ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Albuquerque Public Schools students largely maintained the academic progress they made last year, according to newly released state assessment results.
Data from the New Mexico Measures of Student Success and Achievement (NM-MSSA) shows APS students in grades three through eight posted an overall proficiency rate of 43% in English Language Arts and 26.6% in mathematics during the spring 2026 testing cycle.
Compared with the previous year, reading proficiency declined by just half a percentage point, while math proficiency increased by one-tenth of a percentage point.
District leaders noted that despite the relatively flat performance, the results represent APS’s highest math proficiency rate and second-highest reading proficiency rate since the state introduced the NM-MSSA assessment in 2022.
More than 26,600 APS students participated in the testing. The results do not include APS-authorized charter schools.
“We were hoping for stronger growth, but our students largely held onto the gains they achieved in 2025,” Superintendent Gabriella Durán Blakey said in a statement. “That reflects the resilience of our students and the dedication of our staff.”
Several schools posted significant gains in English language arts proficiency, including:
- Eugene Field Elementary
- Alvarado Elementary
- Kirtland Elementary
- Collet Park Elementary
- Tierra Antigua Elementary
- Wherry Elementary
In mathematics, some of the largest gains were recorded at:
- La Mesa Elementary
- San Antonito Elementary
- Lew Wallace Elementary
- Mark Twain Elementary
- Armijo Elementary
APS officials credited the results to district-wide efforts that include structured literacy instruction, expanded use of student performance data, teacher collaboration, and high-quality instructional materials.
The district also highlighted continued progress among students identified in the Yazzie-Martinez education lawsuit, including Native American students, English language learners, students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students, and Black students. As a group, those students showed year-over-year gains in both reading and math proficiency.
The state also released science assessment results, which showed APS students in grades five, eight, and 11 posted a science proficiency rate of 33.4%, a decrease of 1.4 percentage points from the previous year.
At the high school level, proficiency rates on the SAT School Day assessment declined slightly. Reading and writing proficiency fell to 43.2%, while math proficiency was 17%.
APS also reported that more than one-third of its schools improved their accountability ratings under the state’s NM Vistas system. Among those showing improvement were Rio Grande High School, Highland High School, and Del Norte High School, which exited improvement status after raising graduation rates.
