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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5437
February Session, 2024
AN ACT CONCERNING EDUCATION MANDATE RELIEF.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2024) (a) There is established the 1
Educator Professional Development Mandate Review Advisory 2
Council. The council shall advise and provide annual reports to the joint 3
standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 4
matters relating to education on the cost and implementation of existing 5
mandates concerning educator professional development and in-service 6
training, as well as the impact of any proposals relating to additions or 7
revisions to such professional development and in-service training. 8
(b) The council shall consist of the following members: 9
(1) One appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, 10
who shall be a representative of the Connecticut Association of Boards 11
of Education; 12
(2) One appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, who 13
shall be a representative of the Connecticut Association of Public School 14
Superintendents; 15
(3) One appointed by the majority leader of the House of 16
Representatives, who shall be a representative of the Connecticut 17 Substitute Bill No. 5437
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Association of Schools; 18
(4) One appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, who shall be 19
a representative of the Connecticut Association of School Business 20
Officials; 21
(5) One appointed by the minority leader of the House of 22
Representatives, who shall be a member of a local or regional board of 23
education; 24
(6) One appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, who shall be 25
a representative of the Connecticut Federation of School 26
Administrators; 27
(7) One appointed by the House chairperson of the joint standing 28
committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 29
relating to education, who shall be a paraeducator in a public school in 30
this state; 31
(8) One appointed by the Senate chairperson of the joint standing 32
committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 33
relating to education, who shall be a teacher in a public school in this 34
state; 35
(9) One appointed by the House ranking member of the joint standing 36
committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 37
relating to education, who shall be a paraeducator in a public school in 38
this state; and 39
(10) One appointed by the Senate ranking member of the joint 40
standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 41
matters relating to education, who shall be a teacher in a public school 42
in this state. 43
(c) All initial appointments to the council shall be made not later than 44
August 1, 2024. The initial terms for the members appointed shall 45
terminate on January 31, 2029. Terms following the initial terms shall be 46
for five years. Any member of the council may serve more than one 47 Substitute Bill No. 5437
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term. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority. 48
(d) The speaker of the House of Representatives and the president 49
pro tempore of the Senate shall select the chairpersons of the council 50
from among the members of the council. Such chairpersons shall 51
schedule the first meeting of the council, which shall be held not later 52
than October 1, 2024. 53
(e) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the 54
General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education 55
shall serve as administrative staff of the council. 56
(f) Not later than January 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, the council 57
shall develop and submit an annual report on its review of the 58
implementation and cost of existing requirements relating to 59
professional development, as described in sections 10-148a, 10-148b and 60
10-148d of the general statutes, and in-service training, as described in 61
section 10-220a of the general statutes, as amended by this act, on 62
educators and local and regional boards of education. Such annual 63
report shall include, but need not be limited to, (1) a review of all 64
existing professional development and in-service training mandates 65
required by state and federal law, (2) the costs incurred by local and 66
regional boards of education resulting from the provision of such 67
professional development and in-service training, (3) how such 68
professional development and in-service training is being provided and 69
implemented by local and regional boards of education, including who 70
is receiving and completing such professional development and in-71
service training, and (4) the manner in which and how often such 72
professional development and in-service training is offered and 73
provided. The council shall submit such report, and any 74
recommendations for legislation, to the joint standing committee of the 75
General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education 76
and the Commissioner of Education, in accordance with the provisions 77
of section 11-4a of the general statutes. 78
Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 10-220a of the 2024 supplement to the 79 Substitute Bill No. 5437
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general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 80
thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 81
(a) Each local or regional board of education shall provide an in-82
service training program for its teachers, administrators and pupil 83
personnel who hold the initial educator, provisional educator or 84
professional educator certificate. Such program shall provide such 85
teachers, administrators and pupil personnel with information on (1) 86
the nature and the relationship of alcohol and drugs, as defined in 87
section 21a-240, to health and personality development, and procedures 88
for discouraging their abuse, (2) health and mental health risk reduction 89
education that includes, but need not be limited to, the prevention of 90
risk-taking behavior by children and the relationship of such behavior 91
to substance abuse, pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, including 92
HIV-infection and AIDS, as defined in section 19a-581, violence, teen 93
dating violence, domestic violence and child abuse, (3) school violence 94
prevention, conflict resolution [,] and the prevention of and response to 95
youth suicide, [and the identification and prevention of and response to 96
bullying, as defined in subsection (a) of section 10-222d, except that (A) 97
those boards of education that implement any evidence-based model 98
approach that is approved by the Department of Education and is 99
consistent with subsection (c) of section 10-145a, sections 10-222d, 10-100
222g and 10-222h, subsection (g) of section 10-233c and sections 1 and 3 101
of public act 08-160, shall not be required to provide in-service training 102
on the identification and prevention of and response to bullying, and 103
(B)] provided such school violence prevention training shall be in a 104
manner prescribed in a school security and safety plan, in accordance 105
with the provisions of section 10-222n, (4) cardiopulmonary 106
resuscitation and other emergency life saving procedures, (5) the 107
requirements and obligations of a mandated reporter, (6) the detection 108
and recognition of, and evidence-based structured literacy interventions 109
for, students with dyslexia, as defined in section 10-3d, [(7) culturally 110
responsive pedagogy and practice, including, but not limited to, the 111
video training module relating to implicit bias and anti-bias in the hiring 112
process in accordance with the provisions of section 10-156hh, (8) the 113 Substitute Bill No. 5437
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principles and practices of social-emotional learning and restorative 114
practices, (9)] (7) the laws governing the implementation of planning 115
and placement team meetings and concerning plans pursuant to Section 116
504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended from time to time, 117
[(10)] (8) an annual update of the new state and federal policies 118
concerning special education, recommendations and best practices, and 119
[(11)] (9) emergency response to students who experience a seizure in a 120
school, including, but not limited to, the recognition of the signs and 121
symptoms of seizures, the appropriate steps for seizure first aid, 122
information about seizure action plans for students and, for those 123
authorized to administer medication under section 10-212a, the 124
administration of seizure rescue medication or prescribed electrical 125
stimulation using a Vagus Nerve Stimulator magnet. The manner and 126
frequency of the provision of the information described in subdivisions 127
(1) to (9), inclusive, of this subsection shall be determined by the 128
professional development and evaluation committee, established 129
pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, provided such information is 130
provided at least once every five years. Each local or regional board of 131
education shall allow any school paraeducator or noncertified employee 132
to participate, on a voluntary basis, in any in-service training program 133
provided pursuant to this section. 134
Sec. 3. Subsection (a) of section 10-220a of the 2024 supplement to the 135
general statutes, as amended by section 60 of public act 23-167, is 136
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 137
2025): 138
(a) Each local or regional board of education shall provide an in-139
service training program for its teachers, administrators and pupil 140
personnel who hold the initial educator, provisional educator or 141
professional educator certificate. Such program shall provide such 142
teachers, administrators and pupil personnel with information on (1) 143
the nature and the relationship of alcohol and drugs, as defined in 144
subdivision (17) of section 21a-240, to health and personality 145
development, and procedures for discouraging their abuse, (2) health 146
and mental health risk reduction education that includes, but need not 147 Substitute Bill No. 5437
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be limited to, the prevention of risk-taking behavior by children and the 148
relationship of such behavior to substance abuse, pregnancy, sexually 149
transmitted diseases, including HIV-infection and AIDS, as defined in 150
section 19a-581, violence, teen dating violence, domestic violence and 151
child abuse, (3) school violence prevention, conflict resolution [,] and the 152
prevention of and response to youth suicide, [and the identification and 153
prevention of and response to bullying, as defined in section 10-222aa, 154
except that those boards of education that implement any evidence-155
based model approach that is approved by the Department of Education 156
and is consistent with subsection (c) of section 10-145a, subsection (g) of 157
section 10-233c and sections 1 and 3 of public act 08-160, shall not be 158
required to provide in-service training on the identification and 159
prevention of and response to bullying,] (4) cardiopulmonary 160
resuscitation and other emergency life saving procedures, (5) the 161
requirements and obligations of a mandated reporter, and (6) the 162
detection and recognition of, and evidence-based structured literacy 163
interventions for, students with dyslexia, as defined in section 10-3d. [, 164
(7) culturally responsive pedagogy and practice, including, but not 165
limited to, the video training module relating to implicit bias and anti-166
bias in the hiring process in accordance with the provisions of section 167
10-156hh, and (8) the principles and practices of social-emotional 168
learning and restorative practices.] The manner and frequency of the 169
provision of the information described in subdivisions (1) to (6), 170
inclusive, of this subsection shall be determined by the professional 171
development and evaluation committee, established pursuant to 172
subsection (b) of this section, provided such information is provided at 173
least once every five years. Each local or regional board of education 174
may allow any [paraprofessional] paraeducator or noncertified 175
employee to participate, on a voluntary basis, in any in-service training 176
program provided pursuant to this section. 177
Sec. 4. Subsection (b) of section 10-222d of the general statutes is 178
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 179
2024): 180
(b) Each local and regional board of education shall develop and 181 Substitute Bill No. 5437
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implement a safe school climate plan to address the existence of bullying 182
and teen dating violence in its schools. Such plan shall: (1) Enable 183
students to anonymously report acts of bullying to school employees 184
and require students and the parents or guardians of students to be 185
notified at the beginning of each school year of the process by which 186
students may make such reports, (2) enable the parents or guardians of 187
students to file written reports of suspected bullying, (3) require school 188
employees who witness acts of bullying or receive reports of bullying to 189
orally notify the safe school climate specialist, described in section 10-190
222k, or another school administrator if the safe school climate specialist 191
is unavailable, not later than one school day after such school employee 192
witnesses or receives a report of bullying, and to file a written report not 193
later than two school days after making such oral report, (4) require the 194
safe school climate specialist to investigate or supervise the 195
investigation of all reports of bullying and ensure that such 196
investigation is completed promptly after receipt of any written reports 197
made under this section and that the parents or guardians of the student 198
alleged to have committed an act or acts of bullying and the parents or 199
guardians of the student against whom such alleged act or acts were 200
directed receive prompt notice that such investigation has commenced, 201
(5) require the safe school climate specialist to review any anonymous 202
reports, except that no disciplinary action shall be taken solely on the 203
basis of an anonymous report, (6) include a prevention and intervention 204
strategy, as defined by section 10-222g, for school employees to deal 205
with bullying and teen dating violence, (7) provide for the inclusion of 206
language in student codes of conduct concerning bullying, (8) require 207
each school to notify the parents or guardians of students who commit 208
any verified acts of bullying and the parents or guardians of students 209
against whom such acts were directed not later than forty-eight hours 210
after the completion of the investigation described in subdivision (4) of 211
this subsection (A) of the results of such investigation, and (B) verbally 212
and by electronic mail, if such parents' or guardians' electronic mail 213
addresses are known, that such parents or guardians may refer to the 214
plain language explanation of the rights and remedies available under 215
sections 10-4a and 10-4b published on the Internet web site of the local 216 Substitute Bill No. 5437
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or regional board of education pursuant to section 10-222r, (9) require 217
each school to invite the parents or guardians of a student against whom 218
such act was directed to a meeting to communicate to such parents or 219
guardians the measures being taken by the school to ensure the safety 220
of the student against whom such act was directed and policies and 221
procedures in place to prevent further acts of bullying, (10) require each 222
school to invite the parents or guardians of a student who commits any 223
verified act of bullying to a meeting, separate and distinct from the 224
meeting required in subdivision (9) of this subsection, to discuss specific 225
interventions undertaken by the school to prevent further acts of 226
bullying, (11) establish a procedure for each school to document and 227
maintain records relating to reports and investigations of bullying in 228
such school and to maintain a list of the number of verified acts of 229
bullying in such school and make such list available for public 230
inspection, and annually report such number to the Department of 231
Education, and in such manner as prescribed by the Commissioner of 232
Education, (12) direct the development of case-by-case interventions for 233
addressing repeated incidents of bullying against a single individual or 234
recurrently perpetrated bullying incidents by the same individual that 235
may include both counseling and discipline, (13) prohibit 236
discrimination and retaliation against an individual who reports or 237
assists in the investigation of an act of bullying, (14) direct the 238
development of student safety support plans for students against whom 239
an act of bullying was directed that address safety measures the school 240
will take to protect such students against further acts of bullying, (15) 241
require the principal of a school, or the principal's designee, to notify the 242
appropriate local law enforcement agency when such principal, or the 243
principal's designee, believes that any acts of bullying constitute 244
criminal conduct, (16) prohibit bullying (A) on school grounds, at a 245
school-sponsored or school-related activity, function or program 246
whether on or off school grounds, at a school bus stop, on a school bus 247
or other vehicle owned, leased or used by a local or regional board of 248
education, or through the use of an electronic device or an electronic 249
mobile device owned, leased or used by the local or regional board of 250
education, and (B) outside of the school setting if such bullying (i) 251 Substitute Bill No. 5437
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creates a hostile environment at school for the student against whom 252
such bullying was directed, or (ii) infringes on the rights of the student 253
against whom such bullying was directed at school, or (iii) substantially 254
disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a school, (17) 255
require, at the beginning of each school year, each school to provide all 256
school employees with a written or electronic copy of the school 257
district's safe school climate plan, and (18) require that all school 258
employees annually complete the training described in [section 10-220a 259
or] section 10-222j. The notification required pursuant to subdivision (8) 260
of this subsection and the invitation required pursuant to subdivision 261
(9) of this subsection shall include a description of the response of school 262
employees to such acts and any consequences that may result from the 263
commission of further acts of bullying. 264
Sec. 5. Section 10-233m of the 2024 supplement to the general statutes 265
is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 266
1, 2024): 267
Each local or regional board of education that assigns a school 268
resource officer to any school under the jurisdiction of such board shall 269
enter into a memorandum of understanding with a local law 270
enforcement agency regarding the role and responsibility of such school 271
resource officer. Such memorandum of understanding shall (1) be 272
maintained in a central location in the school district and posted on the 273
Internet web site of the school district and each school in which such 274
school resource officer is assigned, (2) include provisions addressing 275
daily interactions between students and school personnel with school 276
resource officers, and (3) include a graduated response model for 277
student discipline. Any such memorandum of understanding entered 278
into, extended, updated or amended (A) on or after July 1, 2021, shall 279
include a provision that requires all school resource officers to complete, 280
while in the performance of their duties as school resource officers and 281
during periods when such school resource officers are assigned to be at 282
the school, any separate training specifically related to social-emotional 283
learning and restorative practices provided to certified employees of the 284
school pursuant to [sections] section 10-148a, [and 10-220a,] and (B) on 285 Substitute Bill No. 5437
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or after July 1, 2023, shall include provisions specifying a school 286
resource officer's duties concerning, and procedures for, the restraint of 287
students, use of firearms, school-based arrests and reporting of any 288
investigations and behavioral interventions of challenging behavior or 289
conflict that escalates to violence or constitutes a crime, pursuant to the 290
provisions of section 10-233p, provided such provisions are in 291
accordance with any laws or policies concerning the duties of police 292
officers. For the purposes of this section, "school resource officer" means 293
a sworn police officer of a local law enforcement agency who has been 294
assigned to a school pursuant to an agreement between the local or 295
regional board of education and the chief of police of a local law 296
enforcement agency. 297
Sec. 6. Subsection (a) of section 22a-226e of the 2024 supplement to 298
the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 299
thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 300
(a) (1) On and after January 1, 2014, each commercial food wholesaler 301
or distributor, industrial food manufacturer or processor, supermarket, 302
resort or conference center that is located not more than twenty miles 303
from an authorized source-separated organic material composting 304
facility and that generates an average projected volume of not less than 305
one hundred four tons per year of source-separated organic materials 306
shall: (A) Separate such source-separated organic materials from other 307
solid waste; and (B) ensure that such source-separated organic materials 308
are recycled at any authorized source-separated organic material 309
composting facility that has available capacity and that will accept such 310
source-separated organic material. 311
(2) On and after January 1, 2020, each commercial food wholesaler or 312
distributor, industrial food manufacturer or processor, supermarket, 313
resort or conference center that is located not more than twenty miles 314
from an authorized source-separated organic material composting 315
facility and that generates an average projected volume of not less than 316
fifty-two tons per year of source-separated organic materials shall: (A) 317
Separate such source-separated organic materials from other solid 318 Substitute Bill No. 5437
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waste; and (B) ensure that such source-separated organic materials are 319
recycled at any authorized source-separated organic material 320
composting facility that has available capacity and that will accept such 321
source-separated organic material. 322
(3) On and after January 1, 2022, each commercial food wholesaler or 323
distributor, industrial food manufacturer or processor, supermarket, 324
resort or conference center that is located not more than twenty miles 325
from either an authorized source-separated organic material 326
composting facility an authorized transfer station or any collection 327
location authorized to receive source-separated organic materials, and 328
that generates an average projected volume of not less than twenty-six 329
tons per year of source-separated organic materials shall: (A) Separate 330
such source-separated organic materials from other solid waste; and (B) 331
ensure that such source-separated organic materials are recycled at any 332
authorized source-separated organic material composting facility that 333
has available capacity and that will accept such source-separated 334
organic material. 335
(4) On and after January 1, 2025, each commercial food wholesaler or 336
distributor, industrial food manufacturer or processor, supermarket, 337
resort, conference center or institution that generates an average 338
projected volume of not less than twenty-six tons per year of source-339
separated organic materials shall: (A) Separate such source-separated 340
organic materials from other solid waste; and (B) ensure that such 341
source-separated organic materials are recycled at any authorized 342
source-separated organic material composting facility that has available 343
capacity and that will accept such source-separated organic material. 344
For the purposes of this section "institution" means any establishment 345
engaged in providing hospitality, entertainment or rehabilitation and 346
health care services, and any hospital [, public or private educational 347
facility] or correctional facility. 348
(5) On and after July 1, 2026, each public or private educational 349
facility that is located not more than twenty miles from either an 350
authorized source-separated organic material composting facility and 351 Substitute Bill No. 5437
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that generates an average projected volume of not less than twenty-six 352
tons per year of source-separated organic materials shall: (A) Separate 353
such source-separated organic materials from other solid waste; and (B) 354
ensure that such source-separated organic materials are recycled at any 355
authorized source-separated organic material composting facility that 356
has available capacity and that will accept such source-separated 357
organic material. 358
Sec. 7. Section 10-221a of the 2024 supplement to the general statutes 359
is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 360
1, 2024): 361
(a) For classes graduating from 1988 to 2003, inclusive, no local or 362
regional board of education shall permit any student to graduate from 363
high school or grant a diploma to any student who has not satisfactorily 364
completed a minimum of twenty credits, not fewer than four of which 365
shall be in English, not fewer than three in mathematics, not fewer than 366
three in social studies, not fewer than two in science, not fewer than one 367
in the arts or vocational education and not fewer than one in physical 368
education. 369
(b) For classes graduating from 2004 to 2022, inclusive, no local or 370
regional board of education shall permit any student to graduate from 371
high school or grant a diploma to any student who has not satisfactorily 372
completed a minimum of twenty credits, not fewer than four of which 373
shall be in English, not fewer than three in mathematics, not fewer than 374
three in social studies, including at least a one-half credit course on 375
civics and American government, not fewer than two in science, not 376
fewer than one in the arts or vocational education and not fewer than 377
one in physical education. 378
(c) [Commencing with] For classes graduating [in] from 2023 [, and 379
for each graduating class thereafter] to 2026, inclusive, no local or 380
regional board of education shall permit any student to graduate from 381
high school or grant a diploma to any student who has not satisfactorily 382
completed a minimum of twenty-five credits, including not fewer than: 383 Substitute Bill No. 5437
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(1) Nine credits in the humanities, including civics and the arts; (2) nine 384
credits in science, technology, engineering and mathematics; (3) one 385
credit in physical education and wellness; (4) one credit in health and 386
safety education, as described in section 10-16b; and (5) one credit in 387
world languages, subject to the provisions of subsection [(h)] (g) of this 388
section. A local or regional board of education may require a student to 389
complete a one credit mastery-based diploma assessment in order to 390
graduate from high school or be granted a diploma. 391
[(d) Commencing with classes graduating in 2025, and for each 392
graduating class thereafter, no local or regional board of education shall 393
permit any student to graduate from high school or grant a diploma to 394
any student who has not satisfied the requirements of section 10-221z 395
and not satisfactorily completed a minimum of twenty-five credits, 396
including not fewer than: (1) Nine credits in the humanities, including 397
civics and the arts; (2) nine credits in science, technology, engineering 398
and mathematics; (3) one credit in physical education and wellness; (4) 399
one credit in health and safety education, as described in section 10-16b; 400
and (5) one credit in world languages, subject to the provisions of 401
subsection (h) of this section. A local or regional board of education may 402
require a student to complete a one credit mastery-based diploma 403
assessment in order to graduate from high school or be granted a 404
diploma.] 405
[(e)] (d) Commencing with classes graduating in 2027, and for each 406
graduating class thereafter, no local or regional board of education shall 407
permit any student to graduate from high school or grant a diploma to 408
any student who has not satisfied the requirements of section 10-221z, 409
as amended by this act, and not satisfactorily completed a minimum of 410
twenty-five credits, including not fewer than: (1) Nine credits in the 411
humanities, including civics and the arts; (2) nine credits in science, 412
technology, engineering and mathematics; (3) one credit in physical 413
education and wellness; (4) one credit in health and safety education, as 414
described in section 10-16b; (5) one credit in world languages, subject to 415
the provisions of subsection [(h)] (g) of this section; and (6) one-half 416
credit in personal financial management and financial literacy, which 417 Substitute Bill No. 5437
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may count towards the requirement described in subdivision (1) or (2) 418
of this subsection or as an elective credit. [A local or regional board of 419
education may require a student to complete a one credit mastery-based 420
diploma assessment in order to graduate from high school or be granted 421
a diploma.] 422
[(f)] (e) Commencing with classes graduating in 2023, and for each 423
graduating class thereafter, local and regional boards of education shall 424
provide adequate student support and remedial services for students 425
beginning in grade seven. Such student support and remedial services 426
shall provide alternate means for a student to complete any of the high 427
school graduation requirements described in subsections (c) [to (e), 428
inclusive,] and (d) of this section, if such student is unable to 429
satisfactorily complete any of the required courses or exams. Such 430
student support and remedial services shall include, but not be limited 431
to, (1) allowing students to retake courses in summer school or through 432
an on-line course; (2) allowing students to enroll in a class offered at a 433
constituent unit of the state system of higher education, as defined in 434
section 10a-1, pursuant to subdivision (4) of subsection [(i)] (h) of this 435
section; (3) allowing students who received a failing score, as 436
determined by the Commissioner of Education, on an end of the school 437
year exam to take an alternate form of the exam; and (4) allowing those 438
students whose individualized education programs state that such 439
students are eligible for an alternate assessment to demonstrate 440
competency on any of the five core courses through success on such 441
alternate assessment. 442
[(g)] (f) Any student who presents a certificate from a physician or 443
advanced practice registered nurse stating that, in the opinion of the 444
physician or advanced practice registered nurse, participation in 445
physical education is medically contraindicated because of the physical 446
condition of such student, shall be excused from the physical education 447
requirement, provided the credit for physical education may be fulfilled 448
by an elective. 449
[(h)] (g) Determination of eligible credits shall be at the discretion of 450 Substitute Bill No. 5437
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the local or regional board of education, provided the primary focus of 451
the curriculum of eligible credits corresponds directly to the subject 452
matter of the specified course requirements. The local or regional board 453
of education may permit a student to graduate during a period of 454
expulsion pursuant to section 10-233d, if the board determines the 455
student has satisfactorily completed the necessary credits pursuant to 456
this section. The requirements of this section shall apply to any student 457
requiring special education pursuant to section 10-76a, except when the 458
planning and placement team for such student determines the 459
requirement not to be appropriate. For purposes of this section, a credit 460
shall consist of not less than the equivalent of a forty-minute class period 461
for each school day of a school year except for a credit or part of a credit 462
toward high school graduation earned (1) at an institution accredited by 463
the Board of Regents for Higher Education or Office of Higher 464
Education or regionally accredited, (2) through on-line coursework that 465
is in accordance with a policy adopted pursuant to subsection [(i)] (h) of 466
this section, or (3) through a demonstration of mastery based on 467
competency and performance standards, in accordance with guidelines 468
adopted by the State Board of Education. 469
[(i)] (h) Only courses taken in grades nine to twelve, inclusive, and 470
that are in accordance with the state-wide subject matter content 471
standards, adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to section 472
10-4, shall satisfy the graduation requirements set forth in this section, 473
except that a local or regional board of education may grant a student 474
credit (1) toward meeting the high school graduation requirements 475
upon the successful demonstration of mastery of the subject matter 476
content described in this section achieved through educational 477
experiences and opportunities that provide flexible and multiple 478
pathways to learning, including cross -curricular graduation 479
requirements, career and technical education, virtual learning, work-480
based learning, service learning, dual enrollment and early college, 481
courses taken in middle school, internships and student-designed 482
independent studies, provided such demonstration of mastery is in 483
accordance with such state-wide subject matter content standards; (2) 484 Substitute Bill No. 5437
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toward meeting a specified course requirement upon the successful 485
completion in grade seven or eight of any course, the primary focus of 486
which corresponds directly to the subject matter of a specified course 487
requirement in grades nine to twelve, inclusive; (3) toward meeting the 488
high school graduation requirement upon the successful completion of 489
a world language course (A) in grade six, seven or eight, (B) through on-490
line coursework, or (C) offered privately through a nonprofit provider, 491
provided such student achieves a passing grade on an examination 492
prescribed, within available appropriations, by the Commissioner of 493
Education and such credits do not exceed four; (4) toward meeting the 494
high school graduation requirement upon achievement of a passing 495
grade on a subject area proficiency examination identified and 496
approved, within available appropriations, by the Commissioner of 497
Education, regardless of the number of hours the student spent in a 498
public school classroom learning such subject matter; (5) toward 499
meeting the high school graduation requirement upon the successful 500
completion of coursework during the school year or summer months at 501
an institution accredited by the Board of Regents for Higher Education 502
or Office of Higher Education or regionally accredited. One three-credit 503
semester course, or its equivalent, at such an institution shall equal one-504
half credit for purposes of this section; (6) toward meeting the high 505
school graduation requirement upon the successful completion of on-506
line coursework, provided the local or regional board of education has 507
adopted a policy in accordance with this subdivision for the granting of 508
credit for on-line coursework. Such a policy shall ensure, at a minimum, 509
that (A) the workload required by the on-line course is equivalent to that 510
of a similar course taught in a traditional classroom setting, (B) the 511
content is rigorous and aligned with curriculum guidelines approved 512
by the State Board of Education, where appropriate, (C) the course 513
engages students and has interactive components, which may include, 514
but are not limited to, required interactions between students and their 515
teachers, participation in on-line demonstrations, discussion boards or 516
virtual labs, (D) the program of instruction for such on-line coursework 517
is planned, ongoing and systematic, and (E) the courses are (i) taught by 518
teachers who are certified in the state or another state and have received 519 Substitute Bill No. 5437
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training on teaching in an on-line environment, or (ii) offered by 520
institutions of higher education that are accredited by the Board of 521
Regents for Higher Education or Office of Higher Education or 522
regionally accredited; or (7) toward meeting the high school graduation 523
requirement upon the successful completion of a credit recovery 524
program approved by the Commissioner of Education. 525
[(j)] (i) A local or regional board of education may offer one-half credit 526
in community service which, if satisfactorily completed, shall qualify for 527
high school graduation credit pursuant to this section, provided such 528
community service is supervised by a certified school administrator or 529
teacher and consists of not less than fifty hours of actual service that may 530
be performed at times when school is not regularly in session and not 531
less than ten hours of related classroom instruction. [For purposes of 532
this section, community service does not include partisan political 533
activities.] The State Board of Education shall assist local and regional 534
boards of education in meeting the requirements of this section. [The 535
State Board of Education shall award a community service recognition 536
award to any student who satisfactorily completes fifty hours or more 537
of community service in accordance with the provisions of this 538
subsection.] 539
[(k)] (j) (1) A local or regional board of education may award a 540
diploma to a veteran, as defined in subsection (a) of section 27-103, 541
which veteran or person served during World War II or the Korean 542
hostilities, as described in section 51-49h, or during the Vietnam Era, as 543
defined in section 27-103, withdrew from high school prior to 544
graduation in order to serve in the armed forces of the United States and 545
did not receive a diploma as a consequence of such service. 546
(2) A local or regional board of education may award a diploma to 547
any person who (A) withdrew from high school prior to graduation to 548
work in a job that assisted the war effort during World War II, December 549
7, 1941, to December 31, 1946, inclusive, (B) did not receive a diploma as 550
a consequence of such work, and (C) has been a resident of the state for 551
at least fifty consecutive years. 552 Substitute Bill No. 5437
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(3) (A) A local or regional board of education under whose 553
jurisdiction a student would otherwise be attending school if such 554
student were not educated under the oversight of the education unit of 555
the Department of Children and Families established pursuant to 556
section 17a-3b, shall award a diploma to any such student seventeen 557
years of age or older who satisfactorily completes the minimum credits 558
required pursuant to this section for students graduating in the year in 559
which such diploma is awarded. 560
(B) If no such local or regional board of education can be identified, 561
the Department of Children and Families shall determine whether a 562
student educated under the oversight of the education unit of the 563
department who is seventeen years of age or older has satisfactorily 564
completed the minimum credits required pursuant to this section for 565
students graduating in the year in which a diploma is sought by such 566
student and the department shall award a diploma to any such student 567
who has met such requirement. 568
[(l)] (k) For the school year commencing July 1, 2012, and each school 569
year thereafter, each local and regional board of education shall create a 570
student success plan for each student enrolled in a public school, 571
beginning in grade six. Such student success plan shall include a 572
student's career and academic choices in grades six to twelve, inclusive. 573
Beginning in grade six, such student success plan shall provide evidence 574
of career exploration in each grade including, but not limited to, careers 575
in manufacturing. The Department of Education shall revise and issue 576
to local and regional boards of education guidance regarding changes 577
to such student success plans. On and after July 1, 2020, in creating such 578
student success plans, consideration shall be given to career and 579
academic choices in computer science, science, technology, engineering 580
and mathematics. On and after July 1, 2021, such student success plans 581
shall be created, if possible, in collaboration with each student and the 582
parent or guardian of such student. On and after July 1, 2022, such 583
student success plans shall, to the extent it does not conflict with the 584
career choices of the student or such student's parent or guardian, 585
include an academic plan that is in compliance with the challenging 586 Substitute Bill No. 5437
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curriculum policy adopted by the local or regional board of education 587
pursuant to section 10-221x, as amended by this act. On and after July 1, 588
2024, in creating such student success plans, consideration shall be given 589
to enrollment opportunities in the Technical Education and Career 590
System. 591
[(m)] (l) Commencing with classes graduating in 2018, and for each 592
graduating class thereafter, a local or regional board of education may 593
affix the Connecticut State Seal of Biliteracy, as described in subsection 594
(f) of section 10-5, to a diploma awarded to a student who has achieved 595
a high level of proficiency in English and one or more foreign languages, 596
as defined in said subsection (f). The local or regional board of education 597
shall include on such student's transcript a designation that the student 598
received the Connecticut State Seal of Biliteracy. 599
Sec. 8. Section 10-221z of the 2024 supplement to the general statutes 600
is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 601
1, 2024): 602
(a) No local or regional board of education shall permit any student 603
to graduate from high school or grant a diploma to any student 604
pursuant to section 10-221a, as amended by this act, unless such student 605
has (1) completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, (2) 606
completed and submitted to a public institution of higher education an 607
application for institutional financial aid for students without legal 608
immigration status established pursuant to section 10a-161d, or (3) 609
completed a waiver, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) 610
of this section and on a form prescribed by the Commissioner of 611
Education, signed by such minor student's parent or legal guardian or 612
by such student if such student is a legally emancipated minor or 613
eighteen years of age or older. 614
(b) Any waiver completed by a student pursuant to subdivision (3) 615
of subsection (a) of this section shall require the parent, legal guardian 616
or student to affirm that such parent, legal guardian or student 617
understands the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and shall not 618 Substitute Bill No. 5437
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require the parent, legal guardian or student to state any reasons for 619
choosing not to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or 620
the application for institutional financial aid for students without legal 621
immigration status. On and after March fifteenth of the school year, a 622
principal, school counselor, teacher or other certified educator may 623
complete such waiver on behalf of any student who has not satisfied any 624
of the requirements described in subsection (a) of this section, if such 625
principal, school counselor, teacher or other certified educator affirms 626
that they have made a good faith effort to contact the parent, legal 627
guardian or student about completion of the Free Application for 628
Federal Student Aid or an application for institutional financial aid for 629
students without legal immigration status. 630
(c) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any student 631
enrolled in an incorporated or endowed high school or academy 632
approved pursuant to section 10-34 and who is not a resident of the 633
state. 634
Sec. 9. Subsection (b) of section 10-76ll of the 2024 supplement to the 635
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 636
thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 637
(b) On or before July 1, 2015, the State Board of Education shall draft 638
a written bill of rights for parents of children receiving special education 639
services to guarantee that the rights of such parents and children are 640
adequately safeguarded and protected during the provision of special 641
education and related services until such children have graduated from 642
high school or at the end of the school year during which such children 643
reaches age twenty-two, whichever occurs first, under this chapter. Such 644
bill of rights shall inform parents of: (1) The right to request 645
consideration of the provision of transition services for a child receiving 646
special education services who is eighteen until such child has 647
graduated from high school or at the end of the school year during 648
which such child reaches age twenty-two, whichever occurs first, (2) the 649
right to receive transition resources and materials from the department 650
and the local or regional board of education responsible for such child, 651 Substitute Bill No. 5437
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(3) the requirement that the local or regional board of education 652
responsible for such child shall create a student success plan for each 653
student enrolled in a public school, beginning in grade six, pursuant to 654
subsection [(l)] (k) of section 10-221a, as amended by this act, and (4) the 655
right of such child to receive realistic and specific postgraduation goals 656
as part of such child's individualized education program. 657
Sec. 10. Subsection (b) of section 10-221x of the 2024 supplement to 658
the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 659
thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 660
(b) Each local and regional board of education shall create an 661
academic plan for each student identified under the criteria described in 662
subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section. In creating an academic 663
plan for a student, such plan shall be designed to enroll such student in 664
one or more advanced course or programs and allow such student to 665
earn college credit or result in career readiness. Each academic plan shall 666
be aligned with (1) the courses or programs offered by the local or 667
regional board of education, (2) such student's student success plan 668
created pursuant to subsection [(l)] (k) of section 10-221a, as amended 669
by this act, (3) the high school graduation requirements under section 670
10-221a, as amended by this act, and (4) any other policies or standards 671
adopted by the board relating to the eligibility for student enrollment in 672
advanced courses or programs. A student, or the parent or guardian of 673
a student, may decline to implement the provisions of an academic plan 674
created for such student. 675
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2024 New section
Sec. 2 July 1, 2024 10-220a(a)
Sec. 3 July 1, 2025 10-220a(a)
Sec. 4 July 1, 2024 10-222d(b)
Sec. 5 July 1, 2024 10-233m
Sec. 6 July 1, 2024 22a-226e(a)
Sec. 7 July 1, 2024 10-221a Substitute Bill No. 5437
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Sec. 8 July 1, 2024 10-221z
Sec. 9 July 1, 2024 10-76ll(b)
Sec. 10 July 1, 2024 10-221x(b)
ED Joint Favorable C/R APP
APP Joint Favorable Subst.