The latest national educational performance data has highlighted the continuing challenges faced by New Mexico's education system. The Nation’s Report Card, issued biannually, ranks New Mexico 52nd in average math and reading scores, behind all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Department of Defense schools. This report underscores a continuing educational crisis, exacerbated in recent years, marking the lowest performance levels in New Mexico's history.
Carter Swanson, a policy analyst with Opportunity for All Kids, describes the situation as "a crisis," noting how this ranking reflects the worst scores the state has ever received. Swanson emphasizes the importance of reform, especially during legislative sessions. He warns that New Mexico's poor educational performance is hindering the state's ability to address other systemic issues such as a medical provider shortage, crime, and economic growth.
Swanson highlights the significance of early reading skills, citing The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s report "Double Jeopardy" which notes that students struggling with reading in third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school. He stresses the importance of fourth-grade reading assessment in the National Assessment of Educational Progress test, as it sets the foundation for future learning.
Swanson contrasts New Mexico’s performance with Mississippi, a state that previously had similar educational struggles. Mississippi now ranks 10th in fourth-grade reading nationally, following educational reforms inspired by Florida’s model which emphasized early childhood literacy, phonics education, and effective reading instruction. Swanson indicates that efforts to implement similar reforms in New Mexico, led by former Governor Susana Martinez, were hampered by the Legislature.
Beyond emulating Mississippi's approach, Swanson calls for more comprehensive school choice in New Mexico. He cites Wyoming's adoption of universal school choice as a model, a path that neighboring Texas is also considering. Swanson, a New Mexico high school graduate himself, acknowledges the benefits of school choice having been personally advantaged by attending a competitive charter school.
These insights from Swanson, also a policy analyst at the Rio Grande Foundation's project Opportunity for All Kids, highlight the need for transformative educational reform in New Mexico to improve student outcomes and support broader state objectives.
