A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the department of education to report information on computer science education in New York city schools

Int. No. 1193-A

By Council Members Levine, Menchaca, Chin, Mendez, Barron, Rose, Rosenthal, Kallos, Levin, Dromm and Lander

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the department of education to report information on computer science education in New York city schools

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 10 to read as follows:

Chapter 10. Computer Science Education Reporting

§ 21-972 Reporting on computer science education. a. For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

                      Computer science program. The term “computer science program" means any class, component of a class, or curriculum designed to enable students to learn computing concepts, including but not limited to abstraction, algorithms, programming, data and information, and networks.

Certified STEM instructor. The term "certified STEM instructor" means a teacher who is licensed to teach a specific STEM subject.

"School" means a school of the city school district of the city of New York.

“STEM” means science, technology, engineering or math.

"Student" means any pupil under the age of twenty-one as of September first of the academic period being reported, who does not have a high school diploma and who is enrolled in a school as school is defined in this subdivision, not including a pre-kindergarten student or a preschool child as preschool child is defined in section 4410 of the education law.

b. Not later than April 30, 2017, and annually thereafter on or before April 30, the department shall submit to the speaker of the council and post conspicuously on the department's website a report for the preceding academic year which shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

1. The total number of computer science programs offered in each school, including information regarding the nature of the computer science programs and whether such programs are advanced placement computer science classes, to the extent such information is available;

2. The number and percentage of students who enrolled in a computer science program, disaggregated by (i) race and ethnicity; (ii) gender; (iii) special education status; (iv) English language learner status; (v) eligibility for the free and reduced price lunch program; (vi) grade level; and (vii) community school district;

3. The number of designated full-time and part-time certified STEM instructors providing instruction at each school; and the ratio of full-time certified STEM instructors to students at each school;

4. Information regarding the STEM institute administered by the department, including but not limited to, the nature of the training offered, the number of teachers trained, organizations involved, the funding provided and the source of such funding;

5. Information regarding the department's computer science initiatives; and

6. Information regarding the total available bandwidth in megabits per second provided in each school building; and for each such school building containing more than one school, the schools in such building.

c. 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 1 and 5 students, or contains an amount that would allow the amount of another category that is five or less to be deduced, the number shall be replaced with a symbol.

d. This chapter expires ten years after the effective date of the local law that added this chapter.

§ 2. This local law takes effect immediately and is deemed repealed 10 years after it becomes law.

AES/SMD

LS #6218

11/28/16 9:40pm