Assembly Bill A5243

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5243
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 12, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. K. BROWN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Education
 
 AN  ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the high
   school peer mentoring pilot program; and providing for the  repeal  of
   such provisions upon expiration thereof

   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 115 to
 read as follows:
   § 115. THE HIGH SCHOOL PEER MENTORING PILOT PROGRAM. THE DEPARTMENT IS
 AUTHORIZED AND DIRECTED TO ESTABLISH A HIGH SCHOOL PEER MENTORING  PILOT
 PROGRAM.  SUCH  PILOT  PROGRAM  SHALL  BE IMPLEMENTED IN ALL PUBLIC HIGH
 SCHOOLS WITHIN THE STATE AND SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   1. PRIOR TO THE TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-SIX--TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-SEVEN
 SCHOOL YEAR:
   (A) A REVIEW OF A HIGH SCHOOL'S EXISTING MENTORING PROGRAM MODEL;
   (B)  THE  COLLECTION  OF RESOURCES AND THE SOLICITATION OF RECOMMENDA-
 TIONS TO STRENGTHEN A PEER MENTORING MODEL AND ENSURE THE BEST  OUTCOMES
 FOR BOTH THE MENTORS AND MENTEES UTILIZING EVIDENCE-BASED RESEARCH;
   (C)  THE  COLLECTION  OF RESOURCES AND THE SOLICITATION OF RECOMMENDA-
 TIONS AROUND ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE PRACTICE IN MENTORING, INCLUDING, BUT
 NOT LIMITED TO, RECRUITMENT, SCREENING, TRAINING, MATCHING AND  INITIAT-
 ING, MONITORING AND SUPPORT, AND CLOSURE;
   (D)  A  REVIEW  OF  BEST AND EMERGING PRACTICES TO RECRUIT AND ONBOARD
 MENTORS, MENTEES AND STAKEHOLDERS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY;
   (E) THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ARTICULATED RECRUITMENT AND SUPPORT OUTREACH
 PLAN;
   (F) THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A MENTOR SCREENING TOOL;
   (G) THE CREATION OF COMMUNICATION TOOLS AND  MARKETING  COLLATERAL  TO
 SUPPORT RECRUITMENT AND COMMUNICATION EFFORTS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMIT-
 ED TO:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03070-02-5
              

 A. 5243                             2
 
   (I) POSITION DESCRIPTION;
   (II) PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS;
   (III) LETTER TO FAMILIES; AND
   (IV) INFORMATION FOR FACULTY;
   (H)  THE  DESIGN  AND FACILITATION OF ONBOARDING TRAINING FOR MENTORS,
 MENTEES, AND ALL COORDINATORS AND LIAISONS; AND
   (I) A DETERMINATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BEST PRE-  AND  POST-AP-
 PROACH  IN  EVALUATING THE EFFICACY AND IMPACT OF THE PROGRAM ON MENTORS
 AND MENTEES;
   2. DURING  THE  TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-SIX--TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-SEVEN
 SCHOOL YEAR:
   (A) THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A PEER MENTORING PROGRAM;
   (B)  A  TWO-HOUR  VIRTUAL  TRAINING  FOR  ALL  SCHOOL  STAFF TO INFUSE
 MENTOR-LIKE CHARACTERISTICS AND EMPLOY TACTICS TO IMPACT STUDENTS  POSI-
 TIVELY;
   (C)  THE  CREATION OF A TEAM OF TRAINERS THAT CAN HELP QUICKLY ONBOARD
 FUTURE MENTORS AS NEEDED;
   (D) A RECORDED TRAINING FOR MENTORS AND VOLUNTEERS TO ACCESS AT  THEIR
 CONVENIENCE;
   (E)  THE  USE  OF  THE  SEARCH  INSTITUTES DEVELOPMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS
 FRAMEWORK TO REINFORCE EXISTING STRENGTHS IN THE SCHOOL'S  RELATIONSHIP-
 CENTERED CULTURE, AND ENCOURAGE REFLECTION IN POTENTIAL GROWTH AREAS;
   (F)  THE  PROVIDING  OF CONTINUOUS SUPPORT AND TRAINING INCLUDING, BUT
 NOT LIMITED TO:
   (I) ENRICHMENT TRAINING IN SPECIFIC CONTENT AREAS INCLUDING,  BUT  NOT
 LIMITED TO:
   (A) IMPROVING LISTENING SKILLS;
   (B) IDENTIFYING YOUTH SPARKS;
   (C) DISCOVERING OUR BOUNDARIES;
   (D) PERSONAL ASSUMPTIONS AND BIASES;
   (E) HELPING YOUTH WORK THROUGH CHALLENGES; AND
   (F) ADDRESSING CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS;
   (II) PEER SHARING ROUNDTABLES; AND
   (III)  ADDITIONAL  RESOURCES  FOR  CRUCIAL  PRACTICES  TO  ENHANCE AND
 STRENGTHEN MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS; AND
   (G) A VIRTUAL RELATIONSHIP MAPPING EXERCISE WHICH  CREATES  AN  INTEN-
 TIONAL  PLAN  TO  ENSURE  THAT  ALL  STUDENTS GRADUATE WITH A MEANINGFUL
 ADULT-YOUTH RELATIONSHIP; AND
   3. FOLLOWING THE TWO THOUSAND  TWENTY-SIX--TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-SEVEN
 SCHOOL YEAR:
   (A)  AN ASSESSMENT OF THE PILOT PROGRAM WHICH INCLUDES RECOMMENDATIONS
 FOR IMPROVEMENT;
   (B) SUBMISSION OF SUCH ASSESSMENT TO THE COMMISSIONER;
   (C) THE ADVOCATION BY THE DEPARTMENT FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THE PILOT
 PROGRAM BEYOND THE TWO THOUSAND  TWENTY-SIX--TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-SEVEN
 SCHOOL YEAR; AND
   (D)  THE  CREATION OF A REPORT ON THE HIGH SCHOOL PEER MENTORING PILOT
 PROGRAM WHICH SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNOR, THE  TEMPORARY  PRESI-
 DENT  OF THE SENATE, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE MINORITY LEADER OF
 THE SENATE, AND THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE ASSEMBLY NO LATER THAN AUGUST
 THIRTY-FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SEVEN.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
 deemed repealed January 1, 2028.