Las Cruces Public Schools reports mixed gains on new strategic goals; district keeps focus on student growth and teacher supports

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Las Cruces Public Schools Superintendent Ruiz and district leaders told the school board on Aug. 12 that the district has made measurable but incomplete progress in year one of a six-goal strategic plan focused on academic growth, student and staff well-being, safety and engagement.

District officials front‑loaded the presentation with assessment results for literacy and mathematics, reporting that districtwide growth (as measured by the i-Ready short-cycle diagnostic) varied by grade band: elementary students showed the largest gains (59% showing "typical" growth from baseline to end-of-year in literacy), middle-school growth was more moderate and high school outcomes lagged in diagnostics compared with prior SAT-based summative results. Deputy Superintendent Wendy Miller Tomlinson said the board set a year-one target of 100% of students meeting their growth targets; leaders characterized that goal as intentionally ambitious and said the district is using the diagnostics to guide instruction rather than as…