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.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2386
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 20, 2023
___________
Introduced by Sens. MYRIE, BAILEY, COMRIE, GOUNARDES, HOYLMAN-SIGAL,
JACKSON, MANNION, PARKER, PERSAUD, RAMOS, SALAZAR -- read twice and
ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on
Education
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.
21 (c) All school districts, charter schools and private schools shall
22 integrate culturally responsive education throughout the education of
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00886-01-3
S. 2386 2
1 all students at all grade levels in accordance with the commissioner's
2 rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to this subdivision.
3 (d) The commissioner's rules and regulations shall include, but not be
4 limited to, curriculum standards for: African American history and
5 achievement, Latino American history and achievement, Native American
6 history and achievement, Asian American history and achievement, and the
7 role of racial oppression and inequity based in the formation, growth
8 and existence of our nation and state. The commissioner shall also
9 develop model curricula for use by schools.
10 2. Graduation standards. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and
11 regulations requiring all high school students to pass a course in a
12 subject area that meets the culturally responsive education standards
13 established by this section as a prerequisite for graduation.
14 3. Teacher certification. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and
15 regulations to include completion of at least one college course in
16 effective teaching for students of diverse cultural backgrounds as a
17 prerequisite for teacher certification.
18 4. Professional development. The commissioner shall promulgate rules
19 and regulations requiring cultural competency and culturally responsive
20 education to be incorporated into the ongoing professional development
21 standards for all pre-kindergarten through grade twelve educators.
22 5. Culturally responsive school climate assessment and/or rubric. The
23 commissioner shall create a culturally responsive school climate assess-
24 ment and/or rubric which school districts may utilize in assessing the
25 cultural responsiveness of the educational climate in their schools and
26 district. This assessment and/or rubric shall be consistent with the
27 purposes of this section.
28 6. Pilot program. Within amounts appropriated therefor, the commis-
29 sioner shall establish a pilot program in culturally responsive educa-
30 tion and shall make funds available to school districts through a
31 request for proposal. The award of such funds shall be based on criteria
32 to be developed by the commissioner and approved by the board of
33 regents. The commissioner shall prioritize districts with the highest
34 needs as measured in terms of student poverty and English language lear-
35 ners and other demographic or community factors which the commissioner
36 may identify. The criteria for an award shall include, but not be
37 limited to, the quality of the proposal and its consistency with the
38 purposes of this section, the ability of the school district to demon-
39 strate parent, family, student and community engagement in the develop-
40 ment and implementation of its proposal, the capacity of the school
41 district to draw upon the direct experiences of its students, families
42 and communities in implementing the purposes of this section, including
43 but not limited to the ability to draw upon these experiences in imple-
44 menting paragraph (d) of subdivision one of this section and the utili-
45 zation of the culturally responsive school climate assessment and/or
46 rubric developed by the commissioner or of a comparable assessment
47 and/or rubric in developing its proposal.
48 § 2. The sum of twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000), or so much
49 thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the department of
50 education out of any moneys in the state treasury in the general fund to
51 the credit of the state purposes fund, not otherwise appropriated, and
52 made immediately available, for the sole purpose of providing funding
53 for the pilot program in culturally responsive education established
54 pursuant to subdivision 6 of section 804-e of the education law, as
55 added by section one of this act. Such moneys shall be payable on the
S. 2386 3
1 audit and warrant of the comptroller on vouchers certified or approved
2 by the commissioner of education in the manner prescribed by law.
3 § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
4 have become a law. Effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or
5 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
6 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
7 on or before such effective date.
