0001|                       HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 10
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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|                            JOHN A. HEATON
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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|                           A JOINT MEMORIAL
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0011|     REQUESTING THAT THE NEW MEXICO CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION
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0012|     INITIATE LEGISLATION TO CHANGE THE WAY FEDERAL FUNDS FOR HEAD
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0013|     START ARE DISTRIBUTED TO THE STATES.
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0014|     
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0015|          WHEREAS, head start offers early childhood education and
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0016|     a wide range of other services to meet the health, nutritional
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0017|     and psychological needs of low-income children; and
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0018|          WHEREAS, support for federally funded preschool, such as
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0019|     head start, is based on the assumption that preschool years
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0020|     present a special opportunity to affect later development,
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0021|     particularly among children from low-income homes; and
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0022|          WHEREAS, early childhood education programs promote
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0023|     children's early development and improve their readiness to
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0024|     succeed in school; and
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0025|          WHEREAS, research shows that continuity in early
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0001|     childhood programs and elementary school curricula supports
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0002|     children's early development and provides a smooth transition
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0003|     into elementary school; and
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0004|          WHEREAS, early childhood education programs consistently
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0005|     demonstrate beneficial effects for children, such as improved
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0006|     academic achievement, a reduction in grade retention, earlier
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0007|     diagnosis of special needs and greater likelihood of high
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0008|     school graduation; and
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0009|          WHEREAS, studies indicate that children who have
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0010|     participated in early childhood education programs demonstrate
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0011|     better classroom behavior, better social adjustment, increased
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0012|     pride in school achievement and increased commitment to
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0013|     school; and
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0014|          WHEREAS, many parents and children do not have access to
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0015|     head start programs because they are not available in many
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0016|     areas; and
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0017|          WHEREAS, if funding for head start were distributed to
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0018|     departments of education in all the states, head start would
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0019|     be school based; and
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0020|          WHEREAS, if head start programs were school based, they
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0021|     would be available in all areas; and
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0022|          WHEREAS, one of the goals of the national education goals
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0023|     2000 is that "All children in America will start school ready
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0024|     to learn";
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0025|          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE
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0001|     STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico congressional
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0002|     delegation be urged to initiate legislation to move federal
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0003|     funds for head start to the departments of education in all
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0004|     the states for distribution so that head start programs are
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0005|     school based to provide the highest quality childhood
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0006|     education, continuity in school curriculum and a smooth
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0007|     transition from early childhood programs to elementary school
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0008|     for children and their families; and
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0009|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
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0010|     sent to the New Mexico congressional delegation.
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0011|                              
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