New Mexico
• Compulsory Attendance Ages: Between 5 (on September 1 of the school year) to age of majority, unless the person has graduated from high school. (§§ 22-8-2(M),
(22-12-2). With consent of the parents, the superintendent may excuse children under eight years of age from compulsory attendance. § 22-12-2(4))
• Required Days of Instruction: Length of time of the school year that is established in the school district in which the person is a resident. (§ 22-12-2(B))
• Required Subjects: Including but not limited to reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science. (§ 22-1-2(E))
• Teacher Qualifications: Parent must possess at least a high school diploma or its equivalent. § 22-1-2.1(C))
• Standardized Tests: None. On March 15, 2001, New Mexico enacted S.B. 374 which specifically repealed testing requirements for home schoolers.
• Definition: Home schools are operated by a parent or legal guardian of a school-age person who instructs a home study program, including but not limited to reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science. These students are not considered public school students and do not receive credits for the courses, unless the home study program is through an accredited correspondence school.
1. Notify the state superintendent of their intent within thirty days of the establishment of the home school and by April 1 of each subsequent year. The April 1 notice must identify the school district. New Mexico home schoolers are under no legal obligation to notify their local school district that they are home schooling. Families who are receiving public assistance may need to notify their district in order to continue to receive public aid.
2. Maintain disease immunization records (a waiver may be obtained due to religious objections).
3. The definition of "private school" specifically excludes home schools and home school satellite programs. (§ 22-1-2(K))
• College Admissions for Homeschoolers: In determining the standard of requirements for admission to their respective institutions, boards of regents [for institutions of higher education] shall not require a student who has completed the requirements of a home based or non-public school educational program and who has submitted test scores that otherwise qualify him for admission to that institution, to obtain or submit proof of having obtained a general education development certificate. In determining requirements for admission, boards of regents shall evaluate and treat applicants from home-based education programs or non-public school fairly and in a nondiscriminatory manner. (§ 21-1-1(B))
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New Mexico State High School Graduation Requirements
- English units: 4. In addition to 4 units in English, Students must complete 1 unit "in communication skills or business education...."
- Math units: 3, incl. 1 unit Algebra I. At least 1 unit must be equivalent to Algebra I or higher.
- Social studies units 3. Must include U.S. "history and geography, world history and geography and government and economics"
- Eff. Class of 2009: 3.5. Existing requirements, plus .5 unit New Mexico history.
- Science units: 2, including 1 unit lab
- Eff. Class of 2009: 3 units required, including 1 unit lab.
- P.E./Health units: 1
- Notes/Citation: 1 unit P.E.
- Arts: 0
- Foreign language: 0. No units of foreign language explicitly required, but students must complete 1 unit "in communication skills or business education, with a major emphasis on writing and speaking and that may include a language other than English."
- Electives units: 9
- Eff. Class of 2009: 7.5
- Other units: Students must complete 1 unit "in communication skills or business education, with a major emphasis on writing and speaking and that may include a language other than English."
Other diploma options: State does not offer differentiated diploma pathways. State does not have policy on awarding proficiency-based credit.
Technical notes and citations
N.M. STAT. ANN. § 22-13-1.1; N.M. ADMIN. CODE tit. 6, § 30.2
Important Note: State Graduation requirements are not necessarily the best guideline for homeschoolers to use. They have been included here as a guideline for what a typical public school student would need to complete in order to graduate.
A more important guideline may be the College Entrance requirements for where your student would like to attend college. While colleges have differing requirements, there are many colleges that publish requirements for homeschool graduates.
Related Pages:
Homeschool Support Groups in New Mexico
Colleges in New Mexico