New Mexico ranks 20th in the nation for adult education outcomes, according to the federal Office of Career and Technical Education. That’s a big jump from seven years ago, when the state was in 50th place.
The 30-place jump from 2019 is thanks to measurable skill gains. That’s a metric that tracks students’ progress toward educational milestones like earning a credential, improving academic skills, and making progress towards employment.
Amber Gallup, adult education director for the New Mexico Higher Education Department, credits the hard work by her program for the state’s newest ranking.
“I don't believe that we were ever 50th in the nation in terms of quality, but one of the things we've done is really dug into our data, helped our programs understand the federal performance outcomes and how to address those,” she said.
Gallup said in the last few years, the department has focused on professional learning, advocating for better pay for teachers, and leveraging investments made by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham with the help of the legislature.
The Office of Career and Technical Education currently serves over 12,000 students a year with 26 adult education programs around the state and 18 adult literacy programs.
Patricia Trujillo, Higher Education deputy cabinet secretary for the New Mexico Higher Education Department, said despite the improved ranking, there’s still some room to grow.
“But it also demonstrates that we're in that upper echelon of those rankings, moving in the right direction to make sure that New Mexicans are served the way that they should be served, and have access to programs that are going to change their lives,” she said.
In this year’s legislative session, lawmakers appropriated $20 million to support the adult education division. Gallup said these funds will help increase access to adult education through distance learning, a family literacy initiative, and expanded workforce development.
Support for this coverage comes from the Thornburg Foundation.
