Bill Text: NY A05318 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Updates provisions relating to dignity for all students including establishing the student suicide prevention act which includes curriculum and teacher training requirements designed to prevent student suicide with a focus on LGBTQ students; makes an appropriation therefor.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 25-6)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-23 - enacting clause stricken [A05318 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A05318-Amended.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         5318--A

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                      March 7, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of  A. O'DONNELL, GLICK, BRONSON, SIMONE, BENEDETTO,
          WOERNER, BURDICK, PAULIN, FAHY, EPSTEIN, THIELE, KELLES, TAGUE,  HEVE-
          SI,  SIMON, WALSH -- read once and referred to the Committee on Educa-
          tion -- recommitted to the Committee on Education in  accordance  with
          Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
          reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

        AN  ACT  to  amend the education law, in relation to updating provisions
          relating to dignity for all  students;  and  making  an  appropriation
          therefor

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1.  Section 10 of the education law, as added by  chapter  482
     2  of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows:
     3    § 10. Legislative intent. The legislature finds that students' ability
     4  to  learn and to meet high academic standards, and a school's ability to
     5  educate its students, are compromised by incidents of discrimination  or
     6  harassment  including  bullying,  taunting or intimidation. It is hereby
     7  declared to be the policy of the state to afford all students in  public
     8  schools an environment free of discrimination and harassment, whether in
     9  the  school  building or on the internet. The purpose of this article is
    10  to foster civility in public schools and to prevent and prohibit conduct
    11  which is inconsistent with a school's educational mission.
    12    § 2. Paragraphs e and l of subdivision 1 of section 13 of  the  educa-
    13  tion law, as added by chapter 102 of the laws of 2012, are amended and a
    14  new paragraph m is added to read as follows:
    15    e. require the school, when an investigation reveals any such verified
    16  harassment,  bullying  or discrimination, to take prompt actions reason-
    17  ably calculated to end the harassment, bullying or discrimination, elim-
    18  inate any hostile environment, create a more positive school culture and
    19  climate, prevent recurrence of the behavior, and ensure  the  safety  of
    20  the  student  or  students  against  whom  such  harassment, bullying or

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD09917-03-4

        A. 5318--A                          2

     1  discrimination was directed. Such actions shall be consistent  with  the
     2  guidelines  created  pursuant  to  subdivision  four of this section and
     3  shall  take  into  consideration  whether  notification  of  persons  in
     4  parental  relation  to the student who is the subject of such harassment
     5  is in the best interest of the student;
     6    l. maintain current versions of the school district's policies created
     7  pursuant to this section on the school district's internet  website,  if
     8  one exists; and
     9    m. include safe, responsible use of the internet and electronic commu-
    10  nications; and
    11    §  3.  Subdivision 5 of section 14 of the education law, as amended by
    12  chapter 90 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
    13    5. [The  commissioner  shall  prescribe]  Prescribe  regulations  that
    14  school  professionals  applying  on  or after December thirty-first, two
    15  thousand thirteen for a certificate or license, including but not limit-
    16  ed to a certificate or license valid for service as a classroom teacher,
    17  school counselor, school  psychologist,  school  social  worker,  school
    18  administrator or supervisor or superintendent of schools shall, in addi-
    19  tion   to  all  other  certification  or  licensing  requirements,  have
    20  completed training on the social patterns of  harassment,  bullying  and
    21  discrimination,  as defined in section eleven of this article, including
    22  but not limited to those acts based on a person's  actual  or  perceived
    23  race,  color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious
    24  practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender or sex, the identifica-
    25  tion and mitigation of  harassment,  bullying  and  discrimination,  and
    26  strategies  for  effectively  addressing problems of exclusion, bias and
    27  aggression in educational settings.
    28    § 4. Section 15 of the education law, as amended by chapter 102 of the
    29  laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
    30    § 15. Reporting by commissioner and use of reports.   1.  The  commis-
    31  sioner  shall  create  a  procedure  under  which  material incidents of
    32  harassment, bullying and discrimination on school grounds or at a school
    33  function are reported to the department at least  on  an  annual  basis.
    34  Such procedure shall provide that such reports shall, wherever possible,
    35  also  delineate  the  specific  nature  of such incidents of harassment,
    36  bullying and discrimination, provided that the commissioner  may  comply
    37  with  the  requirements  of  this  section  through  use of the existing
    38  uniform violent incident reporting system. In addition,  the  department
    39  may  conduct  research  or  undertake  studies  to  determine compliance
    40  throughout the state with the provisions of this article.
    41    2. The commissioner shall  use  such  reports  and  data  to  identify
    42  schools  and districts that are failing to meet the standards and objec-
    43  tives of this article. The commissioner shall  promulgate  policies  and
    44  procedures  for  improving  conditions at these schools to ensure proper
    45  training, support, and compliance with all requirements.
    46    3. The commissioner shall deliver the report referenced in subdivision
    47  one of this section to the legislature every two years.
    48    § 5. The education law is amended by adding a new article 2-A to  read
    49  as follows:
    50                                  ARTICLE 2-A
    51                         STUDENT SUICIDE PREVENTION
    52  Section 20. Legislative intent.
    53          21. Definitions.
    54          22. Policies, procedures, and guidelines.
    55          23. Application.
    56          24. Severability and construction.

        A. 5318--A                          3

     1    §  20.  Legislative  intent.  The  legislature  finds and declares the
     2  following:
     3    1.  According to data from the federal centers for disease control and
     4  prevention as reported in the year two thousand sixteen, suicide is  the
     5  second  leading cause of death for youth and young adults ten to twenty-
     6  four years of age, inclusive, in both the United States and in New  York
     7  state.
     8    2.  As  children  and  teens spend a significant amount of their young
     9  lives in school, the personnel who interact with them on a  daily  basis
    10  are  essential  gatekeepers for recognizing warning signs of suicide and
    11  making the appropriate referrals for help.
    12    3. In a national survey conducted by the Jason Foundation,  a  teacher
    13  was  identified as the number one person to whom a student would turn to
    14  help a friend who might be suicidal. It is imperative that when a  young
    15  person  comes  to  a  teacher  for help, such teacher has the knowledge,
    16  tools, and resources to respond correctly.
    17    4. In the year two thousand eighteen, the federal centers for  disease
    18  control  and  prevention  found  in  its Youth Risk Behavior Survey that
    19  lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth are almost four times  more  likely  to
    20  seriously consider attempting suicide, have made a suicide plan, or have
    21  attempted suicide, than their heterosexual peers.
    22    5.  There  are  national  hotlines available to help adults and youth,
    23  including lesbian, gay, bisexual,  transgender,  queer,  or  questioning
    24  (LGBTQ) youth, who are experiencing suicidal ideation or who are worried
    25  about a family member or peer who may be at risk, including the National
    26  Suicide  Prevention  Lifeline,  the Crisis Text Line, the Trevor Project
    27  Lifeline, and TrevorChat.
    28    6. According to the Family  Acceptance  Project,  research  has  found
    29  that,  for  an  LGBTQ  youth,  having  at least one supportive adult can
    30  reduce the youth's risk of suicide.
    31    7. New York state schools face the serious issues of students at  high
    32  risk  of  suicide and death by suicide in the school communities. School
    33  personnel must be supported by  clear  policies  and  procedures,  which
    34  serve as an easily-accessible roadmap, eliminate confusion over educator
    35  roles  and  the  referral process, and equip educators with the tools to
    36  respond safely when a suicide does occur in the school community.
    37    § 21. Definitions. For the purposes of  this  article,  the  following
    38  terms shall have the following meanings:
    39    1. "Crisis situation" means a situation where a teacher or other local
    40  educational agency employee believes a student or other individual is in
    41  imminent danger of a suicide attempt.
    42    2.  "LGBTQ" means individuals who identify, with regards to gender, as
    43  being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning.
    44    3. "Local educational agency" means a school district, board of  coop-
    45  erative educational services, school, or the education department.
    46    4.  "Suicide  intervention" means specific actions schools can take in
    47  response to suicidal behavior by a student, including, but  not  limited
    48  to:
    49    a. student supervision;
    50    b. notification of parents or guardians;
    51    c. crisis situation response protocols;
    52    d.  when  and  how to request an immediate mental health assessment or
    53  emergency services; and
    54    e. school  re-entry  procedures  following  a  student  mental  health
    55  crisis.

        A. 5318--A                          4

     1    5.  "Suicide  postvention"  means  planned  support  and interventions
     2  schools can implement after a suicide attempt  or  suicide  death  of  a
     3  member of the school community that are designed to:
     4    a. reduce the risk of the spread of suicidal thoughts or intentions;
     5    b. provide support for affected students and school-based personnel;
     6    c. address the social stigma associated with suicide; and
     7    d. disseminate factual information about suicide and its prevention.
     8    6.  "Suicide  prevention"  means  specific actions schools can take to
     9  recognize and reduce suicidal behavior, including, but not limited to:
    10    a. identifying risks and protective factors for  suicide  and  suicide
    11  warning signs;
    12    b.  establishing  a process by which students are referred to a mental
    13  and behavioral health provider for help;
    14    c. making available school-based  and  community-based  mental  health
    15  supports;
    16    d.  providing  the  location of available online and community suicide
    17  prevention resources, including local crisis centers and hotlines;
    18    e. adopting  policies  and  protocols  regarding  suicide  prevention,
    19  intervention,  and  postvention,  school  safety, and response to crisis
    20  situations;
    21    f. training for school personnel who interact directly  with  students
    22  in recognizing suicide risks and warning signs and how to refer students
    23  for further assessment and evaluation; and
    24    g.  instruction  to  students  in problem-solving and coping skills to
    25  promote students' mental, emotional, and social health  and  well-being,
    26  and  instruction in recognizing and appropriately responding to signs of
    27  suicidal intent in others.
    28    § 22. Policies, procedures, and guidelines. 1. The governing board  or
    29  body  of  every  local educational agency that serves students in grades
    30  seven to twelve, inclusive, shall, before the first day of  August,  two
    31  thousand  twenty-four,  adopt  policies,  procedures,  and guidelines on
    32  student suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention  for  students
    33  in  such  grades.  Such  policies,  procedures,  and guidelines shall be
    34  developed  in  consultation  with  school  and  community  stakeholders,
    35  school-employed  mental  health  professionals,  and  suicide prevention
    36  experts, and shall include, but not be limited to:
    37    a. methods to increase awareness of the relationship  between  suicide
    38  and suicide risk factors, including, but not limited to:
    39    i. mental health and substance use conditions;
    40    ii. childhood abuse, neglect, or trauma;
    41    iii. prolonged stress, including individual experiences such as bully-
    42  ing,  harassment, family or relationship stress, or other stressful life
    43  events, as well as  collective  stressors  such  as  systemic  bias  and
    44  discrimination;
    45    iv. exposure to another person's suicide, or sensationalized or graph-
    46  ic accounts of suicide; and
    47    v.  previous suicide attempts or history of suicide within a student's
    48  family;
    49    b. identification of training  opportunities  on  recognizing  suicide
    50  risks, and referral procedures available to school employees;
    51    c.  availability  of  expertise  from  school  employees who have been
    52  trained in recognizing suicide risks, and referral procedures;
    53    d. how school employees should  respond  to  suspicion,  concerns,  or
    54  warning signs of suicide in students;
    55    e.  how  school employees should respond to a crisis situation where a
    56  student is in imminent danger to himself or herself;

        A. 5318--A                          5

     1    f. policies and protocols for communication  with  parents,  including
     2  those  that  specify  what  to do if parental notification is not in the
     3  best interest of the student;
     4    g.  counseling  services  available within the school for students and
     5  their families that are related to suicide prevention;
     6    h. availability of  information  concerning  crisis  situation  inter-
     7  vention, suicide prevention, and mental health services in the community
     8  for students and their families and school employees;
     9    i.  identification  and  development  of  partnerships  with community
    10  organizations and agencies for referral of students  to  health,  mental
    11  health,  substance  use, and social support services, including develop-
    12  ment of at least one  memorandum  of  understanding  between  the  local
    13  education  agency and such an organization or agency in the community or
    14  region;
    15    j. development of a culturally competent plan to assist  survivors  of
    16  attempted  suicide and to assist students and school employees in coping
    17  with an attempted suicide or a suicide death within the school  communi-
    18  ty; and
    19    k.  development  of any other related program or activity for students
    20  or school employees.
    21    2. The policies, procedures, and guidelines adopted pursuant to subdi-
    22  vision one of this section shall specifically address the needs of high-
    23  risk groups, including, but not limited to, the following:
    24    a. youth who have lost a friend or family member to suicide;
    25    b. youth with disabilities or with chronic health conditions,  includ-
    26  ing mental health and substance use conditions;
    27    c. youth experiencing homelessness or in out-of-home settings, such as
    28  foster care; and
    29    d. LGBTQ youth.
    30    3. The policies, procedures, and guidelines adopted pursuant to subdi-
    31  vision  one  of  this  section  shall be written to ensure that a school
    32  employee acts only within the authorization and scope of such employee's
    33  credential or license.  Nothing in this section shall  be  construed  as
    34  authorizing or encouraging a school employee to diagnose or treat mental
    35  health  conditions  unless  such  employee  is specifically licensed and
    36  employed to do so.
    37    4. Notwithstanding any other provision of  law  to  the  contrary,  no
    38  cause  of action may be brought for any loss or damage caused by any act
    39  or omission resulting from the implementation of the provisions of  this
    40  article,  or  resulting from any training, or lack of training, required
    41  by this article. Nothing in this article shall be  construed  to  impose
    42  any specific duty of care.
    43    5.  To  assist  local  educational agencies in developing policies for
    44  student suicide prevention, the department shall  develop  and  maintain
    45  model  policies,  procedures,  and  guidelines  in  accordance with this
    46  section to serve as a guide for local educational agencies.  Such  model
    47  policies,  procedures, and guidelines shall be posted within thirty days
    48  of their completion on the department's  internet  website,  along  with
    49  relevant  resources and information to support schools in developing and
    50  implementing the policies, procedures,  and  guidelines  required  under
    51  subdivision one of this section.
    52    6.  The  governing  board  or  body of a local educational agency that
    53  serves students in grades seven to twelve, inclusive, shall  review,  at
    54  minimum  every  fifth year following the effective date of this article,
    55  its policies, procedures, and guidelines on student  suicide  prevention
    56  and, if necessary, update such policies, procedures, and guidelines.

        A. 5318--A                          6

     1    §  23.  Application. The provisions of this article shall apply to all
     2  private and public educational institutions in New York state.
     3    §  24.  Severability  and construction. The provisions of this article
     4  shall be severable, and if any court of competent jurisdiction  declares
     5  any phrase, clause, sentence or provision of this article to be invalid,
     6  or its applicability to any government agency, person or circumstance is
     7  declared  invalid, the remainder of this article and its relevant appli-
     8  cability shall not be affected. The provisions of this article shall  be
     9  liberally construed to give effect to the purposes thereof.
    10    §  6. Section 801-a of the education law, as amended by section 102 of
    11  the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
    12    § 801-a. Instruction in civility, citizenship [and], character  educa-
    13  tion, digital citizenship, and media literacy.
    14    1.  For  the  purposes of this section, the following terms shall have
    15  the following meanings:
    16    a. "Tolerance", "respect for  others",  and  "dignity"  shall  include
    17  awareness  and  sensitivity to harassment, bullying, discrimination, and
    18  civility in  the  relations  of  people  of  different  races,  weights,
    19  national  origins, ethnic groups, religions, religious practices, mental
    20  or physical abilities, sexual orientations, genders, and sexes.
    21    b. "Digital citizenship" shall mean a diverse set of skills related to
    22  current technology and social media, including the norms of appropriate,
    23  responsible, and healthy behavior and focuses on empowering learners  to
    24  use  online  resources,  applications, and spaces to improve communities
    25  and curate a positive and effective digital footprint.
    26    c. "Media literacy" shall mean the ability to use media and to access,
    27  analyze, evaluate, create, and act using all forms of communication  and
    28  encompasses the foundational skills that lead to digital citizenship.
    29    2.  The  regents shall ensure that the course of instruction in grades
    30  kindergarten through twelve includes a component on  civility,  citizen-
    31  ship, and character education. Such component shall instruct students on
    32  the  principles  of  honesty,  tolerance,  personal  responsibility, and
    33  respect for others, with an emphasis on discouraging acts of harassment,
    34  bullying, discrimination, observance of laws and rules, courtesy, digni-
    35  ty, and other traits which will enhance the quality of their experiences
    36  in, and contributions to, the community. Such  component  shall  include
    37  instruction  of  safe,  responsible  use  of the internet and electronic
    38  communications. The regents shall  determine  how  to  incorporate  such
    39  component  in  existing  curricula and the commissioner shall promulgate
    40  any regulations needed to carry out such determination of  the  regents.
    41  [For the purposes of this section, "tolerance," "respect for others" and
    42  "dignity"  shall include awareness and sensitivity to harassment, bully-
    43  ing, discrimination and civility in the relations of people of different
    44  races, weights, national origins, ethnic  groups,  religions,  religious
    45  practices,  mental  or physical abilities, sexual orientations, genders,
    46  and sexes.]
    47    3. The regents, in conjunction with  the  commissioner,  shall  ensure
    48  that  the  course  of  instruction in grades kindergarten through twelve
    49  includes a component on media literacy.  Such  component  shall  include
    50  instruction of internet safety, civility, and digital citizenship with a
    51  focus  on  the  principles  of safe, responsible use of the internet and
    52  electronic communications. The boards of education and trustees  of  the
    53  cities and school districts of the state shall require instruction to be
    54  given in media literacy by the teachers employed in the schools therein.
    55  If available, instruction in media literacy shall be provided by library
    56  media specialists employed by the schools therein.

        A. 5318--A                          7

     1    4.  The  commissioner, in conjunction with the regents, shall incorpo-
     2  rate  existing  state  media  literacy  standards  into  the   component
     3  described  in  subdivision  two  of  this section and create a clear and
     4  coherent set of media literacy education standards, which shall include,
     5  but  not be limited to, the following skills, experiences, and competen-
     6  cies:
     7    a. reading experiences balanced between literature  and  informational
     8  texts, which include both print and digital sources;
     9    b.  integration and evaluation of content and information presented in
    10  diverse media and formats, including visual, quantitative, and oral;
    11    c. use of technology and digital tools, including  the  internet,  for
    12  writing and drawing to increase learning and communication and to inter-
    13  act and collaborate with others;
    14    d.  writing of informative and explanatory texts to examine and convey
    15  complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the  effec-
    16  tive  selection, organization, and analysis of content, including multi-
    17  media;
    18    e. strategic use of digital  media  and  visual  displays  to  express
    19  information and enhance understanding of presentations;
    20    f.  the  ability  to  assess  how  point of view or purpose shapes the
    21  content and style of a text, drawing on  a  wide  range  of  global  and
    22  diverse texts;
    23    g. gathering of relevant information from multiple sources and assess-
    24  ing  the  credibility  and  accuracy of such sources, for the purpose of
    25  integrating such information in writing without plagiarizing;
    26    h. effectively communicating conclusions and  taking  informed  action
    27  based on such conclusions;
    28    i.  the  ability  to  create, produce, respond, interpret, and connect
    29  with artistic work and techniques;
    30    j. managing information with a focus on the ability to access and  use
    31  information obtained from other people, community resources, and comput-
    32  er  networks  and using technology to acquire, organize, and communicate
    33  information by entering, modifying, retrieving, and storing data;
    34    k. demonstration of digital citizenship by maintaining  ethical  deci-
    35  sion  making  and behavior and avoid the spread of misinformation in the
    36  exchange and use of information;
    37    l. use of digital tools to communicate and work with others  to  build
    38  knowledge, convey ideas, learn with others, create and revise collabora-
    39  tive products, support individual learning, and contribute to the learn-
    40  ing of others;
    41    m.  use  of  digital  tools  to create and revise simple, complex, and
    42  multimedia digital artifacts;
    43    n. identification of ways other people put their own information  into
    44  online spaces;
    45    o. the ability to explain how actions in online spaces can have conse-
    46  quences  in  other  spaces and the connection between the persistence of
    47  data on the internet, personal online identity, and personal privacy;
    48    p. actively managing digital presence and digital footprint to reflect
    49  an understanding of the permanence and potential consequences of actions
    50  in online spaces;
    51    q. designing and implementing strategies that support safety and secu-
    52  rity of digital information, personal identity, property,  and  physical
    53  and mental health when operating in the digital world;
    54    r.  identifying  types  of  cyberbullying and developing strategies to
    55  combat cyberbullying and harassment; and

        A. 5318--A                          8

     1    s. any additional media literacy standards outlined in  state  depart-
     2  ment publications or in the codes, rules and regulations of the state of
     3  New York, as deemed necessary.
     4    5. The commissioner, in conjunction with the regents, shall update the
     5  New  York  state  professional  teaching  standards to incorporate media
     6  literacy and educate library media specialists and teachers on the rele-
     7  vant standards of media literacy so that library media  specialists  and
     8  teachers  can  effectively incorporate such standards into their curric-
     9  ulums.
    10    6. The commissioner, in conjunction with the regents,  shall  annually
    11  review  the media literacy standards set forth in this section to ensure
    12  such standards capture the full range of skills, experiences, and compe-
    13  tencies that research indicates is necessary  for  media  literacy,  and
    14  shall update such standards as necessary.
    15    7.  The media literacy standards set forth in this section shall serve
    16  as an overview of the state's interdisciplinary approach to media liter-
    17  acy education and shall emphasize the importance of media  literacy  for
    18  civic readiness.
    19    § 7. Subdivision 1 of section 2801 of the education law, as amended by
    20  chapter 402 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as follows:
    21    1.  a.  For  purposes of this section, [school property] the following
    22  terms shall have the following meanings:
    23    (i) "School property" means:
    24    (A) in or within any  building,  structure,  athletic  playing  field,
    25  playground,  parking  lot,  or  land  contained within the real property
    26  boundary line of a public elementary or secondary school; or
    27    (B) in or on a school bus, as defined in section one hundred forty-two
    28  of the vehicle and traffic law[; and a school function shall mean].
    29    (ii) "School function" means a school-sponsored  or  school-authorized
    30  [extra-curricular]  extra  curricular  event  or activity, regardless of
    31  where such event or activity takes place, including any event or  activ-
    32  ity that may take place in another state.
    33    b.  This  section shall also apply to cyberbullying, whether on or off
    34  school property or at or away from a school function.
    35    § 8. Subdivision 2 of section 3006-a of the education law, as added by
    36  section 2 of subpart C of part EE of chapter 56 of the laws of 2015,  is
    37  amended and a new subdivision 4 is added to read as follows:
    38    2.  a. During each five-year registration period beginning on or after
    39  July first, two thousand sixteen, an applicant  for  registration  shall
    40  successfully  complete  a  minimum  of  one  hundred hours of continuing
    41  teacher and leader  education,  as  defined  by  the  commissioner.  The
    42  department  shall  issue  rigorous  standards for courses, programs, and
    43  activities, that shall qualify as continuing teacher and  leader  educa-
    44  tion  pursuant  to  this  section.  For purposes of this section, a peer
    45  review teacher, or a principal acting as an independent  trained  evalu-
    46  ator,  conducting  a classroom observation as part of the teacher evalu-
    47  ation system pursuant to section three thousand twelve-d of this article
    48  may credit such time towards his or her continuing  teacher  and  leader
    49  effectiveness requirements.
    50    b.   During each five-year registration period beginning on or after a
    51  date which shall be determined by the commissioner, any teacher  who  is
    52  an  applicant  for registration shall successfully complete a minimum of
    53  five hours of professional development related to media literacy  educa-
    54  tion  and  any  library  media  specialist  shall  complete a minimum of
    55  fifteen hours of professional  development  related  to  media  literacy
    56  education,  as  defined by the commissioner.  Such professional develop-

        A. 5318--A                          9

     1  ment related to media literacy education shall be counted toward the one
     2  hundred hours of continuing teacher and  leader  education  required  by
     3  paragraph a of this subdivision. The commissioner shall require that:
     4    (i)  professional  development  related  to  media  literacy education
     5  incorporates the principles and practices of the department's culturally
     6  responsive-sustaining framework;
     7    (ii) professional development related to media literacy  education  is
     8  provided  by  or  in  coordination with a library media specialist or an
     9  employee from  a  school  district's  library  system  in  every  school
    10  district;
    11    (iii)  library  media  specialists  in  every  school district receive
    12  specific training in how to provide professional development related  to
    13  media  literacy  education  to  teachers of all grade levels and subject
    14  areas contained in their schools, which shall include instruction on how
    15  to effectively integrate media literacy education  into  such  teachers'
    16  curricula; and
    17    (iv)  the department creates and provides model curricula and teaching
    18  and professional development resources which incorporate media  literacy
    19  education on its website.
    20    c.  During  each five-year registration period beginning on or after a
    21  date which shall be determined by the commissioner, any teacher  who  is
    22  an  applicant  for registration shall successfully complete a minimum of
    23  five hours of professional development related to articles two and two-A
    24  of this chapter. Such professional development shall be  counted  toward
    25  the  one  hundred  hours  of  continuing  teacher  and  leader education
    26  required by paragraph a of  this  subdivision.  The  commissioner  shall
    27  require that:
    28    (i) professional development related to articles two and two-A of this
    29  chapter  incorporates  the  principles and practices of the department's
    30  culturally responsive-sustaining framework;
    31    (ii) professional development related to articles  two  and  two-A  of
    32  this  chapter  is provided by or in coordination with a teacher or guid-
    33  ance counselor in every school district; and
    34    (iii) the department creates and provides model curricula and teaching
    35  and professional development resources which incorporate the  principles
    36  and  practices  articulated in articles two and two-A of this chapter on
    37  its website.
    38    d. Nothing in this section shall limit the  ability  of  local  school
    39  districts to agree pursuant to collective bargaining to additional hours
    40  of  professional  development  or continuing teacher or leader education
    41  above the minimum requirements set forth in this section.
    42    [c.] e. A certified individual who has not  satisfied  the  continuing
    43  teacher  and  leader  education requirements shall not be issued a five-
    44  year registration certificate by the department and shall  not  practice
    45  unless  and until a registration or conditional registration certificate
    46  is issued as provided in subdivision three of this section. For purposes
    47  of this subdivision, "continuing teacher and leader  education  require-
    48  ments" shall mean activities designed to improve the teacher or leader's
    49  pedagogical  and/or  leadership  skills,  targeted  at improving student
    50  performance, including but not limited to formal continuing teacher  and
    51  leader  education  activities. Such activities shall promote the profes-
    52  sionalization of teaching and be closely aligned to district  goals  for
    53  student  performance  which meet the standards prescribed by regulations
    54  of the commissioner. To fulfill the continuing teacher and leader educa-
    55  tion requirement, programs must be taken from sponsors approved  by  the

        A. 5318--A                         10

     1  department,  which shall include but not be limited to school districts,
     2  pursuant to the regulations of the commissioner.
     3    4.  For the purposes of this section, "library media specialist" shall
     4  mean an individual employed by a school  district  as  a  library  media
     5  specialist  pursuant  to section 91.2 of title eight of the codes, rules
     6  and regulations of the state of New York.
     7    § 9. The sum of fifteen million  dollars  ($15,000,000),  or  so  much
     8  thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the department of
     9  education out of moneys in the state treasury in the general fund to the
    10  credit  of  the  state purposes account, not otherwise appropriated, and
    11  made immediately  available,  for  the  purposes  of  carrying  out  the
    12  provisions  of this act. Five million dollars ($5,000,000) of such funds
    13  shall be used for purposes including, but not limited to,  the  develop-
    14  ment  and distribution of teacher trainings, model lessons, and continu-
    15  ing education classes. Five million dollars ($5,000,000) of  such  funds
    16  shall  be  used for purposes including, but not limited to, the develop-
    17  ment and implementation of media literacy standards, teacher  trainings,
    18  and   continuing   professional  development.     Five  million  dollars
    19  ($5,000,000) of such funds shall be used for purposes including, but not
    20  limited to, the development and distribution of policies, standards, and
    21  trainings related to suicide prevention. Such moneys shall be payable on
    22  the audit and warrant of the state comptroller on vouchers certified  or
    23  approved  by  the  commissioner  of  the  department of education in the
    24  manner prescribed by law.
    25    § 10. This act shall take effect immediately.
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