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Los Alamos Middle School reports rising SEL scores and gains tied to PLC work
Summary
Principal Joe Gonzalez and staff told the board that middle school Panorama SEL scores rose from about 40% to 53% favorable; eighth-grade reading proficiency increased notably, and math "math plus" tier-2 interventions showed strong gains. Staff credited PLC work and targeted interventions.
Los Alamos Middle School leaders told the school board Feb. 27 that social-emotional learning measures and select academic benchmarks rose this year after a year of targeted professional learning and tiered interventions.
Principal Joe Gonzalez, assistant principals Alicia Cardiel and Colby Holland and student liaison Liliana Dodge presented data showing a jump in Panorama survey indicators used to measure student sense of belonging and adult support. Cardiel said the composite sense-of-belonging score rose from roughly 40% to 53% favorable between the spring and fall survey administrations. "Second Step lessons are happening in classes during our homeroom time," she said, describing classroom circles on conflict resolution and peer-pressure exit strategies.
On academics, the middle school reported mixed but notable gains. Cardiel said eighth-grade reading proficiency on the IMESA benchmark improved from 45% to 57% proficient, a 12-point increase; she said 45 students' scores rose by a full performance band in IMESA results. The seventh-grade ELA cohort was largely static and staff said they are analyzing gaps and near-target students to design targeted bell-ringer and intervention work.
Math teacher Christina Waddlington and the math PLC described a year of curriculum mapping, common assessments, shared grading calibration and an experiment with "Math Plus" tier-2 classes. Waddlington said 85% of eighth-graders in Math Plus rose by an average of 10 IMESA points; seventh-grade Math Plus students rose on average 16 points. She said three extra days of in-person PLC training and collaboration with the high school were important to that work.
Student liaison Liliana Dodge highlighted extracurricular growth and inclusivity, naming new clubs (Taylor Swift Club, anime, pickleball), expanded photography offerings and state awards for student council and cross-country.
Why it matters: The presentation tied measurable SEL improvements and academic gains to explicit professional learning (PLCs at Work), common assessment practices and tiered interventions. Board members pressed for details on grading calibration, scalability to other departments and whether PLC training could be expanded districtwide.
Next steps: Staff recommended expanding PLC training to other departments and asked the board to consider district-level support for that work as part of professional development planning.
