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 schoolbmember 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: