New Mexico Register / Volume XXXIII, Issue 3 / February 8, 2022

NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING

Public Hearing. The New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) gives notice that it will conduct a public hearing Tuesday, March 15, 2022, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (MDT) in Mabry Hall, located in the Jerry Apodaca Education Building, 300 Don Gaspar Ave., Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501. The location of the public hearing is subject to change due to concerns surrounding COVID-19 and in accordance with Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s Executive Order 2021-061, Renewing the State of Public Health Emergency Initially Declared in Executive Order 2020-004, Other Powers Invoked in That Order, and All Other Orders and Directives Contained in Executive Orders Tied to the Ongoing Public Health Emergency; or with any executive order that supersedes Executive Order 2021-061. Continuous updates on hearing changes and Zoom information will be provided on the PED website. The purpose of the public hearing is to receive public input on the proposed repeal and replace of 6.64.3 NMAC, Competencies for Entry-Level Reading Teachers. At the hearing, PED will provide a verbal summary statement on record. Attendees who wish to provide public comment on record will be given three (3) minutes to make a statement concerning the rule changes. Written comment will also be accepted at the hearing.

Explanation of Purpose of Text

The purpose of the proposed repeal and replace of 6.64.3 NMAC, Competencies for Entry-Level Reading Teachers, is to add a pathway for educators to receive an endorsement in reading.

Summary of Text

The proposed repeal and replace of 6.64.3 NMAC, Competencies for Entry-Level Reading Teachers, allows teachers to receive an endorsement in the teaching of reading by completing a minimum of 80 hours of professional development from an organization accredited by the International Dyslexia Association. The professional development must (1) include a minimum of 40 hours of online coursework, containing assessments of knowledge and understanding with a score of 80 percent or greater on all summative assessments; (2) a minimum of 40 hours of documented live sessions – virtually or in person – with a certified facilitator; and (3) submittal of a statement of impact that includes the instructional changes the applicant has made based on the applicant’s learning within the professional development. The organization accredited by the International Dyslexia Association must align to the science of reading and a structured literacy approach that (1) promotes explicit, systematic, and cumulative instruction as the primary approach; (2) promotes an understanding of how language, reading, and writing relate to one another; (3) promotes strategies for differentiated instruction for students with reading difficulties and disabilities and English language learners; (4) focuses on all five components of literacy instruction – phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension; and (5) allows participants to implement the strategies into a classroom environment with the opportunity for feedback throughout the professional development experience.

Statutory Authorizations

Sections 9-24-8, 22-2-1, 22-2-2, and 22-10A-32 NMSA 1978.

No technical information served as a basis for this proposed rule change.

Public Comment. Interested parties may provide comment at the public hearing or may submit written comments by mail to John Sena, Policy Division, New Mexico Public Education Department, 300 Don Gaspar Avenue, Room 121, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501, by electronic mail to rule.feedback@state.nm.us, or by fax to (505) 827-6520. Written comments must be received no later than 5 p.m. (MDT) on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. The PED encourages the early submission of written comments. The public comment period is from Tuesday, February 8, 2022, to Tuesday, March 15, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. (MDT).

The PED will review all feedback received during the public comment period and issue communication regarding a final decision at a later date.

Copies of the proposed rules may be accessed through the page titled, “Rule Notification,” on the PED's website at http://webnew.ped.state.nm.us/bureaus/policy-innovation-measurement/rule-notification/, or may be obtained from John Sena at (505) 570-7816 during regular business hours.

Individuals with disabilities who require the above information in an alternative format or need any form of auxiliary aid to attend or participate in the public hearing are asked to contact John Sena at (505) 570-7816 as soon as possible before the date set for the public hearing. The PED requires at least 10 calendar days advance notice to provide any special accommodations requested.