BILL NUMBER: S8526
SPONSOR: FAHY
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a state-
wide student attendance and absenteeism dashboard
 
PURPOSE:
Establishes a statewide student attendance and absenteeism dashboard
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Adds a new section 3214-c to the education law, requiring the
commissioner of education to create and maintain a publicly accessible
Statewide Student Attendance and Absenteeism Dashboard.
Section 2. Sets the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Chronic absenteeism has emerged as a statewide crisis following the
pandemic, with roughly one in three New York students missing at least
ten percent of the 2022-23 school year, according to the State Comp-
troller. Despite its importance, attendance data are often reported
inconsistently and are not readily accessible to parents, educators, or
policymakers in a timely manner.
This bill establishes a statewide attendance and absenteeism dashboard
to provide transparent, up-to-date data on student attendance across all
school districts. By standardizing data collection and requiring
frequent public updates, the dashboard will help schools identify emerg-
ing attendance trends, support data-driven interventions, and strengthen
accountability for student engagement. The tool will also help policy-
makers and families understand where attendance challenges are most
severe and track progress toward recovery and equity goals.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a law.