HOUSE BILL 507

46th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2004

INTRODUCED BY

Janice E. Arnold-Jones

AN ACT

RELATING TO EDUCATION; PROVIDING FOR A STUDY TO IDENTIFY HIGHLY TALENTED STUDENTS WHO FAIL TO COMPLETE A CONVENTIONAL HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM AND THE BARRIERS THAT IMPEDE THE CONTINUATION OF THEIR EDUCATION; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     Section 1. TEMPORARY PROVISION--UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO STUDY TO IDENTIFY, ADMIT AND SUPPORT HIGHLY TALENTED STUDENTS.--

          A. The division of student affairs at the university of New Mexico shall conduct a study to identify gifted and highly talented students who fail to complete a conventional high school program culminating in a diploma; the barriers that impede the continuation of their education; and the appropriate type of education to allow them to succeed and continue to excel academically. The study shall:

                (1) develop strategies for identifying those highly talented students who leave the traditional school system;

                (2) develop and implement a survey to determine the salient factors affecting those students' ability to remain in conventional high school programs;

                (3) document the educational paths taken by those students;

                (4) identify barriers to continued education; and

                (5) provide quantitative and qualitative analyses of data collected by the study.

          B. The university of New Mexico shall make periodic reports to the legislative education study committee, the public education department and the commission on higher education. The final report of the study, including recommendations, shall be provided to the first session of the forty-seventh legislature, including two copies of the report to the legislative council service library.

     Section 2. APPROPRIATION.--Seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the board of regents of the university of New Mexico for expenditure in fiscal year 2005 for the division of student affairs to conduct the study provided for in Section 1 of this act. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2005 shall revert to the general fund.

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