Bill > S2189

Introduced Session

This bill requires studies to be conducted to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the attendance of elementary and secondary school students and the enrollment of college and university students, respectively. Specifically, the bill requires the Commissioner of Education to conduct, or contract with a research institution to conduct, a study to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the attendance of elementary and secondary school students. The bill requires school districts, charter schools, and renaissance schools to provide any information that may be requested by the commissioner or research institution, to the extent practicable. At a minimum, the study would analyze: (1) the manner in which school districts, charter schools, and renaissance schools recorded student attendance during the implementation of virtual or remote instruction in the 2019-2020 school year and the 2020-2021 school year, respectively; (2) the number of elementary and secondary school students who were identified as chronically absent students or dropout students during the 2019-2020 school year and the 2020-2021 school year, respectively, disaggregated by grade level, school district, race, gender, special education designation, English language learner designation, and eligibility for free and reduced price meals; (3) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of virtual or remote instruction on the attendance rates of elementary and secondary school students during the 2019-2020 school year and the 2020-2021 school year, respectively; and (4) the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of virtual or remote instruction disproportionately impacted the attendance rates of specific subgroups of elementary or secondary school students. Additionally, the Secretary of Higher Education would be required to conduct, or contract with a research institution to conduct, a student to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the enrollment of college and university students in the State. The bill requires institutions of higher education to provide any information that may be requested by the secretary or research institution, to the extent practicable. At a minimum, the study would analyze: (1) the total enrollment of each institution of higher education during the 2019-2020 academic year and the 2020-2021 academic year, disaggregated by race, gender, age, residence, and academic program; (2) the undergraduate retention rate of each institution of higher education during the period between the fall 2019 academic semester and the fall 2020 academic semester, disaggregated by race, gender, age, residence, and academic program; (3) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of virtual or remote instruction on the enrollment rates of college and university students in the State during the 2019-2020 academic year and the 2020-2021 academic year, respectively; and (4) the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of virtual or remote instruction disproportionately impacted the rate of enrollment of certain student populations. The bill requires an electronic copy of each study to be published on the official Internet website of the Department of Education or the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, as applicable, within five days of the completion of the study. The bill also requires the commissioner and secretary to submit a report to the Governor and Legislature to summarize the findings of each study.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Tony Bucco (R)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee (on 03/07/2022)

Official Document