Albuquerque Public Schools
Hoover Middle Shines as State Spotlight School
APS school earns statewide recognition for math growth and an innovative approach to middle school learning.
The cheers were loud, the music was lively and the school pride was unmistakable Wednesday morning as Hoover Middle School students and educators gathered to celebrate an achievement years in the making.
Hoover has been named a Spotlight school by the New Mexico Public Education Department, placing it among the top 25% of schools statewide. The recognition reflects a sustained commitment to academic improvement, highlighted by an eight-percentage-point increase in math proficiency over three years — the largest gain among Albuquerque Public Schools middle schools.
Inside the gymnasium, thunderous applause filled the room as students, teachers and families celebrated the accomplishment. The school's Jazz Band kicked off the festivities, followed by a performance from Hoover's Symphony Orchestra. Grade-level teams later brought a competitive spirit to the celebration with an air mattress relay race featuring sixth, seventh and eighth graders.
But behind the music, applause and friendly competition was a deeper story of what can happen when a school rethinks how students learn and how educators work together.
A Milestone Worth Celebrating
Hoover is one of 39 APS schools earning statewide Spotlight recognition this year. District leaders credited students, teachers and families for contributing to the school's progress, recognizing the dedication of educators and the support of the Hoover PTA and school community.
"Hoover Middle School has had the most growth over a three-year period in APS as far as middle schools go in math," said APS Assistant Superintendent Kelly Boersma. "So that has a lot to do with you students, but even more to do with the teachers that are working hard."
The gains reflect more than just classroom instruction. Hoover has embraced a collaborative approach to teaching that brings educators together around shared groups of students, creating opportunities to better understand individual needs and build stronger connections between subjects.
Rethinking the Middle School Experience
Hoover has emerged as a standout example of APS' broader middle school redesign initiative, which emphasizes a teaming model designed to make learning more connected and personal.
Under the model, interdisciplinary groups of teachers work with cohorts of students, coordinating instruction and developing project-based learning experiences that draw connections across subjects. The structure also creates smaller learning communities in which students can build relationships with teachers and receive more individualized support.
For Hoover, the approach has helped establish a learning environment where collaboration and academic achievement go hand in hand. The work has also drawn national interest, including attention from educational researchers at Arizona State University.
"In Albuquerque, our middle schools are teaming, but Hoover is the shining star of teaming," said Deputy Superintendent of Leadership and Learning Randy Mahlerwein. "What I want to just commend you guys on is that the rest of the country is watching the work you're doing, and they're going, 'How is this happening?' And then on top of that, you guys are having really good math scores."
That combination — a deliberate approach to student support alongside measurable academic progress — makes Hoover an important example for other schools exploring ways to strengthen the middle school experience.
Preparing Students for What Comes Next
For Principal Rebecca Sanchez, however, the school's success cannot be measured by test scores alone. Academic growth matters, she said, but so does helping students develop the confidence, resilience and interpersonal skills they will carry into high school and beyond.
"Math scores are important, but learning to work together and learning to really grow as humans and be prepared for life and the real world, that's what it's all about," Sanchez told students. "We want you to be resilient. We want you to have these skills to work together, to communicate, and to be able to bounce back when things don't go as well as they should."
It is a vision that connects Hoover's instructional approach with its broader mission: giving students the academic foundation and personal skills they need to navigate challenges, work with others and succeed beyond the classroom.
Wednesday's celebration offered a moment to recognize how far the school has come — and the people who made that progress possible. From stronger math performance to a collaborative model drawing attention beyond New Mexico, Hoover is demonstrating how a school can pursue academic excellence while keeping students' growth at the center of its work.