Stack of books against a blurred background. (Photo by Kimberly Farmer on Unsplash)

Policy Resources

AFC works to change education policy so that the public school system serves all children effectively. We publish policy reports and data analyses, testify at the City and State levels, speak out in the press to bring attention to the challenges facing the students and families we serve, and join with other advocates, parents, youth, and educators to call for change.

Call to Action to Sustain Education Programs Funded with Expiring Federal COVID-19 Relief
  • Sign-On Letter

    • Call to Action to Sustain Education Programs Funded with Expiring Federal COVID-19 Relief

    More than 170 organizations are calling on New York leaders to save critical education programs currently supported by temporary federal stimulus funding set to run dry in 2024.
    Young students sitting in a circle, several raising their hands. (Photo by RDNE Stock project via Pexels)

    167 Results Found

    Filter By
    • Topic
    • Resource Type
    Rethinking Pathways to High School Graduation in New York State: Forging New Ways for Students to Show Their Achievement of Standards
    Graduating students smiling and laughing with diplomas
  • Policy Report
    • Rethinking Pathways to High School Graduation in New York State: Forging New Ways for Students to Show Their Achievement of Standards

    This report by The Coalition for Multiple Pathways to a Diploma, prepared by Advocates for Children of New York, examines the difficulties that high stakes standardized exit exams pose for many students and addresses the need for more flexible exam requirements and assessment-based pathways to a diploma.

    Dec 12, 2013

    Essential Voices, Part II: Engaging Students and Parents in the Implementation of a New Teacher Evaluation System
    Male student sitting in the class and raising hand up to ask question during lecture. (Photo by Jacob Lund, Adobe Stock)
  • Policy Report
    • Essential Voices, Part II: Engaging Students and Parents in the Implementation of a New Teacher Evaluation System

    This October 2013 policy paper calls on the DOE to include students and parents when putting the new teacher evaluation system into practice by establishing a stakeholder advisory group to provide feedback on the policy implementation process. The paper also provides examples of structures established for this purpose in other cities and states.

    Oct 31, 2013

    Keeping Kids In School and Out of Court: Report and Recommendations
  • Policy Report
    • Keeping Kids In School and Out of Court: Report and Recommendations

    May 2013 report and recommendations from the New York City School-Justice Partnership Task Force. Under the stewardship of former Chief Judge Judith Kaye, the task force brought together a unique and knowledgeable group of key players from the education and justice communities who had not previously had the chance to collaborate. The report outlines a plan of action for the next mayor to reduce suspensions and school-based summonses and arrests.

    May 30, 2013

    Essential Voices: Including Student and Parent Input in Teacher Evaluation
    A student in the front row of a classroom raises their hand.
  • Policy Report
    • Essential Voices: Including Student and Parent Input in Teacher Evaluation

    This policy paper describes the need for student and parent input in teacher evaluation in New York City, summarizes research demonstrating the validity and reliability of such measures, describes efforts other states and districts are undertaking to incorporate student and/or parent feedback into their own teacher evaluation systems, and provides recommendations to the DOE.

    Jun 18, 2012

    Educational Stability for Children in Foster Care
    Close-up of an open book. (Photo by Bilakis via Pexels)
  • Law Review Article
    • Educational Stability for Children in Foster Care

    This article by AFC Supervising Attorney Erika Palmer and Cara Chambers, Supervising Attorney for the Legal Aid Society’s Education Advocacy Project, examines the impact of changing schools on students in foster care, discusses current laws, and describes strategies from around the country to address school mobility. It was first presented at the Practicing Law Institute’s 10th Annual School Law Institute and was published in Volume 26 of the Touro Law Review.

    Nov 29, 2011

    Out of School and Unprepared: The Need to Improve Support for Students with Disabilities Transitioning to Adulthood
    Hand of a teenage boy manipulating a joystick. (Photo by Cultura Creative, Adobe Stock)
  • Policy Report
    • Out of School and Unprepared: The Need to Improve Support for Students with Disabilities Transitioning to Adulthood

    In March 2011, the ARISE Coalition, a group of parents, educators, advocates and other supporters of students with disabilities coordinated by Advocates for Children of New York (AFC), released this policy paper calling on New York City and New York State to follow the law with respect to transition planning and to give post-secondary transition for students with special education needs the same high priority they are beginning to give college and career readiness for other students.

    Mar 2, 2011

    Students with Interrupted Formal Education: A Challenge for the New York City Public Schools
    A female high school teacher stands at the front of a classroom; two male students raise their hands. (Photo by pop_thailand, Adobe Stock)
  • Policy Report
    • Students with Interrupted Formal Education: A Challenge for the New York City Public Schools

    There are more than 15,000 students in the New York City public schools who came to this country having missed two years or more of schooling. These students – known as Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE) – present particular challenges for educators trying to raise the 40% on-time graduation rate for English Language Learners (ELLs). This report examines the data on the SIFE population, profiles twelve immigrant students who should have been identified as SIFE by their schools, and uses their experiences to show how the New York City Department of Education and individual schools try and often fail to meet their needs.

    May 26, 2010

    Load More
    Send us a message