East Mountain High School demonstrated the highest literacy growth of any high school in New Mexico and ranked among the state’s top schools for overall academic improvement, according to Spring 2025 assessment results released by the New Mexico Public Education Department.
The school showed the most literacy growth among high schools statewide and the third-highest math growth, according to data made public Oct. 14. When combined, East Mountain ranked as the second most improved school in New Mexico across all grade levels and school sizes, trailing only Mesilla Elementary by one percentage point.
“These results reflect the extraordinary work happening in our classrooms every day,” said Trey Smith, executive director of East Mountain High School. “Our teachers are designing engaging, challenging learning experiences that empower students to grow academically and personally.”
In the state’s small school category — defined as schools with 100 to 400 students — East Mountain was the only high school recognized for literacy gains and the only school to appear on both the literacy and math growth lists, according to the department’s briefing packet.
The school was also the only Albuquerque-area school featured on both lists and one of only five schools statewide recognized for top growth in both subjects.
East Mountain showed a 15.4% one-year gain in literacy proficiency, bringing its 2025 proficiency rate to 83.2% with 396 students enrolled, according to state data. The school showed a 17.6% increase in math proficiency, reaching 40.6%.
While educators received their individual results in May, the Oct. 14 release marked the first opportunity to compare performance across all New Mexico schools, Smith said.
“When you look across New Mexico, our results show something special is happening at our school,” he said.
The state assessment results come as New Mexico reported its largest post-pandemic gains in literacy across grades 3-8, with proficiency increasing 10 percentage points statewide since 2022, according to the education department.
Smith said the school will continue analyzing the data as part of its ongoing commitment to improvement.
“This success belongs to every teacher, every student, and every family who believes in what East Mountain stands for,” Smith said.
