SENATE BILL 970

48th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2007

INTRODUCED BY

Pete Campos

AN ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC EDUCATION; PROVIDING FOR AN INTENSIVE READING AND LANGUAGE INTERVENTION PILOT PROGRAM; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

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

     Section 1. INTENSIVE READING AND LANGUAGE INTERVENTION PILOT PROGRAM.--

          A. The public education department shall establish a pilot program in which a contractor provides a participating school with intensive reading and language intervention for participating students. The department shall adopt criteria for the application by and selection of schools to participate in the pilot program.

          B. The public education department shall adopt criteria for the selection of a contractor to provide the pilot program that include neuroscience-based, scientifically validated methods, interventions and instructional tools that have been proven to accelerate learning, cognitive ability and language proficiency.

          C. A school participating in the pilot program shall select students to participate in the program. A participating school shall assess each selected student before the student enters and after the student leaves the pilot program to measure the student's progress.

          D. Not later than October 1, 2009, the public education department shall provide the legislative education study committee with a report describing the assessment of student progress from participation in the pilot program.

     Section 2. APPROPRIATION.--One million dollars ($1,000,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the public education department for expenditure in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 to establish a reading and language intervention pilot program. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2009 shall revert to the general fund.

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