SENATE MEMORIAL 38

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

INTRODUCED BY

John M. Sapien

A MEMORIAL

DECLARING THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 7 THROUGH 14, 2014 AS "NEW MEXICO STEM EDUCATION WEEK IN THE SENATE" AND ANNOUNCING VOLUNTARY TARGETS FOR NEW MEXICO REGARDING SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS.

     WHEREAS, teachers, industry leaders, parents and other citizens took part in a two-day science, technology, engineering and mathematics summit in November 2012, sponsored by the New Mexico partnership for math and science education and organized by New Mexico first; and

     WHEREAS, that group formed a collective impact team that has worked for fourteen months to research and advance sound policies and practices regarding science, technology, engineering and mathematics education in New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico economy is highly reliant on the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, including energy development, national laboratories, health care and high-technology companies; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico's economic development priorities call for expansion of science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields; and

     WHEREAS, national labor market research predicts that the American work force will need one hundred twenty-three million workers for high-skill jobs by 2020, but only fifty million Americans are expected to qualify for them; and

     WHEREAS, the rising number of retirees in the "baby boomer" generation will further reduce the number of science, technology, engineering and mathematics professionals, particularly engineers, in the nation's and New Mexico's labor force; and

     WHEREAS, the federal government set a national target of ten thousand new science and mathematics teachers per year to educate the next generation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics professionals; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico adopted the common core state standards, requiring additional professional development of mathematics teachers;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the week of February 7 through 14, 2014 be declared "New Mexico STEM Education Week in the Senate"; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the public education department be requested to develop a plan for consideration and possible adoption of the next-generation science standards and report to the legislature by fall 2014 its intentions regarding potential implementation as well as roll-out of the common core state standards in mathematics; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the public education department, the higher education department and the private sector each work to advance the following voluntary targets:

          A. New Mexico will certify one thousand new science and mathematics teachers by 2020;

          B. New Mexico will demonstrate a twenty-five percent increase in the number of high school students measurably proficient in mathematics by 2020;

          C. public post-secondary educational institutions will coordinate with one another and present to the legislature by December 2014 information on combined efforts to reform the pre-service teacher programs that will prepare the next generation of science and mathematics educators; and

          D. New Mexico will increase the college graduation rate in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields by twenty-five percent by 2020; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the departments, public post-secondary educational institutions and private sector partners be requested to present progress on these goals to the legislative education study committee annually for the next three years; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor, the secretaries of public education and higher education, the presidents of public post-secondary educational institutions, the chairs of the legislative education study committee and the legislative finance committee, New Mexico first and the New Mexico partnership for math and science education.

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