Deadline Extension to January 15, 2024: LSA/District reporting of Non-Public School Substantial Equivalence Pathways

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.  
• More information on this required process can be found on the SED website at https://www.nysed.gov/nonpublic-schools/substantial-equivalency and in the Substantial Equivalence Implementation Guidance at https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/nonpublic-schools/final-se-guidance_08-23-2023.pdf.
• SED has provided a template letter for LSAs to use when requesting information from religious and independent schools within their boundaries for this purpose at https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/nonpublic-schools/se-pathway-selection-template-letter-for-lsas.docx.
• Questions can be directed to the Office of Religious and Independent School Supports at https://www.nysed.gov/nonpublic-schools/contact-us.