New Mexico Ranked #4 in the United States in Charter School Accountability
New Mexico Jumps 16 Spots Ahead of 2011 Rankings--------------Santa Fe – A recently released study by the National Alliance For Public Charter Schools ranked New Mexico #4 in the nation for the quality of its charter school laws. The report Measuring Up to the Model: A Ranking of State Charter School Laws moved New Mexico up 16 places from 2011. New Mexico's jump in the rankings was the second largest out of the 42 states measured in the report.
“Accountability leads to better results for our children,” said Governor Susana Martinez. “Our efforts to reform education in New Mexico include making sure all schools serve every student. This report shows, once again, education reform is making New Mexico a national leader.” In 2011, Governor Martinez signed a law requiring contracts between charter schools and authorizers which called for annual evaluations for accountability. This new law provides a way to revoke a charter from any school not meeting requirements in student achievement.
The report examined laws in the 42 states where charter schools exist. Authors specifically pointed to “Quality Control” when it comes to charter schools saying other states can look to New Mexico to improve in areas such as transparency and performance based contracts.
“Options for New Mexico parents are important, but those options must also be the most effective for our students,” said Public Education Department Secretary Hanna Skandera. “The expectation for our charter schools is exactly the same as it is for our traditional public schools: every student must have every opportunity to succeed.”
In the report, New Mexico is specifically recognized for strengthened authorizer accountability requirements and strengthened performance-based charter contract requirements. The Public Education Department is aggressively working to finalize the law signed in 2011 which will bring stronger accountability to charter schools along with New Mexico’s new A-F School Grading System.
New Mexico's charter school law was first passed in 1992. Today, New Mexico charter schools serve over 17,000 students in over 80 schools across the state.