Nineteen schools in New Mexico have shown significant academic progress, with two schools reaching the state's highest performance tier after previously being among the lowest-performing. This development is highlighted in the latest school designations for the 2024–25 school year by the New Mexico Public Education Department. The report emphasizes schools that have exited the Comprehensive Support & Improvement (CSI) designation, which identifies the state's lowest-performing schools.
Mariana D. Padilla, Secretary of Public Education, said, "These 19 schools prove that with the right support, strong leadership and dedicated educators, New Mexico students can succeed." She added that their success demonstrates how data-driven strategies and collaborative school cultures can yield positive results for students.
Among these 19 schools, two advanced to Spotlight status, indicating they are now among the highest-performing schools. Fifteen moved to Traditional status, while two transitioned to Targeted Support & Improvement (TSI) status. Additionally, one school progressed from More Rigorous Intervention (MRI) status to TSI status. This shift signifies that even those requiring intensive support can achieve substantial improvement.
Mesa Elementary in Shiprock and Armijo Elementary in Albuquerque are examples of schools exiting CSI status into Traditional status due to sustained improvements in student achievement. At Mesa Elementary, Principal Gina Jones has led efforts involving clear lesson planning and data-driven decision-making. Tools like iMSSA and Amira/Istation have been instrumental in monitoring student progress.
At Armijo Elementary, under Principal Angelica Portillo's leadership, staff utilize "Wonderful Wednesday" sessions for data review and instructional alignment. Real-time adjustments are guided by tools such as Formative Loop and i-Ready. Family engagement initiatives further strengthen partnerships between home and school.
The evaluation of these schools is based on several indicators including math, reading, science achievement results, growth over time in math and reading, student attendance rates, progress towards English language proficiency for English learners, post-secondary readiness*, graduation rates*, and graduation rate growth*. (*Applies only to high school ratings.)
New Mexico Vistas is a public reporting website developed by the New Mexico Public Education Department in 2019 to showcase school performance aligned with ESSA.
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