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

SPONSOR	Sanchez, B		DATE TYPED	2/7/04		HB
SHORT TITLE		Media Literacy Curriculum				SB	266/aSEC
					ANALYST		Gilbert

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained		Estimated Additional Impact		Recurring or Non-Rec	Fund Affected
FY04	FY05	FY04	FY05
	$150.0			Recurring	General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates: HB 250

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

NM Public Education Department (PED)

Economic Development Department (EDD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of SEC Amendment

The Senate Education Committee amendment to Senate Bill 266 would appropriate $150 thousand from the general fund to the Public Education Department to develop a media literacy skills curriculum for public school students in kindergarten through the eighth grade, rather to the Economic Development Department (EDD) as specified in the original bill.

Synopsis of Original Bill

Senate Bill 266 appropriates $150 thousand from the general fund to the Economic Development Department (EDD) to develop a media literacy skills curriculum for public school students in kindergarten through the eighth grade.

Significant Issues

The skills curriculum must include mathematics, science, technology and successful study habits. The purpose is to provide New Mexico students with a foundation in critical thinking which is necessary for successful employment.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $150.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2005 shall revert to the general fund.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

The EDD does not have staff with expertise necessary to develop public school curriculum and will require assistance from the Public Education Department (PED) to identify potential contractors and to facilitate implementation of the curriculum within the public school system. This legislation will also require a relationship with employers to identify basic skills that employers require, regardless of the industry.

This program will also require a long term financial commitment in order to monitor success.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

According to the PED, the state-funded Educational Technology Act and the federally funded Technology Literacy Challenge Fund, the Technology Innovation Challenge Grant program and the current Enhancing Education through Technology initiative, have helped establish the human and technological infrastructure to enhance learning through technology. Media literacy has been a component of these initiatives, helping teachers and students develop their critical-thinking skills across disciplines.

In a study conducted by the National Middle School Association (www.nmsa.org), two approaches to teaching sixth grade mathematics were compared. The study involved both students with and without disabilities. Both technology-based and text-based groups showed improvement in problem solving skills, but the technology-based students were able to maintain and transfer what they learned in the technology-based classroom several weeks later.

RLG/yr