STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5410
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 30, 2019
___________
Introduced by Sen. SANDERS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the cumulative grade
point average admission requirement for graduate-level teacher and
educational leader programs
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 210-a of the education law, as amended by chapter
2 454 of the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows:
3 § 210-a. Admission requirements for graduate-level teacher and educa-
4 tional leader programs. Each institution registered by the department
5 with graduate-level teacher and leader education programs shall adopt
6 rigorous selection criteria geared to predicting a candidate's academic
7 success in its program, including but not limited to, a minimum score on
8 the graduate record examination or a substantially equivalent admission
9 examination, as determined by the institution, and achievement of a
10 minimum cumulative grade point average [of 3.0 or higher] in the candi-
11 date's undergraduate program; provided, however, such graduate record
12 examination or substantially equivalent admission examination require-
13 ment shall in no case apply to certified teachers or school administra-
14 tors who already hold a graduate degree. Each program may exempt no more
15 than fifteen percent of any incoming class of students from such
16 selection criteria set forth in this section based on a student's demon-
17 stration of potential to positively contribute to the teaching profes-
18 sion or other extenuating circumstances pursuant to the regulations of
19 the commissioner. A program shall report to the department the number of
20 students admitted pursuant to such exemption and the selection criteria
21 used for such exemptions.
22 § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
23 have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05033-01-9