Connecticut 2023 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB06844 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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3	3	LCO No. 5115 1 of 7
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5	5	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6844
6	6	January Session, 2023
7	7	LCO No. 5115
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9	9
10	10	Referred to Committee on EDUCATION
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12	12
13	13	Introduced by:
14	14	(ED)
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19	19	AN ACT CONCERNING PARAEDUCATORS.
20	20	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
21	21	Assembly convened:
22	22
23	23	Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 10-148d of the general statutes is 1
24	24	repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2
25	25	2023): 3
26	26	(a) For the school year commencing July 1, [2022] 2023, and each 4
27	27	school year thereafter, each paraeducator employed by a local or 5
28	28	regional board of education shall participate in a program of 6
29	29	professional development. Each local and regional board of education 7
30	30	shall make available, annually, at no cost to its paraeducators, a 8
31	31	program of professional development that is not fewer than eighteen 9
32	32	hours in length, of which a preponderance is in a small group or 10
33	33	individual instructional setting. Such program of professional 11
34	34	development shall (1) be a comprehensive, sustained and intensive 12
35	35	approach to improving paraeducators effectiveness in increasing 13
36	36	student knowledge achievement, (2) focus on refining and improving 14
37	37	various effective instruction methods that are shared between and 15
38	38	among paraeducators, (3) foster collective responsibility for improved 16 Raised Bill No. 6844
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42	42	LCO No. 5115 2 of 7
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44	44	student performance, (4) be comprised of professional learning that (A) 17
45	45	is aligned with rigorous state student academic achievement standards, 18
46	46	(B) is conducted among paraeducators at the school and facilitated by 19
47	47	principals, coaches, mentors, distinguished educators, as described in 20
48	48	section 10-145s, or other appropriate teachers, (C) occurs frequently on 21
49	49	an individual basis or among groups of paraeducators in a job-22
50	50	embedded process of continuous improvement, and (D) includes a 23
51	51	repository of best practices for instruction methods developed by 24
52	52	paraeducators within each school that is continuously available to such 25
53	53	paraeducators for comment and updating, and (5) include training in 26
54	54	culturally responsive pedagogy and practice. Each program of 27
55	55	professional development shall include professional development 28
56	56	activities in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this 29
57	57	section. The [principles and practices of social-emotional learning and 30
58	58	restorative practices shall be integrated throughout the] components of 31
59	59	such program of professional development described in subdivisions (1) 32
60	60	to (5), inclusive, of this subsection shall integrate the principles and 33
61	61	practices of social-emotional learning and restorative practices 34
62	62	throughout, but may not otherwise include mandated trainings such as 35
63	63	trainings regarding blood-borne pathogens, the policies and procedures 36
64	64	of the Department of Children and Families and sexual harassment. 37
65	65	Sec. 2. Subsections (b) and (c) of section 10-220a of the general statutes 38
66	66	are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 39
67	67	1, 2023): 40
68	68	(b) Not later than a date prescribed by the commissioner, each local 41
69	69	and regional board of education shall establish a professional 42
70	70	development and evaluation committee. Such professional 43
71	71	development and evaluation committee shall consist of (1) at least one 44
72	72	teacher, as defined in subsection (a) of section 10-144d, selected by the 45
73	73	exclusive bargaining representative for certified employees chosen 46
74	74	pursuant to section 10-153b, (2) at least one administrator, as defined in 47
75	75	subsection (a) of section 10-144e, selected by the exclusive bargaining 48
76	76	representative for certified employees chosen pursuant to section 10-49
77	77	153b, [and] (3) at least one paraeducator selected by any exclusive 50 Raised Bill No. 6844
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81	81	LCO No. 5115 3 of 7
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83	83	bargaining representative for paraeducators, and (4) such other school 51
84	84	personnel as the board deems appropriate. The duties of such 52
85	85	committees shall include, but not be limited to, participation in the 53
86	86	development or adoption of a teacher evaluation and support program 54
87	87	for the district, pursuant to section 10-151b, and the development, 55
88	88	evaluation and annual updating of a comprehensive local professional 56
89	89	development plan for certified employees of the district. Such plan shall: 57
90	90	(A) Be directly related to the educational goals prepared by the local or 58
91	91	regional board of education pursuant to subsection (b) of section 10-220, 59
92	92	(B) on and after July 1, 2021, be developed with full consideration of the 60
93	93	priorities and needs related to student social-emotional learning and 61
94	94	restorative practices, in accordance with the provisions of section 10-62
95	95	148a, and student academic outcomes as determined by the State Board 63
96	96	of Education, (C) provide for the ongoing and systematic assessment 64
97	97	and improvement of both teacher evaluation and professional 65
98	98	development of the professional staff members of each such board, 66
99	99	including personnel management and evaluation training or experience 67
100	100	for administrators, and (D) be related to regular and special student 68
101	101	needs and may include provisions concerning career incentives and 69
102	102	parent involvement. The State Board of Education shall develop 70
103	103	guidelines to assist local and regional boards of education in 71
104	104	determining the objectives of the plans and in coordinating staff 72
105	105	development activities with student needs and school programs. For the 73
106	106	school year commencing July 1, 2022, and each school year thereafter, 74
107	107	such committees shall develop, evaluate and annually update a 75
108	108	comprehensive local professional development plan for paraeducators 76
109	109	of the district in accordance with the provisions of this subsection. 77
110	110	(c) (1) The Department of Education, in cooperation with one or more 78
111	111	regional educational service centers, is authorized to provide institutes 79
112	112	annually for Connecticut educators. Such institutes shall serve as model 80
113	113	programs of professional development and shall be taught by 81
114	114	exemplary Connecticut teachers and administrators and by other 82
115	115	qualified individuals as selected by the Department of Education. The 83
116	116	Department of Education shall charge fees for attending such institutes 84 Raised Bill No. 6844
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120	120	LCO No. 5115 4 of 7
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122	122	provided such fees shall be based on the actual cost of such institutes. 85
123	123	(2) Not later than January 1, 2024, and annually thereafter, the 86
124	124	Department of Education shall (A) in collaboration with the School 87
125	125	Paraeducator Advisory Council, develop or update guidance and best 88
126	126	practices for programs of professional development provided for 89
127	127	paraeducators, and (B) distribute such guidance and best practices to 90
128	128	each local and regional board of education. 91
129	129	Sec. 3. Subsection (c) of section 10-10a of the general statutes is 92
130	130	repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 93
131	131	2023): 94
132	132	(c) The state-wide public school information system shall: 95
133	133	(1) Track and report data relating to student, teacher and school and 96
134	134	district performance growth and make such information available to 97
135	135	local and regional boards of education for use in evaluating educational 98
136	136	performance and growth of teachers and students enrolled in public 99
137	137	schools in the state. Such information shall be collected or calculated 100
138	138	based on information received from local and regional boards of 101
139	139	education and other relevant sources. Such information shall include, 102
140	140	but not be limited to: 103
141	141	(A) In addition to performance on state-wide mastery examinations 104
142	142	pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, data relating to students shall 105
143	143	include, but not be limited to, (i) the primary language spoken at the 106
144	144	home of a student, (ii) student transcripts, (iii) student attendance and 107
145	145	student mobility, (iv) reliable, valid assessments of a student's readiness 108
146	146	to enter public school at the kindergarten level, and (v) data collected, if 109
147	147	any, from the preschool experience survey, described in section 10-515; 110
148	148	(B) Data relating to teachers shall include, but not be limited to, (i) 111
149	149	teacher credentials, such as master's degrees, teacher preparation 112
150	150	programs completed and certification levels and endorsement areas, (ii) 113
151	151	teacher assessments, such as whether a teacher is deemed highly 114
152	152	qualified pursuant to the No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-110, or 115 Raised Bill No. 6844
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156	156	LCO No. 5115 5 of 7
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158	158	deemed to meet such other designations as may be established by 116
159	159	federal law or regulations for the purposes of tracking the equitable 117
160	160	distribution of instructional staff, (iii) the presence of substitute teachers 118
161	161	in a teacher's classroom, (iv) class size, (v) numbers relating to 119
162	162	absenteeism in a teacher's classroom, and (vi) the presence of a teacher's 120
163	163	aide. The department shall assign a unique teacher identifier to each 121
164	164	teacher prior to collecting such data in the public school information 122
165	165	system; 123
166	166	(C) Data relating to schools and districts shall include, but not be 124
167	167	limited to, (i) school population, (ii) annual student graduation rates, 125
168	168	(iii) annual teacher retention rates, (iv) school disciplinary records, such 126
169	169	as data relating to suspensions, expulsions and other disciplinary 127
170	170	actions, (v) the percentage of students whose primary language is not 128
171	171	English, (vi) the number of and professional credentials of support 129
172	172	personnel, (vii) information relating to instructional technology, such as 130
173	173	access to computers, and (viii) disaggregated measures of school-based 131
174	174	arrests pursuant to section 10-233n; and 132
175	175	(D) Data related to paraeducators shall include, but not be limited to, 133
176	176	(i) total number of paraeducators employed in each school district, (ii) 134
177	177	assigned job title, (iii) hourly rate of pay, (iv) number of working days 135
178	178	and hours, (v) health care contributions as a percentage of salary, and 136
179	179	(vi) annual salary calculated by multiplying working hours and hourly 137
180	180	rate of pay. The department shall assign a unique paraeducator 138
181	181	identifier to each paraeducator prior to collecting such data in the public 139
182	182	school information system. 140
183	183	(2) Collect data relating to student enrollment in and graduation from 141
184	184	institutions of higher education for any student who had been assigned 142
185	185	a unique student identifier pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, 143
186	186	provided such data is available. 144
187	187	(3) Develop means for access to and data sharing with the data 145
188	188	systems of public institutions of higher education in the state. 146
189	189	Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2023) Not later than December 1, 2023, 147 Raised Bill No. 6844
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195	195	and annually thereafter, the Department of Education shall post on the 148
196	196	department's Internet web site and submit, in accordance with the 149
197	197	provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing 150
198	198	committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 151
199	199	relating to education a report concerning the staffing level of 152
200	200	paraeducators in schools. Such report shall include, but need not be 153
201	201	limited to, for each school district in the state (1) the number of vacancies 154
202	202	for paraeducator positions, (2) paraeducator to student staffing ratios, 155
203	203	and (3) the impact of such vacancies on students and student learning. 156
204	204	Sec. 5. Subparagraph (I) of subdivision (10) of subsection (a) of section 157
205	205	10-76d of the general statutes is repealed and the following is 158
206	206	substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2023): 159
207	207	(I) Prior to any planning and placement team meeting for a child or 160
208	208	pupil in which an educational program for such child or pupil is 161
209	209	developed, reviewed or revised, if the parent, guardian, pupil or 162
210	210	surrogate parent has requested that the school paraprofessional 163
211	211	assigned to such child or pupil attend such meeting, then the 164
212	212	responsible local or regional board of education shall provide (i) 165
213	213	adequate notice of such meeting to such school paraprofessional so that 166
214	214	such school paraprofessional may adequately prepare for such meeting, 167
215	215	and (ii) training, upon request of such school paraprofessional, on the 168
216	216	role of such school paraprofessional at such meeting. Following such 169
217	217	meeting, such school paraprofessional, or any other paraprofessional 170
218	218	who is providing special education or related services to such child, 171
219	219	shall review such educational program with a supervisor, as needed, 172
220	220	and be permitted to view such educational program in order to be able 173
221	221	to provide special education or related services to such child or pupil in 174
222	222	accordance with such educational program. 175
223	223	This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
224	224	sections:
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226	226	Section 1 July 1, 2023 10-148d(a)
227	227	Sec. 2 July 1, 2023 10-220a(b) and (c)
228	228	Sec. 3 July 1, 2023 10-10a(c) Raised Bill No. 6844
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234	234	Sec. 4 July 1, 2023 New section
235	235	Sec. 5 July 1, 2023 10-76d(a)(10)(I)
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237	237	Statement of Purpose:
238	238	To (1) exclude mandated trainings from professional development
239	239	programs for paraeducators, (2) include a paraeducator on professional
240	240	development and evaluation committees, (3) require the collection of
241	241	data concerning paraeducators on the state-wide public school
242	242	information system, (4) require an annual report on paraeducator
243	243	staffing levels, and (5) require paraeducators to review a student's
244	244	individualized education program with a supervisor, as needed.
245	245	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
246	246	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
247	247	underlined.]
248	248