[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",5980030,"mediaKeyId","5767165-8d9c56fbbe09938c8d0d85c4fd5575a4","parentId",5767165,"title","APS board approves revised CSI/MRI grant narrative after demanding semesterly school-level reviews","audioSeconds",3057,"startMs",3159000,"endMs",6216000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5767165-8d9c56fbbe09938c8d0d85c4fd5575a4&start=3159&end=6216","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5767165-8d9c56fbbe09938c8d0d85c4fd5575a4/thumbnail_3159000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5980030/New-Mexico/APS-board-approves-revised-CSIMRI-grant-narrative-after-demanding-semesterly-school-level-reviews","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5980030-b2c546285bd1c6c2af2d6cd6f8c7320c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770514163&Signature=Sw0CZuOdoMGRN8SaXdnKcvi8RsgmOYLJE2uwnCohwcLppYajjjx6WChbyN6qYANpUTpFZIXE2iRVzX5iku-kGtwcb5EiAbG~ULUQ379fUY0CyyETV2xxiQ6NWlZp9hNs6Hedy4mpkg46D1~lYwPUUWkgdebjIOan8qLcK1tnXQZhaU7Sdyd4dyH713wl~0rEVbk9Zxhx~FF4JBtxPdd0AQRcW4MbMwb33CdiYhqDKTxYh8dMPKrNdkXp4AdlBObJXl9mYcNPfG1t5HgF2ojwXxJsbucliE4JrTW8EF1zp8qMhB0BvVDP3A4jpwwFODCZT1unNtsE-RuSPehn9zJFYQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Albuquerque Public Schools","date","2025-09-17T23:00:44Z","article","The Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education voted Sept. 17 to approve a revised board narrative for the 2025–26 School Improvement and Transformation grant application after an extended discussion about oversight of CSI (Comprehensive Support and Improvement) and MRI (Multi-tiered System of Intervention/priority) schools.

Board member Heather Benavides moved to approve the revised narrative; the motion was seconded by Board Secretary Astorga. A roll-call vote was unanimous with Benavides, Josefina Dominguez, Ronaldo Tomorito, Danella Storge (as recorded), Courtney Jackson and Board Secretary Astorga voting yes. The motion passed.

Why it mattered: board members said the initial consent-item submission did not clearly document how the board would receive school-specific updates or the agendas showing when individual school plans were presented, discussed and approved. Board member Josefina Dominguez said the district’s July 16 consent agenda “did not provide the board with sufficient information about the CSIMRI status of the 33 schools” and asked for written PED feedback, clearer language in the narrative, and a scheduled board workshop in the fall for targeted school plan review.

What the administration said: Deputy Superintendent Randy Mollerwein, Chief Academic Officer Sherry Jett and Executive Director Melanie Blea explained that the revised narrative was produced after PED asked on Aug. 4 that the narrative detail how board updates will address CSI/MRI schools and that school improvement plans appear as formal agenda items. Blea explained the original board narrative was submitted Aug. 1 after board approval on July 16 and that PED allowed the narrative to be placed on consent if each school plan and supporting documentation were included with the agenda. She said, “They did approve this item going on the consent agenda as long as each school was listed independently with the supporting documentation.”

Numbers and carryover funds: administrators said 54 school improvement plans were included in the review. Of those, 18 are APS schools that exited MRI or CSI status after the 2023–24 school year and have carryover grant funds remaining from the prior allocation; 20 schools remain in MRI or CSI status for 2024–25; the remainder are APS-authorized charter schools. Blea explained carryover funds as money allocated in a prior fiscal year that schools may continue to expend until exhausted.

Board demands and agreed changes: Dominguez and other board members pushed for clearer, routine progress monitoring. The board secured agreement from administration to add language that, “in addition, a board meeting will be held once a semester: one for MRI/CSI traditional schools and one for charter schools,” and that these presentations would not be placed on a consent agenda but would appear as discussion items with supporting materials so board members can ask substantive questions. Administration said it will schedule those presentations and that fiscal flow for the grant depends on submitting an acceptable narrative to PED.

Next steps and deadlines: Blea and Blakey said the original application was submitted Aug. 1 and that PED provided feedback Aug. 4; the district needed to revise and resubmit the narrative to ensure funds flow. The board’s approval authorizes the revised narrative, with the understanding staff will follow up with the semesterly presentation schedule and provide PED’s written feedback to the board.

Formal action: Motion to approve the revised 2025–26 School Improvement and Transformation narrative (moved by Board member Heather Benavides; seconded by Board Secretary Astorga) — outcome: approved (unanimous roll-call vote).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Education Meeting 9-17-2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education unanimously approved a revised district narrative for the 2025–26 School Improvement and Transformation grant after pressing administrators for clearer school-level review procedures for CSI and MRI schools.","taxTitle","ALBUQUERQUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, School Districts, New Mexico","taxId",13253,"location","New Mexico","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5980035,"APS to update interim reading goals to Emera after Istation merger; board presses on equity and data privacy",1194,1869000,3063000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5767165-8d9c56fbbe09938c8d0d85c4fd5575a4&start=1869&end=3063","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5767165-8d9c56fbbe09938c8d0d85c4fd5575a4/thumbnail_1869000.jpg","/articles/5980035/New-Mexico/APS-to-update-interim-reading-goals-to-Emera-after-Istation-merger-board-presses-on-equity-and-data-privacy","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5980035-c3316d1d931c8a7594c3bd6cb3cfb974/orig.mp4?Expires=1770514163&Signature=NRsADq3VrhmlLs~0IN8SeyWnVF0~sNiA4NN75pAalcISh9xHTSSZ7RChvI5lPUW6GIQ8pGEoc-yFVsBkNJeH86vr6lClVIIU2Xwo9sQ6zasEp-W~hPkTOtfcMFi8ji5lxXqT7vYUGz4peL909ClQ0sr4z1Z3fNrvf2ckpxT9hJaxiptAhrz4ymHig47Dt6sKuV-jU~1aHMl34M9jgV5uH1ach5haKMGdngMR5J-xG1~5C1Tx7KeSQBK1W76LeZF2RJNC6mHmdpmQfNEqtSlDReBW9id9sJTa4cynXe6jLUoZIuFxEEWgBiS2NSKT-UbvXnhdizbdVm5vaJWr7pgULw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education discussed on Sept. 17 changing the language of interim goals 1.1 and 1.2 to reflect Emera as the district’s progress-monitoring assessment after the Istation and Emera companies merged. Superintendent Gabriela Duran Blakey told the board, “Both of those goals originally referenced the Istation assessment tool. But since that time, Istation and Emera have merged into one company. So as a result, the Istation assessment that we previously used for our progress monitoring of interim goals 1.1 and 1.2 is no longer available.”

Why it matters: the New Mexico Public Education Department requires districts to use the statewide assessment for certain progress monitoring and schools use those results to trigger additional monthly monitoring for students not making gains. Board members pressed administrators on how Emera differs from Istation, pilot results, time students spend on the tool, how the tool handles accents and speech differences, and who owns the audio and assessment data.

Administration and vendor details: Blakey said the district and other New Mexico school systems are now using Emera’s mirror assessment for early reading in kindergarten through third grade and recommended updating the interim-goal language so that targets would remain the same “until we can see how this assessment is aligned.” When asked about costs, Blakey said, “There are no financial implications.”

Chris West, who spoke from the audience as a participant in the assessment discussion, described the assessment’s timing and tutor function: “For the assessment itself, they say the average is between 15 to 18 minutes, so 20 minutes. And then we do have a component that’s called the Emera tutor… the ideal amount of time of 30 minutes a week with the tutor.” He also addressed data ownership: “We own the data, but more specifically, the parent and the student owning data. And they’re using it on our behalf. They’re hosting it in their service on our behalf.”

On AI and equity: administrators and the chief academic officer said Emera uses AI to listen to students and adapt. Blakey said the assessment “does have the ability to listen to the students and account for any accents or any speech that the students have, and the teachers can also listen and override any of the assessment as well.” Chief Academic Officer Sherry Jett added that Emera “learns how the student speaks” and that teachers can override the AI to help it learn. Board members emphasized caution: Vice President Courtney Jackson and Board member Josefina Dominguez asked for documentation showing pilots’ results and noted concerns about accuracy when the tool does not recognize words or speech patterns, especially for English learners, students with speech impediments, and students with disabilities. Dominguez said she was “concerned about our most vulnerable within the vulnerable groups.”

State requirement and testing cadence: board members asked whether the Emera assessment is a state requirement. Blakey confirmed it is required by the New Mexico Public Education Department and explained the broader assessment schedule: early elementary reading assessments are administered three times per year as required, with monthly progress monitoring for students not on track. She said grades 3–8 are also required to be assessed three times a year in reading and math and that other federal- and state-required assessments (e.g., NM-MSSA, ACCESS for ELs, science assessments) remain part of the testing calendar.

Next steps: administrators agreed to gather and share pilot data (Blakey said 26 schools participated in the pilot), to monitor how Emera aligns with prior measures and district targets, and to provide contracts or data-sharing agreements to the board on request. Dominguez requested the district provide pilot results and the contract language on data ownership and privacy; superintendent Blakey and staff said they would provide those materials.

No formal action was required at the meeting to change board goals language; the item was presented as a request to revise the interim-goal wording to reflect the assessment the state and district will use.

The district’s stated immediate follow-up is to watch incoming Emera data and return to the board after comparing it to prior measures so targets and reporting can be validated.","The Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education discussed replacing Istation with Emera for interim goals 1.1 and 1.2 after the two companies merged, a change administrators said is required by the New Mexico Public Education Department.","actionData","errors"]

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APS board approves revised CSI/MRI grant narrative after demanding semesterly school-level reviews

APS to update interim reading goals to Emera after Istation merger; board presses on equity and data privacy