Yazzie-Martinez and African American students at Albuquerque Public Schools improved their early literacy skills during the past school year. However, interim assessment results presented to the Board of Education on Wednesday showed they continue to struggle in middle school math.
“We’re excited about the gains we’re seeing in early literacy but know we need to do more to help our middle school students in mathematics,” Superintendent Gabriella Durán Blakey said.
“We are committed to doing everything we can to get our students back on track in math,” she said in an APS report.
Blakey, Deputy Superintendent Randy Mahlerwein, Chief Academic Officer Sheri Jett, Executive Director of Accountability and Reporting Chris West, Associate Superintendent Anna Chavez and Associate Superintendent Chris Sanchez presented progress monitoring reports. They discussed the district’s progress toward its interim goals for early literacy and middle school math.
Early Literacy Results Exceed Interim Goals
This year, the district began using Amira as an internal assessment tool. It is a state-required literacy assessment for students in kindergarten through third grade. Although the district is still in the early stages of implementation, the end-of-year data shows how students are progressing in foundational reading skills.
The results show APS is on track, according to the district.
At the end of the school year, 29.2% of first-grade students in groups identified in the Yazzie-Martinez decision and African American students scored proficient or above. The result surpassed the district’s annual Interim Goal 1.1 target by more than 6.2 percentage points.
Among second graders in the same student groups, 33% reached proficiency. The result was more than 8.7 percentage points above the district’s annual Interim Goal 1.2 target.
Middle School Math Improves but Falls Short
Yazzie-Martinez and African American sixth- and seventh-graders also improved their performance on the internal i-Ready assessment compared with the previous year. However, they fell short of the annual targets.
For Interim Goal 2.1, which focuses on sixth-grade students, APS recorded a 21.2% proficiency rate. The result marked a 0.8 percentage point increase from 2024-2025 but fell 1.4 percentage points short of the 22.6% target.
For Interim Goal 2.2, seventh-grade students achieved 17.9% proficiency rate, up 1.3 percentage points from 2024-2025. However, they fell short of the 19% goal by 1.1 percentage points.
In its analysis, the Goal 2 team noted that many students struggle to move from basic arithmetic to algebraic thinking. Deficits in sixth-grade “numbers and operations” make it harder for students to master expressions and equations in seventh grade.
The team also cited another challenge. Schools often pulled students with disabilities from general education classrooms for specialized services, limiting their exposure to grade-level standards and advanced math concepts.
APS Outlines Steps to Improve Math Performance
APS leaders will begin active, daily tracking of leading skill indicators and specific missing student capabilities. They will also work with school leadership teams to address those gaps. The district will deploy co-teachers to deliver targeted 10-minute mini-lessons to students who need them before the main instruction begins. These lessons will give students the specific tools they need for that day’s work.
Students will use physical objects and visual diagrams to model math problems. They will then move on to formulas and written equations. This approach aims to help students build confidence by starting with concepts they can see and touch.
Special education and English Language resource staff will work with math teachers. Together, they will provide integrated accommodations and language support to help students understand math concepts.
Background on APS Interim Goals
In 2023, the Board of Education adopted four five-year goals. They cover literacy; math; college and career readiness; and skills, habits, and mindsets for life success.
The first two goals focus on early literacy and middle school math. They aim to improve academic outcomes for African American students and those identified in the Yazzie-Martinez court decision. Those students include Native American students, English language learners, students with disabilities, and students who are economically disadvantaged.
The early literacy goal calls for a 10 percentage-point increase in grade-level proficiency on the state English Language Arts summative assessment. It focuses on third-grade students in these groups who have historically struggled academically. Specifically, the goal aims to increase proficiency from 27.3% in May 2023 to 37.3% in May 2028.
The middle school math goal aims to increase grade-level proficiency on the state mathematics summative assessment by 10 percentage points. It focuses on eighth-grade students in these groups. Specifically, it calls for an increase from 11.1% in May 2023 to 21.1% in May 2028.
To stay on track, APS established interim goals focused on internal assessments. The district regularly reports to the board on its progress toward achieving those interim goals.
