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

SPONSOR Nava

DATE TYPED 02/08/05 HB

SHORT TITLE School Personnel Level 1 and 2 Licenses

SB 499

ANALYST Chabot

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to HB 83, and SB 662

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Finance and Administration (DFA)

Public Education Department (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 499 amends Section 22-10A-7 NMSA 1978 to change the time period of a level 1

teaching license from 3 to 4 years by which time a teacher must earn a level 2 license or be ter-

minated. It retains the provision that a teacher can earn a level 2 license after 3 years. The bill

has an emergency clause.

Significant Issues

This bill would give a level 1 teacher an extra year to gain the necessary experience, competen-

cies, professional growth, and complete the required dossier for evaluation for earning a level 2

license.

DFA states “extending the period given to beginning teachers to mature and increase mastery in

the profession appears to serve wider administrative goals of improving teacher quality and re-

tention.” The negative is extending the period of licensure may result in low quality instruction

Senate Bill 499 -- Page 2

in various classrooms, particularly if the teacher chooses not to or is unable to meet the require-

ments of Level 2 licensure and leaves the teaching profession.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

PED states this bill is not related to any agency performance measures; it could relate to the pub-

lic school support measure on percent of highly qualified teachers in the classroom.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

This bill would have minimal fiscal impact.

TECHNICAL ISSUES

PED points out Sections 22-10A-4(C) and 22-10A-10(B) also need to be changed to be consis-

tent with changes in this bill.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL.

Level 1 teachers who have not completed requirements for Level 2 Licensure could be termi-

nated at the end of 2005.

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

1.

How many teachers have expressed a need for this extension.

2.

How many Level 1 teachers will have their license expire at the end of 2005.

GAC/rs