Education Department, State

Agency Web Site: http://www.nysed.gov/

Mission

The State Education Department (SED) is the administrative agency of the Board of Regents. The Department's primary mission is to raise the knowledge, skill, and opportunity level of all the people in New York.

Organization and Staffing

The Board of Regents oversees the State Education Department, which was originally established by the Legislature in 1784 and subsequently continued in the State Constitution. The Board of Regents is comprised of 17 members – one for each of the State’s 13 judicial districts and four statewide members – who are elected by a joint session of the Legislature for staggered 5-year terms. The Board elects its chair, who holds the title Chancellor, and appoints the Commissioner of Education as the chief administrative officer of the Department. The Department’s central operations are located in the Education Building in Albany. The Department also has regional service facilities at various locations throughout the State.

Budget Highlights

The FY 2018 Executive Budget recommends $35.1 billion for the State Education Department. This is an increase of $552.7 million from the previous year. Growth in Aid to Localities reflects an increase in appropriations necessary to support additional funding for School Aid and other education programs recommended in the Executive Budget. Changes in support for capital and operating programs reflect the phase-out of one-time payments associated with the PEF labor agreement and other one-time aid and grants, and a new $25 million capital investment in technology for nonpublic schools. The Executive Budget recommends a workforce of 2,692 FTEs for the State Education Department, the same level as the prior year.

Major budget actions include:

• School Aid Increase: The FY 2018 Executive Budget provides an overall school aid increase of $961 million (3.9 percent). In addition, the Budget provides another $40 million for debt service payments on Smart Schools Bond Act projects and increases reimbursements to school districts for charter school tuition, bringing the FY 2018 Budget’s total education aid increase to $1 billion and total school aid funding to the highest level in history for the third straight year. This includes a $428 million increase in Foundation Aid with a community schools set-aside increase of $50 million for the continued transformation of high-need schools into community hubs, $333 million in reimbursements for expense-based aids, a $35 million investment in public after-school programs in high-need school districts, a $5 million expansion of high-quality prekindergarten for three- and four-year-old children, and an additional $5 million investment in early college high schools.
• Community Schools: The Budget increases the community schools set-aside within Foundation Aid by $50 million—for a $150 million total community schools set-aside—for the continued transformation of high-need schools into community hubs. Districts will be able to apply these funds to a wide-range of community schools activities, including hiring community school coordinators, providing before- and after-school mentoring services, offering summer learning activities, and providing health and dental care services.
• Empire State After-School Program: The Budget provides $35 million in new investments for public after-school programs in the State’s 16 Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative (ESPRI) communities. This new funding will create an additional 22,000 spots for students in after-school programs, increasing the number of after-school spots in ESPRI communities by 36 percent. In total, 80,000 students in ESPRI communities will receive after-school care in SY 2018.
• Prekindergarten for Three- and Four-Year-Old Students: The Budget includes an additional $5 million investment in prekindergarten to expand high-quality half-day and full-day prekindergarten for three- and four-year-old children in high-need school districts—preference for these funds will be given to the few remaining high-need school districts currently without a prekindergarten program. This funding builds upon the State’s prekindergarten program for three- and four-year-old students included in the FY 2016 Enacted Budget.
• Early College High Schools: The FY 2018 Executive Budget provides an additional $5.3 million to expand the State’s early college high school programs. These programs allow students to get a jump start on college by providing opportunities to earn college credit. New York currently has more than 55 early college high school programs with more than 8,000 students enrolled.
• Non-public Schools: Approximately 400,000 elementary and secondary students attend more than 1,600 non-public schools in New York State. The Executive Budget increases aid by 3.9 percent, resulting in $181 million in reimbursement for non-public school costs for State-mandated activities. The Executive Budget will also continue the two-year $60 million appropriation, first enacted in 2016-17, to accelerate reimbursement for the Comprehensive Attendance Policy (CAP) program.
• Technology Funding for Non-Public Schools: Consistent with spending under the Smart Schools Bond Act, the Executive Budget recommends $25 million in capital funding to enhance classroom technology and connectivity projects that will benefit students attending non-public schools. This program will finance improved educational technology and infrastructure such as interactive whiteboards, computer servers, wireless access points, routers, desktop, laptop and tablet computers, and high-speed and wireless internet connectivity.
• Education Department Inspector General: The Budget establishes a new, independent Inspector General to oversee and investigate allegations of corruption, fraud, criminal activity, conflicts of interest, or abuse, by any person within the State Education Department. Unlike other state agencies, the State Education Department is not currently overseen by any investigative entity. This Inspector General would be appointed by mutual agreement between the Senate and Assembly.

For more information on this agency's budget recommendations located in the Executive Budget Briefing Book, click on the following link:

Briefing Book – Education and Arts (PDF)

Program Highlights

Under the policy direction of the Board of Regents, operational responsibilities of the State Education Department include administration, regulation and review of numerous education programs. The following provides a description of the major program areas administered by the Department:

School Aid

School Aid helps support elementary and secondary education for New York pupils enrolled in the 674 major school districts throughout the State. State funding is provided to districts based on statutory aid formulas and through reimbursement of categorical expenses such as prekindergarten programs, education of homeless children, and bilingual education. State funding for schools assists districts in meeting locally defined needs, supports the construction of school facilities, and finances school transportation for nearly three million students statewide.

New York State Prekindergarten

Under the leadership of Governor Cuomo, the State has more than doubled its annual commitment to prekindergarten from $385 million to over $800 million. This year, over 121,000 students will be enrolled in the State’s publicly-funded prekindergarten programs—approximately 75 percent of whom will be served in full-day spots. In addition, the State also provides funding to support the implementation of QUALITYstarsNY—a tiered quality rating and improvement system for early childhood programs across the State—which seeks to improve the quality of early learning childcare facilities by assessing programs and providing continuous support for early childhood professionals. This additional support helps monitor the rigor and quality of the State’s prekindergarten portfolio and helps ensure all children are enrolled in high quality programs.

Smart Schools Bond Act

In November 2014, the Smart Schools Bond Act Referendum proposed by Governor Cuomo was approved by voters. The Smart Schools Bond Act provides $2 billion in funding to districts to reimagine the State’s classrooms and provide New York’s students with the technological resources, skills, and learning environments necessary to succeed in the 21st century. Funding supports enhanced education technologies including infrastructure improvements, high‐speed broadband internet access, and active learning technologies. Additionally, the Smart Schools Bond Act supports the State’s long‐term investments in full-day prekindergarten through the construction of new prekindergarten classrooms, the replacement of classroom trailers with permanent classroom spaces, and high‐tech school safety programs. To date, over 180 Smart Schools Investment Plans totaling more than $170 million have been approved by the Smart Schools Review Board.

Programs for Students with Disabilities

The State provides a full range of special education services to approximately 500,000 students with disabilities, from ages 3 to 21. Eighty-five percent of these students are school-age students, and the remaining 15 percent are preschool children. Approximately 405,000 school-age students with disabilities are served by public school districts; while roughly 15,000 students require specialized educational settings in private education schools, State Supported Schools for the Blind and Deaf, Special Act School Districts, or one of the State-Operated Schools at Rome and Batavia. Preschool special education services, for children ages 3 to 5, are delivered primarily by private providers; however some school districts and BOCES provide these services as well.

Cultural Education

Cultural Education programs administered by the State Education Department include support for public broadcasting stations and aid to public libraries and library systems. SED also administers the State's major cultural institutions located in the Cultural Education Center in Albany, including the State Archives, the State Library and the State Museum. These institutions are responsible for increasing the knowledge and information resources of State and local government, businesses, and individuals.

Higher Education and Regulation of the Professions

Higher and professional education programs oversee the quality and availability of post-secondary education programs, and license and regulate over 50 professions. The Office of Higher Education oversees colleges, universities and proprietary schools; is responsible for the certification of teachers and other school professionals; and oversees programs to improve teacher preparation and recruitment. The Office of Professions oversees the preparation, licensure, practice and discipline of more than 50 professions regulated pursuant to Title VIII of the Education Law, including Nursing, Dentistry, Public Accountancy and Engineering.

Adult Career and Continuing Education Services

The Office for Adult Career and Continuing Education Services (ACCES) focuses on the education and employment needs of New York State’s adult population by offering a full range of employment and independent living services to persons with disabilities; overseeing the development of adult education programs that support adult literacy, English language instruction, high school equivalency test preparation and other services; and licensing and regulating the non-degree granting proprietary schools in New York State.

Note: Most recent estimates as of 1/17/2017