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SPONSOR: |
Garcia, M.H. |
DATE TYPED: |
2/11/03 |
HB |
197a/HEC |
||
SHORT TITLE: |
NMSU Teacher Distance Education |
SB |
|
||||
|
ANALYST: |
L. Baca |
|||||
APPROPRIATION
Appropriation
Contained |
Estimated
Additional Impact |
Recurring or
Non-Rec |
Fund Affected |
||
FY03 |
FY04 |
FY03 |
FY04 |
|
|
|
750.0 |
|
|
Recurring |
GF |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Parenthesis
( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Relates
to the Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act for New Mexico State
University
Duplicates
SB 95
Responses
Received From
New Mexico State
University (NMSU)
Commission on Higher Education (CHE)
SUMMARY
Synopsis
of HEC Amendments
The House Education Committee amendments increase the appropriation to $750.0, adds professional development to the list of services that may be funded, includes math and science to the list of teaching fields for teachers who may have substandard certificates and are eligible for training, and directs that the NMSU Board of Regents shall contract with the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Board of Regents for $250.0 of this appropriation for collaboration in distance education for these projects.
Synopsis
of Original Bill
House Bill 197
appropriates $500.0 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of New Mexico
State University for distance education technology to be used to offer
licensure programs for teachers throughout the state who have substandard
licenses in special education, bilingual education, speech and language
pathology, public school administration, information technology and school
counseling.
Significant
Issues
This program expansion was recommended for
funding by the New Mexico State University Board of Regents, but it was not
recommended for funding by the Commission on Higher Education.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of
$500.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. While it is considered a one-time expansion
cost by the university, its continued funding through the funding formula makes
it a recurring expense. Any unexpended
or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2004 shall revert
to the general fund.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
According to
statistics available to Commission of Higher Education staff, individuals
without appropriate licenses or endorsements fill 12% of teaching positions in
New Mexico public schools. The use of
distance education technology would provide access to courses required for
certification and\or endorsement to teachers who are “place and time bound” and
can upgrade their skills primarily through alternative education methods.
In its analysis, the
Commission on Higher Education suggests adding the following language for all
new recurring higher education programs and expansion of current programs:
“The institution
receiving the appropriation in this bill shall submit a program evaluation to
the Legislative Finance Committee and the Commission on Higher Education by
June 30, 2005 detailing the benefits of the State of New Mexico from having
implemented this program over a three year period.”
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS
1. Given the need to upgrade the knowledge and skills of individuals teaching without the appropriate certification, has the university attempted to share the costs of the training needed the affected with public school districts ?
2. Working in collaboration with school district personnel, could funds for training be obtained from federal programs such as Title 1 or No Child Left Behind ?
LRB/yr