NY State Senate Bill 2017-S5140A

Senate Bill S5140A

2017-2018 Legislative Session

Relates to requiring instruction in cursive writing and memorization of multiplication tables as part of the basic education program

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Mar 09, 2018	print number 5140a
Mar 09, 2018	amend and recommit to education
Jan 03, 2018	referred to education
Mar 09, 2017	referred to education

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

2017-S5140 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A2701
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §§817 & 818, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2013-2014: A8651
2015-2016: A387
2019-2020: S1164, A2309

2017-S5140 - Summary

Relates to requiring instruction in cursive writing and memorization of multiplication tables as part of the basic education program.

2017-S5140 - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S5140

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring
instruction in cursive writing and memorization of multiplication
tables as part of the basic education program

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

This bill would require that cursive writing and memorization of
multiplication tables are taught as part of the basic education
program.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :

Section 1 amends the education law by adding two new sections 817 and
818. The new section 817 would require that during the standard course
of study cursive writing shall be instructed so that students create
readable documents through legible cursive handwriting by the end of
fifth grade. The new section 818 would require the standard course of
study to include the instruction of memorizing multiplication tables
to demonstrate competency in efficiently multiplying numbers.

Section 2 sets the effective date.

 JUSTIFICATION :

With the implementation of Common Core in New York State, students are
more and more skipping what once were fundamental elements of their
educational foundation. Currently there is no requirement that
students are taught cursive writing. Our education law has a section,
801, that requires certain fundamental elements to our education
curriculum that result in well rounded student that are versed in
things that we have deemed fundamental throughout the years. The
notion that a pupil could graduate from 12 years of education without
knowing how to sign his or her name in cursive is unacceptable,
additionally the ability for pupils to show competency in basic
multiplication through a proven method schools have used for years is
of the up most importance. This bill would require that these two
fundamental building blocks of our children's education aren't removed
from schools simply because they are not required as part of any of
the now numerous standardized tests students are subjected to.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

2015-16: A.387 - Referred to Education
2013-14: A.8651 - Held for Consideration in Education

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None to the State.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to school years
commencing on or after July 1, 2017.

2017-S5140 - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5140
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 9, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  JACOBS -- 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 requiring  instruction
   in  cursive  writing and memorization of multiplication tables as part
   of the basic education program

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The education law is amended by adding two new sections 817
 and 818 to read as follows:
   §  817. COURSES OF INSTRUCTION IN CURSIVE WRITING. THE STANDARD COURSE
 OF STUDY SHALL INCLUDE  THE  REQUIREMENT  THAT  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS  PROVIDE
 INSTRUCTION  IN  CURSIVE  WRITING SO THAT STUDENTS CREATE READABLE DOCU-
 MENTS THROUGH LEGIBLE CURSIVE HANDWRITING BY THE END OF FIFTH GRADE.
   § 818. INSTRUCTION RELATING TO  MULTIPLICATION  TABLES.  THE  STANDARD
 COURSE  OF STUDY SHALL INCLUDE THE REQUIREMENT THAT STUDENTS ENROLLED IN
 PUBLIC SCHOOLS MEMORIZE MULTIPLICATION TABLES TO DEMONSTRATE  COMPETENCY
 IN EFFICIENTLY MULTIPLYING NUMBERS.
   §  2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to school
 years commencing on or after July 1, 2017.
 
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03432-01-7

2017-S5140A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A2701
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §§817 & 818, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2013-2014: A8651
2015-2016: A387
2019-2020: S1164, A2309

2017-S5140A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to requiring instruction in cursive writing and memorization of multiplication tables as part of the basic education program.

2017-S5140A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S5140A

SPONSOR: JACOBS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring instruction
in cursive writing and memorization of multiplication tables as part of
the basic education program

 
PURPOSE:

This bill would require that cursive writing and memorization of multi-
plication tables are taught as part of the basic education program.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends the education law by adding two new sections 817 and
818. The new section 817 would require that during the standard course
of study cursive writing shall be instructed so that students create
readable documents through legible cursive handwriting by the end of
fifth grade. The new section 818 would require the standard course of

study to include the instruction of memorizing multiplication tables to
demonstrate competency in efficiently multiplying numbers.

Section 2 sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

According to an article published by the National Institute of Health by
Karin H. James and Laura Engelhardt, "The Effects of handwriting experi-
ence on functional brain development in pre-literate children," there is
evidence suggesting that handwriting of letters influences brain acti-
vation during letter perception in important ways, and that handwriting
can therefore help with reading development in young children. There-
fore, without diminishing the increasing prevalence of typing skills,
New York State should continue to maintain a policy that promotes hand-
writing and cursive skills, as a way to promote literacy in young chil-
dren, but also to ensure that a skill as basic as signing one's own name
is not lost on students. Additionally the ability for pupils to show
competency in basic multiplication through a proven method schools have
used for years is very important. This bill would require that these two
fundamental building blocks of our children's education are not removed
from schools simply because they are not required as part of any of the
now numerous standardized tests students are subjected to.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2015-16: A.387 - Referred to Education
2013-14: A.8651 - Held for Consideration in Education

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the State.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to school years
commencing on the first of July next succeeding the date on which it
shall have become law.

2017-S5140A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  5140--A
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 9, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  JACOBS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Education  --  recommitted
   to the Committee on Education in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8
   --  committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended
   and recommitted to said committee

 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring  instruction
   in  cursive  writing and memorization of multiplication tables as part
   of the basic education program
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The education law is amended by adding two new sections 817
 and 818 to read as follows:
   §  817. COURSES OF INSTRUCTION IN CURSIVE WRITING. THE STANDARD COURSE
 OF STUDY SHALL INCLUDE  THE  REQUIREMENT  THAT  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS  PROVIDE
 INSTRUCTION  IN  CURSIVE  WRITING SO THAT STUDENTS CREATE READABLE DOCU-
 MENTS THROUGH LEGIBLE CURSIVE HANDWRITING BY THE END OF FIFTH GRADE.
   § 818. INSTRUCTION RELATING TO  MULTIPLICATION  TABLES.  THE  STANDARD
 COURSE  OF STUDY SHALL INCLUDE THE REQUIREMENT THAT STUDENTS ENROLLED IN
 PUBLIC SCHOOLS MEMORIZE MULTIPLICATION TABLES TO DEMONSTRATE  COMPETENCY
 IN EFFICIENTLY MULTIPLYING NUMBERS.
   §  2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to school
 years commencing on the first of July next succeeding the date on  which
 it shall have become a law.
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03432-02-8

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