45th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2001

RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS; REQUIRING READING COURSES FOR TEACHER CERTIFICATION.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. Section 22-2-8.7 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1986, Chapter 33, Section 8, as amended) is amended to read:

"22-2-8.7. CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS.--

A. The state board shall require any person seeking certification in elementary [and] or secondary education to complete the following minimum requirements in the college of arts and sciences:

(1) twelve hours in English;

(2) twelve hours in history, including American history and western civilization;

(3) six hours in mathematics;

(4) six hours in government, economics or sociology;

(5) twelve hours in science, including biology, chemistry, physics, geology, zoology and botany; and

(6) six hours in fine arts.

B. In addition to the requirements specified in Subsection A of this section, the state board shall require that a person seeking standard or alternative elementary certification shall have completed six hours of reading courses, and a person seeking standard or alternative secondary certification shall have completed three hours of reading courses in subject matter content.

[B.] C. The state board shall require, prior to certification, no less than fourteen weeks of student teaching, a portion of which shall occur in the first thirty credit hours taken in the college of education and shall be under the direct supervision of a certified school instructor and a portion of which shall occur in the student's senior year with the student teacher being directly responsible for the classroom.

[C.] D. Nothing in this section shall preclude the state board from establishing or accepting equivalent requirements for purposes of reciprocal certification or minimum requirements for alternative certification.

[D. The requirements in Subsections A and B of this section shall apply to students first entering a college or university beginning in the fall of 1986.]

E. Vocational teacher preparatory programs may be exempt from Subsections A [and B] through C of this section upon a determination by the state board that other certification requirements are more appropriate for vocational teacher preparatory programs."

Section 2. TEMPORARY PROVISION--APPLICABLE STUDENTS.--The requirements in Subsection B of Section 22-2-8.7 NMSA 1978 shall apply to students first entering a college or university beginning in the fall of 2001.