SANTA FE — The New Mexico Public Education Department is moving forward with plans to ensure that all schools in the state operate on a minimum of 180 instructional days beginning with the 2024-2025 school year. Revisions reflect feedback received during the public comment period that best supports students, families, educators, and communities. The final rule will include:
- Four-day school week calendars: The revisions to the proposed rule allow for four-day school week calendars.
- Exemptions for early college high schools: Early college high schools will be exempt from the minimum 180 instructional day requirement.
- Exemptions for school districts and charter schools with growth in reading and language arts: Schools will be eligible for exemptions from the minimum 180 instructional day requirement under the revised rule based on reading, language arts proficiency and growth as determined by the Secretary.
- Minimum daily attendance for high school students: High school students will be required to attend at least 3.5 instructional hours (not class periods) daily, unless they provide evidence of participating for an equivalent amount of time in an apprenticeship, a work study program, a dual-credit program, employment, community service, or similar activities.
Exemptions to the 180 instructional-day minimum for school year 2024-2025 calendars will be granted based on district-wide or charter school-wide proficiency rates in school year 2023-2024 and proficiency growth from school years 2022-2023 to 2023-2024. Reading achievement will be rounded to the nearest whole number and will be based on state accountability assessments (MSSA, SAT, and iStation for K-2 only charter schools).
To be exempt from the minimum 180 instructional days in the 2024-2025 school year, a school district or charter school will meet one of the criteria below.
- If a school district or charter school has an overall reading, language arts proficiency rate below 45%, then the school district or charter school must demonstrate at least 15% of growth in reading, language arts achievement.
- If a school district or charter school has an overall reading, language arts proficiency rate greater than or equal to 45% and less than 65%, then the school district or charter school must demonstrate at least 10% of growth in reading, language arts achievement.
- If a school district or charter school has an overall reading, language arts proficiency rate greater than or equal to 65% and less than 80%, then the school district or charter school must demonstrate at least 8% of growth in reading, language arts achievement.
- If a school district or charter school has an overall reading, language arts proficiency rate greater than or equal to 80%, then the school district or charter school will be exempt from the 180 instructional-day requirement regardless of growth.
“In order to equalize instructional time across the state, we have chosen to adopt the 180-day calendar rule,” Public Education Secretary Arsenio Romero said. “We must improve student outcomes across the state, our students deserve better, and that begins with quality instructional time in the classroom. We know that this will be a key to turning the tide on academic performance in the state.”
House Bill 130 passed during the 2023 Legislative Session, sought to increase instructional time for students. However, when school calendars were analyzed for the 2023-2024 school year, many districts and charter schools had less than the number required, prompting the PED to revise the rule.
“We are moving forward because it is what’s best for students. We’ve listened to you and considered your feedback and after extensive deliberation and study, we have determined that this is the best path forward to support student achievement. We know this is a big change for some communities, we are here to support you through this adjustment. We are all in this together for the young people in our state, ” Romero said.
