Int. No. 670
By Council Member Dromm
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 regarding the use of limited access letters
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 21 to read as follows:
CHAPTER 21
REPORTING ON LIMITED ACCESS LETTERS
§ 21-988 Reporting on limited access letters.
a. Definitions. For the purposes of this section only, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
Limited access letter. The term “limited access letter” means a document issued by a superintendent, principal, or other employee of the department to a parent of a student that restricts such parent’s access to such student’s school.
Student. The term “student” means any pupil under the age of 21 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 of the city school district of the city of New York.
b. Not later than August 31, 2018, and annually thereafter on or before August 31, the department shall submit to the speaker of the council and post conspicuously on the department’s website a report that shall include but not be limited to the following:
1. A description of the department’s policy for issuing limited access letters;
2. A description of the department’s process for allowing a parent to challenge or appeal the issuance of a limited access letter;
3. The number of limited access letters issued during the prior school year, disaggregated by (i) student race and ethnicity; (ii) student gender; (iii) student special education status; (iv) student English language learner status; (v) student eligibility for the free and reduced price lunch program; (vi) parent race and ethnicity; (vii) parent gender; (viii) primary language of parent; (ix) community school district; and (x) grade level.
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 one and five 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.
§ 2. This local law takes effect immediately.
SMD
LS #3661, 4514
2/1/18