NEW YORK
There are 731 school districts in New York and 4,411 public schools. In the 2020-2021 school year, there were 2,598,921 students enrolled in K-12 public schools. About 53% of students in New York are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. New York has a state policy that directly addresses school climate where parents, staff, and students are surveyed every year. Policies regarding bullying prevention, emergency planning, prohibition of weapons, suicide prevention, anti-discrimination, and school conduct are all present in New York state. New York has one policy that states that schools may provide internet safety and use education to K-12 students. There is also a policy detailing the process of restructuring and takeover of failing and persistently failing schools.
Physical Safety
8 New York Codes, Rules and Regulations 100.21 ESSA accountability system.
Annual surveys of parents, staff, and students that encourage stakeholder participation to provide schools with feedback on each of the following areas: schoolwide systems, organization and climate, school leadership, curriculum and instruction, social-emotional developmental health, and family engagement to provide data to support the development and amendments of the school comprehensive education plan.
https://regulations.justia.com/states/new-york/title-8/chapter-ii/subchapter-e/part-100/s-100-21/
Who does this protect? Staff, Students, Community, parents and minorities
Does this policy include ways for families to be involved? Yes
8 New York Codes, Rules and Regulations 100.2 General school requirements.
- Provisions prohibiting harassment, bullying, and/or discrimination against any student, by employees or students that creates a hostile school environment by conduct or by threats, intimidation, or abuse, including cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is addressed on and off school.
- Incorporate a progressive model of student discipline that includes measured, balanced and age-appropriate remedies and procedures that make appropriate use of prevention, education, intervention, and discipline, and consider among other things, the nature and severity of the offending student’s behavior(s), the developmental age of the student, the previous disciplinary record of the student and other extenuating circumstances, and the impact the student’s behaviors had on the individual(s) who was physically injured and/or emotionally harmed. Responses shall be reasonably calculated
- To end harassment, bullying, and/or discrimination, prevent a recurrence, and eliminate the hostile environment. This progressive model of student discipline shall be consistent with the other provisions of the code of conduct.
http://www.nysed.gov/curriculum-instruction/1002-general-school-requirements
New York Consolidated Laws 13. Policies and guidelines.
- Those in charge need to create policies, procedures, and guidelines for the prevention of bullying, harassment, discrimination, and intimidation such as;
- enable students and parents to make an oral or written report.
- identifying an individual that will receive reports of bullying, harassment, intimidation, etc.
- require employees who witness or receive a written report about harassment, intimidation, bullying, and discrimination to go to the individual who should receive such reports
- a thorough investigation of the report received and if anything is revealed prompt action should be taken
- Guidelines relating to the development of nondiscriminatory
instructional and counseling methods, and requiring that at least one
a staff member at every school be thoroughly trained to handle human
relations in the areas of race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic
group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation,
gender, and sex; and - Training required to address strategies for effectively
addressing problems of exclusion, bias, and aggression in educational
settings- require each school, at least once during each school year, to provide all school employees, students, and parents with a written or electronic copy of the school district’s policies created according to this section, or a plain-language summary thereof, including notification of the process by which students, parents, and school employees may report harassment, bullying, and discrimination
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/EDN/13
New York Education Law §11. Definitions. Provides definitions of the terms school property, school function, disability, employee, sexual orientation, gender, harassment and bullying, cyberbullying, race, and protective hairstyles
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/EDN/11
New York Consolidated Laws 14. Commissioner’s responsibilities. Provide guidance and educational materials to school districts related to best practices in addressing cyberbullying and helping families and communities work cooperatively with schools in addressing cyberbullying, whether on or off school property or at or away from a school function.
https://codes.findlaw.com/ny/education-law/edn-sect-14.html
New York Consolidated Laws 12. Discrimination and harassment are prohibited. No student shall be subjected to harassment or bullying by employees or students on school property or at a school function; nor shall any student be subjected to discrimination based on a person’s actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender, or sex by school employees or students on school property or at a school function
Who does this protect? Students, Employees
Does this policy include ways for families to be involved? No
New York Consolidated Laws 265.06. Unlawful possession of a weapon upon school grounds.
Students shouldn’t possess any air gun, spring gun, or other instrument or weapon in which the propelling force is a spring, air, piston, or CO2 cartridge in or upon a building or grounds.
New York Consolidated Laws 2801-a. School safety plans.
Adopt and amend a comprehensive district-wide school safety plan and building-level emergency response plans regarding crisis intervention, emergency response, and management, and school building security, including where appropriate the use of school safety officers and/or security devices or procedures.
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/EDN/2801-A
New York Education Law § 807 Fire and Emergency Drills.
- Duty principal or another individual in charge to instruct and train pupils through drills, so that they may in a sudden emergency be able to respond appropriately in the shortest possible time and without confusion or panic. Such drills shall be held at least twelve times in each school year.
- Eight evacuation drills per year
- Four lockdown drills per year
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/EDN/807
N.Y. Penal Law § 265.01-a
- School security personnel are not explicitly authorized in state statute or regulation to possess weapons in schools
- A person may possess a weapon on school grounds when he or she has the written authorization of the such educational institution
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/265.01-A
Who does this protect? Students, School Staff
Does this policy include ways for families to be involved? Yes
Teaching/Learning
8 New York Codes, Rules and Regulations 100.19 Takeover and restructuring of failing and persistently failing schools. The intervention plan by the independent receiver should include;
- Strategies to provide greater access to career and technical education and workforce development services provided to students in the school and their families to provide students and families with meaningful employment skills and opportunities
- Strategies to address achievement gaps for English language learners, students with disabilities, and economically disadvantaged students
- Strategies to address school climate and positive behavior support, including mentoring and other youth development programs
- Strategies to provide professional development and other support to the staff of the school to ensure that they can successfully implement the school intervention plan and sustain the components of the plan after the period of the school receivership has ended
https://regulations.justia.com/states/new-york/title-8/chapter-ii/subchapter-e/part-100/s-100-19/
8 New York Codes, Rules and Regulations 100.2 General school requirements.
- School Conduct and Discipline
- For students identified as having a disability, such policy shall include procedures for determining when a student’s conduct shall constitute a reason for referral to the committee on special education for review and modification if appropriate of the student’s individualized education program:
- Alternative educational programs appropriate to individual student needs
- Students with disabilities
- Have access to the full range of programs and services outlined in this Part to the extent that such programs and services are appropriate to such student’s special educational needs.
- Availability of speech and language improvement services
- A student whose speech impairment adversely affects the student’s educational performance shall be referred to the committee on special education for further evaluation and review of the need for special services and program
http://www.nysed.gov/curriculum-instruction/1002-general-school-requirements
- For students identified as having a disability, such policy shall include procedures for determining when a student’s conduct shall constitute a reason for referral to the committee on special education for review and modification if appropriate of the student’s individualized education program:
Who does this protect? Students
Does this policy include ways for families to be involved? Yes
Interpersonal relationships
New York Consolidated Laws 14. Commissioner’s responsibilities.
The commissioner shall prescribe regulations that school professionals applying for a certificate or license, including but not limited to a certificate or license have completed training on the social patterns of harassment, bullying, and discrimination, as defined in section eleven of this article, including but not limited to those acts based on a person’s actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender or sex, the identification and mitigation of harassment, bullying and discrimination, and strategies for effectively addressing problems of exclusion, bias, and aggression in educational settings.
https://codes.findlaw.com/ny/education-law/edn-sect-14.html
New York Consolidated Laws 12. Discrimination and harassment are prohibited. No student shall be subjected to harassment or bullying by employees or students on school property or at a school function; nor shall any student be subjected to discrimination based on a person’s actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender, or sex by school employees or students on school property or at a school function.
Who does this protect? Students
Does this policy include ways for families to be involved? No
Institutional Environment
8 New York Codes, Rules and Regulations 100.13 Contract for excellence.
Parents will be a part of English Language Learner programs for students with limited English proficiency.
- Materials shared for communication purposes shall be in both English and languages spoken within the community.
- Power-sharing relationships between parents and school officials will be encouraged.
8 New York Codes, Rules and Regulations 154-2.3 School district responsibilities.
School districts shall individually meet with the parents or persons in parental relation of English language learners at least once a year, in addition to parent-teacher conferences, quarterly progress meetings or other such scheduled meetings provided for parents or persons in parental relation of all students
8 New York Codes, Rules and Regulations 100.11 Participation of parents and teachers in school-based planning and shared decision making.
Who does this protect? Students
Does this policy include ways for families to be involved? Yes
New York Consolidated Laws 265.06. Unlawful possession of a weapon upon school grounds.
Students shouldn’t possess any air gun, spring gun, or other instrument or weapon in which the propelling force is a spring, air, piston, or CO2 cartridge in or upon a building or grounds.
New York Consolidated Laws 2801-a. School safety plans.
Adopt and amend a comprehensive district-wide school safety plan and building-level emergency response plans regarding crisis intervention, emergency response and management, and school building security, including where appropriate the use of school safety officers and/or security devices or procedures.
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/EDN/2801-A
N.Y. Penal Law § 265.01-a
- School security personnel are not explicitly authorized in state statute or regulation to possess weapons in schools.
- A person may possess a weapon on school grounds when he or she has the written authorization of such an educational institution.
Who does this protect? Students and Staff
Does this policy include ways for families to be involved? Yes
Social media
There is currently no policy surrounding Leadership in New York. For more information on school climate, please visit us at Services – National School
There is currently no policy surrounding Professional Relationships in New York. For more information on school climate, please visit us at Services – National School