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Cheick’s Story

Cheick, an immigrant student from Mali, was told—illegally—that he had to leave high school and transfer to a high school equivalency program.

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Guides & Resources: General School Rights

General School Rights

Returning visitors to our resource library: If you have downloaded a publication before, we recommend clearing your browsing history before clicking the links below, to ensure you are viewing the most up-to-date versions. 

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all resources are in PDF format and will open in a new window. To view PDF files, download the following free software: Get Adobe® Reader®. If you are unable to access PDFs, please call our Helpline (866-427-6033) or email info@afcnyc.org, and we will be happy to provide the information in an alternative format.

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Advocacy Tips and Basic Education Rights | Bullying | Charter Schools | Court-Involved Youth | Enrollment, Transfers, and Transportation | LGBTQ Students | Literacy | Parent-Teacher Conferences | Promotion Policy | School Co-Locations

Advocacy Tips and Basic Education Rights

Advocacy Skills: A Guide to Help You Advocate for Your Child's Educational Rights
En Español: Destrezas de Abogacía: Una guía para ayudarle a defender los derechos educativos de sus hijos

Alphabet Soup: Department of Education Acronyms 

Appeals to the New York State Commissioner of Education 

Guide to Basic Student Rights 

Homework Tips  

How to use NYCSA (The New York City Schools Account)
En Español: Cómo usar NYCSA (cuenta de las Escuelas de la Ciudad de Nueva York)
Also available in: ArabicBengaliChineseFrenchHaitian CreoleKoreanRussianUrdu

Bullying

Guide to Preventing & Addressing Bullying
En Español: Guía de AFC para Prevenir y Tratar el Bullying 

How to Report Bullying at a School    
En Español: Cómo denunciar el acoso escolar (bullying) en una escuela

Bullying, Harassment, and Discrimination of Immigrant Students in NYC Schools
En Español: “Bullying”, Acoso y Discriminación de Estudiantes Inmigrantes 
Also available in: ArabicBengaliChineseFrenchHaitian CreoleRussianUrdu

Charter Schools

Questions and Answers about Charter Schools
En Español: Preguntas y Respuestas sobre las Escuelas Chárter

Rights of Students with Disabilities in Charter Schools
En Español: Derechos de los Estudiantes con Discapacidades en las Escuelas Chárter

Guide to Charter School Discipline 

Guide to Preventing & Addressing Bullying in Charter Schools
En Español:  Prevenir y Abordar el Acoso Escolar en las Escuelas Chárter

Court-Involved Youth

Guide for Court-Involved Students: Understanding the education rights of NYC students in & coming out of the juvenile or criminal justice system
En Español: Guía de la AFC para Estudiantes que Están Involucrados con la Corte: Comprender los derechos a la educación de los estudiantes de Nueva York que se encuentran dentro del sistema judicial penal o juvenil, o que salen del mismo

Enrollment, Transfers, and Transportation 

Enrolling Students in School 

Podcast: Enrolling Students in School  

Kindergarten Admissions: A Guide for Families of Children Born in 2018
En Español: Admisión a Kínder: Guía para Familias de Niños Nacidos en el 2018
Also available in: ArabicBengaliChinese

Applying to High School 
En Español: Solicitar a la Escuela Secundaria

Applying to Middle School

PodcastNew York City High School Application Process
En Español: Proceso de admisión de la escuela secundaria

Requesting School Transfers
En Español: Como Solicitar un Cambio de Escuela

Arranging Transportation Services
En Español: Cómo Obtener Servicios de Transporte

>LGBTQ Students

LGBTQ Education Guide: Your Rights as an LGBTQ Student in a NYC Public School 

Literacy

Questions & Answers about Literacy and Dyslexia: A Fact Sheet for Families of Students Who Need More Help Learning to Read and Write 
En Español: Preguntas y Respuestas sobre la Alfabetización y la Dislexia
Abridged version available in: ArabicFrench

Reading Milestones: What your child should know and be able to do 

The Advocate: Special Edition on Literacy 

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-Teacher Conferences: What You Should Ask 
En Español: Conferencias de Padres y Maestros: ¿Qué debería preguntar?

Literacy and Parent-Teacher Conferences: Questions to ask your child’s teachers about how well he or she is learning to read and write 
En Español: Reuniones de padres y maestros: Preguntas para los maestros acerca de qué tan bien su hijo o hija está aprendiendo a leer o escribir

Promotion Policy

Promotion Policy in New York City Public Schools
En Español: Política de Promoción en las Escuelas Públicas de la Ciudad de Nueva York

PodcastPromotion Policy in New York City Public Schools
En Español: Política de Promoción en las Escuelas Públicas de la Ciudad de Nueva York

High School Promotion and Graduation Requirements
En Español: Requisitos de Graduación y Promoción de la Escuela Secundaria

School Co-Locations

Legal Requirements for School Co-Location in New York City 

Appeals to the Commissioner of Education Relating to School Co-Locations