HOUSE BILL 340

53rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2017

INTRODUCED BY

Nathan P. Small and Stephanie Garcia Richard

and Dennis J. Roch and William P. Soules

AN ACT

RELATING TO EDUCATION; CREATING AN EDUCATION STRATEGIC PLANNING TASK FORCE TO DEVELOP A TWENTY-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN FOR EDUCATION FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD THROUGH COLLEGE GRADUATION; CREATING ADVISORY PANELS OF EXPERTS, ADVOCATES, PARENTS, STUDENTS AND OTHERS TO AID THE TASK FORCE; PROVIDING DUTIES; ALLOWING FOR CONTRACTS AND GRANTS AND DONATIONS.

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

     SECTION 1. [NEW MATERIAL] EDUCATION STRATEGIC PLANNING TASK FORCE CREATED--MEMBERSHIP.--

          A. The "education strategic planning task force" is created. The task force shall function from the date of its appointment until December 15, 2019.

          B. The New Mexico legislative council shall appoint the following members to the education strategic planning task force:

                (1) three members from the house of representatives and three members from the senate, at least one of whom from each house shall be from the minority party;

                (2) two members from public education stakeholder groups, including at least one group that is involved in the spectrum of education from early childhood through college;

                (3) one school superintendent from a school district with one thousand or more students;

                (4) one school superintendent from a school district with fewer than one thousand students;

                (5) one school board member from a school district with one thousand or more students; and

                (6) one school board member from a school district with fewer than one thousand students.

          C. The governor shall appoint the following members to the education strategic planning task force:

                (1) two members representing the business community;

                (2) one member representing a research higher education institution;

                (3) one member representing a comprehensive higher education institution; and

                (4) one member representing an independent community college.

          D. The secretary of public education and the secretary of higher education shall serve ex officio and may appoint designees.

          E. Vacancies on the task force shall be filled by appointment by the original appointing authority.

          F. Public members of the task force shall be entitled to per diem and mileage as provided in the Per Diem and Mileage Act and shall receive no other compensation, perquisite or allowance.

          G. Staff for the task force shall be provided by the legislative council service, legislative education study committee and legislative finance committee. The public education department and higher education department and other state agencies and institutions shall cooperate with the task force.

     SECTION 2. [NEW MATERIAL] EDUCATION STRATEGIC PLANNING TASK FORCE DUTIES.--

          A. The education strategic planning task force shall:

                (1) develop a work plan and budget for approval by the New Mexico legislative council;

                (2) develop a twenty-year strategic plan framework upon which the public education department, higher education department, early childhood educators, school districts, charter schools and public post-secondary educational institutions can build short- and long-term plans to improve public and higher education in New Mexico;

                (3) as part of the strategic plan framework design, require periodic updates from the strategic plan framework participants listed in Paragraph (2) of this subsection on their short- and long-range plans implemented in accordance with the framework; and

                (4) provide the strategic plan framework and make recommendations for necessary legislative and executive action to the legislature and the governor by November 1, 2019.

          B. In carrying out its duties, the education strategic planning task force shall:

                (1) convene advisory panels and engage key players and stakeholders in early childhood, public and higher education, including:

                     (a) licensed school employees;

                     (b) organizations that represent licensed school employees;

                     (c) local school boards;

                     (d) boards of regents, faculty and staff of public post-secondary educational institutions;

                     (e) parents and parent-teacher organizations;

                     (f) student leadership organizations;

                     (g) technical-vocational education in both public and higher education;

                     (h) business and civic leaders;

                     (i) local, state and national education advocates and subject-matter experts; and

                     (j) interested members of the public;

                (2) evaluate the current education system and funding mechanisms for early childhood, public and higher education;

                (3) evaluate the effect of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act on public and higher education in New Mexico, including the public education department's planning pursuant to that act and the higher education institutions' preparation of highly qualified teachers and administrators;

                (4) evaluate previous New Mexico-specific studies pertaining to public and higher education and school funding;

                (5) analyze the impact of education on economic development in the state and the current and future professional and occupational needs of employers in the state;

                (6) conduct literature searches of educational best practices and successful education systems currently in use in New Mexico school districts and charter schools, other states and other countries and analyze their potential application for New Mexico, particularly in light of current data relevant to student achievement and teacher effectiveness;

                (7) conduct literature searches of educational best practices currently in use in New Mexico public post-secondary educational institutions, other states and other countries and analyze their potential application for New Mexico, particularly in light of current data relevant to student achievement and faculty effectiveness;

                (8) conduct literature searches on best practices in assessment and accountability at all levels of public and higher education and study other systems of assessments and accountability that have been determined to be effective;

                (9) study the needs of English language learners, special education and at-risk students, with a focus on outcomes for Hispanic, Native American and African-American students and potential social, linguistic and pedagogical innovations and incentives to improve those outcomes;

                (10) engage the higher education department and higher education stakeholders to determine how:

                     (a) to better align public education and higher education so that: 1) school districts and charter schools have the right combination of resources to graduate students who are ready for academic or technical post-secondary education; and 2) public post-secondary educational institutions have the right combination of resources to graduate baccalaureate, master's and doctoral teachers, administrators and other instructional providers;

                     (b) public post-secondary educational institutions can work in concert rather than in competition to improve the delivery of higher education to students and meet students' aspirations for career preparation at every level of educational attainment; and

                     (c) public post-secondary educational institutions can meet the demands of public schools and the private sector for an adequate number of early childhood educators and specialists, diagnosticians, counselors, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists and other instructional support providers;

                (11) analyze successful models for the recruitment and retention of effective licensed school employees;

                (12) evaluate the effectiveness of the current level of investment in education in New Mexico and the process for its financing and propose a long-range financing plan that is both sufficient to support the findings and recommendations of the task force in the strategic plan and ensures sustained funding into the future;

                (13) evaluate strategic planning models and select or design a long-range strategic planning framework for New Mexico public education that builds on the gains in educational achievement made over the last several years to ensure that New Mexico has a public and higher education system that is both successful and sustainable and that contributes to building a professional and technical workforce that will attract and preserve a diverse mix of employment opportunities and viable economic growth in the state; and

                (14) perform other studies, evaluations and analyses as necessary to carry out its duties.

          C. With the approval of the New Mexico legislative council, the legislative council service may enter into contracts for independent education experts and for other technical assistance. The legislative council service may apply for and accept grants and monetary or in-kind donations for the education strategic planning task force to carry out its duties.

     SECTION 3. [NEW MATERIAL] ADVISORY PANELS.--The education strategic planning task force may appoint advisory panels to assist it in its work plan and to focus on topics or overarching themes of the strategic planning process as assigned by the task force. Advisory panels shall include key stakeholders. Public members of advisory panels shall serve for free.

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