Belen
--°

Letters to the Editor

2/26/26

Published

Letter from the N.M. secretary of education

Editor:

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, reauthorized as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), requires state education agencies to develop accountability systems that meaningfully differentiate schools on an annual basis.

This memorandum announces the embargo window for New Mexico’s 2024–25 ESSA accountability model school designations. Districts and charters need to plan for the following events:

2024–25 ESSA Accountability Model Embargo and Appeals Process: The New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) has provided each district and state charter their school designation calculations in the Secure Accountability Gateway for Education (SAGE) portal. The embargo is officially open with the announcement of this memorandum and closed at 5 p.m., Friday, Oct. 31, 2025.

Please note the following to ensure a smooth appeals process:

• The PED’s list of primary accountability contacts for each district and charter are found here.

• The primary accountability lead may request additional SAGE accounts for local staff from the SAGE login page.

• The PED’s federally compliant business rules for calculation of indicators and designations are made transparent in the 2024–25 ESSA Accountability Cycle Technical Manual.

• Appeals may be submitted during the embargo using this form.

The following indicators are subject to appeal during this embargo:

• Participation

• English learner progress

• Regular attendance

• College and career readiness

• Designations

Please note that graduation cohort 2024 data, which is utilized for this accountability cycle and has already undergone LEA validation months prior, is not subject to appeal.

Likewise, proficiency and student growth percentiles (academic growth indicator) may not be appealed, given these indicators were validated during the September embargo.

Office Hours: The PED AREA Division will host two repeat accountability office hours for district and charter accountability leads. During this time, the PED will review accountability designation business rules and facilitate participant questions:

• Option 1: Wednesday, Oct. 22, 9–10 a.m.

• Option 2: Thursday, Oct. 23, 3–4 p.m.

Public Release of School Designations: School designations will be published publicly on NM Vistas on Wednesday, Nov.12.

The PED and its NM Vistas provider, Real Time Solutions, will host an NM Vistas training to assist new district and charter administrators in navigating the website from 9-10 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 12.

District/Charter Notification of School Designations Based on 2024–25 ESSA Cycle: The PED’s Priority Schools Bureau will provide LEAs and charters with a memorandum containing all school designations by Nov. 15, 2025.

The PED endeavors to continue building transparency when communicating its state accountability model and data. For accountability inquiries, please email lynn.vasquez@ped.nm.gov or david.winjum@ped.nm.gov.

Mariana D. Padilla

Secretary of Public Education

Interested in submitting a letter to the editor?

The News-Bulletin welcomes and encourages original letters to the editor, especially on local topics and issues. Shorter letters, about 350 words, are preferred.

Letters must be signed and include the writer’s address and telephone number (street address and phone number won’t be published). No letter will be published without the writer’s name.

Letters may be edited for length, spelling, grammar and legal considerations, but in all cases the writer’s intent will be maintained.

Political candidate endorsements or attacks are considered paid political advertisements and will not appear on the opinion page.

Letters that might be deemed unsuitable for publication include those that are libelous, are essentially personal attacks, are pointless, are part of an organized letter-writing campaign or are part of a mass mailing.

Qualified individuals wishing to directly reply to a News-Bulletin editorial or column are invited to contact the editor to discuss writing an op-ed piece, guest editorial or guest column.

•Write to:

Letters, News-Bulletin

221 S. Main St., Ste. B

Belen, N.M., 87002

•Email your views to us at:

cgarcia@news-bulletin.com

OR

•Use our online form:
opinion letters to the editor school designations every student succeeds act elementary and secondary education act accountability model new mexico public education department
Powered by Labrador CMS