NY State Senate Bill S7600

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Introduced
In Committee
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- Passed Senate
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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 29, 2020	referred to education

S7600 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A9697
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §817, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S1111, A4407
2023-2024: S5650, A514

S7600 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to expanding access to advanced courses to improve educational equity beginning with notification to parents and students on the benefits and opportunities offered as well as automatic enrollment opportunities.

S7600 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

 
BILL NUMBER: S7600

SPONSOR: LIU
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to expanding access to
advanced courses to improve educational equity

 
PURPOSE:

This bill seeks to expand access to advanced coursework in order to
improve educational equity around the state.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

This bill creates a new section of education law that provides for
notice to parents on the availability of advanced courses, and other
early college and career experiences; and requires educational agencies
to adopt a policy for automatic enrollment in advanced courses where a
student has demonstrated readiness, pursuant to measures determined by
the Commissioner of Education. The policy shall also allow a parent of a

student to opt-out of automatic enrollment.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Studies have revealed a lack of equity in enrollment of students in
advanced courses. A recent study found that even when they scored profi-
cient on the state math assessment in grade 7, students who are low-in-
come or students of color were less likely than their peers to be
enrolled in an advanced math class in grade 9. Furthermore, in 2018-19,
high school students in New York State who were low-income or students
of color were approximately half as likely to be enrolled in advanced
courses including Physics, Calculus, Computer Science, Advanced Place-
ment (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IS)

This bill seeks to address this inequity by ensuring that families and
students are aware of the advanced course offerings at their school, and
requires a policy to provide automatic enrollment in advanced courses
where the student has demonstrated readiness.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

S7600 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf


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

                                  7600

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            January 29, 2020
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  LIU  --  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  expanding  access  to
  advanced courses to improve educational equity

  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 a new section 817 to
read as follows:
  § 817. EXPANDING ACCESS TO ADVANCED  COURSES  TO  IMPROVE  EDUCATIONAL
EQUITY.  1.  DEFINITIONS.  AS  USED  IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING TERMS
SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
  A. "ADVANCED COURSE" MEANS AS  FOLLOWS:  (I)  IN  MIDDLE  SCHOOL,  ANY
COURSE  THAT  LEADS  TO  A  HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL REGENTS EXAMINATION OR ANY
HONORS, GIFTED, OR ACCELERATED COURSE; AND  (II)  IN  HIGH  SCHOOL,  ANY
HONORS, GIFTED, ACCELERATED, ADVANCED PLACEMENT, INTERNATIONAL BACCALAU-
REATE, OR DUAL OR CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT COURSE OR PROGRAM.
  B.  "EARLY  COLLEGE  AND  CAREER EXPERIENCES" MEANS DUAL OR CONCURRENT
ENROLLMENT COURSES  AND  PROGRAMS,  WORK-BASED  LEARNING  OPPORTUNITIES,
APPRENTICESHIPS,  AND  COURSES  OR  EXAMINATIONS FOR WHICH A STUDENT MAY
EARN COLLEGE CREDIT OR AN INDUSTRY-RECOGNIZED CERTIFICATION.
  C. "EDUCATIONAL AGENCY" MEANS A SCHOOL DISTRICT OR  PUBLIC  ELEMENTARY
OR SECONDARY SCHOOL.
  D.  "PARENT"  MEANS  A  PARENT,  LEGAL GUARDIAN, OR PERSON IN PARENTAL
RELATION TO A STUDENT.
  2. PROVIDING TRANSPARENCY AND SUPPORT FOR PARENTS AND  STUDENTS.    A.
STARTING  WITH  THE  TWO THOUSAND TWENTY--TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-ONE SCHOOL
YEAR, EACH EDUCATIONAL AGENCY SHALL  ANNUALLY  PROVIDE  NOTIFICATION  TO
PARENTS  AND  STUDENTS  OF THE BENEFITS AND THE OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE
EDUCATIONAL AGENCY OF PARTICIPATING IN ADVANCED COURSES AND OTHER  EARLY
COLLEGE AND CAREER EXPERIENCES.
  B.  FOR  STUDENTS  IN GRADES FIVE THROUGH SIX, SUCH NOTIFICATION SHALL
INCLUDE:
  (I) A CLEAR AND UNDERSTANDABLE DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  MIDDLE  AND  HIGH
SCHOOL  COURSES  STUDENTS  SHOULD TAKE IN ORDER TO BE PREPARED FOR ENTRY

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD14615-02-0

S. 7600                             2

AND SUCCESS IN COLLEGE, THE WORKFORCE, AND ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP, INCLUDING
BUT NOT LIMITED TO ADVANCED COURSES;
  (II) LANGUAGE ADVISING STUDENTS AND PARENTS OF THE BENEFITS OF PARTIC-
IPATING  IN  ADVANCED COURSES AND OTHER EARLY COLLEGE AND CAREER EXPERI-
ENCES; AND
  (III) A DESCRIPTION OF THE ADVANCED  COURSES  OFFERED  BY  THE  SCHOOL
DISTRICT  IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL AND HOW TO PREPARE FOR AND ENROLL IN
THEM.
  C. FOR STUDENTS PREPARING TO ENTER GRADES SEVEN THROUGH  TWELVE,  SUCH
NOTIFICATION  SHALL  OCCUR  BY  JANUARY FIRST OF EACH SCHOOL YEAR OR TWO
WEEKS BEFORE REGISTRATION FOR CLASSES  FOR  THE  UPCOMING  SCHOOL  YEAR,
WHICHEVER IS EARLIER, AND SHALL INCLUDE:
  (I)  A  CLEAR  AND  UNDERSTANDABLE DESCRIPTION OF THE COURSES STUDENTS
SHOULD TAKE IN THE APPLICABLE GRADE SPAN IN ORDER  TO  BE  PREPARED  FOR
ENTRY  AND  SUCCESS  IN  COLLEGE, THE WORKFORCE, AND ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ADVANCED COURSES;
  (II) LANGUAGE ADVISING STUDENTS AND PARENTS OF THE BENEFITS OF PARTIC-
IPATING IN ADVANCED COURSES AND OTHER EARLY COLLEGE AND  CAREER  EXPERI-
ENCES;
  (III)  A  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  ADVANCED COURSES AND EARLY COLLEGE AND
CAREER EXPERIENCES TO BE OFFERED BY THE SCHOOL AND  SCHOOL  DISTRICT  IN
THE FOLLOWING SCHOOL YEAR; AND
  (IV) A DESCRIPTION OF THE ACADEMIC AND NON-ACADEMIC SUPPORT THE SCHOOL
AND  SCHOOL DISTRICT PROVIDE TO HELP STUDENTS SUCCEED IN ADVANCED COURS-
ES, AS WELL AS ANY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE
ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PARTICIPATION IN ADVANCED  COURSES,  INCLUDING
BUT NOT LIMITED TO RELATED FEES, SUPPLIES, AND ASSESSMENTS.
  D.  NOTIFICATION  UNDER THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE PROVIDED IN NO FEWER
THAN THE FIVE MOST COMMONLY SPOKEN LANGUAGES IN THE EDUCATIONAL  AGENCY,
PROVIDED THAT, IF AN EDUCATIONAL AGENCY HAS A POLICY TO PROVIDE INFORMA-
TION IN MORE THAN FIVE LANGUAGES, THE EDUCATIONAL AGENCY SHALL ADHERE TO
SUCH POLICY.
  E.  NOTIFICATION  UNDER  THIS  SUBDIVISION SHALL BE PROVIDED ELECTRON-
ICALLY OR BY MAIL AND BE POSTED ON THE EDUCATIONAL AGENCY'S WEBSITE.
  F. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DEVELOP MODEL NOTIFICATION TEMPLATES  FOR  USE
BY  EDUCATIONAL  AGENCIES  AND  SHALL TRANSLATE SUCH MODEL NOTIFICATIONS
INTO NO FEWER THAN THE TEN MOST COMMONLY SPOKEN LANGUAGES IN THE STATE.
  3. AUTOMATIC ENROLLMENT IN ADVANCED COURSES. A. STARTING WITH THE  TWO
THOUSAND  TWENTY-ONE--TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-TWO SCHOOL YEAR, EACH SCHOOL
DISTRICT SHALL ADOPT A POLICY  PROVIDING  FOR  AUTOMATIC  ENROLLMENT  IN
ADVANCED  COURSEWORK. SUCH POLICY SHALL AUTOMATICALLY ENROLL ANY STUDENT
ENTERING GRADES SEVEN  THROUGH  TWELVE  WHO  DEMONSTRATES  READINESS  AS
PROVIDED  IN  THIS  SUBDIVISION  IN  THE  NEXT  LEVEL OF ADVANCED COURSE
OFFERED BY THE EDUCATIONAL AGENCY. SUCH POLICY SHALL  INCLUDE  AUTOMATIC
ENROLLMENT  IN  ADVANCED  COURSES  IN  ENGLISH  LANGUAGE ARTS, MATH, AND
SCIENCE, AND MAY INCLUDE ANY ADDITIONAL SUBJECTS AS  DETERMINED  BY  THE
EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.
  B. STUDENTS SHALL BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE READINESS USING ONE OF MULTI-
PLE  MEASURES  ON A LIST PROMULGATED BY THE COMMISSIONER SPECIFYING SUCH
MEASURES. SUCH LIST SHALL INCLUDE, BUT SHALL NOT BE LIMITED TO,  SCORING
PROFICIENT  OR  ADVANCED  ON  A  STATEWIDE ASSESSMENT, AND SHALL INCLUDE
OTHER MEASURES, APPLIED TO ALL  STUDENTS  ENROLLED  IN  THE  EDUCATIONAL
AGENCY, THAT, IN THE JUDGMENT OF THE EDUCATIONAL AGENCY, IS AN INDICATOR
THAT  A  STUDENT  DEMONSTRATES  THE  ABILITY  TO  SUCCEED IN AN ADVANCED
COURSE.

S. 7600                             3

  C. THE EDUCATIONAL AGENCY SHALL NOTIFY STUDENTS AND PARENTS  THAT  THE
STUDENT  HAS  DEMONSTRATED  READINESS  FOR  ONE OR MORE ADVANCED COURSES
PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH B OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
  D.  IF  THE  NUMBER  OF  STUDENTS ELIGIBLE FOR AUTOMATIC ENROLLMENT IN
ADVANCED COURSES EXCEED THE AVAILABLE NUMBER OF SEATS IN  SUCH  COURSES,
THE  EDUCATIONAL  AGENCY MAY INCLUDE ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR
STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN ADVANCED COURSES, PROVIDED THAT THE  CRITERIA
DOES  NOT  RESULT  IN  INEQUITIES  OR  DISPARITIES IN ACCESS TO ADVANCED
COURSES OR PROGRAMS.
  E. AN EDUCATIONAL AGENCY SHALL PERMIT A PARENT OF A STUDENT TO  REMOVE
THE  STUDENT FROM AN ADVANCED COURSE IN WHICH THE STUDENT HAS BEEN AUTO-
MATICALLY ENROLLED AND TO EXEMPT THE STUDENT FROM ANY AUTOMATIC  ENROLL-
MENT IN ADVANCED COURSES.
  § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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The New York State Senate

senate Bill S7600

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Your Voice

Actions

S7600 (ACTIVE) - Details

S7600 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S7600 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S7600 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

senate Bill S7600

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Sponsored By

John C. Liu

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Your Voice

Actions

S7600 (ACTIVE) - Details

S7600 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S7600 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S7600 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments