Substitute Senate Bill No. 932
Public Act No. 19-34
AN ACT CONCERNING TH E STAFF QUALIFICATIO NS
REQUIREMENT FOR EARL Y CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR S.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (b) of section 10-16p of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July
1, 2019):
(b) (1) The office shall be the lead agency for school readiness. For
purposes of this section and section 10-16u, school readiness program
providers eligible for funding from the office shall include local and
regional boards of education, regional educational service centers,
family resource centers and providers of child care centers, as
[defined] described in section 19a-77, Head Start programs, preschool
programs and other programs that meet [such] any standards
established by the commissioner. The office shall establish standards
for school readiness programs. The standards may include, but need
not be limited to, guidelines for staff-child interactions, curriculum
content, including preliteracy development, lesson plans, [parent]
parental involvement, staff qualifications and training, transition to
school and administration. The office shall develop age-appropriate
developmental skills and goals for children attending such programs.
The commissioner, in consultation with the president of the Substitute Senate Bill No. 932
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Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, the Commissioners of
Education and Social Services and other appropriate entities, shall
develop a professional development program for the staff of school
readiness programs.
(2) For purposes of this section:
(A) Prior to July 1, [2020] 2022, "staff qualifications" means that for
each early childhood education program accepting state funds for
infant, toddler and preschool spaces associated with such program's
child care program or school readiness program, there is in each
classroom an individual who has at least the following: (i) A childhood
development associate credential or an equivalent credential issued by
an organization approved by the commissioner and twelve credits or
more in early childhood education or child de velopment, as
determined by the commissioner or the president of the Connecticut
State Colleges and Universities, after consultation with the
commissioner, from an institution of higher education (I) accredited by
the Board of Regents for Higher Education or Office of Higher
Education, and (II) regionally accredited; (ii) an associate degree with
twelve credits or more in early childhood education or child
development, as determined by the commissioner or the president of
the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, after consultation with
the commissioner, from such an institution; (iii) a four-year degree
with twelve credits or more in early childhood education or child
development, as determined by the commissioner or the president of
the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, after consultation with
the commissioner, from such an institution; (iv) certification pursuant
to section 10-145b with an endorsement in early childhood education
or special education; (v) an associate degree with a concentration in
early childhood education from an institution of higher education that
is regionally accredited; or (vi) a bachelor's degree with a concentration
in early childhood education from an institution of higher education Substitute Senate Bill No. 932
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that is regionally accredited;
(B) From July 1, [2020] 2022, until June 30, [2023] 2025, "staff
qualifications" means that for each early childhood education program
accepting state funds for infant, toddler and preschool spaces
associated with such program's child care program or school readiness
program, (i) at least fifty per cent of those individuals with the primary
responsibility for a classroom of children (I) hold certification pursuant
to section 10-145b with an endorsement in early childhood education
or early childhood special education, (II) have been issued an early
childhood teacher credential, pursuant to section 10-520b, (III) hold at
least [a bachelor's] an associate degree with a concentration in early
childhood education from an institution of higher education that is
regionally accredited, or (IV) satisfy the requirements of subdivision
(3), (4) or (5) of this subsection, and (ii) such remaining individuals
with the primary responsibility for a classroom of children hold [an
associate degree with a concentration in early childhood education
from an institution of higher education that is regionally accredited;
and] a childhood development associate credential or an equivalent
credential issued by an organization approved by the commissioner
and twelve credits or more in early childhood education or child
development, as determined by the commissioner or the president of
the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, after consultation with
the commissioner, from an institution of higher education (I)
accredited by the Board of Regents for Higher Education or Office of
Higher Education, and (II) regionally accredited;
(C) From July 1, 2025, until June 30, 2029, "staff qualifications"
means that for each early childhood education program accepting state
funds for infant, toddler and preschool spaces associated with such
program's child care program or school readiness program, (i) at least
fifty per cent of those individuals with the primary responsibility for a
classroom of children (I) hold certification pursuant to section 10-145b Substitute Senate Bill No. 932
Public Act No. 19-34 4 of 7
with an endorsement in early childhood education or early childhood
special education, (II) have been issued an early childhood teacher
credential, pursuant to subdivision (2) of section 10-520b, (III) hold at
least a bachelor's degree with a concentration in early childhood
education from an institution of higher education that is regionally
accredited, or (IV) satisfy the requirements of subdivision (3), (4) or (5)
of this subsection, and (ii) such remaining individuals with the
primary responsibility for a classroom of children (I) hold an associate
degree with a concentration in early childhood education from an
institution of higher education that is regionally accredited, or (II) have
been issued an early childhood teacher credential, pursuant to
subdivision (1) of section 10-520b; and
[(C)] (D) On and after July 1, [2023] 2029, "staff qualifications" means
that for each early childhood education program accepting state funds
for infant, toddler and preschool spaces associated with such
program's child care program or school readiness program, one
hundred per cent of those individuals with the primary responsibility
for a classroom of children (i) hold certification pursuant to section 10-
145b with an endorsement in early childhood education or early
childhood special education, (ii) have been issued an early childhood
teacher credential, pursuant to subdivision (2) of section 10-520b, (iii)
hold at least a bachelor's degree with a concentration in early
childhood education from an institution of higher education that is
regionally accredited, or (iv) satisfy the requirements of subdivision
(3), (4) or (5) of this subsection.
(3) Any individual with a bachelor's degree in early childhood
education or child development or a bachelor's degree and twelve
credits or more in early childhood education or child development,
who, on or before June 30, 2015, is employed by an early childhood
education program that accepts state funds for infant, toddler and
preschool spaces associated with such program's child care program or Substitute Senate Bill No. 932
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school readiness program shall be considered to meet the staff
qualifications required under subparagraphs (B) [and (C)] to (D),
inclusive, of subdivision (2) of this subsection. No such early
childhood education program shall terminate any such individual
from employment for purposes of meeting the staff qualification
requirements set forth in subparagraph (B), [or] (C) or (D) of
subdivision (2) of this subsection.
(4) Any individual with an associate degree or a bachelor's degree in
early childhood education or child development or an associate degree
or a bachelor's degree and twelve credits or more in early childhood
education or child development from an institution of higher
education that is regionally accredited, other than an associate degree
or a bachelor's degree with a concentration in early childhood
education, may submit documentation concerning such degree for
review and assessment by the office as to whether such degree has a
sufficient concentration in early childhood education so as to satisfy
the requirements set forth in subparagraphs (B) [and (C)] to (D),
inclusive, of subdivision (2) of this subsection.
(5) Any individual with an associate degree with twelve credits or
more in early childhood education or child development, as
determined by the commissioner or the president of the Connecticut
State Colleges and Universities, after consultation with the
commissioner, from an institution of higher education (A) accredited
by the Board of Regents for Higher Education or Office of Higher
Education, and (B) regionally accredited, who has been employed in
the same early childhood education program that accepts state funds
for infant, toddler and preschool spaces associated with such
program's child care program or school readiness program since 1995
shall be considered to meet the staff qualifications required under
subparagraphs (B) [and (C)] to (D), inclusive, of subdivision (2) of this
subsection until June 30, 2025. On and after July 1, 2025, such Substitute Senate Bill No. 932
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individual shall hold a childhood development associate credential or
an equivalent credential, described in subparagraph (A) of subdivision
(2) of this subsection, or otherwise meet the staff qualifications
required under [subparagraph (C)] subparagraphs (C) and (D) of
subdivision (2) of this subsection. Any such individual who terminates
his or her employment with such early childhood education program
on or before June 30, 2025, and accepts a position at another early
childhood education program accepting state funds for spaces
associated with such program's child care program or school readiness
program shall submit documentation of such individual's progress
toward meeting the staff qualification requirements set forth in
subparagraph (B) [or (C)] to (D), inclusive, of subdivision (2) of this
subsection in a manner determined by the office.
Sec. 2. Subsection (c) of section 10-520 of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July
1, 2019):
(c) During a review and assessment pursuant to subdivision (4) of
subsection (b) of section 10-16p, the office shall (1) review the results of
the trend analysis conducted pursuant to subsection (b) of this section
for the purpose of determining whether the degree of an individual
with a bachelor's degree in early childhood education or child
development or a bachelor's degree and twelve credits or more in early
childhood education or child development, other than those bachelor's
degrees specified in subparagraphs (B) [and (C)] to (D), inclusive, of
subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of section 10-16p, as amended by this
act, has a sufficient concentration in early childhood education so as to
satisfy the requirements set forth in said subparagraphs (B) [and (C)]
to (D), inclusive, and (2) consider an individual to have met the
requirements set forth in said subparagraphs (B) [and (C)] to (D),
inclusive, if the degree of such individual is from a bachelor's degree
program in early childhood education or child development that is Substitute Senate Bill No. 932
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aligned with the teacher preparation standards of the National
Association for the Education of Young Children as determined by
such trend analysis.