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SPONSOR: |
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DATE TYPED: |
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HB |
256/aHEC |
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SHORT TITLE: |
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SB |
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ANALYST: |
L. Baca |
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APPROPRIATION
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Appropriation
Contained |
Estimated
Additional Impact |
Recurring or
Non-Rec |
Fund Affected |
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FY03 |
FY04 |
FY03 |
FY04 |
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$988.0 |
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Recurring |
GF |
(Parenthesis
( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Relates to: SB192
Relates
to Appropriation for
Responses
Received From
State
Department of Education (SDE)
SUMMARY
Synopsis
of HEC Amendment
The House Education Committee amendment adds an
evaluation component suggested by the CHE:
“The institution receiving the appropriation in
this bill shall submit a program evaluation to the Legislative Finance
Committee and the Commission on Higher Education by
Synopsis
of Original Bill
House Bill 256
appropriates $988.0 for expenditure in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 to the Board
of Regents of Western New Mexico University (WNMU) from the general fund to
establish a network for web-based teacher licensure.
The bill carries an
emergency clause.
Significant
Issues
The bill provides funding for WNMU for a
web-based teacher preparation program to deliver WNMU professional education
courses through distance technology.
This activity is an effort by WNMU to help improve the effectiveness of
instruction and alleviate the teacher shortage in New Mexico and to strengthen
its bid for a five-year re-accreditation by NCATE, the National Council for the
Accreditation of Teacher Education. The
coursework offered electronically will be offered between among and beyond the
four network learning centers in
This request for funding was approved by the
Board of Regents of WNMU and submitted to the CHE as its first priority. However, the CHE did not recommend this or
any other teaching expansion proposal recommending instead the establishment of
the Program development and Enhancement fund with an initial funding level of
$3.o million and available for urgent workforce development in teacher training
($1.4 million) and nursing ($1.6 million).
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of
$988.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any
unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2004
shall revert to the general fund.
The budget submitted
for this program shows
projected expenditures as follows:
Salaries $542,000
Fringe Benefits $146,000
Supplies $ 50,000
Travel $ 50,000
Equipment $200,000
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
The CHE suggests the following language for all
new recurring higher education programs and expansion of current programs
(assuming that funding will continue beyond 2002-2003):
“The
institution receiving the appropriation in this bill submit
a program evaluation to the Legislative Finance Committee and the Commission on
higher Education by August 2005 detailing the benefits to the State of
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS
1.
How would this approach help improve the
quality of teaching in
2.
Has any kind of study concerning student
and teacher interest in the program been done?
LRB/sb