New York S 6596: Relates to compliance with substantially equivalent education by nonpublic schools

Bill Text

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S06596 Summary:

BILL NOS06596 

&nbsp

SAME ASNo Same As

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SPONSORJACKSON

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

Amd §3204, Ed L

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Requires compliance with substantially equivalent education by nonpublic schools; outlines new requirements.

Go to top S06596 Actions:

BILL NOS06596 

&nbsp

03/18/2025REFERRED TO EDUCATION

01/07/2026REFERRED TO EDUCATION

Go to topS06596 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS06596 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS06596 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 6596

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 March 18, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. JACKSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Education

 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to compliance with
 substantially equivalent education by nonpublic schools

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

 1 Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 3204 of the education law, as
 2 amended by section 1 of part SSS of chapter 59 of the laws of 2018, is
 3 amended to read as follows:
 4 2. Quality and language of instruction; text-books. (i) Instruction
 5 may be given only by a competent teacher. In the teaching of the
 6 subjects of instruction prescribed by this section, English shall be the
 7 language of instruction, and text-books used shall be written in
 8 English, except that for a period of three years, which period may be
 9 extended by the commissioner with respect to individual pupils, upon
 10 application therefor by the appropriate school authorities, to a period
 11 not in excess of six years, from the date of enrollment in school,
 12 pupils who, by reason of foreign birth or ancestry have limited English
 13 proficiency, shall be provided with instructional programs as specified
 14 in subdivision two-a of this section and the regulations of the commis-
 15 sioner. The purpose of providing such pupils with instruction shall be
 16 to enable them to develop academically while achieving competence in the
 17 English language. Instruction given to a minor elsewhere than at a
 18 public school shall be at least substantially equivalent to the instruc-
 19 tion given to minors of like age and attainments at the public schools
 20 of the city or district where the minor resides.
 21 (ii) For purposes of [considering] determining substantial equivalence
 22 pursuant to this subdivision for nonpublic elementary and middle schools
 23 [that are: (1) non-profit corporations, (2) have a bi-lingual program,
 24 and (3) have an educational program that extends from no later than nine
 25 a.m. until no earlier than four p.m. for grades one through three, and

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD11120-01-5

 S. 6596 2

 1 no earlier than five thirty p.m. for grades four through eight, on the
 2 majority of weekdays], the department shall consider the following[, but
 3 not limited to: if the curriculum provides academically rigorous
 4 instruction that develops critical thinking skills in the school's
 5 students, taking into account the entirety of the curriculum, over the
 6 course of elementary and middle school, including instruction in English
 7 that will prepare pupils to read fiction and nonfiction text for infor-
 8 mation and to use that information to construct written essays that
 9 state a point of view or support an argument; instruction in mathematics
 10 that will prepare pupils to solve real world problems using both number
 11 sense and fluency with mathematical functions and operations; instruc-
 12 tion in history by being able to interpret and analyze primary text to
 13 identify and explore important events in history, to construct written
 14 arguments using the supporting information they get from primary source
 15 material, demonstrate an understating of the role of geography and
 16 economics in the actions of world civilizations, and an understanding of
 17 civics and the responsibilities of citizens in world communities; and
 18 instruction in science by learning how to gather, analyze and interpret
 19 observable data to make in