S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  10484

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                              May 29, 2012
                               ___________

Introduced  by M. of A. SCHIMEL -- read once and referred to the Commit-
  tee on Education

AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the exem-
  plary district mentorship program

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  Article 3 of the education law is amended by adding a new
part 2 to read as follows:
                                 PART II
                           EXEMPLARY DISTRICTS
SECTION 150. LEGISLATIVE INTENT.
        151. DETERMINATION OF EXEMPLARY DISTRICTS.
        152. EXEMPLARY DISTRICT MENTORSHIP PROGRAM.
        153. MANDATE EXEMPTION.
  S 150. LEGISLATIVE INTENT. IT IS THE  INTENT  OF  THE  LEGISLATURE  TO
FOSTER  THE  DEVELOPMENT  AND  CODIFICATION OF A BEST PRACTICE MODEL FOR
STUDENT  SUCCESS  AND  FISCAL  RESPONSIBILITY  BY  DETERMINING   CERTAIN
DISTRICTS  TO  BE  EXEMPLARY  DISTRICTS AND BY ESTABLISHING AN EXEMPLARY
DISTRICT MENTORSHIP PROGRAM. TO ALLOW CERTAIN HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL  SCHOOLS
TO  HELP  OTHER  SCHOOLS  ACHIEVE SUCCESS, THE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL SCHOOLS
SHALL RECEIVE EXEMPTIONS FROM TESTING  AND  PAPERWORK  REQUIREMENTS  SET
FORTH  BY  THE STATE IN EXCHANGE FOR MENTORING CERTAIN OTHER SCHOOLS. IT
IS THE INTENT OF THIS  PROGRAM THAT MORE DISTRICTS WILL BECOME EXEMPLARY
DISTRICTS EACH YEAR AND THAT  THE  CRITERIA  FOR  DETERMINING  EXEMPLARY
DISTRICTS  SHALL  BECOME  MORE RIGOROUS AS STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT GAINS ARE
MADE.
  S 151. DETERMINATION OF EXEMPLARY DISTRICTS. 1.  ANY  SCHOOL  DISTRICT
WITH  A  SUSTAINED  GRADUATION  RATE OVER NINETY-FIVE PERCENT FOR A FIVE
YEAR PERIOD SHALL BE AN EXEMPLARY DISTRICT.
  2. THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE NEW YORK  STATE  COUNCIL
OF  SCHOOL  SUPERINTENDENTS, SHALL GROUP SCHOOL DISTRICTS BY THEIR NEEDS
PROFILE, AS  DETERMINED BY CONSIDERING THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS ELIGI-
BLE FOR FREE OR REDUCED   LUNCHES, THE PERCENTAGE  OF  ENGLISH  LANGUAGE
LEARNERS,  AND  CENSUS AND FINANCIAL DATA  PROVIDED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                           LBD16038-02-2

A. 10484                            2

TAXATION AND FINANCE.  SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITHIN THE TOP TEN PERCENT    OF
THEIR NEEDS PROFILE GROUPING WITHIN EACH ESTABLISHED REGENTS AREA AND/OR
WITH  TWENTY PERCENT HIGHER GRADUATION RATES THAN OTHER DISTRICTS WITHIN
THE  SAME  NEEDS    PROFILE  GROUPING  MAY BE DETERMINED TO BE EXEMPLARY
DISTRICTS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE COMMISSIONER.
  3. EXEMPLARY DISTRICTS SHALL BE REVIEWED EVERY THREE YEARS  TO  DETER-
MINE  WHETHER  SUCH  DISTRICTS SHALL RETAIN THE STATUS OF BEING AN EXEM-
PLARY DISTRICT.
  S 152. EXEMPLARY DISTRICT MENTORSHIP PROGRAM. 1.  EXEMPLARY  DISTRICTS
MAY  ESTABLISH  LOCAL CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION OF STUDENTS AND STAFF. ANY
EXEMPLARY DISTRICT ESTABLISHING SUCH LOCAL CRITERIA  SHALL  SUBMIT  SUCH
CRITERIA  TO  THE DEPARTMENT TO BE PUBLISHED ON A BEST PRACTICES SECTION
OF THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE DEPARTMENT.
  2. ANY EXEMPLARY DISTRICT ESTABLISHING LOCAL CRITERIA  FOR  EVALUATION
OF  STUDENTS  AND  STAFF  SHALL BE REQUIRED TO WORK WITH OTHER DISTRICTS
WITHIN THEIR GEOGRAPHIC AREA AND NEEDS PROFILE, AS  DETERMINED  PURSUANT
TO SUBDIVISION TWO OF SECTION ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-ONE OF THIS PART, OR THE
DISTRICT  OF  THEIR  CHOICE  AS  A  MENTOR. THE EXEMPLARY DISTRICT SHALL
PROVIDE THE  RESOURCES  NEEDED  TO  HELP  EVALUATE  THE  DISTRICT  BEING
MENTORED  AND SHALL PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON ANY BEST PRACTICES THAT MAY HELP
THE STUDENTS.
  3. AN EXEMPLARY DISTRICT MENTORING ANOTHER  DISTRICT  AND  A  DISTRICT
BEING MENTORED BY AN EXEMPLARY DISTRICT SHALL EACH BE ELIGIBLE FOR CHAL-
LENGE GRANTS TO HELP  IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM.
  4.  AN  EXEMPLARY  DISTRICT  MENTORING ANOTHER DISTRICT AND A DISTRICT
BEING MENTORED BY AN EXEMPLARY DISTRICT SHALL COLLABORATE AND PREPARE  A
REPORT  TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT SUMMARIZING THE BEST PRACTICES
OF THE EXEMPLARY DISTRICT AND  RECOMMENDING  PROCESSES  TO  INSURE  MORE
SUCCESSFUL OUTCOMES.
  S   153.  MANDATE  EXEMPTION.  1.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  ESTABLISH
EXEMPTIONS FROM TESTING AND PAPERWORK  REQUIREMENTS  SET  FORTH  BY  THE
STATE  FOR  EXEMPLARY  DISTRICTS  FOR  EACH  THREE YEAR PERIOD THAT SUCH
SCHOOL IS DETERMINED TO BE AN EXEMPLARY DISTRICT  AS  AN  INCENTIVE  FOR
EXEMPLARY  DISTRICTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE EXEMPLARY DISTRICT MENTORSHIP
PROGRAM.
  2. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA WHEN  DETER-
MINING WHICH EXEMPTIONS AN EXEMPLARY DISTRICT SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR:
  (A)  SIXTY  PERCENT  OF THE DETERMINATION SHALL BE BASED ON THE GRADU-
ATION RATE, DROP-OUT RATE AND COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE RATE  OF  THE  DISTRICT
BEING  MENTORED  AS  COMPARED  TO  OTHER DISTRICTS WITHIN THE SAME NEEDS
PROFILE GROUPING.
  (B) FORTY PERCENT OF THE DETERMINATION SHALL BE BASED ON CONSIDERATION
OF WHETHER THE SCHOOL BOARD IS AFFILIATED WITH THE NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL
BOARDS ASSOCIATION OR A LOCAL AFFILIATE, WHETHER THE SCHOOL  SUPERINTEN-
DENT IS AFFILIATED WITH THE NEW YORK STATE COUNCIL OF SCHOOL SUPERINTEN-
DENTS,  AND THE NUMBER AND VARIETY OF EXTRA-CURRICULAR AND CO-CURRICULAR
ACTIVITIES OFFERED BY THE DISTRICT.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.