PED grades mixed for San Miguel, Mora districts
The New Mexico Public Education Department released its letter grades for school districts and sites across the state on Aug. 16.
No site within Mora Schools district earned higher than a C, with Mora Elementary falling from a B to an F.
Holman Elementary received a C, down from a B last year. Lazaro Larry Garcia Middle School also scored a C, up from an F last year. Mora High School received a C for a third straight year.
In Wagon Mound, the elementary school fell from a C to a D, but the high school rose from a C to a B.
In the Pecos Independent Schools district, Pecos Elementary and Pecos High School both received a D for the second year in a row, and the middle school rose to a C from a D.
The PED has been issuing letter grades to school districts for six years.
A school district’s grade is determined by measuring several categories such as graduation rates and attendance rates. Also factored in is how well students perform on standardized tests like the PARCC exam.
Proponents of the letter grade scoring say it’s a good way to judge the performance of individual schools.
However, critics argue too much emphasis is placed on standardized testing and that the formula used for deciding a school’s letter grade is too confusing.
Statewide, fewer than 13 percent of New Mexico schools received an A, while nearly 15 percent received an F.
