Int. No. 659

By Council Members Dinowitz, Louis, Riley, Hanif, Farías, Sanchez, Gutiérrez and Brannan

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to a teacher retention reporting requirement and task force

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Title 21-A of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new chapter 29 to read as follows:

Chapter 29

Teacher Retention

§ 21-1000 Definitions

§ 21-1001 Reporting

§ 21-1002 Task force

§ 21-1000. Definitions. For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:

Career development. The term “career development” means professional development opportunities for teachers provided by the department, including but not limited to the teacher career pathways programs and the graduate scholarship program.

Non-teaching staff member. The term “non-teaching staff member” means a school-based department employee who does not have a teacher title.

School survey. The term “school survey” means the survey administered annually by the department to teachers, students and parents to collect information about each school’s ability to support student success. 

Teacher. The term “teacher” means a school-based department employee who has a teacher title.

Type of classroom. The term “type of classroom” means the setting in which a teacher is placed, including but not limited to general education, special education, integrated co-teaching classrooms and any other types of classrooms, which may include additional services or supplementary aids.

Unique employee identification. The term “unique employee identification” means a sequentially assigned indicator that represents an individual department employee.

§ 21-1001. Reporting. a. Annual report. No later than November 30 of the year following the effective date of this chapter and annually thereafter, the department shall submit to the speaker of the council information for the prior school year pursuant to subdivisions c, d and e of this section. The first report provided pursuant to this section shall include data from the 1999-2000 school year through the most recent completed school year, to the extent practicable.

b. School level reports. Beginning November 30 of the year following the effective date of this section and annually thereafter, the department shall post on each school’s website:

1. The information for teachers at such school required by paragraphs 1 through 5 of subdivision c of this section; and

2. Such school’s average numbers for paragraphs 4 and 5 of subdivision c of this section.

c. Teacher tenure data. Each row in this dataset shall be an individual teacher and, to the extent practicable, the corresponding columns shall include but not be limited to:

1. Unique employee identification;

2. School year;

3. Date of hire;

4. Length of time teaching in total;

5. Length of time teaching at school for reported school year;

6. Gender identity;

7. Race;

8. Ethnicity;

9. Age;

10. Title;

11. Provisional status;

12. Highest level of education;

13. Area(s) of teaching certification;

14. Any career development the teacher has attained;

15. Salary;

16. School name;

17. School district borough number;

18. Grade(s) taught;

19. Subject(s) taught;

20. Language(s) of instruction;

21. Type of classroom(s);

22. Percentage of white students;

23. Percentage of black students;

24. Percentage of hispanic students;

25. Percentage of asian students;

26. Percentage of students in multiple race categories not otherwise specified;

27. Percentage of students in economic need as determined by the department;

28. Percentage of students with individualized education plans;

29. Percentage of students in temporary housing;

30. Average number of students in classroom;

31. Number of student removals;

32. Number of students sent to principal;

33. Number of students sent to superintendent;

34. Number of students expelled;

35. Number of students with removals or suspensions;

36. Number of students with multiple removals and/or suspensions;

37. Number of students transported by EMS;

38. Number of students with removals or suspensions resulting from incidents involving NYPD;

39. Average student academic grade;

40. Average student personal behaviors grade;

41. Whether teacher experienced emotional trauma while working; and

42. Whether teacher experienced physical trauma while working.

d. School survey data. Each row in this dataset shall be an individual teacher and, to the extent practicable, the corresponding columns shall include but not be limited to the teacher’s unique employee identification, school year, school name, school district borough number and the teacher’s responses to the school survey questions. If, after the effective date of this subchapter, the survey questions administered to teachers change, the department shall continue to report teacher responses to questions in the areas of effective leadership, safety, program coherence, peer support for academic work and supportive environment. This dataset shall include for each teacher the following school survey responses:

1. Students in class listen carefully when teacher gives directions;

2. Students in class follow the rules in class;

3. Students in class do their work when they are supposed to;

4. Students in class feel it is important to come to school every day;

5. Students in class feel it is important to pay attention in class;

6. Students in class think doing homework is important;

7. Students in class try hard to get good grades;

8. Students are safe outside and around school;

9.  Students are safe traveling between home and school;

10. Students are safe in the hallways, bathrooms, locker rooms, and cafeteria of school;

11. Students are safe in class and/or classes;

12. Discipline is applied to students fairly in school;

13. Principal/school leader makes clear to staff expectations for meeting instructional goals;

14. Principal/school leader communicates a clear vision for the school;

15. Principal/school leader understands how children learn;

16. Principal/school leader sets high standards for student learning;

17. Principal/school leader sets clear expectations for teachers about implementing what they have learned in professional development;

18. Principal/school leader carefully tracks student academic progress;

19. Principal/school leader knows what is going on in their classroom;

20. Principal/school leader participates in instructional planning with teams of teachers;

21. When the school starts a new program, there is follow-up to make sure the program is working;

22. It is clear how all of the programs offered are connected to school’s instructional vision; and

23. School curriculum, instruction and learning materials are all well-coordinated across different grade levels.

e. Non-teaching staff member data. Each row in the dataset shall be an individual non-teaching staff member and the corresponding columns shall include but not be limited to:

1. Unique employee identification;

2. School year;

3. School name;

4. School district borough number;

5. Date of hire;

6. Length of time employed in this area in total;

7. Length of time employed at school for reported school year;

8. Gender identity;

9. Race;

10. Ethnicity;

11. Age;

12. Title; and

13. Provisional status.

§ 21-1002. Task force. a. There shall be a task force convened for the purpose of improving retention of department teachers.

b. Composition. The task force shall consist of at least 13 members as follows:

1. The mayor, or the mayor’s designee;

2. The speaker of the council, or the speaker’s designee;

3. The chancellor, or the chancellor’s designee;

4. Five members appointed by the mayor, including one member who is a member of a union representing teachers, one member who is a member of a union representing principals, one member who is an expert in the field of study that examines education and the creation of effective teacher development, one member who is a behavioral scientist who studies learning and assessment and one member who is an expert in assessment, evaluation, testing and other aspects of educational measurement; and

5. Five members appointed by the speaker of the council, including one member who is a member of a union representing teachers, one member who is a member of a union representing principals, one member who is an expert in the field of study that examines education and the creation of effective teacher development, one member who is a behavioral scientist who studies learning and assessment and one member who is an expert in assessment, evaluation, testing and other aspects of educational measurement.

c. Member appointment. All members shall be appointed no later than 30 days after the department submits its first report pursuant to subdivision a of section 21-1001. No member shall be removed except for cause by the appointing authority. In the event of a vacancy during the term of an appointed member, a successor shall be selected in the same manner as the original appointment.

d. Terms of membership. Members of the task force shall not be required to take or file oaths of office before serving on the task force. Each member of the task force shall serve without compensation.

e. Task force meeting and hearing requirements. The task force shall meet no later than 45 days after the department submits its first report pursuant to subdivision a of section 21-1001. The task force shall meet no less than monthly. The task force shall hold at least one public hearing every quarter to solicit public comment and recommendations about improving retention of department teachers.

f. Report. The task force shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the mayor and the speaker of the council no later than one year after its first meeting. The report shall also be posted to the department’s website. The report shall include but not be limited to a review of the datasets submitted pursuant to section 21-1001, recommendations to improve teacher retention and suggestions of additional data needed to analyze teacher turnover. The task force shall dissolve upon submission of the report required by this subdivision.

g. This section expires and is deemed repealed after the submission of the report required by subdivision f of this section.

§ 2. This local law takes effect immediately after it becomes law. 

Session 12

SIL

LS #8556

8/10/22

Session 11

SG

LS #10599; LS #10609; LS #10631

Int. 1615-2019

6/13/19