The New York State Coalition of 853 Schools was formed in 1991 to meet the growing needs of students with IEP diploma requirements. Today, the coalition meets the educational requirements of New York State on the grounds of agencies that provide various child welfare, juvenile justice, and family/community support services. These educational programs largely serve school-aged children involved in the foster care, juvenile justice and special education systems.
853 schools have resulted from the continued privatization of many Special Act School Districts around the state. Many are modeled after non-profit agencies and corporations to uniquely serve students with severe disabilities outside of the regular educational setting. Each operates under a unified school member Board of Directors rather than multiple BOEs per each of the Special Act school districts, thus more cost efficient to operate. Below is a partial listing of all those educational organizations with 853 status:
Anderson Center for Autism
Astor Home For Children
Baker Victory Services
Cardinal Hayes Home
The Center for Developmental Disabilities
Child and Family Services
Children's Home of Kingston
Children's Home of Poughkeepsie
Children's Home of Wyoming Conference
Devereux Foundation
Gateway-Longview
Girls and Boys Town of New York
Green Chimneys Children's Services
Gustavus Adolphus
Harmony Heights
Hawthorne Country Day School
Hillside Children's Center
House of the Good Shepherd
Julia Dyckman Andrus Memorial
Lake Grove School
LaSalle School
Lincoln Hall
Lowell School
Mary Cariola Children's Center
Maryhaven Center of Hope
McQuade Children's Services
New Directions Youth & Family Services
Norman Howard School
Northeast Parent & Child Society
Oak Hill School, Inc.
Parsons Child & Family Center
Reece School for Special Training
SCO Family of Services
Springbrook
St. Anne's Institute
St. Catherine's Center for Children
St. Colman's Home
St. Dominic's Home
St. Joseph's Villa of Rochester
Summit Children's Residence Center
Vanderheyden Hall
Westchester School for Special Children
