Establishes a temporary commission on career technical education to examine and assess the feasibility and advisability of establishing a professional trade diploma

Summary of provisions

Section 1 establishes a temporary commission on career technical educa- tion to evaluate and make recommendations regarding the creation of a professional trade diploma upon completion of secondary education. The commission shall have particular focus on creating a diploma for students who successfully complete the necessary career technical educa- tion in a particular trade or career so as to qualify the student for employment in the field of study. Additionally, the commission will create circumstances for students to receive a professional trade diplo- ma without the student's completion of certain requirements for a regents or local diploma

Section 2 establishes the provisions for the creation of the commission. The commission will have thirteen members with five members appointed by the governor, two members appointed by the temporary president of the senate, two members appointed by the speaker of the assembly, one member appointed by the minority leader of the senate, one member appointed by the minority leader of the assembly, one member each appointed by the chair of the education committee of the senate and the assembly respec- tively.

Section 3 provides the commission with the authority to hold meetings and public hearings along with all the powers of a legislative committee in accordance with the legislative law.

Section 4 establishes that members of the commission shall not receive compensation for their services expect for covering the actual and necessary expenses incurred to perform their duties.

Section 5 provides the commission with access to facilities, resources, and data of any state or political subdivision that the commission could reasonably request to utilize in performing the duties necessary.

Section 6 requires the commission to submit a report to the governor and the legislature regarding its findings, within three hundred days of the effective date.

Section 7 is the enacting clause.

Justification

Currently with the educational focus on standardized testing and the implementation of Common Core, New York State is missing out on an opportunity to support students with career oriented skills that may excel in fields which do not show up on the standardized tests. Students are not all the same and therefore cannot be arbitrarily expected to fit the same mold. Instead of focusing on pushing students to pass a single subject regents exam, New York State should recognize students gaining technical and career skills in ever expanding fields such as medical professions, culinary fields, mechanical fields, or professional certification as a worthy achievement paramount to satis- factory grades on an exam. Students who pass down a skill and career oriented path, should not be withheld from receiving a diploma because of academic scores. Rather, they should be given the opportunity to graduate from their secondary education and utilize the skills they acquired to obtain gainful employment in instances where the career or technical skill they obtained through this newly created degree program would be sufficient for such students to maintain post secondary educa- tion employment. Certain students may aspire to be scholars, and others may aspire to learn a trade. While these circumstances exemplify vari- ous types of students, each student shares the goal of graduating secondary education in New York and should be provided the opportunity to do so while respectively pursuing their long term goals.

Legislative history

None.

Fiscal implications

Undetermined.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed repealed 1 year after it shall have become a law.