State Governance

State Board of Education

The New Mexico Public Education Commission was constitutionally amended in 2003 to change what was formerly known as the New Mexico State Board of Education. The Public Education Commission advises the Secretary of Education and consists of ten elected commissioners serving four-year terms.

The Public Education Commission has the authority over:

• Authorizing Charter Schools
• Summative Assessments

Governor

Susana Martinez (R)

Chief State School Officer

Christopher Ruszkowski

Appointed by the governor

State Context

State Demographics

Public Education Enrollment by Special Populations:

Free and Reduced Price Lunch: 67.1%

English Language Learners: 15.1%

Served by IDEA: 13.9%

 

2015 NAEP State Data

Reading scores for Grade 4 by state average, race/ethnicity, and NSLP-eligibility compared to the national average:

 

Reading scores for Grade 4 by race/ethnicity between 2003 and 2015, additional national average data is included:

 

Mathematics scores for Grade 8 by state average, race/ethnicity, and NSLP-eligibility compared to the national average:

 

Mathematics scores for Grade 8 by race/ethnicity between 2003 and 2015, additional national average data is included:

 

Science scores for Grade 8 by state average, race/ethnicity, and NSLP-eligibility compared to the national average:

 

Graduation Rates

 

Adjusted cohort graduation rate between 2011 and 2015:

 

Charter Schools

Year Charter School Law was Enacted: 1993

Number of Charter Schools in the 2014-15 Year: 97

Number of Students Served by Charter Schools in the 2014-15 Year: 22,715

Charter School Cap Law: No more than 15 schools may open each year with a five-year cap of 74.

ESSA Plan & Implementation

New Mexico has submitted its ESSA consolidated application to the U.S. Department of Education. Learn more about New Mexico’s ESSA approach.