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AN ACT
RELATING TO EDUCATION; PROVIDING FOR HIGH SCHOOL REDESIGN;
PROVIDING FOR COLLEGE AND WORKPLACE READINESS; PROVIDING NEW
ASSESSMENTS; RAISING THE AGE AT WHICH A STUDENT MAY DROP OUT
OF SCHOOL; ELIMINATING CERTIFICATES OF EMPLOYMENT;
ELIMINATING PART-TIME SCHOOLS; CHANGING HIGH SCHOOL
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS; PROVIDING FOR A MIDDLE AND HIGH
SCHOOL LITERACY INITIATIVE; INCREASING REQUIRED MINIMUM
INSTRUCTIONAL AREAS IN FIRST THROUGH THIRD AND EIGHTH GRADES;
RECONCILING MULTIPLE AMENDMENTS TO THE SAME SECTION OF LAW IN
LAWS 2005.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
Section 1. Section 22-1-1.2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2003,
Chapter 153, Section 2) is amended to read:
"22-1-1.2. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.--
A. The legislature finds that no education system
can be sufficient for the education of all children unless it
is founded on the sound principle that every child can learn
and succeed and that the system must meet the needs of all
children by recognizing that student success for every child
is the fundamental goal.
B. The legislature finds further that the key to
student success in New Mexico is to have a multicultural
education system that:
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(1) attracts and retains quality and diverse
teachers to teach New Mexico's multicultural student
population;
(2) holds teachers, students, schools,
school districts and the state accountable;
(3) integrates the cultural strengths of its
diverse student population into the curriculum with high
expectations for all students;
(4) recognizes that cultural diversity in
the state presents special challenges for policymakers,
administrators, teachers and students;
(5) provides students with a rigorous and
relevant high school curriculum that prepares them to succeed
in college and the workplace; and
(6) elevates the importance of public
education in the state by clarifying the governance structure
at different levels.
C. The legislature finds further that the teacher
shortage in this country has affected the ability of
New Mexico to compete for the best teachers and that, unless
the state and school districts find ways to mentor beginning
teachers, intervene with teachers while they still show
promise, improve the job satisfaction of quality teachers and
elevate the teaching profession by shifting to a professional
educator licensing and salary system, public schools will be
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unable to recruit and retain the highest quality teachers in
the teaching profession in New Mexico.
D. The legislature finds further that a
well-designed, well-implemented and well-maintained
assessment and accountability system is the linchpin of
public school reform and must ensure that:
(1) students who do not meet or exceed
expectations will be given individual attention and
assistance through extended learning programs and
individualized tutoring;
(2) students have accurate, useful
information about their options and the adequacy of their
preparation for post-secondary education, training or
employment in order to set and achieve high goals;
(3) teachers who do not meet performance
standards must improve their skills or they will not continue
to be employed as teachers;
(4) public schools make adequate yearly
progress toward educational excellence; and
(5) school districts and the state are
prepared to actively intervene and improve failing public
schools.
E. The legislature finds further that improving
children's reading and writing abilities and literacy
throughout their years in school must remain a priority of
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the state.
F. The legislature finds further that the public
school governance structure needs to change to provide
accountability from the bottom up instead of from the top
down. Each school principal, with the help of school
councils made up of parents and teachers, must be the
instructional leader in the public school, motivating and
holding accountable both teachers and students. Each local
superintendent must function as the school district's chief
executive officer and have responsibility for the day-to-day
operations of the school district, including personnel and
student disciplinary decisions.
G. It is the purpose of the 2003 public school
reform legislation as augmented by this 2007 legislation to
provide the framework to implement the legislative findings
to ensure student success in New Mexico."
Section 2. Section 22-2C-1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2003,
Chapter 153, Section 10) is amended to read:
"22-2C-1. SHORT TITLE.--Chapter 22, Article 2C NMSA
1978 may be cited as the "Assessment and Accountability
Act"."
Section 3. Section 22-2C-4 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2003,
Chapter 153, Section 13, as amended) is amended to read:
"22-2C-4. STATEWIDE ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY
SYSTEM--INDICATORS--REQUIRED ASSESSMENTS--ALTERNATIVE
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ASSESSMENTS--LIMITS ON ALTERNATIVES TO ENGLISH LANGUAGE
READING ASSESSMENTS.--
A. The department shall establish a statewide
assessment and accountability system that is aligned with the
state academic content and performance standards and that
measures adequate yearly progress for each public school and
school district. Adequate yearly progress shall be
determined primarily by student academic achievement, as
demonstrated by statewide standards-based assessments;
however, the department may include other indicators of
adequate yearly progress, including graduation rates for high
schools and attendance for elementary and middle schools.
B. The academic assessment program for adequate
yearly progress shall test student achievement as follows:
(1) for grades three through eight and for
grade eleven, standards-based assessments in mathematics,
reading and language arts and social studies;
(2) for grades three through eight, a
standards-based writing assessment with the writing
assessment scoring criteria applied to the extended response
writing portions of the language arts standards-based
assessments; and
(3) for one of grades three through five and
six through eight and for grade eleven, standards-based
assessments in science by the 2007-2008 school year.
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C. The department shall involve appropriate
licensed school employees in the development of the
standards-based assessments.
D. All students shall participate in the academic
assessment program. The department shall adopt standards for
reasonable accommodations in standards-based assessments for
students with disabilities and limited English proficiency,
including when and how accommodations may be applied. The
legislative education study committee shall review the
standards prior to adoption by the department.
E. Students who have been determined to be limited
English proficient may be allowed to take the standards-based
assessment in their primary language. A student who has
attended school for three consecutive years in the United
States shall participate in the English language reading
assessment unless granted a waiver by the department based on
criteria established by the department. An English language
reading assessment waiver may be granted only for a maximum
of two additional years and only on a case-by-case basis."
Section 4. A new section of Chapter 22, Article 2C NMSA
1978 is enacted to read:
"STATEWIDE COLLEGE AND WORKPLACE READINESS ASSESSMENT
SYSTEM.--
A. The department shall establish a readiness
assessment system to measure the readiness of every New
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Mexico high school student for success in higher education or
a career no later than the 2008-2009 school year. The
department shall ensure that the readiness assessment system
is aligned with state academic content and performance
standards, college placement tests and entry-level career
skill requirements. The readiness assessment system shall
include the following components:
(1) a high school readiness assessment in
English, reading, mathematics and science in the fall
semester of grade nine;
(2) a college readiness assessment in
English, reading and mathematics in grade ten; and
(3) a workplace readiness assessment to
assess applied skills in reading, mathematics and locating
information in grade eleven.
B. All students at the specified grade level shall
participate in the readiness assessment system at no cost to
the student.
C. The department shall ensure that results of
performance on readiness assessments are reported to
students, parents and public schools no later than four weeks
following the date on which the assessments are administered,
in a form that is easily understandable and useful in the
next-step planning process. Reports of assessment results
shall be provided to students and parents in writing whenever
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possible, but, if necessary, orally in the language best
understood by each student and parent.
D. The department shall adopt standards for
reasonable accommodations in the administration of readiness
assessments for students with disabilities and limited
English proficiency, including when and how accommodations
may be applied.
E. In developing or selecting the high school or
college readiness assessments, the department may adopt
commercially available standards-based assessments that meet
the requirements of this section. The department shall
involve appropriate licensed school employees in the
development or selection of readiness assessments."
Section 5. Section 22-8-43 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2000
(2nd S.S.), Chapter 14, Section 2, as amended) is amended to
read:
"22-8-43. PUBLIC SCHOOL READING PROFICIENCY FUND--
CREATED.--The "public school reading proficiency fund" is
created in the state treasury. The fund shall consist of
appropriations, gifts, grants and donations. The fund shall
be administered by the department, and money in the fund is
appropriated to the department to distribute awards to public
middle, junior and senior high schools that implement
innovative, scientifically based reading programs. The
department shall develop procedures and rules for the
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application and award of money from the fund, including
criteria upon which to evaluate innovative, scientifically
based reading programs. Public schools receiving funds shall
show evidence that they are using quality, scientifically
based reading research to improve reading proficiency and
shall develop individualized reading plans for students who
fail to meet grade level reading proficiency standards.
Disbursements of the fund shall be made by warrant of the
department of finance and administration pursuant to vouchers
signed by the secretary or the secretary's authorized
representative. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance
remaining in the fund at the end of any fiscal year shall not
revert but shall remain to the credit of the fund."
Section 6. Section 22-12-2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1967,
Chapter 16, Section 170, as amended) is amended to read:
"22-12-2. COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE--
RESPONSIBILITY.--
A. Except as otherwise provided, a
school-age person shall attend public school, private school,
home school or a state institution until the school-age
person is at least eighteen years of age unless that person
has graduated from high school or received a general
educational development certificate. A parent may give
written, signed permission for the school-age person to leave
school in case of hardship approved by the local
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superintendent.
B. A school-age person subject to the provisions
of the Compulsory School Attendance Law shall attend school
for at least the length of time of the school year that is
established in the school district in which the person is a
resident or the state-chartered charter school in which the
person is enrolled and the school district or state-chartered
charter school shall not excuse a student from attending
school except as provided in that law or for
parent-authorized medical reasons.
C. Any parent of a school-age person subject to
the provisions of the Compulsory School Attendance Law is
responsible for the school attendance of that person.
D. Each local school board and each governing body
of a charter school or private school shall enforce the
provisions of the Compulsory School Attendance Law for
students enrolled in their respective schools."
Section 7. Section 22-13-1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2003,
Chapter 153, Section 57, as amended) is amended to read:
"22-13-1. SUBJECT AREAS--MINIMUM INSTRUCTIONAL AREAS
REQUIRED--ACCREDITATION.--
A. The department shall require public schools to
address department-approved academic content and performance
standards when instructing in specific department-required
subject areas as provided in this section. A public school
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or school district failing to meet these minimum requirements
shall not be accredited by the department.
B. All kindergarten through third grade classes
shall provide daily instruction in reading and language arts
skills, including phonemic awareness, phonics and
comprehension, and in mathematics. Students in kindergarten
and first grades shall be screened and monitored for progress
in reading and language arts skills and students in second
grade shall take diagnostic tests on reading and language
arts skills.
C. All first, second and third grade classes shall
provide instruction in art, music and a language other than
English, and instruction that meets content and performance
standards shall be provided in science, social studies,
physical education and health education.
D. In fourth through eighth grades, instruction
that meets academic content and performance standards shall
be provided in the following subject areas:
(1) reading and language arts skills, with
an emphasis on writing and editing for at least one year and
an emphasis on grammar and writing for at least one year;
(2) mathematics;
(3) language other than English;
(4) communication skills;
(5) science;
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(6) art;
(7) music;
(8) social studies;
(9) New Mexico history;
(10) United States history;
(11) geography;
(12) physical education; and
(13) health education.
E. Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, in
eighth grade, algebra 1 shall be offered in regular classroom
settings or through on-line courses or agreements with high
schools.
F. In fourth through eighth grades, school
districts shall offer electives that contribute to academic
growth and skill development and provide career and technical
education.
G. In ninth through twelfth grades, instruction
that meets academic content and performance standards shall
be provided in health education."
Section 8. Section 22-13-1.1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws
1986, Chapter 33, Section 5, as amended by Laws 2005, Chapter
314, Section 1 and by Laws 2005, Chapter 315, Section 10) is
amended to read:
"22-13-1.1. GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS.--
A. At the end of grades eight through eleven, each
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student shall prepare an interim next-step plan that sets
forth the coursework for the grades remaining until high
school graduation. Each year's plan shall explain any
differences from previous interim next-step plans, shall be
filed with the principal of the student's high school and
shall be signed by the student, the student's parent and the
student's guidance counselor or other school official charged
with coursework planning for the student.
B. Each student must complete a final next-step
plan during the senior year and prior to graduation. The
plan shall be filed with the principal of the student's high
school and shall be signed by the student, the student's
parent and the student's guidance counselor or other school
official charged with coursework planning for the student.
C. An individualized education program that meets
the requirements of Subsections A and B of this section and
that meets all applicable transition and procedural
requirements of the federal Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act for a student with a disability shall satisfy
the next-step plan requirements of this section for that
student.
D. A local school board shall ensure that each
high school student has the opportunity to develop a
next-step plan based on reports of college and workplace
readiness assessments, as available, and other factors and is
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reasonably informed about:
(1) curricular and course options, including
honors or advanced placement courses, dual-credit courses,
distance learning courses, career clusters or remediation
programs that the college and workplace readiness assessments
indicate to be appropriate;
(2) opportunities available that lead to
different post-high-school options; and
(3) alternative opportunities available if
the student does not finish a planned curriculum.
E. The secretary shall:
(1) establish specific accountability
standards for administrators, counselors, teachers and school
district staff to ensure that every student has the
opportunity to develop a next-step plan;
(2) promulgate rules for accredited private
schools in order to ensure substantial compliance with the
provisions of this section;
(3) monitor compliance with the requirements
of this section; and
(4) compile such information as is necessary
to evaluate the success of next-step plans and report
annually, by December 15, to the legislative education study
committee and the governor.
F. Successful completion of a minimum of
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twenty-three units aligned to the state academic content and
performance standards shall be required for graduation.
These units shall be as follows:
(1) four units in English, with major
emphasis on grammar and literature;
(2) three units in mathematics, at least one
of which is equivalent to the algebra 1 level or higher;
(3) two units in science, one of which shall
have a laboratory component; provided, however, that with
students entering the ninth grade beginning in the 2005-2006
school year, three units in science shall be required, one of
which shall have a laboratory component;
(4) three units in social science, which
shall include United States history and geography, world
history and geography and government and economics;
(5) one unit in physical education;
(6) one unit in communication skills or
business education, with a major emphasis on writing and
speaking and that may include a language other than English;
(7) one-half unit in New Mexico history for
students entering the ninth grade beginning in the 2005-2006
school year; and
(8) nine elective units and seven and
one-half elective units for students entering the ninth grade
in the 2005-2006 school year that meet department content and
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performance standards. Student service learning shall be
offered as an elective.
G. For students entering the ninth grade beginning
in the 2009-2010 school year, at least one of the units
required for graduation shall be earned as an advanced
placement or honors course, a dual-credit course offered in
cooperation with an institution of higher education or a
distance learning course.
H. The department shall establish a procedure for
students to be awarded credit through completion of specified
career technical education courses for certain graduation
requirements.
I. Successful completion of the requirements of
the New Mexico diploma of excellence shall be required for
graduation for students entering the ninth grade beginning in
the 2009-2010 school year. Successful completion of a
minimum of twenty-four units aligned to the state academic
content and performance standards shall be required to earn a
New Mexico diploma of excellence. These units shall be as
follows:
(1) four units in English, with major
emphasis on grammar, nonfiction writing and literature;
(2) four units in mathematics, of which one
shall be the equivalent to or higher than the level of
algebra 2, unless the parent submitted written, signed
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permission for the student to complete a lesser mathematics
unit;
(3) three units in science, two of which
shall have a laboratory component;
(4) three and one-half units in social
science, which shall include United States history and
geography, world history and geography and government and
economics, and one-half unit of New Mexico history;
(5) one unit in physical education;
(6) one unit in one of the following:
a career cluster course, workplace readiness or a language
other than English; and
(7) seven and one-half elective units that
meet department content and performance standards. Student
service learning shall be offered as an elective.
J. Final examinations shall be administered to all
students in all classes offered for credit.
K. Until July 1, 2010, a student who has not
passed a state graduation examination in the subject areas of
reading, English, mathematics, writing, science and social
science shall not receive a high school diploma. The state
graduation examination on social science shall include a
section on the constitution of the United States and the
constitution of New Mexico. If a student exits from the
school system at the end of grade twelve without having
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passed a state graduation examination, the student shall
receive an appropriate state certificate indicating the
number of credits earned and the grade completed. If within
five years after a student exits from the school system the
student takes and passes the state graduation examination,
the student may receive a high school diploma.
L. Beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, a
student shall not receive a New Mexico diploma of excellence
if the student has not demonstrated competence in the subject
areas of mathematics, reading and language arts, writing,
social studies and science, including a section on the
constitution of the United States and the constitution of New
Mexico, based on a standards-based assessment or assessments
or a portfolio of standards-based indicators established by
the department by rule no later than January 15, 2008. If a
student exits from the school system at the end of grade
twelve without having satisfied the requirements of this
subsection, the student shall receive an appropriate state
certificate indicating the number of credits earned and the
grade completed. If within five years after a student exits
from the school system the student satisfies the requirement
of this subsection, the student may receive a New Mexico
diploma of excellence.
M. As used in this section:
(1) "final next-step plan" means a next-step
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plan that shows that the student has committed or intends to
commit in the near future to a four-year college or
university, a two-year college, a trade or vocational
program, an internship or apprenticeship, military service or
a job;
(2) "interim next-step plan" means an annual
next-step plan in which the student specifies
post-high-school goals and sets forth the coursework that
will allow the student to achieve those goals; and
(3) "next-step plan" means an annual
personal written plan of studies developed by a student in a
public school or other state-supported school or institution
in consultation with the student's parent and school
counselor or other school official charged with coursework
planning for the student that includes one or more of the
following:
(a) advanced placement or honors
courses;
(b) dual-credit courses offered in
cooperation with an institution of higher education; and
(c) distance learning courses.
N. The secretary may establish a policy to provide
for administrative interpretations to clarify curricular and
testing provisions of the Public School Code."
Section 9. Section 22-13-1.4 NMSA 1978 (being Laws
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2005, Chapter 78, Section 1) is amended to read:
"22-13-1.4. HONORS OR SIMILAR CLASSES IN MATHEMATICS
AND LANGUAGE ARTS--DUAL CREDIT COURSES--LANGUAGES OTHER THAN
ENGLISH.--
A. Beginning with the 2006-2007 school year,
each school district shall offer at least one honors or
similar academically rigorous class each in mathematics and
language arts in each high school.
B. Beginning in the 2008-2009 school year,
each school district shall also offer a program of courses
for dual-credit, in cooperation with an institution of higher
education, and a program of distance learning courses.
C. Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year,
each school district shall offer at least two years of a
language other than English in each high school."
Section 10. A new section of the Public School Code is
enacted to read:
"MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL LITERACY INITIATIVE.--
A. School districts and charter schools may create
comprehensive, coordinated middle and high school literacy
initiatives to provide scientifically based literacy programs
to improve the reading and writing proficiency of students in
grades six through twelve.
B. The design of a middle and high school literacy
initiative shall be based upon scientific research that shows
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that using the methods and materials proposed is effective in
improving reading proficiency beyond the primary grades and
shall include, at a minimum:
(1) instruction in nonfiction writing;
(2) ongoing teacher and school administrator
professional development equal to that which was validated in
the supporting research;
(3) use of student assessment data to guide
and individualize instruction; and
(4) a rigorous and thorough evaluation
component.
C. A middle and high school literacy initiative
shall also incorporate some or all of the following elements:
(1) direct, explicit comprehension
instruction;
(2) teacher teams, including language arts
and content area instructors who implement mutually
reinforcing practices;
(3) strategies to encourage motivation and
self-directed learning;
(4) text-based collaborative learning by
groups of students;
(5) strategic tutoring;
(6) diverse texts;
(7) a technology component; and
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(8) extended time for literacy.
D. School districts and charter schools that meet
department eligibility requirements may apply to the
department for awards from the public school reading
proficiency fund for support for their middle and high school
literacy initiatives. Applications shall be in a form
prescribed by the department."
Section 11. REPEAL.--Sections 22-12-6, 22-13-9 and
22-13-10 NMSA 1978 (being laws 1967, Chapter 16, Sections
174, 183 and 184) are repealed.
Section 12. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the
provisions of this act is July 1, 2007.