Requires instruction in civic education for grades 5 through 12 including instruction on the NYS constitution; federal, state and local government; civic literacy; methods of public participation; and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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3950--A
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 21, 2019
___________
Introduced by Sens. MONTGOMERY, MAY -- read twice and ordered printed,
and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education --
committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring civic educa-
tion courses for grades five through twelve
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 817 to
2 read as follows:
3 § 817. Instruction in civic education. 1. The commissioner shall
4 establish a curriculum for instruction in civic education in all schools
5 providing instruction to students in grades five through twelve. Local
6 boards of education and the chancellor of the board of education of the
7 city of New York may adopt their own curriculum upon the approval of the
8 commissioner.
9 2. Such instruction shall include, but shall not be limited to,
10 instruction on the New York state constitution; federal, state and local
11 government; civic literacy; methods of public participation; and the
12 rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Such curriculum shall have
13 an experiential, simulation, and project-based approach, including but
14 not limited to, mock trials; moot court; opportunities to identify and
15 debate issues relative to power, economic status and the common good in
16 democracy, advocacy, and community organizing; simulation based legisla-
17 tive hearings; and other role playing exercises that engage students in
18 the democratic process and that teach them how to be informed civic
19 actors in their communities.
20 3. The boards of education and trustees of the several cities and
21 school districts of the state shall require instruction to be given in
22 such course, by the teachers employed in the school therein.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08459-03-9
S. 3950--A 2
1 4. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations outlining
2 the training of teachers providing such civic education instruction and
3 materials to be provided for such instruction. The board of education or
4 trustees of every school district shall provide appropriate training and
5 curriculum materials, as promulgated by the commissioner, to such teach-
6 ers.
7 § 2. This act shall take effect two years after it shall have become a
8 law, provided, however, that effective immediately the commissioner of
9 education is authorized to adopt any rules or regulations necessary to
10 implement the provisions of this act on such effective date.
