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

SPONSOR M.H. Garcia

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/28/08

HB 362

SHORT TITLE English Teacher Collaboration Program

SB

ANALYST Haug

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$25.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Higher Education Department (HED)

New Mexico State University (NMSU

Public Education Department (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 362 appropriates $25.0 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of New Mexico

State University for the English Teacher Collaboration Program, which provides professional

development for teachers of secondary and post-secondary English.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $25.0 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 this request was not submitted by NMSU to the New Mexico Higher

Education Department (NMHED) for review. The Department’s funding recommendation for

FY09 is a continuance of FY08 recurring funding in the amount of $20,000.

House Bill 362 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

According to NMSU, NMSU seeks to further develop the English Teacher Collaboration

Program to provide professional development for secondary and postsecondary English teachers.

The program strives to improve student preparedness for college, as well as increase student

retention. This appropriation would provide additional funds for program development, travel,

materials and recruitment. The design of the program includes the following opportunities for

teachers:

•

Observation of other teacher’s classrooms;

•

Design and plan co-constructed assignments;

•

Team teaching; and

•

Cross-institutional professional development.

The HED notes that the greatest impact is that NMSU will be able to continue the professional

development of secondary and postsecondary English teachers. The funding will provide a

recurring revenue stream to support the increased number of students involved in the program

and continue collaboration between NMSU and high schools in Las Cruces. This appropriation

would provide funds for program development, conferences, materials, and recruitment.

According to the PED, House Bill 362 addresses the issue of alignment between high school and

undergraduate programs in English but, more specifically, speaks to the issue of entering first-

year students lacking the prerequisite language, reading and writing skills to successfully

undertake college work. The need for remediation in Reading 100 is nearly universal. Both high

school and college instructors can benefit from professional development that seeks to raise high

school English class standards so that they are aligned with the requirements for postsecondary

and workforce success.

The PED adds that such professional development would be designed in collaboration with the

NMSU English Department and College of Education and local school district administrators

and teachers. Support for implementation of this effort would be provided by NMSU’s Alliance

for the Improvement of Border and Rural Schools, a collaboration of NMSU and school district

administrators. It is envisioned that such aligned efforts between high school and college

instructors, with support from NMSU English experts, will result in reduced numbers of students

needing remedial courses and in better preparation for college and workforce success.

The PED notes that HB 362 could serve to support the Public School Support Performance

Measures:

•

Annual percent of highly qualified teachers in high-poverty schools, kindergarten through

twelfth grade and

•

Annual percent of core academic subjects taught by highly qualified teachers,

kindergarten through twelfth grade.

GH/bb