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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1165
January Session, 2023
LCO No. 5284
Referred to Committee on EDUCATION
Introduced by:
(ED)
AN ACT CONCERNING FINANCIAL LITERACY INSTRUCTION.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 10-221a of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2023): 2
(a) For classes graduating from 1988 to 2003, inclusive, no local or 3
regional board of education shall permit any student to graduate from 4
high school or grant a diploma to any student who has not satisfactorily 5
completed a minimum of twenty credits, not fewer than four of which 6
shall be in English, not fewer than three in mathematics, not fewer than 7
three in social studies, not fewer than two in science, not fewer than one 8
in the arts or vocational education and not fewer than one in physical 9
education. 10
(b) For classes graduating from 2004 to 2022, inclusive, no local or 11
regional board of education shall permit any student to graduate from 12
high school or grant a diploma to any student who has not satisfactorily 13
completed a minimum of twenty credits, not fewer than four of which 14
shall be in English, not fewer than three in mathematics, not fewer than 15
three in social studies, including at least a one-half credit course on 16 Bill No. 1165
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civics and American government, not fewer than two in science, not 17
fewer than one in the arts or vocational education and not fewer than 18
one in physical education. 19
(c) Commencing with classes graduating in 2023, and for each 20
graduating class thereafter, no local or regional board of education shall 21
permit any student to graduate from high school or grant a diploma to 22
any student who has not satisfactorily completed a minimum of twenty-23
five credits, including not fewer than: (1) Nine credits in the humanities, 24
including civics and the arts; (2) nine credits in science, technology, 25
engineering and mathematics; (3) one credit in physical education and 26
wellness; (4) one credit in health and safety education, as described in 27
section 10-16b; (5) one credit in world languages, subject to the 28
provisions of subsection [(g)] (h) of this section; and (6) a one credit 29
mastery-based diploma assessment. 30
(d) Commencing with classes graduating in 2027, and for each 31
graduating class thereafter, no local or regional board of education shall 32
permit any student to graduate from high school or grant a diploma to 33
any student who has not satisfactorily completed a minimum of twenty-34
five credits, including not fewer than: (1) Nine credits in the humanities, 35
including civics and the arts; (2) nine credits in science, technology, 36
engineering and mathematics; (3) one credit in physical education and 37
wellness; (4) one credit in health and safety education, as described in 38
section 10-16b; (5) one credit in world languages, subject to the 39
provisions of subsection (h) of this section; (6) one-half credit in personal 40
financial management and financial literacy; and (7) a one-credit 41
mastery-based diploma assessment. 42
[(d)] (e) Commencing with classes graduating in 2023, and for each 43
graduating class thereafter, local and regional boards of education shall 44
provide adequate student support and remedial services for students 45
beginning in grade seven. Such student support and remedial services 46
shall provide alternate means for a student to complete any of the high 47
school graduation requirements described in subsection (c) or (d) of this 48
section, if such student is unable to satisfactorily complete any of the 49 Bill No. 1165
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required courses or exams. Such student support and remedial services 50
shall include, but not be limited to, (1) allowing students to retake 51
courses in summer school or through an on-line course; (2) allowing 52
students to enroll in a class offered at a constituent unit of the state 53
system of higher education, as defined in section 10a-1, pursuant to 54
subdivision (4) of subsection [(g)] (h) of this section; (3) allowing 55
students who received a failing score, as determined by the 56
Commissioner of Education, on an end of the school year exam to take 57
an alternate form of the exam; and (4) allowing those students whose 58
individualized education programs state that such students are eligible 59
for an alternate assessment to demonstrate competency on any of the 60
five core courses through success on such alternate assessment. 61
[(e)] (f) Any student who presents a certificate from a physician or 62
advanced practice registered nurse stating that, in the opinion of the 63
physician or advanced practice registered nurse, participation in 64
physical education is medically contraindicated because of the physical 65
condition of such student, shall be excused from the physical education 66
requirement, provided the credit for physical education may be fulfilled 67
by an elective. 68
[(f)] (g) Determination of eligible credits shall be at the discretion of 69
the local or regional board of education, provided the primary focus of 70
the curriculum of eligible credits corresponds directly to the subject 71
matter of the specified course requirements. The local or regional board 72
of education may permit a student to graduate during a period of 73
expulsion pursuant to section 10-233d, if the board determines the 74
student has satisfactorily completed the necessary credits pursuant to 75
this section. The requirements of this section shall apply to any student 76
requiring special education pursuant to section 10-76a, except when the 77
planning and placement team for such student determines the 78
requirement not to be appropriate. For purposes of this section, a credit 79
shall consist of not less than the equivalent of a forty-minute class period 80
for each school day of a school year except for a credit or part of a credit 81
toward high school graduation earned (1) at an institution accredited by 82 Bill No. 1165
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the Board of Regents for Higher Education or Office of Higher 83
Education or regionally accredited, (2) through on-line coursework that 84
is in accordance with a policy adopted pursuant to subsection [(g)] (h) 85
of this section, or (3) through a demonstration of mastery based on 86
competency and performance standards, in accordance with guidelines 87
adopted by the State Board of Education. 88
[(g)] (h) Only courses taken in grades nine to twelve, inclusive, and 89
that are in accordance with the state-wide subject matter content 90
standards, adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to section 91
10-4, shall satisfy the graduation requirements set forth in this section, 92
except that a local or regional board of education may grant a student 93
credit (1) toward meeting the high school graduation requirements 94
upon the successful demonstration of mastery of the subject matter 95
content described in this section achieved through educational 96
experiences and opportunities that provide flexible and multiple 97
pathways to learning, including cross -curricular graduation 98
requirements, career and technical education, virtual learning, work-99
based learning, service learning, dual enrollment and early college, 100
courses taken in middle school, internships and student-designed 101
independent studies, provided such demonstration of mastery is in 102
accordance with such state-wide subject matter content standards; (2) 103
toward meeting a specified course requirement upon the successful 104
completion in grade seven or eight of any course, the primary focus of 105
which corresponds directly to the subject matter of a specified course 106
requirement in grades nine to twelve, inclusive; (3) toward meeting the 107
high school graduation requirement upon the successful completion of 108
a world language course (A) in grade six, seven or eight, (B) through on-109
line coursework, or (C) offered privately through a nonprofit provider, 110
provided such student achieves a passing grade on an examination 111
prescribed, within available appropriations, by the Commissioner of 112
Education and such credits do not exceed four; (4) toward meeting the 113
high school graduation requirement upon achievement of a passing 114
grade on a subject area proficiency examination identified and 115
approved, within available appropriations, by the Commissioner of 116 Bill No. 1165
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Education, regardless of the number of hours the student spent in a 117
public school classroom learning such subject matter; (5) toward 118
meeting the high school graduation requirement upon the successful 119
completion of coursework during the school year or summer months at 120
an institution accredited by the Board of Regents for Higher Education 121
or Office of Higher Education or regionally accredited. One three-credit 122
semester course, or its equivalent, at such an institution shall equal one-123
half credit for purposes of this section; or (6) toward meeting the high 124
school graduation requirement upon the successful completion of on-125
line coursework, provided the local or regional board of education has 126
adopted a policy in accordance with this subdivision for the granting of 127
credit for on-line coursework. Such a policy shall ensure, at a minimum, 128
that (A) the workload required by the on-line course is equivalent to that 129
of a similar course taught in a traditional classroom setting, (B) the 130
content is rigorous and aligned with curriculum guidelines approved 131
by the State Board of Education, where appropriate, (C) the course 132
engages students and has interactive components, which may include, 133
but are not limited to, required interactions between students and their 134
teachers, participation in on-line demonstrations, discussion boards or 135
virtual labs, (D) the program of instruction for such on-line coursework 136
is planned, ongoing and systematic, and (E) the courses are (i) taught by 137
teachers who are certified in the state or another state and have received 138
training on teaching in an on-line environment, or (ii) offered by 139
institutions of higher education that are accredited by the Board of 140
Regents for Higher Education or Office of Higher Education or 141
regionally accredited. 142
[(h)] (i) A local or regional board of education may offer one-half 143
credit in community service which, if satisfactorily completed, shall 144
qualify for high school graduation credit pursuant to this section, 145
provided such community service is supervised by a certified school 146
administrator or teacher and consists of not less than fifty hours of actual 147
service that may be performed at times when school is not regularly in 148
session and not less than ten hours of related classroom instruction. For 149
purposes of this section, community service does not include partisan 150 Bill No. 1165
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political activities. The State Board of Education shall assist local and 151
regional boards of education in meeting the requirements of this section. 152
The State Board of Education shall award a community service 153
recognition award to any student who satisfactorily completes fifty 154
hours or more of community service in accordance with the provisions 155
of this subsection. 156
[(i)] (j) (1) A local or regional board of education may award a 157
diploma to a veteran, as defined in subsection (a) of section 27-103, 158
which veteran or person served during World War II or the Korean 159
hostilities, as described in section 51-49h, or during the Vietnam Era, as 160
defined in section 27-103, withdrew from high school prior to 161
graduation in order to serve in the armed forces of the United States and 162
did not receive a diploma as a consequence of such service. 163
(2) A local or regional board of education may award a diploma to 164
any person who (A) withdrew from high school prior to graduation to 165
work in a job that assisted the war effort during World War II, December 166
7, 1941, to December 31, 1946, inclusive, (B) did not receive a diploma as 167
a consequence of such work, and (C) has been a resident of the state for 168
at least fifty consecutive years. 169
(3) (A) A local or regional board of education under whose 170
jurisdiction a student would otherwise be attending school if such 171
student were not educated under the oversight of the education unit of 172
the Department of Children and Families established pursuant to 173
section 17a-3b, shall award a diploma to any such student seventeen 174
years of age or older who satisfactorily completes the minimum credits 175
required pursuant to this section for students graduating in the year in 176
which such diploma is awarded. 177
(B) If no such local or regional board of education can be identified, 178
the Department of Children and Families shall determine whether a 179
student educated under the oversight of the education unit of the 180
department who is seventeen years of age or older has satisfactorily 181
completed the minimum credits required pursuant to this section for 182 Bill No. 1165
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students graduating in the year in which a diploma is sought by such 183
student and the department shall award a diploma to any such student 184
who has met such requirement. 185
[(j)] (k) For the school year commencing July 1, 2012, and each school 186
year thereafter, each local and regional board of education shall create a 187
student success plan for each student enrolled in a public school, 188
beginning in grade six. Such student success plan shall include a 189
student's career and academic choices in grades six to twelve, inclusive. 190
Beginning in grade six, such student success plan shall provide evidence 191
of career exploration in each grade including, but not limited to, careers 192
in manufacturing. The Department of Education shall revise and issue 193
to local and regional boards of education guidance regarding changes 194
to such student success plans. On and after July 1, 2020, in creating such 195
student success plans, consideration shall be given to career and 196
academic choices in computer science, science, technology, engineering 197
and mathematics. On and after July 1, 2021, such student success plans 198
shall be created, if possible, in collaboration with each student and the 199
parent or guardian of such student. On and after July 1, 2022, such 200
student success plans shall, to the extent it does not conflict with the 201
career choices of the student or such student's parent or guardian, 202
include an academic plan that is in compliance with the challenging 203
curriculum policy adopted by the local or regional board of education 204
pursuant to section 10-221x. 205
[(k)] (l) Commencing with classes graduating in 2018, and for each 206
graduating class thereafter, a local or regional board of education may 207
affix the Connecticut State Seal of Biliteracy, as described in subsection 208
(f) of section 10-5, to a diploma awarded to a student who has achieved 209
a high level of proficiency in English and one or more foreign languages, 210
as defined in said subsection (f). The local or regional board of education 211
shall include on such student's transcript a designation that the student 212
received the Connecticut State Seal of Biliteracy. 213
Sec. 2. Section 10-16b of the general statutes is repealed and the 214
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2023): 215 Bill No. 1165
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(a) In the public schools the program of instruction offered shall 216
include at least the following subject matter, as taught by legally 217
qualified teachers, the arts; career education; consumer education; 218
personal financial management and financial literacy; health and safety, 219
including, but not limited to, human growth and development, 220
nutrition, first aid, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation training in 221
accordance with the provisions of section 10-16qq, disease prevention 222
and cancer awareness, including, but not limited to, age and 223
developmentally appropriate instruction in performing self -224
examinations for the purposes of screening for breast cancer and 225
testicular cancer, community and consumer health, physical, mental 226
and emotional health, including youth suicide prevention, substance 227
abuse prevention, including instruction relating to opioid use and 228
related disorders, safety, which shall include the safe use of social 229
media, as defined in section 9-601, and may include the dangers of gang 230
membership, and accident prevention; language arts, including reading, 231
writing, grammar, speaking and spelling; mathematics; physical 232
education; science, which shall include the climate change curriculum 233
described in subsection (d) of this section; social studies, including, but 234
not limited to, citizenship, economics, geography, government, history 235
and Holocaust and genocide education and awareness in accordance 236
with the provisions of section 10-18f; African-American and black 237
studies in accordance with the provisions of section 10-16ss; Puerto 238
Rican and Latino studies in accordance with the provisions of section 239
10-16ss; Native American studies, in accordance with the provisions of 240
section 10-16vv; computer programming instruction; and in addition, 241
on at least the secondary level, one or more world languages; vocational 242
education; and the black and Latino studies course in accordance with 243
the provisions of sections 10-16tt and 10-16uu. For purposes of this 244
subsection, world languages shall include American Sign Language, 245
provided such subject matter is taught by a qualified instructor under 246
the supervision of a teacher who holds a certificate issued by the State 247
Board of Education. For purposes of this subsection, the "arts" means 248
any form of visual or performing arts, which may include, but not be 249
limited to, dance, music, art and theatre. 250 Bill No. 1165
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(b) If a local or regional board of education requires its pupils to take 251
a course in a world language, the parent or guardian of a pupil 252
identified as deaf or hard of hearing may request in writing that such 253
pupil be exempted from such requirement and, if such a request is 254
made, such pupil shall be exempt from such requirement. 255
(c) Each local and regional board of education shall on September 1, 256
1982, and annually thereafter at such time and in such manner as the 257
Commissioner of Education shall request, attest to the State Board of 258
Education that such local or regional board of education offers at least 259
the program of instruction required pursuant to this section, and that 260
such program of instruction is planned, ongoing and systematic. 261
(d) The State Board of Education shall make available curriculum 262
materials and such other materials as may assist local and regional 263
boards of education in developing instructional programs pursuant to 264
this section. The State Board of Education, within available 265
appropriations and utilizing available resource materials, shall assist 266
and encourage local and regional boards of education to include: (1) 267
Holocaust and genocide education and awareness; (2) the historical 268
events surrounding the Great Famine in Ireland; (3) African-American 269
and black studies; (4) Puerto Rican and Latino studies; (5) Native 270
American studies; (6) personal financial management, including, but 271
not limited to, financial literacy as developed in the plan provided under 272
section 10-16pp; (7) training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the 273
use of automatic external defibrillators; (8) labor history and law, 274
including organized labor, the collective bargaining process, existing 275
legal protections in the workplace, the history and economics of free 276
market capitalism and entrepreneurialism, and the role of labor and 277
capitalism in the development of the American and world economies; 278
(9) climate change consistent with the Next Generation Science 279
Standards; (10) topics approved by the state board upon the request of 280
local or regional boards of education as part of the program of 281
instruction offered pursuant to subsection (a) of this section; and (11) 282
instruction relating to the Safe Haven Act, sections 17a-57 to 17a-61, 283 Bill No. 1165
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inclusive. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection 284
shall be available to each local and regional board of education for the 285
development of curriculum on climate change as described in this 286
subsection. 287
Sec. 3. Section 10-16b of the general statutes, as amended by section 288
32 of public act 22-80, is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 289
thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 290
(a) In the public schools the program of instruction offered shall 291
include at least the following subject matter, as taught by legally 292
qualified teachers, the arts; career education; consumer education; 293
personal financial management and financial literacy; health and safety, 294
including, but not limited to, human growth and development, 295
nutrition, first aid, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation training in 296
accordance with the provisions of section 10-16qq, disease prevention 297
and cancer awareness, including, but not limited to, age and 298
developmentally appropriate instruction in performing self -299
examinations for the purposes of screening for breast cancer and 300
testicular cancer, community and consumer health, physical, mental 301
and emotional health, including youth suicide prevention, substance 302
abuse prevention, including instruction relating to opioid use and 303
related disorders, safety, which shall include the safe use of social 304
media, as defined in section 9-601, and may include the dangers of gang 305
membership, and accident prevention; language arts, including reading, 306
writing, grammar, speaking and spelling; mathematics; physical 307
education; science, which may include the climate change curriculum 308
described in subsection (d) of this section; social studies, including, but 309
not limited to, citizenship, economics, geography, government, history 310
and Holocaust and genocide education and awareness in accordance 311
with the provisions of section 10-18f; African-American and black 312
studies in accordance with the provisions of section 10-16ss; Puerto 313
Rican and Latino studies in accordance with the provisions of section 314
10-16ss; Native American studies, in accordance with the provisions of 315
section 10-16vv; Asian American and Pacific Islander studies, in 316 Bill No. 1165
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accordance with the provisions of section 10-66ww; computer 317
programming instruction; and in addition, on at least the secondary 318
level, one or more world languages; vocational education; and the black 319
and Latino studies course in accordance with the provisions of sections 320
10-16tt and 10-16uu. For purposes of this subsection, world languages 321
shall include American Sign Language, provided such subject matter is 322
taught by a qualified instructor under the supervision of a teacher who 323
holds a certificate issued by the State Board of Education. For purposes 324
of this subsection, the "arts" means any form of visual or performing 325
arts, which may include, but not be limited to, dance, music, art and 326
theatre. 327
(b) If a local or regional board of education requires its pupils to take 328
a course in a world language, the parent or guardian of a pupil 329
identified as deaf or hard of hearing may request in writing that such 330
pupil be exempted from such requirement and, if such a request is 331
made, such pupil shall be exempt from such requirement. 332
(c) Each local and regional board of education shall on September 1, 333
1982, and annually thereafter at such time and in such manner as the 334
Commissioner of Education shall request, attest to the State Board of 335
Education that such local or regional board of education offers at least 336
the program of instruction required pursuant to this section, and that 337
such program of instruction is planned, ongoing and systematic. 338
(d) The State Board of Education shall make available curriculum 339
materials and such other materials as may assist local and regional 340
boards of education in developing instructional programs pursuant to 341
this section. The State Board of Education, within available 342
appropriations and utilizing available resource materials, shall assist 343
and encourage local and regional boards of education to include: (1) 344
Holocaust and genocide education and awareness; (2) the historical 345
events surrounding the Great Famine in Ireland; (3) African-American 346
and black studies; (4) Puerto Rican and Latino studies; (5) Native 347
American studies; (6) Asian American and Pacific Islander studies; (7) 348
personal financial management, including, but not limited to, financial 349 Bill No. 1165
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literacy as developed in the plan provided under section 10-16pp; (8) 350
training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of automatic 351
external defibrillators; (9) labor history and law, including organized 352
labor, the collective bargaining process, existing legal protections in the 353
workplace, the history and economics of free market capitalism and 354
entrepreneurialism, and the role of labor and capitalism in the 355
development of the American and world economies; (10) climate change 356
consistent with the Next Generation Science Standards; (11) topics 357
approved by the state board upon the request of local or regional boards 358
of education as part of the program of instruction offered pursuant to 359
subsection (a) of this section; and (12) instruction relating to the Safe 360
Haven Act, sections 17a-57 to 17a-61, inclusive. The Department of 361
Energy and Environmental Protection shall be available to each local 362
and regional board of education for the development of curriculum on 363
climate change as described in this subsection. 364
Sec. 4. Subsection (b) of section 10-76ll of the general statutes is 365
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 366
2023): 367
(b) On or before July 1, 2015, the State Board of Education shall draft 368
a written bill of rights for parents of children receiving special education 369
services to guarantee that the rights of such parents and children are 370
adequately safeguarded and protected during the provision of special 371
education and related services under this chapter. Such bill of rights 372
shall inform parents of: (1) The right to request consideration of the 373
provision of transition services for a child receiving special education 374
services who is eighteen to twenty-one, inclusive, years of age, (2) the 375
right to receive transition resources and materials from the department 376
and the local or regional board of education responsible for such child, 377
(3) the requirement that the local or regional board of education 378
responsible for such child shall create a student success plan for each 379
student enrolled in a public school, beginning in grade six, pursuant to 380
subsection [(j)] (k) of section 10-221a, as amended by this act, and (4) the 381
right of such child to receive realistic and specific postgraduation goals 382 Bill No. 1165
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as part of such child's individualized education program. 383
Sec. 5. Subsection (b) of section 10-221x of the general statutes is 384
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 385
2023): 386
(b) Each local and regional board of education shall create an 387
academic plan for each student identified under the criteria described in 388
subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section. In creating an academic 389
plan for a student, such plan shall be designed to enroll such student in 390
one or more advanced course or programs and allow such student to 391
earn college credit or result in career readiness. Each academic plan shall 392
be aligned with (1) the courses or programs offered by the local or 393
regional board of education, (2) such student's student success plan 394
created pursuant to subsection [(j)] (k) of section 10-221a, as amended 395
by this act, (3) the high school graduation requirements under section 396
10-221a, as amended by this act, and (4) any other policies or standards 397
adopted by the board relating to the eligibility for student enrollment in 398
advanced courses or programs. A student, or the parent or guardian of 399
a student, may decline to implement the provisions of an academic plan 400
created for such student. 401
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2023 10-221a
Sec. 2 July 1, 2023 10-16b
Sec. 3 July 1, 2025 10-16b
Sec. 4 July 1, 2023 10-76ll(b)
Sec. 5 July 1, 2023 10-221x(b)
ED Joint Favorable