Santa Fe, NM – According to Standard Based Assessment (SBA) scores, New Mexico students are testing lower in math and reading than they did five years ago. How is it then, that Governor Susana Martinez and Public Education Department (PED) Secretary Designate Hanna Skandera say that under the current administration, the state’s educational system is improving? One legislator says it’s a lack of transparency and responsibility in not reporting the actual results of their “innovations.”
“This is exactly the type of evidence that contradicts one of many things this administration continues to tell the public. It’s unfortunate and frankly devastating to see that our children have declined in their testing abilities; and if this administration continues to ignore the legislature, education professionals and the state’s educational needs, this will continue,” said Senate Majority Leader Michael S. Sanchez (D-29-Bernalillo & Valencia).
According to SBA score results, 49 percent of students read at grade level – a 4.2 percent point decline since 2010. Math scores show that only 40.7 percent of students scored at grade level – a 1.5 percent drop since 2010. According to this week’s Albuquerque Journal, about a third of the state’s students who are enrolled in the Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) have also seen percentage drops in grade level scoring. The Journal states that APS’ reading scores are down 4.9 percentage points, and math scores are down 4.1 percentage points since 2010.
“I don’t know how the administration will twist these latest statistics, but my hope is that they will start being more cooperative with all those invested in our education system. What I do know is that parents, teachers and students alike, deserve the truth,” added Sen. Sanchez.