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F I S C A L   I M P A C T   R E P O R T

 

 

 

SPONSOR:

Romero

 

DATE TYPED:

3/11/03

 

HB

 

 

SHORT TITLE:

School Improvement Pilot Project

 

SB

670

 

 

ANALYST:

Segura

 

APPROPRIATION

 

Appropriation Contained

Estimated Additional Impact

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY03

FY04

FY03

FY04

 

 

 

N/A

 

**

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

** Please Refer to Fiscal Impact Summary

 

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

 

State Department of Education (SDE)

New Mexico Commission of Higher Education (CHE)

 

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 Gallup-McKinley County Public Schools, the Albuquerque Public Schools and the Gadsden Independent Schools that were ranked as probationary schools in the 2002-2003 school year.

 

     Significant Issues

 

Senate Bill 670 addresses the critical need to evaluate school improvement approaches and strategies using objective and systematic analyses. According to SDE, New Mexico currently has 113 schools in school improvement and corrective action, and 72 other schools face potential corrective action next year.

 

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:

 

            Albuquerque          $464,860

            Gadsden                 $355,056

            Gallup                    $166,059

SDE notes that the average Title I allocations to probationary elementary schools in these districts in 2002-2003 are:

 

            Albuquerque         $218,165

            Gadsden                $175,882

            Gallup                   $101,416

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