Have you heard of a team-based learning model designed to reduce isolation and make education more relevant? Three campuses in Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) are using this approach, and it is showing positive outcomes.
APS officials, educators and students gathered on Wednesday to showcase the district’s Freshman Academies. The initiative shifts ninth graders away from traditional classroom models toward team-based, career-oriented environments.
The event was held at the Berna Facio Professional Development Complex. It highlighted the early results of the program currently operating at Cibola, Highland and Manzano high schools. District leaders also announced plans to expand the initiative to six additional high schools next year.
Superintendent Gabriella Blakey said the program addresses the need to make high school more relevant. During campus visits last year, she saw traditional classrooms with disengaged students seated in rows like in “The Breakfast Club.”
“We start with our ninth graders and intentionally design a different experience for them from day one,” Blakey said. “One that builds connection, provides support, and helps students see their clear path forward after high school.”
The academies reorganize the freshman year into themed pathways and advisory structures. Students work in interdisciplinary teams supported by dedicated teachers instead of moving through the school day in isolation. It’s part of a larger initiative called the Academies of Albuquerque. The effort strives to reshape high schools to better prepare students for the world they will encounter after graduation.
How Freshman Academies Impact Students
Brooke Meisner, a student of Manzano High School, said Freshman Academies has made a large public school feel more like a small school. It also maintains the benefits of a comprehensive campus, including sports and clubs.
“The transition to high school is hard,” Meisner said. “Now, I feel like there’s a lot of kids who might not have made it through freshman year… but they’re not gonna drop out because the teachers are like, ‘Hey, we’re here to support you.’”
Faculty collaboration is a key component of the model. Teachers at the showcase reported meeting regularly to track student performance, attendance, and social-emotional well-being.
Ann Paulls-Neal, a teacher at Highland High School, said the structure breaks down professional isolation.
“It’s the first time we’ve really had that cross-curricular time to meet,” she said. “I’m definitely more in line with what other teachers are teaching.”
Early data from the three trailblazer schools indicates the approach is working. Manzano High School teacher Kelly Dutro reported significant gains in attendance.
“They’re showing up, which is new,” Dutro said. “Because they know that we care… we’re able to also build those relationships because they’re here.”
Early Exposure to Career Pathways
Beyond improving attendance, the program aims to help students identify career interests early. Through themed pathways like arts, innovation, and culinary programs, the initiative encourages students to see real-world coursework applications.
Cibola High School Principal Kimberly Finke said the goal is to shift student’s mindset. She wants them to move from asking “why do I need to know this?” to seeing how education connects to their future.
APS is also working with community partners. Officials credited the United Way of North Central New Mexico for supporting the program’s development.
While school leaders acknowledged some “growing pains” in launching the new model, they voiced optimism about its trajectory.
“When students feel seen, supported, and valued, everything changes,” Finke said. “They show up, they engage, they begin to believe in themselves, and in what is possible.”