Requires instruction in civic education for grades 5 through 12 including instruction on the NYS constitution; federal, state and local government; civic literacy; methods of public participation; and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
Establishes the school district cyber crime prevention services program to provide school districts with information on strategies, best practices and programs offering training and assistance in the prevention of cyber crimes in school districts or otherwise affecting school districts; provides that information on eligibility and applications for financial assistance be made available to school districts; authorizes the New York state urban development corporation to provide loans, loan guarantees, interest subsidies and grants to school districts for the purpose of preventing cyber crimes against school districts.
Authorizes school district property to be used for not-for-profit dental clinics providing care to families in the district upon the approval of the trustees or board of education of a school district.
Requires the commissioner of education to adopt rules to require that all public school personnel receive at least two hours of suicide awareness and prevention training each year and each public school district to adopt a policy on student suicide prevention.
Requires that all special education students attending schools scheduled to be closed or to undergo a significant change be assigned to new schools prior to the implementation of the closing or change.
Relates to annual teacher and principal evaluations; provides that no school district shall be eligible for an apportionment of general support for public schools appropriated in excess of the amount apportioned such school district unless it has either adopted a plan for the annual professional performance review of its classroom teachers and building principals or has submitted documentation demonstrating that it has fully implemented the standards and procedures for conducting annual teacher and principal evaluations.
Requires builders to include, on any building permit application, the name of the community school district in which the proposed dwelling or dwelling units will be located, the number of families that will occupy the dwelling or dwelling units, and an estimate of the number of child occupants of compulsory school age.
Requires local boards of education, BOCES, charter schools and non public schools to adopt policies to promote student voter registration and pre-registration, including procedures for providing access to voter registration and pre-registration applications during the school year and assistance with filing such applications and informing students of the state requirements for voter registration and pre-registration.
Directs the commissioner of education to establish a commission to study the needs of adolescents and the effect that school day start times have on the health and academic performance of students.