A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the administration for children's services to provide an annual report regarding high school graduation rates of youth in foster care.

By Council Members Cumbo, Barron, Cohen, Constantinides, Cornegy, Deutsch, Dickens, Eugene, Espinal, Ferreras, Gibson, Greenfield, Johnson, King, Lancman, Lander, Levine, Maisel, Mendez, Miller, Reynoso, Rose, Vallone, Weprin, Williams, Wills, Van Bramer, Rosenthal, Menchaca, Levin, Richards, Dromm, Koslowitz, Rodriguez and Arroyo

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Chapter 9 of title 21 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 21-907 to read as follows:

§ 21-907 Graduation rates of foster care youth. a. Beginning no later than January 31, 2015, and no later than every January 31 thereafter, the commissioner shall submit to the speaker of the council and post on ACS' website an annual report regarding the number of youth in foster care who were enrolled in and/or graduated from high school in the previous academic year as described by the department of education. Each such report shall disaggregate the data by gender and ethnicity, and include but not be limited to: (i) the total number of youth in foster care disaggregated by age, utilizing the following ranges: under 16 years old; 16-18 years old; and 19-21 years old; (ii) the number of youth in foster care enrolled in high school disaggregated by age, utilizing the following ranges: under 16 years old; 16-19 years old; and 20-21 years old; (iii) the number of youth in foster care who, based on cohort and the number of high school credits they have obtained by August 31 of the year of such report, are on pace to graduate high school, utilizing the following age ranges: 17-19 years old; and 20-21 years old; and (iv) the number of youth in foster care who graduated from high school disaggregated by: (1) the age at which such students graduated; (2) the type of diploma or certification received; and (3) based on cohort, the number of years it took to complete high school.

b. 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 information respecting students or children in foster care 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 children in foster care, or allows another category to be narrowed to between 0 and 9 students or children in foster care, the number shall be replaced with a symbol.

§2. This local law shall take effect immediately.

LS 693

9/2/14, 11:55am