Albuquerque Public Schools
Summer Program Focuses on Improving Reading Skills
North Star Elementary and 11 other APS schools are hosting free structured literacy instruction for students across Albuquerque.
Summer break is in full swing at Albuquerque Public Schools, but you wouldn’t know if you popped into North Star Elementary.
On a recent June day, Principal Benjamin Barlow darted in and out of classrooms, talking to teachers, greeting students and shepherding visitors where they needed to be. On this particular day, many of the students were wearing headphones as teachers tested them to assess their reading abilities.
It’s all part of a concerted effort to improve student reading skills. Students receiving targeted instruction are more likely to improve in reading and develop the confidence necessary to succeed in other subjects.
APS and the New Mexico Public Education Department are providing the free structured literacy instruction through a partnership.
The program is open to all incoming kindergarten through eighth-grade students at APS, charter, private and home schools. Roughly 300 students are enrolled in the program at North Star with hundreds more enrolled at 11 other APS schools throughout the city.
It’s a full-day program, with four hours of reading instruction and the rest of the time devoted to enrichment activities and lunch. APS provides transportation to and from each of the sites. The June program will wrap up on June 27, and the July program will be available at seven of the 12 sites from July 7-25.
While registration is closed for the June sessions, families can still sign their children up for July.
Investing in students
During a visit to North Star Elementary last week, state Education Secretary Mariana Padilla said New Mexico is embracing structured literacy and working to replicate the success other states have had in improving their reading proficiency rates.
“We have learned quite a bit from Mississippi and other states,” she said, adding that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham believes in investing in children and families, and the free summer reading program is part of that.
She quizzed Principal Barlow on student-teacher ratios for the reading program and encouraged him to get it down to 4-1. She also urged him to hire an aide for a special needs student, stressing that PED would cover the cost.
During her tour of the school, Padilla spoke to students and teachers.
“I’m glad you guys are doing this. I really am,” she told a group of middle schoolers. “Give it your all, and you’ll be in good shape…”