Res 0020-2018

By Council Member Cabrera Whereas, The New York City Department of Education (DOE) offers a large variety of high school programs and other ways to graduate or obtain a high school equivalency diploma; and Whereas, DOE has over 700 program options at more than 400 traditional high schools and students can apply to any of these schools and programs via a single citywide high school application; and Whereas, In addition to these traditional high school options, DOE offers a number of non-traditional high school programs, including Transfer Schools; and Whereas, According to DOE, Transfer Schools are small, academically rigorous, full-time high schools designed to re-engage students who are behind in high school or have dropped out; and Whereas, Students between the ages of 16 to 21 who have completed at least one year of high school are eligible for Transfer Schools; and Whereas, Further, unlike traditional high school options, students must apply to each Transfer School separately and students and their parents or guardians must contact the schools to schedule an intake appointment; and Whereas, Transfer Schools serve over-age, under-credited and other at-risk students, including many court-involved youth, for whom the school-by-school admissions process poses a significant barrier to enrollment; and Whereas, Many more over-age, under-credited students between the ages of 16 to 21 could likely benefit from Transfer Schools if the admissions process was unified under one entity; and Whereas, Advocates for Children of New York has recommended that Transfer Schools be moved under a single superintendency, such as District 79, to allow for better oversight, coordination and transparency; and Whereas, According to DOE, District 79 includes Alternative Schools and Programs that help students under 21 years old who have experienced an interruption to their studies to stay on track to a high school or high school equivalency diploma; and Whereas, As such, it makes sense for Transfer Schools to be included under District 79 or another single superintendency; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York City Department of Education to move Transfer Schools to a single superintendency. LS# 3925 JA 1/10/18 1