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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

2/5/2008

HJM

SHORT TITLE Study Education Accountability Targets

SJM 43

ANALYST Aguilar

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Public Education Department (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Joint Memorial requests that a study group made up of staff from LESC, LCS, PED and

other educators discuss the possible use of short-cycle assessments as an indicator of student

progress and to recommend an accountability mechanism for specific subpopulations based on a

growth model.

The group is also requested to study the impact of using special education targets in lieu of New

Mexico accountability targets and to examine opportunity-to-learn factors as a companion to

New Mexico accountability targets.

A report is required by December 1, 2008.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The agencies involved are expected to participate with some costs involved. It appears that each

agency can support its staff within existing budgets.

Senate Joint Memorial 43 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

PED reports the following:

The memorial directs the LESC and PED to study and develop recommendations about an

accountability mechanism for specific subpopulations. Although the different accountability

mechanism(s) may not be in concert with the same mechanism as for the general population, the

Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) as currently amended by the No Child Left

Behind Act (NCLB) will be up for reauthorization and a strongly presented case may be

accepted by the U.S. Department of Education (ED). A caution to address through the study is

the possibility of setting accountability targets for specific subpopulations that are lower than the

general population and raising questions about the state’s commitment to equity in educational

expectations and outcomes.

PED is currently studying and will be presenting to the ED an accountability model based on

academic growth for all students. Since NCLB accountability uses schools and school districts

as units of analysis and is based on a status, point-in-time model, growth is defined as moving a

whole school, and all its subpopulations, toward a singular target. Growth for specific

subpopulations can be demonstrated by increasing the number of students into the proficient

category by 10% from the previous year. Other growths models have been allowed in pilot

programs in eight select states that had a complete and vertically equated assessment system. The

accountability benefits have been limited for these states. An increase in the number of schools

that have met adequate yearly progress targets has not been substantial (Education Week,

12/12/2007). If schools do not meet the accountability targets under a static model, the

probability of meeting a statistically significant growth target is not much better.

Another area of the memorial addresses short-cycle assessments. Short-cycle assessments are

formative in nature, their use in accountability assumes a summative role that strains their

validity for that purpose. The study group will need to closely examine the state-of-the-art of

short-cycle assessment and the degree of its implementation in New Mexico versus the technical

rigor required to serve as an accountability mechanism. The most widely used short-cycle

assessment by New Mexico school districts, the NWEA-MAP, is not aligned (only partially

linked) to State Content Standards, has no Spanish version in reading, has no constructed

responses and adapts to the individual student placement rather than to the expected Content and

Performance standards (PED Consumer Guide to Formative Assessments, April 2006). There

are 29 school districts, charter schools and state-supported schools that will need to purchase and

implement short-cycle assessments.

A third area of the Memorial identifies the consideration of opportunity-to–learn factors that will

help bring balance to an accountability system. Opportunity-to-learn factors include teacher

qualifications, level of licensure (1, 2 or 3), use of substitutes, teacher absenteeism, student

absenteeism, and access to technology, to name a few. Currently, the accountability system

focuses only on outcomes (test results), but should also consider the quality of inputs to student

learning.

PA/mt