0001| HOUSE BILL 73 | 0002| 42ND LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, | 0003| 1996 | 0004| INTRODUCED BY | 0005| BARBARA A. PEREA CASEY | 0006| | 0007| | 0008| | 0009| | 0010| | 0011| AN ACT | 0012| RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS; RECOGNIZING AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE | 0013| AS A LANGUAGE THAT MAY BE TAUGHT IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS; AMENDING | 0014| SECTIONS OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CODE. | 0015| | 0016| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO: | 0017| Section 1. Section 22-1-1.1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1986, | 0018| Chapter 33, Section 1) is amended to read: | 0019| "22-1-1.1. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.-- | 0020| A. The legislature finds that, although New Mexico | 0021| has been in the forefront of educational reforms in many areas, | 0022| additional improvements are necessary to enhance and upgrade the | 0023| delivery of quality education in New Mexico. | 0024| B. The legislature further finds that enhancement of | 0025| the educational system in New Mexico requires a renewed emphasis | 0001| on the primary grades, recognizing especially the importance of | 0002| the first grade to a child's future educational career. | 0003| C. The legislature further finds that teachers and | 0004| administrators play a key role in any reform efforts and | 0005| acknowledges their importance in the educational process. | 0006| D. The legislature further finds that the | 0007| smorgasbord curriculum offered in many schools fails to provide | 0008| students with the basic educational background necessary to | 0009| provide them with indispensable life skills. | 0010| E. The legislature further finds that discipline in | 0011| the schools is essential to provide an atmosphere conducive to | 0012| effective learning. | 0013| F. The legislature further finds and recognizes | 0014| American sign language as a language that should be given the | 0015| same consideration for instruction, to hearing and | 0016| hearing-impaired students, as other languages taught in public | 0017| schools. | 0018| ~~[F.]~~ G. It is the purpose of this reform | 0019| legislation, among other things, to stress the importance of | 0020| substantive academic subjects, provide for a greater emphasis on | 0021| the primary grades, upgrade curriculum and graduation | 0022| requirements, systematically evaluate instructional improvement | 0023| and student progress, increase parental involvement in the | 0024| public schools and recognize that teachers should be treated | 0025| like other professionals." | 0001| Section 2. Section 22-2-8.3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1986, | 0002| Chapter 33, Section 4, as amended) is amended to read: | 0003| "22-2-8.3. SUBJECT AREAS--MINIMUM INSTRUCTIONAL AREAS | 0004| REQUIRED--ACCREDITATION.-- | 0005| A. The state board shall require instruction in | 0006| specific subject areas as provided in Subsections B through F of | 0007| this section. Any public school or school district failing to | 0008| meet these minimum requirements shall not be accredited by the | 0009| state board. | 0010| B. All first and second grade classes shall provide | 0011| daily instruction in language arts skills, including phonics and | 0012| mathematics. Languages other than English, including American | 0013| sign language, may be offered in the remaining instructional | 0014| time. | 0015| C. All third grade classes shall provide daily | 0016| instruction in language arts skills and mathematics. Languages | 0017| other than English, including American sign language, may be | 0018| offered in the remaining instructional time. | 0019| D. All fourth, fifth and sixth grade classes shall | 0020| provide instruction in language arts skills, with an emphasis on | 0021| writing and editing; mathematics; science; and social studies, | 0022| including geography. The following subject areas shall be | 0023| offered in the remaining instructional time: art; music; | 0024| physical education; health; and computer literacy, including a | 0025| general familiarization with computers and support in the areas | 0001| of mathematics and writing through word processing. Languages | 0002| other than English, including American sign language, may be | 0003| offered in the remaining instructional time. | 0004| E. All seventh grade classes shall provide instruction | 0005| in English, with an emphasis on grammar and writing; | 0006| communication skills or science; New Mexico history and | 0007| geography; mathematics; and physical fitness. Remaining | 0008| instructional time may be used for electives listed in | 0009| Subsection G of this section. | 0010| F. All eighth grade classes shall provide instruction | 0011| in English, mathematics, United States history and science. | 0012| Remaining instructional time may be used for electives listed in | 0013| Subsection G of this section. | 0014| G. The electives authorized in Subsections E and F of | 0015| this section are art, industrial arts, chorus, band, home | 0016| economics, typing, creative writing, speech, drama, Spanish, | 0017| American sign language, computer literacy and other electives | 0018| approved by the state board." | 0019| Section 3. Section 22-2-8.4 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1986, | 0020| Chapter 33, Section 5, as amended by Laws 1995, Chapter 174, | 0021| Section 1 and also by Laws 1995, Chapter 180, Section 1) is | 0022| amended to read: | 0023| "22-2-8.4. GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS.-- | 0024| A. At the end of the eighth grade or during the ninth | 0025| grade, each student shall prepare an individual program of study | 0001| for grades nine through twelve. The program of study shall be | 0002| signed by a student's parent or guardian. | 0003| B. Beginning with students entering the ninth grade in | 0004| the 1986-87 school year, successful completion of a minimum of | 0005| twenty-three units shall be required for graduation. These | 0006| units shall be as follows: | 0007| (1) four units in English, with major emphasis on | 0008| grammar and literature; | 0009| (2) three units in mathematics; | 0010| (3) two units in science, one of which shall have | 0011| a laboratory component; | 0012| (4) three units in social science ~~[which]~~ | 0013| that shall include United States history and geography, world | 0014| history and geography, and government and economics; | 0015| (5) one unit in physical fitness; | 0016| (6) one unit in communication skills, with major | 0017| emphasis on writing and speaking ~~[which]~~ that may include a | 0018| language other than English, including American sign language; | 0019| and | 0020| (7) nine elective units. Only the following | 0021| elective units shall be counted toward meeting the requirements | 0022| for graduation: fine arts, i.e., music, band, chorus and art; | 0023| practical arts; physical education; languages other than | 0024| English, including American sign language; speech; drama; | 0025| vocational education; mathematics; science; English; R.O.T.C.; | 0001| social science; computer science; health education; and other | 0002| electives approved by the state board. | 0003| With the approval of the local school board, participation | 0004| on an athletic team or in an athletic sport during the school | 0005| day may count toward fulfillment of the physical education | 0006| required unit. | 0007| C. Final examinations shall be administered to all | 0008| students in all classes offered for credit. | 0009| D. Beginning with students entering the ninth grade in | 0010| the 1986-87 school year, no student shall receive a high school | 0011| diploma who has not passed a state competency examination in the | 0012| subject areas of reading, English, math, science and social | 0013| science. If a student exits from the school system at the end | 0014| of grade twelve without having passed a state competency | 0015| examination, he shall receive an appropriate state certificate | 0016| indicating the number of credits earned and the grade completed. | 0017| If within five years after a student exits from the school | 0018| system he takes and passes the state competency examination, he | 0019| may receive a high school diploma. | 0020| E. The state board may establish a policy to provide | 0021| for administrative interpretations to clarify curricular and | 0022| testing provisions of the Public School Code." | 0023| Section 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the | 0024| provisions of this act is July 1, 1996. | 0025| State of New Mexico | 0001| House of Representatives | 0002| | 0003| FORTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE | 0004| SECOND SESSION, 1996 | 0005| | 0006| January 23, l996 | 0007| | 0008| | 0009| | 0010| Mr. Speaker: | 0011| | 0012| Your RULES AND ORDER OF BUSINESS COMMITTEE, to | 0013| whom has been referred | 0014| | 0015| HOUSE BILL 73 | 0016| | 0017| has had it under consideration and finds same to be | 0018| GERMANE in accordance with constitutional provisions. | 0019| | 0020| Respectfully submitted, | 0021| | 0022| | 0023| | 0024| Barbara A. Perea Casey, Chairperson | 0025| | 0001| | 0002| Adopted Not Adopted | 0003| (Chief Clerk) (Chief Clerk) | 0004| | 0005| Date | 0006| | 0007| The roll call vote was 8 For 0 Against | 0008| Yes: 8 | 0009| Excused: Lujan, Olguin, Pederson, Ryan, Taylor, Wallach, | 0010| S. Williams | 0011| Absent: None | 0012| | 0013| H0073RC1 |