HOUSE BILL 285

52nd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2015

INTRODUCED BY

Christine Trujillo

AN ACT

RELATING TO AUDITS; REQUIRING THE STATE AUDITOR TO ISSUE RULES FOR THE CONDUCT AND PROCEDURES OF QUALITY AND ACCURACY AUDITS OF THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS CONCERNING TEACHER EVALUATIONS AND MERIT PAY AND THE A-B-C-D-F SCHOOLS RATING ACT.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. A new section of the Audit Act is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] QUALITY AND ACCURACY AUDITS--TEACHER EVALUATIONS, MERIT PAY AND SCHOOL RATINGS--STATE AUDITOR RULES.--

          A. The state auditor shall adopt and promulgate rules for the conduct of quality and accuracy audits of teacher evaluations and merit pay and school ratings pursuant to the A-B-C-D-F Schools Rating Act carried out by the public education department or public schools. To aid the state auditor in this duty, the public education department shall provide all applicable program designs, formulas, calculations, data and any other information requested by the state auditor and shall assist the state auditor as requested.

          B. The quality and accuracy audits shall test the:

                (1) soundness of programmatic designs and the formulas used to calculate teacher quality and pay;

                (2) selection of teachers to receive merit pay;

                (3) performance grades issued to public schools; and

                (4) accuracy of data relied on and the calculations used to evaluate teachers' performance, salary increases and public schools.

          C. The state auditor's rules may provide for pre- and post-implementation quality and accuracy audits as provided in Subsection B of this section.

           D. The state auditor shall prepare a list of independent auditors qualified to conduct the quality and accuracy audits required pursuant to this section."

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