Opportunity Culture® Design in New Mexico
Rapid expansion with new federal grant
Carlsbad Municipal Schools was the first district in the state to begin implementing Opportunity Culture® staffing and instructional design, beginning with three schools in 2023–24 and expanding to all but its early college high school by 2026–27. Its first three implementing schools showed state-leading results in reading and math using Multi-Classroom Leader® teams, such as Desert Willow Elementary’s posting the highest growth in the state in the literacy proficiency rate among medium-size schools, and PR Leyva Middle’s posting of the fourth-highest growth in the math proficiency rate among large schools and the 17th-highest in literacy.
Other New Mexico districts and charter management organizations joined Carlsbad in planning or using Opportunity Culture® design in 2025–26 and 2026–27.
In fall 2026, the New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) won a $12 million federal TSL grant (Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program) to help high-need schools address teacher shortages by using Opportunity Culture® staffing and instructional design and integrating pre-service candidates. The grant supports PED’s New Mexico Aspiring to Rewarding Careers (NM ARC) initiative.
As more sign on, eight sites are already beginning design in 2026–27 as the first of two cohorts under this grant, which will include both traditional districts and charter management organizations.