Connecticut 2021 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB00977 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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7		-	General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 977
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	6	+	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 977
8	7		January Session, 2021
	8	+	LCO No. 4303
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	11	+	Referred to Committee on EDUCATION
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	13	+
	14	+	Introduced by:
	15	+	(ED)
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14	20		AN ACT CONCERNING VI RTUAL LEARNING.
15	21		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
16	22		Assembly convened:
17	23
18		-	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section, 1
19		-	"virtual ~~learning" means the provision of instruction by means of one or~~ 2
20		-	~~more Internet-based~~ ~~software platforms~~ as ~~part of an in-person or~~ 3
21		-	remote learning model that is in accordance with the uniform ~~virtual~~ 4
22		-	learning standards ~~developed~~ by the ~~Department~~ of Education ~~pursuant~~ 5
23		-	to this section. 6
24		-	(b~~) (1~~) Not later than July 1, 2021, the ~~Department~~ of Education shall 7
25		-	~~develop~~ uniform standards for virtual learning. Such uniform standards 8
	24	+	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section and 1
	25	+	section 10-4 of the general statutes, as amended by this act, "virtual 2
	26	+	learning" means the provision of instruction on a virtual platform or as 3
	27	+	part of a remote learning model that is in accordance with the uniform 4
	28	+	virtual learning standards adopted by the State Board of Education 5
	29	+	pursuant to this section. 6
	30	+	(b) Not later than July 1, 2021, the State Board of Education shall 7
	31	+	adopt uniform standards for virtual learning. Such uniform standards 8
26	32		shall be used by local and regional boards of education for the 9
27		-	authorized provision of virtual learning, and shall be developed with 10
28		-	consideration given to best practices, technological capabilities and 11
29		-	equity. Such standards shall (A) include a requirement that any virtual 12
30		-	learning provided by a local or regional board of education be in 13
31		-	accordance with the provisions of sections 10-15 and 10-16 of the general 14
32		-	statutes, as amended by this act, (B) be rigorous, aligned with 15
33		-	curriculum guidelines approved by the State Board of Education, and in 16
34		-	accordance with the state-wide subject matter content standards, 17
35		-	adopted by the state board pursuant to section 10-4 of the general 18
36		-	statutes, and (C) require any local or regional board of education that 19 Substitute Bill No. 977
	33	+	authorized provision of virtual learning, and shall be developed, and 10
	34	+	updated as necessary, with consideration given to best practices, 11
	35	+	technological capabilities and equity. 12
	36	+	(c) The state board shall make such uniform standards available on 13
	37	+	its Internet web site. 14
	38	+	Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 10-4 of the general statutes is repealed 15 Raised Bill No. 977
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43		-	wants to implement virtual learning when public school sessions may 20
44		-	otherwise be cancelled for reasons of inclement weather or otherwise, to 21
45		-	develop a plan for how and when such virtual learning will be provided. 22
46		-	(2) Not later than July 1, 2022, the department shall revise the uniform 23
47		-	standards for virtual learning, developed pursuant to subdivision (1) of 24
48		-	this subsection, to incorporate the findings of the comprehensive audit 25
49		-	conducted pursuant to section 2 of this act. 26
50		-	(3) On and after July 1, 2023, the department shall annually review 27
51		-	and may revise as necessary the uniform standards for virtual learning. 28
52		-	(c) The Department of Education shall periodically review whether 29
53		-	the uniform standards for virtual learning are being satisfied by a local 30
54		-	or regional board of education that is implementing virtual learning. 31
55		-	(d) Not later than July 1, 2021, the department shall develop 32
56		-	guidelines for the provision of training in virtual learning offered as part 33
57		-	of a program of professional development, pursuant to section 10-148a 34
58		-	of the general statutes, as amended by this act, or as part of an in-service 35
59		-	training program, pursuant to section 10-220a of the general statutes, as 36
60		-	amended by this act. Such guidelines shall be used by local and regional 37
61		-	boards of education, and shall be developed, and updated as necessary, 38
62		-	with consideration given to best practices, technological capabilities and 39
63		-	equity. 40
64		-	(e) The department shall make the uniform standards for virtual 41
65		-	learning and the guidelines for the provision of training in virtual 42
66		-	learning available on its Internet web site. 43
67		-	Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section: 44
68		-	(1) "Virtual learning" has the same meaning as provided in section 1 45
69		-	of this act; and 46
70		-	(2) "COVID-19" means the respiratory disease designated by the 47
71		-	World Health Organization on February 11, 2020, as coronavirus 2019, 48 Substitute Bill No. 977
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	44	+	and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 16
	45	+	(a) Said board shall have general supervision and control of the 17
	46	+	educational interests of the state, which interests shall include 18
	47	+	preschool, elementary and secondary education, special education, 19
	48	+	vocational education and adult education; shall provide leadership and 20
	49	+	otherwise promote the improvement of education in the state, including 21
	50	+	research, planning and evaluation and services relating to the provision 22
	51	+	and use of educational technology, including telecommunications, by 23
	52	+	school districts; shall adopt state-wide subject matter content standards, 24
	53	+	provided such standards are reviewed and revised at least once every 25
	54	+	ten years; shall prepare such courses of study and publish such 26
	55	+	curriculum guides including recommendations for textbooks, materials, 27
	56	+	instructional technological resources and other teaching aids as it 28
	57	+	determines are necessary to assist school districts to carry out the duties 29
	58	+	prescribed by law; shall adopt uniform standards for virtual learning, in 30
	59	+	accordance with the provisions of section 1 of this act; shall conduct 31
	60	+	workshops and related activities, including programs of intergroup 32
	61	+	relations training, to assist teachers in making effective use of such 33
	62	+	curriculum materials and in improving their proficiency in meeting the 34
	63	+	diverse needs and interests of pupils; shall keep informed as to the 35
	64	+	condition, progress and needs of the schools in the state; shall develop 36
	65	+	or cause to be developed evaluation and assessment programs designed 37
	66	+	to measure objectively the adequacy and efficacy of the educational 38
	67	+	programs offered by public schools and shall selectively conduct such 39
	68	+	assessment programs annually and report, pursuant to subsection (b) of 40
	69	+	this section, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly 41
	70	+	having cognizance of matters relating to education, on an annual basis; 42
	71	+	and shall establish and keep an inventory account, in accordance with 43
	72	+	the provisions of section 4-36, of all property owned and in the custody 44
	73	+	of the Department of Education, secure such inventory to prevent theft 45
	74	+	or loss and establish controls over the disposal of such inventory. 46
	75	+	Sec. 3. (Effective from passage) (a) The Department of Education shall 47
	76	+	conduct a comprehensive audit of the virtual learning provided by local 48
	77	+	and regional boards of education as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic 49 Raised Bill No. 977
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78		-	and any related mutation thereof recognized by the World Health 49
79		-	Organization as a communicable respiratory disease. 50
80		-	(b) The Department of Education shall conduct a comprehensive 51
81		-	audit of the virtual learning provided by local and regional boards of 52
82		-	education as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic during the school years 53
83		-	commencing July 1, 2019, and July 1, 2020. 54
84		-	(c) Such comprehensive audit shall include, but need not be limited 55
85		-	to, an examination of (1) whether and how local and regional boards of 56
86		-	education initially provided virtual learning during the beginning of the 57
87		-	COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on the technological capabilities or 58
88		-	limitations at such time, (2) the curriculum used as part of virtual 59
89		-	learning and whether students were able to complete the grade level 60
90		-	curriculums, (3) the level of preparation or training in virtual learning 61
91		-	that educators received prior to and during the provision of virtual 62
92		-	learning during such school years, including the nature of such training 63
93		-	and whether it was offered as part of a program of professional 64
94		-	development, pursuant to section 10-148a of the general statutes, as 65
95		-	amended by this act, or as part of an in-service training program, 66
96		-	pursuant to section 10-220a of the general statutes, as amended by this 67
97		-	act, and (4) the level of improvement, if any, of the provision of virtual 68
98		-	learning from the school year commencing July 1, 2019, to the school 69
99		-	year commencing July 1, 2020. 70
100		-	(d) Following the completion of such comprehensive audit, the 71
101		-	department shall develop a report that uses the results of such 72
102		-	comprehensive audit to (1) evaluate the efficacy of virtual learning, and 73
103		-	hybrid learning models, and the potential to leverage technology for 74
104		-	teaching in other scenarios and rethinking the delivery of instruction, 75
105		-	(2) identify a system of metrics to hold local and regional boards of 76
106		-	education accountable for virtual learning access and equity, and (3) 77
107		-	review and make recommendations regarding ongoing public 78
108		-	education requirements, including what defines a "school day", by 79
109		-	aligning technology and how virtual learning may be optimally 80
110		-	integrated into the program of study and the provision of public 81 Substitute Bill No. 977
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	83	+	during the school years commencing July 1, 2019, and July 1, 2020. As 50
	84	+	used in this section, "virtual learning" means the provision of instruction 51
	85	+	on a virtual platform or as part of a remote learning model. 52
	86	+	(b) Such comprehensive audit shall include, but need not be limited 53
	87	+	to, an examination of (1) whether and how local and regional boards of 54
	88	+	education initially provided virtual learning during the beginning of the 55
	89	+	COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on the technological capabilities or 56
	90	+	limitations at such time, (2) the curriculum used as part of virtual 57
	91	+	learning and whether students were able to complete the grade level 58
	92	+	curriculums, (3) the level of preparation or training in virtual learning 59
	93	+	that educators received prior to and during the provision of virtual 60
	94	+	learning during such school years, including the nature of such training 61
	95	+	and whether it was offered as part of a program of professional 62
	96	+	development, pursuant to section 10-148a of the general statutes, as 63
	97	+	amended by this act, or as part of in-service training program, pursuant 64
	98	+	to section 10-220a of the general statutes, as amended by this act, and (4) 65
	99	+	the level of improvement, if any, of the provision of virtual learning 66
	100	+	from the school year commencing July 1, 2019, to the school year 67
	101	+	commencing July 1, 2020. 68
	102	+	(c) Following the completion of such comprehensive audit, the 69
	103	+	department shall develop a report that uses the results of such 70
	104	+	comprehensive audit to (1) evaluate the efficacy of virtual learning, and 71
	105	+	hybrid learning models, and the potential to leverage technology for 72
	106	+	teaching in other scenarios and rethinking the delivery of instruction, 73
	107	+	(2) identify a system of metrics to hold local and regional boards of 74
	108	+	education accountable for virtual learning access and equity, and (3) 75
	109	+	review and make recommendations regarding ongoing public 76
	110	+	education requirements, including what defines a "school day", by 77
	111	+	aligning technology and how virtual learning may be optimally 78
	112	+	integrated into the program of study and the provision of public 79
	113	+	education. 80
	114	+	(d) Not later than January 1, 2022, the department shall submit such 81
	115	+	comprehensive audit and report, and any recommendations for 82 Raised Bill No. 977
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117		-	education. 82
118		-	(e) Not later than February 1, 2022, the department shall submit such 83
119		-	comprehensive audit and report, and any recommendations for 84
120		-	legislation, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly 85
121		-	having cognizance of matters relating to education, in accordance with 86
122		-	the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes. 87
123		-	Sec. 3. Subsection (a) of section 10-148a of the general statutes is 88
124		-	repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 89
125		-	passage): 90
126		-	(a) For the school year commencing July 1, 2019, and each school year 91
127		-	thereafter, each certified employee shall participate in a program of 92
128		-	professional development. Each local and regional board of education 93
129		-	shall make available, annually, at no cost to its certified employees, a 94
130		-	program of professional development that is not fewer than eighteen 95
131		-	hours in length, of which a preponderance is in a small group or 96
132		-	individual instructional setting. Such program of professional 97
133		-	development shall (1) be a comprehensive, sustained and intensive 98
134		-	approach to improving teacher and administrator effectiveness in 99
135		-	increasing student knowledge achievement, (2) focus on refining and 100
136		-	improving various effective teaching methods that are shared between 101
137		-	and among educators, (3) foster collective responsibility for improved 102
138		-	student performance, (4) be comprised of professional learning that (A) 103
139		-	is aligned with rigorous state student academic achievement standards, 104
140		-	(B) is conducted among educators at the school and facilitated by 105
141		-	principals, coaches, mentors, distinguished educators, as described in 106
142		-	section 10-145s, or other appropriate teachers, (C) occurs frequently on 107
143		-	an individual basis or among groups of teachers in a job-embedded 108
144		-	process of continuous improvement, and (D) includes a repository of 109
145		-	best practices for teaching methods developed by educators within each 110
146		-	school that is continuously available to such educators for comment and 111
147		-	updating, [and] (5) include training in culturally responsive pedagogy 112
148		-	and practice, and (6) include training in the provision of virtual learning, 113
149		-	in accordance with the guidelines developed pursuant to section 1 of 114 Substitute Bill No. 977
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	121	+	legislation, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly 83
	122	+	having cognizance of matters relating to education, in accordance with 84
	123	+	the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes. 85
	124	+	Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section and 86
	125	+	sections 10-148a and 10-220a of the general statutes, as amended by this 87
	126	+	act, "virtual learning" means the provision of instruction on a virtual 88
	127	+	platform or as part of a remote learning model that is in accordance with 89
	128	+	the uniform virtual learning standards adopted by the State Board of 90
	129	+	Education pursuant to this section. 91
	130	+	(b) Not later than July 1, 2021, the Department of Education shall 92
	131	+	develop guidelines for the provision of training in virtual learning 93
	132	+	offered as part of a program of professional development, pursuant to 94
	133	+	section 10-148a of the general statutes, as amended by this act, or as part 95
	134	+	of in-service training program, pursuant to section 10-220a of the 96
	135	+	general statutes, as amended by this act. Such guidelines shall be used 97
	136	+	by local and regional boards of education, and shall be developed, and 98
	137	+	updated as necessary, with consideration given to best practices, 99
	138	+	technological capabilities and equity. 100
	139	+	(c) The department shall make such guidelines available on its 101
	140	+	Internet web site. 102
	141	+	Sec. 5. Subsection (a) of section 10-148a of the general statutes is 103
	142	+	repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 104
	143	+	passage): 105
	144	+	(a) For the school year commencing July 1, 2019, and each school year 106
	145	+	thereafter, each certified employee shall participate in a program of 107
	146	+	professional development. Each local and regional board of education 108
	147	+	shall make available, annually, at no cost to its certified employees, a 109
	148	+	program of professional development that is not fewer than eighteen 110
	149	+	hours in length, of which a preponderance is in a small group or 111
	150	+	individual instructional setting. Such program of professional 112
	151	+	development shall (1) be a comprehensive, sustained and intensive 113
	152	+	approach to improving teacher and administrator effectiveness in 114 Raised Bill No. 977
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156		-	this act. Each program of professional development shall include 115
157		-	professional development activities in accordance with the provisions 116
158		-	of subsection (b) of this section. 117
159		-	Sec. 4. Subsection (a) of section 10-220a of the general statutes is 118
160		-	repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 119
161		-	passage): 120
162		-	(a) Each local or regional board of education shall provide an in-121
163		-	service training program for its teachers, administrators and pupil 122
164		-	personnel who hold the initial educator, provisional educator or 123
165		-	professional educator certificate. Such program shall provide such 124
166		-	teachers, administrators and pupil personnel with information on (1) 125
167		-	the nature and the relationship of alcohol and drugs, as defined in 126
168		-	subdivision (17) of section 21a-240, to health and personality 127
169		-	development, and procedures for discouraging their abuse, (2) health 128
170		-	and mental health risk reduction education that includes, but need not 129
171		-	be limited to, the prevention of risk-taking behavior by children and the 130
172		-	relationship of such behavior to substance abuse, pregnancy, sexually 131
173		-	transmitted diseases, including HIV-infection and AIDS, as defined in 132
174		-	section 19a-581, violence, teen dating violence, domestic violence and 133
175		-	child abuse, (3) school violence prevention, conflict resolution, the 134
176		-	prevention of and response to youth suicide and the identification and 135
177		-	prevention of and response to bullying, as defined in subsection (a) of 136
178		-	section 10-222d, except that those boards of education that implement 137
179		-	any evidence-based model approach that is approved by the 138
180		-	Department of Education and is consistent with subsection (c) of section 139
181		-	10-145a, sections 10-222d, 10-222g and 10-222h, subsection (g) of section 140
182		-	10-233c and sections 1 and 3 of public act 08-160, shall not be required 141
183		-	to provide in-service training on the identification and prevention of 142
184		-	and response to bullying, (4) cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other 143
185		-	emergency life saving procedures, (5) the requirements and obligations 144
186		-	of a mandated reporter, (6) the detection and recognition of, and 145
187		-	evidence-based structured literacy interventions for, students with 146
188		-	dyslexia, as defined in section 10-3d, [and] (7) culturally responsive 147 Substitute Bill No. 977
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	158	+	increasing student knowledge achievement, (2) focus on refining and 115
	159	+	improving various effective teaching methods that are shared between 116
	160	+	and among educators, (3) foster collective responsibility for improved 117
	161	+	student performance, (4) be comprised of professional learning that (A) 118
	162	+	is aligned with rigorous state student academic achievement standards, 119
	163	+	(B) is conducted among educators at the school and facilitated by 120
	164	+	principals, coaches, mentors, distinguished educators, as described in 121
	165	+	section 10-145s, or other appropriate teachers, (C) occurs frequently on 122
	166	+	an individual basis or among groups of teachers in a job-embedded 123
	167	+	process of continuous improvement, and (D) includes a repository of 124
	168	+	best practices for teaching methods developed by educators within each 125
	169	+	school that is continuously available to such educators for comment and 126
	170	+	updating, [and] (5) include training in culturally responsive pedagogy 127
	171	+	and practice, and (6) include training in the provision of virtual learning, 128
	172	+	in accordance with the guidelines developed pursuant to section 4 of 129
	173	+	this act. Each program of professional development shall include 130
	174	+	professional development activities in accordance with the provisions 131
	175	+	of subsection (b) of this section. 132
	176	+	Sec. 6. Subsection (a) of section 10-220a of the general statutes is 133
	177	+	repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 134
	178	+	passage): 135
	179	+	(a) Each local or regional board of education shall provide an in-136
	180	+	service training program for its teachers, administrators and pupil 137
	181	+	personnel who hold the initial educator, provisional educator or 138
	182	+	professional educator certificate. Such program shall provide such 139
	183	+	teachers, administrators and pupil personnel with information on (1) 140
	184	+	the nature and the relationship of alcohol and drugs, as defined in 141
	185	+	subdivision (17) of section 21a-240, to health and personality 142
	186	+	development, and procedures for discouraging their abuse, (2) health 143
	187	+	and mental health risk reduction education that includes, but need not 144
	188	+	be limited to, the prevention of risk-taking behavior by children and the 145
	189	+	relationship of such behavior to substance abuse, pregnancy, sexually 146
	190	+	transmitted diseases, including HIV-infection and AIDS, as defined in 147
	191	+	section 19a-581, violence, teen dating violence, domestic violence and 148 Raised Bill No. 977
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195		-	pedagogy and practice, and (8) include training in the provision of 148
196		-	virtual learning, in accordance with the guidelines developed pursuant 149
197		-	to section 1 of this act. Each local or regional board of education may 150
198		-	allow any paraprofessional or noncertified employee to participate, on 151
199		-	a voluntary basis, in any in-service training program provided pursuant 152
200		-	to this section. 153
201		-	Sec. 5. Section 10-16 of the general statutes is repealed and the 154
202		-	following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 155
203		-	Each school district shall provide in each school year no less than one 156
204		-	hundred and eighty days of actual school sessions for grades 157
205		-	kindergarten to twelve, inclusive, nine hundred hours of actual school 158
206		-	work for full-day kindergarten and grades one to twelve, inclusive, and 159
207		-	four hundred and fifty hours of half-day kindergarten, provided school 160
208		-	districts shall not count more than seven hours of actual school work in 161
209		-	any school day towards the total required for the school year. Virtual 162
210		-	learning, as defined in section 1 of this act, shall be considered an actual 163
211		-	school session for purposes of this section. If weather conditions result 164
212		-	in an early dismissal or a delayed opening of school, a school district 165
213		-	which maintains separate morning and afternoon half-day kindergarten 166
214		-	sessions may provide either a morning or afternoon half-day 167
215		-	kindergarten session on such day. 168
216		-	Sec. 6. Section 10-15 of the general statutes is repealed and the 169
217		-	following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 170
218		-	Public schools including kindergartens shall be maintained in each 171
219		-	town for at least one hundred eighty days of actual school sessions 172
220		-	during each year, and for the school year commencing July 1, 2014, and 173
221		-	each school year thereafter, in accordance with the provisions of section 174
222		-	10-66q. Virtual learning, as defined in section 1 of this act, shall be 175
223		-	considered an actual school session for purposes of this section. When 176
224		-	public school sessions are cancelled for reasons of inclement weather or 177
225		-	otherwise, the rescheduled sessions shall not be held on Saturday or 178
226		-	Sunday. Public schools may conduct weekend education programs to 179 Substitute Bill No. 977
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233		-	provide supplemental and remedial services to students. A local or 180
234		-	regional board of education for a school that has been designated as a 181
235		-	low achieving school pursuant to subparagraph (A) of subdivision (1) 182
236		-	of subsection (e) of section 10-223e, or a category four school or a 183
237		-	category five school pursuant to said section 10-223e, may increase the 184
238		-	number of actual school sessions during each year, and may increase the 185
239		-	number of hours of actual school work per school session in order to 186
240		-	improve student performance and remove the school from the list of 187
241		-	schools designated as a low achieving school maintained by the State 188
242		-	Board of Education. The State Board of Education (1) may authorize the 189
243		-	shortening of any school year for a school district, a school or a portion 190
244		-	of a school on account of an unavoidable emergency, and (2) may 191
245		-	authorize implementation of scheduling of school sessions to permit full 192
246		-	year use of facilities which may not offer each child one hundred eighty 193
247		-	days of school sessions within a given school year, but which assures an 194
248		-	opportunity for each child to average a minimum of one hundred eighty 195
249		-	days of school sessions per year during thirteen years of educational 196
250		-	opportunity in the elementary and secondary schools. Notwithstanding 197
251		-	the provisions of this section and section 10-16, as amended by this act, 198
252		-	the State Board of Education may, upon application by a local or 199
253		-	regional board of education, approve for any single school year, in 200
254		-	whole or in part, a plan to implement alternative scheduling of school 201
255		-	sessions which assures at least four hundred fifty hours of actual school 202
256		-	work for nursery schools and half-day kindergartens and at least nine 203
257		-	hundred hours of actual school work for full-day kindergartens and 204
258		-	grades one to twelve, inclusive. 205
259		-	Sec. 7. Section 10-198b of the general statutes is repealed and the 206
260		-	following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 207
261		-	On or before July 1, 2012, the State Board of Education shall define 208
262		-	"excused absence" and "unexcused absence", and on or before January 209
263		-	1, 2016, the State Board of Education shall define "disciplinary absence" 210
264		-	for use by local and regional boards of education for the purposes of 211
265		-	carrying out the provisions of section 10-198a, reporting truancy, 212 Substitute Bill No. 977
266		-
267		-
268		-	LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2021SB-00977-
269		-	R01-SB.docx }
270		-	8 of 8
271		-
272		-	pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-220, and calculating the district 213
273		-	chronic absenteeism rate and the school chronic absenteeism rate 214
274		-	pursuant to section 10-198c. On or before July 1, 2021, the State Board of 215
275		-	Education shall amend the definition of "excused absence" and 216
276		-	"unexcused absence" to address virtual learning, as defined in section 1 217
277		-	of this act, school sessions. 218
	197	+	child abuse, (3) school violence prevention, conflict resolution, the 149
	198	+	prevention of and response to youth suicide and the identification and 150
	199	+	prevention of and response to bullying, as defined in subsection (a) of 151
	200	+	section 10-222d, except that those boards of education that implement 152
	201	+	any evidence-based model approach that is approved by the 153
	202	+	Department of Education and is consistent with subsection (c) of section 154
	203	+	10-145a, sections 10-222d, 10-222g and 10-222h, subsection (g) of section 155
	204	+	10-233c and sections 1 and 3 of public act 08-160, shall not be required 156
	205	+	to provide in-service training on the identification and prevention of 157
	206	+	and response to bullying, (4) cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other 158
	207	+	emergency life saving procedures, (5) the requirements and obligations 159
	208	+	of a mandated reporter, (6) the detection and recognition of, and 160
	209	+	evidence-based structured literacy interventions for, students with 161
	210	+	dyslexia, as defined in section 10-3d, [and] (7) culturally responsive 162
	211	+	pedagogy and practice, and (8) include training in the provision of 163
	212	+	virtual learning, in accordance with the guidelines developed pursuant 164
	213	+	to section 4 of this act. Each local or regional board of education may 165
	214	+	allow any paraprofessional or noncertified employee to participate, on 166
	215	+	a voluntary basis, in any in-service training program provided pursuant 167
	216	+	to this section. 168
278	217		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
279	218		sections:
280	219
281	220		Section 1 from passage New section
282		-	Sec. 2 from passage New section
283		-	Sec. 3 from passage 10-148a(a)
284		-	Sec. 4 from passage 10-220a(a)
285		-	Sec. 5 from passage 10-16
286		-	Sec. 6 from passage 10-15
287		-	Sec. 7 from passage 10-198b
	221	+	Sec. 2 from passage 10-4(a)
	222	+	Sec. 3 from passage New section
	223	+	Sec. 4 from passage New section
	224	+	Sec. 5 from passage 10-148a(a)
	225	+	Sec. 6 from passage 10-220a(a)
	226	+
	227	+	Statement of Purpose:
	228	+	To require the Department of Education to develop uniform standards
	229	+	for the provision of virtual learning in public schools, conduct a
	230	+	comprehensive audit of virtual learning programs in the state and
	231	+	develop guidelines for training educators in the provision of virtual
	232	+	learning. Raised Bill No. 977
288	233
289	234
290		-	ED Joint Favorable Subst. C/R APP
	235	+
	236	+	LCO No. 4303 7 of 7
	237	+
	238	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	239	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	240	+	underlined.]
291	241