Based on 18 months of extensive research and study, the New Mexico State Department of Education developed the Staff Accountability Plan to address the issue of teacher accountability and certification. One of the provisions of the plan (a written assessment of general and professional knowledge for initial certification) will be fulfilled by using the National Teacher Examinations (NTE). Validation of the Core Battery has been completed with passing scores for the three parts of the Core Battery having been determined by the State Board of Education. The process of validating 21 area examinations is presently underway. Educational Testing Service's basic validation process was utilized with one exception. In addition to the Content Review Panels and Knowledge Estimation Panels, New Mexico required the inclusion of a Content Relevance Panel consisting of K-12 classroom teachers who were asked to provide their professional judgment on the relevance of test content to the classroom setting. The social and political implications of utilizing the NTE in a state with a high percentage of Hispanic and Native American residents are also discussed here. (Author/BW)