CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. - The New Mexico Public Education Department recently finalized the recents of the 2025 New Mexico Summer Reading Program.
This program is focused on fostering literacy among students, with there being a significant increase in both participation and staffing compared to previous years. This initiative, led by the New Mexico Public Education Department, focused on enhancing the reading skills of students from kindergarten through eighth grade.
This year, a total of 17,195 students registered for the Summer Reading Program, reflecting a significant 80.4% growth from the 9,533 students who participated in 2024. Such an increase signifies a growing recognition of the importance of reading education, particularly over the summer months when students are at risk of regressing academically.
To make this increase in enrollment smoother, over 2,190 instructors were hired for the program, which is nearly double the 1,053 instructors from the previous year, representing a 108% increase in qualified personnel dedicated to students’ literacy development. Among the 2,190 instructors, there were 972 bilingual teachers, and 131 retired educators.
According to the data, students who participated in the program saw an average score improvement of +8.35 points (an increase of 2.01%) and an average advancement of +0.21 reading levels. Notably, one in four students— 25%—advanced at least one reading level throughout the program, indicating its effectiveness in promoting reading comprehension.
The program’s impact also shown evident in other aspects, as English Language Learners (ELL) reported a score change of +8.51 points, while Economically Disadvantaged Students saw improvements of +6.76 points.
In 2025, there were 36 district partners, 44 community partners, and 31 charter school partners involved in the participation and effectiveness of this program.
Notably, students who participated in the program reportedly outperformed their peers who did not participate, achieving an average gain of 8.01% in reading skills while non-participating students experiences a 6% summer loss. This statistic highlights the necessity of summer reading programs in combating academic regression and ensuring that students retain and build upon their knowledge.