Implementation of Accreditation Procedures

What is State Accreditation in New Mexico?

This webpage provides an introduction to state accreditation, distinct from other types of accreditation and school accountability. When introducing state accreditation, it’s important to distinguish it from other types of accreditation.

Annual state accreditation is not like accreditation offered by regional accrediting agencies. They offer a valuable additional option that public schools may choose to address program effectiveness and meet students’ needs. The PED approves particular entities to provide optional accreditation services in New Mexico, but their services do not take the place of state accreditation.

State accreditation of public schools is also distinct from the federal accountability system of annual meaningful differentiation (AMD) of schools. NM Vistas is a federal accountability system that evaluates all public schools annually based on student outcomes. As a result, a small number of schools are designated for additional support and supervision.

State accreditation also differs from a charter school authorizer’s evaluation for annual review. State-chartered charter schools are subject to the annual review of the Charter Schools Division as authorized by the Public Education Commission (PEC) and locally chartered charter schools are evaluated annually by the district authorizer.

With state accreditation, the PED holds all schools to the requirements of law to ensure that all students have access to an adequate public education.

State Accreditation Background Information

State law has long required the PED to “assess and evaluate public schools for accreditation” (Section 22-2-2(F) NMSA 1978).

In 2023, the PED Policy and Legislative Affairs Division did a deep dive into statute for accreditation-related provisions. The PED determined that a new rule was necessary to establish procedures for administering accreditation. After extensive public input and responsive rulemaking, 6.19.4 NMAC Accreditation Procedures became law in July, 2024.

The rule prioritizes 10 evidence components that all schools must provide for the PED to assess the adequacy of essential educational programs.

The rule establishes state accreditation as an annual process, with accreditation status for each new year based on previous year’s collection of evidence from schools and school districts.

These procedures leverage existing relationships and channels of communication between the staff of the schools and the staff of various bureaus and divisions of the PED.

State Accreditation and Strategic Planning

Our belief, as stated in the department’s Strategic Plan, is that we share accountability to accelerate reading and mathematics achievement and to improve attendance and graduation rates.

As reflected in the Strategic Plan Big Five Goals, “fostering shared accountability means that all stakeholders—students, educators, families, school administrators, communities and the PED—share responsibility for educational outcomes, working collaboratively to support each other’s growth and success.”

The new rule for state accreditation of public schools is a framework for this kind of shared accountability. It links the law to the state education agency (SEA) responsible for executing the law, and to the charter schools and school districts, or local education agencies (LEAs), to which local education authority is delegated.

Shared accountability means we are all accountable to each other and together we are accountable for these outcomes as we collaborate and communicate with each other.

Our accreditation procedures aim to foster strong collaboration and clear communication about evidence and adequacy of educational programs.

Three Ps of Evaluation for State Accreditation: Process, Planning and Performance

The data considered for accreditation include process, planning, and performance evaluations of school programs. These three P’s include essential processes required by law, meaningful planning, and student performance outcomes. Compliance with law and the quality of programs are crucial for both academic growth and the well-being of students.

The programs required in the rule are required in statute, and nearly all of the reporting requirements of the rule have already been in place, with bureaus and divisions of the PED working with schools and districts to collect the data through existing dashboards and file-sharing platforms, and through student information systems (SIS) to the Nova statewide data system.

State accreditation procedures involve an annual desktop audit of collected evidence for most schools. Bureaus and divisions are already communicating with and working with the schools that need extra support to provide this evidence. The evidence may reveal a need for additional support for some schools. We conceive these as three layers of support for schools, much like the multi-layered system of support (MLSS) for students:

• Layer 1: All schools have access to professional learning events and materials, technical assistance, and office hours throughout the PED.
• Layer 2: Some schools benefit from additional communication and support working directly with bureau contacts of the PED.
• Layer 3: Piloted in SY 2025–2026, the PED Accreditation Team is coordinating individualized support for a few schools to help meet accreditation requirements.

Ten Components of Accreditation Evidence

Very little of the evidence collected each year for accreditation is new. Most of the evidence is already being submitted by schools and school districts to the bureaus within the department.

The 10 components are described briefly below. Bureau contacts for each component may be found on this Accreditation Matrix. For specific criteria and schedules the bureaus use to evaluate evidence of each component, please see the FY27 Accreditation Criteria and Calendar.

1. Board training requirements ensure that school leaders are educated about the work of education. Charter School Division staff and Strategic Initiatives staff of the PED collect and evaluate this evidence.
2. Financial audits are required annually, and any findings are reviewed closely by Accounting and Auditing Bureau staff.
3. Budgets must be approved by the board of school districts and charter schools with documentation of parent involvement, and they are linked to district Education Plans and school plans developed at each site. School districts and charter schools are required to budget as much expenditure on special education, at-risk programs, and gifted education as these students generate for revenue in the statewide distribution. The School Budget Bureau analyzes submitted budgets prior to the start of each fiscal year and collects quarterly expenditure reports.
4. Student information systems communicate information to the Nova data collection system. Four times a year, Information Technology staff take a snapshot of that data. As the state education agency, the PED relies on this information, as does the legislature, schools, and community members, so it’s essential that school staff participate in validating what ends up in Nova to ensure all four snapshots are accurate.
5. At each school district and charter school, district test coordinators (DTC) communicate with Assessment, Research, Evaluation, and Accountability Division (AREA) staff to properly administer and report the results of assessments and to validate graduation data. Staff expect test participation rates to reflect well on their collaborative efforts and expect graduation data to be validated as accurate.
6. The Safe and Healthy Schools Bureau staff work with schools to ensure Attendance for Success Act requirements are met and quality Attendance Improvement Plans are in place annually.
7. School Safety Plans must be updated every three years and are reviewed by our Safe and Healthy Schools Bureau staff.
8. College and Career Readiness Bureau staff work with schools to comply with the law requiring individualized Next Step Plans for students in grades 8–12. This ensures that each student’s unique interests and strengths are considered in planning a personalized learning path through high school and beyond.
9. Special education and gifted education caseloads are monitored by the PED using reports that draw information from each school’s student information system. Counselors’ caseloads are also reported to inform future policymaking. Class loads and class sizes are required to be in compliance with law, with assurance included in the annual Education Plan and information from the SIS and Nova evaluated by Educator Growth and Development staff. Graduation requirements are monitored by the College and Career Readiness Bureau staff using reports from Nova based on student information system data. An online survey provides evidence of the required subjects of instruction in elementary grades.
10. Some school districts, state charter schools, and locally chartered charter schools meet criteria for the required tribal consultation, student needs assessment, and Tribal Education Status Report. These schools work with the staff of the Indian Education Division to ensure students from Pueblos, Tribes, and Nations have adequate educational planning, processes, and performance outcomes.

Annual Timeline for Accreditation Procedures

Throughout the school year, from July 1 to June 30, the PED’s internal process of collecting evidence from across its bureaus and divisions continues. As information comes into the bureaus and divisions, staff collect it and display it in a public-facing dashboard. The dashboard allows schools and districts to work with the PED staff to fill in the gaps throughout the year and align with the legislature’s foundational bottom-up accountability principle (Section 22-1-1.2(F) NMSA 1978).

In August, letters of accreditation status will be issued through the OBMS financial reporting system to each superintendent and charter school leader.

The official letters received at this time will also provide the superintendent with an inventory of all of the evidence collected in the previous year by PED bureaus for their schools. Where there is missing evidence or evidence of inadequate programming at a school, this will be listed, and steps may be taken to improve those processes, plans, and, ultimately, performance outcomes in the coming year.

Appeals procedures are in place in the rule to be used by school districts and charter schools if necessary.

State Accreditation of State-supported Schools, Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) funded schools, and Private Schools

The rule, 6.19.4 NMAC, established procedures for accreditation of all school districts and public schools, and for the accreditation of the education programs of all state institutions except the New Mexico military institute. During the pilot year, a system for implementing the rule for the education programs of state institutions is being developed for administration in SY 2026–2027.

The rule also establishes procedures for the accreditation of private schools choosing to seek state accreditation and BIE schools choosing to seek state accreditation.

The rule establishes requirements for reporting to the department by private schools not choosing to seek state accreditation and BIE schools not choosing to seek state accreditation.

The rule includes procedures for department approval of accrediting entities in New Mexico. Approved accrediting entities are listed on the PED’s Non-Public Schools Reporting & Accreditation webpage. Many private schools are accredited by an approved accrediting entity. Accreditation by an approved accrediting entity does not constitute state accreditation of a private school or BIE school.