SB 214 STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT & INNOVATION LEADERS

Sen William E. Sharer

Actions: [2] SCC/SEC/SFC-SCC

Scheduled: Not Scheduled

 Senate Bill 214 (SB 214) relates to public schools to add the Student Achievement and Innovation Leaders Act and create student achievement awards. SB 214 provides support through monetary awards and creates a fund. SB 214 makes an appropriation. 

 Senate Bill (SB 214) relates to Public School Code  to add the Student Achievement and Innovation Leaders Act (Act) and supporting materials.

SECTION 1 adds a new section of the Public Schools to create the Act.

SECTION 2 provides definitions as used in the Act.

SECTION 3 creates the Student Achievement and Innovation Leaders Fund (Fund) in the state treasury and consists of the usual funding sources. The Fund shall be administered by the department, and money in the Fund is appropriated to the department solely for implementing the Act. Disbursements from the fund shall be made in the usual manner.

SECTION 4 adds new section ofPublic Schools Code to establish student achievement awards.
A. On an annual basis, school districts are eligible to receive a student achievement award, a student growth award or both. Awards shall provide monetary support for leadership and student growth in reading and math. The awards shall be calculated by the Legislative Education Study Committee (LESC), and payments for awards shall be made by the department from the Fund. 

B. The amount of a school district's student achievement award shall be the sum of the school district's reading achievement component and the school district's math achievement component. 

C-D. For a school district with an overall reading or math proficiency rate of: 
(1) 40 percent or higher, the reading or math achievement component is one-half percent of the school district's generated program cost; 
(2) 50 percent or higher, the reading or math achievement component is one percent of the school district's generated program cost;
(3) 60 percent or higher, the reading or math achievement component is one and one-half percent of the school district's generated program cost; or 
(4) 75 percent or higher, the reading or math achievement component is two percent of the school district's generated program cost. 

E. A school district's student growth award shall be determined based on the sum of its reading growth component as calculated in Subsection F of this section and the school district's math growth component as calculated in Subsection G of this section. 

F-G. Using a regression model, the LESC shall calculate each student's predicted score on standards-based assessments in each of reading and math. The regression model shall be based on the most recent assessment data available and include covariates of student achievement as specified in this subsection. Each school district’s reading and math growth components shall be determined separately as follows: 
(1) if more than 50 percent of the school district's assessed students exceed their predicted scores in reading or math, the growth component is one percent of the school district's generated program cost; 
(2) if more than 75 percent of the school district's assessed students exceed their predicted scores in reading or math, the growth component is two percent of the school district's generated program cost; or 
(3) if more than 90 percent of the school district's assessed students exceed their predicted scores in reading or math, the growth component is three percent of the school district's generated program cost. 

H. To enable the calculation of student achievement awards and student growth awards, the department shall provide a data set of student-level assessment results for the prior school year to the LESC no later than October 1 of each year. The data set shall include the data specified in this subsection.

I. No later than December 1 of each year, the LESC shall determine those school districts that meet the requirements for student achievement awards and student growth awards and shall provide the department with a list of the school districts that are eligible to receive monetary awards payable from the Fund.

SECTION 5 adds a new section of Public Schools to provide reporting exemptions.
A school district that receives either its maximum potential student achievement award or its maximum potential student growth award pursuant to the Act shall be offered exemption from certain reporting requirements for the following fiscal year; provided that a school district offered an exemption may choose to continue meeting reporting requirements at the discretion of the local superintendent or head administrator of the charter school. Exemptions shall be offered from the following reporting requirements: 
A. the educational plan, pursuant to Section 22-8-6 NMSA 1978; 
B. the educational plan for student success, pursuant to Section 22-2C-6 NMSA 1978; 
C. the statewide teacher evaluation system, pursuant to Section 22-10A-19 NMSA 1978; and 
D. the attendance improvement plan, pursuant to Section 22-12A-7 NMSA 1978." 

SECTION 6 makes an appropriation of $300,000,000 from the General Fund to the awards Fund for expenditure in Fiscal Year 2025 and subsequent fiscal years. Money in the Fund shall be used by the PED to pay student achievement awards and student growth awards to school districts as provided in the Act. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund. 

SECTION 7 makes the effective date July 1, 2024.