New VISTAs release: Santa Fe has seven 'spotlight' schools; two placed in targeted support

District staff presented a high-level overview of the New Mexico VISTAs accountability results, which the Public Education Department released in mid-November.

The presenter said VISTAs (the state's federally required accountability system under ESSA) aggregates multiple components — academic achievement and academic growth in language arts, math and science, English learner progress, regular attendance, graduation rates, and college and career readiness — into a 100-point score. The system classifies schools into several categories, including "spotlight" (top 25%), "traditional" (meeting expectations) and tiers of schools "in need of improvement," such as targeted support and improvement (TSI) and comprehensive support.

For Santa Fe Public Schools, the presenter reported seven spotlight schools and 19 classified as traditional. Two schools, Cesar Chavez Elementary and El Camino Real, were identified this year for targeted support and improvement because of consistently underperforming student subgroups, the presenter said. The presenter noted that the VISTAs calculations are complex, that the 2024–25 science assessment vendor change produced a partial data reset, and that the district offered to provide a study session for board members to review the calculations in detail.

The presenter outlined how VISTAs weights vary by school level (for example, high schools lack an academic growth component because they only test in grade 11) and explained that "regular attendance" is the complement of chronic absenteeism. The presenter emphasized that the largest point buckets are academic achievement and growth.

Board members asked few questions; Superintendent Dr. Griffin said district staff are working on plans to support the two schools in designation. The presenter offered to schedule a deeper study session on the calculations if the board desires.