HOUSE BILL 256

56th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2024

INTRODUCED BY

Tara Jaramillo and Willie D. Madrid

 

 

 

 

 

AN ACT

RELATING TO HIGHER EDUCATION; PROVIDING REQUIREMENTS FOR COLLEGES OF EDUCATION AT PUBLIC FOUR-YEAR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS; REQUIRING THAT TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS INCLUDE TEACHER RESIDENCIES; REQUIRING THAT CURRICULA FOR TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS INCLUDE STRUCTURED LITERACY AND ADDITIONAL TOPICS; REQUIRING ARTICULATION AMONG HIGHER EDUCATION TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS; DIRECTING THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO ALIGN STATE ACCREDITATION OF COLLEGES OF EDUCATION WITH NATIONAL ACCREDITATION.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. A new section of Chapter 21 NMSA 1978 is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES OF EDUCATION--TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.--

          A. No later than the 2028-2029 school year, teacher preparation programs at institutions of higher learning shall ensure that every undergraduate student, during the final year of the student's undergraduate teacher preparation, is placed in a teacher residency program approved pursuant to the Teacher Residency Act or, if available, another year-long paid classroom clinical experience.

          B. No later than the 2028-2029 school year, teacher preparation programs for alternative licensure shall ensure that every student is placed in a teacher residency program approved pursuant to the Teacher Residency Act or, if available, another year-long paid classroom clinical experience.

          C. Students placed in a teacher residency program as provided in Subsection A or B of this section shall be placed in a program that aligns with the type of licensure the student completing the teacher preparation program intends to pursue.

          D. In selecting a level two or level three cooperating teacher to supervise a resident teacher at the school site, each teacher preparation program provided for in this section shall:

                (1) require recommendations for the cooperating teacher from both a school principal and peer teacher;

                (2) develop a system to recruit cooperating teachers who reflect New Mexico's student population;

                (3) develop a system to match resident teachers with appropriate cooperating teachers with consideration of each resident teacher's interests and background; and

                (4) ensure that the cooperating teacher receives training in research- and evidence-based best practices established by the public education department by rule.

          E. Each teacher preparation program offered at an institution of higher learning shall:

                (1) provide culturally and linguistically responsive curricula that reflect current research- and

evidence-based best practices for instruction in elementary and secondary schools, including:

                     (a) in-depth coverage of structured literacy and research- and evidence-based reading intervention;

                     (b) research- and evidence-based best practices for mathematics and science instruction and intervention;

                     (c) instruction of students in the provisions of the Indian Education Act, Hispanic Education Act and Black Education Act and any laws governing the education of Asian American students;

                     (d) instruction of students with disabilities, including federal and state special education laws and supports;

                     (e) culturally relevant social-emotional

learning;

                     (f) trauma-informed teaching practices;

                     (g) developmental psychology;

                     (h) assessment literacy; and

                     (i) classroom management, lesson planning and teaching strategies and skills and practices that: 1) engage students; 2) maximize instruction time; 3) facilitate family engagement in a way that recognizes and acknowledges the cultural identities of students and families, including racial, ethnic, national, religious and urban or rural backgrounds; 4) provide culturally relevant learning environments; and 5) empower students to learn collaboratively across differences;

                (2) develop and regularly update its curricula in consultation with licensed New Mexico level two and level three teachers, public school and school district leaders, tribal representatives, the Indian education advisory council, the Hispanic education advisory council and the Black education advisory council;

                (3) require that each faculty member in the program completes anti-racism, racial awareness and sensitivity training consistent with that required for all school personnel pursuant to Section 22-10A-19.3 NMSA 1978; and

                (4) receive national accreditation from the council for the accreditation of teacher preparation or equivalent national accrediting body no later than the 2028- 2029 school year.

          F. By the 2024-2025 academic year, all institutions of higher learning offering teacher preparation programs shall collaborate to:

                (1) require that they are offering the same foundational content and course requirements; and

                (2) develop a unified course numbering system for all courses within those programs so that any course taken at one teacher preparation program shall be fully transferrable to any other.

          G. As used in this section, "cooperating teacher" means a teacher employed by a school district or charter school; provided that the teacher additionally meets all other qualifications to perform the duties of a cooperating teacher as established by rules promulgated by the public education department."

     SECTION 2. Section 22-2-2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1967, Chapter 16, Section 5, as amended) is amended to read:

     "22-2-2. DEPARTMENT--GENERAL DUTIES.--The department shall:

          A. properly and uniformly enforce the provisions of the Public School Code;

          B. determine policy for the operation of all public schools and vocational education programs in the state, including vocational programs that are part of a juvenile construction industries initiative for juveniles who are committed to the custody of the children, youth and families department;

          C. supervise all schools and school officials coming under its jurisdiction, including taking over the control and management of a public school or school district that has failed to meet requirements of law or department rules or standards, and, until such time as requirements of law, standards or rules have been met and compliance is ensured, the powers and duties of the local school board and local superintendent shall be suspended;

          D. prescribe courses of instruction to be taught in all public schools in the state, requirements for graduation and standards for all public schools, for private schools seeking state accreditation and for the educational programs conducted in state institutions other than the New Mexico military institute;

          E. provide technical assistance to local school boards and school districts;

          F. assess and evaluate public schools for accreditation purposes to determine the adequacy of student gain in standards-required subject matter, adequacy of student activities, functional feasibility of public school and school district organization, adequacy of staff preparation and other matters bearing upon the education of the students;

          G. assess and evaluate all state institutions and those private schools that desire state accreditation;

          H. enforce requirements for home schools. Upon finding that a home school is not in compliance with law, the department may order that a student attend a public school or a private school;

          I. require periodic reports on forms prescribed by it from all public schools and attendance reports from private schools;

          J. determine the qualifications for and issue licenses to teachers, instructional support providers and school administrators according to law and according to a system of classification adopted and promulgated by rules of the department;

          K. deny, suspend or revoke a license according to law for incompetency, moral turpitude or any other good and just cause;

          L. approve or disapprove all rules promulgated by an association or organization attempting to regulate a public school activity and invalidate any rule in conflict with any rule promulgated by the department. The department shall require an association or organization attempting to regulate a public school activity to comply with the provisions of the Open Meetings Act and be subject to the inspection provisions of the Public Records Act. The department may require performance and financial audits of an association or organization attempting to regulate a public school activity. The department shall have no power or control over the rules or the bylaws governing the administration of the internal organization of the association or organization;

          M. review decisions made by the governing board or officials of an organization or association regulating a public school activity, and any decision of the department shall be final in respect thereto;

          N. require a public school under its jurisdiction that sponsors athletic programs involving sports to mandate that the participating student obtain catastrophic health and accident insurance coverage, such coverage to be offered through the school and issued by an insurance company duly licensed pursuant to the laws of New Mexico;

          O. establish and maintain regional centers, at its discretion, for conducting cooperative services between public schools and school districts within and among those regions and for facilitating regulation and evaluation of school programs;

          P. approve education curricula and programs offered in all two-year public post-secondary educational institutions, except those in Chapter 21, Article 12 NMSA 1978, that lead to alternative licenses for degreed persons pursuant to Section 22-10A-8 NMSA 1978 or licensure for educational assistants;

           Q. withhold program approval from a college of education or teacher preparation program that fails to offer a course on teaching reading that:

                (1) is based upon current scientifically based reading research;

                (2) aligns with department-adopted reading standards;

                (3) includes strategies and assessment measures to ensure that beginning teachers are proficient in teaching reading; and

                (4) was designed after seeking input from experts in the education field;

          R. align the schedule and time line of its approval processes for teacher preparation programs with the schedule and time line for the national accrediting body that is accrediting each program. Whenever practicable, the department shall coordinate with the national accrediting body to avoid duplication of effort;

          [R.] S. annually, prior to December 1, prepare and publish a report on public and private education in the state and distribute the report to the governor and the legislature;

          [S.] T. solicit input from local school boards and school districts in the formulation and implementation of department rules; and

          [T.] U. report to the legislature or any of its committees as requested and report findings of any educational research study made with public money to the legislature through its appropriate interim or standing committees."

     SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2024.

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