A01780 Summary:

BILL NOA01780
 
SAME ASSAME AS S05561
 
SPONSORPeoples-Stokes (MS)
 
COSPNSRFahy, Lavine, Arroyo
 
MLTSPNSRBlake, Cook, Crespo, Gunther, Joyner, Magnarelli, Nolan, Steck
 
Add §3602-g, Ed L
 
Establishes the community schools act; authorizes the commissioner to award grants for community schools programming; appropriates funds therefor.
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A01780 Actions:

BILL NOA01780
 
01/17/2019referred to education
01/08/2020referred to education
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A01780 Committee Votes:

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A01780 Floor Votes:

There are no votes for this bill in this legislative session.
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A01780 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          1780
 
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                    January 17, 2019
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M.  of A. PEOPLES-STOKES, FAHY, LAVINE, ARROYO -- Multi-
          Sponsored by -- M. of A. BLAKE, COOK, CRESPO, GUNTHER, JOYNER, MAGNAR-
          ELLI, NOLAN, STECK -- read once  and  referred  to  the  Committee  on
          Education
 
        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  education  law, in relation to establishing the
          community schools act; 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. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "community
     2  schools act".
     3    § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new  section  3602-g  to
     4  read as follows:
     5    §  3602-g.  Community schools grant program. 1. There is hereby estab-
     6  lished within the department a community schools grant program  to  fund
     7  the  planning,  implementation,  improvement and evaluation of community
     8  schools. The purpose of this program shall be:
     9    a. to  ensure  high-quality  educational  opportunities  and  improved
    10  educational  outcomes  for  all students through investment in community
    11  schools;
    12    b. to  establish  sustainable  community  schools  with  engaging  and
    13  culturally  relevant  curriculum, health, social and emotional services,
    14  positive discipline practices such as restorative justice, and transfor-
    15  mational parent and community engagement, as a comprehensive solution to
    16  problems facing public schools, especially in poor communities; and
    17    c. to document and evaluate lessons  learned  from  community  schools
    18  programs to develop a set of best practices to be shared locally, state-
    19  wide and nationally.
    20    2. a. Within amounts appropriated therefor, the commissioner is hereby
    21  authorized  and  directed  to  award competitive grants pursuant to this
    22  section to eligible school districts or in a city with a  population  of
    23  one  million  or  more an eligible entity to implement, beginning in the
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04703-01-9

        A. 1780                             2
 
     1  two thousand nineteen--two thousand twenty  school  year,  a  plan  that
     2  targets  school  buildings  as  community  hubs to deliver co-located or
     3  school-linked academic, health, mental  health,  nutrition,  counseling,
     4  legal  and/or  other services to students and their families in a manner
     5  that will lead to improved educational and other  outcomes.  In  a  city
     6  with  a  population of one million or more, eligible entities shall mean
     7  the city school district of the city  of  New  York,  or  not-for-profit
     8  organizations, which shall include not-for-profit community based organ-
     9  izations.  An  eligible  entity that is a not-for-profit may apply for a
    10  community school grant provided  that  it  collaborates  with  the  city
    11  school district of the city of New York and receives the approval of the
    12  chancellor of the city school district of the city of New York.
    13    b.  A  request  for  proposal  process  shall be used in awarding such
    14  grants and shall begin no later than June first, two thousand  nineteen.
    15  Prior  to  awarding  such  grants,  the  commissioner  shall develop the
    16  following:
    17    (i) the scoring rubric by which  such  proposals  will  be  evaluated,
    18  provided  that  such grants shall be awarded based on factors including,
    19  but not limited to: measures of school district need;  measures  of  the
    20  need  of  the students to be served by each of the school districts; the
    21  school district's proposal  to  target  the  highest  need  schools  and
    22  students;  the sustainability of the proposed community schools program;
    23  and proposal quality; and the factors delineated in paragraph c of  this
    24  subdivision;
    25    (ii) the form and manner by which applications will be submitted;
    26    (iii)  the manner by which calculation of the amount of the award will
    27  be determined;
    28    (iv) the timeline for the review of applications; and
    29    (v) program implementation phases that will  trigger  payment  of  set
    30  percentages of the total award.
    31    c.  In  assessing proposal quality, in addition to the scoring rubric,
    32  the commissioner shall take into  account  factors  including,  but  not
    33  limited to:
    34    (i)  the  extent to which the school district's proposal would provide
    35  such community services through partnerships with local governments  and
    36  non-profit organizations;
    37    (ii)  the  extent  to which the proposal would provide for delivery of
    38  such services directly in school buildings;
    39    (iii) the extent to which the proposal articulates how  such  services
    40  would facilitate measurable improvement in student and family outcomes;
    41    (iv)  the  extent to which the proposal articulates and identifies how
    42  existing funding streams and programs would  be  used  to  provide  such
    43  community services; and
    44    (v)  the  extent  to  which  the  proposal  ensures  the safety of all
    45  students, staff and community members in school buildings used as commu-
    46  nity hubs.
    47    d. Each school site referenced in a proposal shall be:
    48    (i) a low performance school, performing in the lowest fifteen percent
    49  of schools statewide;
    50    (ii) a school with a graduation rate of less than sixty  percent  over
    51  the last three years; or
    52    (iii)  deemed by the department a school in poverty that would benefit
    53  from the grant program.
    54    e. A response to a request  for  proposals  issued  pursuant  to  this
    55  subdivision may be submitted by a single school district or jointly by a

        A. 1780                             3
 
     1  consortium  of  two  or more school districts, or in a city with a popu-
     2  lation of one million or more, an eligible entity.
     3    f.  The  amount  of the grant award shall be determined by the commis-
     4  sioner, except that no single district may be awarded  more  than  forty
     5  percent  of  the  total  amount  of  grant  awards made pursuant to this
     6  section; and provided further that the maximum award to  any  individual
     7  community  school  site shall be five hundred thousand dollars per year;
     8  and provided further that the amount awarded will be  paid  out  in  set
     9  percentages  over time upon successful implementation of each phase of a
    10  school district's approved proposal; and provided further that  none  of
    11  the  grants  awarded  pursuant  to  this section may be used to supplant
    12  existing funding.
    13    3. a. The commissioner is authorized to award planning  grants  for  a
    14  term  of  one year. Grantees who complete a plan that meets the require-
    15  ments for demonstrated readiness pursuant to paragraph b of this  subdi-
    16  vision  shall  then  be  awarded an operational grant for a term of five
    17  years which shall be renewable at the discretion of the commissioner.
    18    b. Grants shall be awarded for the two thousand nineteen--two thousand
    19  twenty school year to applicants based upon the factors  in  subdivision
    20  two  of  this  section.  The  commissioner is hereby authorized to award
    21  grants for planning of not more than two hundred thousand dollars for  a
    22  one-year  period.  At  the  end  of this period, grantees shall meet the
    23  following requirements for demonstrated readiness:
    24    (i) the establishment of a school leadership  team  for  each  covered
    25  school site of thirteen to fifteen people which shall include: the prin-
    26  cipal,  one community-based partner, at least three parents or guardians
    27  with at least one student currently enrolled in the school, selected  by
    28  the  parent  body,  at  least  three teachers selected through a process
    29  established by their respective collective bargaining units, one  school
    30  employee  including  a guidance counselor, social worker or school nurse
    31  selected through a process established by  their  respective  collective
    32  bargaining units, at least two community members, two students, current-
    33  ly  enrolled  at  the covered school and elected by the student body, if
    34  the grantee is a high school and two representatives  from  institutions
    35  of  higher  education  selected, if applicable, through a process estab-
    36  lished by their respective collective bargaining units. The school lead-
    37  ership team shall conduct a comprehensive needs assessment of the school
    38  and surrounding community. The school leadership team shall also develop
    39  a shared vision for the school  with  the  school  and  local  community
    40  through a community school action plan that includes tangible short-term
    41  changes and three- to five-year reform objectives and meets the require-
    42  ments of subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph.
    43    (A) The school leadership team shall hold at least two public hearings
    44  as  part  of  its  comprehensive  needs  assessment and community school
    45  action plan development process for the  purpose  of  soliciting  public
    46  input  and  shall  take  additional  steps to solicit public input as it
    47  deems appropriate.
    48    (B) The school leadership team shall also make a  public  presentation
    49  of  the  community  school action plan stating how it addresses student,
    50  community and school needs. Such presentation shall include the opportu-
    51  nity for public feedback and input on the community school action plan.
    52    (C) The school leadership team shall issue annual  recommendations  to
    53  school  leadership and the local school district. Such school leadership
    54  team reports and the community school action plan shall be  made  avail-
    55  able  to  the  public on the school's and the school district's websites
    56  and shall be provided to the legislature;

        A. 1780                             4

     1    (ii) the hiring of a resource coordinator to  coordinate  services  at
     2  each  covered  school  site.  A grantee proposing to cover more than one
     3  school shall also hire  a  program  director  to  coordinate  activities
     4  across  school  sites. Resource coordinators and program directors shall
     5  work  with  school  leadership and the school leadership team to deliver
     6  programs and services; and
     7    (iii) the submission to the department of a  community  school  action
     8  plan for each covered school that includes the following:
     9    (A)  the comprehensive needs assessment of the school and community as
    10  reported by the school leadership team;
    11    (B) a plan to implement a restorative justice model designed to reduce
    12  suspensions. For purposes of this section, "restorative  justice"  shall
    13  mean  school  discipline policies that shall reduce suspensions, address
    14  the causes of student misbehavior and replace punitive  approaches  with
    15  alternative  methods  that focus on conflict resolution skills, building
    16  positive  relationships,  using  restorative  practices,  and   creating
    17  collaboration among teachers, parents and students;
    18    (C)  a  plan  to  provide a minimum of four of the following community
    19  school programs:
    20    (1) early childhood education;
    21    (2) academic support and  enrichment  activities,  including  expanded
    22  learning time;
    23    (3) summer or after-school enrichment and learning experiences;
    24    (4)  programs  under  the  head  start act, including early head start
    25  programs;
    26    (5) teacher home visiting and/or home  visitation  services  by  other
    27  professionals;
    28    (6)  programs  that  promote parental involvement and family literacy,
    29  including the reading first and early reading first programs  authorized
    30  under part B of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
    31  1965 (20 U.S.C. 6361 et seq.);
    32    (7)  mentoring  and  other  youth development programs, including peer
    33  mentoring and conflict mediation;
    34    (8) parent leadership development activities;
    35    (9) parenting education activities;
    36    (10) child care services;
    37    (11) community service and service-learning opportunities;
    38    (12) programs that  provide  assistance  to  students  who  have  been
    39  truant, suspended, or expelled;
    40    (13)  job  training,  internship  opportunities, and career counseling
    41  services;
    42    (14) adult education, including instruction in  English  as  a  second
    43  language;
    44    (15) juvenile crime prevention and rehabilitation programs;
    45    (16) specialized instructional support services;
    46    (17) homeless prevention services; or
    47    (18)  other  programming  designed  to meet school and community needs
    48  identified through the school leadership team; and
    49    (D) a plan to  provide  for  school-based  health  services  including
    50  primary  health  care,  dental  care,  nutrition  services  and  mental,
    51  emotional and behavioral  health  services  at  the  covered  school  or
    52  schools.
    53    c.  Grantees  that have demonstrated readiness to begin operation of a
    54  sustainable community school program  shall  be  awarded  the  community
    55  schools  operational  grant  for  the  two thousand twenty--two thousand
    56  twenty-one school year. The commissioner is hereby authorized  to  award

        A. 1780                             5
 
     1  operational  grants  of  not more than five hundred thousand dollars per
     2  school for each year of the five-year grant period.  Operational  grants
     3  shall supplement existing services and funds.
     4    d. The commissioner shall contract with a non-profit organization with
     5  a  successful  track  record  of supporting community schools to provide
     6  technical support and assistance to the school and the school leadership
     7  team in order to ensure the successful design, planning and  implementa-
     8  tion of this program.
     9    4. a. Every grantee shall file an annual report with the commissioner,
    10  in such form and with such data as the commissioner prescribes detailing
    11  the  expenditure  of  grant  funds,  together  with  an  analysis of the
    12  school's efforts to  integrate  community  school  programming  at  each
    13  covered school site, challenges encountered, the impact of such program-
    14  ming  on  participating  children  and  adults  and  recommendations for
    15  improvement. Such report shall also  document  the  number  of  students
    16  receiving  services, retention rates, academic achievement, local fiscal
    17  savings and increased access to services. The department shall  evaluate
    18  such reports and aggregate the data provided.
    19    b.  The  department  shall report annually on the operation and effec-
    20  tiveness of the community schools grant program  to  the  governor,  the
    21  temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly begin-
    22  ning  one  year  after  the  effective date of this section. Such report
    23  shall detail the impact of community schools statewide and include anal-
    24  ysis of the effectiveness of implementing community school action plans,
    25  identify any federal, state, or local law impeding such  implementation,
    26  the degree to which there has been an increase in available services and
    27  an analysis of cost-savings in areas including but not limited to public
    28  health, safety and education. Data in the report shall be made available
    29  to  the public in machine-readable formats and such report shall be made
    30  publicly available at covered  school  sites  and  on  the  department's
    31  website.
    32    5.  No  modification  of  any collective bargaining agreement shall be
    33  made, nor shall any new terms and conditions  of  employment  be  estab-
    34  lished,  except through negotiations pursuant to article fourteen of the
    35  civil service law.
    36    § 3. The sum of two hundred fifty  million dollars ($250,000,000),  or
    37  so  much  thereof  as  may  be  necessary, is hereby appropriated to the
    38  education department from any moneys in the state treasury in the gener-
    39  al fund to the credit of the  local  assistance  account  not  otherwise
    40  appropriated,  and made immediately available, for the purpose of carry-
    41  ing out the provisions of this act for the 2019-2020 school  year.  Such
    42  sum  shall  be payable on the audit and warrant of the state comptroller
    43  on vouchers certified or approved by the commissioner of  education,  or
    44  his  or  her duly designated representative, in the manner prescribed by
    45  law.
    46    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
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