End-of-year data shows real growth in reading and math, though challenges remain across grades and student groups.
GRANTS, N.M. – After a full year of instruction, testing, and intervention, the final student achievement results from Grants-Cibola County Schools show clear and measurable growth in academic proficiency— particularly in math.
Data from the district’s end-ofyear assessments across kindergarten through 12th grade show students in nearly every grade band saw growth in both math and reading proficiency from where they started in August, continuing a districtwide push toward improvement that began early in the 2024–2025 school year.
Still, the gains are not evenly distributed. While some schools— like San Rafael, Cubero, and Bluewater— posted dramatic improvements, others, including Laguna- Acoma and Seboyeta, continue to lag behind. Disparities persist across economic, ethnic, and tribal lines, and 2nd grade math remains a consistent area of concern.
This article will highlight data from the Grants Cibola County School District over the full academic years’ worth of data at every major testing checkpoint: beginning of year (BOY), middle of year (MOY), and end of year (EOY). That information—shared with The Cibola Citizen was presented in full during the district’s June board meeting—offers the clearest picture yet of how students grew over the course of the academic year.
A Year of Effort Creates Progress
Across all grade levels and testing platforms, student performance at Grants-Cibola County Schools improved over the 2024–2025 school year.
Grades K-2
Reading proficiency across K–2 students increased from 26.6 percent at the start of the year to 33 percent at the end, according to the district’s ISIP assessment (ISIP stands for IStation’s Indicators of Progress).
That’s a solid gain, especially considering that many students begin school without formal reading experience. But the real story lies in how that growth was distributed.
Kindergarten students posted the strongest gains in reading, moving from 27.3 percent proficiency at BOY to 40 percent at EOY—a 12.7point jump that suggests GCCS’ early literacy interventions may be having an impact. Kindergarten math grew from 19.8 percent proficiency at BOY to 44 percent EOY.
First grade reading went on a rollercoaster, from 28.9 percent at BOY to 26.3 percent MOY, before recovering to 29 percent by year’s end. First graders saw steady gains in math, growing from 28.3 percent at BOY to 51 percent at EOY.
Second grade reading students showed steady, modest improvement, climbing from 23.8 percent BOY to 30 percent EOY over the course of the academic year. Math was a different story with the second- grade class. Second graders started the year with a 4.1 percent proficiency in math, they ended the year at nine percent.
Grades 3-8
For students in grades 3 through 8, the 2024–2025 academic year marked a period of steady and sometimes dramatic growth—particularly in math, where early-year concerns gave way to major year-end improvements.
Districtwide, math proficiency jumped from just 7.9 percent at the beginning of the year to 25 percent by the end, more than tripling. That kind of gain suggests that targeted efforts to address numeracy in the middle grades are starting to yield results.
Reading proficiency also rose, moving from 20.2 percent at BOY to 35 percent by EOY. The district’s midyear performance (29.5 percent) hinted that reading was on the rise, and that momentum held through the final testing window.
Language usage, measured separately from reading comprehension, grew from 23.3 percent to 31 percent, a modest but meaningful gain.
• 3rd grade math climbed from zero percent at BOY to 16 percent at EOY—a low baseline, but a positive direction.
• 5th and 6th grades were the strongest math performers, finishing at 35 percent and 33 percent, respectively.
• 4th grade reading led the way in literacy, ending at 45 percent proficiency—well above the district average.
• 7th and 8th grade reading rebounded sharply by EOY after stagnant midyear scores.
• Language usage saw the most dramatic rise in 3rd grade, jumping from 10.5 percent to 41 percent.
Demographic Gaps Persist
• Hispanic students showed some of the strongest gains: reading went from 22.8 percent to 43 percent; math from 7.5 percent to 25 percent.
• Caucasian students led all groups in reading (44 percent) and math (33 percent) by EOY.
• American Indian students, who make up a significant portion of the district’s population, improved from 5.2 percent to 20 percent in math, and from 15 percent to 25 percent in reading—but remain below district averages.
When broken down by tribal affiliation:
• Acoma students finished at 30 percent proficient in reading and 25 percent math.
• Laguna students ended the year at 23 percent reading and 21 percent math.
• Navajo students improved from very low starting points but closed the year at just 22 percent in reading and 16 percent in math.
Grades 9-12 Grants-Cibola County high school students ended the academic year with the district’s strongest academic gains, particularly in math, where scores climbed steadily throughout the year.
According to STAR assessment data, districtwide math proficiency rose from 27.5 percent at the beginning of the year to 53 percent by the end, a 25.5-point gain that made high school the district’s most improved grade band in mathematics.
• 9th grade math grew from 13.98 percent at BOY to 44 percent proficiency at EOY.
• 10th grade math improved from 37.3 percent BOY to 48 percent EOY.
• 11th grade math jumped from 24.1 percent BOY to 53 percent EOY.
• 12th grade math scores posted the strongest results of any cohort, rising from 32.7 percent BOY to 68 percent EOY proficiency in math by the end of the academic year.
Reading also improved significantly, rising from 27.4 percent to 43 percent— outpacing growth seen in the elementary and middle grades.
• 9th grade grew from 21.2 percent BOY to 44 percent EOY.
• 10th grade jumped from 32 percent to 50 percent by EOY.
• 11th grade moved from 29.1 percent at BOY to 47 percent EOY.
• 12th grade reading, however, dropped after a strong MOY showing, finishing at 33 percent—lower than its midyear high of 38.6 percent.
These results reflect a pattern seen across the district: math growth has outpaced reading at nearly every level. Even so, high school students ended the year with some of the highest overall proficiency rates districtwide.
• 9th grade reading grew from 21.2 percent at BOY to 44 percent at EOY, a strong recovery.
• 10th grade reading jumped from 32 percent at BOY to 50 percent by EOY.
• 11th grade reading moved from 29.1 percent at BOY to 47 percent EOY.
• 12th grade reading, however, dropped after a strong MOY showing, finishing at 33 percent—lower than its midyear high of 38.6 percent.
By ethnicity:
• American Indian HS students improved from 24.5 percent BOY to 51 percent EOY in math. These students went from 18.1 percent BOY to 32 percent EOY in reading—growth in both subjects, though proficiency remains below district averages.
• Caucasian HS students led the cohort in reading. They saw a BOY score of 51.3 percent and ended the year with 59 percent proficiency in reading. This cohort went from a 41.1 percent BOY score in math to 60 percent math at EOY.
• Hispanic HS students showed significant progress, especially in math, going from 30 percent at BOY to 54 percent EOY. With more major gains in reading, going from 24 percent at BOY to 50 percent by EOY.
By tribal affiliation:
• Laguna students finished strongest in math, going from 35 percent at BOY to 58 percent EOY in math proficiency. They saw a gain from 21.6 percent BOY reading proficiency to 39 percent by EOY in reading.
• Acoma students followed in math, going from 35 percent proficiency at BOY to 58 percent math proficiency by EOY. This cohort saw a rise from 17.5 percent BOY proficiency in reading to 33 percent by EOY.
• Navajo students saw math proficiency rise from BOY results of 26.8 percent to 39 percent proficiency. In reading, this cohort rose from 17.5 percent to 27 percent proficient by EOY.
What About the Schools?
Across Cibola County, individual schools told their own stories in the 2024– 2025 academic year.
Some campuses saw remarkable gains, others made steady progress, and a few revealed persistent struggles still waiting to be addressed. From early literacy to high school algebra, the movement of student scores over time helps paint a fuller picture of where growth is happening— and where the work must continue.
At San Rafael Elementary, the numbers tell a story of transformation.
In August, just 19 percent of K–2 students were proficient in math. By May, that number had soared to 71 percent. Reading proficiency followed a similar arc, rising from just 14 percent at the beginning of the year to 50 percent at the end.
The year-end result is clear: San Rafael students ended the year with foundational skills far stronger than where they started.
Bluewater Elementary continued its reputation as one of the district’s most consistent performers.
Among upper elementary students, reading proficiency climbed from 35 percent at the start of the year to 46 percent by May, while math increased from 15 percent to 44 percent. K– 2 students made gains as well, with reading improving from 22 percent to 36 percent and math from 13 percent to 27 percent.
Though not the most dramatic growth in the district, Bluewater’s sustained performance across grade levels reinforces its standing as a steady academic leader.
At Cubero Elementary, the gains came quietly but meaningfully.
Reading proficiency in grades 3–5 moved from 25 percent to 44 percent, and math proficiency increased from 8 percent to 41 percent. In the early grades, Cubero’s K–2 students improved from 30 percent to 44 percent in reading and from 21 percent to 49 percent in math.
Mesa View Elementary delivered reliable upward movement.
Reading proficiency among early grade students rose from 27 percent to 35 percent, and math from 17 percent to 35 percent. In grades 3–5, reading climbed from 20 percent to 35 percent, while math increased from 8 percent to 26 percent.
Milan Elementary showed mixed results.
In the early grades, reading dipped from 28 percent at the beginning of the year to 25 percent by the end. Math, however, grew from 15 percent to 30 percent. In grades 3–5, reading improved from 21 percent to 38 percent, and math from five percent to 24 percent.
At Mount Taylor Elementary, reading dominated
growth.
Proficiency in reading rose from 21 percent to 34 percent among upper elementary students, and math climbed from 7 percent to 26 percent. K–2 students also improved: reading rose from 24 percent to 27 percent, and math from 16 percent to 24 percent.
Seboyeta Elementary had one of the more complex stories.
While K–2 math rose from 31 percent to 50 percent, reading in those early grades slipped slightly from 31 percent to 29 percent. Upper grade reading dropped from 21 percent to 20 percent, and math, while starting at 0 percent, climbed to 13 percent.
At the middle school level, Los Alamitos posted slow but steady gains.
Math proficiency increased from 10 percent to 19 percent, while reading stayed level from 20 percent at the beginning of the year to 23 percent by the end.
Laguna-Acoma Middle School, which started the year with six percent of students proficient in both reading and math, made slight progress, ending the year at nine percent of students proficient in reading and 11 percent in math.
Among the high schools, Early College High School stood apart.
Students there finished the year with 77 percent reading proficiency and 69 percent in math, starting from already-strong baselines of 64 percent in both subjects. These numbers reflect both the selective nature of the program and the high expectations students meet.
Grants High School delivered movement in math.
Students began the year at just 23 percent proficiency in math but finished at 51 percent, more than doubling over the course of the year. Reading also improved from 30 percent to 43 percent.
Perhaps the most dramatic turnaround occurred at Laguna-Acoma High School, where math proficiency rocketed from 27 percent at BOY to 72 percent by year’s end.
Reading also improved, from 15 percent to 31 percent. These outcomes mark a significant reversal from the prior year, when the school posted some of the district’s lowest scores. Though reading lags behind, the scale of math improvement is one of the year’s biggest success stories.
What’s Still to Come
While Grants-Cibola County Schools have released their full end-of-year results from internal assessments, the statewide summative test results are still pending.
Students in grades 3–8 completed the New Mexico Measures of Student Success & Achievement (NMMSSA) assessment in May. This test, administered annually by the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED), is the official end-of-year measure of student performance in reading, writing, and math across the state. It is also the data used by the state to evaluate schools and report public academic outcomes.
As of press time, NMPED has not yet released results from the 2024–2025 NM-MSSA.
In past years, the department has come under scrutiny for delayed data reporting. In 2023–2024 (which ended in May ’24), for example, NMPED released its official results in February of 2025, nearly eight months after students took the test, and required school districts to publish those outcomes in local newspapers in March—by which point most districts had already entered the second quarter of the 2024-25 school year.
For upcoming school year 2025-26, NMPED officials told the Legislative Education Study Committee that the results would be released more promptly, though no specific date has been confirmed.
The Cibola Citizen will report on that data as soon as it becomes publicly available.
Editor’s Note: This report does not report in depth on the district’s specific work to correct equity issues among Yazzie-Martinez impacted groups. The Cibola Citizen newspaper recognizes to properly report on this important topic will require an article dedicated to the nuances of this legal matter.
The Cibola Citizen thanks the Grants-Cibola County School District for its transparency and wellkept records, and to the teachers and educators who are driving this positive growth.