Describes the advantages and disadvantages of group purchasing. Forty-seven states have laws allowing group purchasing. Includes examples of group purchasing arrangements in Washington, California, New Mexico, and Kentucky. (PKP)

Describes innovative New Mexico basic-skills tutoring program (The Scholars Club) that provides classroom teachers extra time to teach elementary students who need help. Program is funded solely from corporate gifts, foundation grants, and individual donations. (PKP)

By lengthening school days and moving to a four-day school week, the Cimarron (New Mexico) School District not only saved energy and transportation costs but also won teacher, student, and parent approval and saw student scores rise on national standardized tests. (RW)

Examines Jersey City (New Jersey) Superintendent Franklin Williams' efforts to thwart the state's takeover of his school system, which is facing academic and managerial bankruptcy. An inset mentions other state takeovers or interventions in Texas, New Mexico, and Kentucky school districts facing financial and accreditation difficulties. (MLH)

Describes the unusual design and construction of Magdalena Municipal School (K-12) in rural New Mexico. Designed to complement the physical setting and suit diverse age groups, the school features a unifying stepped facade motif, rough-textured surfaces, high desert colors, and trees used as a windbreak. (MLH)

Describes Albuquerque (New Mexico) Public Schools' development of a model to forecast enrollment growth. Recommendations include studying local demographics, seeking clues to future development, examining the age of neighborhoods, adding up rental property, and developing strong professional relationships with city planners, real estate…

Gang membership in large cities is declining but may be increasing in small towns. A student high-school teacher in Silver City, New Mexico, describes several academic, counseling, disciplinary, and extracurricular programs (including a support group for gang dropouts) to address students' and teachers' school-safety concerns. (MLH)

When the voters of Carlsbad, in southeast New Mexico, passed a $14 million bond referendum in 1992, the school board decided to use a portion of the money to consolidate the kindergarten, Head Start, and developmentally delayed preschooler programs into one building. Colors and symbols give young children visual reminders. Four architects offer…

Describes Albuquerque (New Mexico) Public School's board of education's experience with an interim, four-person superintendency team appointed by the board to replace the previous superintendent. The team was composed of three associate superintendents and a local public-relations executive. Includes a brief description of the responsibilities and…

A survey of 140 school districts in the border states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas about techniques for reaching Hispanic parents elicited responses from 48 school officials. Advice includes: write letters and other material in Spanish as well as English, employ bilingual school personnel, and schedule parent-teacher meetings…

School communities are challenged to find ways to identify good teachers and give other teachers a chance to learn from them. The New Mexico World Class Teacher Project is encouraging teachers to pursue certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. This process sharpens teachers' student assessment skills and encourages…

Back in 1988, Emmett, Idaho, built the first monolithic dome school. Now, school boards in Arizona, Missouri, Florida, Minnesota, and New Mexico are among those that have voted to build domed school buildings. A monolithic dome is a steel- reinforced, concrete structure with a smooth, round surface that is inspired by the shape of an egg. (MLF)