Bill Text: NY A02528 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

New York Assembly Bill 2528 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Requires the department of education to establish professional development programs in culturally responsive instruction and provide access to those programs on its website.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 17-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - referred to education [A02528 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A02528-Introduced.html

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          2528
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    January 23, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A. RODRIGUEZ, ORTIZ, DE LA ROSA, ARROYO, JAFFEE,
          DICKENS, CRESPO, L. ROSENTHAL, BARRON, PICHARDO, COOK, LENTOL,  BLAKE,
          SIMON,  RIVERA,  WALKER  --  Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. HYNDMAN --
          read once and referred to the Committee on Education
        AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to culturally  responsive
          teaching
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Legislative finding. The  legislature  finds  and  declares
     2  that:
     3    1. Culture is essential to learning;
     4    2. Culture plays a role not only in communicating and receiving infor-
     5  mation,  but also in shaping the thinking process of groups and individ-
     6  uals;
     7    3. A pedagogy that acknowledges, responds to, and celebrates fundamen-
     8  tal cultures offers full, equitable access to education for pupils  from
     9  all cultures;
    10    4.  Culturally  responsive teaching is a major civilizing influence on
    11  the development of a humane, responsible and informed citizenry, able to
    12  adjust to and grow in a rapidly changing  world.  Culturally  responsive
    13  teaching  can substantiate a claim to the prevention of human and social
    14  costs to the state. Culturally responsive teaching develops  the  social
    15  consciousness  of  students  to better handle the world of prejudice and
    16  racism.  Culturally responsive teaching provides students with the back-
    17  ground in social studies and  humanities  so  that  they  will  function
    18  successfully and tolerantly in a participatory democracy and a multicul-
    19  tural  nation  and  world.   Culturally responsive teaching incorporates
    20  multicultural information, books, and other educational resources; and
    21    5. It is recognized that students in public elementary  and  secondary
    22  schools  can  only  reach  the  levels of performance expected under the
    23  provisions of this part with parental  participation  in  the  education
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD06922-01-9

        A. 2528                             2
     1  process. It is therefore, the policy of this state to provide culturally
     2  responsive  services  for  young children and their families. Culturally
     3  responsive services for young children and their families should reflect
     4  the importance of integration and diversity to the maximum extent possi-
     5  ble  in  regard  to characteristics such as race, economics, sex, creed,
     6  capability and cultural differences.  Services  should  be  designed  to
     7  support  and  strengthen  the  family and be planned in consideration of
     8  existing family values, with the primary concern being  the  welfare  of
     9  the child.
    10    § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 3039 to read
    11  as follows:
    12    §  3039. Professional development in culturally responsive instruction
    13  which focuses on understanding and responding to the diverse experiences
    14  of students and parents, developing culturally responsive lesson  plans,
    15  and  undoing  implicit  bias. 1. The department shall establish at least
    16  four professional development programs in culturally responsive instruc-
    17  tion annually, and provide access to those sessions on its website.
    18    2. Each superintendent of a school district shall develop, and present
    19  to the local board of education for  adoption,  an  accountability  plan
    20  ensuring  that  the  district  is  complying  with culturally responsive
    21  instruction requirements established by the department. The accountabil-
    22  ity plan shall include the  amount  of  culturally  responsive  teaching
    23  professional development instruction offered by the district, the number
    24  of  teacher  participants, and a teacher evaluation survey that measures
    25  the effectiveness of the professional development  instruction  offered.
    26  Each school board shall present an annual report to the department stat-
    27  ing  the  effectiveness  of  such  program  in  professional development
    28  instruction by presenting an analysis of the teacher participant surveys
    29  which measures their confidence  in  being  culturally  responsive,  and
    30  student  surveys  which  measures  the  cultural responsiveness of their
    31  teachers.
    32    3. Each school district's accountability plan shall be effective for a
    33  period of three years, and shall be updated on or before July  first  of
    34  each year.
    35    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.