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

SPONSOR Campos

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/29/08

HB 429

SHORT TITLE ENMU English as a Second Language Institute

SB

ANALYST Cox

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$175.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Higher Education – HED

Eastern New Mexico University – ENMU

Department of Public Education – PED

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 429 requests a hundred seventy-five thousand dollars ($175,000) appropriation from

the General Fund to the board of Regents of Eastern New Mexico University for expenditure in

fiscal year 2009 and subsequent fiscal years to create and implement an English as a second

language institute, which would provide intensive instruction in the English language to

individuals with limited proficiency in English.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

This request was not submitted by ENMU to the New Mexico Higher Education Department and

it was not included in the Department's funding recommendations for FY09.

The HED’s evaluation table of FY09 Research and Public Service Projects provided to the LFC

classifies this project as a “would not oppose if funding available" project. Reasons for this

classification decision are not provided. (LFC Report 07-20, Higher Education Department

Review of Selected Research and Public Service Projects, January 12, 2008, Table 4, p73.)

House Bill 429. – Page

2

The appropriation of one hundred seventy five thousand dollars ($175,000) contained in this bill

is a recurring expense to the General Fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2009 or next fiscal

years shall not revert

to the General Fund.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

HED states:

The New Mexico has a growing population of adult learners in need of career technical

education. GED teaching and other postsecondary education also have a significant need for ESL

training. The state is home to a substantial population of individuals who have limited English

language proficiency. Therefore, many people stand to benefit from the proposed ESL Institute

at ENMU. Further, ENMU indicates that there are currently no extant programs or institutes that

are similar to the proposed ESL institute. Therefore, there is a population of New Mexico

citizens whose educational needs are not currently being serviced.

ENMU notes:

ENMU's ESL institute proposes to fill that (above) need.

ENMU’s ESL Institute is designed to provide intensive English language instruction to Limited

English Proficiency (LEP) speakers in our region. Using the brand-new language laboratory

facility at ENMU, we will provide a variety of models of intensive language training to serve our

students and community. ESL courses for ENMU students from foreign countries (especially

exchange students from China and Mexico) will be offered in the summer and, as needed, in the

academic year. Other Institute functions will include intensive summer outreach programs for the

regional community for incoming college students, and year-round collaborations with area K-12

schools that have LEP students in need of language skills. In addition, the Institute will provide

services fro community members working on their GED and/or citizenship requirements. The

Institute will also coordinate professional development opportunities for area teachers who need

the pedagogical tools to teach LEP students. As an Hispanic Serving Institution, ENMU has an

obligation to serve this population of students and this need.

PED also noted:

•

According to the SY 07 New Mexico Standards Based Assessment results, English

Language Learner students:

o

Increased Reading proficiency in grades 3, 4, 5 and 8, with the greatest gain in

grade 5. These were the strongest gains of any NCLB subgroup.

o

Increased Math proficiency in all but the 11th grade.

o

Increased Science proficiency in grades 3 through 7 and 9. These were the second

strongest gains of any NCLB subgroup (average 4%).

•

If this bill is passed, ENMU will develop and implement the English as a Second

Language Institute. Because adult learners are role models for their children, this will

have a positive impact on the English Language Learners of Grades K-12.

PRC/mt