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.

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Access (Still) Denied: An Update on the Physical Inaccessibility of New York City Public Schools
a public school where the entrance is at the top of a flight of stairs
  • Policy Report
    • Access (Still) Denied: An Update on the Physical Inaccessibility of New York City Public Schools

    This interactive report finds that only 31.1% of schools are fully accessible to students, parents, educators, and community members with physical disabilities as of the start of the 2023-24 school year. The report calls on the City to invest $1.25 billion—roughly 5-6% of its capital budget—in the forthcoming five-year Capital Plan to improve school accessibility.

    Aug 23, 2023

    Rising Enrollment, Shrinking Support: The Urgent Need to Protect Programs for Immigrant Students Amidst Funding Threats
    A girl sits with her backpack, looking at a textbook, outside a schoolyard. (Photo by Mary Taylor via Pexels)
  • Issue Brief
    • Rising Enrollment, Shrinking Support: The Urgent Need to Protect Programs for Immigrant Students Amidst Funding Threats

    The June 2023 brief shows the urgent need to reject proposed cuts and provide targeted investments to support immigrant students and families, including the more than 18,000 new students in temporary housing—most of whom are recently arrived immigrants—who have enrolled in New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) in the past year.

    Jun 20, 2023

    Falling Short: NYC’s Failure to Provide Mandated Services for Preschoolers with Disabilities
    A female occupational therapist works with a young boy, using play-doh to work on the boy's gross motor skills. (Photo by FatCamera, iStock)
  • Issue Brief
    • Falling Short: NYC’s Failure to Provide Mandated Services for Preschoolers with Disabilities

    This June 2023 data analysis shows that 37% of all preschoolers with disabilities—a total 9,800 children—went the entire 2021–22 school year without receiving at least one of the types of services the DOE was legally required to provide, a systemic violation of students’ rights. The report analyzes DOE data, which likely significantly understate the magnitude of the problem, and makes recommendations for needed changes moving forward.

    Jun 6, 2023

    AFC Testifies in Support of the Solutions Not Suspensions Act (A.5691 / S.1040)
    New York State capitol building
  • Testimony & Public Comment
    • AFC Testifies in Support of the Solutions Not Suspensions Act (A.5691 / S.1040)

    AFC testified before the New York State Senate Committees on Education and New York City Education in strong support of the Judith Kaye Solutions Not Suspensions (SNS) Act (A. 5691/S. 1040). Our testimony discusses data and reports illustrating the harm, and civil rights crisis, from exclusionary discipline disproportionately applied to certain student populations.

    May 12, 2023

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