S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
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1562
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
January 15, 2019
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Introduced by M. of A. BICHOTTE, RICHARDSON -- read once and referred to
the Committee on Economic Development
AN ACT to amend the New York state urban development corporation act, in
relation to creating a grant program for school districts, insti-
tutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, other public
agencies and businesses to prepare students for postsecondary STEM
education and careers; and making an appropriation therefor
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 16-m of section 1 of chapter 174
of the laws of 1968, constituting the New York state urban development
corporation act, is amended by adding a new paragraph (o) to read as
follows:
(O) ASSISTANCE TO EFFECTIVELY PREPARE STUDENTS FOR POSTSECONDARY
EDUCATION AND CAREERS IN SCIENCE AND COMPUTER SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGI-
NEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) BY PROVIDING STEM GRANTS.
(I) THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CORPORATION, IN COOPERATION WITH THE COMMIS-
SIONER OF THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, SHALL ENCOURAGE SCHOOL
DISTRICTS AND OTHER QUALIFIED APPLICANTS TO ESTABLISH NEW STEM PROGRAMS
AND EXPAND EXISTING STEM PROGRAMS, AND SHALL ESTABLISH CRITERIA FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT AND SUBMISSION OF GRANT APPLICATIONS AND PROPOSALS AND FOR
THE SELECTION OF RECIPIENTS OF STEM GRANTS, AS PROVIDED IN THIS PARA-
GRAPH.
(II) ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT OR OTHER QUALIFIED APPLICANT THAT APPLIES FOR
FUNDING UNDER THIS PARAGRAPH, SHALL WORK WITH RELEVANT STATE AND LOCAL
EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES TO DEVELOP COMPREHENSIVE PLANS FOR IDENTIFYING,
DEVELOPING, TESTING, AND IMPLEMENTING EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES TO
PROVIDE STEM LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS AND SUPPORT THE IMPLE-
MENTATION OF SUCH PLANS BY EMPLOYING A WIDE RANGE OF STRATEGIES, INCLUD-
ING THE RECRUITMENT, PREPARATION, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF EFFEC-
TIVE STEM EDUCATORS. QUALIFIED APPLICANTS INCLUDE SCHOOL DISTRICTS,
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00791-01-9
A. 1562 2
INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, OTHER PUBLIC
AGENCIES AND BUSINESSES PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL SERVICES TO PREPARE
STUDENTS FOR POSTSECONDARY STEM EDUCATION AND CAREERS.
(III) STEM GRANTS SHALL BE AWARDED ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS. FIRST
PRIORITY SHALL BE GIVEN TO HIGH NEED SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND HIGH NEED
SCHOOLS. GRANTS SHALL BE AWARDED BASED ON FACTORS INCLUDING, BUT NOT
LIMITED TO, THE FOLLOWING:
(A) MEASURES OF SCHOOL DISTRICT NEED;
(B) MEASURES OF THE NEED OF STUDENTS TO BE SERVED BY EACH APPLYING
SCHOOL DISTRICTS;
(C) THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S PROPOSAL TO TARGET THE HIGHEST NEED SCHOOLS
AND STUDENTS;
(D) THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE DISTRICT'S PROPOSAL WOULD PRIORITIZE FUNDS
TO MAXIMIZE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE CHILDREN IN THE DISTRICT SERVED
IN STEM PROGRAMS; AND
(E) THE QUALITY OF THE PROPOSAL.
(IV) RECIPIENTS OF STEM GRANTS SHALL USE THE FUNDS TO:
(A) PROMOTE AND DEVELOP IN-SCHOOL AND OUT-OF-SCHOOL CURRICULAR TOOLS
AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR STEM EDUCATORS AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
AND SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVELS;
(B) PROVIDE INSTRUCTION AND MENTORING SERVICES TO NEW TEACHERS IN STEM
SUBJECTS;
(C) PROMOTE AND DEVELOP RIGOROUS UNDERGRADUATE PRE-SERVICE TEACHER
PROGRAMS AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION THAT EMPHASIZE STEM
CONTACT;
(D) SUPPORT THE PARTICIPATION OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND SECONDARY
SCHOOL STUDENTS IN COMPETITIONS, OUT-OF-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES, AND FIELD
EXPERIENCES RELATED TO STEM SUBJECTS;
(E) DEVELOP STEM RELATED EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAMS IN
SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY COLLEGES TO REFLECT THE NEEDS OF THE
LOCAL COMMUNITY; AND
(F) CREATE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE STEM EDUCATION AND
CAREERS.
(V) GRANTS SHALL BE MADE FOR A RECURRENT PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS,
COMMENCING WITH THE TWO THOUSAND NINETEEN-TWO THOUSAND TWENTY SCHOOL
YEAR. AT THE END OF THE FIVE YEAR PERIOD, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CORPO-
RATION SHALL EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE STEM GRANTS BASED ON
CRITERIA DEVELOPED IN COOPERATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF THE STATE
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
(VI) THIS GRANT PROGRAM WILL NOT MANDATE A TESTING OR EVALUATIVE MODEL
THAT IS SEPARATE FROM CURRENT STATE TESTING AND EVALUATIVE REQUIREMENTS
FOR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY STUDENTS.
§ 2. The sum of fifty million dollars ($50,000,000), or so much there-
of as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the urban development
corporation out of the moneys in the state treasury in the general fund
to the credit of the empire state economic development fund established
pursuant to section 16-m of the New York state urban development corpo-
ration act not otherwise appropriated, and made immediately available,
for the purpose of STEM grants and carrying out the provisions of this
act. Funds for STEM grants shall be distributed to each qualifying
school district in installments upon successful implementation of each
phase of the school district's approved proposal. No school district
shall receive more than forty percent of the total STEM grant allo-
cation. Within a school district, each individual STEM site shall be
limited to a maximum grant of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000).
Any portion of funding that is not awarded in a particular school year
A. 1562 3
shall remain available for awards in subsequent school years; provided
that in the event that the chairman of the urban development corporation
elects to discontinue the program after the initial five year period
described in section one of this act, and remaining funding shall be
returned to the state treasury to the credit of the general fund.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided that the amend-
ments to subdivision 1 of section 16-m of section 1 of chapter 174 of
the laws of 1968, constituting the New York state urban development
corporation act made by section one of this act, shall not affect the
expiration of such section and shall be deemed to expire therewith.