• Substantial Equivalency Timeline of Events 

    • Deadline Extension to January 15, 2024: LSA/District reporting of Non-Public School Substantial Equivalence Pathways
      • Pursuant to the Part 130 Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, Local School Authorities/Districts (LSAs) must inform the Department, via the NYSED Business Portal of the pathway each nonpublic school in its boundaries has selected to use to demonstrate the substantial equivalence of its instruction, including pathway 7 (the local review).
      • The deadline to submit these determinations is December 1 of this year and each December 1 thereafter. However, as this is the first year of implementation, and to ensure continued meaningful engagement between LSAs and nonpublic schools, the State Education Department (SED) is extending this deadline from December 1 to January 15, 2024 for this academic year only. Future deadlines to do this work will remain December 1.  
    • By October 9, 2023:  Local School Authorities (LSAs) should use their best faith efforts to complete the LSA survey via the  internet through the which can be found in the attached PowerPoint or on the NYSED website at . 
    • August 23, 2023: New York State Education Department (NYSED) and the Office of Religious and Independent School Support (ORISS) released guidance for Substantial Equivalency Implementation.
    • September 13, 2022:  Final Substantial Equivalence Regulations were approved by the New York State Board of Regents
    • June 2022:  NY State Education Department proposed regulations regarding the statutory requirement for substantial equivalency of instruction for students attending nonpublic schools to ensure that all students receive the education to which they are entitled under the law.  The Board of Regents discussed the proposed regulations at its March 2022 meeting.  The proposed rulemaking was published on March 30, 2022 and the public comment period ran through May 31, 2022.  The final regulation will come before the Board of Regents for its consideration in fall 2022.
    • May 10, 2021: NY State Education Department releases a report summarizing feedback on substantial equivalence of instruction in nonpublic schools gathered during six regional meetings held last fall. The feedback gathered will be used to inform revised proposed regulations. 
    • October 27, 2020: NY State Education Department announced that it will hold a series of regional meetings to engage and gather input from stakeholders in religious, independent and public schools, to inform policy decisions related to the substantial equivalence of instruction in nonpublic schools as required by Education Law Section 3204(2).  The Department is conducting these regional meetings that will take place virtually. 

       

    • Spring 2019: The state Supreme Court justice suspended Substantial Equivalency guidelines.