Bill > SB242

This bill, known as the Advancing the Science of Reading Act, establishes comprehensive requirements for teacher preparation and reading instruction in New Mexico's public schools. The legislation mandates that teacher licensing candidates for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade must demonstrate competency in structured literacy and the science of reading by completing specific credit hours in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension, as well as completing 100 hours of supervised field experience in classrooms using scientifically based reading instruction. The bill explicitly prohibits the use of balanced literacy teaching methods, which rely on less systematic approaches to reading instruction, and requires all reading instruction to use high-quality, research-based instructional materials aligned with the science of reading. Additionally, the bill establishes literacy coordinators at teacher preparation programs to oversee implementation, requires the state education department to monitor and enforce these new standards, and mandates that parents be notified twice per year about their child's reading performance, particularly for students in kindergarten through third grade who are not reading at grade level. The goal of the bill is to improve literacy outcomes by ensuring that teachers are thoroughly trained in evidence-based reading instruction techniques and that students receive consistent, systematic reading education.

Education

https://www.nmlegis.gov/Legislation/Legislation?chamber=S&legtype=B&legno=242&year=25