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

SPONSOR:	Aragon		DATE TYPED:	02/24/03		HB
SHORT TITLE:		OCA Dropout Prevention & Education Programs				SB	758
					ANALYST:		Gonzales

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained		Estimated Additional Impact		Recurring or Non-Rec	Fund Affected
FY03	FY04	FY03	FY04
	$921.3			Recurring	General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Responses Received From

Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA), National Hispanic Cultural Center

State Department of Education

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 758 appropriates $921.3 from the general fund to the Hispanic Cultural Division of the Office of Cultural Affairs for the purpose of supporting dropout prevention, leadership development and family education programs in New Mexico that provide professional teacher training, development of academic and culturally based language arts and social science curricula for at-risk Hispanic teenagers, and family educational orientations and goal planning initiatives.

Significant Issues

According to OCA, this program will use a model successfully implemented in California. This program addresses the needs of the individual by focusing on the family unit as a whole, and providing a foundation and mentorship support to the family lifelong learning plan. This program would also be geared specifically toward those most at risk individuals by addressing and supporting the educational needs and plans of the entire family. OCA indicates that by utilizing existing templates for educational and family based intervention, there would be less duplication of effort and potentially significant leveraging of scarce resources.

Additionally, OCA notes studies show there is a significant percentage of the Hispanic youth population at risk. While the efforts of the education community are commendable, existing programs are not designed to address the underlying risk factors outside the school setting.

The State Department of Education notes the following:

• This legislation addresses the need to provide programs and resources that engage students, teachers, parents and family members in focused efforts that use effective strategies and relevant curricula to involve at-risk Hispanic teenagers in meaningful learning and ultimately decrease dropout rates. It provides an opportunity for teachers to participate in professional development experiences to increase their capabilities to provide more effective instruction, particularly for those students who are often in greatest need of instructional support.

• Students who have access to leadership development experiences early in their academic careers frequently make better-informed decisions about postsecondary opportunities and ultimately, careers. The foundations of these decisions are shaped early in an adolescent’s life and often influenced by role models and peers (Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project; Source: http://www.localcommuniites.org/servlet/lc). In addition, the availability of culturally and academically relevant curricula that engages students in meaningful learning, enhanced with technology to provide access to resources and opportunities for collaboration, can significantly contribute to student success (The Dropout Prevention Network, 2002).

• Studies have found that a variety of academic and social experiences that engage students with the arts can produce valid results for increasing learning. For example, intensive arts experience has a positive impact on students’ self-confidence, goal setting ability, leadership skills and reduced dropout rates (The Arts and the Transfer of Learning, 2002).

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

The State Board of Education notes this bill supports its Strategic Goal: Academic Achievement: To improve student performance and increase the student graduation rate in every school, and also supports quality teachers: Establish a system of professional development directly tied to meeting identified student needs.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $921.3 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY04 shall revert to the general fund.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

The National Hispanic Cultural Center indicates this bill may result in some additional seasonal assistance with a minimal increase in administrative staff workload. The educational director’s duties will need to be significantly altered.

JMG/yr