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OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 5437
AN ACT CONCERNING EDUCATION MANDATE RELIEF.
SUMMARY
This bill establishes a 10-member Educator Professional
Development Mandate Review Advisory Council to advise and provide
annual reports to the Education Committee on the (1) implementation
of existing mandates for educator professional development and in-
service training, (2) cost of these mandates to educators and local and
regional boards of education, and (3) impact of any proposals to add to
or revise these requirements.
Separately, the bill requires that (1) the manner and frequency of in-
service training for certified educators be determined by the school
board’s professional development and evaluation committee and (2) at
a minimum, the required subject matter be provided at least once every
five years. It also eliminates specified subject matter from in-service
training that, generally, is addressed by other training requirements
(e.g., social-emotional learning).
For public and private educational facilities, the bill (1) delays, from
January 1, 2025, to July 1, 2026, PA 23-170’s requirement for certain
organic materials generators to separate the materials and recycle them
and (2) limits the requirement to educational facilities located within a
20-mile radius of a permitted source-separated organic material
composting facility.
Additionally, the bill makes several changes to high school
graduation requirements. Among other things, it delays, from the
graduating class of 2025 to the graduating class of 2027, the requirement
to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA),
institutional financial aid application, or signed waiver. It also 2024HB-05437-R000592-BA.DOCX
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eliminates (1) the prohibition on partisan political activities counting
toward elective credit for community service and, (2) beginning with the
graduating class of 2027, the option for school boards to require students
to complete a one-credit mastery-based diploma assessment.
Lastly, the bill requires that student success plans give consideration
to enrollment opportunities in the Connecticut Technical Education and
Career System (§§ 7, 9 & 10). By law, school boards must create a student
success plan for each public school student beginning in sixth grade. The
plan must include the student’s career and academic choices in grades
6-12.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2024, except that a conforming change is
effective July 1, 2025.
§ 1 — EDUCATOR PROFES SIONAL DEVELOPMENT M ANDATE
REVIEW ADVISORY COUN CIL
Under the bill, the council’s reports to the Education Committee must
be submitted annually beginning January 1, 2025. They must include
recommendations for legislation (if any) as well as the following:
1. a review of all existing professional development and in-service
training mandates in state and federal law;
2. costs incurred by school boards to provide professional
development and in-service training; and
3. how the boards provide and implement the development and
training, including who completes and receives them and how
frequently they are offered.
Under the bill, the council consists of 10 legislative appointees as
shown in the table below.
Table: Council Membership
Appointing Authority Criteria
House speaker Representative of the Connecticut
Association of Boards of Education
Senate president pro tempore Representative of the Connecticut 2024HB-05437-R000592-BA.DOCX
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Appointing Authority Criteria
Association of Public School
Superintendents
House majority leader Representative of the Connecticut
Association of Schools
Senate majority leader Representative of the Connecticut
Association of School Business Officials
House minority leader Member of a local or regional school board
Senate minority leader Representative of the Connecticut
Federation of School Administrators
Education Committee House chairperson
and ranking member (one each)
Public school paraeducator in Connecticut
Education Committee Senate chairperson
and ranking member (one each)
Public school teacher in Connecticut
The bill requires appointing authorities to make their initial
appointments by August 1, 2024, and fill any vacancies. The initial terms
end on January 31, 2029, and subsequent terms last for five years. The
bill allows members to serve multiple terms.
The bill requires the House speaker and Senate president pro
tempore to select the council’s chairpersons from among its members.
The chairpersons must schedule the first meeting, which must be held
by October 1, 2024. The Education Committee’s administrative staff
must serve as the council’s administrative staff.
§§ 2-5 — IN-SERVICE TRAINING
Existing law requires school boards to provide an in-service training
program for teachers, administrators, and pupil personnel who hold the
initial educator, provisional educator, or professional educator
certificate. The bill requires that (1) the manner and frequency of in-
service training be determined by the school board’s professional
development and evaluation committee and (2) at a minimum, the
required subject matter be provided at least once every five years.
Additionally, the bill eliminates requirements that the training
include (1) identification and prevention of and response to bullying, (2)
culturally responsive pedagogy and practice, and (3) the principles and
practices of social-emotional learning and restorative practices. 2024HB-05437-R000592-BA.DOCX
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Generally, training on these subjects is required by other statutes (e.g.,
certified employees’ professional development programs must include
culturally responsive pedagogy and practice (CGS § 10-148a)). The bill
also makes conforming changes.
§ 6 — LARGE ORGANIC MATERI ALS GENERATORS
Beginning January 1, 2025, PA 23-170, § 5, expands the scope of the
law requiring certain organic materials generators to separate the
materials and recycle them. Among other things, it requires public and
private educational facilities (and other newly included entities) that
generate an average projected volume of at least 26 tons of source-
separated organic materials (e.g., food scraps) per year to (1) separate
the materials from other solid waste and (2) recycle them at a permitted
source-separated organic material composting facility that has capacity
and is willing to accept them.
For public and private educational facilities, the bill (1) delays the
implementation of this requirement to July 1, 2026, and (2) limits it to
educational facilities located within a 20-mile radius of a permitted
source-separated organic material composting facility.
§§ 7 & 8 — HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATI ON REQUIREMENTS
FAFSA Completion
Beginning with the graduating class of 2025, current law requires
students to complete a FAFSA, institutional financial aid application (if
the student does not have legal immigration status), or signed waiver in
order to graduate from high school. The bill delays the requirement by
two years, to the graduating class of 2027.
The bill also exempts endowed academy students who are not state
residents from this requirement. The state has three endowed academies
that function as public high schools under state law (i.e., Gilbert School,
Norwich Free Academy, and Woodstock Academy).
Credit Requirements
Beginning with the graduating class of 2027, the bill eliminates the
option for school boards to require students to complete a one-credit 2024HB-05437-R000592-BA.DOCX
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mastery-based diploma assessment (i.e., a “capstone”) in order to
graduate from high school.
Additionally, existing law requires students, beginning with the
graduating class of 2027, to complete a half-credit of personal financial
management and financial literacy, which may count as either a
humanities credit or an elective credit. The bill provides a third option
by allowing this requirement to count as a science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics credit.
Community Service
Existing law allows school boards to offer, and count towards high
school graduation requirements, one half-credit in community service.
Among other things, students must complete at least 50 hours of actual
service performed outside of school hours.
The bill eliminates current law’s (1) prohibition on partisan political
activities counting as community service and (2) requirement that the
State Board of Education give community service recognition awards to
students who complete 50 or more hours of community service.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Education Committee
Joint Favorable Change of Reference - APP
Yea 43 Nay 1 (03/20/2024)
Appropriations Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 52 Nay 0 (04/04/2024)