{"id":18267,"date":"2025-08-22T13:30:59","date_gmt":"2025-08-22T17:30:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/?p=18267"},"modified":"2025-08-25T17:50:53","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T21:50:53","slug":"new-mexico-personal-financial-literacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/news-blog\/new-mexico-personal-financial-literacy\/","title":{"rendered":"New Mexico House Bill 171 &#038; Personal Financial Literacy Courses for High Schoolers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In February 2024, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nmlegis.gov\/Sessions\/24%20Regular\/bills\/house\/HB0171.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>House Bill 171<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> into law, marking a major update to New Mexico\u2019s high school graduation requirements. While the bill doesn\u2019t mandate personal financial literacy (PFL) statewide, it does require all school districts to add <\/span><b>two new locally determined graduation requirements<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> starting in the <\/span><b>2025\u201326 school year<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This has created a significant opportunity for districts to adopt <\/span><b>personal financial literacy as one of those credits<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and many already are.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>A Statewide Shift Toward Financial Literacy<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For years, education advocates\u2014including Think New Mexico\u2014have pushed for financial literacy to become a core part of high school education. Despite attempts to write it directly into HB 171, it wasn\u2019t included in the final language. Still, the flexibility in the bill gave districts the green light to implement it locally\u2014and they\u2019re moving quickly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As of August 2025, <\/span><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lasvegasoptic.com\/news\/majority-of-nm-schools-now-include-financial-literacy-as-graduation-requirements\/article_92598c40-e3fd-47fb-a581-f740d2097ace.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">48+ New Mexico school districts<\/a><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014including <\/span><b>Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Carlsbad, Lordsburg, Lovington, and Los Alamos<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014have already made financial literacy a graduation requirement. These districts now reach over one-third of the state\u2019s public high school students.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adding to the momentum, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ngpf.org\/blog\/professional-development\/new-mexico-personal-financial-literacy-pfl-grant\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF)<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is offering:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Free curriculum and training<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for New Mexico educators<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <\/span><b>$500 stipend<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (in the form of an Amazon gift card) to the first 50 <a href=\"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/schools-districts\/new-mexico\/high-school\/\">New Mexico high school<\/a> teachers who complete 20 hours of professional development starting January 2025<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These incentives aim to make implementation smoother for educators while ensuring high-quality instruction across the state.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What Do Personal Financial Literacy Courses Include?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Personal financial literacy courses are designed to equip students with real-world financial skills\u2014many of which they\u2019ll need immediately after graduation. Topics typically include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Budgeting<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> income and managing expenses<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Saving &amp; investing<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (short- and long-term goals, compound interest)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Understanding credit<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: credit cards, interest, debt, and credit scores<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Taxes<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: income tax, paycheck deductions, and filing basics<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Banking basics<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: how to open and manage a checking\/savings account<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Student loans and college affordability<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Insurance and risk management<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Identity protection and fraud prevention<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In some cases, schools may offer this course as a <\/span><b>standalone elective<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or integrate it into <\/span><b>social studies<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><b>mathematics coursework<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, depending on available staff and schedules.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Why Financial Literacy? Why Now?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New Mexico\u2019s public education system is responding to a growing demand: give students practical tools to navigate adult life. As Charlie Bergman, a financial literacy educator working with the New Mexico Public Education Department, put it, \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They\u2019re psychologically ready for it. They do well at it. They\u2019re interested<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These courses aren\u2019t just practical\u2014they\u2019re highly engaging. Students appreciate learning about money, especially when it\u2019s framed around scenarios they relate to: car loans, credit card interest, budgeting for college, and managing a paycheck. The earlier these conversations happen, the more confident students become in managing their financial future.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>How Progress Learning Supports Districts in New Mexico<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Progress Learning is designed to help districts implement personal financial literacy seamlessly. Our platform provides everything schools need to align instruction, support diverse learners, and track student progress, all within a single, easy-to-use system.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s how:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Standards-Aligned Economics and <\/b><b>Financial Literacy Content<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We offer financial literacy lessons aligned with <\/span><b>New Mexico\u2019s updated social studies standards<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, including the 33 financial literacy benchmarks added by the PED in 2021, 25 of which came from Think New Mexico\u2019s recommendations. <\/span>Check out a sample item from our New Mexico economics and financial literacy course:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"uk-margin-top item-content\">\n<style>\n    #unique-box-1 {\n        border: 3px solid #6E1A61; \/* Border color (purple) *\/\n        border-radius: 15px;       \/* Rounded corners *\/\n        padding: 20px;             \/* Space inside the box *\/\n        background-color: #f9f9f9; \/* Background color *\/\n        display: inline-block;     \/* Wrap around the content *\/\n        width: auto;               \/* Automatically adjust to the content size *\/\n        box-sizing: border-box;    \/* Include border in the box dimensions *\/\n        text-align: left;          \/* Align text inside the box to the left *\/\n    }\n  <\/style>\n<div id=\"unique-box-1\">\n    <span class=\"learnosity-item\" data-reference=\"2055741-en\"><\/span>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/br><br \/>\n<b>TEIs (Technology-Enhanced Items)<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prepare students for modern digital assessments and build confidence through interactive formats that mimic real-world scenarios.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Flexible Assessment Tools<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use pre-built assessments or build your own to measure learning. All assessments integrate with real-time reports and remediation tools.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Individualized Support and Remediation<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For high school students who need additional help, Progress Learning provides personalized Study Plans and learning paths based on diagnostic or benchmark data. These tailored supports help address skill gaps and guide students toward mastery of key concepts, including those connected to financial literacy.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>College &amp; Career Readiness Pathways<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our platform supports <a href=\"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/our-products\/college-career-readiness\/\">multiple high school pathways<\/a> whether students are pursuing CTE, dual enrollment, or workforce entry. Financial literacy content can be flexibly embedded across these tracks.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Budget-Friendly Campus Pricing<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Progress Learning offers <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/our-products\/pricing\/\">flat-rate campus pricing<\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with no per-student fees\u2014making it especially cost-effective for larger or growing high schools.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Looking Ahead<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">House Bill 171 has paved the way for districts to choose graduation requirements that truly prepare students for life. Personal financial literacy is emerging as one of the most practical and impactful ways to meet that goal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether your district has already made financial literacy a requirement or is still considering the path forward, Progress Learning offers the tools, content, and flexibility to support a smooth implementation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019re here to help make this shift successful for your students, your educators, and your community. Want to see more of our economics and financial literacy content specifically made for New Mexico schools? Fill out the form below.<\/span><\/p>\n<script charset=\"utf-8\" type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/js.hsforms.net\/forms\/embed\/v2.js\"><\/script>\r\n<script>\r\n  hbspt.forms.create({\r\n    portalId: \"23272034\",\r\n    formId: \"661ffd22-1c3c-4d8b-8032-5410554e0674\",\r\n    region: \"na1\"\r\n  });\r\n<\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In February 2024, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed House Bill 171 into law, marking a major update to New Mexico\u2019s high school graduation requirements. While the bill doesn\u2019t mandate personal financial literacy (PFL) statewide, it does require all school districts to add two new locally determined graduation requirements starting in the 2025\u201326 school year. This [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":18276,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"\ud83d\udce2 Big news in New Mexico! With HB 171, districts can now make personal financial literacy a grad requirement\u2014and 30+ already have! Get real-world ready with standards-aligned support from Progress Learning. \ud83d\udcb0\ud83d\udcb3 #NMEd #HB171","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[313],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-mexico"],"acf":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Blog-Preparing-Students-for-Life-New-Mexicos-Push-for-Personal-Financial-Literacy.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18267"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18267\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18324,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18267\/revisions\/18324"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}