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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Martinez
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
2/07/2007
HB
SHORT TITLE Middle School Teacher Science & Math Training
SB 140
ANALYST McOlash
APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)
Appropriation
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY07
FY08
$250.0
Recurring
General Fund
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Duplicates HB 129.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses Received From
Public Education Department (PED)
Higher Education Department (HED)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
Senate Bill 140 appropriates $250,000 from the General Fund to the Board of Regents of
Northern New Mexico State School for expenditure in FY 2008 to provide a middle school
teacher training program to improve skills, technical knowledge, and teaching techniques in
science, mathematics, and technology. The program will better prepare teachers to teach students
in these subjects.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of $250,000 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the General Fund.
Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY 2008 shall revert to the
General Fund.
pg_0002
Senate Bill 140 – Page
2
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
PED Analysis
Northern New Mexico College has partnered in the past with the Northern New Mexico Math
and Science Academy (MSA) to conduct professional development for middle school teachers.
The MSA program was started in 2000 by the Northern New Mexico Council
for Excellence in Education (NNMCEE).
MSA focuses on standards-based education using research-based concepts and
instructional strategies.
MSA emphasizes assessment and data analysis.
The MSA goal is to increase student achievement by improving teacher practice.
Evaluators have found that student achievement has increased steadily for the
students of the teachers in the program.
The program consists of intensive training during a three-week summer institute; biweekly site-
based meetings after school; cognitive coaching/mentoring four to five times a year;
development of individual reflective portfolios; and biweekly on-line discussion with the whole
MSA community.
The proposal of $250,000, for what appears to be additional funding, was not submitted to the
New Mexico Higher Education Department by NNMC and is not included in the Department’s
funding recommendation for FY08. However, NNMC received a recurring appropriation of
$250,000 for this purpose in FY07 and the Department recommends continued funding for this
program.
PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS
The new and continuing teachers participating in the MSA and completing their master's degrees
through NMSU are performance measures. The program also contracts with an external
evaluator, the Center for Research and Education Testing through the University of California.
This evaluator measures program effectiveness by examining student performance as a result of
the professional development received by their teachers.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
The New Mexico Math and Science Academy (MSA) is offered to teachers in the Chama,
Espanola, Pojoaque, Mora, and Taos School Districts. Teachers participate in 200 hours of
collaboration and training time each year and may enter a Master's of Teaching Program through
New Mexico State University (NMSU).
MSA is a program of the Los Alamos National Laboratory Education Office and the National
Laboratory Foundation. Additional support is received from participating districts, higher
education partners, and corporate sponsors. The state appropriated funds would be used entirely
for teacher stipends, paying them for their participation beyond their contractual requirements.
BM/csd