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SPONSOR: |
Stewart M. |
DATE TYPED: |
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HB |
61/aHAFC |
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SHORT TITLE: |
Extended Kindergarten Pilot Project |
SB |
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APPROPRIATION
Appropriation
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Additional Impact |
Recurring or
Non-Rec |
Fund Affected |
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FY04 |
FY03 |
FY04 |
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See Narrative |
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(Parenthesis
( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Relates to HB 3, SB 485
State
Department of Education (SDE)
SUMMARY
The House Appropriations and Finance Committee The
amendment strikes the appropriation and appropriation language. The amendment
does not change the original intent of the bill.
Synopsis
of Original Bill
House Bill 61 creates a three-year pilot project to extend the kindergarten year by four months for participating students to narrow the achievement gap between disadvantaged students and other students. The bill appropriates $1.000.0 to the State Department of Public Education.
Significant
Issues
According to SDE, Kindergarten Plus programs would address the literacy, numeracy and cognitive and social skills development of kindergarten students by providing forty instructional days, beginning approximately two months earlier and ending approximately two months later than other students.
The pilot project would by conducted in the
Albuquerque, Gallup-McKinley, Gadsden, and Las Cruces public school districts.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
House Bill 61 appropriates $1,000.0 from the general fund and is recurring.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
The SDE would
establish eligibility and application requirements and procedures and criteria
for evaluating applications. High poverty schools within those districts would
be eligible to apply for funding through a competitive process.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
Senate Bill 845 and
House Bill 3 contain an appropriation of $8,000.0 to fund the fourth year
of the five year plan to provide
Full-Day Kindergarten in
SDE indicates that the
Full-day Kindergarten Literacy Readiness Program (FDK) is providing the
critical foundation that many children need for future success. First and second year analyses of program
results indicate schools are making encouraging gains in meeting kindergarten
New Mexico Content Standards, Benchmarks and Performance Standards in reading.
Schools are reporting encouraging gains in pre-and post assessments, and
children in the aggregate are better equipped to enter first grade.
SDE points out that
the FDK program is an optional program for parents. Some parents may have a
concern about the amount of time their children spend in school which could
impact the intent of the legislation, namely, to address the achievement gap
and the literacy, numeracy, and cognitive and social abilities of kindergarten
children. Research indicates that time is a necessary but an insufficient
condition for improving achievement. The crucial issue is how time is used,
with quality of instruction being the key.
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS
1. How will this program and
appropriation impact the current phase-in of Full-Day Kindergarten?
RS/njw/ls