General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1103
January Session, 2015 LCO No. 5247
*05247_______ED_*
Referred to Committee on EDUCATION
Introduced by:
(ED)
General Assembly
Raised Bill No. 1103
January Session, 2015
LCO No. 5247
*05247_______ED_*
Referred to Committee on EDUCATION
Introduced by:
(ED)
AN ACT CONCERNING SCHOOL DISTRICTS OF INNOVATION.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2015) (a) For the school year commencing July 1, 2015, and each school year thereafter, the Commissioner of Education shall establish and administer a school districts of innovation program. Under such program, the commissioner may waive any provision of title 10 of the general statutes, or regulations adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to said title 10, except that the commissioner shall not waive any provision of sections 10-14n, 10-15, 10-16, 10-16b, 10-153a to 10-153t, inclusive, and 10-221a of the general statutes, for any local or regional board of education that develops creative approaches to addressing issues and challenges related to the provision of education in the public schools, including, but not limited to, improving school climate and reducing school bullying.
(b) (1) A local or regional board of education may submit an application for participating in the program at such time and in such manner as the commissioner prescribes. Such application shall include, but not be limited to, (A) a plan that provides a description of the proposed approach to be taken by such local or regional board of education to address a specific issue or challenge, (B) the proposed outcome of such approach, (C) methods for assessing the impact of participating in the program, (D) the inclusion of any community partners that will be involved in the implementation of such approach, and (E) the specific statutory or regulatory provisions that such board is seeking permission to be waived.
(2) The commissioner shall review each application for participation in the program and may approve the plan proposed by a local or regional board of education and waive the appropriate statutory or regulatory requirements. Such waiver shall be valid for three years and may be renewed by the commissioner upon a demonstration of success by the local or regional board of education.
(b) Any local or regional board of education participating in such program shall partner with a public institution of higher education to implement the plan and analyze such implementation. Such public institution of higher education shall provide instruction in best practices and research-based methodology to assist such local or regional board of education in the implementation of such plan.
(c) Any local or regional board of education participating in the program shall (1) submit to the department (A) annual progress reports relating to the implementation of such plan; and (B) a final report relating to the results of such plan at the conclusion of participation in the program or prior to an application for renewal of the waiver, (2) share such results with other local or regional boards of education, and (3) if such plan is successful, provide instruction and training to other local and regional boards of education on such plan.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2015 New section
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
July 1, 2015
New section
Statement of Purpose:
To establish a school districts of innovation program.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]