Relates to SUNY admission requirements for graduate-level teacher and educational leader programs; removes the requirement for a minimum score on the graduate record examination or similar examination.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A7491A
SPONSOR: Glick TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to SUNY admission
requirements for graduate-level teacher and educational leader programs
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To provide higher education institutions with greater flexibility in
determining admission into graduate-level and educational leader
programs.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Amends section 210-a of the Education Law by removing the
requirement that a GRE or similar exam score be submitted as part of
admission requirements for graduate-Level teacher and educational leader
programs.
Section 2. Provides for an immediate effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Prior to the enactment of provisions contained in chapter 56 of the Laws
of 2015, higher education institutions had the full discretion and
autonomy to consider multiple measures when determining whether or not
to admit a student into their graduate-level and educational leader
programs. The requirement that a student submit a GRE score is a one-
size fits all policy that prohibits educational institutions from apply-
ing discretion to identifying an individual's potential quality as a
future teacher. This legislation will provide higher education insti-
tutions with more discretion when considering whether or not to admit a
student into their program.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7491--A
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 11, 2021
___________
Introduced by M. of A. GLICK -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Higher Education -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to SUNY admission
requirements for graduate-level teacher and educational leader
programs
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 210-a of the education law, as amended by chapter
2 454 of the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows:
3 § 210-a. Admission requirements for graduate-level teacher and educa-
4 tional leader programs. Each institution registered by the department
5 with graduate-level teacher and leader education programs shall adopt
6 rigorous selection criteria geared to predicting a candidate's academic
7 success in its program, including but not limited to, [a minimum score
8 on the graduate record examination or a substantially equivalent admis-
9 sion examination, as determined by the institution, and] achievement of
10 a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher in the candidate's
11 undergraduate program[; provided, however, such graduate record examina-
12 tion or substantially equivalent admission examination requirement shall
13 in no case apply to certified teachers or school administrators who
14 already hold a graduate degree]. Each program may exempt no more than
15 fifteen percent of any incoming class of students from such selection
16 criteria set forth in this section based on a student's demonstration of
17 potential to positively contribute to the teaching profession or other
18 extenuating circumstances pursuant to the regulations of the commission-
19 er. A program shall report to the department the number of students
20 admitted pursuant to such exemption and the selection criteria used for
21 such exemptions.
22 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11102-02-1
