New Mexico Joins Launch Years Initiative

New Mexico is joining the Launch Years Initiative. The Launch Years Initiative supports the scaling of mathematics pathways from high school through postsecondary education and into the workplace, aligned to students’ goals and aspirations.

New Mexico is the twenty-first state to join the Launch Years Initiative. Other states include Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin. 

"The students of New Mexico deserve a seamless and aligned transition from the mathematics courses they take in high school into their postsecondary math courses,” said Shafiq Chaudhary, director of math and science at the New Mexico Public Education Department. “We are prioritizing this work in our state, as it aligns with the PED’s Math is Me initiative. Math Is Me developed from emerging research about the importance of how students perceive their ability to do math. The goal is to break down stubborn myths that girls and some racial minorities are not good at math—myths that strongly influence academic performance and contribute to gender and racial disparities in assessments of math proficiency."

New Mexico will begin their work with the Launch Years Initiative by focusing on the design and implementation of postsecondary mathematics pathways. The state will be convening a task force of leaders and experts later this year.

“The Dana Center has been lucky to work with the state of New Mexico through various projects, including statewide K–12 professional learning,” said Shelly Ledoux, Dana Center director of professional learning and implementation. “The educators and leaders are passionate about improving outcomes and eliminating barriers for their students. Their addition to the Launch Years Initiative will create opportunities to positively impact New Mexico students for decades to come.”

States, including New Mexico, work and learn with and from one another through the Launch Years Initiative.

“We are thrilled to work collaboratively with other stakeholders on this work in New Mexico," said Dr. Vanessa K. Hawker, executive director of New Mexico Independent Community Colleges. “Our students will benefit from the work we undertake through the Launch Years Initiative, as their path from high school into postsecondary education becomes more aligned.”   

New Mexico will officially join the Launch Years initiative at their upcoming virtual conference, Aligning Math Pathways for Student Success, April 11–12, 2023.