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Methodology | Bios
The Funding Formula Study Task Force (FFSTF), a committee appointed by the New Mexico State Legislature and the Governor and under the direction of the Legislative Council Service, has commissioned the American Institutes for Research (AIR) to conduct a comprehensive study on the current New Mexico public school funding formula.
The ultimate goals of this study include (1) obtaining public input on defining the goals, priorities and issues in public school finance, (2) determining what it will cost to provide an adequate education for all New Mexican students, (3) examining and potentially modifying the current funding formula to distribute the necessary resources and (4) assessing available potential revenue sources to fund these changes.
To accomplish these goals, the New Mexico Public School Funding study will be carried out in four major phases: (1) Public Input, (2) Costing-Out, (3) Evaluating the Current Funding Formula, and (4) Assessing Revenues. Each of these phases is briefly described below:
- Phase One: Public Input -- The purpose of this phase is three-fold: (1) to raise public awareness, (2) to identify how New Mexicans envision the goals of its public schools, and (3) to seek public input on what needs to be done to achieve those goals. This public input will be solicited through a series of town hall meetings, this website and targeted surveys.
- Phase Two: Costing-Out -- This second phase involves determining the costs of ensuring that all students in the state of New Mexico have access to the programs and resources necessary to achieve the goals set out in Phase One of the project. A series of panels comprised of carefully selected and highly qualified professional educators from the state will use these goals to design instructional programs and specify resources necessary to achieve these goals.
- Phase Three: Evaluate Current Funding Formula -- In the third phase, AIR will use the results of the costing-out exercise as the foundation for, if necessary, recommending any necessary changes or modifications to the way schools are currently funded in New Mexico.
- Phase Four: Assessing Revenues --AIR will conduct an analysis of prospective revenue sources and identify potential revenue sources that could be called upon to provide the funding necessary to support a sufficient education across all school districts.
For more information about the study, including a list of members on our Project Advisory Panel, please see our Project Brochure.
For a detailed description of our methodology, please click here.
As mentioned, the Funding Formula Study Task Force (FFSTF) has commissioned the American Institutes for Research to conduct a comprehensive study on the current New Mexico public school funding formula. Its members include legislators, members appointed by the Governor, superintendents and a representative from the New Mexico School Boards Association. The Task Force is staffed by the Legislative Council Service, the Legislative Education Study Committee, the Public Education Department, the Office of Education Accountability and Department of Finance and Administration (DFA).
The Task Force's functions include developing a work plan and budget for approval by the Legislative Council, approving the request for proposals for a contractor to conduct a study of the public school funding formula and selecting the contractor and providing recommendations to the Legislature and the Governor.
AIR is a not-for-profit organization engaged in independent research, development, evaluation, and analysis in the behavioral and social sciences. Founded in 1946, the organization's primary goal is to use the best science available to improve social policy research and practice and enhance everyday life, with an emphasis on helping disadvantaged and other special need populations. Their work spans a wide range of substantive areas: education, student assessment, international education, individual and organizational performance, health research and communication, human development, usability design and testing, employment equity, and statistical and research methods.
Click here for a list and the biographies of the AIR Research Team.
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