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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 23, 2018
For More Information Contact:

JP O'Hare

(518) 474-1201

Press@nysed.gov

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Board of Regents Accepts Two Grants for Education Department Priorities

JPMorgan Chase Grant Supports Expansion of Career and Technical Education

New York Community Trust Grant Advances Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Practices

The New York State Board of Regents today accepted grants from the JPMorgan Chase and the New York Community Trust. The $200,000 grant from JPMorgan will support the Department’s effort to grow high-quality Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, particularly in parts of the State where few programs currently exist. The $160,000 grant from the New York Community Trust will allow the Department to develop resources and trainings for districts to help them adopt culturally responsive pedagogy and practices. Both grants were awarded to the University of the State of New York (USNY) Regents Research Fund (the Fund), a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation that engages in educational, cultural, and historical research and other related scholarships and projects for the State Education Department.

“Advancing educational equity is the center piece of our Every Student Succeeds Act plan and the driving force behind our policies,” Board of Regents Chancellor Betty A. Rosa said. “In addition to resources and access to opportunities, equity is also about ensuring that classrooms across New York State value and reflect the diversity of our incredible student population. This grant to support culturally responsive education will allow us to create a new framework for our educators and parents that will help to ensure cultural awareness is woven into every aspect of daily classroom life.”

“This grant money will directly benefit New York’s students and schools,” State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia said. “The grant focused on Career and Technical Education will help us better understand and ultimately remove obstacles faced by some districts in opening high-quality and economically relevant Career and Technical Education programs. The grant to strengthen cultural responsiveness compliments our push for classrooms that better represent New York’s student population. For our integration effort to be most impactful, school and classroom practices must be inclusive and reflective of the diversity of our school communities and culturally responsive education is critical to making that happen.”

Career and Technical Education

This 12-month, $200,000 grant from JPMorgan Chase is part of the firm’s five-year, $75 million New Skills for Youth effort to expand high-quality, career-focused education programs that lead to well-paying jobs and long-term careers for young people. The grant dollars will be used to complete a comprehensive scan of New York’s current CTE landscape to identify strong programs and challenges to creating programs to be included in a forthcoming CTE report. The report will become the basis for policy and budget recommendations for the Board of Regents and will provide best practices for districts looking to grow CTE. The work will also include an examination of the BOCES CTE model to identify practices and structures that could potentially be replicated by urban districts. Once completed, the CTE report will be shared publicly and disseminated to districts.

Cultural Responsiveness

This 18-month $160,000 grant from the New York Community Trust will support the development and implementation of a culturally responsive framework by the Department and Board, with input from national experts and New York educators and students. The framework and accompanying professional development will help districts infuse students’ cultural references into all instructional and engagement practices and activities. New York is among the first States to undertake such a widespread approach to culturally responsive education.