COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH

OVERSIGHT DIVISION

FISCAL NOTE

L.R. No.:         1235-01

Bill No.:          HB 620

Subject:           Education, Elementary and Secondary: Elementary and Secondary Education Dept; Teachers

Type:              Original

Date:               February 6, 2007

Bill Summary:           Requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop standards for high-quality mentoring for beginning teachers and principals.

FISCAL SUMMARY

Numbers within parentheses: ( ) indicate costs or losses. This fiscal note contains 5 pages.

☐ Estimated Total Net Effect on All funds expected to exceed $100,000 savings or (cost).

☐ Estimated Net Effect on General Revenue Fund expected to exceed $100,000 (cost).

FISCAL ANALYSIS

ASSUMPTION

Officials from the Office of Secretary of State (SOS) assume many bills considered by the General Assembly include provisions allowing or requiring agencies to submit rules and regulations to implement the act. The SOS is provided with core funding to handle a certain amount of normal activity resulting from each year’s legislative session. The fiscal impact to the SOS office for Administrative Rules is less than $2,500. The SOS recognizes this is a small amount and does not expect additional funding would be required to meet these costs. However, SOS also recognizes that many such bills may be passed in a given year and that collectively the costs may be in excess of what the SOS can sustain with their core budget. Any additional required funding would be handled through the budget process.

Officials from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DES) state that this proposal requires DES to develop standards for high-quality mentoring for beginning teachers and beginning principals and to involve representatives from the state teacher organizations, administration and principal organizations, Missouri advisory council for the certification of educators, Missouri staff development council, and from colleges and universities. DES estimates six meetings involving 40 - 50 participants, costing approximately $2,500 per meeting for a total of approximately $15,000. (§ 161.375)                                                                  

There are approximately 6,000 new teachers per year. The current American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence mentoring program fee is $350 per participant. Therefore, total costs could be $2.1 million per year. In addition, the one-day substitute cost for a mentor and protégée per year totals $1.2 million (12,000 x $100/day).         (§ 161.375)                  

Oversight assumes the legislation does not require participation in the program provided by the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence. Depending on the program developed by DES and representatives from the educational community, the costs could be less for the implementation of the program; therefore, Oversight will range the cost from $0 to ($2,100,000) per year. Also, Oversight assumes the new mentoring program may not require the absence out of the classroom and has ranged the cost to school districts between $0 and (1,200,000).

This proposed legislation would allow certificates of license to teach based on certification by the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence. DES assumes the applicant would pay the $600 - $750 cost of the test. However, DES would have to verify the teaching experience and the additional professional development and mentoring required. DES would require 1.0 FTE Supervisor to meet these requirements. (§ 168.021) 

ASSUMPTION (continued)

Oversight assumes that this section of the proposal expands the certification criteria by allowing