Bill Text: NY A03648 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Establishes a culturally responsive education curriculum and standards; requires all school districts, charter schools and private schools to integrate culturally responsive education throughout the education of all students at all grade levels; establishes a pilot program in culturally responsive education; appropriates $25,000,000 therefor.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 38-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - referred to education [A03648 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A03648-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
            S. 2937                                                  A. 3648
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                SENATE - ASSEMBLY
                                    January 30, 2019
                                       ___________
        IN SENATE -- Introduced by Sen. MYRIE -- read twice and ordered printed,
          and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
        IN  ASSEMBLY  --  Introduced  by  M.  of A. RICHARDSON, DICKENS, ARROYO,
          RIVERA, PRETLOW,  COOK,  JEAN-PIERRE,  TITUS,  BICHOTTE,  SIMON,  KIM,
          REYES,  CRUZ,  CRESPO,  EPSTEIN,  ORTIZ, DE LA ROSA, FRONTUS, SOLAGES,
          LAVINE, FERNANDEZ, HUNTER, RAYNOR, PICHARDO, BLAKE, RODRIGUEZ,  VANEL,
          RAMOS,  PERRY,  ROMEO,  DAVILA, JACOBSON, BRONSON, TAYLOR -- read once
          and referred to the Committee on Education
        AN ACT to amend  the  education  law,  in  relation  to  establishing  a
          culturally  responsive  education curriculum and standards; and making
          an appropriation therefor
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 804-e
     2  to read as follows:
     3    § 804-e. Culturally responsive education curriculum and standards.  1.
     4  Culturally  responsive  education rules and regulations. (a) The commis-
     5  sioner shall promulgate rules and regulations for the implementation  of
     6  culturally  responsive  education  curriculum  for all schools including
     7  elementary schools, junior high schools  and  senior  high  schools.  In
     8  formulating  such  regulations,  the  commissioner  shall  seek input of
     9  parents, students and other stakeholders.
    10    (b) In formulating the rules and regulations required by paragraph (a)
    11  of this subdivision, the commissioner shall recognize  that:  more  than
    12  half  of  New York state's public school students are students of color;
    13  education that makes a cultural connection with students has been  shown
    14  to  improve  educational  outcomes; cultural responsiveness advances and
    15  accelerates  student  learning  by  honoring  and  supporting  students'
    16  cultural,  linguistic  and  racial experiences; in order for students to
    17  gain the full benefits of the diversity of New  York  state,  culturally
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04518-01-9
        S. 2937                             2                            A. 3648
     1  responsive  education  must be a part of the daily schooling experiences
     2  of all students; and cultural responsiveness will prepare  educators  to
     3  relate aspects of students' daily lives to the curriculum.
     4    (c)  All  school  districts, charter schools and private schools shall
     5  integrate culturally responsive education throughout  the  education  of
     6  all  students  at all grade levels in accordance with the commissioner's
     7  rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to this subdivision.
     8    (d) The commissioner's rules and regulations shall include, but not be
     9  limited to, curriculum  standards  for:  African  American  history  and
    10  achievement,  Latino  American  history and achievement, Native American
    11  history and achievement, Asian American history and achievement, and the
    12  role of racial oppression and inequity based in  the  formation,  growth
    13  and  existence  of  our  nation  and  state. The commissioner shall also
    14  develop model curricula for use by schools.
    15    2. Graduation standards. The commissioner shall promulgate  rules  and
    16  regulations  requiring  all  high  school students to pass a course in a
    17  subject area that meets the culturally  responsive  education  standards
    18  established by this section as a prerequisite for graduation.
    19    3.  Teacher certification. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and
    20  regulations to include completion of at  least  one  college  course  in
    21  effective  teaching  for  students  of diverse cultural backgrounds as a
    22  prerequisite for teacher certification.
    23    4. Professional development. The commissioner shall  promulgate  rules
    24  and  regulations requiring cultural competency and culturally responsive
    25  education to be incorporated into the ongoing  professional  development
    26  standards for all pre-kindergarten through grade twelve educators.
    27    5.  Culturally  responsive school climate assessment. The commissioner
    28  shall create a culturally responsive  school  climate  assessment  which
    29  school districts may utilize in assessing the cultural responsiveness of
    30  the  educational  climate in their schools and district. This assessment
    31  shall be consistent with the purposes of this section.
    32    6. Pilot program. Within amounts appropriated  therefor,  the  commis-
    33  sioner  shall  establish a pilot program in culturally responsive educa-
    34  tion and shall make  funds  available  to  school  districts  through  a
    35  request for proposal. The award of such funds shall be based on criteria
    36  to  be  developed  by  the  commissioner  and  approved  by the board of
    37  regents. The commissioner shall prioritize districts  with  the  highest
    38  needs as measured in terms of student poverty and English language lear-
    39  ners  and  other demographic or community factors which the commissioner
    40  may identify.   The criteria for an award  shall  include,  but  not  be
    41  limited  to,  the  quality  of the proposal and its consistency with the
    42  purposes of this section, the ability of the school district  to  demon-
    43  strate  parent, family, student and community engagement in the develop-
    44  ment and implementation of its proposal,  the  capacity  of  the  school
    45  district  to  draw upon the direct experiences of its students, families
    46  and communities in implementing the purposes of this section,  including
    47  but  not limited to the ability to draw upon these experiences in imple-
    48  menting paragraph (d) of subdivision one of this section and the  utili-
    49  zation  of the culturally responsive school climate assessment developed
    50  by the commissioner or of a  comparable  assessment  in  developing  its
    51  proposal.
    52    §  2. The sum of twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000), or so much
    53  thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the department of
    54  education out of any moneys in the state treasury in the general fund to
    55  the credit of the state purposes fund, not otherwise  appropriated,  and
    56  made  immediately  available,  for the sole purpose of providing funding
        S. 2937                             3                            A. 3648
     1  for the pilot program in  culturally  responsive  education  established
     2  pursuant  to  subdivision  6  of  section 804-e of the education law, as
     3  added by section one of this act. Such moneys shall be  payable  on  the
     4  audit  and  warrant of the comptroller on vouchers certified or approved
     5  by the commissioner of education in the manner prescribed by law.
     6    § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
     7  have  become a law. Effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or
     8  repeal of any rule or regulation necessary  for  the  implementation  of
     9  this  act  on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
    10  on or before such effective date.