2024 New Mexico Statutes
Chapter 22 - Public Schools
Article 13 - Courses of Instruction and School Programs
Section 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 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 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 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 career technical education for certain graduation requirements, and districts may choose to allow students who successfully complete an industry-recognized credential, certificate or 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 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. 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 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 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 content contains New Mexico history; government and economics and personal financial literacy, which course content contains civics; 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; 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 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 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, 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, certificate or 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, 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 for administrative interpretations to clarify curricular and testing provisions of the Public School Code [Chapter 22 NMSA 1978].

History: 1978 Comp., § 22-2-8.4, enacted by Laws 1986, ch. 33, § 5; 1987, ch. 320, § 2; 1988, ch. 105, § 2; 1989, ch. 220, § 1; 1990 (1st S.S.), ch. 3, § 3; 1993, ch. 68, § 3; 1993, ch. 92, § 1; 1993, ch. 226, § 7; 1993, ch. 230, § 1; 1995, ch. 174, § 1; 1995, ch. 180, § 1; 1997, ch. 234, § 2; 2001, ch. 257, § 1; 2001, ch. 276, § 1; recompiled and amended as § 22-13-1.1 by Laws 2003, ch. 153, § 58; 2004, ch. 29, § 1; 2005, ch. 314, § 1; 2005, ch. 315, § 10; 2007, ch. 305, § 1; 2007, ch. 307, § 8; 2007, ch. 308, § 8; 2008, ch. 21, § 2; 2009, ch. 256, § 1; 2009, ch. 267, § 2; 2009, ch. 268, § 1; 2010, ch. 25, § 1; 2010, ch. 110, § 1; 2014, ch. 9, § 3; 2014, ch. 70, § 1; 2014, ch. 71, § 1; 2015, ch. 60, § 1; 2016, ch. 17, § 2; 2016, ch. 18, § 2; 2017, ch. 144, § 1; 2019, ch. 148, § 1; 2024, ch. 2, § 1.

Cross references. — For student achievement, see 22-2C-1 NMSA 1978 et seq.

For the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, see 20 U.S.C.

Compiler's notes. — Senate Bill 134, enacted by the Fifty-Third Legislature, First Session, 2017, was vetoed by the governor on March 14, 2017. Pursuant to the First Judicial District Court's decision in State ex rel. New Mexico Legislative Council v. Honorable Susana Martinez, Governor of the State of New Mexico et al., D-101-CV-2017-01550, and affirmed by S.Ct. Order No. S-1-SC-36731, on April 25, 2018, which held that Article IV, Section 22 of the New Mexico Constitution requires that objections must accompany a returned bill, Senate Bill 134 was chaptered into law by the Secretary of State.

The 2024 amendment, effective May 15, 2024, revised graduation requirements for students entering ninth grade in the 2025-2026 school year; required each school district and charter school to develop a graduate profile unique to their community and required that student next-step plans align with the graduate profile, required the public education department to adopt and promulgate rules to implement graduation requirements, including rules regarding the expansion of course offerings so that students have access to a range of academic options and career technical education courses and rules to establish guidance for the development of graduate profiles, defined "capstone course" and "graduate profile" as used in this section, and revised the definition of terms; in the section heading, after "Graduation requirements", added "next-step plans"; added new Subsections A and B and redesignated former Subsections A through F as Subsections C through H, respectively; in Subsection C, after "Each year's plan shall", added "be aligned to the graduate profile of the student's school district or charter school, shall be completed on a department-approved template, shall"; in Subsection D, after "The plan", added "shall be aligned to the graduate profile of the student's school district or charter school, shall be completed on a department-approved template"; in Subsection E, after "individualized education", deleted "program" and added "plan", and after "Subsections", deleted "A and B" and added "C and D"; in Subsection F, after "local school board", added "or governing body of a charter school", after "each high school student", deleted "has the opportunity to develop" and added "develops", and in Paragraph F(1), after "placement courses", added "international baccalaureate courses"; in Subsection G, in Paragraph G(1), after "teachers and", added "other appropriate", and after "school district", deleted "staff" and added "or charter school employees"; deleted former Subsection G and redesignated former Subsections H through M as Subsections I through N, respectively; in Subsection J, after "career technical education", deleted "courses"; in Subsection K, in Paragraph K(5), after "each school district", added "or charter school"; in Subsection L, after "2012-2013 school year", deleted "a course" and added "one-half unit", and after "determined by the school district", deleted "Each school district shall submit to the department by the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year a health education implementation plan for the 2012-2013 and subsequent school years, including in which grade health education will be required and how the course aligns with department content and performance standards" and added "or charter school", and in Subparagraph L(2)(a), after each occurrence of "school district", added "or charter school"; in Subsection M, in Paragraph M(1), after "Subsection", deleted "J" and added "K", and after "computer science course", deleted "if taken after the student demonstrates competence in mathematics and", in Paragraph M(2), after "computer science course", deleted "if taken after the student demonstrates competence in science and"; deleted former Subsections N and O, added new Subsections O through U and redesignated former Subsections P and Q as Subsections V and W, respectively; and in Subsection V, added a new Paragraph V(1) and redesignated former Paragraphs P(1) through P(5) as Paragraphs V(2) through V(6), respectively, in Paragraph V(2), after "'career technical education'", deleted "sometimes referred to as 'vocational education'", added a new Paragraph V(7) and redesignated former Paragraphs P(6) and P(7) as Paragraphs V(8) and V(9), respectively, in Paragraph V(9), in Subparagraph V(9)(a), after "advanced placement", added "international baccalaureate", and in Subparagraph V(9)(d), after "career technical", added "education or work-based learning".

The 2019 amendment, effective June 14, 2019, allowed certain career and technical education courses to count as English, mathematics and science credits; in Subsection J, Paragraph J(1), added "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;", in Paragraph J(2), added "or department-approved work-based training or career and technical education course", and in Paragraph J(3), added "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".

The 2017 amendment, effective June 16, 2017, provided that mathematics or science units required for high school graduation may include a computer science unit; and added a new Subsection L and redesignated the succeeding subsections accordingly.

The 2016 amendment, effective May 18, 2016, included lifesaving skills training to health education courses as a requirement for graduation; in Subsection K, in the fourth sentence of the introductory paragraph, after "Health education", added "courses", after "shall include", added the new paragraph designation "(1)", in Paragraph (1), after the semicolon, added "and", and added new Paragraph (2); and in Subsection N, in the fourth sentence, after "student satisfies the", deleted "requirement" and added "requirements".

Applicability. — Laws 2016, ch. 17, § 4 and Laws 2016, ch. 18, § 4 provided that lifesaving skills training pursuant to Paragraph (2) of Subsection H of Section 22-13-1 NMSA 1978 and Paragraph (2) of Subsection K of Section 22-13-1.1 NMSA 1978 shall not be required for students in grades nine through twelve who are enrolled in a virtual charter school.

The 2015 amendment, effective July 1, 2015, amended the Public School Code to require inclusion of certain career technical education courses as electives and to allow inclusion of certain certificates or degrees to be weighed in calculating a student's grade point average; in Subsection D, Paragraph (1), after "career clusters", added "and career pathways"; in Subsection I, after "certain graduation requirements", added "and districts may choose to allow students who successfully complete an industry-recognized credential, certificate or degree to receive additional weight in the calculation of the student's grade point average"; in Subsection J, Paragraph (7), after "content and performance standards." added "Career and technical education courses shall be offered as elective."; and in Subsection O, added Paragraphs (1), (2), (3) and (4), and renumbered the succeeding paragraphs accordingly.

The 2014 amendment, effective March 12, 2014, authorized school districts to determine ways for students to meet the physical education unit requirements for graduation; limited changes to graduation requirements after students enter ninth grade; required health education to include age-appropriate sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention training that meets federal standards; added Subsection F; in Subsection J, Paragraph (5), after "physical education", added "as determined by each school district, 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"; and in Subsection K, added the fourth sentence.

The 2010 amendment, effective May 19, 2010, added Subsection J.

The 2009 amendment, effective April 8, 2009, in Subsections K and L, added the last sentences.

The 2008 amendment, effective May 14, 2008, added financial literacy as an elective in Paragraph (7) of Subsection I and in Subsection L, provided that the standards-based assessment required by 22-2C-4 NMSA 1978 may serve as the assessment required for high school graduation.

The 2007 amendment, effective July 1, 2007, required school boards to ensure that students have an opportunity to develop next-step plans based on reports of college and workplace readiness assessments and are informed about honors or advance placement courses, career cluster or remediation programs that college and workplace readiness assessments indicate to be appropriate; added Subsections G, I and L; and required that a "next-step plan" include advanced placement or honors courses, dual-credit courses and distance learning courses.

The 2005 amendment, effective April 7, 2005, deleted reference to "guardian" in Subsections A and B; and deleted "other physical activity" in Subsection F(5).

The 2004 amendment, effective July 1, 2004, deleted Subsection A, added new Subsections A through G, redesignated Subsections C and D as Subsections G and H, added Subsection I, added Subsection J, redesignated former Subsection E as Subsection K and changed "state board" to "secretary of public education" in Subsection K.

The 2003 amendment, effective April 4, 2003, recompiled former 22-2-8.4 NMSA 1978 as present 22-13-1.1 NMSA 1978; deleted "of education" following "the department" throughout the section; substituted "scientifically based reading research that has been" for "research based reading programs" following "based upon quality," near the middle of Subsection A; substituted "licensed school employees" for "classroom certified instructional staff" following "staff development" near the beginning of Subsection A(2); substituted "teachers and other applicable licensed school employees" for "certified school instructors" following "provided to" near the beginning of Subsection A(4); and substituted "licensed" for "certified" following "especially" near the middle of Subsection C.

The 2001 amendment, effective June 15, 2001, in Subsection D, deleted "Beginning with students entering the ninth grade in the 1986-87 school year" from the beginning of the subsection; substituted "state graduation examination" for "state competency examination" throughout the subsection; and inserted "writing" preceding "science and social science".

The 1997 amendment, effective June 20, 1997, inserted "American sign language" following "health education" near the end of Paragraph B(7), and inserted the second sentence in Subsection D.

The 1995 amendment, effective June 16, 1995, added the last sentence in Subsection B, and deleted the first part of Subsection C, which read "Effective with the 1987-88 school year".

The 1993 amendment, effective June 18, 1993, added the final sentence of Subsection D.

The 1990 (1st S.S.) amendment, effective July 1, 1990, deleted "in grades nine through twelve" following "twenty-three units" near the beginning of Subsection B.

The 1989 amendment, effective June 16, 1989, added "which may include a language other than English" at the end of Subsection B(6).

The 1988 amendment, effective May 18, 1988, inserted "or during the ninth grade" in Subsection A and added Subsection E.