Senate Bill S7743A

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7743A

SPONSOR: SCARCELLA-SPANTON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to clarifying that the
writing requirement that is part of compulsory education includes
cursive writing

 
PURPOSE:

This bill would clarify that cursive writing is included as part of the
basic education program.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one of the bill amends subparagraph (1) of paragraph a of subdi-
vision 3 of 3204 of the education law to clarify that cursive writing is
included in the standard course of study for writing.

Section two provides the effective date.

              

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Since at least 1947, New York's compulsory education statute has
required that in the first eight years of a student's education in
public school., they receive instruction in a variety of subjects,
including arithmetic, reading, spelling, and writing. When this law was
adopted, cursive writing (script) was included in the required instruc-
tion for writing. However, as Common Core was implemented in New York
State, some school districts determined that students forego what once a
fundamental element of their educational foundation. As a result,
cursive writing was slowly phased out from basic education.

Against the backdrop of technology, teaching children cursive writing in
school has been viewed as taking time away from more "relevant"
subjects. However, learning script benefits children in multiple ways.

First, research has found that cursive writing helps stimulate improve
accuracy, memory recall, and conceptual understanding, with scientists
hypothesizing that tracing out letters and words offers individuals more
time to process the material and learn. Recent studies also found that
handwriting increases the connectivity across brain regions which are
involved in sensory and motor processing and central ones, many of which
are involved in memory. Second, cursive proficiency is necessary for
being able to read certain material. Although certain documents like
Declaration of Independence are widely available in print form, not all
items are, especially those of historical relevance. A failure to
comprehend this material written in script would leave these items
forever lost.

The notion that a pupil could graduate from twelve years of education
without knowing how to sign his or her name in cursive is unacceptable.
Students should benefit from a well-rounded education and become versed
in things that we have deemed fundamental throughout the years. This
bill would clarify the interpretation of the education Law to ensure
that this fundamental building block of our children's education is not
defacto removed from schools.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2019-20: A.2309 - Education

2017-18: A.2701A - Held for Consideration in Education / S.5140-A
-Education

2015-16: A.387 - 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, succeeding the date on which it shall
become law.