The New York State Senate

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    514
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              January 9, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. PEOPLES-STOKES, JEAN-PIERRE, JACKSON, CRUZ, DICK-
   ENS,  OTIS,  SIMON,  SAYEGH,  JACOBSON,  MAGNARELLI  --  read once and
   referred 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,  DUAL  OR  CONCURRENT  ENROLLMENT  COURSE  OR PROGRAM, WORK-BASED
 LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, APPRENTICESHIPS, AND COURSES OR EXAMINATIONS FOR
 WHICH A STUDENT  MAY  EARN  COLLEGE  CREDIT  OR  AN  INDUSTRY-RECOGNIZED
 CERTIFICATION.
   B.  "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-FOUR--TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
 SCHOOL YEAR, EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT  AND  CHARTER  SCHOOL  SHALL  ANNUALLY
 PROVIDE  NOTIFICATION  TO  PARENTS  AND STUDENTS OF THE BENEFITS AND THE
 OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE DISTRICT OR CHARTER SCHOOL OF PARTICIPATING  IN
 ADVANCED COURSES.
   B.  FOR  STUDENTS  IN GRADES FIVE THROUGH SIX, SUCH NOTIFICATION SHALL
 INCLUDE:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00662-01-3
 A. 514                              2

 
   (I) A CLEAR AND UNDERSTANDABLE DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  MIDDLE  AND  HIGH
 SCHOOL  COURSES  STUDENTS  SHOULD TAKE 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
   (III)  A  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  ADVANCED COURSES OFFERED BY THE SCHOOL
 DISTRICT OR CHARTER SCHOOL 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;
   (III)  A  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  ADVANCED  COURSES TO BE OFFERED BY THE
 SCHOOL DISTRICT OR CHARTER SCHOOL IN THE FOLLOWING SCHOOL YEAR; AND
   (IV) A DESCRIPTION OF THE ACADEMIC AND NON-ACADEMIC SUPPORT THE SCHOOL
 DISTRICT OR CHARTER SCHOOL PROVIDES TO HELP STUDENTS SUCCEED IN ADVANCED
 COURSES, 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  ELECTRON-
 ICALLY OR BY MAIL AND BE POSTED ON THE WEBSITE OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR
 CHARTER SCHOOL.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.