CBE Policy Wins: New Mexico Updates Graduation Requirements

This year's legislative sessions are still progressing, and similar to previous years, student-centered learning proposals, including those advancing personalized, competency-based strategies, continue to be a hot topic. I've already come across at least one notable piece of enacted legislation in New Mexico that advances competency-based education.

New Mexico has previously attempted to advance student-centered policy, which it successfully built upon this year with House Bill 171. This legislation, signed into law by the governor on February 9, adopts a number of student-centered policies in the context of a general update of state graduation requirements. Specifically, the legislation clarifies that the purpose of the state’s diploma is to demonstrate readiness for success in postsecondary education, employment and citizenship, qualities typically aligned with how schools and districts approach competency-based education. The bill also requires every school district and charter school to develop a community-based graduate profile that articulates the core academic competencies and subjects key to graduates' post-high school success. Students in 8th grade through 11th are required to complete a next-step plan as well as a final plan during their senior year. All plans are required to align to the graduate profile.

Its very exciting to already see some early wins this legislative session for competency-based education, and hopefully we'll continue to see more as sessions across the country progress!