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Rancho's Elementary principal highlights gains in attendance and reading programs
Summary
Principal Madeline Serna Marmol reported improved attendance rates, summer-program participation challenges and curricular initiatives including PLC work, reading partnerships and a life-skills program.
Rancho’s Elementary School Principal Madeline Serna Marmol told the Taos Municipal Schools board on Oct. 25 that the campus had improved several measures including attendance and early-reading outcomes.
Serna Marmol said 79 percent of students were in the district’s tier 1 attendance category and 36 percent of students had perfect attendance at the most recent reporting; she described a drop in chronic absenteeism roughly equivalent to 55 fewer chronically absent students districtwide, citing district-level reporting. She also reported that 100 percent of students at Rancho’s receive Title I breakfast and lunch.
On academic measures, Serna Marmol said Amira (a kindergarten–second-grade reading assessment) results showed stronger outcomes than i-Ready for those early grades; she called for expanding summer reading incentives and partnerships with the Taos Community Center and Talpa Community Center to reduce the “summer slump.” She said 15 percent of Rancho’s students are English learners and that 30 percent have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs); the school operates a life-skills program for six (soon to be seven) students with intensive supports.
Serna Marmol outlined professional-learning-community (PLC) collaboration among grade-level and cross-grade teachers and credited PLCs with portions of the district’s recent gains: the superintendent and an associate superintendent reported districtwide increases of 1 percentage point in ELA and a reversal of a prior decline in math (a 2-point increase year-to-year for 2024–25). The associate superintendent told the board the district was one of seven in New Mexico recognized for implementing restorative-justice practices and noted a 3 percent drop in chronic absenteeism at the district level.
Board members commended staff and asked practical questions about summer-school capacity and the Rotary “Love of Reading” volunteer program; Serna Marmol said 75 students participated in summer programming this year (a cap), and she described plans to coordinate scheduling and expand outreach for future summers. She also reported successful family engagement events and partnerships, including free vision checks provided through the Rotary Club.
The presentation was informational; no board action was taken on Oct. 25.
