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SPONSOR: |
Miera |
DATE TYPED: |
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HB |
837 |
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SHORT TITLE: |
Require NM History for High School Graduation |
SB |
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ANALYST: |
L. Baca |
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APPROPRIATION
Appropriation
Contained |
Estimated
Additional Impact |
Recurring or
Non-Rec |
Fund Affected |
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FY03 |
FY04 |
FY03 |
FY04 |
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NFI |
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(Parenthesis
( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Conflicts with: HB 212, Public School Reforms
HB 800, Require Land Grant &
Native American History
SB 149, Graduation Requirements
SB 230, Public School Reforms
SB 472, Family Communication Requirement
SB 488, Require Health Credit for Graduation
(All of these bills address graduation
requirements, but none require NM History.)
Relates to: HB 180, Align Public School Curricula
HB 186, Advanced Placement Program
HB 150a, Indian Education Act
SB 115a, Indian Education Act
SB 149a, Graduation Requirements
SB 396, Multicultural Educational Materials
SB 472, Family Communication Graduation
Requirement
Responses
Received From
State
Department of Education (SDE)
SUMMARY
Synopsis
of Bill
House Bill 837 adds
New Mexico History and geography as one the three social science courses required
for graduation and adds that, with the approval of the local school board,
participation in marching band may count as toward fulfillment of the physical
education required unit.
Significant
Issues
Section 22-2-8.3 E NMSA 1978 stipulates, “All
seventh grade classes shall require instruction in New Mexico History and
Geography.”
The SDE reports that the State Board of
Education’s content standards and benchmarks for social studies require that
students study the history of New Mexico and the Southwest, and that a study of
New Mexico History is thus addressed in high school history and social science
classes.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
This bill has no
appropriation, but school districts will have to purchase instructional
materials, if and as available, from existing instructional materials
appropriations. Initially, obtaining
instructional materials could further strain budgets for instructional
materials.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
It is not known that
textbooks and supportive materials for a high school course in New Mexico
History are available. The quality of
the materials is another unknown and will have to be determined.
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS
1.
Has anyone tried to ascertain whether
suitable materials for the teaching of New Mexico History are available?
2.
Will we have teachers qualified to teach
New Mexico History?
3.
How extensive is the teaching of New
Mexico History in our high schools?
4.
How is New Mexico History taught in our
elementary and middle schools?