LESC bill analyses are available on the New Mexico Legislature website (www.nmlegis.gov). Bill analyses are
prepared by LESC staff for standing education committees of the New Mexico Legislature. LESC does not assume
any responsibility for the accuracy of these reports if they are used for other purposes.
LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE
BILL ANALYSIS
57th Legislature, 1st Session, 2025
Bill Number HM32 Sponsor Pettigrew/Cullen
Tracking Number .230088.2 Committee Referrals HEC
Short Title Study Means of Teacher Advancement
Original Date 3/4/2025
Analyst Armatage Last Updated
BILL SUMMARY
Synopsis of Memorial
House Memorial 32 (HM32) would require the Public Education Department (PED) to collaborate with teacher preparation programs at state universities to study the possibility of giving master’s degree credit to level one teachers for the professional work required to move to a level two license, and to level two teachers for the professional work required to move to a level three license.
If HM32 is enacted, PED would be required to report their findings to LESC and transmit a copy to the secretary of public education by December 1, 2025. FISCAL IMPACT
Legislative memorials do not carry appropriations. SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
Teacher Licensure Advancement. In 2022, PED issued a memo communicating changes made
to administrative code to begin transitioning from the dossier system to requiring the completion
of five micro-credentials for advancement from a level 1 to a level 2 teaching license; see Table
1: Teacher Licensure Advancement from Level 1 to Level 2. Alternatively, teachers may also
now advance to a level 2 license by becoming national board certified. PED ceased accepting the
dossier for licensure advancement in May 2024. The cost of PED’s micro-credentials for level 1
to level 2 licensure advancement are slightly less expensive ($300) than the submission price of the former dossier ($320). Notably, teachers may resubmit master components of micro -credential
courses that do not meet the required 85 percent pass rate, so long as the micro- credential course
has not ended. By comparison, resubmitting a strand of the dossier that did not meet expectations could be costly, with a minimum fee of $110.
PED launched advancement from a level 2 to level 3 teaching license through micro- credentials
in 2023; this pathway also requires completion of a master’s degree. Prior to this rule change, PED required either completion of a master’s degree or national board certification to advance from a
HM32 – Page 2
level 2 to level 3 license—neither pathway required completion of micro- credentials. PED has
retained the national board certification pathway, which still does not require completion of micro-
credentials; see Table 2: Teacher Licensure Advancement from Level 2 to Level 3. The
required micro-credentials to transition from level 2 to level 3 cost teachers a total of $240. While
the cost of becoming a national board certified teacher (NBCT) is an estimated $1,900, teachers
may apply to the New Mexico National Board Certified Teacher Scholarship to cover these costs.
Likewise, while the tuition and fees associated with a master’s degree can be substantial, teachers
may apply for the New Mexico Teacher Preparation Affordability Scholarship, which may cover
up to $6,000 of approved educational expenses per year.
Table 1: Teacher Licensure Advancement from Level 1 to Level 2
Prior Requirements Current Requirements
Experience 3 years teaching 3 years teaching
Mentoring Completed district mentoring program Completed district mentoring program
Competency Demonstration/
Professional Learning
Professional Development Dossier
• Classroom data and reflections to
demonstrate competency in five areas
• Must meet expectations in each area
Complete PED Micro-credentials
1. Five micro-credential courses with a
score of 85 percent or higher
OR
Become National Board Certified
Note: National Board Teacher Certification (NBCT).
Source: PED Licensure Website and NMAC 6.60.6.9
Table 2: Teacher Licensure Advancement from Level 2 to Level 3
Prior Master’s Degree
Pathway
Current Master’s Degree
Pathway
National Board
Certification Pathway
(Unchanged)
Experience 6 years teaching 6 years teaching 6 years teaching
Master’s Degree
National Board Certification
Micro-Credentials
Complete four micro-credential
courses with a score of 85
percent +
Note: National Board Teacher Certification (NBCT).
Source: PED Licensure Website and NMAC 6.60.6.9
PED Advancement Program Level Micro-Credentials PED’s shift to micro-credentials for
licensure advancement can be seen as a shift from licensure advancement based on demonstrated
competency to licensure advancement through skill acquisition. T he dossier required teachers to
provide classroom data and reflections to demonstrate their qualification to advance to a higher
level of licensure. Micro-credentials are courses provided by PED designed to ensure every teacher
has a solid foundation of professional learning before advancing to a higher level of licensure.
PED micro-credential courses are facilitated by educators and content area experts who receive
training on grading and coaching. Micro-credential courses were developed by PED in
collaboration with Teach Plus, the National Center for Improvement of Educational Assessment,
the Southwest Regional Education Cooperative, the New Mexico State Library, Albuquerque
Public Schools, New Mexico State University, the University of New Mexico, and Santa Fe
Community College.
Each micro-credential is made up of several small, “stacked” courses, each focusing on a discrete
skill or area; see Figure 1: Classroom Environment Micro -Credential and Mastery
Components. PED expects each micro-credential to require 10 to 15 hours of work to complete,
however, some educators from the field report higher hourly commitments. Teachers are permitted
to enroll in one micro- credential at a time; micro-credential courses are offered at the beginning
of each calendar quarter.
HM32 – Page 3
To advance from a level 1 to level 2 teaching license, candidates must complete the following
micro-credential courses:
1. Classroom environment;
2. Multi- layered systems of support;
3. Assessment literacy;
4. Culturally linguistically responsive instruction; and
5. Family engagement.
According to PED it takes at least 15 months to complete these micro-credentials.
At a June 2024 LESC meeting, PED presented an updat e on the Advanced Program Level (APL)
micro-credentials program. At that time, a total of 2,355 educators had enrolled in, or requested
enrollment in, level 1 to level 2 micro-credential courses, resulting in a total of 4,178 completed
micro credential courses. The passing rate for these courses increased from 75 percent for the second quarter of 2023 to 92 percent for the fourth quarter of 2024.
To advance from a level 2 to level 3 teaching license, candidates must attain a master’s degree and complete the following micro-credentials:
1. Social emotional learning;
2. New Mexico Education Acts; and
3. Two electives chosen by the educator from a library of micro- credentials.
As of June 2024, a total of 1,308 educators had enrolled in, or requested enrollment in, level 2 to level 3 micro-credential courses.
PED reports high levels of teacher satisfaction with micro-credential courses based on feedback
surveys; however, LESC has received mixed feedback from the field. Some educators feel the micro-credentials are burdensom, paricularly in addition to the substantial hours elementary
teachers are required to invest to complete the PED-mandated Language Essentials for Teachers
of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) training. Many teachers are also working to complete a master’s
degree. Other educators suggest the required micro- credentials are too prescriptive, ignoring
Figure 1: Classroom Environment Micro-Credential and Stacked Courses
Source: PED 2024 Presentation to LESC
Classroom
Environment
Creating a
student-centered
classroom
Setting up your space
Student-centered spaces
Engagement strategies
Effective student grouping
Getting to know your students
Cultivating a
classroom of
respect and
rapport
Changing relationships
Guidelines and expectations
Classroom transitions
Addressing student behavior
Beginning and ending routines and managing work
HM32 – Page 4
variation in teacher expertise and need, and for some amount to repetition of their teacher
preparation program. Some educators who completed micro- credentials to advance to level 3
licensure expressed appreciation for thoughtful coursework feeback, which they felt dossier
reviews lacked.
University Credit for Micro-Credentials. Allowing educators to earn graduate-level credit hours
for completion of micro- credentials provides educators valuable credentials recognized nationally
and can help them progress toward attainment of post-baccalaureate degrees.
Some states, school districts, and micro-credential developers (for example, Digital Promise,
Bloomboard, Educators Rising, and the National Education Association) around the country have
partnered with higher education institutions to offer higher education credits to educators for
completion of micro-credentials. For example, the Kansas National Education Association
partnered with Baker University to offer one graduate-level college credit for each micro-
credential subtopic at a cost of $80 per credit hour. Around the country there are examples of states
accepting micro-credential courses delivered by higher education partners, as well as examples of
higher education institutions offering course credit hours for completion of micro- credential
courses offered elsewhere.
In considering the possibility of state higher education institutions offering credit hours for the
completion of PED micro-credentials, three primary issues would need to be addressed:
1. How would micro- credential courses align to both PED’s priorities and those of teacher
preparation programs?
2. Would PED be willing to complete higher education review processes to gain course
approval from higher education institutions ?
3. Who would pay the tuition fees required by higher education institutions?
OTHER SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
The National Context of Micro -Credentials. According to the American Institute of Research
(AIR), a nonprofit nonpartisan research organization, states and public school districts use micro- credentials as a resource to supplement traditional professional development. In a growing number of states, micro-credentials can count as professional development credit toward requirements for
retaining a teaching license. According to a 2020 report by the Washington State Institute for
Public Policy, teachers in every state have earned micro-credentials, and 64 percent of states have
micro-credential policies allowing them to be used toward some aspect of certification. However,
New Mexico and Kentucky may be the only state s implementing a model of micro-credential
completion for teacher licensure advancement.
AIR notes that teachers in states allowing micro-credentials to count towards professional
development requirements require teachers to choose from a selection of state education agency preapproved micro-credentials to personalize their own professional learning. Based on the
experiences of states who implemented micro-credentials for teacher professional development,
the AIR report noted the importance of:
• Deciding on the purpose of the micro- credentials and selecting appropriate micro-
credentials that will help to guide the initial program design;
• Providing choice that allows teachers to personalize their professional learning;
• Understanding the scoring component to ensure validity and quality; and
HM32 – Page 5
• Ensuring communication with all relevant stakeholders in the design, implementation, and
evaluation components of micro- credentials.
Research on micro- credentials for educator licensure advancement is thin and primarily based on
teacher feedback on their own experience of micro- credentials. The field would benefit from
studies of micro-credential design, implementation, and impacts, including how micro- credentials
influence teachers’ instructional practice and student learning. ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
PED staff would be required to collaborate with state universities to study the possibility of awarding master’s degree credit for completion of micro- credentials required by PED for teacher
licensure advancement.
RELATED BILLS
Related to House Bill 297, School Personnel Computer Science Licensure, which would codify
existing pathways to computer science teacher endorsement, reinstate two recently expired
pathways to endorsement, and expand computer science endorsement eligibility to all kindergarten
through 12th grade (K12) teachers who meet endorsement requirements.
Relates to Senate Bill 345, Teacher & Instructional Support Licensure, which would allow
applicants for a level 1 teaching license to complete either a teacher portfolio or pass required
teacher assessments, except for the teaching reading assessment.
Relates to House Bill 156, which would increase minimum teacher salaries by $5 thousand at each
licensure level, to $55 thousand for a level 1 teacher, $65 thousand for a level 2 teacher, and $75
thousand for a level 3 teacher.
Related to House Memorial 47, Study Public School Employee Compensation, which would task
LESC with studying compensation for public school employees, including how salary
competitiveness, compaction and sustainability affect recruitment and retention.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
• LESC Files
• New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NMIMT)
AA/mca