S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  5910

                       2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                              March 2, 2011
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M. of A. KAVANAGH, STEVENSON -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M.
  of A. P. RIVERA -- read once and referred to the Committee  on  Educa-
  tion

AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to school session days

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Subdivision 8 of section 3604  of  the  education  law,  as
amended  by  section  46 of part H of chapter 83 of the laws of 2002, is
amended to read as follows:
  8. No school shall be in session on a Saturday, GENERAL  ELECTION  DAY
or a legal holiday, except [general election day,] Washington's birthday
and  Lincoln's birthday, and except that driver education classes may be
conducted on a Saturday. A deficiency not exceeding  three  days  during
any  school year caused by teachers' attendance upon conferences held by
superintendents of schools of city  school  districts  or  other  school
districts  employing  superintendents of schools shall be excused by the
commissioner, provided however, notwithstanding any other  provision  of
law,  that  during the nineteen hundred ninety-two--ninety-three through
the two thousand two--two thousand three school  years  and  thereafter,
the  commissioner  shall  excuse  a  deficiency  not exceeding four days
during such school year caused by teachers' attendance upon  conferences
held by such superintendents, provided that at least two such conference
days during such school year shall be dedicated to staff attendance upon
conferences  providing  staff  development relating to implementation of
the new high learning standards and assessments, as adopted by the board
of regents. Notwithstanding any other provision of law,  rule  or  regu-
lation to the contrary, school districts may elect to use one or more of
such  allowable  conference days in units of not less than one hour each
to provide staff development activities relating  to  implementation  of
the  new high learning standards and assessments. A district making such
election may provide such staff development during the regularly  sched-

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD00088-01-1
              

A. 5910                             2

uled  daily  session and apply such units to satisfy a deficiency in the
length of one or more daily sessions of instruction for pupils as speci-
fied in regulations of the commissioner. The commissioner  shall  assure
that such conference days include appropriate school violence prevention
and  intervention  training, and may require that up to one such confer-
ence day be dedicated for such purpose.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.