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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.

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  

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  

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

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 

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