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A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THAT THE LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE,

THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND OTHERS MEET IN THE

INTERIM TO STUDY ACCOUNTABILITY TARGETS.

WHEREAS, the people of New Mexico share a vision of a

world-class education system that prepares their children for

success in the twenty-first century; and

WHEREAS, the New Mexico legislature has laid the

essential groundwork needed to support an educational system

with enhanced educational opportunities for all New Mexico

students; and

WHEREAS, public schools in New Mexico have made progress

in reducing the achievement gap; and

WHEREAS, New Mexico ranks second in the nation for

education reform, school choice and children's access to free

and reduced-cost breakfast and ranks fourth in the nation for

a strong nutrition policy; and

WHEREAS, New Mexico is one of four states leading the

nation in innovative school improvement strategies; and

WHEREAS, New Mexico ranks in the top ten states in grade

three reading comprehension and in oral reading fluency for

students in grades one, two and three; and

WHEREAS, New Mexico is one of only nine states with an

approved highly qualified teacher plan and is one of eleven

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states to have standards-based assessments aligned to strong

content standards; and

WHEREAS, New Mexico is recognized for standards and

benchmarks that are well aligned to advanced placement and

college entrance examinations; and

WHEREAS, the secretary of public education and the

educational community assert that it is not just assessments

that will reform education in New Mexico, but that schools

must be accountable for performance, instruction and

improvement; and

WHEREAS, scientific research supports the use of

formative "short-cycle" assessments to inform instruction for

students; and

WHEREAS, the public education department supports the

use of short-cycle assessments to address the differentiated

learning needs of a diverse student population; and

WHEREAS, there were four hundred forty schools that did

not make adequate yearly progress pursuant to New Mexico and

federal accountability standards, largely because of the

performance of various subpopulations;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE

STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the legislative education study

committee, in collaboration with the public education

department, the legislative council service, public school

superintendents, directors of special education, directors of

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bilingual education and other appropriate educators, form a

study group to meet during the interim to discuss the

possible use of short-cycle assessments as an indicator of

student progress and to recommend an accountability mechanism

for the specific subpopulations based on a growth model; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study group study the

impact of using the office of special education targets in

lieu of New Mexico accountability targets; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study group examine

opportunity-to-learn factors as a companion to New Mexico

accountability targets; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study group report its

findings to the appropriate interim committee of the

legislature by December 1, 2008; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be

transmitted to the secretary of public education, the chair

of the legislative education study committee and the director

of the legislative council service.