Tag: PED

  • It’s mid October, PED. Where is the data?

    It’s mid October, PED. Where is the data?

    Last month on September 19, the Public Education Department presented to the Legislative Education Study Committee slide decks showing preliminary, high-level results of the state’s spring assessments, promising that detailed data would be forthcoming soon thereafter.

    A month has passed and the PED has released nothing further. No district- or school-level data files or presentations. Not even a press release. The school year is one-quarter over and the public is being kept in the dark about the state of New Mexico’s schools?

    Repeated outreach by New Mexico Education to the PED has been met with silence. The one PED data slide presented showed that statewide, there was incremental improvement in reading – from 38 percent proficient in 2023 to 39 percent proficient in 2024, a decline in math (from 24 percent proficient to 23 percent), and a three percentage-point increase in science (from 34 percent to 37 percent).

    A companion presentation by LESC staff contained richer data, but also showed different proficiency rates than the PED deck – reading at 38 percent proficient and math down to 22 percent proficient.

    The LESC deck also contained some graphs that merit a deeper dive, which is impossible unless and until PED releases the data files. For example, the achievement gaps between economically disadvantaged and non-economically disadvantaged students in English Language Arts closed significantly statewide. 

    This occurred both because economically disadvantaged students’ ELA scores increased by five percentage-points (and nine percentage-points since 2022), and because more affluent students saw their ELA scores decline by five percentage-points.

    Ideally, gaps should close because those on the lower end are making big gains, not because those at the higher end are dropping.

    Without detailed data, it is not possible for researchers to dive in to determine why and where these changes are occurring.

    National education researcher Chad Aldeman recently wrote on his Substack blog that this practice of hiding or delaying data has become a nationwide trend among state education departments.

    “Here we are in pumpkin spice / decorative gourd season, and half the states still have not released their results yet,” Alderman wrote. “To put it colloquially, this is too damn slow! Summer is the key here—it’s the time when parents and educators could actually do something about the results. By the time fall rolls around, kids are already back in school and they’ve moved on to the next grade. Teachers have already written their lesson plans for the year….

    …“When it comes to releasing their results, too many states are putting parents last,” Aldeman wrote. “This game of telephone is also unnecessary in today’s modern world. Most state assessments are now administered on computers and can be scored instantaneously. Private testing companies like the ACT and SAT promise to deliver results in 2-4 weeks.”

    According to Aldeman’s research, last year the PED didn’t release its data until mid-November, which ranked New Mexico 45th out of the 50th states. 

    Will this year be any different?

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  • PED repeals teacher leader programs

    PED repeals teacher leader programs

    With little fanfare and in the face of strong educator opposition, the  New Mexico Public Education Department has repealed a rule designed to foster leadership opportunities for teachers while keeping them in the classroom, a program widely praised for its impact on professional development and teacher retention.

    The written repeal of Rule 6.65.4, dated Sept. 9, came during a brief period when the state had no secretary of education. Arsenio Romero resigned on Aug. 28, and Mariana Padilla was named as his successor on Sept. 10. 

    The repeal order was signed by Candice Castillo, deputy cabinet secretary. 

    “The department notes that the program is still supported by PED guidance, and PED remains committed to maintaining the Teacher Leader Network and Advisory Committee and the Teacher Liaison programs,” a PED document announcing the decision says. 

    The rule was introduced by PED in 2018.

    A public hearing on the proposed repeal held on August 20 at the Jerry Apodaca Education Building in Santa Fe, attracted significant attention, with more than 200 educators voicing their opposition to the repeal.

    Rachael Sewards, Founder and Head of School at Solare Collegiate Charter School, described the potential repeal as a “strong negative message” to the education sector. “Removing teacher leadership from rule communicates that PED doesn’t believe there’s a seat for teacher leaders at decision-making tables, nor does it see value in building up our field with young and aspiring leaders.” Sewards wrote.

    Sewards, along with many other educators, credited the Teacher Leader Development Framework with having a profound impact on her career. Her journey from participating in the inaugural Teacher Leader Network to founding her own school is a testament to the program’s influence, she said.

    During the public comment period leading up to the hearing, the NMPED received a flood of responses, totaling 80 pages of complaints, from educators who said they have benefited from the program. 

    Joe Lovato, a teacher involved in PED’s past leadership initiatives, expressed his concerns: “The repeal of these programs will be viewed by us as educators as the devaluing of our input and leadership potential,” Lovato stated in his written comments.

    Kelly Pearce, a former teacher ambassador, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the personal and professional growth she experienced thanks to the program. Now working in a national education role, Pearce said she is concerned about the message the repeal sends to future educators.

    Some educators went beyond opposing the repeal, offering suggestions to modernize the framework to better align with current educational goals. These suggestions include focusing on literacy, supporting students impacted by the Yazzie-Martinez lawsuit, and ensuring consistent and relevant data collection. 

    As of now, the PED has not provided detailed reasons for the repeal. However, officials have hinted that certain elements of the Teacher Leader Development Framework may continue in some form on the department’s website, though they will no longer be codified in state rules.

    With the hearing concluded, the decision now lies with the Public Education Department, which is now without a Secretary. Educators across New Mexico are left in suspense, hoping their voices have been heard and that the state will reconsider the repeal.

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