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

SPONSOR Vigil

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/24/08

HB 202

SHORT TITLE NM Highlands Center For Diverse Population

SB

ANALYST Haug

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$402.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Higher Education Department (HED)

New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 202 appropriates $402.0 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of New

Mexico Highlands University to fund the Center for the Education and Study of Diverse

Populations.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $402.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any

unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2009 shall revert to the

general fund.

The HED states that a request was submitted by NMHU in the amount of $402,000 to the New

Mexico Higher Education Department (NMHED) for review. The request is an increase of

$171,100 to the current recurring funding. The Department’s executive funding recommendation

for FY09 is a continuance of FY08 recurring funding in the amount of $230,900 with no

additional funding at this time.

House Bill 202 – Page

2

The HED’s evaluation table of FY09 Research and Public Service Projects provided to the LFC

classifies this project as a “would not oppose if funding available" project. Reasons for this

classification decision are not provided. (LFC Report 07-20, Higher Education Department

Review of Selected Research and Public Service Projects, January 12, 2008, Table 4, p73.)

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The HED states:

Center for Education and Study of Diverse Populations (CESDP) provides direct

technical assistance, products, publications, research-based tools/models, and

professional development to students, parents, schools, districts, and educational

organizations, and frequent collaboration with the New Mexico Public Education

Department (PED), institutions of higher education, and regional education centers to

achieve state goals, build capacity, and enhance resources.

CESDP’s goals are to promote knowledge, understanding, and change through research-

based strategies, tools, and models shown to be effective with New Mexico’s population

of learners. The Center has developed approaches that promote systemic change,

successfully leveraging public and private appropriations to engage in numerous

activities by providing leadership to enhance collaboration with the state. In FY09,

CESDP will:

•

Provide educational technical assistance to a minimum of 25 schools statewide;

•

Distribute at least 1,000 K-8 or 9-12 New Mexico Content Standards and Benchmarks

Guides to New Mexico schools;

•

Implement the 17th Annual Back-to-School Family Institute for student leaders,

parents/community members, and educators statewide;

•

Distribute at least 200 copies of the Working Together: School-Family-Community

Partnerships Toolkit to schools and community based organizations statewide; and

•

Implement one major summer institute for educators and para-educators on Sheltered

Instruction Best Practices for English Language Learners

CESDP continues to refine several research-based models, including High Quality

Sheltered Instruction, Culturally Proficient Teaching, ENLACE for college preparation,

Action Research for Teachers, and Data Summits for Decision Making to assist

struggling schools and districts with systemic change. These learning experiences

contribute to an overall understanding and focus on student needs and instruction and

school programs to meet those needs, as well as building structures, learning

communities, and monitoring systems to ensure progress towards prioritized goals.

NMHU notes that the appropriation is consistent with the University Strategic plan and assists

with the university mission of integrating education, research, public service, and economic

development.

GH/mt