NY S07496

Establishes new Education Law sections 6457 and 6458 to create grant programs for early college high school (ECHS) programs and Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) programs.

ECHS programs provide eligible high school students with college-level courses leading to at least 24 college credits and up to a post-secondary degree at no cost through partnerships between school districts and higher education institutions.

P-TECH programs combine a six-year academic curriculum with high school, college, and career training in fields including science, technology, engineering, manufacturing, healthcare, and finance, with employer commitments to place successful graduates first in line for jobs.

Appropriates $25 million total: $7 million for ECHS grants (with 5% set-aside for administration and oversight) and $18 million for P-TECH grants (with 5% set-aside for administration and oversight).

Establishes five-year funding cycles for ECHS programs beginning in 2016-2017 and seven-year cycles for P-TECH programs beginning in 2020-2021, with priority given to partnerships serving economically disadvantaged and academically at-risk students.