School aims to improve NM education

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A lot of parents and educators have been struggling with the question, how do we improve education in New Mexico?
    
Well one school believes they have figured it out.
    
It's a charter school that has three main focuses math, science and college.
    
And so far it looks like it's working.
    
AIMS High School home of the Archers stands for Albuquerque Institute for Math and Science.

”What I tell my parents is I have one meal at my table I am not educational buffet that the traditional school is required to be,” Principle Kathy Sandoval-Snider said.
    
Principal Kathy Sandoval-Snider says having a narrow focus allows them to zero in on the kids learning and its working.
 
The school boasts a 93 percent math proficiency rate.

“One of my favorite things at AIMS they way we are organized...we are in houses...we have 13 houses and each is named after a famous Archer,” Miquela Apodaca said.
    
Senior Miquela Apodaca is a leader of one of those houses.
    
It intertwines kids from 6th to 12th grade to get them comfortable with each other. Then they break off into their age specific classes.
 
Another thing that stands out about this school is the focus on college.

“Even my tiny 6th graders are looking at those seniors with that prize in their mind and that is the end goal,” Sandoval-Snider said.

These kids won't wait until they graduate to go to college, they must start when they are in 10th grade.

”by the time they get done our students must have 24 credit hours but very often avail the opp and take up to 50 credit hours may enter UNM either as a sophomore or as a junior,” Sandoval-Snider said.
 
The student’s tuition is all covered by UNM and the state of New Mexico and books are covered by the school.
   
Past students have gone on to become doctors, pharmacists or engineers.

Miquela hopes to become one of them. She's going to New Mexico Tech in the fall to study electrical engineering and aerospace.
    
That is exactly what educators hoped to see.

”once they get this investment in unm or into nm period and have 50 credit hours not as inclined to leave the state..because i'ave already started what a boost we have for the economy,” sandoval-snider said.
    
AIMS is so popular there is a very long waiting list.