Bill Text: NY S06262 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Relates to the creation of an adult high school career accelerator demonstration project.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - REFERRED TO EDUCATION [S06262 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-S06262-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6262 2019-2020 Regular Sessions IN SENATE May 30, 2019 ___________ Introduced by Sen. FUNKE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the creation of an adult high school career accelerator demonstration project 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 article 107 to 2 read as follows: 3 ARTICLE 107 4 ADULT HIGH SCHOOL CAREER ACCELERATOR DEMONSTRATION PROJECT 5 Section 5300. Legislative findings. 6 5301. Definitions. 7 5302. Adult high school demonstration career accelerator 8 project. 9 5303. Term of project; option to make permanent. 10 § 5300. Legislative findings. Several states have successfully imple- 11 mented secondary education programs geared towards the unique needs of 12 adult learners and which lead to a high school diploma. By coupling 13 rigorous academic curricula with training programs that lead to creden- 14 tials for in-demand jobs and extensive wraparound support services, 15 these programs create an adult-oriented learning environment conducive 16 to success. The Legislature hereby declares that a properly structured 17 secondary education program for adult learners would reduce poverty 18 levels by helping such individuals' transition to the workforce or to 19 post-secondary education. 20 The City of Rochester area has more than thirty-five thousand adults 21 without high school diplomas, contributing to the fact that its poverty 22 rate is higher than in all eighteen "benchmark cities" of similar size 23 and fourth-worst among the seventy-five largest American cities. The 24 child poverty rate in Rochester is fifty and one-half percent. Across EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD10953-01-9S. 6262 2 1 the state, it is estimated there are more than one million five hundred 2 thousand adults without high school diplomas. 3 § 5301. Definitions. As used in this article: 4 1. "Adult high school career accelerator project" or "program" means a 5 private or independent high school registered by the department which 6 provides adult learners with an appropriate academic environment, career 7 credentialing programs and the necessary wraparound services needed to 8 pursue and obtain, subject to satisfactory completion of the require- 9 ments set forth within this article, a high school diploma. For purposes 10 of the program, such adult high school accelerator project shall be 11 located within the corporate boundaries of the city of Rochester as 12 defined by the official city map maintained by the city of Rochester. 13 2. "Adult learner" means an individual over the age of twenty-one who 14 has not earned a high school diploma or its equivalent and who is 15 enrolled in a registered adult high school career accelerator project. 16 3. "Operator" means a private nonprofit entity that establishes an 17 adult high school career accelerator project pursuant to this article. 18 4. "Wraparound services" means individualized services, excluding 19 regular school programs and services, that are provided to the adult 20 learner and the adult learner's family, and may include, but not be 21 limited to, child care, transportation, housing referrals, mental health 22 services, crisis intervention services, substance abuse and treatment 23 services, and legal aid. 24 § 5302. Adult high school demonstration career accelerator project. 25 1. There is hereby created under the authority and supervision of the 26 department an adult high school career accelerator demonstration 27 project, the purpose of which is to establish a pathway for adults who 28 did not graduate from high school to earn a traditional high school 29 diploma and one or more workforce credentials or industry certif- 30 ications, as well as the potential to earn postsecondary education cred- 31 its. 32 2. The department shall create a standardized application process 33 under which potential operators may seek to register an adult high 34 school career accelerator demonstration project. The application process 35 shall require, at a minimum, potential operators to provide: 36 (a) information about the qualifications of the potential operator; 37 (b) a minimum of one million dollars to the project; 38 (c) information about the facility which will house the adult high 39 school career accelerator demonstration project; 40 (d) information about the proposed curriculum, assessment procedures, 41 performance standards, and wraparound services; 42 (e) a proposed budget and explanation of how the potential school will 43 be financed; 44 (f) a description of any programs or partnerships with organizations 45 or businesses for providing job skills, industry certifications, or 46 higher education credits; 47 (g) plans for working with adult learners with disabilities and 48 English Language Learners; and 49 (h) information about the advisory board of the adult high school 50 career accelerator demonstration project seeking to be registered. 51 3. The program shall: 52 (a) adopt a curriculum that is consistent with New York state learning 53 standards but may be different than a regular school program in terms of 54 location, length of school day, pace for completion, and instructional 55 activities;S. 6262 3 1 (b) not issue a traditional high school diploma to an adult learner 2 unless such adult learner has satisfied the minimum requirements set by 3 the department; 4 (c) consult with the New York state department of labor and may part- 5 ner with New York state's community colleges or other entities to 6 provide career and occupational educational courses that lead to indus- 7 try certifications, licenses, or credentials; 8 (d) provide all their services to adult learners at no cost to the 9 adult learners; 10 (e) provide face-to-face classroom instruction on a year-round basis 11 with class offerings in the morning, afternoon, and evenings and may 12 offer accelerated terms; and 13 (f) assign a life coach to every adult learner. 14 4. Under the program, the department may approve additional locations, 15 each of which may enroll a maximum of three hundred fifty adult lear- 16 ners. 17 5. The adult high school career accelerator demonstration project 18 shall have an advisory board which shall consist of at least five 19 members, at least one of which shall be appointed by the department. 20 6. No later than October first of each year, the operator under this 21 program shall provide the department with a report, the form and content 22 of which shall be determined by the department. 23 7. An adult high school career accelerator program established under 24 this article shall not be considered a public school for state aid 25 purposes; however, adult high school career accelerator locations regis- 26 tered pursuant to this article shall be eligible to receive public fund- 27 ing in the form of specific appropriations, state and federal grants, 28 and any other available resources. Adult high schools may also accept 29 private contributions. 30 8. The department shall adopt rules and regulations necessary to 31 administer the program authorized by this article. 32 § 5303. Term of project; option to make permanent. 1. The adult high 33 school career accelerator demonstration project authorized by this arti- 34 cle shall remain in effect for a minimum of five years after the effec- 35 tive date of this article. 36 2. If the department determines that the program is serving its 37 intended purpose, the adult high school career accelerator demonstration 38 project shall, subject to the permission and authority of the depart- 39 ment, become permanent and shall be renamed the adult high school career 40 accelerator program. Such program may be extended to additional regions 41 of the state to operators who meet the requirements under the program. 42 The department shall make such determination in consultation with the 43 operators, the members of the operators' advisory boards, the department 44 of labor, and other relevant stakeholders, no later than six months 45 prior to the end of the five-year period. 46 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
