HOUSE BILL 184

55th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2022

INTRODUCED BY

G. Andrés Romero

 

 

 

 

 

AN ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS; CREATING THE MICRO-CREDENTIAL PILOT PROJECT; PROVIDING REPORTING REQUIREMENTS; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. A new section of the Public School Code is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] MICRO-CREDENTIAL PILOT PROJECT--ELIGIBILITY--APPLICATION--REPORTING AND EVALUATION.--

          A. The "micro-credential pilot project" is created as a two-year pilot project that provides licensed teachers from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade additional targeted professional development through micro-credentialing. The goals of the micro-credential pilot project are to:

                (1) advance instructional practice to improve student learning;

                (2) strengthen the commitment to teaching among current licensed teachers; and

                (3) develop a community of practice among licensed teachers as they navigate the profession of teaching.

          B. The department, in collaboration with the legislative education study committee, shall convene a working group of experts in micro-credentialing to:

                (1) assist in the design of the pilot project;

                (2) determine the schools that will participate in the pilot project; provided that the schools selected shall represent the diverse racial and socioeconomic demographics of the state; and

                (3) determine the type of micro-credentialing that will be offered to teachers during the pilot project.

          C. The pilot project shall be administered by the department, and the department shall partner with the university of New Mexico, New Mexico state university, central New Mexico community college, northern New Mexico college, New Mexico highlands university, eastern New Mexico university and western New Mexico university for pilot project programming, such as teacher professional development through micro-credentials and data collection and analysis. The department shall determine pilot project application requirements and procedures and criteria for evaluating applications. The department may contract with the partner universities and others to develop, implement and evaluate the pilot project.

          D. Participating schools may nominate or accept applications from licensed teachers who want to participate in the micro-credential pilot project.

          E. The department shall establish reporting and evaluation requirements, including teacher and program measurement data. The department shall provide interim and final reports to the legislature and the governor on the efficacy of the micro-credential pilot project.

          F. The department shall follow participating schools through the two-year program to determine how many participating licensed teachers:

                (1) received one or more micro-credentials;

                (2) achieved self-imposed professional goals;

                (3) expressed an interest in receiving more micro-credentials after the micro-credential pilot project ends;

                (4) felt that the micro-credential pilot project helped them in their daily classroom teaching; and

                (5) continued in the profession of teaching.

          G. As used in this section, "micro-credential" means an approach to professional learning that provides teachers with the opportunity to learn and demonstrate competency in new skills, while also getting feedback from an outside evaluator and earning recognition for mastery by earning the micro-credential."

     SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION.--One million dollars ($1,000,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the public education department for expenditure in fiscal years 2023 and 2024 to design, implement and evaluate the micro-credential pilot project. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2024 shall revert to the general fund.

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