The Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) Board of Education continues to monitor progress toward the district's goals and guardrails established as part of the district's Emerging Stronger strategic plan. The Board of Trustees recently reviewed progress on Goal 4, which aims to improve students' skills, habits and mindsets best suited for success in life.
The committee's work continued with the goal of improving literacy, math, and student readiness for life after high school.
Much of the detailed conversation at the May 15 School Board meeting focused on the broader strategy and general implementation of Goal 4. The meeting included conversations with current APS students about how these goals and guardrails affect them.
This initiative is part of the district's broader strategy to prepare students for life outside the classroom while recognizing the importance of these “soft skills” for personal and professional success.
Understand Goal 4
APS has designated Goal 4 as increasing the percentage of students demonstrating core life skills from a baseline number set in 2023 to a target level by 2028.
Goal 4 is:
Increase the proportion of students who demonstrate the skills, habits, and mindsets best aligned with success in life: perseverance, self-regulation, self-efficacy, and social awareness as measured using the following tools:
- Endurance: 51% in 2023 – 61% in 2028
- Self-regulation: 65% by 2023 to 75% by 2028
- Self-efficacy: 44% in 2023 to 54% in 2028
- Social awareness: Increase from 58% in 2023 to 68% in 2028
Albuquerque Public Schools has set specific interim goals to track progress toward achieving Goal 4. These interim goals are designed for different grade levels and reflect what Board President Danielle Gonzales calls a “student outcomes-centered” approach to life skills development starting in elementary school. In high school.
Goal 4 Goals are monitored through the APS Skills, Habits and Mindset Student Survey, which assesses students' feelings about their school environment and their approach to challenges semi-annually. APS monitoring reports use student data from the final survey students took this school year.
The survey results can be found here.
Temporary Guardrail 4.1: 5th grade student
off track
For fifth grade students, the focus is on strengthening the early development of key skills. The goals are set as follows:
- patience: Increase from 54% in 2023 to 60% in 2026
- self regulation: Increase from 66% in 2023 to 72% in 2026
- self-efficacy: Increase from 51% in 2023 to 57% in 2026
- social awareness: Increase from 63% in 2023 to 69% in 2026
In districts, patience increased slightly from 54% to 55%, while self-regulation increased slightly from 66% to 67%. Self-efficacy improved from 51% to 52%, and social awareness increased from 63% to 64%.
Temporary Guardrail 4.2: 8th grade student
on track
For eighth grade students, Guardrail is designed to strengthen skills as students prepare for high school.
- patience: Increase from 47% in 2023 to 53% in 2026
- self regulation: Increase from 62% in 2023 to 68% in 2026
- self-efficacy: Increase from 37% in 2023 to 43% in 2026
- social awareness: Expand from 50% in 2023 to 56% in 2026
The most recent survey found that patience increased from 47% to 49%, and self-regulation increased from 62% to 64%. Self-efficacy improved significantly from 37% to 40%, and social awareness increased from 50% to 52%.
Temporary Guardrail 4.3: Grade 10 Student
on track
In 10th grade, the focus shifts slightly to preparing students for their final year of high school and beyond.
- patience: Increase from 49% in 2023 to 55% in 2026
- self regulation: Increase from 67% in 2023 to 73% in 2026
- self-efficacy: Increase from 34% in 2023 to 40% in 2026
- social awareness: Increase from 54% in 2023 to 60% in 2026
In the most recent survey, patience in the region increased from 49% to 51% and self-regulation improved from 67% to 69%. Self-efficacy increased significantly from 34% to 38%, and social awareness increased from 54% to 56%.
APS Principal Channell Segura said:[Goal 4] Increase time and access so students can quickly acquire the skills they lack. Ensuring that every student has an advocate is key to personalizing support and strengthening these essential life skills.”
working with students
Albuquerque High School students who served as board interns presented their findings on how their peers perceived the APS survey used to monitor progress toward Goal 4. Their feedback revealed important insights and sparked lively dialogue between students and board members.
Gonzales said APS recognizes that these students do not make up the entire student body and that “this is just the beginning” of the process for the board to include student voices in its decisions.
Gonzales introduced AHS juniors Elise Miller, McCarly Trigg, Lyla Lawrence and Ada Applegate.
The interns explained that many students see these surveys as another school obligation, which makes their participation hasty and negligent. The board was concerned that hasty responses could compromise the reliability of the data collected because it does not accurately reflect students' true experiences or feelings.
“Due to a lack of understanding of the purpose of the survey, many students often complete surveys hastily and without much thought,” Applegate told the committee.
In discussions with their peers at Albuquerque High School, the students discovered that the majority of students did not recognize the importance of the survey. They found that advisory classes where the surveys were administered were not attended to or taken seriously. Many students admitted that they completed the survey as quickly as possible without reflecting on the questions.
“We found that students either didn’t remember taking the survey, or if they did, they didn’t understand why it was important,” Lawrence said.
Board members sought to understand these issues and sought suggestions from students for improvements. The interns suggested several strategies to increase engagement.
- Clear communication: Provide students with a clear explanation of the purpose of the survey and how the results will be used to improve their school experience.
- Interactive elements: Integrate survey questions into group discussions or classroom activities to encourage thoughtful consideration and meaningful responses.
- Incentives and Participation: Offer small rewards or recognition for diligently completing the survey and making the process more engaging.
During the discussion, board member Courtney Jackson expressed the need for better communication, saying, “Both students and teachers need to make sure they understand why these surveys are important and how the data will be used.”
The interns also suggested creating a video to explain the purpose and potential impact of the survey. “Students will take surveys more seriously if they understand that their opinions can make a real difference in their school environment,” Miller said.
High school interns also mentioned the idea of having student council members during their presentations. They found that many students were initially confused about the need for such a position, believing that existing board members should already represent their voices. However, once the potential impact of dedicated student representatives was understood, there was significant interest and support for the idea.
“Having a student committee member would bridge the gap between students and the committee so our perspectives can be communicated more clearly,” McCarley suggested.
Board members expressed gratitude for students' honest feedback and acknowledged the importance of involving students in this process. They agreed that making surveys more interactive and relevant could help students realize the value of thoughtful participation.
next stage
APS plans to enhance professional development for teachers and administrators to better support intentional teaching of these skills.
“Goal 4 requires much more intentionality,” said incoming Superintendent Dr. Gabriella Blakey. “Schools need to be clear about how these skills are taught and measured in the classroom.”
The Board will pause monitoring progress on Goal 4 for the next few months to allow the new Superintendent to adjust the interim goals. Monitoring will resume with updated and realigned goals to ensure they are consistent with the strategic plan and academic calendar.
The next school board meeting is scheduled for June 5 at 5 p.m., and a special meeting to approve the budget is scheduled for May 29 at 5 p.m. All meetings are held at the Alice and Bruce King Educational Complex and streamed live on YouTube.