instructor Cecilia Reyes while Pam questioned the students about what they were learning. Every five years every ABE program in NM undergoes a formal state compliance audit to ensure that students are receiving quality services.

English Second Language Meeting

As part of the ENMU-Roswell ABE audit, State ABE Director, Dr. Pam Perez, and Program Improvement Specialist, Michele Centrella, met with ESL instructors Maria Elena-Ruiz, Nancy Alvarado and Gina De Los Santos. Together, they brainstormed on ways to create a more formal process for transitioning ESL students through progressive levels. Here's a couple of ideas that we suggested. First, we should create a series of four week classes based on language proficiency levels. Second, it might be a good idea to set up a conversional class and a formal writing class. What are your thoughts on these ideas?

ENMU-Roswell ABE Audit Team Visits Parkview GED/ESL Class

Parkview ABE Instructor Jaynan fielded questions from Michele Centrella: NM Policy & Program Improvement Specialist yesterday. Michele asked Jaynan about the program's strategic plan and student goals, plus wanted her feedback on how things are going. The audit team stressed during their brief-in that they are not here to "beat us up," but to help elevate our program to the next level. While Michele chatted with Jaynan, State ABE Director, Dr. Pam Etre Perez, met with the students and asked them about the services they were receiving. In the next few days, the NM ABE Audit Team will visit several classrooms served by the ENMU-Roswell ABE program. Please make them feel welcome and share your thoughts on how things are going. Without a doubt, we do some things incredibly well. So--let them know! At the same time, there is no doubt that we need to improve in many areas. So--let them know that, too!

ENMU-Roswell ABE Audit Schedule

ENMU-Roswell Site Evaluation
Final Draft Agenda

Tuesday, April 15

8:30 – 9:30 Welcome and Introductions with NM ABE team and ENMU-Roswell Administration and staff.

9:30 – 10:30 Visit ESL/GED class at Parkview [Pam talks with students while Michele talks to instructor, Jaynan McKelvey.]

10:30 – 12:30 Content Area/Category: Administration (with Pam/Michele).

12:30 – 2:00 NM ABE team break; includes meeting/discussion of data findings.

2:00 – 2:45 Visit GED Prep class NM Youth Challenge [Pam talks with students while Michele talks to instructor, Martin Kuykendall)

3:00 – 5:00 Content Areas/Category: Curriculum and Instruction (with Pam/Michele).

*3:00 – 4:00 Pam meets with Business Office to discuss Fiscal Indicators/Issues.*

5:00– 6:00 ABE State team meets on data issues/findings.

6:00 – 6:45 Avon Wilson Characters Count Banquet

*9:30 – 5:00* Content Area/Category: Data Quality & Measurements (CNM Data Tech and NM ABE Operations Research Analyst)

Wednesday, April 16

8:30 – 9:30 Visit GED/ESL class [Pam talks with students while Michele talks to instructor, Maria Elena Ruiz, Portable]

9:30 – 10:30 Visit ESL class; 119 OTC [Pam talks with students while Michele talks to instructor, Nancy Alvarado, Room 119OTC]

10:30 – 12:30 Content Area/Category: Student Indicators (with Pam/Michele).

12:30 – 2:00 NM ABE team break; includes meeting/discussion of data findings.

2:00 – 4:00 Content Area/Category: Community Connections (with Pam/Michele).

4:00 – 5:00 Visit with group of students or teachers assembled by program.

5:00 – 6:00 ABE State team meets on data issues/findings.

6:00 – 6:45 Visit ESL Citizenship class; Soy Mariachi [Pam talks with students while Michele talks to instructor Cecilia Reyes]

*8:30 – 5:00* Content Area/Category: Data Quality & Measurements (CNM Data Tech and NM ABE Operations Research Analyst)

Thursday, April 17

8:30 – 10:00 Pam free for meetings with ENMU-Roswell ABE staff and/or Administrators.

10:00 – 12:00 No meetings: ABE State team works on Evaluation Summary Report.

1:30 – 2:30 Closing and Summary Report with NM ABE team and ENMU-Roswell Administration and staff.

Comments on the Bishop's Lodge Teacher Institute Training

I attended a TESOL (didn't even know that acroynmn until last week) workshop. The theme of the workshop was how to invent lessons without much preparation. The main point was to assign your students activities that will help to lesson your load. I learned so much. There were so many fun, physical activies that they taught us that got the students up and moving around. There were also little tips about how to bring the students back in to order quickly after a physical activity.

I could really see the difference as I prepared my lesson plan this morning. There were a lot of things that I was already doing, but a lot of things that I am going to be doing differently that I think that my students will really enjoy.

Again, thank you so much. All during the conference all that I could think about was how blessed and privileged I was to be there. I want you to know that I really considered it an honor. I love workshops and I hope that we will get to experience many more of them in the future, not only individually but as a department as a whole---ENMU-Roswell ABE Instructor Nancy