:: About the Cooperatives

In 1984, The New Mexico State Board  

of Education established Regional Center Cooperatives (RCCs) under SBE Regulation No. 84.6. In 1993 the New Mexico State Legislature created Regional Education Cooperatives, Act 22-2B-1 to 22-2B-6, NMSA, 1978, as "state agencies administratively attached to the Public Education Department." As such, RECs receive some state funding to support operations. Each REC depends upon revenues from contracted delivery of services to districts, grants, inter-governmental agreements, and joint-powers agreements.

RECs provide:

- education-related services to local
  education agencies, including charter  
  schools, and state-supported schools,

- direct services to children, families and
  communities, and 

- professional development/technical assistance to staff members of school districts at the local, regional and states levels.

"Economies of scale through (RECs) allow districts to leverage limited resources into targeted support for multiple schools and to share costs with other school districts. (RECs) must also be accountable to their customers, react to the marketplace, and act as entrpreneurs, and respond to federal, state, and local district needs."
-Rod Paige, Past-U.S. Secretary of Education



:: Quality, Proximity, Capacity,       Accessibility: Keys to RECs     Success

New Mexico's nine RECs are

geographically distributed across the state and serve 59 rural school districts and state-supported schools.

RECs have a unique understanding of the strengths and challenges of their member  districts. RECs use these insights to provide responsive, quality support and services to improve student outcomes and meet local district’s needs. RECs also play a vital role district’s needs. RECs also play a vital role in the delivery and implementation of core







:: A Critical Component of
   New Mexico's Education
   System

RECs are a vital and necessary

component of New Mexico's education
system and will continue to serve as a
conduit and delivery system for New
Mexico's school improvement and educational reforms.

:: RECs: Making a
    Difference

• New Mexico RECs service 59 of the 89
  schools districts statewide with over
  46,600 student membership (K-12).
• 66% of schools served by RECs met
  AYP for 2006-07, as compared to the
  state average of 41.9%.
• New Mexico’s RECs are staffed with
  quality and experienced personnel.
  Overall, RECs employ over 260
  professionals.
• Over 12,500 educators participated in
  REC sponsored professional
  development activities during the 2006-
  2007 school year.
• 266 children are provided Even Start or
  Head Start programs through RECs.
• 379 students participate in REC
  sponsored work study or Workforce
  Development programs.
• Annually, about 3,000 children
  participate in REC sponsored Child Find
  programs, designed to screen students
  who may have special needs.
• There are currently 24 school-based
  health centers within REC service    
  areas. 

:: REC Services:
    A Snapshot

The following are just some of the 

many services provided by RECs in New
Mexico:
• Career Readiness, Student Transition
   Activities, Work Study Programs 
• Carl Perkins Vocational Projects 
• Child Find Activities 
• Coordinate school-reform initiatives for
   NMPED such as: Advanced      
   Placement, Leadership Development    
   Project, Priority Schools Bureau
   technical assistance and trainings,
   Post-school and Early Childhood
   Outcomes Project, Transition
   Outcomes Project,  Reading First, 
   Even Start, and more.
• Cooperative School Nurse Services
   and Related Services
• Distance Education Videoconferencing
• DOH: Substance Abuse
   Prevention/Character Education
• Education Data Collection & Analysis 
• PSFA: Facilities  Management 
• Lending Library: Instructional &  
   Professional Materials/Equipment 
• Medicaid in the Schools: Program
   Administration 
• Parent Training 
• Professional Development 
• School Based Health Clinics:    
  Administration and/or Support 
• School-Board Training
• Special Education Technical      
   Assistance 
• STARS: Technical Assistance 
• Technology Assistance, Maintenance,
   and Repair 
• Three-Tiered Licensure Training 
• Title I: Program Administration 
• Title II: High Quality Teachers &  
   Principals 
• Title III: English Language Acquisition
• Title IV: Safe & Drug Free Schools &
   Communities Administration/Training 
• Title V:  Innovative Programs     
   Administration/ Training