underscored material = new
[bracketed material] = delete
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
HOUSE BILL 282
57
TH LEGISLATURE
-
STATE
OF
NEW
MEXICO
-
FIRST SESSION
,
2025
INTRODUCED BY
Eleanor Chávez and Yanira Gurrola
AN ACT
RELATING TO EDUCATION; REQUIRING EMPLOYEE RIGHTS IN THE
WORKPLACE TO BE TAUGHT TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
SECTION 1. Section 22-13-1.1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1986,
Chapter 33, Section 5, as amended) is amended to read:
"22-13-1.1. GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS--NEXT-STEP PLANS.--
A. The purpose of the New Mexico diploma of
excellence is to demonstrate that a student is ready for
success in post-secondary education, gainful employment and
citizenship and is equipped with the skills to be a lifelong
learner. The purpose of the state's minimum graduation
requirements is to establish rigorous expectations to support
that success.
B. School districts and charter schools are
.229343.1 underscored material = new
[bracketed material] = delete
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
encouraged to make available courses and programs of study that
allow students to pursue a range of post-secondary
opportunities and workforce opportunities and gain knowledge in
entrepreneurship principles, as determined by the student's
next-step plan and the school district's or charter school's
graduate profile.
C. At the end of grades eight through eleven, each
student shall prepare an interim next-step plan that sets forth
the coursework for the grades remaining until high school
graduation. Each year's plan shall be aligned to the graduate
profile of the student's school district or charter school,
shall be completed on a department-approved template, shall
explain any differences from previous interim next-step plans,
shall be filed with the principal of the student's high school
and shall be signed by the student, the student's parent and
the student's guidance counselor or other school official
charged with coursework planning for the student.
D. Each student must complete a final next-step
plan during the senior year and prior to graduation. The plan
shall be aligned to the graduate profile of the student's
school district or charter school, shall be completed on a
department-approved template, shall be filed with the principal
of the student's high school and shall be signed by the
student, the student's parent and the student's guidance
counselor or other school official charged with coursework
.229343.1
- 2 - underscored material = new
[bracketed material] = delete
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
planning for the student.
E. An individualized education plan that meets the
requirements of Subsections C and D of this section and that
meets all applicable transition and procedural requirements of
the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for a
student with a disability shall satisfy the next-step plan
requirements of this section for that student.
F. A local school board or governing body of a
charter school shall ensure that each high school student
develops a next-step plan based on reports of college and
workplace readiness assessments, as available, and other
factors and is reasonably informed about:
(1) curricular and course options, including
honors or advanced placement courses, international
baccalaureate courses, dual-credit courses, distance learning
courses, career clusters and career pathways, pre-
apprenticeship programs or remediation programs that the
college and workplace readiness assessments indicate to be
appropriate;
(2) opportunities available that lead to
different post-high-school options; and
(3) alternative opportunities available if the
student does not finish a planned curriculum.
G. The secretary shall:
(1) establish specific accountability
.229343.1
- 3 - underscored material = new
[bracketed material] = delete
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
standards for administrators, counselors, teachers and other
appropriate school district or charter school employees to
ensure that every student has the opportunity to develop a
next-step plan;
(2) promulgate rules for accredited private
schools in order to ensure substantial compliance with the
provisions of this section;
(3) monitor compliance with the requirements
of this section; and
(4) compile such information as is necessary
to evaluate the success of next-step plans and report annually,
by December 15, to the legislative education study committee
and the governor.
H. Once a student has entered ninth grade, the
graduation requirements shall not be changed for that student
from the requirements specified in the law at the time the
student entered ninth grade.
I. For students entering the ninth grade beginning
in the 2009-2010 school year, at least one of the units
required for graduation shall be earned as an advanced
placement or honors course, a dual-credit course offered in
cooperation with an institution of higher education or a
distance learning course.
J. The department shall establish a procedure for
students to be awarded credit through completion of specified
.229343.1
- 4 - underscored material = new
[bracketed material] = delete
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
career technical education for certain graduation requirements,
and districts may choose to allow students who successfully
complete an industry-recognized credential, a certificate or a
degree to receive additional weight in the calculation of the
student's grade point average.
K. Successful completion of the requirements of the
New Mexico diploma of excellence shall be required for
graduation for students entering the ninth grade beginning in
the 2009-2010 school year. Successful completion of a minimum
of twenty-four units aligned to the state academic content and
performance standards shall be required to earn a New Mexico
diploma of excellence. These units shall be as follows:
(1) four units in English, with major emphasis
on grammar, nonfiction writing and literature; provided that
department-approved work-based training or career and technical
education courses that meet state English academic content
performance standards shall qualify as one of the four required
English units;
(2) four units in mathematics, of which one
shall be the equivalent to or higher than the level of algebra
2, unless the parent submitted written, signed permission for
the student to complete a lesser mathematics unit; and provided
that a financial literacy course or department-approved work-
based training or career and technical education course that
meets state mathematics academic content and performance
.229343.1
- 5 - underscored material = new
[bracketed material] = delete
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
standards shall qualify as one of the four required mathematics
units;
(3) three units in science, two of which shall
have a laboratory component; provided that department-approved
work-based training or career and technical education courses
that meet state science academic content and performance
standards shall qualify as one of the three required science
units;
(4) three and one-half units in social
science, which shall include United States history and
geography, world history and geography, government and
economics and one-half unit of New Mexico history;
(5) one unit in physical education, as
determined by each school district or charter school, which may
include a physical education program that meets state content
and performance standards or participation in marching band,
junior reserve officers' training corps or interscholastic
sports sanctioned by the New Mexico activities association or
any other co-curricular physical activity;
(6) one unit in one of the following: a
career cluster course, workplace readiness or a language other
than English; and
(7) seven and one-half elective units that
meet department content and performance standards. Career and
technical education courses shall be offered as an elective.
.229343.1
- 6 - underscored material = new
[bracketed material] = delete
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Student service learning shall be offered as an elective.
Financial literacy shall be offered as an elective. Pre-
apprenticeship programs may be offered as electives. Media
literacy may be offered as an elective.
L. For students entering the eighth grade in the
2012-2013 school year, one-half unit in health education is
required prior to graduation. Health education may be required
in either middle school or high school, as determined by the
school district or charter school. Health education courses
shall include:
(1) age-appropriate sexual abuse and assault
awareness and prevention training that meets department
standards developed in consultation with the federal centers
for disease control and prevention that are based on evidence-
based methods that have proven to be effective; and
(2) lifesaving skills training that follows
nationally recognized guidelines for hands-on psychomotor
skills cardiopulmonary resuscitation training. Students shall
be trained to recognize the signs of a heart attack, use an
automated external defibrillator and perform the Heimlich
maneuver for choking victims. The secretary shall promulgate
rules to provide for the:
(a) use of the following instructors for
the training provided pursuant to this paragraph: 1) school
nurses, health teachers and athletic department personnel as
.229343.1
- 7 - underscored material = new
[bracketed material] = delete
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
instructors; and 2) any qualified persons volunteering to
provide training at no cost to the school district or charter
school that the school district or charter school determines to
be eligible to offer instruction pursuant to this paragraph;
and
(b) approval of training and
instructional materials related to the training established
pursuant to this paragraph in both English and Spanish.
M. For students entering the ninth grade in the
2017-2018 school year and subsequent school years:
(1) one of the units in mathematics required
by Paragraph (2) of Subsection K of this section may comprise a
computer science course if the course is not used to satisfy
any part of the requirement set forth in Paragraph (3) of that
subsection; and
(2) one of the units in science required by
Paragraph (3) of Subsection K of this section may comprise a
computer science course if the course is not used to satisfy
any part of the requirement set forth in Paragraph (2) of that
subsection.
N. Final examinations shall be administered to all
students in all classes offered for credit.
O. Beginning with students entering the ninth grade
in the 2025-2026 school year, successful completion of a
minimum of twenty-four units aligned to the state academic
.229343.1
- 8 - underscored material = new
[bracketed material] = delete
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
content and performance standards shall be required for
graduation and the award of a diploma of excellence. These
units shall be as follows:
(1) four units in English, which shall include
a three-unit sequence; provided that department-approved work-
based learning, career technical education or English language
development courses that meet state English or English language
development academic content and performance standards may
qualify as required English units;
(2) four units in mathematics, two of which
shall include a sequence of algebra 1 and geometry or another
integrated pathway of mathematics equivalent to algebra 1 and
geometry; provided that financial literacy courses or
department-approved work-based learning or career technical
education courses that meet state mathematics academic content
and performance standards may qualify as required mathematics
units; and provided further that algebra 2 shall be offered as
a mathematics course;
(3) three units in science, two of which shall
have a laboratory component; provided that department-approved
work-based learning or career technical education courses that
meet state science academic content and performance standards
may qualify as required science units;
(4) four units in social science, which shall
include United States history and geography, which course
.229343.1
- 9 - underscored material = new
[bracketed material] = delete
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
content contains New Mexico history; government and economics
and personal financial literacy, which course content contains
civics; provided that, beginning with students entering the
ninth grade in the 2026-2027 school year, the course contents
shall include information on employee rights in the workplace,
including information on the Human Rights Act, the Public
Employee Bargaining Act, the federal National Labor Relations
Act, the United States equal employment opportunity commission
and labor organizations ; and world history and geography;
(5) one unit in physical education, as
determined by the school district or charter school, which may
include a physical education program that meets state academic
content and performance standards or participation in marching
band, dance programs, junior reserve officers' training corps
or interscholastic sports sanctioned by the New Mexico
activities association or any other co-curricular physical
activity;
(6) one-half unit in health education;
provided that this one-half unit may be earned in either middle
or high school;
(7) five and one-half elective units that meet
department academic content and performance standards and that
shall include a two-unit pathway concentration of the student's
choice in a language other than English, including American
sign language; fine arts; health; military career preparation;
.229343.1
- 10 - underscored material = new
[bracketed material] = delete
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
a career technical education program; or community or service
learning, a capstone course or work-based learning; provided
that financial literacy, computer science, student service
learning, career technical education courses and a sequence of
languages other than English shall be offered as electives; and
provided further that media literacy and pre-apprenticeship
programs may be offered as electives; and
(8) two units set by each local school board
or governing body of a charter school that meet department
academic content and performance standards.
P. If a high school student who has taken one or
both units provided in Paragraph (8) of Subsection O of this
section moves from one school district or charter school to
another, the receiving school district or charter school shall
accept those earned units toward the student's graduation.
Q. For students entering the ninth grade in the
2025-2026 school year, one-half unit of health education is
required prior to graduation. Health education courses shall
include:
(1) age-appropriate sexual abuse and assault
awareness and prevention training that meets department
standards developed in consultation with the federal centers
for disease control and prevention that are based on evidence-
based methods that have proven to be effective; and
(2) lifesaving skills training that follows
.229343.1
- 11 - underscored material = new
[bracketed material] = delete
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
nationally recognized guidelines for hands-on psychomotor
skills cardiopulmonary resuscitation training. Students shall
be trained to recognize the signs of a heart attack, use an
automated external defibrillator and perform the Heimlich
maneuver for choking victims. The secretary shall promulgate
rules to provide for the:
(a) use of the following instructors for
the training provided pursuant to this paragraph: 1) school
nurses, health teachers and athletic department personnel as
instructors; and 2) any qualified persons volunteering to
provide training at no cost to the school district that the
school district determines to be eligible to offer instruction
pursuant to this paragraph; and
(b) approval of training and
instructional materials related to the training established
pursuant to this paragraph in both English and Spanish.
R. Nothing in the minimum graduation requirements
specified in Subsection O of this section affects:
(1) a school district's or charter school's
authority to require more units for graduation than provided in
this section; or
(2) a student's opportunity to take advanced
placement or honors courses, international baccalaureate
courses or distance learning courses offered by the public
school or dual credit courses offered in cooperation with
.229343.1
- 12 - underscored material = new
[bracketed material] = delete
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
institutions of higher education.
S. Subject to the department's academic content and
performance standards and other provisions of this section,
every school district and charter school shall develop a
graduate profile:
(1) that is specific to each community;
(2) that articulates the core academic
competencies and subjects that are key to graduates' post-high-
school success; and
(3) to which required units are aligned.
T. Units earned in health, algebra 1 and geometry
prior to enrolling in high school shall satisfy unit
requirements required to earn a New Mexico diploma of
excellence.
U. The department shall adopt and promulgate rules
to implement graduation requirements by no later than December
31, 2024. The rules shall include revisions to expand course
offerings so that students have access to a range of rigorous
academic options and career technical education courses and to
establish guidance for the development of graduate profiles.
V. As used in this section:
(1) "capstone course" means a multifaceted
academic and intellectual experience that may take a wide
variety of forms and that culminates in a final product,
performance or presentation explaining how the final product,
.229343.1
- 13 - underscored material = new
[bracketed material] = delete
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
performance or presentation explicates the chosen course to an
evaluation panel convened by the public school to evaluate the
quality of course and the final product, performance or
presentation;
(2) "career technical education" means
organized programs offering a sequence of courses, including
technical education and applied technology education, that are
directly related to the preparation of students for paid or
unpaid employment in current or emerging occupations requiring
an industry-recognized credential, a certificate or a degree;
(3) "career technical education course" means
a course with content that provides technical knowledge, skills
and competency-based applied learning and that aligns with
educational standards and expectations as defined in rule;
(4) "career cluster" means a grouping of
occupations in industry sectors based on recognized
commonalities that provide an organizing tool for developing
instruction within the educational system;
(5) "career pathways" means a sub-grouping
used as an organizing tool for curriculum design and
instruction of occupations and career specialities that share a
set of common knowledge and skills for career success;
(6) "final next-step plan" means a next-step
plan that shows that the student has committed or intends to
commit in the near future to a four-year college or university,
.229343.1
- 14 - underscored material = new
[bracketed material] = delete
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
a two-year college, a trade or vocational program, an
internship or apprenticeship, military service or a job;
(7) "graduate profile" means a document that a
school district or charter school uses to specify the
cognitive, personal and interpersonal competencies that
students should have when they graduate;
(8) "interim next-step plan" means an annual
next-step plan in which the student specifies post-high-school
goals and sets forth the coursework that will allow the student
to achieve those goals; and
(9) "next-step plan" means an annual personal
written plan of studies developed by a student in a public
school or other state-supported school or institution in
consultation with the student's parent and school counselor or
other school official charged with coursework planning for the
student that includes one or more of the following:
(a) advanced placement, international
baccalaureate or honors courses;
(b) dual-credit courses offered in
cooperation with an institution of higher education;
(c) distance learning courses;
(d) career technical education or work-
based learning courses; and
(e) pre-apprenticeship programs.
W. The secretary may establish a policy to provide
.229343.1
- 15 - underscored material = new
[bracketed material] = delete
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
for administrative interpretations to clarify curricular and
testing provisions of the Public School Code."
- 16 -
.229343.1