By Mandi Torrez

In 2022, 79% of New Mexico fourth graders could not read proficiently according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). New Mexico's fourth grade cohort has never reached more than 24% reading proficiency since NAEP's inception in 1998.

Yet, one strategy implemented in other states has not been tried in New Mexico: smaller class sizes. The nonpartisan think tank Think New Mexico, along with a bipartisan group of legislators, will propose legislation to cap grades K-3 at 20 students. This will help give our youngest students the best chance to read at grade level by the end of third grade, which means they are four times more likely to graduate from high school.

Our proposal would phase in a 20-student maximum over four years, one grade level per year, allowing districts time to plan for spacing and staff, while assuring parents that every proven strategy is being utilized to boost reading success.

New Mexicans know that reducing class size is worth the effort. A 2023 poll of likely voters conducted by University of New Mexico professor Dr. Gabe Sanchez found that 96% of likely voters believe class size is an important or very important factor in student success and 83% would support a law capping elementary classes at 20 students.

In a well-known Tennessee study of elementary classes, students in smaller classes outscored peers in larger classes. The study showed statistically significant differences over three years, with the best outcomes for students in urban schools and for low-income and minority students.

Many New Mexico students do not get that boost. While state law currently caps kindergarten at 20 students, 2022-2023 Public Education Department (PED) data reveals issues in districts like Carlsbad, where in one school all six kindergarten classes exceeded 20 students.

Grades 1-3 are not currently capped. Instead, across an entire district, the average size of all classes in those grades should not exceed 22. Data for Albuquerque showed classes of 30 in grades 1, 2 and 3. Averaging across an entire district allows for such inequitable variances.

PED can also grant waivers for districts to exceed legal size limits. Gallup-McKinley County Schools (GMCS) received a waiver despite having third grade classes as large as 30 students, according to PED data. Artesia also received a waiver with classes as large as 27 in early grades.

Meanwhile, the 2018 Martinez-Yazzie ruling found that the state is failing to provide all students with an adequate education and called for smaller classes. About three-fourths of New Mexico's student population is covered in the Martinez-Yazzie ruling. Many of those students live in poverty or suffer from adverse childhood experiences (ACES). New Mexico has the highest rate of ACES in the nation.

Students would benefit from small, tight-knit classroom communities that offer them a sense of belonging and connection and that create a supportive learning environment. This cannot be underestimated amid the chronic absenteeism crisis happening across the country.

Smaller classes can also improve teacher retention. Teachers are burning out at faster rates than ever before. In 2017, the Learning Policy Institute reported that New Mexico's teacher turnover rate (23%) was second only to Arizona. Improving working conditions would help retain veteran teachers whose expertise as practitioners and mentors is needed to help build a quality workforce.

Those opposing legislation for smaller classes focus on the need for enough space and enough teachers. We address this by giving districts targeted funding and time to plan with a four-year phase-in. Our teacher preparation programs graduated 1,158 new teachers in 2022-2023, a 13% increase from the prior year. The majority sought K-6 licensure.

The harsh reality is that kids who cannot decode words at a certain level can't increase their reading comprehension. Reducing K-3 class sizes is an additional layer of support to move students forward.
If you agree, please visit Think New Mexico's website to urge your elected officials to make effective learning environments a priority.

Mandi Torrez is the Education Reform Director for Think New Mexico and the 2020 New Mexico Teacher of the Year.