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SPONSOR: |
Romero |
DATE TYPED: |
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HB |
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SHORT TITLE: |
School Improvement Pilot Project |
SB |
670 |
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APPROPRIATION
Appropriation
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Estimated
Additional Impact |
Recurring or
Non-Rec |
Fund Affected |
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FY03 |
FY04 |
FY03 |
FY04 |
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N/A |
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Please Refer to Fiscal Impact Summary
State Department of Education (SDE)
SUMMARY
Synopsis
of Bill
Senate Bill 670
creates a five-year “school improvement pilot project” for three elementary
schools to provide a model of student achievement and school improvement.
The SDE, in
collaboration with local school boards, will select one elementary school from
the
Significant
Issues
Senate Bill 670 addresses the critical need to evaluate
school improvement approaches and strategies using objective and systematic
analyses. According to SDE,
The bill proposes nine improvement activities to be implemented:
1. Provide extended contracts for school personnel for an eight-hour day,
2. Employ only teachers who are fully certified in the fields in which they teach and provide for transfers in accordance with the due process provisions of Section 22-10,NMSA 1978,
3. Provide a rigorous evaluation, mentorship and intervention program for teachers,
4. Constitute a school personnel committee that develops criteria for selecting teachers and makes recommendations to the principal on candidates,
5. Require the principal to employ new teachers from a list of three candidates recommended by the school personnel committee,
6. Provide after-school activities for students,
7. Provide full-day and full-year pre-kindergarten and kindergarten programs,
8. Provide a five percent salary increase for teachers above any other salary increase approved by the local school board, and
9. Provide an additional $10,000 annual salary differential above the local school board salary for each teacher that is National Board certified by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
Senate Bill 670 does
not contain an appropriation. The bill requires that each school district use
its federal Title I funding to support the programs mandated in the
legislation.
The SDE estimates that
the costs to implement these initiatives in a probationary school are:
SDE notes that the
average Title I allocations to probationary elementary schools in these districts
in 2002-2003 are:
Therefore; even if
these schools choose to commit all their Title I funds to these initiatives,
funding would be insufficient to cover the total costs.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
SDE indicates that
there would be an administrative impact on the department to develop, implement
and monitor the program.
CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP,
RELATIONSHIP
The department
indicates that funding to support the implementation of these initiatives must
be consistent with the application of federal guidelines.
TECHNICAL ISSUES
Title I funds must be made at the local school
or district level , consistent with Title I law and policies.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
The SDE will develop
an evaluation component to determine the progress of the participating
elementary schools which is aligned with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 .
RS/yr:njw