SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 18

51st legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2014

INTRODUCED BY

Jacob R. Candelaria and Bill McCamley

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE ON FUNDS SPENT ON CONTRACTS FOR STANDARDIZED TESTS.

     WHEREAS, providing a quality education to New Mexico's children is a top priority; and

     WHEREAS, accountability of New Mexico educators to provide the tools and resources that students need to succeed is essential; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico, along with forty-five other states and the District of Columbia, has adopted the common core state standards for public schooling, establishing new guidelines for both teachers and students; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico common core standards are a different approach to learning, teaching and testing, and are designed to emphasize critical thinking skills and to ensure that students leave high school with the necessary skills for college or a career; and

     WHEREAS, the quality of the education that children receive is, in part, measured by the results of standardized tests; and

     WHEREAS, standards-based assessment testing is required of all New Mexico public school, charter school and private school students in third grade through high school; and

     WHEREAS, standardized testing materials are a significant expenditure in the application of common core standards; and

     WHEREAS, these expenditures will continue to be a significant budget item during the public education department's implementation of common core state standards; and

     WHEREAS, the Procurement Code governs how goods and services are procured by state agencies to ensure that tax dollars are spent responsibly; and

     WHEREAS, competitive bidding is required for the purchase of tangible goods, including software licenses and intellectual property;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that, during the 2014 interim, the public education department be requested to provide an accounting of funds spent for standardized testing materials; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the public education department be requested to provide documentation on how the procurement process for standardized testing materials was conducted, including the bidding process and selection of vendors chosen; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the public education department be requested to prepare a report and present findings to the legislative education study committee by November 1, 2014; and

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

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