LAS CRUCES Exams 2011- NM's test results 'not acceptable'
New figures released by the state reveal that most public schools in New Mexico - nearly 87 percent - are not making adequate academic progress to meet federal standards."These rankings show we're not getting the job done and that's not acceptable for our children," said Hanna Skandera, New Mexico Public Education Secretary-designate in a prepared statement. "We now have an opportunity to be honest about what our kids need and acknowledge that what we've done in the past isn't working."
The New Mexico Public Education Department on Friday released its rankings for Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), which is the federal standard for the No Child Left Behind law that assesses school performance in the United States.
Figures for Las Cruces Public Schools showed that 39.69 percent of its students were proficient in math and 49.28 percent were proficient in reading - both marks slightly below the state average.
White Sands Middle School was the only Las Cruces Public School campus that achieved adequate yearly progress - down from three schools that achieved the same designation last year.
But Stan Rounds, superintendent for Las Cruces Public Schools, said the AYP model does not take into account how much a school has progressed from the previous year, nor how close it is to passing. So he said it's too soon to reach any conclusions about school performance in his district.
"We have had approximately two days to study the voluminous amount of data," stated
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his district's press release. "There is one thing of which we can be sure: LCPS cannot yet compare the 2011 test results to the 2010 results to accurately determine how much improvement our students made or didn't make."
In an interview, Rounds said he believes the AYP pass-fail design tells little of the story on a school's academic progress.
The AYP considers 37 "indicators" in giving a school a pass or fail designation, he said. "And if you miss one out of 37, you fail. But, if you think about it, one out of 37, is like 97 percent. So having a 97 percent equals an F?"
In other parts of the Dona Ana County, two schools in the Gadsden Independent School District made AYP: Anthony Elementary and Loma Linda Elementary.
Efren Yturralde, deputy superintendent of Gadsden Indpendent School District, lamented that scores were not better in his district, but said he also saw in the test results some encouraging items.
"Ten of our schools showed an increase in their reading score or their math scores," he said.
Hatch Valley Public Schools saw one campus - Hatch Valley High School - attain the AYP goal.
AYP represents the annual academic targets in reading and math that schools must reach, with the standard increasing each year until schools must attain 100 percent proficiency by the 2013-2014 school year. To measure progress toward that goal, students in grades 3-8 and grade 11 are tested yearly with the New Mexico Standards Based Assessment exam. These test results are used by the PED to determine school AYP designations.
New Mexico's AYP ranking for its 831 public schools showed that only 42 percent of its students performed at the adequate grade level in math and science, and half performed at their grade level in reading.
The New Mexico Public Education Department press release highlighted two cases that called for "increased focus" in core subject areas: Only 53 percent of New Mexico third graders are reading at their grade level; and only 47 percent of the state's fourth graders are reading at their grade level.
"The message couldn't be clearer: our children need education reform now," stated Skandera.
To make the progress goal this year, a school with kindergarten through eighth grade needed 65 percent of its students to be at proficiency or above in math - up from 51 percent last year. Seventy-five percent needed to meet the performance standard in reading, up from 64 percent last year.
The underwhelming test results also prompted state officials to again call for a new way to assess school perfomance.
"Educators know almost 87 percent of our schools aren't failing," said Skandera in her statement. "That's why we need reforms like our A through F school grading system."
The "A through F" school assessment system was authorized in March by the New Mexico Legislature as a way of stepping away from the No Child Left Behind system that they say is too beareaucratic to be useful.
Rounds said he agrees with that move.
"I think giving a different look than the AYP is appropriate - we certainly support that concept. I think A through F is fairer than AYP, where you either pass or fail."
Reyes Mata III can be reached at (575)541-5452.
Brkout:
The federal government's No Child Left Behind law has as its goal 100 percent student proficiency by the 2013-2014 school year. To measure progress towards this goal, students in grades 3 through 8, and grade 11, are tested yearly with the New Mexico Standards Based Assessment exam. Those test results were just released.
Some highlights
Gadsden Independent School District•Graduation rate: 59.92 percent.
•The district, as a whole, did not meet federal academic goals.
•Two schools met federal AYP standards: Anthony Elementary and Loma Linda Elementary.
•Percentage of district students proficient in reading: 43.57
AYP reading scores improved in 5 schools: Anthony Elementary, La Union Elementary, Loma Linda Elementary, North Valley Elementary, Chaparral High School.
•Percentage of district students proficient in Math: 43.24
AYP math scores improved in 9 schools: Chaparral Middle School, Gadsden Middle School, Santa Teresa Middle School, Chaparral High School, Gadsden High School, Santa Teresa High School, Anthony Elementary School, Loma Linda Elementary, and North Valley Elementary.
Las Cruces Public Schools
•Graduation rate: 71.23 percent
•The district, as a whole, did not meet federal academic goals.
•One school met federal AYP standards: White Sands Middle School
•Percentage of students proficient in Math: 39.69
Eight of the district's 35 schools - 23 percent - showed improvement in math proficiency, including Camino Real Middle School which showed more than a 10 percent improvement.
•Percentage of students proficient in Reading: 49.28
Twelve of the district's 35 schools - 29 percent - showed improvement in reading proficiency: Columbia Elementary, Do-a Ana Elementary, Fairacres Elementary, Sonoma Elementary, Valley View Elementary, Camino Real Middle School, Lynn Middle School, Sierra Middle School, Vista Middle School, White Sands Middle School, Zia Middle School, and San Andres High School.
Hatch Valley Public Schools
•Graduation rate: 77.27
•The district, as a whole, did not meet federal academic goals.
•One school met federal AYP standards: Hatch Valley High School.
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