SENATE BILL 1112

48th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2007

INTRODUCED BY

William E. Sharer

AN ACT

RELATING TO EDUCATION; CREATING A THREE-YEAR PILOT PROJECT TO PRODUCE AND MARKET DISTANCE LEARNING COURSES DEVELOPED BY NEW MEXICO MATHEMATICIANS AND SCIENTISTS; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     Section 1. MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE DISTANCE LEARNING PILOT PROJECT--CREATED--PURPOSE--REQUIREMENTS--REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES--REPORTING AND EVALUATION.--

          A. The public education department, in partnership with one or both of the national laboratories located in New Mexico, shall establish a three-year mathematics and science distance learning pilot project that:

                (1) provides for the production and marketing of distance learning mathematics and science courses developed by mathematicians and scientists who are experts in their fields; and

                (2) evaluates the educational and fiscal benefits to New Mexico.

          B. The purpose of the pilot project is to:

                (1) demonstrate effective ways to partner with the national laboratories, particularly in educational endeavors;

                (2) benefit from the expertise of current and retired mathematicians and scientists at the national laboratories;

                (3) provide better access to mathematics and science classes in school districts that have trouble attracting and retaining mathematics and science teachers; and

                (4) raise money for public school purposes.

          C. The goal of the pilot project is to develop and market at least four mathematics and four science courses to at least ten schools around the country.

          D. The public education department shall enter into an agreement with one or both of the national laboratories in New Mexico to recruit, equip and train mathematicians and scientists to offer middle, junior and high school mathematics and science distance learning courses that meet state academic content and performance standards and market those courses to schools around the country. The pilot project may also offer specialty courses for which the state does not have academic content and performance standards if those courses are academically rigorous and focus on a particular area of mathematic or scientific inquiry.

          E. Each teaching candidate shall prepare a syllabus of the distance learning course the candidate proposes to teach and provide a sample of one class in the course in the audiovisual medium required by the public education department. The public education department, in conjunction with the national laboratory, shall convene a group of educators, students and mathematicians or scientists, as appropriate, to evaluate the candidate's performance in regards to course content and ability to engage students in the subject. The public education department and the national laboratory shall select the participants for the pilot project.

          F. Each participant shall contract for at least one semester of distance learning classes in the participant's selected course. The contract shall specify the amount the participant is paid per course or per site. If the participant's distance learning course is sold to three or more schools, the participant shall agree to include at least one New Mexico public school in the course offering for free. The public education department shall select a public school for the free course from those in the state that have not been able to offer the course taught by the participant because of inability to attract and retain qualified mathematics or science teachers.

          G. The participating national laboratories shall market the distance learning courses around the country. The public education department shall serve as the fiscal administrator of the pilot project and shall account for all revenue and expenditures pertaining to the pilot project. After the pilot project has repaid the general fund for the seed money provided to begin the pilot project, the remainder of the proceeds shall be deposited into a separate account in the educational technology fund and shall be subject to appropriation by the legislature to improve educational technology in public schools.

          H. The public education department and the participating national laboratories shall establish reporting and evaluation requirements for participating schools, including student, course and project assessments. The departments shall provide interim and final reports to the legislature and the governor on the efficacy of the pilot project.

     Section 2. APPROPRIATION.--Two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the public education department for expenditure in fiscal years 2007 through 2010 to conduct the mathematics and science distance learning pilot project. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2010 shall revert to the general fund.

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