Skip to main content
Student Support Services

Student Support Services

Education of Incarcerated Youth Program (IY)

The goal of Education of Incarcerated Youth (IY) programs is to provide eligible inmates with the applicable skills and knowledge to help them function more effectively during incarceration and after release. IY programs operate during the school year (July 1 – June 30) and may offer summer programming, although this is not required. IY programs are the responsibility of the school district within which the correctional facility resides.

2025-2026 Application Process

School districts, BOCES, and State agencies must apply each year for approval to operate an IY program. Those interested in operating a program for the 2025-2026 school year should complete and return an application by the following deadline:

2025-2026 Education of Incarcerated Youth Program Plan Application Deadline: July 15, 2025

Program Information

IY programs must adhere to the following guidelines, set forth by the Commissioner’s regulations (8 CRR-NY 118):

Eligibility

  • Individuals under 21 years old who have not received a high school diploma and who have been incarcerated in a NYS correctional facility for 10 or more days, or who can reasonably be expected to be incarcerated for 10 or more days, are eligible to participate in an IY program. 

Evaluation

  • An educational evaluation must be completed no later than 10 school days after the district receives a request for educational services on behalf of a youth.
    • If the evaluation indicates a need for a more intensive program of educational services, a multidisciplinary evaluation takes place. Recommendations based on the assessment are provided to the student’s teacher no later than 20 days after the school district receives a request for educational services.

Instruction

  • Instruction must commence no later than the 11th school day following the district’s receipt of a request for educational services.
  • Instructional Hours: Programs must operate for a minimum of 3 instructional hours per school day. Programs must operate for a minimum of 15 instructional hours per week, with at least 10 hours of basic instruction, tutoring to support high school credits, or Alternative High School Equivalency Preparation (AHSEP) Program instruction. The remaining 5 hours can include additional activities such as life skills education, substance abuse education, career planning, career and technical education, or other appropriate topics.
  • Instructor Qualifications: It is recommended that a teacher possess a secondary certification (7-12) in a content area (i.e., English, Math, Science, Social Studies). Programs must additionally offer appropriate staff training and development opportunities.
  • Special Education: Procedures should be established to identify youth who are possibly in need of special education services through self-referral, indicators from other educational records, referrals from outside sources, and referrals from parents and guardians. Appropriate support and processes must be in place for students in need of special educational services. If all students in the program are classified students with disabilities, special education certification is required for the teacher(s).

Notification of Educational Services

  • A youth must be notified by the correctional facility of the availability of educational services within 10 days of admission.
  • Within 30 days of beginning educational services, the school district in which the correctional facility is located must notify the NYS Education Department, and the district identified as responsible for the educational costs, that the correctional facility received a request for educational services on behalf of the youth.

Transition Services

  • Programs must coordinate appropriate support services with community agencies.
  • Programs must offer transition services to students focused on topics such as career counseling, job readiness skills, technology skills, decision-making skills, and citizenship, where applicable.
  • The school district has procedures to assist the correctional facility in providing released or discharged youth with educational and related services available in the youth’s school district.

Alternative High School Equivalency Preparation (AHSEP) Programs for IY Sites

Students under age 21 who do not possess a high school diploma and are on a GED® Test track in an IY program must be enrolled in an AHSEP program.

  • Districts, BOCES and State agencies that operate AHSEP programs at multiple sites at multiple sites should complete the AHSEP application and include the jail(s) as a separate site(s).
  • Districts, BOCES and State agencies that operate stand-alone programs within a jail must submit an AHSEP application to fulfill the approval process for their programs.

System of Accountability for Student Success (SASS)

All AHSEP programs at IY sites are required to submit SASS information as a measurement of students’ performance in the AHSEP program. The Reporting Table for SASS Data is due in October following the conclusion of a program year.

More information can be found in the System of Accountability for Student Success (SASS) Reporting section of the AHSEP & ATP Program Guidelines.