New Mexico wants to make sure young students have grasped the basics of mathematics before they face harder concepts such as algebra, and lawmakers have passed a bill to make sure those who struggle aren't left behind.
The legislation will improve screening for students in kindergarten through the third grade, with parent-notified support plans and interventions for at-risk students.
Nicole Keeney, a math teacher at Socorro High School and secretary for the American Federation of Teachers New Mexico. said she encounters students who have difficulty with high levels of math because they never conquered the basics. She said the new policy requires teachers to know if their students have mastered foundational skills.
"It lets them screen and better understand if students are struggling with it," she said, "because there are some people who are naturally better at math, and naturally have a harder time with math – but that's true with literally every subject."
The bill also raises math coursework requirements for all teacher licensure levels in the state.
The legislation builds on the $60 million earmarked for state literacy investment since 2019, which includes training for more than 10,000 educators in evidence-based reading instruction.
Since COVID-19 and long absences from the regular classroom, student test scores – particularly in math – dropped nationwide. According to research, first and second graders showed continued underperformance compared with pre-pandemic levels.
Keeney noted that since the pandemic disruptions, math scores have shown only modest recovery.
"We now see collectively, through an entire generation, what that looks like six years out – and it's not good," she said. "So, this is giving us a chance to try to fix it early and just get in there and really try to help the students do better."
The office of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham cites data noting that reading proficiency among kids in third through eighth grade has climbed 10 percentage points since 2022. In addition, students who have historically been underserved are leading those gains: Native American students posted 13-point improvements, economically disadvantaged students gained 12 points, Hispanic students gained 10 points, and English learners improved by eight points.