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District presentation breaks down proficiency and growth metrics; staff urges focus on growth measures
Summary
Academic services staff explained NAEP, SAT and NM VISTAs measures and recommended growth (student growth percentiles) as the most appropriate comparative metric for Gadsden ISD schools.
Gadsden ISD academic staff presented a data briefing on March 20 that described the range of statewide and national assessments used to gauge student proficiency and growth, and recommended growth metrics as the most appropriate lens for local comparisons.
Ms. Dela Rosa (academic services) told the board that the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reports are state-level and that New Mexico ranked near the bottom in the most recent 2024 NAEP state snapshot; she noted improvements in fourth-grade math even while many other states fell. She cautioned board members that NAEP samples students and is not appropriate for direct school-level comparisons.
The staff briefing walked through the SAT as the statewide high-school assessment used in New Mexico, noting the SAT’s wide use but also the comparability limits because not every state requires universal SAT participation. The presentation also covered NM VISTAs (the state’s accountability/reporting system) and recommended focusing on student growth percentiles (SGP) and growth groupings as the most valid comparisons across districts and schools because they compare students to peers with similar past performance.
Ms. Dela Rosa summarized district-level results in growth metrics: Gadsden’s median growth percentiles were approximately average (district median at about the 50th percentile in math and reading), which staff said corresponds to roughly a year’s expected growth under the SGP guidance.
Board members asked for follow-up information: how many students enter district high schools during their senior year; procedures for evaluating out-of‑state or international transcripts; and whether the district could provide more context on how VISTAs and SAT reporting translate into local supports. Superintendents and staff said materials and links used in the presentation would be posted and that district staff could meet with community groups who requested additional briefings.
Direct quote: “Please know that all the information presented are in links, the hyperlinks, so that you can see where the data was pulled from,” Ms. Dela Rosa said. "I have provided the state snapshot reports for your so that you, you know, for your convenience."
