S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                          936
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                    January 7, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- 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  parent
         and student training center within the City University of New York
         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 2590-v
    2  to read as follows:
    3    S 2590-V. PARENT TRAINING. 1. THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF  NEW  YORK  SHALL
    4  OPERATE A PARENT AND STUDENT TRAINING CENTER, KNOWN AS THE PARENT TRAIN-
    5  ING CENTER ("CENTER") FOR THE SUPPORT AND TRAINING OF PARENTS OR PERSONS
    6  IN PARENTAL RELATION TO A STUDENT OR STUDENTS ATTENDING PUBLIC SCHOOL IN
    7  THE  CITY  OF  NEW  YORK.  SUCH TRAINING SHALL OCCUR IN EACH OF THE FIVE
    8  BOROUGHS. THE CENTER SHALL DESIGN  AND  IMPLEMENT  PROGRAMS  FOR  PARENT
    9  ENGAGEMENT  WITHIN PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK, COORDINATING,
   10  WHERE APPROPRIATE, WITH THE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT  OF  THE  CITY  OF  NEW
   11  YORK. THE CENTER SHALL:
   12    (A)  CONDUCT  TRAINING  AND  SUPPORT  PROGRAMS FOR PARENTS IN ORDER TO
   13  INCREASE THEIR  CAPACITY  TO  PARTICIPATE  IN  AND  ENGAGE  WITH  LOCAL,
   14  DISTRICT,  AND  CITY-WIDE SCHOOL GOVERNANCE AND PARTICIPATORY STRUCTURES
   15  DESIGNED TO SUPPORT AND INCLUDE PARENTAL AND STUDENT INPUT INCLUDING BUT
   16  NOT LIMITED TO SCHOOL LEADERSHIP TEAMS,  COMMUNITY  EDUCATION  COUNCILS,
   17  DISTRICT  LEADERSHIP  TEAMS, PARENT ASSOCIATIONS, CITY-WIDE COUNCILS AND
   18  OTHER EXISTING FORMAL GOVERNANCE AND PARTICIPATORY  STRUCTURES  DESIGNED
   19  TO SUPPORT AND INCLUDE PARENTAL AND STUDENT INPUT;
   20    (B)  CONDUCT  OUTREACH  AND  RECRUITMENT  TO INCREASE DIVERSITY IN THE
   21  ABOVE LISTED GOVERNANCE AND PARTICIPATORY STRUCTURES TO  BETTER  REFLECT
   22  THE  DIVERSE  COMPOSITION OF THE REPRESENTED COMMUNITY, WITH AN EMPHASIS
   23  ON PROVIDING RESOURCES AND TRAINING IN COMMUNITY DISTRICTS WHERE  GRADU-
   24  ATION  AND RETENTION RATES ARE IN THE LOWER HALF OF THE CITY-WIDE GRADU-
   25  ATION AND RETENTION RATES;
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD03012-01-5
       S. 936                              2
    1    (C)  IMPLEMENT  PROGRAMS  TO  ENHANCE  PARENTS'  ABILITY  TO   SUPPORT
    2  STUDENTS'  EDUCATIONAL  SUCCESS,  INCLUDING  SUPPORT FOR PARENTS TO HELP
    3  THEM COMMUNICATE WITH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS AND  TEACHERS,  TRACK  THEIR
    4  CHILD'S PERFORMANCE, AND FOSTER AN ENVIRONMENT FOR LEARNING AT HOME;
    5    (D)  ASSIST  PARENTS  AND  STUDENTS  IN  INTERACTING  WITH CITY SCHOOL
    6  DISTRICT PERSONNEL AND IN DEVELOPING AN UNDERSTANDING OF  THE  FUNCTION,
    7  STRUCTURE  AND  OPERATIONS  OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF EDUCA-
    8  TION, INCLUDING PROVIDING BASIC INFORMATION CONCERNING SPECIAL EDUCATION
    9  PROGRAMS,  GIFTED  AND  TALENTED  PROGRAMS,  ENGLISH  LANGUAGE   LEARNER
   10  PROGRAMS,  SCHOOL  IMPROVEMENT  STRATEGIES,  SCHOOL  BUDGET,  ENROLLMENT
   11  PROCEDURES, AND STATE AND  CITY  STRUCTURES  AND  POLICIES  THAT  IMPACT
   12  EDUCATION, AND THE EFFECT OF SUCH STRATEGIES, PROCEDURES, STRUCTURES AND
   13  POLICIES ON THE EDUCATION BEING PROVIDED BY THE STUDENT'S SCHOOL;
   14    (E) ENCOURAGE STUDENT BASED COLLEGE COUNSELING INITIATIVES DESIGNED TO
   15  INCREASE  THE  RATE  OF  COLLEGE ENROLLMENT AND TRAIN STUDENTS TO BECOME
   16  YOUTH LEADERS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO STUDENT SUCCESS CENTERS.
   17    2. PRIORITY IN DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING PROGRAMS SHALL BE  GIVEN  TO
   18  SCHOOLS AND DISTRICTS IN WHICH THERE IS LOW OVERALL ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
   19  BY  STUDENTS  OR  WHICH HAVE A HIGH DENSITY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING
   20  STUDENTS OR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES. SCHOOLS WITH INEFFECTIVE PARENT ASSOCI-
   21  ATIONS OR WITHOUT PARENT ASSOCIATIONS SHALL RECEIVE TARGET SUPPORT.
   22    3. UPON REQUEST BY THE CENTER, THE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL  PROVIDE
   23  THE  CENTER WITH NAMES AND CONTACT INFORMATION OF THE OFFICERS OF PARENT
   24  ASSOCIATIONS,  MEMBERS  OF  COUNCILS  OF  PRESIDENTS,  MEMBERS  OF   THE
   25  CHANCELLOR'S  PARENT  ADVISORY  COUNCIL,  MEMBERS OF COMMUNITY EDUCATION
   26  COUNCILS, MEMBERS OF SCHOOL LEADERSHIP TEAMS, MEMBERS OF DISTRICT  LEAD-
   27  ERSHIP  TEAMS,  AND  MEMBERS  OF  THE  CITY-WIDE COUNCILS, PROVIDED THIS
   28  INFORMATION IS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE.
   29    4. THE CENTER SHALL BE STRICTLY  NON-PARTISAN,  SHALL  NOT  ENGAGE  IN
   30  ISSUES  OF  ADVOCACY, AND SHALL REMAIN NEUTRAL IN ALL POLICY MATTERS AND
   31  DISPUTES.
   32    5. THE CITY OF NEW YORK SHALL PROVIDE ANNUAL FUNDING TO THE CENTER  IN
   33  AN  AMOUNT  EQUAL TO THAT PROVIDED IN AN APPROPRIATION BY THE STATE, BUT
   34  NOT TO EXCEED EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS PER YEAR.
   35    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.