SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 36

50th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2011

INTRODUCED BY

Gerald Ortiz y Pino

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO EXPAND THE RELATED SERVICES ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP AND TO STUDY THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDERS IN NEW MEXICO.

     WHEREAS, instructional support providers provide services for New Mexico public schools and state institutions and include educational assistants, school counselors, school social workers, school nurses, speech-language pathologists, psychologists, physical therapists, physical therapy assistants, occupational therapists, marriage and family therapists, occupational therapy assistants, recreational therapists, signed language interpreters, educational, alcohol and drug abuse counselors, substance abuse associates and others who are employed to support the instructional program of a school district or charter school; and

     WHEREAS, in 2007, the public education department formed the related services advisory council to serve as a liaison to the special education and licensure bureaus of the public education department and to advise those bureaus on concerns related to licensure and service delivery models for instructional support providers and provide technical assistance in the development of associated policy and state rules; and

     WHEREAS, the related services advisory council's stated vision is to seek to improve the quality and appropriate delivery of instructional support services in New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, the related services advisory council membership does not represent all of the varied professions that are instructional support providers, and the council does not examine the effectiveness of instructional support providers in New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, the public education department manages a data system that collects and reports information on instructional support services and how those services affect the education of New Mexico's students, but data regarding the effectiveness of instructional support providers is not available in any meaningful way to the providers, which limits the providers' ability to demonstrate their effectiveness;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the department of education be requested to expand the membership of the related services advisory council to allow for representation of all of the professions that are instructional support providers; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the related services advisory council work with professional organizations representing instructional support providers in New Mexico to develop and formalize an interdisciplinary process to identify and report aggregated outcome data on the effectiveness of instructional support providers from the public education department's data system and statewide policies related to assessments, service delivery and workload of instructional support providers; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the related services advisory council work with leadership in New Mexico teachers unions in developing the process for reporting data on the effectiveness of instructional support providers; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the related services advisory council examine appropriate standardized measurement instruments for the collection of aggregate instructional support provider data across the state when developing the process for reporting data on the effectiveness of instructional support providers; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, based on the process developed to identify and report the data on the effectiveness of instructional support providers, the related services advisory council examine regulatory and statutory changes that define evidence-based protocols for services performed by instructional support providers; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the public education department be given quarterly reports from the related services advisory council on issues related to instructional support providers in New Mexico; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the related services advisory council report to the legislative education study committee by October 15, 2011 with its findings and recommendations, including necessary statutory changes; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the director of the legislative education study committee and the secretary of public education.

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