New Mexico education officials presented a state math strategy July 24 that pairs a newly updated math framework with job‑embedded professional learning, school‑level coaching and revised high‑school course pathways aimed at raising the state’s math proficiency rates, which hover in the low‑20‑percent range.

What officials said: Jessica Hathaway, presenting PED’s policy brief, summarized the state challenge: math proficiency peaks in fifth grade (about 32%) then falls in middle and high school (about 19% in eighth grade, 12% in 11th). Hathaway said PED released “New Mexico Math Framework 2” last week to guide coherent statewide practice and recommended four levers for action: visioning and governance, professional learning and educator preparation, a system of core instruction and supports, and family engagement.

Programs and pilots: PED highlighted several initiatives already underway: Numeros (a 60‑hour elementary professional‑learning cohort to deepen teachers’ content and pedagogy); Focus on Algebra (a 130‑hour middle‑school series to prepare students for algebra I); math labs and grants supporting high‑quality instructional materials and manipulatives; and new high‑school course options (modernized geometry with statistics, an algebra‑2 reconfiguration that includes quantitative reasoning and data‑science options). PED said numeracy supports and parent‑facing resources (manipulatives and family activities in English and Spanish) are in development.

Evidence and evaluation: PED and partners cited early site examples: a math lab site moved proficiency from 0% to 16% in one elementary example and the HIT‑linked middle‑school Saga program showed an estimated 3.5 months of additional learning for participants. PED urged that tier‑1 core instruction be strengthened so fewer students require intensive interventions, while also expanding effective tier‑2/tier‑3 supports such as tutoring and interventionists.

MSAC recommendation and teacher preparation: The Math and Science Advisory Council (MSAC) recommended that math methods coursework be required for all teacher licensure candidates, including those in alternative pathways, and that the state explore ongoing renewal or micro‑credential requirements to ensure continued teacher growth. MSAC Co‑Chair Dr. Kirsty Tyson argued the issue is an adult problem—opportunities and preparation—not a deficit among children, and urged building a system of collective teacher learning, instructional coaching and better alignment between colleges of education and district practice.

Policy options for the Legislature: Staff recommended options including (1) codifying expectations for universal screening, early identification and intervention; (2) requiring math methods courses in licensure programs and stronger alternative‑licensure requirements; (3) funding statewide coaching/interventionist models (potentially through the new STEM Innovation Network); (4) requiring transparency about curriculum adoption and intervention delivery; and (5) continuing dedicated STEM funding in the GAA.

Questions and next steps: Lawmakers asked for the public Math Framework v2 link, requested more analysis of teacher‑preparation programs and raised concerns about statewide capacity to staff coaches and high‑quality implementations. PED said it will scale Numeros and Focus on Algebra over multiple years (targets: supporting 820 educators this year and scaling toward 2,500 annually in later years) and work with the newly funded STEM network as a regional hub model for coaching and dissemination.

Ending note: Officials urged that the state treat math improvement as a long‑term systems project—building teacher knowledge, school coaching capacity, family engagement and stable funding—rather than a short‑term pilot approach.