General Assembly |
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January Session, 2015 |
*_____HB07023ED____032715____* |
AN ACT CONCERNING VARIOUS REVISIONS AND ADDITIONS TO THE EDUCATION STATUTES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subdivision (2) of subsection (e) of section 10-223e of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2015):
(2) Notwithstanding any provision of this title or any regulation adopted pursuant to said title, except as provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection, in carrying out the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection and this subdivision, the State Board of Education shall take any of the following actions to improve student performance of the school district, a particular school in the district or among student subgroups, and remove the school or district from the list of schools or districts designated and listed as a low achieving school or district pursuant to said subdivision (1), and to address other needs of the school or district: (A) Require an operations audit to identify possible programmatic savings and an instructional audit to identify any deficits in curriculum and instruction or in the learning environment of the school or district; (B) require the local or regional board of education for such school or district to use state and federal funds for critical needs, as directed by the State Board of Education; (C) provide incentives to attract highly qualified teachers and principals; (D) direct the transfer and assignment of teachers and principals; (E) require additional training and technical assistance for parents and guardians of children attending the school or a school in the district and for teachers, principals, and central office staff members hired by the district; (F) require the local or regional board of education for the school or district to implement model curriculum, including, but not limited to, recommended textbooks, materials and supplies approved by the Department of Education; (G) identify schools for reconstitution, as may be phased in by the commissioner, as state or local charter schools, schools established pursuant to section 10-74g, innovation schools established pursuant to section 10-74h, or schools based on other models for school improvement, or for management by an entity other than the local or regional board of education for the district in which the school is located; (H) direct the local or regional board of education for the school or district to develop and implement a plan addressing deficits in achievement and in the learning environment as recommended in the instructional audit; (I) assign a technical assistance team to the school or district to guide school or district initiatives and report progress to the Commissioner of Education; (J) establish instructional and learning environment benchmarks for the school or district to meet as it progresses toward removal from the list of low achieving schools or districts; (K) provide funding to any proximate district to a district designated as a low achieving school district so that students in a low achieving district may attend public school in a neighboring district; (L) direct the establishment of learning academies within schools that require continuous monitoring of student performance by teacher groups; (M) require local and regional boards of education to (i) undergo training to improve their operational efficiency and effectiveness as leaders of their districts' improvement plans, and (ii) submit an annual action plan to the Commissioner of Education outlining how, when and in what manner their effectiveness shall be monitored; (N) require the appointment of (i) a superintendent, approved by the Commissioner of Education, or (ii) a [special master] district improvement officer, selected by the commissioner, whose authority is consistent with the provisions of section 138 of public act 11-61, as amended by this act, and whose term shall be for one school year, except that the State Board of Education may extend such period; or (O) any combination of the actions described in this subdivision or similar, closely related actions.
Sec. 2. Subsection (d) of section 10-223h of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2015):
(d) Following the operations and instructional audit for the school selected to participate in the commissioner's network of schools, the turnaround committee shall develop a turnaround plan for such school. The school governance council for each turnaround school may recommend to the turnaround committee for the school district one of the turnaround models described in subparagraphs (A) to (F), inclusive, of subdivision (3) of this subsection. The turnaround committee may accept such recommendation or may choose a different turnaround model for inclusion in the turnaround plan submitted under this subsection. The turnaround plan for such school shall (1) include a description of how such turnaround plan will improve student academic achievement in the school, (2) address deficiencies identified in the operations and instructional audit, and (3) utilize one of the following turnaround models: (A) A CommPACT school, as described in section 10-74g, (B) a social development model, (C) the management, administration or governance of the school to be the responsibility of a regional educational service center, a public or private institution of higher education located in the state, or, subject to the provisions of subsection (e) of this section, an approved educational management organization, (D) a school described in section 10-74f, (E) a model developed by the turnaround committee that utilizes strategies, methods and best practices that have been proven to be effective in improving student academic performance, including, but not limited to, strategies, methods and best practices used at public schools, interdistrict magnet schools and charter schools or collected by the commissioner pursuant to subsection (f) of this section, (F) a community school, as described in section 10-74i, or (G) a model developed in consultation with the commissioner or by the commissioner subject to the provisions of subsection (e) of this section. The turnaround plan shall not assign the management, administration or governance of such school to a (i) for-profit corporation, or (ii) a private not-for-profit organization that is exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as from time to time amended, other than a public or private institution of higher education located in the state or, subject to the provisions of subsection (e) of this section, an approved not-for-profit educational management organization, as defined in subsection (e) of this section. Such turnaround plan may include proposals changing the hours and schedules of teachers and administrators at such school, the length and schedule of the school day, the length and calendar of the school year, the amount of time teachers shall be present in the school beyond the regular school day and the hiring or reassignment of teachers or administrators at such school. If a turnaround committee does not develop a turnaround plan, or if the commissioner determines that a turnaround plan developed by a turnaround committee is deficient, the commissioner may develop a turnaround plan for such school in accordance with the provisions of this subsection and, if the commissioner deems necessary, the commissioner may appoint a [special master] district improvement officer for such school to implement the provisions of the turnaround plan developed by the commissioner. The turnaround plan shall direct all resources and funding to programs and services delivered at such school for the educational benefit of the students enrolled at such school and be transparent and accountable to the local community. The State Board of Education shall approve the turnaround plan developed by a turnaround committee before a school may implement such turnaround plan.
Sec. 3. Subsections (a) and (b) of section 138 of public act 11-61 are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2015):
(a) The State Board of Education shall assign a [special master] district improvement officer to administer the educational operations for the town of Windham to assist the school district in making adequate yearly progress for whole district performance in both reading and mathematics under the No Child Left Behind Act, P. L. 107-110. Such [special master] district improvement officer shall (1) work collaboratively with the local board of education for Windham and the Windham superintendent of schools to implement the provisions of the improvement plan for the school district, developed pursuant to subsection (a) of section 10-223e of the general statutes; (2) implement the provisions of subparagraphs (A), (C), (D), (E), (F), (H), (I), (J), (L) and (M) of subdivision (2) of subsection (c) of section 10-223e of the general statutes; (3) manage and allocate any federal, state and local education funds of the school district; and (4) report regularly to the State Board of Education on matters relating to the progress of implementing the improvement plan for the school district and the effectiveness of the local board of education and the superintendent of schools. The [special master] district improvement officer shall serve at the pleasure of the State Board of Education for a period not to exceed one school year following the school year that the Windham school district makes adequate yearly progress for whole district performance in both reading and mathematics under the No Child Left Behind Act, P. L. 107-110.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 1-210 and 10-151c of the general statutes, the [special master] district improvement officer and the State Board of Education shall have access to all records, facilities, communications and meetings, including, but not limited to, executive sessions of the local board of education, that may be relevant to implementing the provisions of this section.
Sec. 4. Section 10-214 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2015):
(a) Each local or regional board of education shall provide annually to each pupil in kindergarten, grades one to six, inclusive, and grade nine, a vision screening, using a Snellen chart, or equivalent screening. The superintendent of schools shall give written notice to the parent or guardian of each pupil who is found to have any defect of vision or disease of the eyes, with a brief statement describing such defect or disease.
(b) Each local or regional board of education shall provide annually audiometric screening for hearing to each pupil in kindergarten to grade [three] six, inclusive, and grade [five and grade eight] nine. The superintendent of schools shall give written notice to the parent or guardian of each pupil found to have any impairment or defect of hearing, with a brief statement describing such impairment or defect.
(c) Each local or regional board of education shall provide [annual] postural screenings for (1) each female pupil in grades five [to nine] and seven, and (2) each male pupil in grade eight or nine. The superintendent of schools shall give written notice to the parent or guardian of each pupil who evidences any postural problem, with a brief statement describing such evidence.
(d) Test results or treatment provided as a result of the screenings pursuant to this section shall be recorded on forms pursuant to subsection (a) of section 10-206.
(e) The State Board of Education, with the technical advice and assistance of the Department of Public Health, shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 for screenings pursuant to this section.
Sec. 5. Subsection (a) of section 10-235 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
(a) Each board of education shall protect and save harmless any member of such board or any teacher or other employee thereof or any member of its supervisory or administrative staff, and the State Board of Education, the Board of Regents for Higher Education, the board of trustees of each state institution and each state agency which employs any teacher, and the managing board of any public school, as defined in section 10-183b, including the governing council of any charter school, shall protect and save harmless any member of such boards, or any teacher or other employee thereof or any member of its supervisory or administrative staff employed by it, from financial loss and expense, including legal fees and costs, if any, arising out of any claim, demand, suit or judgment by reason of alleged negligence or other act resulting in accidental bodily injury to or death of any person, or in accidental damage to or destruction of property, within or without the school building, or any other acts, including but not limited to infringement of any person's civil rights, resulting in any injury, which acts are not wanton, reckless or malicious, provided such teacher, member or employee, at the time of the acts resulting in such injury, damage or destruction, was acting in the discharge of his or her duties or within the scope of employment or under the direction of such board of education, the Board of Regents for Higher Education, board of trustees, state agency, department or managing board; provided that the provisions of this section shall not limit or otherwise affect application of section 4-165 concerning immunity from personal liability. For the purposes of this section, the terms "teacher" and "other employee" shall include (1) any person who is a cooperating teacher pursuant to section 10-220a, as amended by this act, teacher mentor or reviewer, (2) any student teacher doing practice teaching under the direction of a teacher employed by a local or regional board of education or by the State Board of Education or Board of Regents for Higher Education, (3) any student enrolled in a technical high school who is engaged in a supervised health-related field placement program which constitutes all or part of a course of instruction for credit by a technical high school, provided such health-related field placement program is part of the curriculum of such technical high school, and provided further such course is a requirement for graduation or professional licensure or certification, (4) any volunteer approved by a board of education to carry out a duty prescribed by said board and under the direction of a certificated staff member including any person, partnership, limited liability company or corporation providing students with community-based career education, (5) any volunteer approved by a board of education to carry out the duties of a school bus safety monitor as prescribed by said board, (6) any member of the faculty or staff or any student employed by The University of Connecticut Health Center or health services, (7) any student enrolled in a constituent unit of the state system of higher education who is engaged in a supervised program of field work or clinical practice which constitutes all or part of a course of instruction for credit by a constituent unit, provided such course of instruction is part of the curriculum of a constituent unit, and provided further such course (i) is a requirement for an academic degree or professional licensure or (ii) is offered by the constituent unit in partial fulfillment of its accreditation obligations, and (8) any student enrolled in a constituent unit of the state system of higher education who is acting in the capacity of a member of a student discipline committee established pursuant to section 4-188a.
Sec. 6. Subsection (c) of section 10-144e of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
(c) The initial terms for the members appointed by the Governor, the State Board of Education, the president pro tempore of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives and two of the members appointed by the Connecticut Federation of School Administrators and one of the members appointed by the Connecticut Association of Schools shall terminate on January 15, 1994. The initial terms for all other members shall terminate on January 15, 1995. [Terms following the initial terms] The term for any member appointed before the effective date of this section shall be for two years. The term for any member appointed on or after the effective date of this section shall be for four years.
Sec. 7. Subsection (a) of section 10-5c of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2015):
(a) The Department of Education shall establish an academic advancement program to allow local and regional boards of education to permit students in grades eleven and twelve to substitute (1) achievement of a passing score on an existing [national] nationally recognized examination, [as determined] approved by the [department] State Board of Education, or series of examinations approved by the State Board of Education, (2) a cumulative grade point average determined by the State Board of Education, and (3) at least three letters of recommendation from school professionals, as defined in section 10-66dd, for the high school graduation requirements pursuant to section 10-221a. The State Board of Education shall issue an academic advancement program certificate to any student who has successfully completed such program. Such academic advancement program certificate shall be considered in the same manner as a high school diploma for purposes of determining eligibility of a student for enrollment at a public institution of higher education in this state.
Sec. 8. Subsection (a) of section 10-65 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2015):
(a) Each local or regional school district operating an agricultural science and technology education center approved by the State Board of Education for program, educational need, location and area to be served shall be eligible for the following grants: (1) In accordance with the provisions of chapter 173, through progress payments in accordance with the provisions of section 10-287i, (A) for projects for which an application was filed prior to July 1, 2011, ninety-five per cent, and (B) for projects for which an application was filed on or after July 1, 2011, eighty per cent of the net eligible costs of constructing, acquiring, renovating and equipping approved facilities to be used exclusively for such agricultural science and technology education center, for the expansion or improvement of existing facilities or for the replacement or improvement of equipment therein, and (2) subject to the provisions of section 10-65b, in an amount equal to three thousand two hundred dollars per student for every secondary school student who was enrolled in such center on October first of the previous year.
Sec. 9. Subsection (m) of section 10-264l of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2015):
(m) (1) On or before May 15, 2010, and annually thereafter, each interdistrict magnet school operator shall provide written notification to any school district that is otherwise responsible for educating a student who resides in such school district and will be enrolled in an interdistrict magnet school under the operator's control for the following school year. Such notification shall include the number of any such students, by grade, who will be enrolled in an interdistrict magnet school under the control of such operator, the name of the school in which such student has been placed and the amount of tuition to be charged to the local or regional board of education for such student. Such notification shall represent an estimate of the number of students expected to attend such interdistrict magnet schools in the following school year, but shall not be deemed to limit the number of students who may enroll in such interdistrict magnet schools for such year.
(2) Not later than two weeks following an enrollment lottery for an interdistrict magnet school conducted by a magnet school operator, the parent or guardian of a student (A) who will enroll in such interdistrict magnet school in the following school year, or (B) whose name has been placed on a waiting list for enrollment in such interdistrict magnet school for the following school year, shall provide written notification of such prospective enrollment or waiting list placement to the school district in which such student resides and is otherwise responsible for educating such student.
Sec. 10. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2015) (a) For purposes of this section:
(1) "Internship" means supervised practical training of a student intern that is comprised of curriculum and workplace standards approved by the Department of Education and the Labor Department;
(2) "Internship provider" means a person, as defined in section 1-79 of the general statutes, who provides an internship to a student intern pursuant to an agreement with (A) a local or regional board of education that operates an agricultural science and technology education center, and (B) the local or regional board of education otherwise responsible for educating such student intern if such board of education does not maintain an agricultural science and technology education center; and
(3) "Student intern" means a student enrolled in an agricultural science and technology education center participating in an internship offered or provided by an internship provider.
(b) No internship provider shall be liable to a student intern or a parent or guardian of a student intern for civil damages for any personal injury that results from acts or omissions of such internship provider offering or providing an internship to a student intern that may constitute ordinary negligence, provided such internship provider exercised reasonable care in the provision of the internship and was in compliance with any applicable safety and health standards established under any federal, state and local laws and regulations and any industry codes. The immunity provided in this subsection does not apply to acts or omissions constituting gross, reckless, wilful or wanton negligence.
Sec. 11. Subsection (b) of section 10-220a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2015):
(b) Not later than a date prescribed by the commissioner, each local and regional board of education shall establish a professional development and evaluation committee. [consisting of certified employees] Such professional development and evaluation committee shall consist of (1) at least one teacher, as defined in subsection (a) of section 10-144d, selected by the exclusive bargaining representative for certified employees chosen pursuant to section 10-153b, (2) at least one administrator, as defined in subsection (a) of section 10-144e, as amended by this act, selected by the exclusive bargaining representative for certified employees chosen pursuant to section 10-153b, and (3) such other school personnel as the board deems appropriate. [, including representatives selected by the exclusive bargaining representative for such employees chosen pursuant to subsection (b) of section 10-153.] The duties of such committees shall include, but not be limited to, participation in the development or adoption of a teacher evaluation and support program for the district, pursuant to section 10-151b, and the development, evaluation and annual updating of a comprehensive local professional development plan for certified employees of the district. Such plan shall: [(1)] (A) Be directly related to the educational goals prepared by the local or regional board of education pursuant to subsection (b) of section 10-220, [(2)] (B) on and after July 1, 2011, be developed with full consideration of the priorities and needs related to student outcomes as determined by the State Board of Education, and [(3)] (C) provide for the ongoing and systematic assessment and improvement of both teacher evaluation and professional development of the professional staff members of each such board, including personnel management and evaluation training or experience for administrators, shall be related to regular and special student needs and may include provisions concerning career incentives and parent involvement. The State Board of Education shall develop guidelines to assist local and regional boards of education in determining the objectives of the plans and in coordinating staff development activities with student needs and school programs.
Sec. 12. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2015) (a) The Department of Education, in consultation with the after school committee established pursuant to section 10-16v of the general statutes, may, within available appropriations, administer a grant program to provide grants to local and regional boards of education, municipalities and not-for-profit organizations that are exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as from time to time amended, for summer learning programs that provide direct services and for entities that provide support to summer learning programs. For purposes of this section, "summer learning program" means a program that provides a minimum of two hundred forty hours of educational, enrichment and recreational activities during the summer recess period for public schools, includes small group instruction in literacy and math for children in grades kindergarten to twelve, inclusive, and has a parental involvement component.
(b) (1) Applications for grants pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall be filed biennially with the Commissioner of Education at such time and in such manner as the commissioner prescribes. As part of the application, an applicant shall submit a plan for the expenditure of grant funds.
(2) Eligibility for grants pursuant to this section shall be determined for a two-year period and shall be based on the plan for expenditure of grant funds. Prior to the payment of funds to the grant recipient for the second year of the grant, the grant recipient shall report to the Department of Education on performance outcomes of the program and file expenditure reports pursuant to subsection (f) of this section. The report concerning performance outcomes shall include, but not be limited to, measurements of (A) the impact on student achievement including grade-level reading ability, (B) childhood obesity rates, and (C) the behavior of student participants.
(c) The Department of Education and the after school committee established pursuant to section 10-16v of the general statutes shall develop and apply appropriate evaluation procedures to measure the effectiveness of the grant program established pursuant to this section.
(d) For purposes of carrying out the provisions of this section, the Department of Education may accept funds from private sources and from any state agency that is a member of the after school committee.
(e) The Department of Education shall provide grant recipients with technical assistance, evaluation, program monitoring and professional development. The department may retain up to four per cent of the amount appropriated for the grant program for purposes of this subsection.
(f) Grant recipients shall file expenditure reports with the Commissioner of Education in accordance with subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of this section and at such time and in such manner as the commissioner prescribes. Grant recipients shall refund (1) any unexpended amounts at the close of the program for which the grant was awarded, and (2) any amounts not expended in accordance with the approved grant application.
(g) Not later than March 15, 2017, and biennially thereafter, the Department of Education shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education on performance outcomes of recipients of grants under this section. The report shall include, but not be limited to, measurements of (1) the impact on student achievement including grade-level reading ability, (2) childhood obesity rates, and (3) the behavior of student participants.
Sec. 13. Subsection (a) of section 10-145p of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2015):
(a) The Department of Education shall review and approve proposals for alternate route to certification programs for school administrators. In order to be approved, a proposal shall provide that the alternate route to certification program (1) be provided by a public or independent institution of higher education, a local or regional board of education, a regional educational service center or a private, nonprofit teacher or administrator training organization approved by the State Board of Education; (2) accept only those participants who (A) hold a bachelor's degree from an institution of higher education accredited by the Board of Regents for Higher Education or Office of Higher Education or regionally accredited, (B) have at least forty school months teaching experience, of which at least ten school months are in a position requiring certification at a public school, in this state or another state, (C) have less than ten months teaching experience in a public school in another state while holding professional certification, provided (i) such participant provides a statement of justification for participation in such alternate route to certification program and receives approval from the department for such participant's participation in such alternate route to certification program, and (ii) the number of such participants shall not be greater than ten per cent of the total number of participants in such alternate route to certification program for a school year, and [(C)] (D) are recommended by the immediate supervisor or district administrator of such person on the basis of such person's performance; (3) require each participant to (A) complete a one-year residency that requires such person to serve (i) in a position requiring an intermediate administrator or supervisor endorsement, and (ii) in a full-time position for ten school months at a local or regional board of education in the state under the supervision of (I) a certified administrator, and (II) a supervisor from an institution or organization described in subdivision (1) of this subsection, or (B) have ten school months experience in a full-time position as an administrator in a public or nonpublic school in another state that is approved by the appropriate state board of education in such other state; and (4) meet such other criteria as the department requires.
Sec. 14. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2015) (a) Not later than October 1, 2015, the Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Social Services, shall provide information about the supplemental nutrition assistance program pursuant to the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to local and regional boards of education. Such information shall include, (1) information about how to qualify for the program, (2) where to obtain applications, and (3) where to get help completing applications.
(b) For the school year commencing July 1, 2015, and each school year thereafter, each local and regional board of education shall use the information about the supplemental nutrition assistance program pursuant to the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, provided by the department pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, to provide notice to the parents or guardians of students about said supplemental nutrition assistance program.
Sec. 15. Section 10-95i of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2015):
(a) Not later than January 1, [1990] 2020, and every five years thereafter, the [State Board of Education] technical high school system board shall adopt a long-range plan of priorities and goals for the technical high school system. The plan shall address coordination with other providers of vocational, technical or technological education or training and shall include (1) an analysis of the activities described in subsections (b) and (c) of this section and how such activities relate to the long-range plan of priorities and goals, and (2) a summary of activities related to capital improvements and equipment pursuant to subsection (d) of this section. Upon adoption of the plan, the [state] board shall file the plan directly with the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, finance, revenue and bonding and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a. The state board shall use the plan in preparing its five-year comprehensive plan pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-4.
(b) During the five-year period beginning January 1, [1990] 2020, and during each five-year period thereafter, the [State Board of Education] board shall evaluate each existing technical high school trade program in accordance with a schedule which the [state] board shall establish. A trade program may be reauthorized for a period of not more than five years following each evaluation on the basis of: The projected employment demand for students enrolled in the trade program, including consideration of the employment of graduates of the program during the preceding five years; anticipated technological changes; the availability of qualified instructors; the existence of similar programs at other educational institutions; and student interest in the trade program. As part of the evaluation, the [state] board shall consider geographic differences that may make a trade program feasible at one school and not another and whether certain combinations of program offerings shall be required. Prior to any final decision on the reauthorization of a trade program, the [state] board shall consult with the craft committees for the trade program being evaluated.
(c) The [state] board shall consider the addition of new trade programs. Decisions by the [state] board to add such programs shall at a minimum be based on the projected employment demand for graduates of the program, the cost of establishing the program, the availability of qualified instructors, the existence of similar programs at other educational institutions and the interest of students in the trade. The [state] board shall authorize new trade programs for a maximum of five years. The [state] board shall provide a process for the public, including, but not limited to, employers, parents, students or teachers, to request consideration of the establishment of a new trade program.
(d) The [State Board of Education] board shall maintain a rolling [five-year] three-year capital improvement and capital equipment plan that identifies: (1) Alterations, renovations and repairs that each technical high school is expected to need, including, but not limited to, grounds and athletic fields, heating and ventilation systems, wiring, roofs, and windows, and the cost of such projects, (2) recommendations for energy efficiency improvements to each school and the cost of such improvements, and (3) the specific equipment each technical high school is expected to need, based on the useful life of existing equipment and projections of changing technology and the estimated cost of the equipment. The [State Board of Education] board shall submit such plan, annually, directly to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, finance, revenue and bonding and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a.
Sec. 16. Section 10-95k of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2015):
(a) Not later than January 1, [1995] 2017, and biennially thereafter, the [State Board of Education] technical high school system board shall prepare a summary report concerning the technical high school system and shall submit the report directly to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a. The report shall include demographic information for the preceding two school years on applicants for admission, students enrolled and graduates, and a summary of the capital and operating expenditures. Such information shall be provided for the technical high school system and for each technical high school and satellite facility. Enrollment information shall be reported by race and sex and by specific trade programs. Applicant information shall include the number of applicants, the number accepted and the number enrolled reported by race and sex. Enrollment capacity for each school and projected enrollment capacity for the subsequent school year shall be developed on the basis of a standardized format and shall be reported for each school and satellite facility. The report shall also include assessment of student outcomes including, but not limited to, mastery examination results pursuant to section 10-14n, retention and completion rates, and postsecondary education or employment based on graduate follow-up and, for purposes of employment placement, state unemployment insurance wage records.
(b) Reports prepared and submitted pursuant to subsection (a) of this section on and after January 1, [1995] 2017, shall identify each technical high school for which enrollment on the preceding October first was less than seventy per cent of the enrollment capacity identified in the report pursuant to this section for the prior year. For each such school the report shall include an analysis of: (1) The reasons for such enrollment, including, but not limited to, the interest in the specific trade programs offered, the resources needed to serve special education students, demographic changes and the existence of alternative vocational, technical and technological educational training programs in the region in which the school is located; (2) the likelihood that enrollment will increase or decrease in the future; (3) any alternative uses for unused space in the facility; and (4) a recommendation on the steps to be taken to improve enrollment or a timetable for closing the school. In preparing the analysis, the [State Board of Education] technical high school system board shall provide an opportunity for public comment.
Sec. 17. Subsection (a) of section 10-145 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2015):
(a) No teacher, supervisor, administrator, special service staff member or school superintendent, except as provided for in section 10-157, shall be employed in any of the schools of any local or regional board of education unless such person possesses an appropriate state certificate, nor shall any such person be entitled to any salary unless such person can produce such certificate dated [previous] prior to or on the first day of employment, except as provided for in section 10-157; provided nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prevent the board of education from prescribing qualifications additional to those prescribed by the regulations of the State Board of Education and provided nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prevent any local or regional board of education from contracting with a licensed drivers' school approved by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles for the behind-the-wheel instruction of a driver instruction course, to be given by driving instructors licensed by the Department of Motor Vehicles. No person shall be employed in any of the schools of any local or regional board of education as a substitute teacher unless such person holds a bachelor's degree, provided the Commissioner of Education may waive such requirement for good cause upon the request of a superintendent of schools.
Sec. 18. Subsection (a) of section 10-221 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2015):
(a) Boards of education shall prescribe rules for the management, studies, classification and discipline of the public schools and, subject to the control of the State Board of Education, the textbooks to be used; shall make rules for the control, within their respective jurisdictions, of school library media centers, including Internet access and content, and approve the selection of books and other educational media therefor, and shall approve plans for public school buildings and superintend any high or graded school in the manner specified in this title.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
July 1, 2015 |
10-223e(e)(2) |
Sec. 2 |
July 1, 2015 |
10-223h(d) |
Sec. 3 |
July 1, 2015 |
PA 11-61, Sec. 138(a) and (b) |
Sec. 4 |
July 1, 2015 |
10-214 |
Sec. 5 |
from passage |
10-235(a) |
Sec. 6 |
from passage |
10-144e(c) |
Sec. 7 |
July 1, 2015 |
10-5c(a) |
Sec. 8 |
July 1, 2015 |
10-65(a) |
Sec. 9 |
July 1, 2015 |
10-264l(m) |
Sec. 10 |
July 1, 2015 |
New section |
Sec. 11 |
July 1, 2015 |
10-220a(b) |
Sec. 12 |
July 1, 2015 |
New section |
Sec. 13 |
July 1, 2015 |
10-145p(a) |
Sec. 14 |
July 1, 2015 |
New section |
Sec. 15 |
July 1, 2015 |
10-95i |
Sec. 16 |
July 1, 2015 |
10-95k |
Sec. 17 |
July 1, 2015 |
10-145(a) |
Sec. 18 |
July 1, 2015 |
10-221(a) |
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In Section 10(b), "misconduct" was replaced with "negligence" for consistency, and in Sections 15(a), 15(d) and 16(a), "in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a" was added for consistency.
ED |
Joint Favorable Subst. |