How did Albuquerque Public Schools fare on the latest state accountability report?

Albuquerque Public Schools students made significant gains in reading, improved math scores, graduated at a higher rate, showed greater preparation for college or a career and attended classes more often, according to the latest state accountability report.

“We’re headed on a really good trajectory, our staff is working really hard, and when you put in that much effort — and they’re really embracing change to some of the things we’re doing — seeing results is what keeps the momentum going,” Superintendent Gabriella Blakey said. “I am really pleased to see it.”

The gains for the largest district in the state are notable, as New Mexico is often ranked among the lowest states nationally in terms of student academic performance.

Data from the annual NM Vistas report compiled by the state Public Education Department for the 2024-25 school year found that 43% of APS students were proficient in reading and 25% in math.

Those figures represent 9 and 2 percentage-point increases, respectively, from the 2023-24 report. The district saw a 3 percentage point decrease in students’ science proficiency during the 2024-25 school year, bringing it to 35%.

“I think certainly we want to be leaders in the state,” Blakey said. “We recognize the value that that brings as being the largest district in the state, that we set an example, and that we carry a lot of weight in the data.”

The district also saw a 2% increase in graduation rates, with 74% of students graduating from high school in four years. Fifth-year students graduated at a 70% rate, and 73% of sixth-year students graduated.

When it comes to students’ preparation after walking the stage, APS saw a nearly 47 percentage point increase from the previous report. According to the data, 88% of district students participated in college- and career-readiness courses during the 2024-25 school year. In the previous school year, 41% had done so.

Additionally, attendance figures improved in the most recent NM Vistas report. During the 2023-24 school year, the report stated, 50% of APS students regularly attended class. For the 2024-25 school year, that jumped 19 percentage points to 69% of students regularly attending class.

However, Blakey and district leadership take issue with the way the PED interprets attendance data, noting that the district is more focused on eliminating chronic absenteeism than on daily attendance numbers. The NM Vistas report describes regular attendance as “students who were present more than 90% of enrolled school days.”

Similar to APS — where around 20% of all its public school students are enrolled — New Mexico saw gains in literacy as well. The state and its largest district showed identical proficiency rates in math, science and reading in the latest report.

“I would say that since 2019, the state has made a huge investment in early literacy, and that is moving towards structured literacy,” said Amanda DeBell, PED’s deputy secretary of Teaching, Learning and Innovation. “We see that that investment is paying off.”

While celebrating the success in improved reading skills, both PED and APS acknowledged that math scores are the next area needing improvement. Both institutions also stressed the need for schools to sustain the success seen last school year.

“When we see our statewide proficiencies hovering at less than 50% for reading and math … I would reiterate that schools and we at the PED have to keep providing those opportunities for school districts,” DeBell said. “The work must continue.”