TITLE 6 PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION

CHAPTER 30 EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS - GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

PART 5 OPTIONAL FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM

6.30.5.1 ISSUING AGENCY: Public Education Department

[6.30.5.1 NMAC - N, 11-14-2000; A, 11-13-2009]

6.30.5.2 SCOPE: This rule applies to public schools receiving full-day kindergarten state funding.

[6.30.5.2 NMAC - N, 11-14-2000; A, 11-13-2009]

6.30.5.3 STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Subsection B of Section 22-2-1 and Subsection D of Section 9-24-8 NMSA 1978.

[6.30.5.3 NMAC - N, 11-14-2000; A, 11-13-2009]

6.30.5.4 DURATION: Permanent

[6.30.5.4 NMAC - N, 11-14-2000]

6.30.5.5 EFFECTIVE DATE: November 14, 2000, unless a later date is cited at the end of a section.

[6.30.5.5 NMAC - N, 11-14-2000]

6.30.5.6 OBJECTIVE: To provide program requirements for optional full-day kindergarten programs.

[6.30.5.6 NMAC - N, 11-14-2000]

6.30.5.7 DEFINITIONS:

A. “Scientifically-based reading research” is the application of rigorous, systematic, and objective procedures to obtain valid knowledge relevant to reading development, reading instruction, and reading difficulties.

B. “Developmentally appropriate practices” result from the process of professionals making decisions about the well being and education of children based on at least three important kinds of information:

(1) child development and learning;

(2) strengths, interests, and needs of each individual child; and

(3) knowledge of the social and cultural contexts in which children live.

C. “MEM” means “membership,” which is total enrollment of qualified students on the current roll of a class or school on a specified day. The current roll is established by the addition of original entries and reentries minus withdrawals. Withdrawals of students, in addition to students formally withdrawn from the public school, include students absent from the public school for as many as 10 consecutive school days. (Subsection B of Section 22-8-2 NMSA 1978).

D. “Department” means the public education department.

E. “Interim assessment” means an assessment conducted three to four times a year for all students to assess specific skills and to identify those at risk academically.

F. “Kindergarten entry assessment” means an assessment conducted within the first 30 instructional days of the school year.

G. “Progress monitoring” means assessments conducted between interim assessments on students who are receiving targeted and intensive interventions to determine whether the student is benefitting from interventions.

[6.30.5.7 NMAC - N, 11-14-2000; A, 06-13-2014; A, 08-28-2015]

6.30.5.8 PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY: The number of early childhood education program units is determined by multiplying the early childhood MEM by the cost differential factor 1.44. Students enrolled in full-day kindergarten programs shall be counted for 1.0 early childhood MEM (Section 22-8-19 NMSA 1978).

[6.30.5.8 NMAC - N, 11-14-2000; A, 11-13-2009]

6.30.5.9 STUDENT PARTICIPATION:

A. A student must be at least five years of age prior to 12:01 a.m., on September 1 of that school year (Subsection M of Section 22-8-2 NMSA 1978) to participate in a full-day kindergarten program.

B. All public school districts will offer full-day kindergarten programs. Such programs will be offered to kindergarten students on a voluntary basis. No parent will be required to send his/her child to a full-day kindergarten program.

[6.30.5.9 NMAC - N, 11-14-2000; A, 11-13-2009]

6.30.5.10 LENGTH OF SCHOOL DAY-MINIMUM: Students in full-day kindergarten programs must comply with the minimum length of school day and school year as required in Section 22-2-8.1 NMSA 1978 and 6.10.5 NMAC.

[6.30.5.10 NMAC - N, 11-14-2000; A, 11-13-2009; A, 06-13-2014]

6.30.5.11 PROGRAM ELEMENT: INSTRUCTION:

A. Public schools providing full-day kindergarten programs, utilizing state funding, will include:

(1) a comprehensive research-based early literacy program that:

(a) identifies the concepts and skills necessary to establish the foundation of success in early reading;

(b) includes instructional strategies that ensure children learn identified concepts and skills;

(c) includes developmentally appropriate early literacy assessment; and

(d) includes key early literacy skills instruction, e.g. language development, vocabulary development, auditory comprehension, appreciation of stories and books, writing concepts of print, alphabet knowledge, letter sounds, phonemic awareness and beginning phonics;

(2) child-centered programs based on developmentally appropriate teaching practices that:

(a) support the growth of social and emotional competence; and

(b) are culturally and linguistically appropriate;

(3) a sequential comprehensive, developmentally appropriate early mathematics program that:

(a) identifies the concepts and skills necessary to establish the foundation of success in early mathematics;

(b) includes instructional strategies that ensure children learn identified concepts and skills; and

(c) includes developmentally appropriate early mathematics assessment.

B. Schools must continue to provide a sequential comprehensive, developmentally appropriate early literacy program in the first second and third grades following kindergarten. The program must include program elements, assessments, and professional development as addressed in the rule.

[6.30.5.11 NMAC - N, 11-14-2000; A, 11-13-2009]

6.30.5.12 PROGRAM ELEMENT: ASSESSMENT:

A. Beginning with the 2016-2017 school year, all students in kindergarten must be administered the New Mexico kindergarten entry assessment provided by the department. Kindergarten entry assessment data must be reported through the department’s data collection reporting system no later than October 15 of each school year.

B. All students in kindergarten must be administered a department-approved interim assessment at least three times per school year to determine if students are making adequate progress toward grade level reading proficiency by the end of the school year. Interim assessment data must be reported to the department’s data collection and reporting system within the first 30 instructional days of the school year. Any student identified with a reading deficiency based on the interim assessment measure must receive more frequent progress monitoring to determine if the student is on target to meet grade level expectations by the end of the school year.

C. Public schools districts having both half-day and full-day state-funded kindergarten programs will assess performance of all kindergarten students.

[6.30.5.12 NMAC - N, 11-14-2000; A, 11-13-2009; A, 06-13-2014; A, 08-28-2015]

6.30.5.13 PROGRAM ELEMENT: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

A. So that schools can plan and implement comprehensive and aligned reading programs, school districts must provide professional development to teachers, teacher assistants, and principals in the areas of:

(1) scientific-based early literacy research and its implications for instruction;

(2) best practices of English as a second language (ESL)/English language learner (ELL) instruction;

(3) the principles of peer and expert coaching;

(4) best practices in early mathematics instruction; and

(5) developmentally appropriate practice.

B. To ensure systematic implementation of full-day kindergarten literacy readiness programs that are research-based, teachers must be provided ongoing supervision and coaching.

[6.30.5.13 NMAC - N, 11-14-2000; A, 11-13-2009]

6.30.5.14 [RESERVED]

[6.30.5.14 NMAC - N, 11-14-2000; A, 11-13-2009; Repealed, 06-13-2014]

6.30.5.15 [RESERVED]

[6.30.5.15 NMAC - N, 11-14-2000; A, 11-13-2009; Repealed, 06-13-2014]

HISTORY OF 6.30.5 NMAC: [RESERVED]