S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                   3877
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 8, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. GUNTHER -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee 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.
                                                            LBD04725-01-3
 A. 3877                             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.