Albuquerque Public Schools
Promising Practices Showcase Highlights Collaboration and Innovation
More than 50 schools shared strategies, successes and lessons learned during the district’s first-ever Promising Practices Showcase.
Albuquerque Public Schools educators recently gathered for the district’s first-ever Promising Practices Showcase, a collaborative event highlighting the work of school teams participating in the Promising Practices Coalition during the 2025-2026 school year.
The showcase gave educators and district leaders an opportunity to learn directly from one another as schools presented their biggest accomplishments, successful strategies and goals for the future. Teams also shared digital resources and tools designed to help schools continue learning from each other long after the event ended.
“Our Promising Practice Coalition is brand new this year,” said Office of Educational Resources Resource Teacher Allie Bailey, one of the event organizers. “We really wanted to take an opportunity to let everybody see the impact of these roles we’ve had at the priority and emerging schools in our district.”
Bailey said the idea for the showcase came from APS Associate Superintendent of School Climate and Supports Dr. Kenneth Salazar, and schools quickly embraced the opportunity to share their work.
“There are over 50 schools represented today between the morning and afternoon cohorts,” Bailey said. “They’re showing off all the systems they’ve put in place, the initiatives their teams have worked on and teaching other schools what’s possible while sharing ideas and resources with each other.”
Presentations throughout the day highlighted the collaboration between Teaching and Learning Coaches, Student Success Systems Resource Teachers and Community School Impact Coordinators, all working together to support students academically, socially and emotionally.
At Reginald Chavez Elementary School, Principal Lynda Torres shared how the school uses a Student Data Wall to monitor student needs and coordinate support across staff teams.
The private staff display includes a card for every student in the school and organizes students into green, yellow and red categories based on levels of support needed. The system goes beyond academics by also considering attendance, trauma, wellness, housing instability and other factors that may impact a student’s success.
“It’s all about collaboration, planning and conversations,” Torres said. “How are we making sure if kids are in red or yellow, if they also have attendance issues, trauma issues or health and wellness concerns, that somebody is checking in with them every day?”
Torres said staff members are assigned to regularly connect with students who need additional support, helping ensure every child has a trusted adult on campus.
“It’s been a really powerful visual of where our kids are,” she added. “It makes us remember the urgency of what we’re doing.”
At Albuquerque High School, Student Success Coordinator Jared Berry presented on the school’s restorative practices and student support systems.
“Most of our problems come from kids who don’t feel like they belong in our building,” Berry said. “When they can connect with at least one adult, it makes a big difference.”
Berry emphasized the importance of helping students feel welcomed, supported and connected to their school community.
“The biggest key in restorative practices is making sure kids know they belong in school,” he said. “That they have somebody they can come to if they need help, whether it’s academics, mental health services or anything else.”
The showcase reflected APS’ continued commitment to collaboration, innovation and student-centered practices, while also creating a space for educators to celebrate the meaningful work happening across the district.