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

SPONSOR Sanchez, B

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

01/24/08

HB

SHORT TITLE High School Vocational Training

SB 170

ANALYST Escudero

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$2,000.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates: HB 255

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Public Education Department (PED)

Higher Education Department (HED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 170 appropriates $2,000.0 from the general fund to the Public Education Department

to Fund Industrial Arts and Vocational Training Programs in High Schools.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $2,000.0 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.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

•

According to PED, it is the intent of this legislation to support the position of the Rural

Economic Development Committee in seeking funding for schools throughout the state to

ensure that students get instruction in industrial arts, auto mechanics, welding, plumbing,

electricity, etc. The Committee’s intent is to emphasize vocational (see below for

Senate Bill 170 – Page

2

terminology) training because the Committee views the high school emphasis to be on

college rather than career development in vocational education (Senator Sanchez, January

22, 2008).

•

In efforts to advance economic development, the Governor initiated seven career clusters

to address the need for a highly trained workforce. This appropriation would most closely

align to such clusters as the following which encompass career and technical education

programs already being implemented across the state: Engineering, Construction,

Manufacturing, and Agriculture Cluster (with pathways in construction, trades,

installation and repair, etc.) and the Energy and Environmental Cluster (with pathways in

government inspection, machining, instrument and electrical, etc.).

•

More than 80 percent of respondents in the 2005 National Association of Manufacturer’s

Skills GAP Report indicated that business is experiencing a shortage of qualified workers

overall – with 13 percent reporting severe shortages in some areas and 68 percent

indicating moderate shortages in others.

•

This bill does not appear to use language parallel to the high school redesign legislation

enacted in 2007 as SB561. As an example, the use of “industrial arts" in this bill rather

than “technology education" to fit SB 561’s model of high school redesign for New

Mexico. A name change could :

.

differentiate between the old (‘vocational’) and new (career technical education

CTE) paradigm of instructional best practices;

.

address professional development for teachers to include POS --the POS is a

rigorous, sequential, aligned course of study leading to an industry recognized

credential/certificate, or Associate or Bachelor’s Degree; the POS is based on

innovative ideas contained within high school redesign for the 21

st

Century.

According to HED, career and technical education is a massive enterprise in the U.S. Thousands

of comprehensive high schools, vocational and technical high schools, area vocational centers,

and community colleges offer career and technical education programs.

According the United States Department of Education, virtually every high school student takes

at least one career and technical education course, and one in four students takes three or more

courses in a single program area. One-third of college students are involved in career and

technical programs, and as many as 40 million adults engage in short-term postsecondary

occupational training.

Eighty-five years after the passage of the first piece of federal vocational education legislation,

career and technical education is evolving from its original and sole focus on preparing students

for work immediately following high school. Today's career and technical education programs

increasingly incorporate rigorous and challenging academic content standards and provide a non-

duplicative sequence of courses leading to an industry-recognized credential or certificate, or an

associate or baccalaureate degree.

In New Mexico career and technical education is an essential component of the high school

curriculum. It is a critical component in meeting the needs of students in academic achievement,

career exploration, career preparation, and leadership development. Successful transition to

postsecondary education, work, or the military is one of the goals of New Mexico's educational

system.

PME/mt