NMPED News:
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED) has released state assessment results from the 2022-2023 school year.
These results come three months after NMPED originally stated they would be released. State assessments are critical as they help educators and parents evaluate whether their students are at grade level in English language arts (ELA), math, and science, though Wednesday’s release did not include science assessment results.
The 2022-2023 state assessment results show a statewide ELA proficiency rate of 38 percent. According to NMPED this is a 4 percent increase from last year’s statewide proficiency of 34 percent. The growth in ELA is positive news and follows the continued implementation of structured literacy across New Mexico, including providing all K-3 teachers with LETRS training.
“Today’s data release brings conflicting emotions. On one hand, the progress made in schools and districts that show improved outcomes is worthy of celebration,” NewMexicoKidsCAN Executive Director Amanda Aragon said. “On the other hand, our statewide proficiencies are still a major cause of concern and show a need for immediate action. Only 1 in 3 New Mexico students is reading on grade level, and math is worse, where only 1 in 4 students is achieving proficiency.”
The data is more concerning for key subgroups of students, 34 percent of Hispanic students are proficient in ELA, 4 percent behind the statewide average. The numbers are even worse for economically disadvantaged students at 32 percent and Native American students at 23 percent.
In math, progress has stagnated. Statewide math proficiency is 24 percent, resulting in zero growth from the previous year, as reported by the NMPED. Only 20 percent of Hispanic students are proficient in math, 4 percent behind the statewide average. Homeless and foster students perform the lowest, with each group at 10 percent.
It remains unclear whether the data released by the department included proficiencies from the 11th grade state assessment, the SAT. Data released by the department in 2021-2022 included SAT results which makes it unclear whether the proficiency rates reported last year can be compared to the proficiency rates reported earlier today.
Additionally, this year’s data release did not include results from the early literacy assessment, I-Station, which is required for all K-2 students.
“We can learn some from today’s data release, especially from bright spots like Roy, Pojoaque, Los Alamos and Vaughn but we are lacking the full picture of student performance by excluding early literacy, science and SAT results,” Aragon added. “These data points are equally important in determining where we are making progress and what interventions are needed to support our students.”
Over the past four years, New Mexico has experienced a variety of changes and disruptions to its statewide assessment. Last year, the state introduced the New Mexico Measures of Student Success and Achievement (NM-MSSA) as its primary assessment, replacing the PARCC assessment. The NM-MSSA is only administered to students in grades 3-8. The changes and disruptions to the statewide assessment mean this year’s data can only be compared to data from the 2021-2022 academic year. This data cannot and should not be used to create comparisons to performance prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
