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OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 5180
AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
SUMMARY
§ 1 — STATE SEAL OF BILITERACY
Allows a broader range of schools to award the Connecticut State Seal of Biliteracy on
their high school diplomas
§§ 2 & 3 — GOODWIN UNIVERSITY MAGNET SCH OOLS TUITION
AUTHORITY
Authorizes Goodwin University Magnet Schools (“Goodwin”) to charge tuition to boards
of education whose students attend grades kindergarten to 12
§§ 4 & 5 — SHEFF MAGNET SCHOOL REQUIREME NTS
Renews until June 30, 2025, the (1) requirement that Sheff magnet schools meet the
required enrollment standards and (2) commissioner’s authority to assess a financial
penalty on noncompliant schools; makes technical changes
§ 6 — CONNECTICUT-GROWN FOR CONNECT ICUT KIDS WEEK
Requires SDE to provide technical assistance and support for schools to arrange for
interactions between students and farmers, including field trips and presentations, as part
of Connecticut-Grown for Connecticut Kids Week
§§ 7-11 — TRANSITION SERVICES AND PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS
RECEIVING SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES
Modifies the statutory definition of “transition service”; transfers responsibility for
developing and maintaining an accessible online listing of transition resources and
services from SERC to SDE’s transition services coordinator; makes minor and
conforming changes
BACKGROUND
SUMMARY
This bill makes various changes to education statutes related to the
Connecticut Seal of Biliteracy, Goodwin University Magnet Schools,
Sheff magnet schools, the Connecticut Grown for Connecticut Kids
Week, and transition services for students receiving special education 2024HB-05180-R000095-BA.DOCX
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services.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2024, except the provisions on Goodwin
University Magnet Schools take effect upon passage.
§ 1 — STATE SEAL OF BILITERACY
Allows a broader range of schools to award the Connecticut State Seal of Biliteracy on
their high school diplomas
The bill expands the types of schools that are allowed to affix the
Connecticut State Seal of Biliteracy to the high school diplomas of
students who achieve a high level of proficiency in English and one or
more foreign languages.
It does this by allowing the governing body of any school that
awards diplomas, instead of only local and regional boards of
education, to use criteria the State Board of Education sets for awarding
this designation. (Presumably, this includes private schools in addition
to public schools authorized under current law.) The bill also expands
the definition of “foreign language” to include any language spoken by
a Native American tribe, instead of only tribes that are federally
recognized as under current law.
§§ 2 & 3 — GOODWIN UNIVERSITY MAGNET SCHOOLS TUITION
AUTHORITY
Authorizes Goodwin University Magnet Schools (“Goodwin”) to charge tuition to boards
of education whose students attend grades kindergarten to 12
The bill extends to Goodwin the same authority to charge tuition for
its magnet schools, and the same conditions, as regional educational
service centers (RESCs). Goodwin currently operates three magnet
schools.
Under the bill, Goodwin is authorized to charge per student tuition
to sending districts whose students attend grades kindergarten to 12.
The tuition equals the difference between (1) the school’s average per
pupil expenditure for the previous fiscal year and (2) the magnet school
grant amount received, plus any revenue from other sources, calculated
on a per pupil basis. By law, starting in FY 25, the tuition charged for all
magnet schools is capped at 58% of the per student tuition charged for 2024HB-05180-R000095-BA.DOCX
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FY 24, which the bill applies to Goodwin.
By law, RESC magnet schools that help the state meet its obligations
under the Sheff v. O’Neill Connecticut Supreme Court desegregation
decision (see BACKGROUND) may charge tuition of up to $4,053 to
parents or guardians of children attending preschool at these schools,
but they are prohibited from charging tuition to any parent or guardian
with a family income that is at or below 75% of the state median income.
The state is required to cover the unpaid tuition for these parents, within
available appropriations. The bill adds Goodwin to the group that may
charge preschool tuitions and applies the same limitations.
§§ 4 & 5 — SHEFF MAGNET SCHOOL REQUIREME NTS
Renews until June 30, 2025, the (1) requirement that Sheff magnet schools meet the
required enrollment standards and (2) commissioner’s authority to assess a financial
penalty on noncompliant schools; makes technical changes
The bill reinstates until June 30, 2025, the requirement that the
education commissioner consider whether a Sheff magnet school meets
the reduced-isolation standards required under Sheff to award grants to
the school. The requirement had expired at the end of FY 21. A magnet
school that does not meet the standards can still receive grants if the
commissioner (1) finds that it is appropriate to award a grant for an
additional year or years and (2) approves a plan to bring the school into
compliance with the standards.
It also renews until June 30, 2025, the commissioner’s authority to
impose a financial penalty on a magnet school that does not meet the
reduced-isolation standards for two or more consecutive years.
Specifically, the commissioner may impose the penalty on the school’s
operator or, after consulting with the operator, take other appropriate
steps to help the operator comply.
The bill also makes related technical changes.
§ 6 — CONNECTICUT-GROWN FOR CONNECTICUT KIDS W EEK
Requires SDE to provide technical assistance and support for schools to arrange for
interactions between students and farmers, including field trips and presentations, as part
of Connecticut-Grown for Connecticut Kids Week
The bill modifies State Department of Education’s (SDE’s) current 2024HB-05180-R000095-BA.DOCX
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responsibilities regarding the Connecticut-Grown for Connecticut Kids
Week. Among other things, this annual, week-long event promotes
Connecticut agriculture and foods to children through school meal and
classroom programs and at farms, farmers’ markets, and other
community locations. Current law requires SDE to arrange for
interaction between students and farmers, including field trips to farms
and in-school presentations by farmers. The bill instead requires SDE to
provide technical assistance and support for schools to do this.
§§ 7-11 — TRANSITION SERVICES AND PROGRA MS FOR
STUDENTS RECEIVING S PECIAL EDUCATION SER VICES
Modifies the statutory definition of “transition service”; transfers responsibility for
developing and maintaining an accessible online listing of transition resources and
services from SERC to SDE’s transition services coordinator; makes minor and
conforming changes
Transition Service Definition (§ 7)
The bill modifies the statutory definition of “transition service” for
purposes of planning and providing these services to special education
students who are leaving, or about to leave, the K-12 education system.
Current law defines a transition service as a service for special
education students that facilitates their transition from school to
postsecondary activities such as education, training, employment, or
independent living.
The bill expands the definition to include coordinated activities
including, at a minimum, instruction, community experiences,
employment development, and other adult living objectives for a special
education student. The activities must focus on improving the student’s
academic and functional achievement to help them transition from
school to post-school activities, including postsecondary education,
vocational education, integrated employment, continuing and adult
education, adult services, independent living, or community
participation. The activities must also be based on the individual
student’s needs, strengths, and interests.
Online Transition Resources and Services Listing (§ 9)
The bill transfers, from the State Education Resource Center (SERC) 2024HB-05180-R000095-BA.DOCX
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to SDE’s transition services coordinator, responsibility for developing
and maintaining an easily accessible online listing of transition
resources, services, and programs.
Under current law, SERC must develop and maintain the listing in
collaboration with SDE, the departments of Developmental Services,
Social Services, and Aging and Disability Services, and the offices of
Policy and Management and Workforce Strategy.
The bill transfers this responsibility to SDE’s transition services
coordinator and instead requires the coordinator to collaborate with the
following agencies: the departments of Developmental Services, Aging
and Disability Services, Children and Families, the Labor, Mental
Health and Addiction Services, Public Health, Social Services, and
Correction and the Office of Early Childhood. Existing law already
requires these agencies to each appoint an employee to act as a liaison
with the transition services coordinator.
The bill also makes a corresponding change to require the above list
of agencies that must collaborate with the SDE transition services
coordinator to post a link to the online listing in an easily accessible
location on their respective agency websites.
BACKGROUND
Sheff v. O’Neill State Supreme Court Decision
In this 1996 decision, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that
the state had a constitutional obligation to remedy the educational
inequities in the Hartford schools caused by racial and ethnic isolation
(238 Conn. 1 (1996)). The court ordered the state legislature and the
governor to craft a solution, and legislation was passed to create
voluntary desegregation in Hartford by creating interdistrict magnet
schools and using programs such as Open Choice.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Education Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 44 Nay 1 (03/06/2024)