According to a recent study by Teach Simple, certain states are lagging in high school completion rates.
Teach Simple’s report, as reported by Newsweek, highlights five states with the most concerning dropout figures: New Mexico leads with an 8.51 percent dropout rate, followed by Nevada, Louisiana, Arizona, and Mississippi, which have rates ranging from 7.42 to 6.87 percent.
The pandemic lockdowns exacerbated the dropout issue, with Teach Simple’s Cole Vineyard noting, “Recent reports revealed that since the pandemic, an estimated 50,000 students were missing from any kind of U.S. school. Therefore, teachers across the country face a huge responsibility of educating the next generation, and with more resources and support, the more achievable this will be.”
On the brighter side, some states have outperformed others in maintaining low dropout rates. New Jersey boasts a dropout rate of only 3.25 percent, with Massachusetts, Virginia, Hawaii, and Connecticut also demonstrating impressive rates well below the national average.
This data aligns with another study by Teach Simple that evaluated states based on educational attainment, including average ACT scores and adult education program participation. Massachusetts emerged as the most educated state, while New Mexico ranked lowest, reflecting its high dropout rate.
Factors influencing student success in public schools include class size, funding, safety, and teacher quality. Tiffany Sorya, founder of Novel Education Group, emphasizes that teacher quality is crucial for student achievement but is often hindered by insufficient funding.
New Mexico has introduced measures that are likely to only exacerbate the issues, such as Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED) mandate extending the school calendar to at least 180 days and mandating 5-day school weeks.
NMPED Secretary Arsenio Romero told Newsweek, “We’ve been the last and the worst performing state in the union. We know that this isn’t reflective of who we are, and we’re going to do everything we can to challenge and change that. This is about doing what’s right for kids, even if it’s hard.”
Most New Mexicans: Last place? That’s horrible. I think I’ll vote exactly the same way. Surely it will change.
OTRA VEZ!
The Democrat leadership and their support of ineffective teaching “solutions” are receiving failing grades. They can’t blame any of this on Republicans as the Dems have been in charge for years. NM is a perfect, almost unblemished failure when it comes to education New Mexico youth.
Sad, but this will not change until there are no Democrats in elected office. Prove me wrong!!
This is on the Democrats. Seems they like New Mexicans dumb and uneducated. Oh let’s not forget poor.
Of course they do. Because they’re easier to control then, and our legislators can cry about how we need more federal money, because look at how poor we are! Meanwhile, we have cerditos like Grisham, sitting in the Governor’s mansion getting fatter (she has gained about 75 pounds in office, which is ridiculous) on luxury groceries purchased with taxpayer money.
Spot on!
Yes NMs education systems is bad, let’s add out universities are brain washing the kids that do go to college. NMs though are mostly conservative in thought they vote the corrupt democrats into office. Yes we are stupid and poor, that is why the state legislature voted in a 50 cent per gallon increase to our gas. Maybe NMs will wake up??
not anytime soon. This is the land of Manana remember…
That and the Land of Enchantment need to change to something positive and motivating…
I’m close to Texas and I can get gas for up to $0.80 per gal cheaper. I do this when I have to be in Texas. With the added tax $1.30 per gal incentive I will make runs to Texas just for fuel! P.S. I’ll probably do some shopping while I’m there.
I doubt, that will happen, in NM
New Mexicans wake up? Ha. Not a chance; I have lived in NM off and on for about 50 years. They are still high in DWIs, still litter bugs, still mostly underpaid, and poorly educated.
And they do not want to change. It’s the way we always have done it. Plus: “We vote democrat because our family has always been democrat”.
Think for yourself, vote the way YOU want to
I wished people would stop saying “When people wake up”
It’s the New Mexico way, Get Used to it!
Things won ‘t get better until New Mexico has Republican leadership.
Has an INTERESTING and informative curriculum that PREPARES a student to become a well-rounded knowledgeable person, learning skills that prepare them for life as an adult be the top priority? Be it preparation for college, a trade (MUCH needed), service provider or other needed skill to make our nation’s ‘wheel’ go round smoothly. Currently, we have too many ‘broken’ spokes in our country’s wheel – and to a degree job snobbery plays a part in it. Our nation NEEDS all its CITIZENS to contribute to our society, otherwise, those broken spokes in the wheel will keep us rolling wonky. Proficient in math, reading and COMPREHENSION, basic science to know how the universe works (sex finds it’s own way with the parental birds and bees or hormones – OR these days, that thing called the internet). The History of our nation needs to start in the first grade (it would take at least 12 years to learn some of it) aiming to cover the good, the bad, including various cultures our citizens contributed to. The closer we come to appreciate each other, know about each other, the more successful our nation will be. KNOWLEDGE is POWER. YES, I know Utopia doesn’t exist, however, it shouldn’t stop us from TRYING to get there as a nation. It doesn’t matter what is being taught to our children? Where is New Mexico’s standing out of the other 49 states and D.C.? Ah, I remember now… 51st. Sad!