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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Nava

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2-10-2007

HB

SHORT TITLE NM Golden Apple Program

SB 246

ANALYST Dearing

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$500.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

*Relates to Appropriations in the General Appropriations Act.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Public Education Department (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 246 appropriates $500 thousand from the general fund for expenditure in FY08 to the

Public Education department to support the Golden Apple program in support of New Mexico

teachers.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $500 thousand contained in Senate Bill 246 is a recurring expense to the

General Fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY08 shall

revert to the General Fund.

The LFC remains concerned with funding initiatives outside of the funding formula as it tends to

dis-equalize school funding and diverts funding away from core educational needs.

Senate Bill 246 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

Senate Bill 246 would appropriate $500 thousand to PED for the Golden Apple Program. The

program has previously provided supplementary mentoring to Level I teachers. The program

goals are to increase teaching effectiveness and increase career progression for teachers under

the 3-tiered system.

The program provides training and preparation for mentors to beginning teachers in classrooms

to assist in professional development. The program supports new teachers through a

comprehensive summer program, including collaborative teaching, supervision by mentors,

reflective seminars and instruction on the 3-Tiered Teacher Licensing system.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

This program could increase the number of highly qualified teachers, assisting in efforts to

improve Adequate Yearly Progress under the No Child Left Behind federal mandate.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

The Public Education department states that there have been recurring issues arising in

conjunction with administration of funds for this program.

TECHNICAL ISSUES

*FY07 Golden Apple funds were transferred into the Teacher Professional Development Fund.

The Teacher Professional Development fund received appropriations totaling $4.4 million

through the Public School Support budget in FY06 and FY07. No additional funding was

recommended for the fund for FY08. PED has allocated these funds over a variety of teacher

development initiatives. According to the Public Education department, the Golden Apple

program received $225 thousand in FY07.

The Public Education department states that this appropriation complies with Article IV, Section

31 of the New Mexico Constitution, yet the contract award for this program would require the

department to issue a request for proposal (RFP).

PD/mt