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|
SPONSOR: |
Taylor , JP |
DATE TYPED: |
2/27/03 |
HB |
673 |
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SHORT TITLE: |
Experimental Community Learning Center |
SB |
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ANALYST: |
Dunbar |
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APPROPRIATION
|
Appropriation
Contained |
Estimated
Additional Impact |
Recurring or
Non-Rec |
Fund Affected |
||
|
FY03 |
FY04 |
FY03 |
FY04 |
|
|
|
|
$150.0 |
|
See Narrative |
Recurring |
GF |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
(Parenthesis
( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Relates to SB582, HB104, SB404,
SB 636
Responses
Received From
Department
of Health (DOH)
New
Mexico State Department of Education (NMSDE)
SUMMARY
Synopsis
of Bill
House Bill 673
appropriates $150,000 from the general fund to the Department of Health (DOH)
for expenditure in fiscal year 2004 for an experiential community learning
center based on a five-acre farm school, involving learners of all ages in
mental, physical and spiritual development.
The bill proposes utilizing research and advanced learning concepts to
design and implement quality educational programs in leadership training,
entrepreneurship, the arts, agriculture and the environment.
Significant
Issues
Positive youth development has been
demonstrated to decrease problem behavior such as substance abuse, teen
pregnancy and violence, as well as promoting positive outcomes. Goals of
positive youth development include youth being intellectually reflective, en
route to a lifetime of meaningful work, good citizens, caring, ethical, and
healthy (Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development, 1989). Youth development
programs are developmentally appropriate and foster the above competencies in
addition to skill building, for decision making, problem solving, conflict
resolution, critical thinking and leadership to meet the challenges they will
face as they mature. They expose youth to opportunities, services and supports
in their communities.
NMSDE points out that studies support the
efficacy of experiential learning that engages learners in activities that have
a direct relationship between the content of what is to be learned, the context
of the learner and the environment in which the learning experience
occurs. Experiential learning can
provide innovative strategies to address leadership and entrepreneurship by
promoting:
A key distinction of
experiential learning, according to NMSDE, is that it addresses the needs and
wants of the learner. The qualities of experiential learning include personal
involvement, self-initiation, evaluated by the learner and capable of pervasive
effects on the learner. Experiential
learning is equivalent to personal change and growth. All human beings have a natural propensity to learn therefore the
role of the teacher is to facilitate such learning. This includes: (1) setting
a positive climate for learning, (2) clarifying the purposes of the learner(s),
(3) organizing and making available learning resources, (4) balancing
intellectual and emotional components of learning and (5) sharing feelings and
thoughts with learners but not dominating.
(Rogers, C.R. & Freiberg, H.J. (1994). Freedom to Learn (3rd Ed).
Columbus, OH: Merrill/Macmillan.)
The legislation provides funding for programs
that can:
The appropriation of
$150.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any
unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY 04 shall revert
to the general fund.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
The
DOH would need to develop a Request for Proposals and a contract with a
five-acre farm school. This
appropriation may require additional staff.
HB
673 relates to:
· SB
582, which would support Rio Grande High School Cluster dropout prevention programs,
including mentorship and student leadership programs, through the SDE at a cost
of $350,000.
· HB
104, which would establish a dropout prevention pilot project through the SDE
at a cost of $246,000.
· SB
404, which would establish dropout prevention programs at Bernalillo, Valley,
Los Lunas, Rio Grande and West Mesa high schools in Bernalillo, Sandoval and
Valencia counties through the SDE at a cost of $1,000,000.
· SB
636 which would appropriate $250,000 from the general fund to the Department of
Health (DOH) for expenditure in fiscal year 2004 for an experiential community
learning center that provides academic mentoring, substance abuse prevention,
experiential education, wilderness adventure and parental support for students
twelve to seventeen years of age in a school district with a student enrollment
in excess of sixty thousand students.
· Community service has been related to
increased sense of well-being and more positive attitudes toward people, the
future, and the community and allows youth to “give back” to their community.
· Mentoring programs provide youth with
structured time with adults and are related to reductions in substance use and
increases in positive attitudes toward others, the future, and school. Also, participation in these programs is
related to increased school attendance.
The more highly involved the mentor, the greater the positive
results.
· Provision of organized
recreation/cultural activities by community agencies can decrease substance use
and delinquency by providing both drug-free alternatives and monitoring and
supervision of children.
BD/njw