N.M. Admin. Code § 6.60.5.8

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 19, October 8, 2024

Section 6.60.5.8 - REQUIREMENTS

The NMTA consists of two generic categories of assessments. The first category is the basic skills and competency assessments identified at Subsection A of 6.60.5.8 NMAC below. The second category is the content knowledge assessments ("CKA"), sometimes called content tests, identified at Subsection B of 6.60.5.8 NMAC below.

A. Beginning July 30, 1999 except for those individuals covered by Subsection C of 6.60.5.8 NMAC, below all applicants for initial licensure in addition to meeting all other licensure and background check requirements of the PED, are required to take the basic skills and competency assessments of the NMTA, which consist of the following tests and obtaining the following passing scores:

(1) assessment of teacher basic skills: passing score = 240; and

(2) either:

(a) assessment of teacher competency, elementary level (for those seeking elementary K-8 licensure, middle level 5-9, special education pre K-12 licensure or grade pre K-12 licensure): passing score = 240; or

(b) assessment of teacher competency, secondary level (for those seeking secondary 7-12 licensure including special education pre K-12 licensure, middle level 5-9 or grade pre K-12, or special education pre K-12): passing score = 240; or

(c) assessment of teacher competency, early childhood level (for those seeking early childhood birth-grade 3 licensure or special education pre K-12 licensure): passing score = 240.

B. In addition to the testing requirement above, all applicants for initial teacher licensure must take and pass a test in their content area subject according to the following schedule:

(1) Beginning with the September 2002, administration of the PED's content testing, if applicants are seeking licensure in elementary K-8, they shall take and pass the PED's CKA in elementary education prior to issuance of that license except as provided in Paragraph (6) of Subsection B of 6.60.5.8 NMAC.

(2) Beginning with the September, 2002, administration of the PED's content testing, if applicants are applying for licensure in early childhood birth-grade 3 or elementary K-8 and are also seeking an endorsement in reading, they shall take and pass the PED's CKA in that content area prior to issuance of that endorsement.

(3) Beginning with the September, 2004, administration of the PED's content testing, if applicants are applying for licensure in early childhood birth-grade 3, elementary K-8, secondary 7-12, middle level 5-9, special education pre K-12 or grade pre K-12, and are also seeking an endorsement in the arts (music or visual arts) or modern, classical and native languages (Spanish, French, or German) they must take and pass the PED's CKA's in the respective content area prior to issuance of the endorsement(s).

(4) Beginning with the September, 2002, administration of the PED's content testing, if they are applying for licensure in secondary 7-12, middle level 5-9 or grade pre K-12 and are also seeking endorsement in language arts, reading, mathematics, science or social studies, or any combination thereof, they shall take and pass the PED's CKA in that content area prior to issuance of that license.

(5) Beginning with the September, 2006, administration of the PED's content testing if they are applying for licensure in early childhood birth-grade 3, elementary K-8, secondary 7-12, middle level 5-9, special education pre K-12 or grade pre K-12, and are also seeking an endorsement in the health, physical education, library/media, teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL), or family and consumer sciences, they must take and pass the PED's CKA's in the respective content area prior to issuance of the endorsement(s).

(6) An elementary K-8 licensed teacher who is new to the profession and who will be teaching language arts, social studies, mathematics, or science in a middle school or junior high school must either:

(a) take and pass the PED's middle level CKA's in each core subject area the teacher will be teaching; or

(b) complete twenty-four semester hours of coursework, at least 6 hours of which are upper division, in each core academic subject the teacher will teach and take and pass the CKA in elementary education.

(7) If they currently hold a license and seek to add an endorsement in language arts, reading, mathematics, science, social studies, the arts (music or visual arts), modern, classical and native languages (Spanish, French, or German), health, physical education, library/media, teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL), or family and consumer sciences, they may be issued an endorsement in the content area upon passage of the PED's CKA's in the respective content area except that a candidate who has passed the TESOL, CKA or Prueba de Español para la Certificación Bilingüe must also complete required coursework in order to add the respective endorsement.

(8) Beginning with the September, 2007, administration of PED's teacher testing if applicants are applying for licensure in special education pre K-12, they shall take and pass the PED's teacher content assessment in special education prior to issuance of that license.

(9) Beginning with the September, 2007, administration of PED's specialty area examinations, if they are applying for licensure as a school counselor, educational diagnostician or administrator, grades pre K-12, they shall take and pass the PED's specialty area examinations as provided in PED rules governing those licenses prior to the issuance of those licenses.

C. Applicants for an initial Spanish/English bilingual endorsement to a teaching license must, in addition to meeting all other PED requirements for the endorsement, pass Prueba de Español para la Certificación Bilingüe by obtaining a score of 2 or higher on any 12 of the 15 subsections. Applicants seeking this endorsement through licensure reciprocity should consult 6.60.4 NMAC for guidance.

D. Applicants for alternative licensure with teaching experience at the post-secondary level under Subsection C of 6.60.3.8 NMAC, shall be exempt from the teacher licensure testing requirements as long as they meet all other requirements for licensure.

N.M. Admin. Code § 6.60.5.8

12-31-98, 07-30-99, 02-14-00; 6.60.5.8 NMAC - Rn, 6 NMAC 4.2.2.2.8 & A, 10-13-00; A, 07-15-02; A, 02-14-03; A, 06-30-03; A, 04-29-05; A, 03-15-06; A 05-31-06; A, 10-31-07; A, 06-15-09; A, 01-29-10