In 1967 the Board of Regents published a position paper ("Urban Education: A Statement of Policy and Proposed Action by the Regents of the University of The State of New York") outlining the poverty-related problems of urban schools and calling for a remedial program to alleviate these problems. The following year the State Legislature provided for a temporary apropriation of aid for locally administered programs to meet special education needs associated with urban poverty (Chapter 685). The State Education Department established the Office of Urban Education under the Office of Coordinator of Education for the Disadvantaged. In 1969 this became the Division of Urban Education under an Assistant Commissioner for Compensatory Education. The Division coordinated the review of Urban Education Program project applications and evaluations, and granted approval for projects. In 1971 the Division assumed similar duties for projects funded under the New York City School-Community Interaction Umbrella Program when the state began funding these projects (Chapter 708). The Umbrella program was previously funded under Title III of the Federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Funding for the Urban Education Program was terminated in 1974 (Chapter 241). Review and approval responsibilities for the Umbrella Program continued in the Division until transferred to the Division of State Educational Opportunity Programs (later Division of Educational Opportunity Programs) in 1979.
Web Site Topic:
The State Education Department, Office of Higher Education's Office of Access, Equity, and Community Engagement Services administers state programs aimed at expanding access to educational and life opportunities for all residents, including people of color and those with special needs. The office administers and makes available grant funding, contracts, and scholarships to colleges and universities; schools, school districts, and BOCES; community-based and non-profit organizations; and students. The office administers the New York State My Brother’s Keeper initiative, which seeks to close and ultimately eliminate the opportunity gaps faced by male students of color and assist them in reaching their full potential.
L. 1968, Ch. 685; L. 1971, Ch. 708; L. 1974, Ch. 241.
