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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Fox-Young
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
2/14/07
HB 841
SHORT TITLE NM Tech Master of Science in Teaching
SB
ANALYST Leger
APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)
Appropriation
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY07
FY08
$250.0 Nonrecurring
General Fund
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses Received From
New Mexico Higher Education Department (HED)
New Mexico Public Education Department (PED)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
House Bill 841 appropriates $250 thousand from the general fund to the board of regents of New
Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NM Tech) for the purpose of supporting the master
of science in teaching program.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of $250 thousand contained in this bill is a nonrecurring expense to the
general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY08 shall
revert to the general fund.
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
The appropriation in HB 841 will primarily be used for scholarships. NM Tech estimates up to
75 teachers would receive support for one year in the program.
pg_0002
House Bill 841 – Page
2
The master of science teaching (MST) program is a graduate program which educators may
obtain a master’s degree in science teaching. The content of the courses are based with emphasis
on classroom application integrated into course materials. Students are encouraged to develop
classroom and laboratory activities that will be used with their own students, as well as
participate in current research projects to enhance their experience and provide research
opportunities to their own students. Classes are traditionally taught in the summer on the NM
Tech campus over a two week period. During the academic year, evening courses are taught in
Albuquerque and via distance education.
PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS
According to HED the following are goals of the MST program:
•
To enhance the development of dynamic learning communities composed of university
faculty, teacher-participants, and students of teacher-participants.
•
To provide current, applicable Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology
(SMET) content to teacher-participants, consistent with principles of effective practice in
facilitating adult learning including the promotion of collaborative spirit among NMIMT
faculty, MST teacher-participants, and SMET professionals; the respect of students'
uniqueness and separateness; and provision of opportunities for the systemic and altering
process of exploration and investigation (i.e. reflection on action, more exploration and
investigation, more reflection on action).
•
To enhance classroom teaching and learning through the acquisition of in-depth SMET
content knowledge.
•
To enhance the development of the abilities of teacher-participants to apply vertically
integrated curriculum through utilization of national teaching and content standards and
Advanced Placement courses, thus contributing to the development of the educational
pipeline carrying students to SMET careers.
•
To provide research opportunities for teacher-participants and their students in
collaboration with university faculty.
•
To provide distance learning opportunities via interactive television, web casting, and
frequent online interaction between university faculty, teacher-participants, and their
students.
•
To provide access to innovative and current classroom, laboratory, and field experiences
in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology.
JL/mt