0001|                            HOUSE BILL 122
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0002|     43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                          SHERYL M. WILLIAMS
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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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0007|     
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0008|            FOR THE LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE
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0009|     
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0010|                                AN ACT
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0011|     RELATING TO EDUCATION; ENACTING THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
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0012|     ACT; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.
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0013|     
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0014|     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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0015|          Section 1.  A new section of the Public School Code is
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0016|     enacted to read:
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0017|          "[<u>NEW MATERIAL</u>]  SHORT TITLE.--This act may be cited as
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0018|     the "Professional Development Act"."
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0019|          Section 2.  A new section of the Public School Code is
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0020|     enacted to read:
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0021|          "[<u>NEW MATERIAL</u>]  PURPOSE OF ACT.--It is the purpose of
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0022|     the Professional Development Act to:
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0023|               A.  establish a framework for professional
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0024|     development within the department of education to facilitate
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0025|     statewide planning and adoption of professional development
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0001|     programs in school districts to ensure that New Mexico public
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0002|     schools have a quality work force;
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0003|               B.  provide school personnel with a variety of
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0004|     professional development opportunities and ongoing support to
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0005|     ensure integration of effective teaching strategies, learning
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0006|     technologies and use of resources in the educational process
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0007|     to enhance student learning and performance; and 
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0008|               C.  establish a funding mechanism that supports the
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0009|     development of an effective school personnel work force for
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0010|     the benefit of public school students in New Mexico."
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0011|          Section 3.  A new section of the Public School Code is
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0012|     enacted to read:
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0013|          "[<u>NEW MATERIAL</u>]  STATE BOARD DUTIES--PROFESSIONAL
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0014|     DEVELOPMENT PLANS.--The state board shall:
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0015|               A.  administer the provisions of the Professional
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0016|     Development Act;
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0017|               B.  develop and adopt, in cooperation with local
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0018|     school boards and their communities, a professional
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0019|     development framework with criteria for schools and local
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0020|     school boards to use in creating plans for professional
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0021|     development consistent with school, local school board, state
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0022|     and national goals that will enhance student achievement and
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0023|     performance;
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0024|               C.  assist schools and local school boards to
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0025|     develop a comprehensive plan based on the state board's
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0001|     planning framework;
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0002|               D.  develop and administer a process for the review
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0003|     and approval of local school boards' professional development
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0004|     plans; and 
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0005|               E.  distribute funds to local school boards upon
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0006|     approval of each local school board's professional development
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0007|     plan as addressed in its educational plan for student
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0008|     success."
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0009|          Section 4.  A new section of the Public School Code is
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0010|     enacted to read:
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0011|          "[<u>NEW MATERIAL</u>]  LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS--PROFESSIONAL
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0012|     DEVELOPMENT PLANS.--
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0013|               A.  A local school board shall adopt and implement
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0014|     a professional development plan for its administrators,
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0015|     teachers and other personnel employed by the district.  The
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0016|     professional development plan shall be updated annually to
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0017|     ensure that the proposed plan is consistent with national,
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0018|     state and the local school board's goals and objectives.
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0019|               B.  Each local school board shall submit a proposed
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0020|     professional development plan to the state board that meets
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0021|     state board professional development guidelines and standards.
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0022|               C.  Proposed professional development plans shall: 
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0023|                    (1)  be developed in collaboration with
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0024|     certified and noncertified school personnel;
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0025|                    (2)  show evidence of how the plans will
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0001|     enhance student academic achievement and support the
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0002|     attainment of local school board, state and national goals;
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0003|     and 
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0004|                    (3)  include a parent and community
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0005|     involvement component and appropriate evaluation procedures.
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0006|               D.  Proposed professional development plans shall
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0007|     be designed to respond to local needs and may include the
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0008|     following:
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0009|                    (1)  standards-based academic educational
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0010|     reform innovations that will assist in the attainment of
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0011|     national and state educational goals and content standards,
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0012|     with benchmarks and supporting assessment practices;
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0013|                    (2)  knowledge and skills to assist teachers
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0014|     in meeting the individual needs of students, the needs of
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0015|     limited language-proficient students and the complex
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0016|     challenges encountered in the classroom;
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0017|                    (3)  knowledge and skills to assist in the use
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0018|     of technology in education and technology applications that
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0019|     will enhance student learning and professional development,
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0020|     such as technology-enhanced curricula and instruction and
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0021|     administrative resources and services for the public schools;
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0022|                    (4)  professional development activities to
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0023|     assist teachers in preparing for national certification
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0024|     through the national board for professional teaching
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0025|     standards;
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0001|                    (5)  career ladder programs for educational
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0002|     assistants and noncertified school employees to improve job-
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0003|     related skills; and
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0004|                    (6)  methods to successfully implement
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0005|     inclusion, transition and unified systems to meet the local
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0006|     needs of all students with developmental disabilities."     
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0007|          Section 5.  APPROPRIATION.--Four million five hundred 
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0008|     thousand dollars ($4,500,000) is appropriated from the general
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0009|     fund to the state department of public education for
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0010|     expenditure in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 for the purpose of
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0011|     making distributions on a per unit basis to school districts
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0012|     to implement approved professional development plans.  Any
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0013|     unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of
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0014|     fiscal year 2000 shall revert to the general fund.
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0015|                                  
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