A robust education system demands a comprehensive approach to academic success. In 2007, the PED, together with Governor Bill Richardson, legislators and education and community leaders, strategically implemented and developed initiatives to bridge expectation gaps between elementary, middle, high school and postsecondary education; to create seamless transitions from grade to grade; and to align and integrate our entire P-20 education system.
We worked through our strategic framework Making Schools Work, earning New Mexico national recognition for education reform.
The Making Schools Work initiative targets seven areas necessary for education excellence:
- Academic Rigor and Accountability
- Closing the Achievement Gap
- School Readiness
- Quality Teachers
- Parent Involvement
- 21st Century Classrooms
- College and Workforce Readiness
Often the public judges New Mexico public school performance by the state’s progress under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 or NCLB. In 2007, approximately 45% of New Mexico’s schools made adequate progress. This percentage cannot be compared to another state’s percentage because each state has different standards regarding what students are expected to know and be able to do.
New Mexico’s standards provide academic focus and direction for instruction.
In 2007, over 199,000 New Mexico students were tested for their proficiency against the standards. Students in grades 3-9 and 11 were tested on their proficiency in reading and math, while students in grades 3-9 were also tested on their proficiency in science.
New Mexico has not played the game of setting low proficiency levels for reading and math in order to increase the number of schools making adequate progress. So, when New Mexico students achieve proficiency in math, reading and science, they are nationally competitive.
New Mexico has been nationally recognized for its high academic standards by the Fordham Foundation, the American Federation of Teachers, Education Week and Newsweek.
Most recently, the U.S. Department of Education conducted a comparative study of the National Assessment for Educational Progress and state assessments. New Mexico standards and cut scores ranked in the top 10 overall.
With or without No Child Left Behind, New Mexico will continue to hold schools accountable, set the bar high for our students and work toward an aligned system.
Our goal is for all New Mexico students to be prepared for success in college or a career when they graduate from a public school.
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