Education Secretary Arsenio Romero
NMPED News:
SANTA FE — Eight schools across the state have been named Structured Literacy Model Schools by the New Mexico Public Education Department.
“It is so invigorating to celebrate these Model Schools for their dedication to the Science of Reading and their efforts to ensure literacy instruction is in the spotlight,” Education Secretary Arsenio Romero said. “We are at a pivotal moment in New Mexico, one in which student outcomes are about to surpass past performances, all because the teaching of reading is our unwavering focus.”
8 Structured Literacy Model Schools:
- Mountain Mahogany Community School (Albuquerque Public Schools – charter)
- The International School at Mesa de Sol (Albuquerque Public Schools – charter)
- Whittier Elementary School (Albuquerque Public Schools)
- Arts Academy at Bella Vista (Clovis Municipal Schools)
- Bell Elementary School (Deming Public Schools)
- Vado Elementary School (Gadsden Independent School District)
- Los Niños Elementary School (Las Vegas City Schools)
- Truth or Consequences Elementary School and Sierra Elementary Complex (Truth or Consequences Municipal Schools)
Through a competitive grant application, Structured Literacy Model Schools were identified by the PED Literacy and Humanities Bureau in May. In addition, site visits and interviews were conducted, and schools were chosen based on observed evidence-based literacy practices in the classroom.
Cheryl Coyle is principal of one of the Model Schools. The Vado Elementary School administrator attributes the status to her staff’s commitment to ensure all students learn to read using a repertoire of instructional best practices.
Coyle received national attention when she was interviewed for the spring issue of American Educator by Dr. Carol Tolman, literacy celebrity and co-author of Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling. As a dual language school, two-thirds of her students receive 50 percent of their instruction in Spanish.
“We are taking what we are learning and applying the strategies to reading in English and Spanish. However, we still have much to learn and are only beginning our journey,” she said. “I am very blessed to work with such a dedicated staff. It is exciting to watch students learn to read and know that we are setting them up for success.”
During the 2023-2024 school year, PED will work with Model Schools to provide educators additional structured literacy support. Their staff and administration have a solid foundational understanding and knowledge base of what it means to provide equitable, effective instruction to all students in learning how to read.
Teachers at Model Schools have shifted their instructional practices and are implementing strategies they’ve learned from Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling training in the classroom. They will continue to enhance their skills and strategies with deeper professional learning and implementation.
In addition to the model schools, 64 schools were named Structured Literacy Support Schools, which means they are establishing a foundation and culture of structured literacy practices in their schools. Click here for the full list.
To uplift schools in need of literacy support, PED will provide $50,000 in state grant money to Model Schools and up to $40,000 to Support Schools.
Literacy professional learning for teachers and research-based Science of Reading instruction are priorities in New Mexico. About $21.5 million will go toward literacy in the next school year. Currently 6,500 educators are enrolled in LETRS training, with nearly 1,300 who have already finished. Click here for more information about Structured Literacy in New Mexico.
