SENATE MEMORIAL 90

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

INTRODUCED BY

John M. Sapien

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO CONVENE A HIGH SCHOOL MATHEMATICS EDUCATION TASK FORCE AND TO REQUIRE OTHER STUDIES BY THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND THE HIGHER EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

     WHEREAS, the growth of New Mexico's economy depends on science, technology, engineering and mathematics expertise, including health care, energy development, national laboratories and high-technology companies; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico partnership for math and science education and New Mexico first have formed a collective impact team that has worked to research and advance sound policies and practices regarding science, technology, engineering and mathematics education in New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, there has been support by members of the legislature for a voluntary target of a twenty-five percent increase in the number of high school students measurably proficient in mathematics by 2020; and

     WHEREAS, fewer than fifty percent of New Mexico high school students are proficient in mathematics as currently measured by the New Mexico standards-based assessment; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico high school graduation requirements include four credits of mathematics culminating in algebra II; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico students will begin taking new standardized assessments in 2015 aligned with the state content standards, administered through the partnership for assessment of readiness for college and careers, which in high school requires a proficiency equivalent to algebra II; and

     WHEREAS, parents are currently permitted to opt students out of the algebra II requirement through a waiver process, established by rule, that varies between school districts; and

     WHEREAS, those students are less likely to pass standards-based assessments aligned with state content standards for college and career exams; and

     WHEREAS, there has also been support by members of the legislature for a voluntary target to increase the number of new mathematics and science teachers by the year 2020; and

     WHEREAS, the educational accountability reporting system report collects essential measurement data on the preparation of New Mexico educators, including mathematics and science teachers, but has not been updated since the 2011-2012 academic year;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the public education department be requested to convene a high school mathematics education task force; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the high school mathematics education task force include secondary mathematics teachers, post-secondary faculty, representatives from the higher education department, representatives of the New Mexico school superintendents' association and the private sector; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force be requested to review policies, practices and causes associated with students who use the algebra II waiver; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the public education department and higher education department be requested to review internal resources and assess whether it is feasible for the educational accountability reporting system to be updated more frequently and with more current data and whether it would be advantageous for current and previous versions of the report to be posted in a single searchable location online; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the higher education department be requested to research the potential financial and academic impacts of revising the funding formula for the higher education department to include incentives for institutions of higher education to award degrees to education students who commit to teaching science and mathematics; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, in 2015 through 2017, the high school mathematics education task force, the public education department and the higher education department be requested to prepare reports and present their findings to the legislative education study committee and any other appropriate interim committees each November 1; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor, the secretary of higher education, the secretary of public education, the legislative education study committee, the legislative finance committee, the chair of the public education department's mathematics and science advisory council and the New Mexico partnership for math and science education.

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