Albuquerque Public Schools students posted their strongest New Mexico Measures of Student Success and Achievement (NM-MSSA) results yet last year. This year, they have largely maintained that performance.
The district’s overall proficiency rates reached 43 percent in English Language Arts and 26.6 percent in mathematics. These figures exclude APS-authorized charter schools.
More than 26,600 students in third through eighth grade took the assessment in spring 2026. Language arts proficiency fell 0.5 percentage point, while math proficiency rose 0.1 percentage point from the previous year, says APS.
The latest state testing data, released on Sept. 14 by the New Mexico Public Education Department, shows these results.
Students posted their best math scores since the state switched to the NM-MSSA. They also recorded their second best reading scores. The state administered the assessment fully for the first time in spring 2022.
“While we were hoping for stronger growth, I’m proud that our students largely held onto the hard-won gains from 2025,” Superintendent Gabriella Durán Blakey said.
Durán Blakey said the results show students’ resilience and staff’s dedication. She added that APS remains committed to helping every student reach their full potential.
Where Student Performance Improved
Schools showing significant improvement in English Language Arts proficiency include:
- Eugene Field Elementary, 16.3 percentage point increase
- Alvarado Elementary, 14.4 percentage point increase
- Kirtland Elementary, 12.2 percentage point increase
- Collet Park Elementary, 11.6 percentage point increase
- Tierra Antigua Elementary, 10.3 percentage point increase
- And Wherry Elementary, 9.9 percentage point increase
Schools showing significant progress in math proficiency include:
- La Mesa Elementary, 12.5 percentage point increase
- San Antonito Elementary, 9.6 percentage point increase
- Lew Wallace Elementary, 8.6 percentage point increase
- Mark Twain Elementary, 7.3 percentage point increase
- And Armijo Elementary, 7.2 percentage point increase
APS said its focused work to improve student outcomes have driven the sustained gains. Those efforts align with goals the district’s Board of Education established in 2023. That work includes progress monitoring. Top administrators appear before the board to discuss progress toward each goal.
APS is focusing on structured literacy instruction to improve student outcomes. The district also prioritizes high-quality instructional materials, teacher collaboration, and student data to guide lessons. The four five-year goals cover literacy, math, college, and career readiness. They also emphasize the skills, habits, and mindsets students need to succeed in life.
As a group, Yazzie-Martinez and Black students continued to show year-over-year increases in ELA and math proficiency rates. In spring 2026, these students recorded a 35.6 percent proficiency rate in ELA, up to 1 percentage point from spring 2025. Their math proficiency level reached 19 percent, an increase of 1.4 percentage points.
Science and High School Performance
The state uses the New Mexico Assessment of Science Readiness (NM-ASR) to assess students’ science proficiency. The test measures performance among elementary, middle, and high school students.
Students in grades 5, 8 and 11 took the NM-ASR last spring. Overall, 33.4 percent of them tested proficient, down 1.4 percentage points from the prior school year.
The College Board’s SAT School Day test determined the proficiency rates for grade 11 students in math, as well as reading and writing. In reading and writing, 43.2 percent were proficient, down 4.2 percentage points. In math, 17 percent were proficient, down 0.4 percentage points.
