A. The department shall establish a readiness assessment system to measure the readiness of every New Mexico high school student for success in higher education or a career no later than the 2008-2009 school year. The department shall ensure that the readiness assessment system is aligned with state academic content and performance standards, college placement tests and entry-level career skill requirements. The readiness assessment system shall include, for grade eleven, in the fall, one or more of the following components chosen by the student:

(1) a college placement assessment;

(2) a workforce readiness assessment; or

(3) an alternative demonstration of competency using standards-based indicators.

B. Students shall participate in the readiness assessment system at no cost to the student.

C. Reports of assessment results shall be provided to students and parents in writing whenever possible but, if necessary, orally in the language best understood by each student and parent.

D. The department shall adopt standards for reasonable accommodations in the administration of readiness assessments for students with disabilities and limited English proficiency, including when and how accommodations may be applied.

E. In developing, selecting or approving the high school or college readiness assessments for school district or charter school use, the department may adopt commercially available standards-based assessments or approve a school district's or charter school's short-cycle assessments that meet the requirements of this section. The department shall involve appropriate licensed school employees in the development or selection of readiness assessments.

History: Laws 2007, ch. 307, § 4; 2007, ch. 308, § 4; 2008, ch. 21, § 1; 2016, ch. 56, § 1.

The 2016 amendment, effective May 18, 2016, eliminated higher education or career readiness assessment system requirements for students in grades nine and ten; in Subsection A, in the introductory paragraph, after "include," deleted "the following components:", deleted Paragraphs (1) and (2), the paragraph designation "(3)", and the word "in" and added "for", and redesignated former Subparagraphs (a) through (c) of Paragraph (3) as new Paragraphs (1) through (3) of Subsection A; in Subsection B, deleted "All", and after "Students", deleted "at the specified grade level"; and in Subsection C, deleted "The department shall ensure that results of performance on readiness assessments administered in grades nine and ten are reported to students, parents and public schools no later than four weeks following the date on which the assessments are administered, in a form that is easily understandable and useful in the next-step planning process.".

The 2008 amendment, effective May 14, 2008, required a short-cycle diagnostic assessment in the ninth grade, a short-cycle diagnostic assessment in the tenth grade that serves as an early indicator of college readiness, and a college placement assessment, a workforce readiness assessment or a demonstration of competency in the eleventh grade.