Policy Background:
- In 2017, the New Mexico State Legislature passed SMJ1 to pilot an alternative assessment.
- Districts may award proficiency-based or time-based credits. (CFAT 50-State Scan of Course Credit Policies 2013)
- There are no active state-level initiatives to support competency-based education. A 2009 statue allows districts to qualify students as competent based on alternative indicators of competency, which districts determine. However, it is being used to help students not meeting state graduation requirements to get a diploma.
Intermediaries and Initiatives
- Future Focused Education is seeking to introduce alternative student assessments such as performance-based assessments. To date the NM Department of Education has been acting as a barrier to this effort. In 2017, the New Mexico State Legislature passed SMJ1 to pilot an assessment. See New Metrics report.
Evidence of Improved Achievement, Attainment, or Cost-Effectiveness: No information at this time (May 2014)
Districts and Schools
- Teach to One: Math pilot was launched in 2018. This is an instructional strategy designed to meet students where they are -- not an example of a school or district-wide competency-based approach. Article on Teach to One at Taos Middle School. (2018)
Colleges and Universities
- Central New Mexico Community College, Albuquerque, NM
Blogs
- Customizing without Computers (Connected by 25)
In the News
- Online English Credit Gets OK, Abq. Journal, July 2012. Raised questions about the quality of online learning, competency education, competency recovery, and how to provide flexible options for students.