Education (Curriculum) in New York

in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 604: Relates to instruction in food, agriculture and nutrition in elementary and high school

Relates to instruction in food, agriculture and nutrition in elementary and high school; contents may be varied to meet the needs of particular school districts; need not be uniform throughout the state; school districts shall utilize either the curriculum for health education instruction regarding food, agriculture and nutrition prescribed by the commissioner or a course approved by the commissioner in accordance with criteria established by the commissioner.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics Curriculum K-12 Education Student Health

failed · New York · Assembly May 18, 2026

A 6144: Requires instruction in agriculture

This bill requires all state-controlled or state-supported elementary, middle, and high schools to include agriculture instruction starting in the 2026-2027 school year. It directly affects students and school districts by mandating curriculum covering food origins, farm-to-market processes, sustainability, resource management, textile production, and agricultural careers. Key provisions include requiring courses approved by both the Education and Agriculture departments, integrating topics like water/land conservation and rural community culture, and allowing connections to science and business classes. The instruction aims to help students understand food systems and agricultural practices through concrete, hands-on learning.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education Curriculum K-12 Education Tags Agriculture

in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 3082: Requires instruction on vaccine science in every middle school and every high school

Requires every middle school and every high school to provide instruction on vaccine science, including vaccine history and development, effects on the immune system, vaccine-preventable diseases and their spread, and vaccine safety and testing.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics Curriculum K-12 Education

in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 3966: Requires instruction on the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. capitol

This bill mandates that all public and private schools in the state include instruction on the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and its aftermath as part of required civic education courses. It affects all students over age eight in the state's schools by requiring teachers to cover this event alongside other historical topics like slavery, the Holocaust, and human rights issues. The law directs education regents to develop curriculum guidelines and authorizes school commissioners to enforce compliance, including withholding funding for noncompliance. The policy requires schools to integrate this topic into existing civic education frameworks without specifying teaching methods or materials.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics Curriculum

in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 7211: Authorizes and requires the board of regents to set acceptable standards for the issuance of diplomas to students who are homeschooled

This bill requires New York's Board of Regents to establish standards for homeschool diplomas, ensuring they are recognized as equivalent to standard high school diplomas by all accredited colleges and universities in the state. It directly affects homeschooled students seeking college admission and higher education institutions evaluating credentials. The key provision mandates that all homeschool diplomas issued under this law must prove completion of a 12th-grade curriculum and hold the same validity as diplomas issued by public or private schools. The law takes immediate effect, eliminating current barriers to college acceptance for homeschooled graduates.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics Curriculum K-12 Education Testing & Assessment

in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 4021: Relates to providing that all schools have a multi-cultural curriculum

This bill requires all public schools (from elementary through high school) to implement a multicultural curriculum. It mandates the education commissioner to create rules allowing schools to adapt the curriculum to their specific student body's cultural makeup, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach. The bill also requires the commissioner to develop teacher training programs to prepare educators in culturally responsive teaching methods. These changes would directly affect every public school in the state and their educators, with implementation beginning September 2025 if enacted.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics Curriculum K-12 Education Teachers

in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 4952: Expands the requirements for teaching humane education to secondary school students

This bill requires all public secondary schools in the state to teach humane education about animal treatment, respect, and relevant laws as part of their curriculum. It directly affects public secondary schools and their students by mandating specific content on animal kindness, ecological roles, and responsible ownership. Schools must verify compliance with these requirements, and the education commissioner will track and publicly share these records. The law also states that schools failing to provide this instruction risk losing state funding. The bill expands existing elementary school humane education requirements to include secondary education.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics Curriculum K-12 Education

in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 3315: Relates to culturally responsive lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender education standards

This bill requires New York state schools to implement culturally responsive education for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ+) students. It mandates all public and private K-12 schools to integrate LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum across all grade levels, including lessons on historical oppression and inequity. The bill also creates a graduation requirement for high school students to complete a course meeting these standards, adds a college course requirement for teacher certification, and requires ongoing teacher training on LGBTQ+ competency. Implementation will be guided by commissioner-developed rules, model curricula, and a school climate assessment tool.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics Curriculum K-12 Education Teachers

in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 7029: Relates to directing the commissioner of education to make recommendations to the board of regents regarding the incorporation of instruction in artificial intelligence system literacy into the school curriculum

Directs the commissioner of education to make recommendations to the board of regents regarding the incorporation of instruction in artificial intelligence system literacy into the school curriculum at the elementary, junior high and senior high levels; directs the board of regents to adopt guidelines if the curriculum is adopted.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Technology

Sub-Topics Curriculum Artificial Intelligence

in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 7090: Establishes the "education affordability act" and tax credit

Establishes the "education affordability act" and tax credit; provides credits against income and corporate franchise tax for various qualified education investments including scholarships, education funds and home-based instructional materials.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Tax Credits Tax Incentives Curriculum School Choice Student Financial Aid

All education bills