KOAT.COM. HEY, POSITIVE NEWS FOR NINE ALBUQUERQUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THEY NO LONGER REQUIRE EXTRA HELP FROM THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. OUR OWN ALYSSA MUNOZ JOINS US LIVE FROM APS HEADQUARTERS. ALYSSA, WHAT CHANGES DID THESE SCHOOLS MAKE? WELL, FIVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND FOUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS WERE LISTED AS EITHER A COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT AND IMPROVEMENT SCHOOL OR A MORE RIGOROUS INTERVENTION SCHOOL. NOW, THIS CAN HAPPEN DUE TO LOW TEST SCORES. ONE OF THEM WAS PAJARITO ELEMENTARY IN THE SOUTH VALLEY. IT WAS ON THE LIST FOR TWO YEARS, REQUIRING THE STATE TO COME IN AND HELP MAKE IMPROVEMENTS ON AREAS LIKE MATH AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS. THE SCHOOL’S PRINCIPAL SAYS HISPANIC STUDENTS WERE NOT SCORING AS HIGH SINCE MOST SPOKE SPANISH. SHE SAYS CHANGES SUCH AS IMPROVING INSTRUCTION, GETTING A LITERACY COACH AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES REALLY HELP STUDENTS, AND BEING A COMMUNITY SCHOOLS. THAT SCHOOL MEANS THAT WE DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PARENTS ARE INVOLVED IN OUR COMMUNITY AND WITH OUR STUDENTS. SO WE HOLD HOMEWORK DINNERS, WHICH REALLY HELPS INCREASE OUR SCORES. WE HAVE ACTIVITIES FOR PARENTS TO COME IN AND WORK WITH THEIR KIDS AND SEE WHAT WE’RE DOING IN THE CLASSROOM. NOW WITH THESE CHANGES, THEIR SCORES ACTUALLY INCREASED BY ABOUT 20%.
Nine Albuquerque schools no longer need state intervention
APS schools show improvement, no longer requiring help from the Public Education Department
Updated: 9:59 AM MST Nov 19, 2025
Nine Albuquerque public schools have improved their academic performance, eliminating the need for extra help from the Public Education Department. Five elementary schools and four middle schools were previously listed as either a CSI (comprehensive support and improvement school) or MRI (more rigorous intervention school) due to low test scores. One of these schools, Pajarito Elementary in the South Valley, had been on the CSI list for two years, requiring the state to help make improvements in areas like math and English language arts.Jessica LaCour, the school’s principal, said Hispanic students were not scoring as high because most spoke Spanish. She said changes such as improving instruction, getting a literacy coach, and organizing community activities helped students. “Being a community school means that we do as much as we can to make sure that our parents are involved. We hold homework dinners, which really helps increase our scores. We have activities for parents to come in and work with their kids and see what we’re doing in the classroom,” LaCour said. “With these changes, their scores have increased by about 20%.” The other eight schools that have left intensive oversight are Armijo Elementary, Ernie Pyle Middle School, Jefferson Middle School, Jimmy Carter Middle School, John Adams Middle School, Kit Carson Elementary, Lavaland Elementary and Sombra del Monte Elementary. APS also said two other schools, Barcelona Elementary and Emerson Elementary, improved their designations but still need support.
Nine Albuquerque public schools have improved their academic performance, eliminating the need for extra help from the Public Education Department.
Five elementary schools and four middle schools were previously listed as either a CSI (comprehensive support and improvement school) or MRI (more rigorous intervention school) due to low test scores.
One of these schools, Pajarito Elementary in the South Valley, had been on the CSI list for two years, requiring the state to help make improvements in areas like math and English language arts.
Jessica LaCour, the school’s principal, said Hispanic students were not scoring as high because most spoke Spanish. She said changes such as improving instruction, getting a literacy coach, and organizing community activities helped students.
“Being a community school means that we do as much as we can to make sure that our parents are involved. We hold homework dinners, which really helps increase our scores. We have activities for parents to come in and work with their kids and see what we’re doing in the classroom,” LaCour said. “With these changes, their scores have increased by about 20%.”
The other eight schools that have left intensive oversight are Armijo Elementary, Ernie Pyle Middle School, Jefferson Middle School, Jimmy Carter Middle School, John Adams Middle School, Kit Carson Elementary, Lavaland Elementary and Sombra del Monte Elementary.
APS also said two other schools, Barcelona Elementary and Emerson Elementary, improved their designations but still need support.
