STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2987
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 23, 2017
___________
Introduced by M. of A. RICHARDSON -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a comput-
er coding and basic programming course for secondary schools
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new
2 subdivision 56 to read as follows:
3 56. a. The commissioner shall make recommendations to the board of
4 regents relating to the adoption of instruction in computer coding and
5 basic programming in senior high schools.
6 b. Prior to making the recommendations to the board of regents, the
7 commissioner shall:
8 (i) seek the recommendations of teachers, school administrators,
9 teacher educators and others with educational expertise in the proposed
10 curriculum;
11 (ii) seek comment from parents, students and other interested parties;
12 (iii) consider the amount of instructional time such curriculum will
13 require and whether such time would detract from other mandated courses
14 of study;
15 (iv) consider the fiscal impact, if any, on the state and school
16 districts; and
17 (v) consider any additional factors the commissioner deems relevant.
18 c. No later than one hundred eighty days after the effective date of
19 this subdivision, the commissioner shall provide a recommendation to the
20 board of regents to either adopt and promulgate appropriate rules and
21 regulations implementing such curriculum or reject the implementation of
22 such curriculum. Upon receiving a recommendation from the commissioner,
23 pursuant to this subdivision, the board of regents shall vote to either
24 accept or reject the commissioner's recommendation no later than sixty
25 days after receiving such recommendation.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00705-01-7
A. 2987 2
1 d. If the board of regents adopts such curriculum, the curriculum
2 requirement shall take effect no later than the next school year after
3 such curriculum has been adopted.
4 e. If the board of regents rejects such curriculum, the commissioner
5 shall provide a report as to the determination of the board to the
6 governor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the
7 assembly and the chairs of the senate and assembly committees on educa-
8 tion providing the reasons for such rejection not later than thirty days
9 after the board of regents rejects such curriculum.
10 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
