General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5491
February Session, 2010 *_____HB05491APP___040110____*
General Assembly
Substitute Bill No. 5491
February Session, 2010
*_____HB05491APP___040110____*
AN ACT CONCERNING CERTAIN SCHOOL DISTRICT REFORMS TO REDUCE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP IN CONNECTICUT.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 10-223e of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2010):
(a) In conformance with the No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-110, the Commissioner of Education shall prepare a state-wide education accountability plan, consistent with federal law and regulation. Such plan shall identify the schools and districts in need of improvement, require the development and implementation of improvement plans and utilize rewards and consequences.
(b) Public schools identified by the State Board of Education pursuant to section 10-223b of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 2001, as schools in need of improvement shall: (1) Continue to be identified as schools in need of improvement, and continue to operate under school improvement plans developed pursuant to said section 10-223b through June 30, 2004; (2) on or before February 1, 2003, be evaluated by the local board of education and determined to be making sufficient or insufficient progress; (3) if found to be making insufficient progress by a local board of education, be subject to a new remediation and organization plan developed by the local board of education; (4) continue to be eligible for available federal or state aid; (5) beginning in February, 2003, be monitored by the Department of Education for adequate yearly progress, as defined in the state accountability plan prepared in accordance with subsection (a) of this section; and (6) be subject to rewards and consequences as defined in said plan.
(c) (1) Any school or school district identified as in need of improvement pursuant to subsection (a) of this section and requiring corrective action pursuant to the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-110, shall be designated and listed as a low achieving school or school district and shall be subject to intensified supervision and direction by the State Board of Education.
(2) Notwithstanding any provision of this title or any regulation adopted pursuant to said statutes, except as provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection, in carrying out the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection, the State Board of Education shall take any of the following actions to improve student performance 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, 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; or (N) any combination of the actions described in this subdivision or similar, closely related actions.
(3) If a directive of the State Board of Education pursuant to subparagraph (C), (D), (E) or (L) of subdivision (2) of this subsection or a directive to implement a plan pursuant to subparagraph (H) of said subdivision (2) affects working conditions, such directive shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of sections 10-153a to 10-153n, inclusive.
(4) The Comptroller shall, pursuant to the provisions of section 10-262i, withhold any grant funds that a town is otherwise required to appropriate to a local or regional board of education due to low academic achievement in the school district pursuant to section 10-262h. Said funds shall be transferred to the Department of Education and shall be expended by the department on behalf of the identified school district. Said funds shall be used to implement the provisions of subdivision (2) of this subsection and to offset such other local education costs that the Commissioner of Education deems appropriate to achieve school improvements. These funds shall be awarded by the commissioner to the local or regional board of education for such identified school district upon condition that said funds shall be spent in accordance with the directives of the commissioner.
(d) The State Board of Education shall monitor the progress of each school or district designated as a low achieving school or district pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of this section and provide notice to the local or regional board of education for each such school or district of the school or district's progress toward meeting the benchmarks established by the State Board of Education pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. If a district fails to make acceptable progress toward meeting such benchmarks established by the State Board of Education and fails to make adequate yearly progress pursuant to the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-110, for two consecutive years while designated as a low achieving school district, the State Board of Education, after consultation with the Governor and chief elected official or officials of the district, may request that the General Assembly enact legislation authorizing that control of the district be reassigned to the State Board of Education or other authorized entity.
(e) Any school district or elementary school after two successive years of failing to make adequate yearly progress shall be designated as a low achieving school district or school and shall be evaluated by the Commissioner of Education. After such evaluation, the commissioner may require that such school district or school provide full-day kindergarten classes, summer school, extended school day, weekend classes, tutorial assistance to its students or professional development to its administrators, principals, teachers and paraprofessional teacher aides if (1) on any subpart of the third grade state-wide mastery examination, thirty per cent or more of the students in any subgroup, as defined by the No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-110, do not achieve the level of proficiency or higher, or (2) the commissioner determines that it would be in the best educational interests of the school or the school district to have any of these programs. In ordering any educational program authorized by this subsection, the commissioner may limit the offering of the program to the subgroup of students that have failed to achieve proficiency as determined by this subsection, those in particular grades or those who are otherwise at substantial risk of educational failure. The costs of instituting the ordered educational programs shall be borne by the identified low achieving school district or the school district in which an identified low achieving school is located. The commissioner shall not order an educational program that costs more to implement than the total increase in the amount of the grant that a town receives pursuant to section 10-262i in any fiscal year above the prior fiscal year.
(f) The Commissioner of Education shall conduct a study, within the limits of the capacity of the Department of Education to perform such study, of academic achievement of individual students over time as measured by performance on the state-wide mastery examination in grades three to eight, inclusive. If this study evidences a pattern of continuous and substantial growth in educational performance on said examinations for individual students, then the commissioner may determine that the school district or elementary school shall not be subject to the requirements of subsection (e) of this section, but shall still comply with the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-110, if applicable.
(g) (1) On and after July 1, 2010, the local or regional board of education for a school that has been designated as a low achieving school pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of this section, shall establish a school governance council for each school so designated. (A) The school governance council for high schools shall consist of nine voting members who shall be parents or guardians of students attending the school and one nonvoting student member. Such parent or guardian members shall be elected by the parents or guardians of students attending the school, provided for purposes of the election each household with a student attending the school shall have one vote, and the nonvoting student member shall be elected by the student body of such school. The council may consist of up to four additional members who are teachers or other certified personnel of the school or community leaders within the school district. Such additional members shall be voting members, except for purposes of subparagraph (K) of subdivision (2) of this subsection. (B) The school governance council for elementary and middle schools shall consist of nine voting members who shall be parents or guardians of students attending the school. Such parent or guardian members shall be elected by the parents or guardians of students attending the school, provided, for purposes of the election, each household with a student attending the school shall have one vote. The council may consist of up to four additional members who are teachers or other certified personnel of the school or community leaders within the school district. Such additional members shall be voting members, except for purposes of subparagraph (K) of subdivision (2) of this subsection. Terms of voting members elected pursuant to this subsection shall be for two years, and no members shall serve more than two terms on the council. The nonvoting student member shall serve one year, and no student member shall serve more than two terms on the council. Those schools that have been designated as a low achieving school pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of this section prior to July 1, 2010, shall conduct such election not later than November 1, 2010.
(2) The school governance council shall be responsible for: (A) Analyzing school achievement data and school needs relative to the state accountability plan for the school prepared in accordance with subsection (a) of this section; (B) developing and approving an annual resource allocation plan for the school, except that the school governance council shall not oversee any funds that have been provided directly to the school by private sources; (C) if a vacancy exists in the position of school principal, recommending to the superintendent of schools for the school district a person to fill such vacancy from the list of names provided by the school district to the council for such position; (D) advising and assisting the principal of the school in making programmatic and operational changes for improving the school's achievement, including program changes, adjusting school hours and days of operation and enrollment goals for the school; (E) promoting the school as a parental choice relative to its enrollment goals; (F) developing and approving a school compact for parents, legal guardians and students that includes an outline of the criteria and responsibilities for enrollment and school membership consistent with the school's goals and academic focus and the ways that parents and school personnel can build a partnership to improve student learning; (G) developing and approving a written parent involvement policy that outlines the role of parents and legal guardians in the school; (H) advising and assisting the principal of the school on matters of importance to parents and legal guardians, as determined by an annual survey of parent and legal guardian satisfaction regarding school quality and student achievement, and annual forums conducted by the principal and representatives of parents and legal guardians; (I) reporting annually to the board of education for the school district on achieving the goals set forth in the state accountability plan prepared in accordance with subsection (a) of this section; (J) maintaining and annually updating a registry of parents and legal guardians of students enrolled at the school for purposes of the petitioning process described in subsection (h) or this section; and (K) determining whether to reorganize the school in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (3) of this subsection.
(3) The school governance council may, by an affirmative vote of the council, reorganize the school into one of the following models: (A) The turnaround model, as described in the Federal Register of December 10, 2009; (B) the restart model, as described in the Federal Register of December 10, 2009; (C) the transformation model, as described in the Federal Register of December 10, 2009; (D) a CommPACT school, pursuant to section 10-74g; (E) an innovation school, pursuant to section 2 of this act, or (F) any other model that may be developed pursuant to the No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-110. Not later than ten days after the vote of the school governance council, the local or regional board of education for the school shall hold a public hearing to discuss such vote of the school governance council and shall, immediately after such public hearing, hold a public meeting at which the board shall conduct a vote to accept the model adopted by the school governance council or select an alternative model described in this subsection. If the board selects an alternative model, not later than thirty days after such selection, the Commissioner of Education shall decide which of the two models to implement. The local or regional board of education shall implement the model adopted in the subsequent school year in conformance with the general statutes and applicable regulations, and the provisions specified in federal regulations and guidelines for schools subject to restructuring pursuant to Section 1116(b)(8) of the No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-110.
(h) (1) On and after July 1, 2010, subject to the provisions of subdivision (4) of this subsection, the local or regional board of education for a school that has been designated as a low achieving school pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of this section for two years or more, shall accept, subject to the provisions of subdivisions (2) and (4) of this subsection, a petition recommending that the board of education implement one or more of the models described in this subdivision that is signed by at least fifty-one per cent of the households that serve as the primary residence for students attending the school or prospective students who will be enrolled in such school for the next school year. The models that may be recommended are: (A) The turnaround model, as described in the Federal Register of December 10, 2009; (B) the restart model, as described in the Federal Register of December 10, 2009; (C) the transformation model, as described in the Federal Register of December 10, 2009; (D) a CommPACT school, pursuant to section 10-74g; (E) an innovation school, pursuant to section 2 of this act; or (F) any other model that may be developed pursuant to the No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-110. The local or regional board of education shall hold a public hearing to discuss such petition and shall, immediately after such public hearing, hold a public meeting at which the board shall conduct a vote to announce its decision regarding which model will be implemented. If the board selects an alternative model not included in the petition, not later than thirty days after such selection, the Commissioner of Education shall decide which model to implement. The local or regional board of education shall implement the model adopted in the subsequent school year in conformance with the general statutes and applicable regulations, and the provisions specified in federal regulations and guidelines for schools subject to restructuring pursuant to Section 1116(b)(8) of the No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-110. Any challenges to the validity of such petition shall be decided by the Commissioner of Education. Not later than five days after such public hearing and public meeting, the board shall make available, in writing, to parents and guardians its decision and shall include an explanation of any recommendation that the board has decided not to implement.
(2) A local or regional board of education shall accept only one petition for any school in a school year, and shall not accept a petition for the same school for more than two consecutive years.
(3) The local or regional board of education shall notify the State Board of Education of receipt of the petition described in subdivision (1) of this subsection and the action taken by the board based on such petition.
(4) The State Board of Education shall allow not more than twenty-five schools per school year to be subject to the petitioning process described in this subsection. The State Board of Education shall notify school districts when this limit has been reached. For purposes of this subdivision, a petition shall be counted toward this limit upon the receipt by the State Board of Education of the petition and final decision of the local or regional board of education, pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection.
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2010) (a) The local or regional board of education for a school that has been designated as a low achieving school pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of this section, may convert an existing public school into an innovation school or establish a new school as an innovation school, in accordance with the provisions of this section, for purposes of improving school performance and student achievement. For purposes of this section, an innovation school is a school in which: (1) Faculty and district leadership are primarily responsible for developing an innovation plan, as described in subsection (b) of this section, under which the school operates and the administrators of the school are responsible for meeting the terms of the innovation plan; or (2) an external partner is primarily responsible for developing the innovation plan, as described in subsection (b) of this section, under which the school operates and the external partner is responsible for meeting the terms of the innovation plan. For purposes of this section, an external partner may include a public or private institution of higher education, nonprofit community-based organization, nonprofit business or corporate entities, nonprofit charter school operators, nonprofit education management organizations, educational collaboratives, consortia of those groups described in this subsection and nonprofit entities authorized by the Commissioner of Education.
(b) (1) An innovation school established under this section shall operate according to an innovation plan. Such plan shall articulate the areas of autonomy and flexibility in curriculum, budget, school schedule and calendar, school district policies and procedures, professional development, and staffing policies and procedures, including waivers from or modifications to contracts or collective bargaining agreements. Such innovation plan shall be developed by an innovation plan committee. Such committee shall include, at a minimum, (A) the superintendent of schools for the school district, or his or her designee; (B) a member of the local or regional board of education, or his or her designee; (C) a parent who has one or more children enrolled in the school, or in the case of a new school, from the district; (D) the principal of the school; and (E) two certified employees of the school. A majority vote of the innovation plan committee shall be required for approval of the innovation plan.
(2) The innovation plan shall include, but not be limited to: (A) A curriculum plan that includes a detailed description of the curriculum and related programs for the proposed school and how the curriculum is expected to improve school performance and student achievement; (B) a budget plan, that includes a detailed description of how funds shall be used differently in the proposed school to support school performance and student achievement; (C) a school schedule plan that includes a detailed description of the ways, if any, the program or calendar of the proposed school will be enhanced or expanded; (D) a staffing plan, that includes a detailed description of how the school principal, administrators, faculty and staff will be recruited, employed, evaluated and compensated in the proposed school and any proposed waivers or modifications of collective bargaining agreements; (E) a policy and procedures plan that includes a detailed description of the unique operational policies and procedures to be used by the proposed school and how the procedures will support school performance and student achievement; and (F) a professional development plan that includes a detailed description of how the school may provide professional development to its administrators, teachers and other staff.
(3) In order to assess the proposed school across multiple measures of school performance and student success, the innovation plan shall include measurable annual goals including, but not limited to, goals relating to the following: (A) Student attendance; (B) student safety and discipline; (C) student promotion and graduation and dropout rates; (D) student performance on the state-wide mastery examination, pursuant to section 10-14n of the general statutes; (E) progress in areas of academic underperformance; (F) progress among subgroups of students, including low-income students, limited English-proficient students and students receiving special education; and (G) reduction of achievement gaps among different groups of students.
(c) Nothing in this section shall alter the collective bargaining agreements applicable to the administrators, teachers and staff in the school and such collective bargaining agreements shall be considered to be in operation at an innovation school, except to the extent the provisions are waived or modified in the innovation plan and agreed to by a majority of those employed or to be employed in the innovation school.
(d) Innovation schools authorized under this section shall be evaluated annually by the superintendent of schools for the school district. The superintendent shall submit the evaluation to the local or regional board of education and the Commissioner of Education. The evaluation shall determine whether the school has met the annual goals outlined in the innovation plan for the school and assess the implementation of the innovation plan at the school. If the superintendent determines that the school has substantially failed to meet the goals outlined in the innovation plan, the superintendent may: (A) Amend one or more components of the innovation plan; (B) suspend one or more components of the innovation plan; or (C) terminate the authorization of the school, provided the amending or suspension shall not take place before the completion of the second full year of the operation of the school and the termination shall not take place before the completion of the third full year of the operation of the school.
Sec. 3. Section 10-151b of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2010):
(a) The superintendent of each local or regional board of education shall continuously evaluate or cause to be evaluated each teacher, in accordance with (1) a program developed pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, or (2) guidelines established by the State Board of Education for the development of evaluation programs, pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, and such other guidelines as may be established by mutual agreement between the local or regional board of education and the teachers' representative chosen pursuant to section 10-153b. [, continuously evaluate or cause to be evaluated each teacher.] An evaluation pursuant to this [subsection] section shall include, but need not be limited to, strengths, and the academic growth of such teacher's students, areas needing improvement and strategies for improvement. Claims of failure to follow the established procedures of such evaluation programs shall be subject to the grievance procedure in collective bargaining agreements negotiated subsequent to July 1, 2004. The superintendent shall report the status of teacher evaluations to the local or regional board of education on or before June first of each year. For purposes of this section, the term "teacher" shall include each professional employee of a board of education, below the rank of superintendent, who holds a certificate or permit issued by the State Board of Education.
(b) Each local and regional board of education shall develop and implement (1) teacher evaluation programs, pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, or (2) teacher evaluation programs consistent with guidelines established by the State Board of Education, pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, and consistent with the plan developed in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of section 10-220a.
(c) On and after July 1, 2011, each local and regional board of education shall incorporate into the teacher evaluation program for the school district the use of data and indicators on student academic growth as a significant factor in evaluating teacher performance. Each local and regional board of education shall develop a teacher evaluation program in accordance with the provisions of this subsection, or adopt the model teacher evaluation program developed by the State Board of Education pursuant to subsection (d) of this section. The teacher evaluation program developed by a local or regional board of education shall include, but not be limited to: (1) The student academic growth data and indicators that will be used in the evaluation process; (2) an explanation of how such student academic growth data and indicators will be used in the evaluation process; (3) the criteria for assessments and other indicators of student performance that will be used in measuring student academic growth; (4) an explanation of the weight that each indicator will have in the measurement of student academic growth; (5) the methodology that will be used to analyze the data on student academic growth; and (6) any other criteria, other than student academic growth, and the weight of such criteria that will be used for the evaluation of teachers.
(d) The State Board of Education shall develop, in consultation with the Performance Evaluation Advisory Council, established pursuant to section 4 of this act, model teacher evaluation program guidelines that may be incorporated in the teacher evaluation programs developed by local and regional boards of education. Such model teacher evaluation program guidelines shall incorporate the use of data and indicators on student academic growth as a significant factor in rating teacher performance, and comprise at least fifty per cent of a teacher's performance rating. Such model teacher evaluation program guidelines shall include, but not be limited to: (1) Methods for measuring student academic growth, including, but not limited to, time limitations on data relevancy, the types and amount of data needed to reliably and validly measure student academic growth for purposes of teacher evaluations, and criteria for the use of state-wide mastery examinations, pursuant to section 10-14n; (2) a definition of significant factor for purposes of the evaluating teacher performance with student academic growth; (3) a consideration of control factors that may influence teacher performance ratings, including, but not limited to, student characteristics, student attendance and student mobility; and (4) minimum requirements for teacher evaluation instruments and procedures.
(e) (1) On or before July 1, 2011, subject to the provisions of this subdivision, the Department of Education, in consultation with the Performance Advisory Council, established pursuant to section 4 of this act, shall develop or contract for the development of a data collection and evaluation support system. If the Department of Education is unable to secure federal funding in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (2) of this section, on or before October 1, 2012, within available appropriations, the Department of Education, in consultation with said Performance Advisory Council, shall develop or contract for the development of a data collection and evaluation support system. Such data collection and evaluation support system shall:
(A) Annually collect and publish data on teacher performance evaluation outcomes for each school district and individual school within such school district. Such system shall ensure that no teacher can be personally identified by the publicly reported data;
(B) Contain one or more teacher evaluation program templates. Such templates shall include all relevant information required pursuant to this section. Local and regional boards of education may customize such templates, provided the templates contain all such relevant information;
(C) Include a superintendent training program that is based on the teacher evaluation templates described in subparagraph (B) of this subdivision;
(D) Include means to provide feedback to teachers about the instructional environment within the school;
(E) Include a system developed by the Department of Education or another technical assistance system, approved by the department, that supports local and regional boards of education with the development and implementation of their district's teacher evaluation programs;
(F) Include web-based systems and tools for supporting implementation of the model templates and superintendent training program; and
(G) Include a process for measuring and reporting correlations between teacher evaluations and (i) student academic growth, and (ii) retention rates of teachers for each school and the district.
(2) Not later than October 1, 2010, the Department of Education shall apply for federal economic stimulus funds available pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, P.L. 111-5, or any other federal grant program, in an amount, as determined by the Commissioner of Education, that is at least sufficient to implement the provisions of this subsection.
(f) Local and regional boards of education shall submit data and information relating to teacher evaluations and teacher evaluation programs to the Department of Education. Such data and information shall include, but not be limited to, data on the performance ratings for all teachers who have attained tenure, as defined in section 10-151, and data on recommendations whether to renew or not renew teachers who have not attained tenure.
Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2010) There is established a Performance Evaluation Advisory Council within the Department of Education. Membership of the council shall be selected by the Commissioner of Education, and shall include, but shall not be limited to, teachers, representatives of the exclusive bargaining unit for teachers pursuant to section 10-153b of the general statutes, persons with expertise in performance evaluation processes and systems, and any other person the commissioner deems appropriate. The council shall be responsible for assisting in the State Board of Education in the development and implementation of the model teacher evaluation programs guidelines, pursuant to subsection (d) of section 10-151b of the general statutes, as amended by this act, and the data collection and evaluation support system, pursuant to subsection (g) of section 10-151b of the general statutes, as amended by this act. The council shall meet at least quarterly.
Sec. 5. Section 10-221a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2010):
(a) For classes graduating from 1988 to 2003, inclusive, no local or regional board of education shall permit any student to graduate from high school or grant a diploma to any student who has not satisfactorily completed a minimum of twenty credits, not fewer than four of which shall be in English, not fewer than three in mathematics, not fewer than three in social studies, not fewer than two in science, not fewer than one in the arts or vocational education and not fewer than one in physical education.
(b) Commencing with classes graduating in 2004, and for each graduating class thereafter, no local or regional board of education shall permit any student to graduate from high school or grant a diploma to any student who has not satisfactorily completed a minimum of twenty credits, not fewer than four of which shall be in English, not fewer than three in mathematics, not fewer than three in social studies, including at least a one-half credit course on civics and American government, not fewer than two in science, not fewer than one in the arts or vocational education and not fewer than one in physical education.
(c) Any student who presents a certificate from a physician stating that, in the opinion of the physician, participation in physical education is medically contraindicated because of the physical condition of such student, shall be excused from the physical education requirement, provided the credit for physical education may be fulfilled by an elective.
(d) Determination of eligible credits shall be at the discretion of the local or regional board of education, provided the primary focus of the curriculum of eligible credits corresponds directly to the subject matter of the specified course requirements. The local or regional board of education may permit a student to graduate during a period of expulsion pursuant to section 10-233d, if the board determines the student has satisfactorily completed the necessary credits pursuant to this section. The requirements of this section shall apply to any student requiring special education pursuant to section 10-76a, except when the planning and placement team for such student determines the requirement not to be appropriate. For purposes of this section, a credit shall consist of not less than the equivalent of a forty-minute class period for each school day of a school year except for a credit or part of a credit toward high school graduation earned at (1) an institution accredited by the Department of Higher Education or regionally accredited, or (2) through on-line coursework that is in accordance with a policy adopted pursuant to subsection (e) of this section.
(e) Only courses taken in grades nine through twelve, inclusive, shall satisfy this graduation requirement, except that a local or regional board of education may grant a student credit (1) toward meeting a specified course requirement upon the successful completion in grade seven or eight of any course, the primary focus of which corresponds directly to the subject matter of a specified course requirement in grades nine to twelve, inclusive; (2) toward meeting the high school graduation requirement upon completion of a world language course offered privately through a nonprofit provider, provided such student achieves a passing grade on an examination prescribed, within available appropriations, by the Commissioner of Education and such credits do not exceed four; (3) toward meeting the high school graduation requirement upon achievement of a passing grade on a subject area proficiency examination identified and approved, within available appropriations, by the Commissioner of Education, regardless of the number of hours the student spent in a public school classroom learning such subject matter; [or] (4) toward meeting the high school graduation requirement upon the successful completion of coursework at an institution accredited by the Department of Higher Education or regionally accredited. One three-credit semester course, or its equivalent, at such an institution shall equal one-half credit for purposes of this section; or (5) toward meeting the high school graduation requirement upon the successful completion of on-line coursework, provided the local or regional board of education has adopted a policy in accordance with this subdivision for the granting of credit for on-line coursework. Such policy shall ensure, at a minimum, that (A) the workload required by the on-line course is equivalent to that of a similar course taught in a traditional classroom setting; (B) the content is rigorous and aligned with curriculum guidelines approved by the State Board of Education, where appropriate; (C) the course engages students and has interactive components, which may include, but are not limited to, required interactions between students and their teachers, participation in on-line demonstrations, discussion boards or virtual labs; and (D) the courses are (i) taught by teachers who are certified in this state or another state and have received training on teaching in an on-line environment, or (ii) offered by institutions of higher education that are accredited by the Department of Higher Education or regionally accredited.
(f) A local or regional board of education may offer one-half credit in community service which, if satisfactorily completed, shall qualify for high school graduation credit pursuant to this section, provided such community service is supervised by a certified school administrator or teacher and consists of not less than fifty hours of actual service that may be performed at times when school is not regularly in session and not less than ten hours of related classroom instruction. For purposes of this section, community service does not include partisan political activities. The State Board of Education shall assist local and regional boards of education in meeting the requirements of this section.
(g) A local or regional board of education may award a diploma to a veteran of World War II, pursuant to section 27-103, who left high school prior to graduation in order to serve in the armed forces of the United States and did not receive a diploma as a consequence of such service.
Sec. 6. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2010) A local or regional board of education for a school district with a dropout rate of eight per cent or greater in the previous school year, shall establish an online credit recovery program. Such program shall allow those students who are identified by certified personnel as in danger of failing to graduate to complete on-line coursework approved by the local or regional board of education for credit toward meeting the high school graduation requirement pursuant to section 10-221a of the general statutes, as amended by this act. Each school in the school district shall designate, from among existing staff, an online learning coordinator who shall administer and coordinate the online credit recovery program pursuant to this section.
Sec. 7. Subsection (f) of section 10-221 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2010):
(f) Not later than September 1, 1998, each local and regional board of education shall develop, adopt and implement written policies and procedures to encourage parent-teacher communication. These policies and procedures may include monthly newsletters, required regular contact with all parents, flexible parent-teacher conferences, drop-in hours for parents, home visits and the use of technology such as homework hot lines to allow parents to check on their children's assignments and students to get assistance if needed. For the school year commencing July 1, 2010, and each school year thereafter, such policies and procedures shall require the district to conduct two parent-teacher conferences for each school year.
Sec. 8. (Effective July 1, 2010) (a) There is established a task force to study and monitor the academic achievement gap between racial and socioeconomic groups in Connecticut by considering effective approaches to closing the achievement gap in elementary, middle and high schools. The task force shall consider, but not be limited to, the following: (1) Systematic education planning; (2) best practices in public education; (3) professional development for teachers; and (4) parental involvement in public education.
(b) The task force shall consist of the following members:
(1) Two appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives;
(2) Two appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate;
(3) One appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives;
(4) One appointed by the majority leader of the Senate;
(5) One appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives;
(6) One appointed by the minority leader of the Senate; and
(7) The Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee.
(c) Any member of the task force appointed under subdivision (1), (2), (3), (4), (5) or (6) of subsection (b) of this section may be a member of the General Assembly.
(d) All appointments to the task force shall be made no later than August 1, 2010, and shall reflect the geographic and cultural diversity of the state and shall have experience in business, education and philanthropic organizations. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority.
(e) The speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate shall select the chairpersons of the task force, from among the members of the task force. Such chairpersons shall schedule the first meeting of the task force, which shall be held no later than September 1, 2010.
(f) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education shall serve as administrative staff of the task force.
(g) Not later than January 1, 2011, the task force shall submit a report on its findings and recommendations 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 of the general statutes. The task force shall terminate on the date that it submits such report or January 1, 2011, whichever is later.
Sec. 9. Subdivision (22) of section 10-262f of the 2010 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2010):
(22) "Resident students" means the number of pupils of the town enrolled in public schools at the expense of the town on [October first] January fifteenth or the full school day immediately preceding such date, provided the number shall be decreased by the Department of Education for failure to comply with the provisions of section 10-16 and shall be increased by one one-hundred-eightieth for each full-time equivalent school day in the school year immediately preceding such date of at least five hours of actual school work in excess of one hundred eighty days and nine hundred hours of actual school work and be increased by the full-time equivalent number of such pupils attending the summer sessions immediately preceding such date at the expense of the town; "enrolled" shall include pupils who are scheduled for vacation on the above date and who are expected to return to school as scheduled. Pupils participating in the program established pursuant to section 10-266aa shall be counted in accordance with the provisions of subsection (h) of section 10-266aa.
Sec. 10. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2010) (a) For the school year commencing July 1, 2011, and each school year thereafter, each local and regional board of education shall provide an advanced placement course program. For purposes of this section, "advanced placement course program" means a program that provides courses at the high school level for which an advanced placement examination is available through the College Board.
(b) On or before October fifteenth of each year, the local or regional board of education shall submit a report to the State Board of Education regarding its school district's advanced placement course program. Such report shall include, but not be limited to, the number of students enrolled in advanced placement courses for the current school year, a list of the advanced placement courses being offered for the school year, and an analysis of the results of students who took advanced placement examinations following completion of an advanced placement course during the prior school year.
(c) The State Board of Education shall develop guidelines to aid local and regional boards of education in training teachers for teaching advanced placement courses to a diverse student body.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2010 10-223e
Sec. 2 July 1, 2010 New section
Sec. 3 July 1, 2010 10-151b
Sec. 4 July 1, 2010 New section
Sec. 5 July 1, 2010 10-221a
Sec. 6 July 1, 2010 New section
Sec. 7 July 1, 2010 10-221(f)
Sec. 8 July 1, 2010 New section
Sec. 9 July 1, 2010 10-262f(22)
Sec. 10 July 1, 2010 New section
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
July 1, 2010
10-223e
Sec. 2
July 1, 2010
New section
Sec. 3
July 1, 2010
10-151b
Sec. 4
July 1, 2010
New section
Sec. 5
July 1, 2010
10-221a
Sec. 6
July 1, 2010
New section
Sec. 7
July 1, 2010
10-221(f)
Sec. 8
July 1, 2010
New section
Sec. 9
July 1, 2010
10-262f(22)
Sec. 10
July 1, 2010
New section
ED Joint Favorable Subst. C/R APP
APP Joint Favorable
ED
Joint Favorable Subst. C/R
APP
APP
Joint Favorable