BILL NUMBER: S8663
SPONSOR: ASHBY
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a trans-
fer student appeal process
 
PURPOSE:
To allow transfer students with the option to pursue a second review of
their transfer credits from out-of-state schools, out-of-country schools
or nonpublic schools.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends education law to authorize the commissioner of the
department of education and the office of standards and instruction to
establish a transfer student appeal process that operates solely at the
state level. A student may elect to use the appeal process after they
have already completed the transfer credit process at the school
district they are newly enrolled into. Decisions made through the appeal
process are considered final.
Section 2 sets the effective date to 90 after it becomes law.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
New York State prides itself on welcoming new residents, however, the
transition for students-particularly in high school- can sometimes be a
frustrating process. New students from out of the country, out of the
state and even other non-public schools currently submit their tran-
scripts to the principal of the school they are newly enrolling into. It
is the principal's decision what credits are accepted.
This bill allows students the ability to appeal to the State Department
of Education. This optional new layer provides students a streamlined
avenue to advocate for the credits they worked extremely hard to
achieve. If we want people to stay in NY, it starts when they are in
high school. This legislation came directly from students frustrated by
the current transfer credit process.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
90 days after it becomes law.