Bill Text: NY S00273 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes a culturally responsive education curriculum and standards; requires all school districts, charter schools and private schools to integrate culturally responsive education throughout the education of all students at all grade levels; establishes a pilot program in culturally responsive education; appropriates $25,000,000 therefor.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-05 - REFERRED TO EDUCATION [S00273 Detail]
Download: New_York-2021-S00273-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 273 2021-2022 Regular Sessions IN SENATE (Prefiled) January 6, 2021 ___________ Introduced by Sens. MYRIE, BAILEY, BIAGGI, COMRIE, GOUNARDES, HOYLMAN, JACKSON, PARKER, PERSAUD, RAMOS, SALAZAR -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Educa- tion AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a culturally responsive education curriculum and standards; and making an appropriation therefor The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 804-e 2 to read as follows: 3 § 804-e. Culturally responsive education curriculum and standards. 1. 4 Culturally responsive education rules and regulations. (a) The commis- 5 sioner shall promulgate rules and regulations for the implementation of 6 culturally responsive education curriculum for all schools including 7 elementary schools, junior high schools and senior high schools. In 8 formulating such regulations, the commissioner shall seek input of 9 parents, students and other stakeholders. 10 (b) In formulating the rules and regulations required by paragraph (a) 11 of this subdivision, the commissioner shall recognize that: more than 12 half of New York state's public school students are students of color; 13 education that makes a cultural connection with students has been shown 14 to improve educational outcomes; cultural responsiveness advances and 15 accelerates student learning by honoring and supporting students' 16 cultural, linguistic and racial experiences; in order for students to 17 gain the full benefits of the diversity of New York state, culturally 18 responsive education must be a part of the daily schooling experiences 19 of all students; and cultural responsiveness will prepare educators to 20 relate aspects of students' daily lives to the curriculum. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD02295-01-1S. 273 2 1 (c) All school districts, charter schools and private schools shall 2 integrate culturally responsive education throughout the education of 3 all students at all grade levels in accordance with the commissioner's 4 rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to this subdivision. 5 (d) The commissioner's rules and regulations shall include, but not be 6 limited to, curriculum standards for: African American history and 7 achievement, Latino American history and achievement, Native American 8 history and achievement, Asian American history and achievement, and the 9 role of racial oppression and inequity based in the formation, growth 10 and existence of our nation and state. The commissioner shall also 11 develop model curricula for use by schools. 12 2. Graduation standards. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and 13 regulations requiring all high school students to pass a course in a 14 subject area that meets the culturally responsive education standards 15 established by this section as a prerequisite for graduation. 16 3. Teacher certification. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and 17 regulations to include completion of at least one college course in 18 effective teaching for students of diverse cultural backgrounds as a 19 prerequisite for teacher certification. 20 4. Professional development. The commissioner shall promulgate rules 21 and regulations requiring cultural competency and culturally responsive 22 education to be incorporated into the ongoing professional development 23 standards for all pre-kindergarten through grade twelve educators. 24 5. Culturally responsive school climate assessment and/or rubric. The 25 commissioner shall create a culturally responsive school climate assess- 26 ment and/or rubric which school districts may utilize in assessing the 27 cultural responsiveness of the educational climate in their schools and 28 district. This assessment and/or rubric shall be consistent with the 29 purposes of this section. 30 6. Pilot program. Within amounts appropriated therefor, the commis- 31 sioner shall establish a pilot program in culturally responsive educa- 32 tion and shall make funds available to school districts through a 33 request for proposal. The award of such funds shall be based on criteria 34 to be developed by the commissioner and approved by the board of 35 regents. The commissioner shall prioritize districts with the highest 36 needs as measured in terms of student poverty and English language lear- 37 ners and other demographic or community factors which the commissioner 38 may identify. The criteria for an award shall include, but not be 39 limited to, the quality of the proposal and its consistency with the 40 purposes of this section, the ability of the school district to demon- 41 strate parent, family, student and community engagement in the develop- 42 ment and implementation of its proposal, the capacity of the school 43 district to draw upon the direct experiences of its students, families 44 and communities in implementing the purposes of this section, including 45 but not limited to the ability to draw upon these experiences in imple- 46 menting paragraph (d) of subdivision one of this section and the utili- 47 zation of the culturally responsive school climate assessment and/or 48 rubric developed by the commissioner or of a comparable assessment 49 and/or rubric in developing its proposal. 50 § 2. The sum of twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000), or so much 51 thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the department of 52 education out of any moneys in the state treasury in the general fund to 53 the credit of the state purposes fund, not otherwise appropriated, and 54 made immediately available, for the sole purpose of providing funding 55 for the pilot program in culturally responsive education established 56 pursuant to subdivision 6 of section 804-e of the education law, asS. 273 3 1 added by section one of this act. Such moneys shall be payable on the 2 audit and warrant of the comptroller on vouchers certified or approved 3 by the commissioner of education in the manner prescribed by law. 4 § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 5 have become a law. Effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or 6 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of 7 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed 8 on or before such effective date.
