Int. No. 925-A
By Council Members Jackson, Arroyo, Brewer, Chin, Dromm, Eugene, Fidler, Gentile, James, Koo, Lander, Recchia, Rose, Williams, Lappin, Rodriguez, Koppell, Levin, Van Bramer, Greenfield, Barron and Gennaro
A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to requiring the department of education to provide data regarding the provision of arts instructional requirements.
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Legislative findings and intent. The Council finds that arts education is an essential element of every child's education. The benefits of arts education are well documented and studies have shown that a comprehensive arts education helps students learn more effectively in other areas of the school curriculum including math, science, reading and writing, score higher on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), and achieve higher levels of academic success in college. In the early grades, the study of dance, music, theater and visual arts enriches student learning across the entire curriculum. As students move from elementary to middle school, the arts become an important vehicle for self-expression. Finally at the high school level, students can pursue the study of a particular art form in greater depth and consider the options available for advanced study.
§2. Chapter 20 of the New York city charter is amended by adding a new section 530-f to read as follows:
§530-f Instructional arts requirements data.
a. For the purposes of this section:
"Department" shall mean the department of education of the city of New York.
"Instructional requirements for the arts" shall mean the regulations promulgated within part 100 of title 8, or successor regulations, of the New York code rules and regulations by the New York state commissioner of education.
b. Not later than February 15th 2014, and on an annual basis thereafter by the 15th of February, the department shall submit to the council and post on the department's website, data regarding the provision of instructional requirements for the arts in schools for the preceding school year. Such report shall include, but not be limited to:
1. The total number and percentage of schools serving students in grades one through six that have met all instructional requirements in all of the following disciplines: music, dance, theatre and visual arts;
2. The total number and percentage of students in grade eight who have:
i. completed all instructional requirements for the arts grades seven through eight;
3. The total number and percentage of high school graduates who have:
i. completed all instructional requirements for the arts for grades nine through twelve;
4. The total number of full-time licensed arts instructors on staff for grades seven through twelve including but not limited to their areas of arts certification; and
5. The total number of part-time licensed arts instructors on staff for grades seven through twelve including but not limited to their areas of arts certification.
c. Data shall include demographic information regarding the racial and ethnic composition of the school and shall include, but shall not be limited to, the percentage of special education students and the percentage of English language learners.
d. All information required to be reported by this section shall be aggregated citywide, as well as disaggregated by city council district, community school district and school.
e. No information that is otherwise required to be reported pursuant to this section shall be reported in a manner that would violate any applicable provision of federal, state or local law relating to the privacy of student information or that would interfere with law enforcement investigations or otherwise conflict with the interests of law enforcement. If a category contains between 0 and 9 students, or allows another category to be narrowed to between 0 and 9 students, the number shall be replaced with a symbol.
§2. This local law shall take effect ninety days after its enactment into law.
LS # 3169
AES
12/2/13
8:45pm