New Mexico Highlands University representatives told the Legislative Education Study Committee in Las Vegas that the university has implemented science-of-reading training across teacher-preparation courses and that a spring pilot produced measurable pre/post gains in learning modules used in reading coursework.

Why it matters: the university supplies teachers across Northern New Mexico. Its integration of LETRS into syllabi and expansion of residency and alternative-licensure programs affects the pipeline of new teachers and the quality of early-career supports.

Dr. Elizabeth Valenzuela, associate professor and department chair for teacher education, said the department's faculty "have completed the LETRS training and have been implementing that in their reading courses." Highlands' participation in a New Mexico pilot of foundational literacy modules produced pre/post assessment improvements, she said: "There was improvement and there was, gains made." Faculty revised syllabi, adopted recommended textbooks and embedded the pilot's high-quality instructional-materials modules in spring coursework.

Highlands also described the teacher residency program established under HB13, which provides a year-long clinical placement paired with mentor teachers and financial support. The university said it had roughly 38 full residents and an additional 11 student-teachers in the current academic year and that the alternative teacher certification program (ATCP) has produced licensed candidates across elementary, secondary and special-education endorsements.

University faculty emphasized the need to address bilingual and biliteracy instruction explicitly. Valenzuela urged that science-of-reading implementation account for biliteracy development and bilingual special-education needs: "The way you develop biliteracy is very different and there's many components that need to be taken into consideration." Highlands staff also noted statewide data access limitations, and asked for better longitudinal tracking so teacher-preparation programs can measure retention and effectiveness after graduates enter district classrooms.

No formal committee action followed the presentation. University leaders requested that the committee and PED continue to share data on licensure exam outcomes, teacher retention and bilingual-education implementation, and to coordinate on supports for residency and alternative-licensure pipelines.

Committee staff said analysts are working with the department to improve data linkage and that the committee will follow up in future meetings.