O F F I C E O F L E G I S L A T I V E R E S E A R C H
P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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PA 23-159—sHB 6880
Education Committee
Appropriations Committee
AN ACT CONCERNING TE ACHERS AND PARAEDUCA TORS
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
§ 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, and after
§ 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
Generally 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 play-based learning for preschool and kindergarten students; requires school boards to
allow play-based learning 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
reports
§ 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 and requires the task force
to submit its recommendations to the Appropriations and Education committees by January 1,
2025
§§ 10 & 11 — PARAEDUCATOR PROFESSIONAL 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 O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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§ 11 — PARAEDUCATOR PDEC MEMBERSHIP
Adds a paraeducator to each school district’s PDEC
§ 12 — IEP REVIEW BY PARAPROFESSIONALS
Requires paraprofessionals to review a student’s IEP with a supervisor as needed
§ 13 — CERTIFICATE ENDORSEMENTS FOR PRESCHOOL AND
KINDERGARTEN TEACHIN G
Allows the education commissioner to allow a teacher with a (1) grade 1 through 6 endorsement
to teach kindergarten for a second year without being enrolled in a kindergarten endorsement
program or (2) grade 1 through 12 comprehensive special education endorsement to teach
preschool
§ 14 — ARC PROGRAM EXPANSION
Requires OHE to expand its ARC program for 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 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 DISTRICT REFERENCE
GROUP
Removes the requirement that (1) teacher preparation program participants complete their
clinical, field, or student teaching experience in two different types of school districts according to
DRG categorization and (2) teachers receive certain performance evaluation ratings to be eligible
to participate in student teacher mentorship
§ 17 — INTEGRATED AND CROSS ENDOR SEMENTS
Allows SDE, in cooperation with OHE, to authorize two 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 to employ a substitute teacher for up to 60 days in
the same assignment 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
§ 22 — TENURE AND ACCUMULATED SICK LEAVE
Maintains a teacher’s tenure and accumulated sick leave if a new regional school district is
formed O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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§§ 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
SUMMARY: This act makes various changes in the education statutes, described
below in a section-by-section analysis.
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, and after
In 2016, the State Board of Education (SBE) approved a resolution that required
all teacher preparation programs in the state, whether at four-year institutions or
alternate route to certification programs, to require satisfactory completion of a
preservice performance assessment (edTPA, see Background — edTPA) by all
teacher candidates in order to complete the program. Retroactively, starting July 1,
2022, the act appears to supersede this resolution by (1) limiting edTPA’s use to
only as an accountability measure for teacher preparation programs offered at
Connecticut higher education institutions or State Department of Education (SDE)-
approved alternate route to certification programs and (2) barring SBE from using
edTPA assessment results to deny an application for an initial educator certificate.
By law, unchanged by the act, SBE must grant an initial educator certificate to
any applicant who (1) holds a bachelor’s degree or an advanced degree from an
accredited higher education institution; (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 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).
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
Background — edTPA
The Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity created edTPA, and
Pearson Assessments, Inc., scores and administers it across the country.
§ 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
By law, boards of education (i.e., “school boards”) and employees’
representative organizations (i.e., “unions”) can file written complaints about O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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prohibited practice violations of the teachers collective bargaining law (e.g., refusal
to negotiate in good faith or retaliating against a complainant) with the State Board
of Labor Relations (SBLR). Certified teachers and other certified employees may
also file written complaints about a violation involving a breach of the duty of fair
representation. Initially, SBLR must refer these complaints to an agent for an
investigation. Afterwards, among other things, the agent may issue his or her own
written complaint charging a violation to SBLR, which must then schedule a
hearing on it. (Although, regardless of the agent’s action, SBLR retains the option
of holding a hearing.)
At this point in the process and when an alleged prohibited practice or breach
of duty is ongoing, the act allows SBLR to order the party committing the alleged
action to cease and desist from doing it until the board decides on the matter.
Under prior law, SBLR could only issue a cease-and-desist order after holding
a hearing on the complaint and making a determination.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 3 — RAISING THE KINDERGARTEN STARTING AGE
Generally 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
Prior law generally required children to be at least age five by January of the
school year in order to enroll in public school kindergarten. The act instead
generally requires that the child turn age five by September of the school year in
order to enroll in kindergarten.
Under existing law, unchanged by the act, school boards may, by vote at a duly
called meeting, admit any child under age five. (However, PA 23-208, § 1,
eliminates this exception and instead allows a child under age five as of September
1 of the school year to be admitted if the child’s parent or guardian makes a written
request to the school principal and the principal and an appropriate certified school
staff member conduct an assessment that shows the child is developmentally
ready.)
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2024
§§ 4 & 5 — PLAY-BASED LEARNING DURING PR ESCHOOL,
KINDERGARTEN, AND GR ADES ONE TO FIVE
Requires play-based learning for preschool and kindergarten students; requires school boards to
allow play-based learning for grades one to five; adds play-based learning to educator
professional development
The act requires school boards to provide all students in their preschool and
kindergarten programs with play-based learning during the “instructional time” of
each regular school day (i.e., the time of actual school work during a regular school
day). This 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. O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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The act also requires each school board to allow teachers to use play-based
learning during the instructional time of a regular school day for students in grades
one to five. This learning may be incorporated and integrated into daily practice,
and, as with preschool and kindergarten, 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.
The act further requires that any play-based learning comply with a student’s
individualized education program (presumably under special education law) or an
accommodation plan under Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Additionally, a school employee may only prevent or otherwise restrict a student’s
participation in play-based learning if the employee follows the school board’s
policy on recess restrictions as a form of discipline.
The act makes related and other changes to the educator professional
development program, which, by law, must annually be provided by school boards
to certified employees and include a number of specific topics.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2024, except the educator professional development
program provision is effective July 1, 2023.
Professional Development
The act immediately requires, for principals and vice principals, that the
professional development program’s professional learning topics include training
on the management of school personnel and methods for engaging them with the
school’s goals. Beginning July 1, 2024, it also requires, for teachers in preschool or
grades kindergarten through five, that play-based learning be included in the
program’s topic on refining and improving various effective teaching methods that
are shared between and among educators.
Definitions
Under the act, “play-based learning” is a teaching approach that emphasizes
play in promoting learning and includes developmentally appropriate strategies that
can be integrated with existing learning standards. It is not time spent in recess or
as part of a physical education course or instruction. “Recess” is the time during
the regular school day for each elementary school student that is devoted to at least
20 minutes of physical exercise as required by law.
“Free play” is unstructured, voluntary, child-initiated activities a child does for
self-amusement and that have behavioral, social, and psychomotor rewards;
however, it may be structured to promote activities that are child-directed, joyful,
and spontaneous. “Guided play” is learning experiences that combine the child-
directed nature of free play with a focus on learning outcomes and adult guidance.
“Mobile electronic device” is 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. O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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Related Acts
PA 23-101, § 20, is identical to this act’s provision on play-based learning (§
4). PA 23-167, § 87, repeals the definition of “mobile electronic device” that this
act incorporates, effective July 1, 2025.
§§ 6 & 7 — EXIT SURVEY FOR TEACHERS LEAV ING 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
reports
The act 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 act also requires school boards to add teacher attrition rates and the exit
survey results to the existing strategic school profile report that they must submit
to SDE each year. The profile already includes information on, among other things,
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 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
The act revises the membership of the Teacher Professional Standards Advisory
Council, including (1) expanding the 17-member council to 19 members by adding
the Teacher of the Year and the previous year’s Teacher of the Year, (2) adjusting
the number of appointments for some of the appointing authorities, and (3)
changing the qualifications 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 to them by January 15
each year on its activities and recommendations, if any, about the teaching
profession.
The membership changes are shown in the table below.
O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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Table: Teacher Professional Standards Advisory Council Members
Prior Law
Act
Appointing
Authority
Member Qualifications and Number of Appointments
Governor Public member who
represents business and
industry
No change
SBE 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 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 public member
One parent of a public
school elementary or
secondary school student
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
secondary school teacher, and one
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
Four classroom teachers at the
time of, and during, their
appointment; one of whom is an
elementary school teacher, two O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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Prior Law
Act
Appointing
Authority
Member Qualifications and Number of Appointments
school teacher
secondary school teachers, and
one special education teacher
N/A None The Teacher of the Year and the
previous year’s Teacher of the
Year
The act states that all appointments made on or after July 1, 2023, are for three-
year terms. Regardless, by law, appointees’ terms are three years.
The act also removes an obsolete provision.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 9 — TEACHERS’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM TASK FORCE
Establishes a task force to analyze the per-pupil equity of TRS funding and requires the task force
to submit its recommendations to the Appropriations and Education committees by January 1,
2025
The act establishes a 13-member task force to analyze the per-pupil equity of
Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) funding. The task force must develop
recommendations on the following:
1. the student equity implications of appropriating funds through the state TRS
laws toward the normal cost of teacher pensions and the unfunded liability
amortization payments necessary to fully fund the TRS;
2. whether and how much municipalities should contribute to the normal cost
of teacher pensions 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 General Assembly should direct resources generated
through municipal contributions toward (a) reducing educational inequities
and (b) promoting TRS sustainability.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
Members
The task force includes the following members, by virtue of their positions, or
their designees: the governor; education commissioner; TRS executive director;
and Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity executive
director. It also includes nine appointed members, as shown in the table below. O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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Table: TRS Task Force Appointees
Appointing Authority
(Number of Appointments)
Member Organization or Other Qualification
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) • One Connecticut Association of School
Business Officials representative
• One Connecticut Association of Public
School Superintendents representative
Senate minority leader (two) • One Connecticut Conference of
Municipalities representative
• One Connecticut Association of Boards of
Education representative
Black and Puerto Rican
Caucus chair (one)
(No specific organization or qualification)
Under the act, the appointing authorities must make their appointments within
30 days after the act’s passage (i.e., by July 27, 2023) and fill any vacancy. The
appointments may be legislators.
The act requires the House speaker and the Senate president pro tempore to
select the task force’s chairpersons from among its members. The chairpersons
must schedule the first meeting of the task force, which must be held within 60 days
after the act’s passage (i.e., by August 26, 2023).
The administrative staff of the Education Committee serves as the task force’s
administrative staff.
By January 1, 2025, the task force must submit a report on its findings and
recommendations to the Appropriations and Education committees. It terminates
on the date the report is submitted or January 1, 2025, whichever is later.
§§ 10 & 11 — PARAEDUCATOR PROFESSIONAL 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 an annual, free
professional development program of at least 18 hours available to any O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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paraeducators they employ. Beginning in the 2023-24 school year, the act prohibits
trainings that are otherwise mandated (e.g., training on blood-borne pathogens,
sexual harassment, or the Department of Children and Families’ policies and
procedures) from being part of the 18 hours.
The act also requires SDE to annually collaborate with the School Paraeducator
Advisory Council, beginning by January 1, 2025, 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 for paraprofessionals
(i.e., paraeducators) (CGS § 10-155k).
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 11 — PARAEDUCATOR PDEC MEMBERSHIP
Adds a paraeducator to each school district’s 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 and paraeducators.
Existing law requires a PDEC’s membership to consist of (1) at least one
teacher and administrator chosen by the exclusive bargaining representative for
certified employees and (2) other personnel the board finds appropriate. The act
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 paraprofessionals to review a student’s IEP with a supervisor as needed
By law, any paraprofessionals (i.e., paraeducators) assigned to a student or
providing special education or related services to the student must be allowed to
view a student’s individualized education program (IEP) after a meeting has
occurred to develop, review, or revise the document. The act 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 1 through 6 endorsement
to teach kindergarten for a second year without being enrolled in a kindergarten endorsement
program or (2) grade 1 through 12 comprehensive special education endorsement to teach
preschool O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 11 of 16
Elementary Endorsements
By law and unchanged by the act, 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.
Prior law prohibited the commissioner from granting the endorsement holder a
second year to teach kindergarten unless the person demonstrated enrollment in a
program to meet the requirements for the appropriate kindergarten endorsement.
The act instead 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.
Comprehensive Special Education Endorsements
Under prior law, anyone holding a teaching certificate with an endorsement to
teach comprehensive special education in grades 1-12 could extend the
endorsement to grades kindergarten through 12.
Under the act, anyone who holds this endorsement for grades 1-12 may extend
it to grades prekindergarten through 12. As under prior law, anyone applying for
this endorsement must have earned a satisfactory score on either the SBE-approved
reading instruction exam or a comparable exam.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 14 — ARC PROGRAM EXPANSION
Requires OHE to expand its ARC program for minority teacher incentive program grant
recipients and hire one full-time permanent employee to administer the expanded ARC program
For FY 23, the act 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.
ARC programs allow participants to attain teacher certification without completing
a regular teacher preparation 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 minority
students taking certain steps toward teaching careers, including enrollment in the
ARC program (CGS § 10a-168a).
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
§ 15 — ADJUNCT ARTS INSTRUCTOR PERMIT
Allows SBE to 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 O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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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 up to 15 hours per week in certain magnet schools.
Prior law generally required 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 act additionally allows applicants with
an academic degree that is higher than a bachelor’s from a similarly accredited
institution to hold the permit. By law and unchanged by the act, applicants must
also meet certain work experience requirements.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 16 — STUDENT TEACHING EXPERIENCE BY DISTRICT REFERENCE
GROUP
Removes the requirement that (1) teacher preparation program participants complete their
clinical, field, or student teaching experience in two different types of school districts according to
DRG categorization and (2) teachers receive certain performance evaluation ratings to be eligible
to participate in student teacher mentorship
By law, teacher preparation program participants must complete a clinical,
field, or student teaching experience in a classroom during four semesters. The act
removes the requirement that this experience occur in two school districts from
certain categories of district reference groups (DRG).
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 act 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 act 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 (which conforms with § 23; see below).
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 17 — INTEGRATED AND CROSS ENDORSEMENTS
Allows SDE, in cooperation with OHE, to authorize two 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, which are added to the certificate to signify
expertise in a subject area. SDE refers to additional endorsements received in other O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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subject areas as “cross endorsements.”
Beginning on July 1, 2023, the act requires SDE, in cooperation with OHE and
within available appropriations, to authorize the following new endorsements: (1)
Integrated Early Childhood/Special Education Birth-Kindergarten and (2)
Integrated Early Childhood/Elementary Education N-3 and Special Education N-
K.
The act specifies that these new endorsements must be added as a cross
endorsement instead of requiring full planned program and institutional
recommendation.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 18 — SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS
Allows local or regional boards of education to employ a substitute teacher for up to 60 days in
the same assignment without obtaining an SDE-issued substitute authorization
The act 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 act, 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
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. These purchases allow TRS
members to build additional credit toward their retirement if the purchased service
meets certain requirements. TRS members are generally all certified public school
teachers and administrators in the state with some additional groups added by
statute.
The law generally (1) limits these purchases to a total of 10 years but exempts
service as a public school teacher in another state from this limit and (2) allows
purchases of retirement credit for service at the State Education Resource Center
(SERC) before July 1, 2007. The act (1) makes the SERC service and the out-of-
state teaching service, combined, exempt from the 10 year limit and (2) deems
SERC service to be Connecticut public school service. By law, credits must be paid
for at the present value of the full actuarial cost.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§§ 20 & 21 — ADDITIONS TO THE TEACHERS’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM
O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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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 act adds to the definition of “public school” any
interdistrict magnet school that is operated by (1) an independent (i.e., private)
higher education institution’s board of governors or an equivalent operating on
behalf of a board 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 act 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 to the TRS each teacher employed by
them.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 22 — TENURE AND ACCUMULATED SICK LEAVE
Maintains a teacher’s tenure and accumulated sick leave if a new regional school district is
formed
State law maintains a teacher’s tenure and accumulated sick leave when the
school district the teacher works for joins a regional school district (essentially
giving the teacher a new employer). The law requires that this change is not deemed
an interruption of continuous employment, so tenure and accumulated sick leave is
preserved.
The act extends this provision to also include when a teacher with these
accumulated rights works for a school district or a regional school district and
begins working for a new regional school district. As with existing law, the teacher
must (1) 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
(2) continue 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. Since the 2013-14 school year, state law has required boards of O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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education to use a teacher evaluation program that follows the guidelines adopted
by SBE.
The act 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 guidelines that use new (1) student indicators and
assessment methods and (2) teacher feedback mechanisms. The act 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 act 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 (§ 23)
Similar to prior law, the act requires the new evaluation process to follow the
teacher evaluation and support program adopted by the district’s board of education
and be aligned with SBE’s guidelines for a model teacher evaluation program. In
developing a program, the board of education must attempt to reach a mutual
agreement with the district’s PDEC. The act imposes new requirements on SBE’s
guidelines and model program, as well as local and regional boards of education,
as described in the timeline below.
SBE Program. By July 1, 2024, the act requires SBE to adopt revised guidelines
for a teacher evaluation and support program, in consultation with the Performance
Evaluation Advisory Council (PEAC; see § 24 below). It also requires SBE to adopt
a revised model teacher evaluation and support program that aligns with these
guidelines. The act makes the following changes to revise the guidelines that prior
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 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 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;
5. 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”; O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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6. 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
7. requires the guidelines to include a validation procedure for SDE or a third
party to audit remediation plans, rather than audit evaluations with a rating
of “exemplary” or “below standard” as prior law required.
District Program. The act 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.
Similar to prior law, the program must be developed through mutual agreement
between the board of education and the school district’s PDEC. If the board and
PDEC cannot reach a mutual agreement, then both parties must consider SBE’s
model program and may adopt that if they mutually agree. If both parties 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 act 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.
Other Evaluation Process Changes (§§ 23 & 25)
The act also makes the following changes in the laws governing 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 prior
law required;
2. removes the requirement that superintendents report aggregate evaluation
ratings to the education commissioner by September 15 each year; and
3. requires, beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, that boards of
education hold evaluation training programs and orientation for their
teachers and evaluators at least annually, rather than biennially.
PEAC (§ 24)
Under existing law, PEAC is a council within SDE, led by the education
commissioner with members from various education interest groups. The act
maintains PEAC’s responsibility for (1) assisting SBE with developing guidelines
for a teacher evaluation and support program and developing a model program and
(2) overseeing 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.