By: Christopher Ferrara
As both an educator and a parent, I think a lot about what truly helps students thrive. Numbers matter: grades, test scores, and college acceptances all tell part of the story. But behind every data point is a student who feels known, supported, and challenged. At Menaul School, that is what we do best.
When I look at education in New Mexico, I see both opportunity and urgency. The National Assessment of Educational Progress shows only a quarter of New Mexican students are considered proficient in reading or math, ranking us 50th in the nation. From the most recent state test data in 2025, only 12% of New Mexico students are proficient in the math required for the SATs. As a parent, these numbers are frankly terrifying. Yet when we compare our results at Menaul, the difference is clear. Our students consistently perform far above state and national averages on standardized tests, and all of our graduates are accepted to four-year universities. These outcomes come from a deliberate, structured academic model that begins in sixth grade and builds year-by-year.
Our middle school is where it starts. Teachers and administrators work closely together to craft our “high challenge, high support” atmosphere, helping students build the study and accountability habits they will need for college and success beyond. To put some hard data on the table, in sixth grade, 87% of our students are proficient in reading. After two years of our program, 100% of our students in the middle school are not only proficient – they’re testing in the advanced range. At Menaul School, New Mexican students aren’t just doing well compared to their state peers, they’re achieving results we’d trumpet in Massachusetts or Minnesota. As these students enter the ninth grade, they’re more than ready for a rigorous college-prep curriculum that includes 17 Advanced Placement courses across all of our disciplines. We are incredibly proud of their work, and there’s similar data for the success of our mathematics and science programs.
But numbers don’t tell the full story. I see the growth every day in the student who learns to write their literary analysis paper with confidence because they know that it has to be done the old-fashioned way – paper and pen, without AI to do their thinking for them. That student who shows up for calculus tutoring four times a week until it finally clicks because they’ve seen how a growth mindset works. As a parent, I have watched my daughters learning those skills and applying them independently at home. I see two girls who are excited to go to school each day because they know it’s a culture that celebrates their hard work and rewards them for excellence in mind, body, and spirit. The difference is that our teachers take the time to notice, to measure, and to respond. We don’t use data to punish or reward teachers or students; we use it to make sure no student slips through the cracks.
For me, the real strength of Menaul’s academics lies in that combination of rigor and care, analytics and purpose. In a state where far too many students are being left behind, Menaul School shows what is possible to achieve in New Mexico’s most diverse school when data, heart, and community come together for the sake of learning.