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SANTA FE, N.M. – Today, the New Mexico Public Education Department announced that it will submit revisions to Rule 6.10.5 NMAC, School Instructional Time Requirements, to the New Mexico Register for adoption on March 14, 2024. The proposed changes will require all districts and charter schools to provide 180 days of instruction. This announcement follows an intense period of public comment and feedback based on the initial proposed rule, which would have ended four-day school weeks with no exemptions.
“We are glad to see changes that recognize schools who are achieving strong academic outcomes and challenge us all to do more for our students,” said Amanda Aragon, Executive Director of NewMexicoKidsCAN. “180 days of school is the national average. In a state where students lag the national average in academic achievement, we must focus on ensuring our students get the instructional time they need, even when it means making tough choices.”
The amended proposed rule mandates 180 instructional days for all New Mexico school districts and charter schools. Districts and charter schools will be allowed to maintain a four-day schedule; however, if their calendar falls below the 180-day instructional requirement, they will need to add days unless they qualify for an exemption based on their reading language arts performance. Early college high schools will be exempt from the minimum 180 instructional day requirement.
For school districts to qualify for exemption from the 180 instructional-day requirement, they must either exhibit proficiency rates above 80 percent in reading and language arts or demonstrate specific growth in percentage points.
- Districts or charter schools with proficiency rates below 45 percent need to show a minimum of 15 percentage points growth
- Districts or charter schools with proficiency rates between 45 and 65 percent require at least 10 percentage points growth
- Districts and charter schools with rates between 65 and 80 percent need to demonstrate a minimum 8 percentage points growth.
For more information and to view the amended proposed rule, click here. The memo sent to Superintendents and Charter School Leaders can be accessed here.
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About NewMexicoKidsCAN: Launched in 2018, NewMexicoKidsCAN: The New Mexico Campaign for Achievement Now is a local nonprofit organization that advocates for community-informed, student-centered and research-backed education policies. Connecting policy, instructional practice and politics, the organization works to reimagine what is possible in New Mexico’s public education system to ensure New Mexico students become the future community, civic and business leaders New Mexico needs.
To learn more, visit www.nmkidscan.org.