S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  6817

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                              April 6, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced by M. of A. BICHOTTE -- read once and referred to the Commit-
  tee on Education

AN  ACT  in  relation to establishing the Beacon School Pilot Program in
  New York city schools

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
the "New York City Beacon School Act".
  S 2. Legislative findings. Gun violence and gang activity has become a
severe issue in the United States as a whole, specifically in New  York,
Los  Angeles,  Detroit,  and  Chicago.  In  most cases, youth join gangs
because they feel they  need  protection,  they  want  to  be  accepted,
respected  or all of the above. Through various youth development initi-
atives and programs we can create an environment that  will  meet  these
needs for young people in urban communities and thus reduce gang and gun
violence. Beacon offers New York city youth with a place to grow through
challenging  activities,  caring  relationships, and opportunities.  The
youth development quality of the Beacon environment  results  in  higher
self-esteem  among youth, increased leadership skills, and higher expec-
tations by staff and youth for behavior and performance. Beacon  reduces
the  likelihood  of  students to cut classes, bullying, and other crimes
against persons or property. Beacon also provides important services and
activities for neighborhood adults including sports,  physical  fitness,
basic  education,  English-language  instruction,  GED  preparation  and
computer instruction. Beacon creates cohesion between  youths,  parents,
community  organizations  and  businesses,  engaging the community in an
effort to reduce gang and gun violence.
  S 3. Purpose. The purpose of this act is to provide all public elemen-
tary and secondary schools located in New York city the structure, flex-
ibility and support necessary to operate under the Beacon  school  model
to:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD06668-01-5
              

A. 6817                             2

  1.  enable public schools and community partners, including public and
private  agencies,  community  based  organizations,  local  government,
institutions of higher education, families, after school program provid-
ers,  summer  program  providers, museums, libraries, and other cultural
institutions  and  civic  organizations, to leverage their resources and
prepare the community they serve to compete in today's global economy;
  2. reduce the incidents of gun and gang violence in the New York  city
community  by providing the activities and education necessary to engage
the community; and
  3.  provide  funding  for  the  expansion,  and  the  continuation  of
results-driven partnerships that align numerous funding streams, includ-
ing  public  and  private funding, and leverage existing funding to make
every New York city public school into a Beacon school.
  S 4. Definitions. As used in this act the following terms  shall  have
the following meanings:
  1. "Beacon" shall mean a community center located in public elementary
and  secondary  school  buildings,  offering  a  range of activities and
services to participants of all ages, before and after  school,  in  the
evenings, and on weekends.
  2.  "Host  school" shall mean the point of entry for all Beacon activ-
ities located within a neighborhood.
  3. "Neighborhood" shall mean the community zoned to the public school.
  4. "Community based organization" shall mean any organization incorpo-
rated for the purpose of  providing  services  or  other  assistance  to
economically  or  socially  disadvantaged  persons within its designated
community. Such organization shall have a board of  directors  of  which
more  than half of such members shall reside in such designated communi-
ty.
  5. "Community advisory council" shall mean the advisory council estab-
lished by the host school.
  6. "Neighborhood organization/institution for profit or not-for-profit
organization" shall mean any such organization which had  been  approved
by  the  host  school  and  advisory  council to participate in programs
offered at the Beacon center.
  S 5. The Beacon school model. 1. Every public elementary and secondary
school shall be empowered to  use  funds  whether  public,  private,  or
otherwise,  to  transform the host school into a Beacon school, in order
to: (i) improve student achievement in the school;  (ii)  create  incen-
tives  to grow and sustain community partnerships so that the school and
community work together to  improve  student  academic  achievement  and
social  and  emotional well-being; and (iii) decrease youth gang and gun
violence in the community.
  2. Programs under the Beacon school model shall  include  but  not  be
limited  to  recreational programs, social services, educational enrich-
ment, and vocational activities.
  3. All Beacon schools shall  address  youth  development  programming,
academic support and enhancement, parent involvement and family support,
and  neighborhood  safety and community building as determined necessary
by the host school and community advisory council.
  S 6. Beacon advisory council. 1. Each Beacon shall develop  and  main-
tain  an  advisory  council  as  defined  in  this  section to guide the
programming and activities of the Beacon center.
  2. The council shall provide governance and serve as an organizing and
market vehicle for participation in the Beacon center.
  3. The goal of the council shall be to enable  the  Beacon  center  to
maintain  close  ties to the host school and the community to strengthen

A. 6817                             3

the focus on  supporting  educational  achievement  and  other  positive
outcomes for youth and families.
  4.  Council members shall be volunteer representatives from the commu-
nity committed to participating in the discussion, planning, and  imple-
mentation  of  ideas, activities, and programs that further the goals of
the Beacon center in the five areas of: (i) leadership development, (ii)
academic enrichment, (iii) family strengthening, (iv) personal  capacity
building in community residents and (v) the reduction of violence.
  5.  The  council  shall maintain a membership which is consistent with
the Beacon Middle School  Initiative  launched  by  the  New  York  City
Department of Youth and Community Development.
  S  7. Duties of the council. The council is charged with the following
tasks: participate in the assessment and development  of  Beacon  center
programming  needs;  assist  with  initial  and  regularly updated needs
assessments to guide the  development  of  Beacon  programming  that  is
responsive  to  priority  community  needs and interests; participate in
evaluating the effectiveness of Beacon services  and  recommend  program
improvements;  conduct  ongoing efforts to elicit evaluative information
from residents on Beacon center activities and services via satisfaction
surveys,  focus  groups,  interviews,  and  other  evaluation   methods;
complete  advisory  council  training  designed  to build capability for
leadership and self-monitoring; conduct a minimum of 1  council  meeting
per  month  for  a total of at least 12 meetings per year; assist in the
review and planning of Beacon center programming; develop support in the
community for Beacon center activities and convey  ideas  and  feedback;
identify  and facilitate needed linkages and promote cultural competence
in services; work directly with the youth division of the  local  police
department  and  the  New  York  city  department of juvenile justice to
implement programming and activities to address gang/gun/youth violence,
youth re-entry, and methods for educational/vocational success.
  S 8. The city of New York shall provide annual funding to support  the
implementation  of  Beacon  schools. This funding shall be matched in an
amount equal to that provided in an appropriation by the state.
  S 9. This act shall take effect on the three hundred  sixty-fifth  day
after it shall have become a law.