New Mexico statewide distribution of school report card grades:
Courtesy/LAPS
LAPS News:
The New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED) released school report card grades today across the state and Los Alamos Public Schools received high marks.
Four of the seven Los Alamos schools earned “A” grades and three earned “B” grades:
- Barranca Mesa Elementary School – A
- Los Alamos High School – A
- Mountain Elementary School – A
- Pinon Elementary School – A
- Aspen Elementary School – B
- Chamisa Elementary School – B
- Los Alamos Middle School – B
“The high marks were reflective of the fine academic performance of our students and a testament to the high quality of instruction delivered by staff,” said Superintendent Gene Schmidt in a news release this afternoon.
Los Alamos High School Principal Sandy Warnock stated, “I am really excited. It matches the quality of the education that we provide.”
Warnock commended her staff and students for their “wonderful performance.”
According to information provided by the New Mexico Public Education Department, the School Grading is part of a state and federal statute that mandates accountability for all public schools.
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) enacted in 1965, which was reauthorized in 2001 as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), requires schools to show annual
improvement in mathematics and reading.
In 2011, New Mexico lawmakers enacted additional requirements that schools demonstrate progress through a grading system similar to that applied to students, A-‐B-‐C-‐D-‐F. [6.19.8.1 NMAC -‐ N, 12-‐15-‐11].
School report card grades were based on a number of different categories including:
- performance in math and reading,
- school growth,
- growth of the highest performing students,
- growth of the lowest performing students,
- graduation rates,
- opportunity to learn, and
- bonus points.
Los Alamos schools received high marks in all categories except growth of lowest performing students, Schmidt said.
It will take time to analyze and interpret the data in order to better understand the grades, he said, adding that when staff returns, instructional teams will be encouraged to review data and suggest strategies “to improve our strengths and capitalize on our areas of concern.”
For more information, click the NMPED link http://webapp2.ped.state.nm.us/SchoolData/SchoolGrading.aspx then use the pull down menu for district and school of choice.
NMPED Secretary-Designate Hanna Skandera stated in today’s news release, “We now have access to a broader breakdown of our schools that incorporates growth, proficiency, and other measurements. These grades show us that there is tremendous work to be done to improve education in our state, but they also provide better benchmarks, goals and information to equip teachers, school leaders and parents as we work together to improve our kids’ opportunities for success.”
