S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8622
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              October 2, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. D'URSO -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the exem-
   plary district mentorship program
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Article 3 of the education law is amended by adding  a  new
 part 2 to read as follows:
                                  PART II
                            EXEMPLARY DISTRICTS
 SECTION 150. LEGISLATIVE INTENT.
         151. DETERMINATION OF EXEMPLARY DISTRICTS.
         152. EXEMPLARY DISTRICT MENTORSHIP PROGRAM.
         153. MANDATE EXEMPTION.
   §  150.  LEGISLATIVE  INTENT.  IT  IS THE INTENT OF THE LEGISLATURE TO
 FOSTER THE DEVELOPMENT AND CODIFICATION OF A  BEST  PRACTICE  MODEL  FOR
 STUDENT   SUCCESS  AND  FISCAL  RESPONSIBILITY  BY  DETERMINING  CERTAIN
 DISTRICTS TO BE EXEMPLARY DISTRICTS AND  BY  ESTABLISHING  AN  EXEMPLARY
 DISTRICT  MENTORSHIP PROGRAM. TO ALLOW CERTAIN HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL SCHOOLS
 TO HELP OTHER SCHOOLS ACHIEVE SUCCESS,  THE  HIGHLY  SUCCESSFUL  SCHOOLS
 SHALL  RECEIVE  EXEMPTIONS  FROM  TESTING AND PAPERWORK REQUIREMENTS SET
 FORTH BY THE STATE IN EXCHANGE FOR MENTORING CERTAIN OTHER  SCHOOLS.  IT
 IS THE INTENT OF THIS  PROGRAM THAT MORE DISTRICTS WILL BECOME EXEMPLARY
 DISTRICTS  EACH  YEAR  AND  THAT  THE CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING EXEMPLARY
 DISTRICTS SHALL BECOME MORE RIGOROUS AS STUDENT  ACHIEVEMENT  GAINS  ARE
 MADE.
   §  151.  DETERMINATION  OF EXEMPLARY DISTRICTS. 1. ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT
 WITH A SUSTAINED GRADUATION RATE OVER NINETY-FIVE  PERCENT  FOR  A  FIVE
 YEAR PERIOD SHALL BE AN EXEMPLARY DISTRICT.
   2.  THE  COMMISSIONER, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE NEW YORK STATE COUNCIL
 OF SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS, SHALL GROUP SCHOOL DISTRICTS BY  THEIR  NEEDS
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD13856-01-9

 A. 8622                             2
 
 PROFILE, AS  DETERMINED BY CONSIDERING THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS ELIGI-
 BLE  FOR  FREE  OR  REDUCED  PRICE  LUNCHES,  THE  PERCENTAGE OF ENGLISH
 LANGUAGE LEARNERS, AND CENSUS  AND  FINANCIAL  DATA    PROVIDED  BY  THE
 DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE.  SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITHIN THE TOP TEN
 PERCENT  OF THEIR NEEDS PROFILE GROUPING WITHIN EACH ESTABLISHED REGENTS
 AREA  AND/OR  WITH    TWENTY  PERCENT HIGHER GRADUATION RATES THAN OTHER
 DISTRICTS WITHIN THE SAME NEEDS  PROFILE GROUPING MAY BE  DETERMINED  TO
 BE EXEMPLARY DISTRICTS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE COMMISSIONER.
   3.  EXEMPLARY  DISTRICTS SHALL BE REVIEWED EVERY THREE YEARS TO DETER-
 MINE WHETHER SUCH DISTRICTS SHALL RETAIN THE STATUS OF  BEING  AN  EXEM-
 PLARY DISTRICT.
   §  152.  EXEMPLARY DISTRICT MENTORSHIP PROGRAM. 1. EXEMPLARY DISTRICTS
 MAY ESTABLISH LOCAL CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION OF STUDENTS AND  STAFF.  ANY
 EXEMPLARY  DISTRICT  ESTABLISHING  SUCH LOCAL CRITERIA SHALL SUBMIT SUCH
 CRITERIA TO THE DEPARTMENT TO BE PUBLISHED ON A BEST  PRACTICES  SECTION
 OF THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE DEPARTMENT.
   2.  ANY  EXEMPLARY DISTRICT ESTABLISHING LOCAL CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION
 OF STUDENTS AND STAFF SHALL BE REQUIRED TO  WORK  WITH  OTHER  DISTRICTS
 WITHIN  THEIR  GEOGRAPHIC AREA AND NEEDS PROFILE, AS DETERMINED PURSUANT
 TO SUBDIVISION TWO OF SECTION ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-ONE OF THIS PART, OR THE
 DISTRICT OF THEIR CHOICE AS  A  MENTOR.  THE  EXEMPLARY  DISTRICT  SHALL
 PROVIDE  THE  RESOURCES  NEEDED  TO  HELP  EVALUATE  THE  DISTRICT BEING
 MENTORED AND SHALL PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON ANY BEST PRACTICES THAT MAY  HELP
 THE STUDENTS.
   3.  AN  EXEMPLARY  DISTRICT  MENTORING ANOTHER DISTRICT AND A DISTRICT
 BEING MENTORED BY AN EXEMPLARY DISTRICT SHALL EACH BE ELIGIBLE FOR CHAL-
 LENGE GRANTS TO HELP  IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM.
   4. AN EXEMPLARY DISTRICT MENTORING ANOTHER  DISTRICT  AND  A  DISTRICT
 BEING  MENTORED BY AN EXEMPLARY DISTRICT SHALL COLLABORATE AND PREPARE A
 REPORT TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT SUMMARIZING THE BEST  PRACTICES
 OF  THE  EXEMPLARY  DISTRICT  AND  RECOMMENDING PROCESSES TO ENSURE MORE
 SUCCESSFUL OUTCOMES.
   §  153.  MANDATE  EXEMPTION.  1.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL   ESTABLISH
 EXEMPTIONS  FROM  TESTING  AND  PAPERWORK  REQUIREMENTS SET FORTH BY THE
 STATE FOR EXEMPLARY DISTRICTS  FOR  EACH  THREE-YEAR  PERIOD  THAT  SUCH
 SCHOOL  IS  DETERMINED  TO  BE AN EXEMPLARY DISTRICT AS AN INCENTIVE FOR
 EXEMPLARY DISTRICTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE EXEMPLARY DISTRICT  MENTORSHIP
 PROGRAM.
   2.  THE COMMISSIONER SHALL CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA WHEN DETER-
 MINING WHICH EXEMPTIONS AN EXEMPLARY DISTRICT SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR:
   (A) SIXTY PERCENT OF THE DETERMINATION SHALL BE BASED  ON  THE  GRADU-
 ATION  RATE,  DROP-OUT  RATE AND COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE RATE OF THE DISTRICT
 BEING MENTORED AS COMPARED TO OTHER  DISTRICTS  WITHIN  THE  SAME  NEEDS
 PROFILE GROUPING.
   (B) FORTY PERCENT OF THE DETERMINATION SHALL BE BASED ON CONSIDERATION
 OF WHETHER THE SCHOOL BOARD IS AFFILIATED WITH THE NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL
 BOARDS  ASSOCIATION OR A LOCAL AFFILIATE, WHETHER THE SCHOOL SUPERINTEN-
 DENT IS AFFILIATED WITH THE NEW YORK STATE COUNCIL OF SCHOOL SUPERINTEN-
 DENTS, AND THE NUMBER AND VARIETY OF EXTRA-CURRICULAR AND  CO-CURRICULAR
 ACTIVITIES OFFERED BY THE DISTRICT.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.