The Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education voted Nov. 19 to accept the progress monitoring report for Interim Goal 3.1, which measures progress toward awarding the APS bilingual seal to graduates.

Superintendent Dr. Blakey and senior academic staff presented the report and answered extended board questions about course failure rates, cultural belonging, program access and staffing. Administration said 52.5% (as reported in the packet) of students are enrolled in courses that put them on track toward the seal, and described planned next steps including a level‑1 root cause analysis of ninth‑grade failures, development of early‑warning reports targeted at interim goal 3.1, and expansion of indigenous language course offerings to ninth and tenth graders.

On access for tribal communities, the administration cited memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with Pueblo Zuni, the Navajo Nation and other tribes and said district staff are working with tribal education teams to align curriculum and attendance supports. The administration explained that language programs are not only about instruction but include cultural components and community partnerships.

Board members pressed for details on capacity and budget impacts. Staff said vacancy rates for relevant positions are at a 10‑year low in some areas and that recruitment and retention remain priorities; they also said most budget implications would come from professional development and training costs, not necessarily large new hires, depending on scheduling and course choices.

Board member Jackson moved to accept the monitoring report; the motion was seconded and passed by roll call. Members asked staff to return with follow‑up materials, including a detailed plan for early‑warning data, further tribal‑partnership information and an analysis linking bilingual‑seal recipients to AP and other postsecondary measures.