ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Recent testing data suggests New Mexico is facing a childhood literacy crisis, but it seems state leaders found a way to turn things around, and they’re hoping to repeat their success this summer.

“We can’t completely change things overnight, but every year we’re making progress,” said Marianna Padilla, New Mexico Public Education secretary.  

Marianna Padilla is confident New Mexico’s students will see even more progress after another round of summer reading boot camps. 

“We know it’s going to be bigger and better and hopefully more successful in terms of the outcomes for our students,” said Marianna Padilla, New Mexico Public Education secretary. 

The most recent PED testing data shows 39% of elementary and middle school students are proficient readers. In 2024’s National Assessment of Educational Progress found only 20% of New Mexico fourth graders are reading at grade level.

Griffin Rushton:“Do you think a crisis is the right way to describe, you know, this the just lack of basic reading skills that we see some kids just don’t have?”

Marianna Padilla:“Yeah, I think so.” 

But there’s hope for New Mexico’s kids. More than 9,000 students participated in the PED’s first structured literacy programs last summer. Data shows those kids saw a nearly 5% improvement in their reading skills, students like Matti Bailey.

“I made some new friends. I did a lot of reading,” said Bailey. 

The Albuquerque third-grader participated in the free four-week program last summer, and her mom noticed a difference right away.

“She started reading like little, small books. And by the end of the program, she came home with a book, like, this big. She was like, ‘I’m gonna finish this before summer camp is over.’ And I was like, ‘Matti, you only have, like, a week left.’ And she was like, ‘I could do it. I got it,’” said Alicia Harrison Bailey. 

After last year’s success, Padilla says the PED is expanding the program to hopefully give another 15,000 students a crash course in the so-called science of reading.

“The science of reading is really about how the brain learns written language, so it’s a very explicit, structured approach to teaching reading,” Padilla said. 

She says they’re also recruiting more instructors to maintain that 4-to-1 student teacher ratio. With another investment from state lawmakers, she says the program will still be completely free for all New Mexico students.

“Being able to be a proficient reader and feel good about that means that students know that they’ll be successful throughout their entire educational experience,” said Padilla. 

There are more than a hundred summer reading boot camps planned throughout June and July, in just about every New Mexico community. For more information on enrolling, click here.