What's happening
This bill reclassifies the Career Development and Occupational Studies credential as a diploma and sets new rules for issuing it to students with disabilities.
Why it matters
Elevates the status of the Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) credential. by officially designating it as a diploma, potentially improving graduates’ opportunities for employment, post-secondary education, and social recognition.
Sets limits on over-reliance by school districts. If more than 20% of students with disabilities in a given cohort receive the CDOS diploma (instead of a local or Regents diploma), the district must redirect federal special education funds toward improving access to the general education curriculum—addressing concerns that districts might use the CDOS diploma as an “easier” default for students with disabilities.
Mandates state oversight and regulation. The commissioner must issue rules to ensure all students, including those with disabilities, have meaningful opportunities to pursue local or Regents diplomas, reinforcing educational equity and accountability.
Applies changes retroactively to July 1, 2013. , which could affect past and current students’ records and may require updates to diplomas already issued since that date.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Rename Credential as Diploma
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to education
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.1180
- Referred to education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Make Credential a Diploma
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Edward Ra
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6222
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 11, 2017
Introduced by Sen. MARCELLINO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the New York state career development and occupational studies commencement credential
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 4401-b to read as follows:
§ 4401-b. High school exiting credentials. 1. Notwithstanding any provision of law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the New York state career development and occupational studies commencement credential shall be considered a diploma and be renamed as such and shall be issued at the same time the student receives his or her local or regents diploma or any time after such student has attended school for at least twelve years, excluding kindergarten, or has received a substantially equivalent education elsewhere, or at the end of the school year in which a student attains the age of twenty-one.
2. A school district that awards the New York state career development and occupational studies commencement diploma to more than twenty percent of the students with disabilities in the cohort, where such diploma is not a supplement to a local or regents diploma, shall be required to use a portion of its Part B individuals with disabilities education act grant funds for targeted activities as deemed necessary by the department to ensure that students with disabilities have appropriate access to participate and progress in the general education curriculum necessary to earn a local or regents diploma.
3. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations ensuring that all students are provided with the appropriate access to earn a local or regents diploma, including providing students with meaningful access to participate and progress in the general curriculum to assist in meeting the state's learning standards.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately, and shall be deemed to have been in full force and effect on and after July 1, 2013.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06721-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to the New York state career development and occupational studies commencement credential
Purpose
This bill is designed to redefine the career development and occupational studies commencement credential as a diploma, as well as to ensure that sufficient resources are dedicated towards ensuring that students with disabilities can partake in classes necessary towards earning local and regents diplomas.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 renames the career development and occupational studies commencement credential as a diploma and treats it as such.
Section 2 requires that school districts with large percentages of students with disabilities allocate resources from the Part B individuals with disabilities education act grant funds towards ensuring that these students are able to participate in curriculum designed towards achieving local or regents diplomas.
Section 3 authorizes the commissioner to promulgate rules and regulations ensuring that the students with disabilities are provided meaningful access to participate in the general curriculum.
Justification
Too many of our students are left behind because of a lack of access to education and jobs. This bill would redefine the career development and occupational studies commencement credential as a diploma to ensure that students who have completed the rigorous coursework required in order to earn this credential, are able to more successfully apply and partake in future endeavors such as the military and jobs. After completing the stringent universal foundation skills and CTE requirements needed to be awarded a CDOS credential, students should have doors and pathways opened to them, not closed.
Students with disabilities should also be encouraged to participate in the curriculum necessary to earn a local or regents diploma and this bill ensures that adequate resources are devoted to these students so that they may have the access to do so. These students need to be provided meaningful access to general curriculum so that they may too, have the chance to meet the state's learning standards.
Legislative history
New Bill.
Fiscal implications
Minimal.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.