44th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first special session, 1999

REQUESTING THAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION STUDY THE USE OF SCREENING MEASURES TO IDENTIFY TROUBLED CHILDREN AND PROVIDE APPROPRIATE INTERVENTION PROGRAMS.

WHEREAS, the public schools are to be commended for their efforts to identify at-risk children and youth who are emotionally disturbed or who are control problems and to provide small, special education classes for such children, as well as special services such as speech pathology, occupational therapy and group and individual psychotherapy; and

WHEREAS, despite the public schools' current efforts to identify troubled children, many schools are likely to overlook emotionally disturbed children who are shy and withdrawn and whose behavior does not call attention to their problems; and

WHEREAS, there are increasing concerns about children and youth whose violent behavior threatens the safety and well-being of other children in our schools; and

WHEREAS, an appropriate screening measure for use by classroom teachers to screen for emotionally disturbed or troubled children might be similar to an instrument that was designed, researched and published in various books and national journals that simply asks teachers to respond to the following questions:

"A. Is this child overly aggressive or defiant?

B. Is this child overly withdrawn or timid?

C. Is this child a control problem in class?

D. Is this child an instructional problem in the group?

E. Where would you rate this child's adjustment with respect to your present group? Among the best? Among the average? Among the poorest?

F. Would you rate this child as one of the two most maladjusted children in your class?

G. Would you rate this child as one of the two best adjusted children in your class?"; and

WHEREAS, the study should also include an identification and assessment of appropriate primary and early intervention programs to treat or address severe and chronic problems of troubled children;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the state department of public education be requested to study the use of appropriate screening or assessment measures to identify troubled children, to examine and recommend intervention programs to address the problems identified and to develop a plan to assist teachers in carrying out such identification and intervention; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the state department of public education report its findings and recommendations no later than November 1, 1999 to the appropriate interim committees and to the second session of the forty-fourth legislature; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the superintendent of public instruction.