1. A. “Core academic subjects” means English, language arts, reading, mathematics, science, the arts, including music and visual arts, social studies, which includes civics, government, economics, history, and geography, and modern and classical languages, except the modern and classical Native American languages and cultures of New Mexico tribes and pueblos.

2. B. “A highly qualified beginning pre K-12 special education teacher” under this rule means a teacher who is new to the profession, has pursued a standard route to licensure and is fully qualified to teach special education students by either providing access for those students to a regular education classroom where instruction in the core academic subjects is delivered by a highly qualified regular education teacher, or being fully qualified to teach each core academic subject the special education teacher teaches, or being fully qualified to teach either language arts, mathematics or science and becoming fully qualified to teach any other core academic subjects which the teacher teaches within two years after the date of initial employment, and who:

   1. (1) meets the requirements for pre K-12 special education licensure in Subsections A or B in 6.61.6.8 NMAC;
   2. (2) has no licensure requirements waived on an emergency or temporary basis, or for any other reason; and
   3. (3) has passed all applicable teacher testing requirements for licensure in 6.60.5.8 NMAC.
3. C. "Pre-kindergarten" means a voluntary developmental readiness program for children who have attained their fourth birthday prior to September 1.

[6.61.6.7 NMAC - Rp, 6.61.6.7 NMAC, 8/1/2018]