SENATE MEMORIAL 145

53rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2017

INTRODUCED BY

Mimi Stewart

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, TO CONVENE A SCHOOL GRADES WORK GROUP TO COLLECT AND ANALYZE EDUCATION DATA ON BEST PRACTICES AND INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING THAT IMPROVE STUDENT LEARNING AND SCHOOL GRADES; COLLECT AND ANALYZE EDUCATION STAKEHOLDER DATA AND OTHER INPUT REGARDING SCHOOL GRADES; CONSIDER THE DISPARITY OF LEARNING AND TEACHING RESOURCES THROUGHOUT THE STATE; AND PROVIDE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS FOR SCHOOLS AND THE SCHOOL GRADING SYSTEM TO THE LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE BY DECEMBER 1, 2018.

     WHEREAS, the A-B-C-D-F Schools Rating Act has not been without controversy since it was enacted in 2011; and

     WHEREAS, most of the controversy surrounds the opacity of the system's complicated calculations and the wide swings in individual school grades from year to year; and

     WHEREAS, various stakeholders have different opinions as to the factors that should be considered when grading schools, such as improvements in truancy and absenteeism rates, parent engagement activities, additional learning opportunities for students, college and career readiness indicators and a broader exploration of growth for all students; and

     WHEREAS, better, more focused data collection and reporting that defines student categories more precisely, such as racial and ethnic group, gender, economic disadvantage, disabilities, English proficiency status, homeless status, foster care, military deployed parent, et cetera, will assist local superintendents, head administrators and other school personnel to pinpoint instructional or community resources to those student groups needing concentrated attention;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the legislative education study committee, in consultation with the public education department, be requested to convene a school grades work group to meet during the 2017 and 2018 interims to:

          A. study the results of literature searches on best practices and innovative school programming;

          B. collect and analyze data from school districts and charter schools and high-performing and low-performing public schools;

          C. collect and analyze data and comments from education stakeholders, including school personnel, parents and community and civic organizations, regarding school grades and student performance vis a vis school, home and community environments and resources; and

          D. consider learning and teaching resource disparities throughout the state; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the school grades work group consist of:

          A. two public school teachers in traditional schools;

          B. two charter school representatives;

          C. two education labor union representatives;

          D. two school principals;

          E. two local superintendents;

          F. two school board members;

          G. two parents of students currently enrolled in a New Mexico public school;

          H. two tribal leaders or tribal liaisons;

          I. two representatives from a community organization with an education focus;

          J. the chair and vice chair of the legislative education study committee, or designees from the committee; and

          K. two representatives from the public education department; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the school grades work group present its findings and recommendations to the legislative education study committee no later than December 1, 2018. The work group's report shall include:

          A. the appropriate point distribution between student achievement measures and other school quality indicators;

          B. turnaround models for low-performing public schools;

          C. best practices from high-performing public or private schools in high-poverty areas, including schools in urban, rural and tribal environments;

          D. innovative school programs from public or private schools and how those programs affect student and school performance;

          E. best practices that focus on individual grading indicators to increase improvement in those indicators;

          F. best practices that increase the performance of English language learners; and

          G. other findings and recommendations of the work group; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the legislative education study committee and the public education department for appropriate distribution.