Researcher: MGS Page 1 5/25/23
OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 6880 (as amended by House "A")*
AN ACT CONCERNING ASSORTED REVISIONS AND ADDITIONS
TO THE EDUCATION STATUTES.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
SUMMARY
§ 1 — LIMITATIONS ON USE OF EDTPA
Limits the use of the teacher preservice performance assessment, edTPA, to only as an
accountability measure for teacher preparation programs, retroactive to July 1, 2022
§ 2 — CEASE-AND-DESIST ORDERS FOR PROHIBITED PRACTICES
Allows SBLR to issue a cease-and-desist order for certain violations of the teachers
collective bargaining law
§ 3 — RAISING THE KINDERGARTEN STARTING AGE
Raises the age children can start public school kindergarten from age five by January of
the school year to age five by September of the school year
§§ 4 & 5 — PLAY-BASED LEARNING DURING PRESCHOOL,
KINDERGARTEN, AND GR ADES ONE TO FIVE
Requires schools to provide play-based learning during each regular school day for
kindergarten and preschool students; requires school boards to permit a teacher to use
play-based learning during the school day for grades one to five; adds play-based learning
to educator professional development
§§ 6-7 — EXIT SURVEY FOR TEACHERS LEAVING THE PROFESSION
AND TEACHER ATTRITION RATES
Requires school boards to (1) develop and conduct exit surveys of teachers voluntarily
leaving employment with the board and (2) add teacher attrition rates to their strategic
school profile report
§ 8 — TEACHER PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS ADV ISORY COUNCIL
Revises and expands the membership of the Teacher Professional Standards Advisory
Council, including adding the Teacher of the Year and the previous year’s Teacher of the
Year
§ 9 — TEACHERS’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM TASK FORCE
Establishes a task force to analyze the per pupil equity of TRS funding; requires the task
force to submit its recommendations to the Education and Appropriations committees by
January 1, 2025
§§ 10 & 11 — PARAEDUCATOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 2023HB-06880-R020825-BA.DOCX
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Excludes certain mandated trainings from paraeducator professional development
programs; requires annual updates to SDE’s guidance and best practices for programs of
professional development
§ 11 — PARAEDUCATOR PDEC MEMBERSHIP
Adds a paraeducator to each school district’s professional development and evaluation
committee (PDEC)
§ 12 — IEP REVIEW BY PARAPROFESSIONALS
Requires paraeducators to review a student’s IEP with a supervisor as needed
§ 13 — CERTIFICATE ENDORSEMENTS FOR PRES CHOOL AND
KINDERGARTEN TEACHIN G
Allows the education commissioner to allow a teacher with a (1) grade one through six
endorsement to teach kindergarten for a second year without demonstrating enrollment in
a kindergarten endorsement program or (2) grade one through 12 comprehensive special
education endorsement to teach preschool in addition to kindergarten as current law
allows
§ 14 — ARC PROGRAM EXPANSION
Requires OHE to expand its ARC program attended by minority teacher incentive
program grant recipients and hire one full-time permanent employee to administer the
expanded ARC program
§ 15 — ADJUNCT ARTS INSTRUCTOR PERMIT
Allows SBE to additionally issue adjunct instructor permits in the arts to applicants who
hold a degree higher than a bachelor’s and meet other requirements in existing law
§ 16 — STUDENT TEACHING EXPERIENCE BY DRG
Removes the requirement that teacher preparation program participants complete their
clinical, field, or student teaching experience in two different types of school districts
according to DRG categorization
§ 17 — INTEGRATED AND CROSS END ORSEMENTS
Allows SDE, in cooperation with OHE, to authorize three new endorsements affecting
early childhood education, special education, and grades kindergarten through three
teaching positions
§ 18 — SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS
Allows local or regional boards of education, under certain circumstances, to employ a
substitute teacher for up to 60 days without obtaining an SDE-issued substitute
authorization
§ 19 — PURCHASING TEACHER RETIREMENT CREDIT
Removes service at SERC from the 10-year aggregate limit on purchases of TRS
retirement credit
§§ 20 & 21 — ADDITIONS TO THE TEACHERS’ RETIREMENT
SYSTEM
Expands the TRS to cover teachers employed by an interdistrict magnet school operated by
(1) a private higher education institution’s board of governors; (2) an SDE-approved,
third-party nonprofit corporation; or (3) Goodwin University Magnet Schools, Inc. and
Goodwin University Educational Services, Inc., specifically 2023HB-06880-R020825-BA.DOCX
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§ 22 — TENURE AND ACCUMULATED SICK LEAVE
Maintains a teacher’s tenure and accumulated sick leave in the event a new regional
school district is formed
§§ 23-27 — TEACHER PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS
Requires local and regional boards of education to adopt revised teacher evaluation
programs and SBE to adopt revised program guidelines that use new (1) student
indicators and assessment methods and (2) teacher feedback mechanisms; removes obsolete
language
BACKGROUND
SUMMARY
This bill makes various changes to education laws, as described
below.
*House Amendment “A” is a strike-all amendment that replaces the
underlying bill, thereby removing provisions on boards of education (1)
making curriculum materials available to parents and guardians; (2)
posting notice of school meal compliance with federal nutrition
requirements; (3) allowing teenage fathers to attend adult education; (4)
making board meeting agendas and documents publicly available; (5)
giving in-service training on seizures; and (6) supplying free menstrual
products in restrooms. It also removes provisions on the State
Department of Education (SDE) (1) making a plan for a statewide
remote learning school, (2) appointing a parent advisory committee and
a teacher advisory committee, and (3) supporting after school grant
recipients.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Various; see below
§ 1 — LIMITATIONS ON USE OF EDTPA
Limits the use of the teacher preservice performance assessment, edTPA, to only as an
accountability measure for teacher preparation programs, retroactive to July 1, 2022
Retroactive to July 1, 2022, the bill requires that the state’s teacher
preservice performance assessment, edTPA, can only be used as an
accountability measure for teacher preparation programs and bars the
State Board of Education (SBE) from using edTPA assessment results to
deny an application for an initial educator certificate. In 2016, SBE
approved a resolution that required all teacher preparation programs in 2023HB-06880-R020825-BA.DOCX
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the state, whether at four-year institutions or alternate route to
certification programs, to require satisfactory completion of edTPA by
all teacher candidates in order to complete a teacher preparation
program.
By law, unchanged by the bill, SBE must grant an initial educator
certificate to any applicant who (1) holds a bachelor’s degree or an
advanced degree from an accredited institution of higher education; (2)
has completed (a) a teacher preparation program approved by SBE or
the appropriate governing body in another state or (b) an alternate route
to certification program approved by SBE or the appropriate governing
body in another state, and satisfies the requirements for either a
temporary 90-day certificate or a resident teacher certificate, both of
which are short-term certificates; and (3) satisfies the special education
coursework requirement (CGS § 10-145b). These requirements do not
consider the results of the edTPA assessment.
It is not clear under the bill whether the use of edTPA as an
accountability measure would mean teacher preparation programs
could continue to use it as a program requirement.
The Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity created
edTPA and Pearson Assessments, Inc., scores and administers it across
the country. It generally costs applicants $300.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
§ 2 — CEASE-AND-DESIST ORDERS FOR PROHIB ITED
PRACTICES
Allows SBLR to issue a cease-and-desist order for certain violations of the teachers
collective bargaining law
The bill allows the State Board of Labor Relations (SBLR) to issue a
cease-and-desist order for certain violations of the teachers collective
bargaining law (e.g., refusal to negotiate in good faith or retaliating
against a complainant). Under the bill, when an alleged prohibited
practice or breach of duty is ongoing, SBLR may order the party
committing the act or practice to cease and desist from doing it until the
board makes a determination on the matter. 2023HB-06880-R020825-BA.DOCX
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Currently, SBLR may only issue a cease-and-desist order after
holding a hearing on the complaint and making a determination.
By law, boards of education (i.e., “school board”) and an employees’
representative organization (i.e., “union”) can file complaints about
prohibited practice violations with the SBLR. Certified teachers and
other certified employees may also file complaints about a breach of the
duty of fair representation.
Initially, an agent investigates the complaint and may or may not
issue a report charging there has been a prohibited practice. And if it
does, SBLR must hold a hearing on the matter. Even if the agent’s report
recommends dismissing the complaint, or the agent does not make a
report or issue a complaint, the SBLR can still choose to hold a hearing.
Under the bill, at this point in the process, the board can issue and
cause to be served on the party committing the act or practice an order
requiring the party to cease and desist from the act or practice until the
board makes a determination. Current law authorizes SBLR to issue a
cease-and-desist order only after holding a hearing on the complaint.
The board can also take further action to ensure the prohibited practice
or breach of duty is stopped and collective bargaining law is properly
carried out.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 3 — RAISING THE KINDERGARTEN STARTING AGE
Raises the age children can start public school kindergarten from age five by January of
the school year to age five by September of the school year
Current law requires children to be at least age five by January of the
school year in order to enroll in public school kindergarten. The bill
instead requires the child turn age five by September of the school year
in order to enroll in kindergarten.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2024
§§ 4 & 5 — PLAY-BASED LEARNING DURING PR ESCHOOL,
KINDERGARTEN, AND GR ADES ONE TO FIVE 2023HB-06880-R020825-BA.DOCX
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Requires schools to provide play-based learning during each regular school day for
kindergarten and preschool students; requires school boards to permit a teacher to use
play-based learning during the school day for grades one to five; adds play-based learning
to educator professional development
The bill requires each school board to provide play-based learning
during the instructional time of each regular school day for students in
kindergarten and preschool. The play-based learning must (1) be
incorporated and integrated into daily practice; (2) allow for the
students’ needs to be met through free play, guided play, and games;
and (3) not involve, predominantly, using mobile electronic devices.
Additionally, it requires each school board to allow a teacher to use
play-based learning during the instructional time of a regular school
day for students in grades one to five, inclusive. The play-based learning
may be incorporated and integrated into daily practice, and, as with
kindergarten and preschool, must (1) allow for the students’ needs to be
met through free play, guided play, and games and (2) predominantly
not involve using mobile electronic devices.
Under the bill “play-based learning” means a teaching approach that
emphasizes play in promoting learning and includes developmentally
appropriate strategies that can be integrated with existing learning
standards. It does not mean time spent in recess or as part of a physical
education course or instruction.
The bill requires that any play-based learning comply with a
student’s individualized education program under special education
law or an accommodation plan under Section 504 of the federal
Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
A school employee may only prevent or otherwise restrict a student’s
participation in play-based learning if it is in accord with the school
board’s policy addressing recess restrictions as a form of discipline.
Definitions
Under the bill:
1. “Free play” means unstructured, voluntary, child-initiated
activities a child does for self-amusement and have behavioral, 2023HB-06880-R020825-BA.DOCX
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social, and psychomotor rewards, except “free play” may be
structured to promote activities that are child-directed, joyful,
and spontaneous.
2. “Guided play” means learning experiences that combine the
child-directed nature of free play with a focus on learning
outcomes and adult guidance.
3. “Recess” means at least 20 minutes during the regular school day
for each elementary school student devoted to physical exercise
as required by law.
4. “Mobile electronic device” means any hand-held or other
portable electronic equipment that provides data communication
between two or more individuals, including a text messaging or
paging device, a personal digital assistant, a laptop computer,
equipment that can play a video game or a digital video disk, or
equipment on which digital images are taken or transmitted.
5. “Instructional time” means the time of actual school work during
a regular school day.
Play-Based Learning and Professional Development
Additionally, the bill adds play-based learning to educator
professional development beginning July 1, 2024. Under current law,
educator professional development must include a number of specific
topics including refining and improving various effective teaching
methods that are shared between and among educators. The bill adds
that this must include play-based learning, as defined in the bill, for
those teaching preschool or in grades kindergarten through five.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2024, except the professional development
provision is effective July 1, 2023.
§§ 6-7 — EXIT SURVEY FOR TEACHERS LEAVIN G THE
PROFESSION AND TEACH ER ATTRITION RATES
Requires school boards to (1) develop and conduct exit surveys of teachers voluntarily
leaving employment with the board and (2) add teacher attrition rates to their strategic
school profile report 2023HB-06880-R020825-BA.DOCX
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The bill requires each school board, by January 1, 2024, to develop an
exit survey to be completed by a teacher who is employed by the board
and voluntarily ceases employment with that board. The survey must
include questions addressing (1) why the teacher is ceasing
employment, (2) whether the teacher is leaving the profession, (3) the
teacher’s demographics, and (4) the subject areas the teacher taught.
The bill also requires school boards to add teacher attrition rates and
the exit survey results to the existing strategic school profile report that
school districts submit to SDE each year. The profile already includes
information such as student performance, student needs, school
resources and resource usage, and student discipline. SDE publishes the
reports on its website.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 8 — TEACHER PROFES SIONAL STANDARDS ADV ISORY
COUNCIL
Revises and expands the membership of the Teacher Professional Standards Advisory
Council, including adding the Teacher of the Year and the previous year’s Teacher of the
Year
The bill revises and expands the membership of the Teacher
Professional Standards Advisory Council. The 17-member council is
expanded to 19 members by adding the Teacher of the Year and the
previous year’s Teacher of the Year and by adjusting the number of
appointments for some of the appointing authorities. In addition, the
bill changes the qualifiers for several members.
By law, the council advises SBE, the Education Committee, and the
governor on teacher preparation, recruitment, retention, certification,
professional development, and assessment and evaluation. It must
report by January 15 each year to SBE, the Education Committee, and
the governor on its activities and recommendations, if any, about the
teaching profession.
The membership changes of appointed members are shown in the
table below.
2023HB-06880-R020825-BA.DOCX
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Table: Teacher Professional Standards Advisory Council Appointed Members
Current Law
Bill
Appointing
Authority
Member Qualifier and Number of Appointments
Governor Public member who
represents business and
industry
No change
State Board of
Education
One faculty member or
administrator of a state-
approved teacher
preparation program
One public member who
represents business and
industry
Two who are either faculty
members or administrators of a
state-approved teacher preparation
program
House speaker One parent of a public
school elementary or
secondary school student
One parent or guardian of a public
school elementary or secondary
school student
Senate president
pro tempore
One member who
represents business and
industry
One administrator of a local or
regional school board of education
House majority
leader
One school superintendent No change
Senate majority
leader
One member of a local or
regional board of education
No change
House minority
leader
One public member
One public school
administrator
One superintendent of a regional
school district
Senate minority
leader
One parent of a public
school elementary or
secondary school student
One public member
One parent of a public school
secondary school student
Connecticut
Education
Association
Four classroom teachers at
the time of, and during,
their appointment; two of
whom are elementary
school teachers
Four classroom teachers at the
time of, and during, their
appointment; two of whom are
elementary school teachers, one is
a secondary school teacher, and
one is a special education teacher
American
Federation of
Teachers –
Connecticut
Two classroom teachers at
the time of, and during,
their appointment; one of
whom is an elementary
school teacher
Four classroom teachers at the
time of, and during, their
appointment; one of whom is an
elementary school teacher, two are
secondary school teachers, and
one is a special education teacher 2023HB-06880-R020825-BA.DOCX
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The bill states that all appointments made after July 1, 2023, are for
three-year terms. By law, terms are three years.
The bill also removes an obsolete provision.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 9 — TEACHERS’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM TASK F ORCE
Establishes a task force to analyze the per pupil equity of TRS funding; requires the task
force to submit its recommendations to the Education and Appropriations committees by
January 1, 2025
The bill establishes a 13-member task force to analyze the per-pupil
equity of Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) funding. The task force
must develop recommendations regarding:
1. the student equity implications of appropriating funds through
the state TRS laws toward the pension normal cost and the
unfunded liability amortization payments necessary to fully
fund the TRS (unfunded liability payments are made due to
underfunding in previous years);
2. whether and how much municipalities should contribute to the
pension normal cost and the unfunded liability amortization
payments in order to make the General Assembly’s allocations
more equitable on a per-pupil basis;
3. whether certain municipalities should be exempted from
assuming a percentage of the municipal contributions identified
above due to the following factors: (a) economic distress, (b)
inability to pay, or (c) low academic performance; and
4. whether and how the resources generated through municipal
contributions should be directed by the General Assembly
toward (a) reducing educational inequities and (b) promoting the
TRS sustainability.
Members
The task force includes the following members, by virtue of their
positions, or their designees: governor; education commissioner; TRS 2023HB-06880-R020825-BA.DOCX
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executive director; and the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors,
Equity and Opportunity executive director. The appointed members are
listed in the table below.
Table: Task Force to Study the Per-Pupil Equity of TRS Funding Appointees
Appointing Authority
(Number of Appointments)
Member Organization or Other Qualifier
House speaker (one) American Federation of Teachers-Connecticut
representative
Senate president pro
tempore (one)
Connecticut Education Association representative
House majority leader (one) Representative of an advocacy organization
focused on educational equity
Senate majority leader (one) Representative of an organization with national
expertise in both teacher pensions and school
finance
House minority leader (two) • Connecticut Association of School
Business Officials representative
• Connecticut Association of Public School
Superintendents representative
Senate minority leader (two) • Connecticut Conference of Municipalities
representative
• Connecticut Association of Boards of
Education representative
Black and Puerto Rican
Caucus chair (one)
(No specific organization or qualifier)
Any of the appointed members may be a member of the General
Assembly. All initial appointments must be made no later than 30 days
after the bill’s passage. Any vacancy will be filled by the appointing
authority.
The House speaker and the Senate president pro tempore select the
chairpersons of the task force from among its members. The
chairpersons must schedule the first meeting of the task force, which
must be held no later than 60 days after the bill’s passage.
The administrative staff of the Education Committee serves as task
force administrative staff.
By January 1, 2025, the task force must submit a report on its findings 2023HB-06880-R020825-BA.DOCX
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and recommendations to the Education and Appropriations committees
and it terminates on the date the report is submitted or January 1, 2025,
whichever is later.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
§§ 10 & 11 — PARAEDUCATOR PROFESSIONA L DEVELOPMENT
Excludes certain mandated trainings from paraeducator professional development
programs; requires annual updates to SDE’s guidance and best practices for programs of
professional development
By law, local and regional boards of education must make available
an annual, free professional development program of at least 18 hours
to any paraeducators they employ. Beginning in the 2023-24 school year,
the bill prohibits trainings that are otherwise mandated (e.g., training
on blood-borne pathogens, sexual harassment, or Department of
Children and Families’ policies and procedures) from being part of the
18 hours.
Additionally, the bill requires SDE to collaborate with the School
Paraeducator Advisory Council to develop or update guidance and best
practices for paraeducator professional development programs, which
SDE must distribute to each board of education. By law, the School
Paraeducator Advisory Council advises the education commissioner on
professional development, staffing strategies, and other relevant issues
relating to paraprofessionals (CGS § 10-155k).
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 11 — PARAEDUCATOR PDEC MEMBERSHIP
Adds a paraeducator to each school district’s professional development and evaluation
committee (PDEC)
By law, each local and regional board of education must form a
professional development and evaluation committee (PDEC) to (1)
participate in developing or adopting the district’s teacher evaluation
and support program and (2) develop, evaluate, and annually update
the district’s comprehensive local professional development plan for
certified employees.
Under current law, a PDEC’s members must be teachers, 2023HB-06880-R020825-BA.DOCX
Researcher: MGS Page 13 5/25/23
administrators, and other personnel the board finds appropriate. The
bill adds at least one paraeducator, chosen by any exclusive bargaining
representative for paraeducators, to the required PDEC membership.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 12 — IEP REVIEW BY PARAPROFESSIONALS
Requires paraeducators to review a student’s IEP with a supervisor as needed
By law, school paraprofessionals, or any other paraprofessional
providing special education or related services to a student, must be
allowed to view a student’s individualized education program (IEP).
The bill adds the requirement that these paraprofessionals review the
IEP with a supervisor, as needed.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 13 — CERTIFICATE ENDORSEMENTS FOR PRES CHOOL AND
KINDERGARTEN TEACHIN G
Allows the education commissioner to allow a teacher with a (1) grade one through six
endorsement to teach kindergarten for a second year without demonstrating enrollment in
a kindergarten endorsement program or (2) grade one through 12 comprehensive special
education endorsement to teach preschool in addition to kindergarten as current law
allows
Elementary Endorsements
By law and unchanged by the bill, if a person holds an elementary
education endorsement to teach grades one through six, and that
endorsement was issued on or after July 1, 2017, then the education
commissioner may allow that person to teach kindergarten for one
school year. The superintendent for the employing school district must
request this permission.
Current law prohibits the commissioner from granting the
endorsement holder a second year to teach kindergarten unless the
person demonstrates enrollment in a program to meet the requirements
for the appropriate kindergarten endorsement. The bill allows the
employing superintendent to request that the commissioner grant the
endorsement holder a second year of kindergarten teaching and
removes the requirement that the holder demonstrate kindergarten
endorsement program enrollment. 2023HB-06880-R020825-BA.DOCX
Researcher: MGS Page 14 5/25/23
Comprehensive Special Education Endorsements
Under current law, anyone who holds a teaching certificate with an
endorsement to teach comprehensive special education in grades one
through 12 may extend the endorsement to grades kindergarten
through 12 if the applicant has earned a satisfactory score on either the
SBE-approved reading instruction exam or a comparable reading
instruction exam with minimum standards that are equivalent to the
SBE-approved one.
Under the bill, anyone who holds this endorsement for grades one
through 12 may extend it to grades prekindergarten through 12 if they
meet the above reading instruction exam score requirements.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 14 — ARC PROGRAM EXPANSION
Requires OHE to expand its ARC program attended by minority teacher incentive
program grant recipients and hire one full-time permanent employee to administer the
expanded ARC program
The bill requires the Office of Higher Education (OHE), within
available appropriations, to (1) expand its alternate route to certification
(ARC) program that minority teacher incentive program grant
recipients attend and (2) hire one full-time permanent employee to
administer the expanded program. By law, OHE’s minority teacher
incentive program provides, within available appropriations, up to
$5,000 in annual grants for up to two years to enroll in the ARC program,
among other things (CGS § 10a-168a).
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
§ 15 — ADJUNCT ARTS INSTRUCTOR PERMIT
Allows SBE to additionally issue adjunct instructor permits in the arts to applicants who
hold a degree higher than a bachelor’s and meet other requirements in existing law
By law, SBE may issue part-time adjunct instructor permits to
applicants with specialized training, experience, or expertise in the arts
if an employing board of education or regional educational service
center requests it. The permit authorizes its holder to teach art, music,
dance, theater, or any subject related to the holder’s artistic specialty for 2023HB-06880-R020825-BA.DOCX
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up to 15 hours per week in certain magnet schools.
Current law requires applicants for this permit to hold a bachelor’s
degree from an institution that is regionally accredited or accredited by
OHE or the Board of Regents for Higher Education. The bill expands
this educational requirement to allow applicants with an academic
degree that is higher than a bachelor’s to hold the permit. By law and
unchanged by the bill, applicants must also meet certain work
experience requirements.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 16 — STUDENT TEACHING EXPERIENCE BY DRG
Removes the requirement that teacher preparation program participants complete their
clinical, field, or student teaching experience in two different types of school districts
according to DRG categorization
By law, teacher preparation program participants must complete a
clinical, field, or student teaching experience in a classroom during four
semesters. The bill removes the requirement that this experience occur
in two school districts from certain categories of district reference
groups (DRGs).
SDE created DRGs to group districts with similar needs and
socioeconomic characteristics, based on factors including family
income, parental education and occupation, family structure, poverty,
language spoken at home, and district enrollment. (According to the
department, it no longer uses this classification system.) DRGs were
labeled “A” through “I,” with “A” being the most affluent districts and
“I” being the least. The bill removes the requirement that program
participants complete one student teaching experience in a school
district from groups “A” through “E” and another in a district from
groups “F” through “I.”
The bill also removes the requirement that any cooperating teacher
who is part of the student teaching experience must have earned a
performance evaluation designation of “exemplary” or “proficient” in
the prior school year to serve as a mentor to student teachers. 2023HB-06880-R020825-BA.DOCX
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EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 17 — INTEGRATED AND CROSS ENDORSEMENTS
Allows SDE, in cooperation with OHE, to authorize three new endorsements affecting
early childhood education, special education, and grades kindergarten through three
teaching positions
SDE issues endorsements to teachers who hold initial, provisional, or
professional level teacher certification. These endorsements are added
to the certificate to signify expertise in a subject area. SDE refers to
additional endorsements received in other subject areas as cross
endorsements.
Beginning on July 1, 2023, the bill allows SDE, in cooperation with
OHE, to authorize the following new endorsements: (1) Integrated Early
Childhood/Special Education Birth-Kindergarten, (2) Integrated Early
Childhood/Elementary Education N-3, and (3) Special Education N-K.
The bill specifies that the second and third endorsements listed above
are to be added as a cross endorsement as a replacement for requiring
full planned program and institutional recommendation.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 18 — SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS
Allows local or regional boards of education, under certain circumstances, to employ a
substitute teacher for up to 60 days without obtaining an SDE-issued substitute
authorization
The bill allows local or regional boards of education to employ a
substitute teacher for up to 60 days without obtaining an SDE-issued
substitute authorization, so long as the substitute teacher is in the same
assignment for the entire period. By law and unchanged by the bill,
anyone employed as a substitute teacher must hold a bachelor’s degree
(which the education commissioner may waive for good cause) and be
on a list of substitute teachers maintained by the employing board.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 19 — PURCHASING TEACHER RETIREMENT CRE DIT
Removes service at SERC from the 10-year aggregate limit on purchases of TRS
retirement credit 2023HB-06880-R020825-BA.DOCX
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The law allows TRS members to purchase retirement credit for
certain service outside the system, such as public school teaching in
another state or in a federal Defense Department school for military
dependents. Such purchases allow the TRS members to build additional
credit toward their retirement provided the service the purchase is
based on is not used for a retirement benefit of another governmental
pension system other than Social Security. TRS members are generally
all certified public school teachers and administrators in the state with
some additional groups added by statute.
Generally, these purchases are limited to a total of 10 years, but
service as a public school teacher in another state is exempt from this
limit. The law allows for the purchase of retirement credit for service at
the State Education Resource Center (SERC) before July 1, 2007. The bill
makes the SERC service and the out-of-state teaching service, combined,
exempt from the 10 year limit. The credit must be paid for at the present
value of the full actuarial cost. It also specifies the SERC service is
deemed service in the public schools of Connecticut.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§§ 20 & 21 — ADDITIONS TO THE TEACHERS’ RETIREMENT
SYSTEM
Expands the TRS to cover teachers employed by an interdistrict magnet school operated by
(1) a private higher education institution’s board of governors; (2) an SDE-approved,
third-party nonprofit corporation; or (3) Goodwin University Magnet Schools, Inc. and
Goodwin University Educational Services, Inc., specifically
By law, teachers employed at a “public school,” as defined in state
law, may participate in the TRS. The bill adds to the definition of “public
school” any interdistrict magnet school that is operated by (1) a private
higher education institution’s board of governors or (2) an SDE-
approved, third-party nonprofit corporation, so long as the magnet
school is classified as a public school by the Teachers’ Retirement Board
(TRB).
The bill also requires the TRB to (1) classify as public schools all
schools operated by Goodwin University Magnet Schools, Inc. and
Goodwin University Educational Services, Inc. and (2) admit each 2023HB-06880-R020825-BA.DOCX
Researcher: MGS Page 18 5/25/23
teacher employed at them.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 22 — TENURE AND ACCUMULAT ED SICK LEAVE
Maintains a teacher’s tenure and accumulated sick leave in the event a new regional
school district is formed
State law maintains a teacher’s tenure and accumulated sick leave in
the event the school district the teacher works for joins a regional school
district. The law requires that this change is not deemed an interruption
of continuous employment, so tenure and accumulated sick leave is
preserved.
The bill modifies this to include when a teacher with these
accumulated rights who works for a school district or a regional school
district begins working for a new regional school district. As with
existing law, the teacher must work for a school district or regional
school district during the school year immediately before, or within
which, the new regional district is established and continues as an
employee of the new regional district.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§§ 23-27 — TEACHER PERFORMANCE EVALUATIO NS
Requires local and regional boards of education to adopt revised teacher evaluation
programs and SBE to adopt revised program guidelines that use new (1) student
indicators and assessment methods and (2) teacher feedback mechanisms; removes obsolete
language
By law, each public school district’s superintendent must annually
evaluate each teacher or have each teacher be evaluated. This refers to
each professional board of education employee, below the rank of
superintendent, who holds an SBE-issued certificate or permit. The
superintendent may conduct formative (i.e., continuous diagnostic)
evaluations to be used to produce an annual summative (i.e., final)
evaluation.
This bill makes various changes in the teacher evaluation laws,
requiring local and regional boards of education to adopt revised
teacher evaluation programs and SBE to adopt revised program 2023HB-06880-R020825-BA.DOCX
Researcher: MGS Page 19 5/25/23
guidelines that use new (1) student indicators and assessment methods
and (2) teacher feedback mechanisms. The bill maintains the option for
boards of education to adopt SBE’s model teacher evaluation and
support program, but it requires SBE to ensure that its model program
aligns with these revised guidelines.
The bill also removes obsolete language, including references to a
now obsolete teacher evaluation and support pilot program and a
UConn study of the pilot program. It also makes technical and
conforming changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
Teacher Evaluation and Support Program
Under current law, the evaluation process must follow the teacher
evaluation and support program adopted by the district’s board of
education and be aligned with the State Board of Education’s (SBE)
guidelines for a model teacher evaluation program. In developing a
program for the district, the board of education must attempt to reach a
mutual agreement with the district’s professional development and
evaluation committee (PDEC).
SBE Program. By July 1, 2024, the bill requires SBE to adopt revised
guidelines for a teacher evaluation and support program, in
consultation with the Performance Evaluation Advisory Council
(PEAC; see below). It also requires SBE to adopt a revised model teacher
evaluation and support program that aligns with these guidelines. The
bill makes the following changes to revise the guidelines that current
law required SBE to adopt for its model program in 2012:
1. removes the requirement that the guidelines include (a) four
performance evaluation designators for teachers (i.e.,
“exemplary,” “proficient,” “developing,” and “below standard”)
and (b) references to teacher evaluation “scoring systems” to
determine “ratings”;
2. requires the guidelines to use student learning, growth, and
achievement, rather than student academic growth and 2023HB-06880-R020825-BA.DOCX
Researcher: MGS Page 20 5/25/23
development, as indicators in teacher evaluations;
3. requires the guidelines to include methods for assessing student
learning, growth, and achievement rather than student academic
growth and development;
4. requires the guidelines to consider control factors tracked by the
statewide public school information system that may influence
teacher performance, including student characteristics, student
attendance, and student mobility;
5. requires the guidelines to use an evaluator-provided annual
summary of teacher growth, rather than a scoring system with
performance evaluation designators, for the minimum
requirements for teacher evaluation instruments and procedures;
6. requires the guidelines to address creating individual
improvement and remediation plans for teachers who need
additional support, rather than for teachers who have a rating of
“developing” or “below standard”;
7. removes the requirement that these individual improvement and
remediation plans include a summative rating of proficient or
better as success indicators at the plan’s conclusion; and
8. requires the guidelines to include a validation procedure for the
State Department of Education (SDE) or a third party to audit
remediation plans, rather than audit evaluations with a rating of
“exemplary” or “below standard” as current law requires.
District Program. The bill requires each local and regional board of
education, beginning with the 2024-25 school year, to adopt and
implement a revised teacher evaluation and support program that
follows SBE’s revised guidelines.
As under current law, the bill requires that the program be developed
through mutual agreement between the board of education and the
school district’s PDEC. If a board is unable to reach a mutual agreement
with the PDEC, then both parties must consider SBE’s model program 2023HB-06880-R020825-BA.DOCX
Researcher: MGS Page 21 5/25/23
and may adopt that if they mutually agree. If both parties are still cannot
reach an agreement, then the board must adopt and implement the
program it has developed, so long as it is consistent with SBE guidelines.
The bill allows the education commissioner to waive the requirement
that a board adopt a program consistent with SBE’s revised guidelines
for any board that has expressed an intent by July 1, 2024, to adopt a
program that requires a waiver from these requirements.
By law, each board of education must provide training and
orientation programs for evaluators and teachers on the local evaluation
and support program. The bill requires, beginning with the 2023-2024
school year, that the training programs and orientation be held at least
annually, rather than biennially.
Other Evaluation Process Changes
The bill also makes the following changes to the state’s teacher
evaluation process:
1. requires teachers who do not receive a summative evaluation
during the school year to be recorded as “not evaluated” rather
than “not rated” as current law requires and
2. removes the requirement that superintendents report aggregate
evaluation ratings to the education commissioner by September
15 each year.
PEAC
Under existing law, PEAC is a council within SDE, led by the
education commissioner with members from various education interest
groups. The bill maintains PEAC’s responsibility under current law to
(1) assist SBE with developing guidelines for a teacher evaluation and
support program and developing a model program and (2) oversee the
data collection and evaluation support system; however, it removes the
requirement that PEAC assist SBE with developing a teacher evaluation
and support program implementation plan.
BACKGROUND 2023HB-06880-R020825-BA.DOCX
Researcher: MGS Page 22 5/25/23
Related Bills
sHB 6757 (File 585), favorably reported by the Education Committee,
has substantially similar provisions that make changes in the statutes
governing the teacher evaluation and support program.
sHB 6879 (File 589), favorably reported by the Education Committee,
has substantially similar provisions that make changes in the statutes
governing teacher certificate endorsements for preschool, kindergarten,
and special education (§§ 1 & 6), the ARC program (§ 3), the adjunct
instructor permit for the arts (§ 4), student teaching (§ 5), integrated and
cross-endorsements (§ 8), and substitute teachers (§ 9).
SB 2, (File 77, as amended by Senate “A”) includes the same play-
based learning provision.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Education Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 44 Nay 0 (03/24/2023)
Appropriations Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 53 Nay 0 (05/01/2023)