APS Tenth-Graders Exceed Career Readiness Goal

Dramatic 10.4 percentage point increase in Career Connected Learning course credits puts district on track for five-year target.

The percentage of APS tenth-graders earning credit in at least one Career Connected Learning course shot up by 10.4 percentage points over the previous school year, far exceeding the annual target and demonstrating that Albuquerque Public Schools is on track to meet its five-year college and career readiness goal.

According to the Interim Goal 3.2 Progress Monitoring Report presented to the APS Board of Education on Wednesday evening, 63.9% of tenth-graders earned credit in a Career Connected Learning Course by the end of the 2024-2025 school year, up from 53.5% the previous year.

The interim goal for the year had been 54.5%.

“I do want to acknowledge what a tremendous increase this is,” said Board President Danielle Gonzales, noting that for the prior three years, that percentage was essentially stagnant at around 51%. 

“I would posit that it's the intentionality around meeting the goal and the interim goal, and the strategy aligned to those interims that are leading to that jump,” Gonzales added. “But regardless of what it is, it's awesome. And so if we think about just this 10% increase in one year, and also how far we're blowing the goal out of the water right now, what are the possibilities to come for the years ahead?”

In 2023, the APS Board of Education adopted four five-year goals focused on literacy, math, college and career readiness, and skills, habits and mindsets for life success. The college and career readiness goal calls for the district to increase the percentage of high school graduates who earn credit in two or more Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or dual credit courses or earn an industry certification or Bilingual Seal by 10 percentage points by September 2028.

To keep on track, the APS leadership team established a series of interim goals, including increasing the number of tenth-graders who earn credit in at least one Career Connected Learning course. 

“Career-Connected Learning is instrumental in cultivating student engagement through the integration of academic curriculum with practical career applications,” the Goal 3 monitoring team wrote in its report. “This approach empowers students to explore their professional interests, develop industry-relevant skills, and enhance their readiness for the workforce, thereby increasing the probability of successful post-graduation employment.”

According to the report, numerous student groups saw growth in this area:

• Both female and male tenth-grade students experienced one-year increases (13.9 percentage points and 7.1 percentage points, respectively).
• One-year increases of more than 5 percentage points were observed across all race/ethnicity student groups. Hispanic, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and students who self-identify as belonging to two or more races, all had one-year increases over 10 percentage points (11.1 percentage points, 32.1 percentage points, and 15.2 percentage points, respectively).
• 57.9% of tenth-grade students with disabilities earned credit in at least one Career Connected Learning course by the end of 2024-2025, a one-year increase of 12.4 percentage points.
• 55.1% of tenth-grade current English Learners earned credit in at least one Career Connected Learning course by the end of 2024-2025, a one-year increase of 9.6 percentage points.
• 62.5% of students experiencing economic difficulties earned credit in at least one Career Connected Learning course by the end of 2024-2025, a one-year increase of 9.8 percentage points.

“It’s about coaching, it’s about being better every day,” said Deputy Superintendent for Leadership and Learning Randy Mahlerwein.

Among the strategies APS is embracing as it continues to work toward achieving its college and career readiness goal are: 

• Strengthening the eighth-to-ninth-grade transition through the Academies of Albuquerque.
• Building a coherent career pathway system aligned from middle to high school. 
• Ensuring early intervention and data-driven support through Student Success Systems.
• And empowering schools with high-quality instructional materials and qualified CTE teachers.