DECIPHERING THE EDUCATION SYSTEM’S ALPHABET SOUP

New Mexico’s Public Education Department (PED) releases scores for public schools across the state. These scores show students’ performance in math, reading, science, attendance, and graduation rates. Over 200 New Mexico schools, including 50 in Albuquerque, need support due to low performance.

PED’s data is published on their online portal NM Vistas. There, you can search for a local school’s score. This data is made available because of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

ESSA is a federal law signed by President Obama in 2015. It amends the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and revamps No Child Left Behind from 2002. ESSA is designed to ensure that all American students are taught to high academic standards. It requires that information be made available

School designations and descriptions to the public through annual statewide assessments. Another component of ESSA is to provide federal assistance to Title 1 schools, which are those schools identified as populated by 50% or more economically-disadvantaged students. Schools are put in categories based on their scores and Title 1 status. Schools with below-average scores get categorized as needing help. Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) means that one or more student groups meet the state’s definition of consistently underperforming. More categories, such as Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI), exist for Title 1 schools, as well.

It’s tough to say what these categories accomplish, especially since some of the definitions are way confusing. The increased transparency that ESSA provides educators, families, and students, however, could be a step in the right direction.

Public school scores