S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3260
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 22, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. GUNTHER, SCHMITT -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Education
 
 AN  ACT to amend the education law, in relation to creating a state-wide
   literacy education advocacy program and to study the viability of  the
   Newburgh armory unity center literacy education advocacy partnership

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 57 to read as follows:
   57. (A) THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION SHALL CONDUCT A STUDY ON LITERA-
 CY ADVOCACY PROGRAMS IN THE STATE, INCLUDING THE NEWBURGH  ARMORY  UNITY
 CENTER LITERACY EDUCATION ADVOCACY PARTNERSHIP (NAUC LEAP).  THE PURPOSE
 OF  SUCH  STUDY SHALL BE TO DETERMINE THE SUCCESSES AND EFFECTIVENESS OF
 THESE PROGRAMS IN ACHIEVING THEIR GOALS, WITH THE INTENT OF  UNDERSTAND-
 ING  EFFECTIVE  PRACTICES  THAT  SUPPORT  STUDENTS BEING ABLE TO READ AT
 GRADE LEVEL AND SCORE  PROFICIENT  ON  THE  GRADE  THREE  THROUGH  EIGHT
 ENGLISH  LANGUAGE  ARTS STATE ASSESSMENT.  THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION
 SHALL THEN DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS AND BEST  PRACTICES  FOR  REPLICATING
 LITERACY ADVOCACY PROGRAMS IN AREAS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
   (B) THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION SHALL, WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE EFFEC-
 TIVE  DATE  OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION,  REPORT THE FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND
 RECOMMENDATIONS OF SUCH STUDY TO THE GOVERNOR,  TEMPORARY  PRESIDENT  OF
 THE SENATE AND SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY.
   (C)  WITHIN  ONE  YEAR  OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBDIVISION, THE
 COMMISSIONER SHALL DEVELOP A  LITERACY  EDUCATION  ADVOCACY  PROGRAM  TO
 PROVIDE  ADDITIONAL  LITERACY  INSTRUCTION FOR GRADE THREE THROUGH EIGHT
 STUDENTS. SUCH PROGRAM SHALL:
   (I) FOSTER COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG NOT-FOR-PROFIT  ORGANIZA-
 TIONS  THAT  INCREASE  THE CAPACITY FOR PROGRAMMING AIMED AT URBAN CHIL-
 DREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02938-01-1
              

 A. 3260                             2
 
   (II) MAKE AVAILABLE A LIST OF PARTICIPATING  ORGANIZATIONS  TO  BETTER
 IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS OF VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY;
   (III) BE OPTIONAL FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS NEW YORK STATE; AND
   (IV) UTILIZE THE STUDY PERFORMED BY THE COMMISSIONER PURSUANT TO PARA-
 GRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.