45th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2001

RELATING TO EDUCATION; REQUIRING A STATEWIDE ONE- TO THREE-YEAR MENTORSHIP PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN BEGINNING TEACHERS; PROVIDING FOR A TEACHER DEVELOPMENT AND RETENTION PILOT PROGRAM IN RURAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. A new section of the Public School Code is enacted to read:

"[NEW MATERIAL] STATEWIDE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN BEGINNING TEACHERS--PURPOSE--STATE BOARD DUTIES--DEPARTMENT DUTIES.--

A. The purpose of the statewide teacher mentorship program is to provide an effective transition into the teaching field, ensure success in teaching, improve the achievement of students and retain capable teachers in the classroom.

B. The state board shall develop a framework for a statewide one- to three-year mentorship program for beginning teachers with standard level one, alternative or substandard certificates. The state board shall work with public school educators, representatives from teacher preparation programs and the commission on higher education to establish the framework.

C. The framework shall include:

(1) individual support and assistance for each beginning teacher from a designated support provider or mentor;

(2) structured training and compensation for support providers or mentors;

(3) ongoing, formative evaluation that is used for the improvement of teaching practice;

(4) procedures for a summative evaluation of beginning teacher performance during the first three years of teaching, including an annual assessment of suitability for license renewal, and for the final assessment of beginning teachers seeking level two licensure;

(5) support from local school boards, school district administrators and other school district personnel; and

(6) regular review and evaluation of the teacher mentorship program.

D. The department of education shall:

(1) establish criteria for participation in a teacher mentorship program based on the current licensing structure;

(2) require submission and approval of each school district's teacher mentorship program;

(3) provide technical assistance to school districts that do not have a well-developed teacher mentorship program in place; and

(4) encourage school districts to collaborate with teacher preparation programs at institutions of higher education, career educators, educational organizations and other state and community leaders in the mentorship of beginning teachers."

Section 2. APPROPRIATION.--Three million five hundred fifty thousand dollars ($3,550,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the state department of public education for expenditure in fiscal year 2002 for the statewide mentorship program for beginning teachers. The department shall distribute funds to local school districts based on the number of first-, second- and third-year participants in the mentorship program in each school district. The department shall use one million seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($1,750,000) of the appropriation in this section to contract for professional services to develop a pilot mentorship program in fiscal year 2002 for teacher development and retention in rural school districts, including a centralized system to monitor the progress of the pilot program. The department shall contract with a nonprofit entity experienced in the design and implementation of a mentoring program in the rural areas of the state. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2002 shall revert to the general fund.