New Mexico
NMPED summer reading boot camp wraps up
Thousands of New Mexico students are returning to the classroom with some extra reading skills under their belt.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Thousands of New Mexico students are returning to the classroom with some extra reading skills under their belt.
The Public Education Department invited students all over the state to take part in a summer reading boot camp this year to help boost literacy rates.
PED leaders say they’re still reviewing the testing data to see just how much children improved.
They say the feedback from parents and teachers already shows there’s a lot of optimism for New Mexico’s students.
“When we all come together and we focus on, very intentionally, about what we want to do when it comes to instruction, we can see tremendous impact in a very short amount of time,” said NMPED Secretary Arsenio Romero.
This summer, parents and teachers all over New Mexico focused on the startling number – 38%. That’s how many New Mexico students are considered proficient readers.
“We knew that this was important, because reading is the cornerstone for all learning. If we can create confident, proficient readers, they’re going to be able to be successful in all the other core areas,” said Romero.
So state lawmakers chipped in $30 million to get more students back on track before the new school year.
PED leaders say more than 9,500 children participated in structured literacy programs across more than 100 sites this summer. That includes some non-traditional ones like a ranch up in Mora.
“We saw students from the age of 5 years old all the way to about 13, 14 years old, being able to work in very small, structured groups all around the science of reading and structured literacy,” Romero said.
While the PED is still collecting the hard data, they say all signs point towards a glowing success.
“Talking with instructors, they were so excited and ecstatic with what they saw happening every single day, them telling me that they could see the learning happening right in front of them,” said Romero. “Another family said my student was reading alone at bedtime. They’ve never done that in the past. My child got quicker at reading and participated in the program. My student gained confidence in her reading. So it was just conversations like that, that really reiterated to me that we were doing the right thing, and this was an investment that we needed to make.”
PED leaders say they actually had a surplus of willing instructors this summer, which is a good sign the community wants to help boost those literacy scores.
Officials say they plan on asking state lawmakers for another $30 million for next year, and there’s already conversations about summer boot camps in other subjects like math.
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Josh’s Saturday Night Forecast
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Calmer weather has moved back into the state this afternoon. Temperatures are slightly warmer across northwestern New Mexico, while southeastern areas are cooler thanks to the backdoor cold fronts that moved in on Friday. Breezier winds will return Sunday and will help kick off a warming trend across the state, along with an elevated fire threat in eastern New Mexico.
Warmer weather will continue building in across the state throughout the upcoming week. A few isolated rain chances will return Monday in parts of New Mexico, but some of that rain may evaporate before reaching the ground.
Good morning!
Heading out the door this morning? Bundle up! Cold air has settled into the Land of Enchantment after two cold fronts passed through New Mexico within the last 24 hours. Temperatures have fallen to the teens, 20s and 30s throughout northern New Mexico. The metro area is just as cold with Moriarty falling to the teens and several other cities bottoming out near the freezing point. The National Weather Service (NWS) has Freeze Warnings in place until 9 a.m. for several locations in northern and central New Mexico. However, one of the aforementioned cold fronts is still moving through eastern New Mexico this morning. That back door cold front has brought 30-45 mph wind gusts, or more, in southeastern New Mexico. The front will push west further west this morning bringing breezy winds to far south and southwestern New Mexico this afternoon. Otherwise, much calmer weather will be on tap for the state compared to the majority of this week.
The colder air this morning will bring cooler and seasonable weather to the Land of Enchantment later on Saturday. Afternoon highs will range from the high 50s, in sections of the northern mountains, to the 70s in southern New Mexico. Throughout the weekend into early next week a warming trend is expected as a ridge of high pressure builds on Sunday, which is forecasted to last through at least Tuesday. By next Tuesday, high temperatures will be 5 to 15 degrees above normal, and even warmer for some locations by next Wednesday with breezy conditions returning to the state.
Moisture does stream back into the state early next week across New Mexico. Tomorrow’s forecast is expected to have cloud coverage increase with warmer weather. On Monday sufficient moisture in the mid to upper levels of the atmosphere will bring the chance for showers; however, moisture levels toward the surface will be lower. That will also bring the chance for dry showers and thunderstorms throughout the state. Have a great weekend and stay warm this morning!
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A New Mexico man has taken a plea deal for his role in the death of a three-year-old girl more than two years ago. Police said that Kerri Santos brought her toddler to University of New Mexico Hospital, claiming that she fell and hurt herself. Medical staff determined the child was already dead when she arrived, and noticed signs of abuse, including evidence that she had been tied up. Police said that Santos and three others were staying at James Welch’s home when the abuse took place.
On Friday, Welch pleaded no contest to three counts of child abuse and tampering with evidence. He faces up to five years behind bars.
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