New Mexico Kids Count Report

4MB PDF via New Mexico Voices for Children:

The national KIDS COUNT Program, using the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP), a standardized test that allows comparability of reading scores across states, ranks New Mexico 50th--dead last--among the states in 4th grade reading proficiency. Only about 20 percent--just two out of every ten New Mexico 4th graders--can read at a proficient level. If we consider the results from New Mexico's own 3rd grade reading proficiency test, the results are not any more encouraging. While in six school districts as many as 70 percent to 80 percent of 3rd graders score at a "proficient and above" level, in too many others--more than one-third of our public school districts - only 50 percent or less of the 3rd graders read proficiently or above. This does not bode well for many students' potential to succeed as they progress into higher grade levels.

This concern seems justified when we consider the low math proficiency rates of New Mexico's 8th graders. In only 11 out of the state's 89 public school districts do 60 percent or more of the 8th graders score at a "proficient or above" level. In two-thirds (60) of the school districts less than half the students can do math at the required level.

Given that skill in mathematics is considered vital for 21st century technical jobs, low proficiency in mathematics is alarming in its implications for New Mexico's future workforce capacity.

These low proficiency scores have an effect on the state's high school graduation rate. A 2012 report from the U.S. Department of Education ranked only one state lower than New Mexico in terms of the on-time high school graduation rate.5 The state's graduation rate, 63 percent (only 56 percent for economically disadvantaged students), means that more than one-third (37 percent) of our youth do not graduate from high school within four years.

There are better performance rates, however. Some public school districts-most of them in small communities-have graduation rates of 90 percent and above.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at January 16, 2013 1:24 AM
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