Comparison of math and reading abilities from the New Mexico Public Education Department.

For the first time, Tucumcari High School and Tucumcari Elementary School failed to meet their Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) goals set by the state’s Public Education Department.

The state released AYP results Friday for schools that were tested this spring.

THS  came up short in math and reading. The elementary school had a drop in math scores, the report shows.

Tucumcari’s Middle School met its AYP goals for the second year, and as a result is no longer designated as a “School in Need of Improvement,” according to the state.

Tucumcari Public Schools superintendent Aaron McKinney called the results “bittersweet,” according to a press release.
“No one factor is to blame for these results,” McKinney said in the release, “but we are taking action to make sure that next year’s scores exceed the state’s standards.”

Among the administration’s responses is an effort to reduce class sizes in 4th and 5th grades, as well as to provide aides for additional student support in grade 3, the release said.

Research suggests that lowering the pupil/teacher ratio has a positive impact on student achievement, and Tucumcari officials are confident that student scores will improve as they offer each child more individual attention in the classroom.

The results were “disappointing but not surprising,” McKinney said in the release. School officials recognized deficiencies in the math program last spring and took steps to strengthen the department.

One step involved replacing two high school math structors, Roch said. Another required altering the placement of students this fall to ensure their successful completion of the state’s algebra curriculum, the release said.

In addition,  at mid-year  Christi Brown,  an experienced teacher who spends part of her day with students and part of her day working with the district’s math teachers came onboard,  to improve instructional strategies and assessment techniques, Roch said.

Meanwhile, “The students and staff at Tucumcari Middle School have worked hard to reach this goal,”   Roch sad, “raising test scores significantly in both reading and math. Their hard work has truly paid off.”

In fact, the schools were recently awarded almost $20,000.

In early July, Gov. Bill Richardson and  Secretary of Education Dr. Veronica C. Garcia announced that Tucumcari was among the schools which were receiving a School Improvement Incentive award.

In all, $3 million was awarded and the Tucumcari  Middle School was recognized with a $19,952.30 award.

The award recognizedschools with some of the greatest improvements in math and reading proficiency during the 2006-2007 school year, according to the press release announcing the award.