SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 12

49th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2010

INTRODUCED BY

Gay G. Kernan

FOR THE LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE OFFICE OF EDUCATION ACCOUNTABILITY TO STUDY VARIOUS SCHOOL CALENDARS USED OR ALLOWED IN NEW MEXICO AND THEIR EFFECTS ON STUDENT LEARNING AND ACHIEVEMENT, TEACHERS, SCHOOL OPERATIONS AND SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGETARY NEEDS.

     WHEREAS, the Public School Code requires that each school district provide a minimum number of instructional days per school year, adjusted according to grade level; and

     WHEREAS, the Public School Code provides an equivalence between the minimum number of instructional days and hours or authorizes the public education department to do so; and

     WHEREAS, local school boards determine school policy in general, including school calendars; and

     WHEREAS, school districts currently operate based on a variety of school calendar models, including calendars composed of four-day weeks as well as year-round or extended-year calendars; and

     WHEREAS, the Variable School Calendar Act permits school districts to operate pursuant to extended-year school calendars but does not address all of the calendars used in practice; and      WHEREAS, in the past, to meet the instructional time requirements in law, some schools have added small increments of time to individual school days to compensate for time lost due to inclement weather, to allow early dismissal on one day of the week or to provide time for teacher professional development and other activities; and

     WHEREAS, the public education department notes that it is questionable whether students receive the benefit of instructional hours with such incremental increases; and

     WHEREAS, legislation was enacted in 2009 to require, effective school year 2010-2011, a school year to consist of one hundred eighty full instructional days for a regular school year and one hundred fifty full instructional days for a variable school year; and

     WHEREAS, there are inconsistencies between this legislation and the Variable School Calendar Act;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the office of education accountability, in collaboration with the public education department; school districts and charter schools, including school boards and governing bodies; teacher and other school employee representatives; and parent representatives be requested to study current practices and issues related to school calendars and the length of a school day, including scheduling and making up time lost due to inclement weather or pandemic illness; scheduling teacher planning time and professional development activities; and the impact of various school calendar options and scheduling practices on teachers, on learning time and achievement of students, on school operations and on school district budgetary needs; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study examine the need, if any, to amend current law, including the Variable School Calendar Act, to reflect the full range of appropriate school district calendar options that encourage effective uses of and limit intrusions into instructional time; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the office of education accountability report its findings and recommendations, if any, to the legislative education study committee before October 31, 2010; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the director of the office of education accountability, the secretary of public education and the director of the legislative education study committee.

- 3 -