CHAPTER 164
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

PART I
GENERAL

      Sec. 10-15. Towns to maintain schools. Public schools including kindergartens shall be maintained in each town for at least one hundred eighty days of actual school sessions during each year. When public school sessions are cancelled for reasons of inclement weather or otherwise, the rescheduled sessions shall not be held on Saturday or Sunday. Public schools may conduct weekend education programs to provide supplemental and remedial services to students. A local or regional board of education for a school that has been designated as a low achieving school pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of section 10-223e may increase the number of actual school sessions during each year, and may increase the number of hours of actual school work per school session in order to improve student performance and remove the school from the list of schools designated as a low achieving school maintained by the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education (1) may authorize the shortening of any school year for a school district, a school or a portion of a school on account of an unavoidable emergency, and (2) may authorize implementation of scheduling of school sessions to permit full year use of facilities which may not offer each child one hundred eighty days of school sessions within a given school year, but which assures an opportunity for each child to average a minimum of one hundred eighty days of school sessions per year during thirteen years of educational opportunity in the elementary and secondary schools. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section and section 10-16, the State Board of Education may, upon application by a local or regional board of education, approve for any single school year, in whole or in part, a plan to implement alternative scheduling of school sessions which assures at least four hundred fifty hours of actual school work for nursery schools and half-day kindergartens and at least nine hundred hours of actual school work for full-day kindergartens and grades one to twelve, inclusive.

      (1949 Rev., S. 1349; 1967, P.A. 288, S. 1; 1971, P.A. 370, S. 1; 442; 1972, P.A. 120, S. 1; P.A. 75-284; P.A. 77-614, S. 302, 610; P.A. 78-218, S. 9; P.A. 80-241; P.A. 88-123; P.A. 98-243, S. 12, 25; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 99-1, S. 36, 51; P.A. 11-85, S. 3.)

      History: 1967 act included kindergartens and changed usual minimum age for entrance from 6 to 5; 1971 acts rewrote provision concerning studies of alcohol and narcotics effects to include nicotine, tobacco and all controlled drugs and their effect on citizenship and personality as well as on health and character and specified that rescheduled school sessions may not be held on Saturday or Sunday; 1972 act added provision allowing full year use of facilities "which may not offer each child one hundred eighty days of school sessions within a given school year" but which will average out as 180 days per year over 13-year course of education; P.A. 75-284 forbade discrimination on grounds of sex, religion or national origin and required equal participation opportunities for any child in any school activity, program or course of study; P.A. 77-614 substituted commissioner of education for secretary of state board of education, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-218 deleted provisions dealing with age of students, discrimination and equal opportunity and deleted detailed prescribed course of study; P.A. 80-241 added provisions concerning alternate scheduling of school sessions; P.A. 88-123 added Subdiv. designations and in Subdiv. (1) added "for a school district, a school or a portion of school"; P.A. 98-243 added language to set different requirements for half and full-day kindergarten programs, effective July 1, 1998; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 99-1 authorized public schools to conduct weekend education programs to provide supplemental and remedial services to students, effective July 1, 1999 (Revisor's note: The phrase "... full-day kindergarten and grades one to twelve, inclusive." at the end of the section was changed editorially by the Revisors to "... full-day kindergartens and grades one to twelve, inclusive." for consistency); P.A. 11-85 authorized boards of education for low achieving schools to increase the number of actual school sessions during each year and the number of hours of actual school work per school session, effective July 1, 2011.

      Sec. 10-15c. Discrimination in public schools prohibited. School attendance by five-year-olds. (a) The public schools shall be open to all children five years of age and over who reach age five on or before the first day of January of any school year, and each such child shall have, and shall be so advised by the appropriate school authorities, an equal opportunity to participate in the activities, programs and courses of study offered in such public schools, at such time as the child becomes eligible to participate in such activities, programs and courses of study, without discrimination on account of race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin or sexual orientation; provided boards of education may, by vote at a meeting duly called, admit to any school children under five years of age.

      (b) Nothing in subsection (a) of this section shall be deemed to amend other provisions of the general statutes with respect to curricula, facilities or extracurricular activities.

      (P.A. 78-218, S. 10; P.A. 79-128, S. 12, 36; P.A. 80-405, S. 1, 4; P.A. 81-472, S. 10, 159; P.A. 88-360, S. 3, 63; P.A. 97-247, S. 6, 27; P.A. 11-55, S. 8.)

      History: P.A. 79-128 required equal opportunity to participate in activities, programs and courses of study, deleting former possible limitation of equal opportunity, i.e. "within the limits of existing expenditures in any one school year"; P.A. 80-405 required school authorities to advise children of opportunities available when they are eligible to participate; P.A. 81-472 made technical changes; P.A. 88-360 substituted the provision that public schools be open to all children "who reach age five on or before the first day of January of any school year" for the provision that boards of education "may exclude children who will not attain the age of five years until after the first day of January of any school year"; P.A. 97-247 designated the existing section as Subsec. (a), added "sexual orientation" and added Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 11-55 amended Subsec. (a) to prohibit discrimination on account of gender identity or expression.

      Sec. 10-16b. Prescribed courses of study. (a) In the public schools the program of instruction offered shall include at least the following subject matter, as taught by legally qualified teachers, the arts; career education; consumer education; health and safety, including, but not limited to, human growth and development, nutrition, first aid, disease prevention, community and consumer health, physical, mental and emotional health, including youth suicide prevention, substance abuse prevention, safety, which may include the dangers of gang membership, and accident prevention; language arts, including reading, writing, grammar, speaking and spelling; mathematics; physical education; science; social studies, including, but not limited to, citizenship, economics, geography, government and history; and in addition, on at least the secondary level, one or more world languages and vocational education. For purposes of this subsection, world languages shall include American Sign Language, provided such subject matter is taught by a qualified instructor under the supervision of a teacher who holds a certificate issued by the State Board of Education. For purposes of this subsection, the "arts" means any form of visual or performing arts, which may include, but not be limited to, dance, music, art and theatre.

      (b) If a local or regional board of education requires its pupils to take a course in a world language, the parent or guardian of a pupil identified as deaf or hearing impaired may request in writing that such pupil be exempted from such requirement and, if such a request is made, such pupil shall be exempt from such requirement.

      (c) Each local and regional board of education shall on September 1, 1982, and annually thereafter at such time and in such manner as the Commissioner of Education shall request, attest to the State Board of Education that such local or regional board of education offers at least the program of instruction required pursuant to this section, and that such program of instruction is planned, ongoing and systematic.

      (d) The State Board of Education shall make available curriculum materials and such other materials as may assist local and regional boards of education in developing instructional programs pursuant to this section. The State Board of Education, within available appropriations and utilizing available resource materials, shall assist and encourage local and regional boards of education to include: (1) Holocaust and genocide education and awareness; (2) the historical events surrounding the Great Famine in Ireland; (3) African-American history; (4) Puerto Rican history; (5) Native American history; (6) personal financial management; and (7) topics approved by the state board upon the request of local or regional boards of education as part of the program of instruction offered pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.

      (P.A. 78-218, S. 11; 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 79-128, S. 13, 36; P.A. 80-166, S. 2; P.A. 89-133, S. 1, 2; 89-185, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-416, S. 6, 10; P.A. 95-101, S. 1; P.A. 97-45, S. 1; 97-61, S. 1; P.A. 08-153, S. 8; P.A. 11-136, S. 1.)

      History: P.A. 78-303 allowed substitution of commissioner of education for secretary of state board of education in accordance with P.A. 77-614, S. 302, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-128 replaced specific subject listings with more general subject matter areas and added Subsecs. (b) and (c); P.A. 80-166 changed initial date in Subsec. (b) from "in 1981" to "on September 1, 1982"; P.A. 89-133 in Subsec. (a) added provision that language arts may include certain sign languages, added new Subsec. (b) providing an exemption from foreign language requirements for deaf or hearing impaired pupils and relettered Subsecs. (b) and (c) as Subsecs. (c) and (d); P.A. 89-185 in Subsec. (a) added the subjects which health and safety education shall include but not be limited to; P.A. 93-416 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that "safety" may include the dangers of gang membership, effective June 29, 1993; P.A. 95-101 added provision concerning Holocaust education and awareness in Subsec. (d); P.A. 97-45 amended Subsec. (d) to add provision concerning the Great Famine in Ireland; P.A. 97-61 amended Subsec. (d) to expand the list of topics for programs of instruction to include African-American History, Puerto-Rican History, Native American History, personal financial management and topics approved by the State Board of Education at the request of local or regional boards of education; P.A. 08-153 amended Subsec. (a) to define "arts", effective July 1, 2008; P.A. 11-136 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing "foreign" with "world", replacing "language arts may" with "world languages shall" and replacing "sign language or signed English" with "Sign Language" and amended Subsec. (d)(1) by adding "and genocide", effective July 1, 2011 (Revisor's note: In Subsec. (b), a reference to "foreign language" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "world language" to conform with changes made in Subsec. (a) by P.A. 11-136).

      Sec. 10-16p. Definitions. Lead agency for school readiness; standards. Grant programs; eligibility. Unexpended funds. (a) As used in sections 10-16o to 10-16s, inclusive, 10-16u, 17b-749a and 17b-749c:

      (1) "School readiness program" means a nonsectarian program that (A) meets the standards set by the department pursuant to subsection (b) of this section and the requirements of section 10-16q, and (B) provides a developmentally appropriate learning experience of not less than four hundred fifty hours and one hundred eighty days for eligible children, except as provided in subsection (d) of section 10-16q;

      (2) "Eligible children" means children three and four years of age and children five years of age who are not eligible to enroll in school pursuant to section 10-15c, or who are eligible to enroll in school and will attend a school readiness program pursuant to section 10-16t;

      (3) "Priority school" means a school in which forty per cent or more of the lunches served are served to students who are eligible for free or reduced price lunches pursuant to federal law and regulations, excluding such a school located in a priority school district pursuant to section 10-266p or in a former priority school district receiving a grant pursuant to subsection (c) of this section and, on and after July 1, 2001, excluding such a school in a transitional school district receiving a grant pursuant to section 10-16u;

      (4) "Severe need school" means a school in a priority school district pursuant to section 10-266p or in a former priority school district in which forty per cent or more of the lunches served are served to students who are eligible for free or reduced price lunches;

      (5) "Accredited" means accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, a Head Start on-site program review instrument or a successor instrument pursuant to federal regulations, or otherwise meeting such criteria as may be established by the commissioner, in consultation with the Commissioner of Social Services, unless the context otherwise requires;

      (6) "Year-round" means fifty weeks per year, except as provided in subsection (d) of section 10-16q;

      (7) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Education; and

      (8) "Department" means the Department of Education.

      (b) (1) The Department of Education shall be the lead agency for school readiness. For purposes of this section and section 10-16u, school readiness program providers eligible for funding from the Department of Education shall include local and regional boards of education, regional educational service centers, family resource centers and providers of child day care centers, as defined in section 19a-77, Head Start programs, preschool programs and other programs that meet such standards established by the Commissioner of Education. The department shall establish standards for school readiness programs. The standards may include, but need not be limited to, guidelines for staff-child interactions, curriculum content, including preliteracy development, lesson plans, parent involvement, staff qualifications and training, transition to school and administration. The department shall develop age-appropriate developmental skills and goals for children attending such programs. The commissioner, in consultation with the president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, the Commissioner of Social Services and other appropriate entities, shall develop a continuing education training program for the staff of school readiness programs.

      (2) For purposes of this section:

      (A) Prior to July 1, 2015, "staff qualifications" means there is in each classroom an individual who has at least the following: (i) A childhood development associate credential or an equivalent credential issued by an organization approved by the Commissioner of Education and twelve credits or more in early childhood education or child development, as determined by the president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, after consultation with the Commissioners of Education and Social Services, from an institution of higher education accredited by the Board of Regents for Higher Education or regionally accredited; (ii) an associate's degree with twelve credits or more in early childhood education or child development, as determined by the president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, after consultation with the Commissioners of Education and Social Services, from such an institution; (iii) a four-year degree with twelve credits or more in early childhood education or child development, as determined by the president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, after consultation with the Commissioners of Education and Social Services, from such an institution; or (iv) certification pursuant to section 10-145b with an endorsement in early childhood education or special education;

      (B) From July 1, 2015, to June 30, 2020, "staff qualifications" means that for each early childhood education program accepting state funds, including school readiness or childcare services funds and funds from the Department of Social Services, (i) at least fifty per cent of those individuals with the primary responsibility for a classroom of children hold (I) certification pursuant to section 10-145b with an endorsement in early childhood education or early childhood special education, or (II) a bachelor's degree with a concentration in early childhood education, including, but not limited to, a bachelor's degree in early childhood education, child study, child development or human growth and development, from an institution of higher education accredited by the Board of Regents for Higher Education, provided such bachelor's degree program is approved by the Board of Regents for Higher Education and the Department of Education, and (ii) such remaining individuals hold an associate degree with a concentration in early childhood education, including, but not limited to, an associate's degree in early childhood education, child study, child development or human growth and development, from an institution of higher education accredited by the Board of Regents for Higher Education, provided such associate degree program is approved by the Board of Regents for Higher Education and the Department of Education; and

      (C) On and after July 1, 2020, "staff qualifications" means that for each early childhood education program accepting state funds, including school readiness or childcare services funds and funds from the Department of Social Services, one hundred per cent of those individuals with the primary responsibility for a classroom of children hold (i) certification pursuant to section 10-145b with an endorsement in early childhood education or early childhood special education, or (ii) a bachelor's degree with a concentration in early childhood education, including, but not limited to, a bachelor's degree in early childhood education, child study, child development or human growth and development, from an institution of higher education accredited by the Board of Regents for Higher Education, provided such bachelor's degree program is approved by the Board of Regents for Higher Education and the Department of Education.

      (3) Any individual with a bachelor's degree who, on or before June 30, 2015, is employed as a teacher by an early childhood education program that accepts state funds, including school readiness or childcare services funds and funds from the Department of Social Services, and meets the staff qualifications required under subparagraph (A) of subdivision (2) of this subsection shall be considered to meet the staff qualifications required under subparagraphs (B) and (C) of subdivision (2) of this subsection. No such early childhood education program shall terminate any such individual from employment for purposes of meeting the staff qualification requirements set forth in subparagraph (B) or (C) of subdivision (2) of this subsection.

      (4) Any individual with a bachelor's degree other than those bachelor's degrees specified in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subdivision (2) of this subsection may submit documentation concerning such degree for review and assessment by the Department of Education as to whether such degree has a sufficient concentration in early childhood education so as to satisfy the requirements set forth in said subparagraphs (A) and (B).

      (c) The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Social Services, shall establish a grant program to provide spaces in accredited school readiness programs for eligible children who reside in priority school districts pursuant to section 10-266p or in former priority school districts as provided in this subsection. Under the program, the grant shall be provided, in accordance with this section, to the town in which such priority school district or former priority school district is located. Eligibility shall be determined for a five-year period based on an applicant's designation as a priority school district for the initial year of application, except that if a school district that receives a grant pursuant to this subsection is no longer designated as a priority school district at the end of such five-year period, such former priority school district shall continue to be eligible to receive a grant pursuant to this subsection. Grant awards shall be made annually contingent upon available funding and a satisfactory annual evaluation. The chief elected official of such town and the superintendent of schools for such priority school district or former priority school district shall submit a plan for the expenditure of grant funds and responses to the local request for proposal process to the Departments of Education and Social Services. The departments shall jointly review such plans and shall each approve the portion of such plan within its jurisdiction for funding. The plan shall: (1) Be developed in consultation with the local or regional school readiness council established pursuant to section 10-16r; (2) be based on a needs and resource assessment; (3) provide for the issuance of requests for proposals for providers of accredited school readiness programs, provided, after the initial requests for proposals, facilities that have been approved to operate a child care program financed through the Connecticut Health and Education Facilities Authority and have received a commitment for debt service from the Department of Social Services pursuant to section 17b-749i, are exempt from the requirement for issuance of annual requests for proposals; and (4) identify the need for funding pursuant to section 17b-749a in order to extend the hours and days of operation of school readiness programs in order to provide child day care services for children attending such programs.

      (d) (1) The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Social Services, shall establish a competitive grant program to provide spaces in accredited school readiness programs for eligible children who reside (A) in an area served by a priority school or a former priority school as provided for in subdivision (2) of this subsection, (B) in a town ranked one to fifty when all towns are ranked in ascending order according to town wealth, as defined in subdivision (26) of section 10-262f, whose school district is not a priority school district pursuant to section 10-266p, or (C) in a town formerly a town described in subparagraph (B) of this subdivision, as provided for in subdivision (2) of this subsection. A town in which a priority school is located, a regional school readiness council, pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-16r, for a region in which such a school is located or a town described in subparagraph (B) of this subdivision may apply for such a grant in an amount not to exceed one hundred seven thousand dollars per priority school or town. Eligibility shall be determined for a five-year period based on an applicant's designation as having a priority school or being a town described in subparagraph (B) of this subdivision for the initial year of application. Grant awards shall be made annually contingent upon available funding and a satisfactory annual evaluation. The chief elected official of such town and the superintendent of schools of the school district or the regional school readiness council shall submit a plan, as described in subsection (c) of this section, for the expenditure of such grant funds to the Department of Education. In awarding grants pursuant to this subsection, the commissioner shall give preference to applications submitted by regional school readiness councils and may, within available appropriations, provide a grant in excess of one hundred seven thousand dollars to towns with two or more priority schools in such district. A town or regional school readiness council awarded a grant pursuant to this subsection shall use the funds to purchase spaces for such children from providers of accredited school readiness programs.

      (2) (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (C) of this subdivision, commencing with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2005, if a town received a grant pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection and is no longer eligible to receive such a grant, the town may receive a phase-out grant for each of the three fiscal years following the fiscal year such town received its final grant pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection.

      (B) The amount of such phase-out grants shall be determined as follows: (i) For the first fiscal year following the fiscal year such town received its final grant pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, in an amount that does not exceed seventy-five per cent of the grant amount such town received for the town or school's final year of eligibility pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection; (ii) for the second fiscal year following the fiscal year such town received its final grant pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, in an amount that does not exceed fifty per cent of the grant amount such town received for the town's or school's final year of eligibility pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection; and (iii) for the third fiscal year following the fiscal year such town received its final grant pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, in an amount that does not exceed twenty-five per cent of the grant amount such town received for the town's or school's final year of eligibility pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection.

      (C) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, and each fiscal year thereafter, any town that received a grant pursuant to subparagraph (B) of subdivision (1) of this subsection for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010, shall continue to receive a grant under this subsection even if the town no longer meets the criteria for such grant pursuant to subparagraph (B) of subdivision (1) of this subsection.

      (e) (1) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, and each fiscal year thereafter, priority school districts and former priority school districts shall receive grants based on the sum of the products obtained by (A) multiplying the district's number of contracted slots on March thirtieth of the fiscal year prior to the fiscal year in which the grant is to be paid, by the per child cost pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of section 10-16q, except that such per child cost shall be reduced for slots that are less than year-round, and (B) multiplying the number of additional or decreased slots the districts have requested for the fiscal year in which the grant is to be paid by the per child cost pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of section 10-16q, except such per child cost shall be reduced for slots that are less than year-round. If said sum exceeds the available appropriation, such number of requested additional slots shall be reduced, as determined by the Commissioner of Education, to stay within the available appropriation.

      (2) (A) If funds appropriated for the purposes of subsection (c) of this section are not expended, the Commissioner of Education may deposit such unexpended funds in the account established under section 10-16aa and use such unexpended funds in accordance with the provisions of section 10-16aa.

      (B) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2012, and each fiscal year thereafter, if funds appropriated for the purposes of subsection (c) of this section are not expended, an amount up to five hundred thousand dollars of such unexpended funds may be available for use in accordance with the provisions of this subparagraph for the subsequent fiscal year. The Commissioner of Education may use such unexpended funds on and after July 1, 2012, in consultation with the president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, to support early childhood education programs accepting state funds in satisfying the staff qualifications requirements of subparagraphs (B) and (C) of subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of this section. The local school readiness programs shall use any such funds to provide assistance to staff members at a maximum of five thousand dollars per staff member per year for the cost of higher education courses leading to a bachelor's degree or, not later than December 31, 2013, an associate's degree, as such degrees are described in said subparagraphs (B) and (C) at an in-state public institution of higher education or a Connecticut-based for-profit or nonprofit institution of higher education, provided such staff members have applied for all available federal and state scholarships and grants, and such assistance does not exceed such staff members' financial need. Local school readiness programs shall apply for such unexpended funds in such program's application for a school readiness grant pursuant to this section. The Commissioner of Education shall determine, in consultation with the president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, how such unexpended funds shall be distributed.

      (C) If funds appropriated for the purposes of subsection (c) of this section are not expended pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, deposited pursuant to subparagraph (A) of this subdivision, or used pursuant to subparagraph (B) of this subdivision, the Commissioner of Education may use such unexpended funds to support local school readiness programs. The commissioner may use such funds for purposes including, but not limited to, (i) assisting local school readiness programs in meeting and maintaining accreditation requirements, (ii) providing training in implementing the preschool assessment and curriculum frameworks, including training to enhance literacy teaching skills, (iii) developing a state-wide preschool curriculum, (iv) developing student assessments for students in grades kindergarten to two, inclusive, (v) developing and implementing best practices for parents in supporting preschool and kindergarten student learning, (vi) developing and implementing strategies for children to transition from preschool to kindergarten, (vii) providing for professional development, including assisting in career ladder advancement, for school readiness staff, and (viii) providing supplemental grants to other towns that are eligible for grants pursuant to subsection (c) of this section.

      (3) Notwithstanding subdivision (2) of this subsection, for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2008, to June 30, 2013, inclusive, the Department of Education may retain up to one hundred ninety-eight thousand two hundred dollars of the amount appropriated for purposes of this section for coordination, program evaluation and administration.

      (f) Any school readiness program that receives funds pursuant to this section or section 10-16u shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion or disability. For purposes of this section, a nonsectarian program means any public or private school readiness program that is not violative of the Establishment Clause of the Constitution of the State of Connecticut or the Establishment Clause of the Constitution of the United States of America.

      (g) Subject to the provisions of this subsection, no funds received by a town pursuant to subsection (c) or (d) of this section or section 10-16u shall be used to supplant federal, state or local funding received by such town for early childhood education, provided a town may use an amount determined in accordance with this subsection for coordination, program evaluation and administration. Such amount shall be at least twenty-five thousand dollars but not more than seventy-five thousand dollars and shall be determined by the Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Social Services, based on the school readiness grant award allocated to the town pursuant to subsection (c) or (d) of this section or section 10-16u and the number of operating sites for coordination, program evaluation and administration. Such amount shall be increased by an amount equal to local funding provided for early childhood education coordination, program evaluation and administration, not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars. Each town that receives a grant pursuant to subsection (c) or (d) of this section or section 10-16u shall designate a person to be responsible for such coordination, program evaluation and administration and to act as a liaison between the town and the Departments of Education and Social Services. Each school readiness program that receives funds pursuant to this section or section 10-16u shall provide information to the department or the school readiness council, as requested, that is necessary for purposes of any school readiness program evaluation.

      (h) For the first three years a town receives grants pursuant to this section, such grants may be used, with the approval of the commissioner, to prepare a facility or staff for operating a school readiness program and shall be adjusted based on the number of days of operation of a school readiness program if a shorter term of operation is approved by the commissioner.

      (i) A town may use grant funds to purchase spaces for eligible children who reside in such town at an accredited school readiness program located in another town. A regional school readiness council may use grant funds to purchase spaces for eligible children who reside in the region covered by the council at an accredited school readiness program located outside such region.

      (j) Children enrolled in school readiness programs funded pursuant to this section shall not be counted (1) as resident students for purposes of subdivision (22) of section 10-262f, or (2) in the determination of average daily membership pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of section 10-261.

      (k) Up to two per cent of the amount of the appropriation for this section may be allocated to the competitive grant program pursuant to subsection (d) of this section. The determination of the amount of such allocation shall be made on or before August first.

      (P.A. 97-259, S. 2, 41; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-11, S. 25, 65; P.A. 98-239, S. 30, 35; 98-252, S. 32, 80; P.A. 99-230, S. 1, 10; P.A. 00-187, S. 4, 75; P.A. 01-173, S. 48, 67; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1, S. 11-13, 54; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-7, S. 10; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 15, 30, 32; P.A. 04-15, S. 1; 04-26, S. 1; 04-215, S. 2; 04-254, S. 3; P.A. 05-13, S. 5; 05-245, S. 1, 10, 28; P.A. 06-13, S. 1, 2; 06-135, S. 1, 23; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3, S. 17; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5, S. 44, 50; P.A. 08-85, S. 1; 08-170, S. 4, 35; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-6, S. 31, 32; P.A. 10-151, S. 4; P.A. 11-48, S. 194, 285; 11-54, S. 1.)

      History: P.A. 97-259 effective July 1, 1997; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-11 made a technical change in Subsec. (a)(3), added new Subdiv. (4) defining "severe need school" and redesignated former Subdivs. (4) to (7) as Subdivs. (5) to (8), effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-239 amended Subsec. (c)(3) to provide that, after the initial requests for proposals, facilities approved to operate a child care program financed through CHEFA and which have received a commitment for debt service pursuant to Sec. 17b-749i are exempt from the requirement for issuance of annual requests for proposals, effective June 8, 1998, and applicable to all grants submitted on and after July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-252 amended Subsec. (a)(1) to allow the commissioner to approve programs for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1998, and June 30, 1999, that are for less hours and days, amended Subsecs. (c) and (d) to make technical changes, amended Subsec. (e)(3) to remove cap of $120,000 per fiscal year, amended Subsec. (g) to allow a town to use up to 5% but no more than $50,000 for coordination, program evaluation and administration, and added new Subsec. (h) re use of grants in certain years to prepare a facility or staff for operating a program, effective June 8, 1998; P.A. 99-230 amended Subsec. (a)(2) to add children attending pursuant to Sec. 10-16t, to renumber existing Subsec. (a)(7) and (8) as Subsec. (a)(8) and (9) and to add new Subsec. (a)(7) defining "year-round", amended Subsec. (e) to change the percentages in Subdivs. (1) to (3), inclusive, and to add Subdiv. (4) re use of a percentage of grant funds not earmarked by town for expenditure, and added Subsec.(g)(2) re authorization to use increased amount of grant funds for coordination, program evaluation and administration for towns that provide $25,000 in local funding for such purposes, to require towns that receive grants to designate a person to be responsible for coordination, program evaluation and administration and to act as a liaison between the town and the departments, and to require programs to provide information for evaluation purposes, and added Subsecs. (i) re purchase of spaces in program in another town or region and (j) re children not counted as resident students for purposes of Sec. 10-262f, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 00-187 added provisions re transitional school districts and former priority school districts, amended Subsec. (b) to specify the standards for staff qualifications on and after July 1, 2003, amended Subsec. (d) to allow the awarding of grants in excess of $100,000 to towns with one or more priority schools, amended Subsec. (e) to base grants on the "average" number of enrolled kindergarten students in a priority school district for the "three years" prior to the year the grant is to be paid rather than on the number of such students for the prior year and to provide that no such district receives a grant that is less than the grant it received for the prior fiscal year, and amended Subsec. (h) to extend the provision to the fiscal year ending June 30, 2001, and add requirement for the commissioner's approval, effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 01-173 amended Subsec. (j) to designate portion of existing provisions as Subdiv. (1) and add Subdiv. (2) re determination of average daily membership, effective July 1, 2001; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1 amended Subsec. (b) to require curriculum content to include preliteracy development, amended Subsec. (c)(1) to add reference to the "regional" school readiness council, amended Subsec. (e)(1) to establish a threshold for grants of at least $150,000 and (e)(4) to increase the percentage of funds that are not earmarked that the department is able to use from 10% to 50%, amended Subsec. (g)(1) to allow a town to use the greater of the amounts pursuant to Subparas. (A) or (B), to designate the existing limit as Subpara. (B) and to add Subpara. (A) re $25,000, and amended Subsec. (h) to remove limitation on the provision for specific fiscal years and to substitute limitation for the first three years a town receives grants, effective July 1, 2001; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-7 added Subsec. (k) re appropriations for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2003, effective August 15, 2002 (Revisor's note: In Subsec. (k) the numeric dollar amounts "$2,576,580" and "$198,199" were replaced editorially by the Revisors with "two million five hundred seventy-six thousand five hundred eighty dollars" and "one hundred ninety-eight thousand one hundred ninety-nine dollars" for consistency with customary statutory usage); June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 amended Subsec. (b) to make definition of "staff qualifications" applicable beginning July 1, 2004, rather than July 1, 2003, amended Subsec. (d) by designating existing provisions as Subdiv. (1), adding reference to former priority schools therein and adding Subdiv. (2) re grants for former priority schools and amended Subsec. (k) by adding provisions re appropriations for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2004, and June 30, 2005, effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 04-15 amended Subsec. (b) to change staff qualifications on and after July 1, 2005, in Subdivs. (1), (2) and (3), and to add Subdiv. (4) re endorsement in early childhood education or special education, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-26 made technical changes in Subsec. (d)(2), effective April 28, 2004; P.A. 04-215 deleted definition of "approved" in Subsec. (a), made technical changes throughout, deleted "or approved" re school readiness program throughout, amended Subsec. (d) to increase maximum grant amount from $100,000 to $107,000 and deleted Subsec. (e)(1) provision re per cent amount of appropriation for noncompetitive grant and former Subsec. (e)(2) re per cent amount of appropriation for competitive grant, and amending redesignated Subdiv. (3) by changing plan submission deadline from January first, to October first, by increasing amount of funds not earmarked for expenditure that department may use from 50% to 70%, and by adding provision re amounts that may be used for school readiness professional development, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-254 amended Subsec. (d)(1) by adding provision re towns ranked according to wealth and deleted former Subsec. (k) re appropriations for fiscal years ending June 30, 2003, June 30, 2004, and June 30, 2005, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 05-13 amended Subsec. (d) by extending competitive grant program and phase-out to certain towns and making conforming changes, effective May 4, 2005; P.A. 05-245 made a technical change in Subsec. (a)(1), amended Subsec. (b) to extend the current definition of "staff qualifications" to July 1, 2015, and to introduce new standards for staff qualifications on and after July 1, 2015, amended Subsec. (d)(1) by extending grant eligibility from the towns ranked one to twenty-eight, to the towns ranked one to fifty when all towns are ranked in ascending order according to town wealth, and amended Subsec. (e)(1) by adding language re supplemental grants received in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2005, effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 06-13 made technical changes in Subsecs. (d) and (e)(3), effective May 2, 2006; P.A. 06-135 amended Subsec. (e)(3) to delete percentage requirements and provide that Department of Education may determine the distribution of funds not earmarked for expenditure for the purposes of professional development and preschool and kindergarten assessments and added Subsec. (k) re funding for programs in certain towns, effective July 1, 2006; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3 amended Subsec. (e)(3) to replace former provisions re use of funds not earmarked for expenditure by a town by October first for supplemental grants to other eligible towns, school readiness professional development and activities related to preschool and kindergarten student development evaluations or assessments with new provisions re use of unexpended funds to support local school readiness programs, effective July 1, 2007; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5 amended Subsec. (e)(3) to add Subpara. (H) re supplemental grants to other eligible towns, and amended Sec. 48 of P.A. 05-245, added editorially by the Revisors as Subsec. (e)(4) of this section, to extend the administrative set-aside for department to the fiscal years ending June 30, 2008, and June 30, 2009, effective October 6, 2007; P.A. 08-85 made a technical change in Subsec. (a)(5), effective July 1, 2008; P.A. 08-170 amended Subsec. (e) to replace former formula in Subdiv. (1) re distribution of funds with Subparas. (A) and (B) re formula for fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, based on district's program capacity, to delete former Subdiv. (2) re administrative set-aside and to redesignate existing Subdivs. (3) and (4) as Subdivs. (2) and (3), and amended Subsec. (k) to replace former provisions with provisions re allocation of up to 2% of appropriation for section to competitive grant program, effective July 1, 2008; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-6 amended Subsec. (e)(1) by adding "and each fiscal year thereafter," by replacing reference re March 30, 2008, with reference re March "thirtieth of the fiscal year prior to the fiscal year in which the grant is to be paid" in Subpara. (A), and by adding "or decreased" and replacing "ending June 30, 2009" with "in which the grant is to be paid" in Subpara. (B), amended Subsec. (e)(3) by replacing "and June 30, 2009" with "to June 30, 2011, inclusive", and amended Subsec. (g) by deleting Subdiv. (1) designator, by replacing "the greater of (A) twenty-five thousand dollars, or (B) up to five per cent but no more than fifty thousand dollars of the amount received" with "an amount determined in accordance with this subsection for coordination, program evaluation and administration. Such amount shall be at least twenty-five thousand dollars but not more than seventy-five thousand dollars and shall be determined by the Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Social Services, based on the school readiness grant award allocated to the town", by replacing "for coordination, program evaluation and administration, and (2) if a town provides twenty-five thousand dollars in" with "and the number of operating sites for coordination, program evaluation and administration. Such amount shall be increased by an amount equal to", by adding "provided" re local funding and by replacing "such town may use up to ten per cent but no more than seventy-five thousand dollars of such amount for coordination, program evaluation and administration" with "not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars", effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 10-151 amended Subsec. (d)(2) by inserting exception re Subpara. (C) in Subpara. (A) and adding Subpara. (C) re continued receipt of grant despite ineligibility and amended Subsec. (e) by adding new Subdiv. (2)(A) re deposit of unexpended funds into account established under Sec. 10-16aa, redesignating existing Subdiv. (2) as new Subdiv. (2)(B) and amending same to add "pursuant to said subsection (c) or deposited pursuant to subparagraph (A) of this subdivision" and redesignate existing Subparas. (A) to (H) as clauses (i) to (viii), effective July 1, 2010; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsec. (e)(3) by replacing "2011" with "2013", effective June 13, 2011; pursuant to P.A. 11-48, "Board of Governors of Higher Education" and "Department of Higher Education" were changed editorially by the Revisors to "Board of Regents for Higher Education", and "Commissioner of Higher Education" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education", effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-54 amended Subsec. (b) by designating existing provisions as Subdiv. (1) and Subdiv. (2)(A) and (B) and, in Subdiv. (2)(A), to add requirement re childhood development associate or equivalent credential and provisions re determination by Commissioner of Higher Education after consultation with Commissioners of Education and Social Services and, in Subdiv. (2)(B), to make provisions applicable from July 1, 2015, to June 30, 2020, and replace former Subparas. (A) and (B) re degree and certification requirements with provisions re certification and degree requirements applicable to each early childhood education program accepting state funds, by adding Subdiv. (2)(C) re staff qualifications on and after July 1, 2020, by adding Subdiv. (3) re individuals considered to meet staff requirements who may not be terminated from employment, and by adding Subdiv. (4) re submission of bachelor's degree documentation, amended Subsec. (e)(2) by adding new Subpara. (B) re unexpended funds appropriated for purposes of Subsec. (c) and by redesignating existing Subpara. (B) as Subpara. (C) and making conforming changes therein, and made technical changes in Subsecs. (b), (d), (e) and (g), effective July 1, 2011.

      Sec. 10-16r. Local school readiness councils; duties. Regional school readiness councils. (a) A town seeking to apply for a grant pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-16p or section 10-16u shall convene a local school readiness council or shall establish a regional school readiness council pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. Any other town may convene such a council. The chief elected official of the town or, in the case of a regional school district, the chief elected officials of the towns in the school district and the superintendent of schools for the school district shall jointly appoint and convene such council. Each school readiness council shall be composed of: (1) The chief elected official, or the official's designee; (2) the superintendent of schools, or a management level staff person as the superintendent's designee; (3) parents; (4) representatives from local programs such as Head Start, family resource centers, nonprofit and for-profit child day care centers, group day care homes, prekindergarten and nursery schools, and family day care home providers; (5) a representative from a health care provider in the community; and (6) other representatives from the community who provide services to children. The chief elected official shall designate the chairperson of the school readiness council.

      (b) The local school readiness council shall: (1) Make recommendations to the chief elected official and the superintendent of schools on issues relating to school readiness, including any applications for grants pursuant to sections 10-16p, 10-16u, 17b-749a and 17b-749c; (2) foster partnerships among providers of school readiness programs; (3) assist in the identification of (A) the need for school readiness programs and the number of children not being served by such a program, and (B) for priority school districts pursuant to section 10-266p, the number of children not being served by such a program and the estimated operating cost of providing universal school readiness to eligible children in such districts who are not being served; (4) submit biennial reports to the Department of Education on the number and location of school readiness spaces and estimates of future needs; (5) submit biennial reports on factors identified pursuant to subdivision (3) of this subsection; (6) cooperate with the department in any program evaluation and, on and after July 1, 2000, use measures developed pursuant to section 10-16s for purposes of evaluating the effectiveness of school readiness programs; (7) identify existing and prospective resources and services available to children and families; (8) facilitate the coordination of the delivery of services to children and families, including (A) referral procedures, and (B) before and after-school child care for children attending kindergarten programs; (9) exchange information with other councils, the community and organizations serving the needs of children and families; (10) make recommendations to school officials concerning transition from school readiness programs to kindergarten; and (11) encourage public participation.

      (c) Two or more towns or school districts and appropriate representatives of groups or entities interested in early childhood education in a region may establish a regional school readiness council. If a priority school is located in at least one of such school districts, the regional school readiness council may apply for a grant pursuant to subsection (d) of section 10-16p. The regional school readiness council may perform the duties outlined in subdivisions (2) to (10), inclusive, of subsection (b) of this section.

      (P.A. 97-259, S. 4, 41; P.A. 98-243, S. 10, 25; P.A. 99-230, S. 3, 10; P.A. 00-187, S. 11, 75; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1, S. 15, 54; P.A. 04-215, S. 5; P.A. 05-245, S. 2; P.A. 11-136, S. 9.)

      History: P.A. 97-259 effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-243 added Subdiv. (5) of Subsec. (b)(5)(B) re before and after-school child care, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 99-230 added Subsec. (b)(4) and (5) re biannual reports and re evaluations, and renumbered the existing Subdivs. (4) to (8), inclusive, as Subdivs. (6) to (10), inclusive, and amended Subsec. (c) to make a technical change, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 00-187 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to add references to Sec. 10-16u and to make technical changes, effective July 1, 2000; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1 amended Subsec. (a) to allow a town to establish a regional school readiness council, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 04-215 amended Subsec. (b)(3) by adding provision re universal school readiness in priority school districts and by including factors identified pursuant to Subdiv. (3) as part of reporting requirements in Subdiv. (4), effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 05-245 added Subsec. (a)(5) re a representative from a health care provider, redesignating existing Subdiv. (5) as Subdiv. (6), effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 11-136 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing "biannual" with "biennial" in Subdiv. (4), designating existing language in Subdiv. (4) re factors identified pursuant to Subdiv. (3) as new Subdiv. (5) and adding "submit biennial reports on" therein, and redesignating existing Subdivs. (5) to (10) as Subdivs. (6) to (11), effective July 1, 2011.

      Sec. 10-16x. After school program grant. (a) The Department of Education, in consultation with the after school committee established pursuant to section 10-16v, may, within available appropriations, administer a grant program to provide grants to local and regional boards of education, municipalities and not-for-profit organizations that are exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as from time to time amended, for after school programs that provide direct services and for entities that provide support to after school programs. For purposes of this subsection, "after school program" means a program that takes place when school is not in session, provides educational, enrichment and recreational activities for children in grades kindergarten to twelve, inclusive, and has a parent involvement component.

      (b) (1) Applications for grants pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall be filed biennially with the Commissioner of Education at such time and in such manner as the commissioner prescribes. As part of the application, an applicant shall submit a plan for the expenditure of grant funds.

      (2) Eligibility for grants pursuant to this section shall be determined for a two-year period and shall be based on the plan for expenditure of grant funds. Prior to the payment of funds to the grant recipient for the second year of the grant, the grant recipient shall report to the Department of Education on performance outcomes of the program and file expenditure reports pursuant to subsection (f) of this section. The report concerning performance outcomes shall include, but not be limited to, measurements of the impact on student achievement, school attendance and the in-school behavior of student participants.

      (c) The Department of Education and the after school committee established pursuant to section 10-16v shall develop and apply appropriate evaluation procedures to measure the effectiveness of the grant program established pursuant to this section.

      (d) For purposes of carrying out the provisions of this section, the Department of Education may accept funds from private sources and from any state agency that is a member of the after school committee.

      (e) The Department of Education shall provide grant recipients with technical assistance, evaluation, program monitoring, professional development and accreditation support. The department may retain up to four per cent of the amount appropriated for the grant program for purposes of this subsection.

      (f) Grant recipients shall file expenditure reports with the Commissioner of Education in accordance with subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of this section and at such time and in such manner as the commissioner prescribes. Grant recipients shall refund (1) any unexpended amounts at the close of the program for which the grant was awarded, and (2) any amounts not expended in accordance with the approved grant application.

      (g) Not later than December 1, 2011, and biennially thereafter, the Department of Education shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education on performance outcomes of recipients of grants under this section. The report shall include, but not be limited to, measurements of the impact on student achievement, school attendance and the in-school behavior of student participants.

      (P.A. 05-245, S. 46; P.A. 06-13, S. 3; 06-192, S. 12; 06-196, S. 222; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3, S. 26; P.A. 11-136, S. 4.)

      History: P.A. 05-245 effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 06-13 made technical changes in Subsec. (a), effective May 2, 2006; P.A. 06-192 redesignated existing Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (d), making a technical change therein, and added new Subsec. (c) re evaluation procedures, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 06-196 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective June 7, 2006; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that grants are for programs that provide direct services and for entities that provide support to after school programs and that after school programs include parent involvement, amended Subsec. (b) to change annual application to biennial application with requirement for a plan for expenditure, to designate existing language as Subdiv. (1) and to add Subdiv. (2) re eligibility, added Subsec. (e) re technical assistance, evaluation, program monitoring and accreditation support, added Subsec. (f) re expenditure reports and added Subsec. (g) re report on performance outcomes, effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 11-136 amended Subsec. (g) by replacing "October 1, 2008" with "December 1, 2011", effective July 1, 2011.

      Sec. 10-16y. Office of Early Childhood Planning, Outreach and Coordination. Duties. Section 10-16y is repealed, effective July 1, 2011.

      (Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-6, S. 49; P.A. 10-71, S. 1; P.A. 11-181, S. 5.)

      Sec. 10-16z. Early Childhood Education Cabinet. Members. Duties. Annual plan of action. Annual report. (a) There is established the Early Childhood Education Cabinet. The cabinet shall consist of: (1) The Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee, (2) one representative from the Department of Education who is responsible for programs required under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, 20 USC 1400 et seq., as amended from time to time, appointed by the Commissioner of Education, (3) the Commissioner of Social Services, or the commissioner's designee, (4) a representative from an institution of higher education in this state appointed by the president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, (5) the Commissioner of Public Health, or the commissioner's designee, (6) the Commissioner of Developmental Services, or the commissioner's designee, (7) the Commissioner of Children and Families, or the commissioner's designee, (8) the executive director of the Commission on Children, or the executive director's designee, (9) the project director of the Connecticut Head Start State Collaboration Office, (10) a parent or guardian of a child who attends or attended a school readiness program appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, (11) a representative of a local provider of early childhood education appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, (12) a representative of the Connecticut Family Resource Center Alliance appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, (13) a representative of a state funded child care center appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, (14) two appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom is a member of the House of Representatives and one of whom is a parent who has a child attending a school in a priority school district, (15) two appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one of whom is a member of the Senate and one of whom is a representative of a public elementary school with a prekindergarten program, (16) two appointed by the Governor, one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut Head Start Association and one of whom is a representative of the business or philanthropic community in this state, and (17) the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, or the secretary's designee. The chairperson of the council shall be appointed from among its members by the Governor.

      (b) Within available appropriations and such private funding as may be available, the Early Childhood Education Cabinet shall (1) coordinate among state agencies, as well as public and private partnerships, the development of services that enhance the health, safety and learning of children from birth to nine years of age, inclusive, (2) not later than December 1, 2009, and annually thereafter, develop an annual plan of action that assigns the appropriate state agency to complete the tasks specified in the federal Head Start Act of 2007, P.L. 110-134, as amended from time to time, and (3) not later than March 1, 2010, and annually thereafter, submit an annual state-wide strategic report, pursuant to said federal Head Start Act, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, addressing the progress such agencies have made toward the completion of such tasks outlined under said federal Head Start Act and this subsection to the Governor and the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education and human services.

      (c) The Early Childhood Education Cabinet shall be within the Department of Education for administrative purposes only.

      (Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-6, S. 50; P.A. 11-48, S. 285; 11-181, S. 1.)

      History: Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-6 effective October 5, 2009; pursuant to P.A. 11-48, "Commissioner of Higher Education" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education" in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-181 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner of Children and Families in Subdiv. (7), replacing representative from a Head Start program with a parent or guardian of a child who attends or attended a school readiness program in Subdiv. (10), redesignating existing Subdivs. (12) to (15) as Subdivs. (14) to (17), adding new Subdiv. (12) re representative of the Connecticut Family Resource Center Alliance and new Subdiv. (13) re representative of a state funded child care center, adding additional appointment in redesignated Subdiv. (16) re representative of Connecticut Head Start Association and making a conforming change, effective July 1, 2011.

      Sec. 10-16bb. Coordinated system of early care and education and child development. (a) On and after July 1, 2013, there shall be a coordinated system of early care and education and child development. The coordinated system of early care and education and child development shall consist of comprehensive and aligned policies, responsibilities, practices and services for young children and their families, including prenatal care and care for children from birth to eight years of age, inclusive, to ensure optimal health, safety and learning for each child, and that are in accordance with the plan developed by the planning director pursuant to section 10-16cc.

      (b) The coordinated system of early care and education and child development shall (1) create a unified set of reporting requirements for the programs described in subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of section 10-16cc, for the purpose of collecting the data elements necessary to perform quality assessments and longitudinal analysis; (2) compare and analyze the data collected pursuant to reporting requirements created under subdivision (1) of this subsection with the data collected in the state-wide public school information system, pursuant to section 10-10a, for population-level analysis of children and families; (3) develop and update appropriate early learning standards and assessment tools for children from birth to five years of age, inclusive, that are age and developmentally appropriate and that are aligned with existing learning standards as of July 1, 2013, and assessment tools for students in grades kindergarten to twelve, inclusive; (4) continually monitor and evaluate all early childhood education and child care programs and services, focusing on program outcomes in satisfying the health, safety, developmental and educational needs of all children; (5) develop indicators that assess strategies designed to strengthen the family through parental involvement in a child's development and education, including children with special needs; (6) increase the availability of early childhood education and child care programs and services and encourage the providers of such programs and services to work together to create multiple options that allow families to participate in programs that serve the particular needs of each family; (7) provide information and technical assistance to persons seeking early childhood education and child care programs and services; (8) assist state agencies and municipalities in obtaining available federal funding for early childhood education and child care programs and services; (9) provide technical assistance and consultation to licensed providers of early childhood education and child care programs and services and assist any potential provider of such programs and services in obtaining the necessary licensure and certification; (10) create, implement and maintain a quality rating and improvement system that covers home-based, center-based and school-based early child care and learning; (11) maintain a system of accreditation facilitation to assist early childhood education and child care programs and services in achieving national standards and program improvement; (12) create partnerships between state agencies and philanthropic organizations to assist in the implementation of the coordinated system of early care and education and child development; (13) align the system's policy and program goals with those of the Early Childhood Education Cabinet, pursuant to section 10-16z, and the Head Start advisory committee, pursuant to section 10-16n; (14) ensure a coordinated and comprehensive state-wide system of professional development for providers of early childhood education and child care programs and services; (15) develop family-centered services that assist families in their communities; (16) provide families with opportunities for choice in services including quality child care; (17) integrate early childhood education and special education services; (18) emphasize targeted research-based interventions; (19) organize services into a coherent system; (20) coordinate a comprehensive and accessible delivery system for early childhood education and child care services; (21) focus on performance measures to ensure that services are accountable, effective and accessible to the consumer; (22) promote universal access to early childhood care and education; (23) ensure nonduplication of monitoring and evaluation; (24) encourage, promote and coordinate funding for the establishment and administration of local and regional early childhood councils that implement local and regional birth-to-eight systems; and (25) perform any other activities that will assist in the provision of early childhood education and child care programs and services.

      (c) The coordinated system of early care and education and child development shall collaborate with local and regional early childhood councils to implement the coordinated system of early care and education and child development at the local level. Such early childhood councils shall: (1) Develop and implement a comprehensive plan for an early childhood system for the community served by such early childhood council, (2) develop policy and program planning, (3) encourage community participation by emphasizing substantial parental involvement, (4) collect, analyze and evaluate data with a focus on program and service outcomes, (5) allocate resources, and (6) perform any other functions that will assist in the provision of early childhood programs and services. Such early childhood councils may enter into memoranda of agreement with the local or regional school readiness council, described in section 10-16r, of the town or region served by such early childhood council to perform the duties and functions of a school readiness council, in accordance with the provisions of said section 10-16r, or if no such local or regional school readiness council exists for the town or region of such early childhood council, perform the duties and functions of a school readiness council, in accordance with the provisions of section 10-16r.

      (d) The coordinated system of early care and education and child development may enter into memoranda of agreement with and accept donations from nonprofit and philanthropic organizations to accomplish the purposes of this section.

      (P.A. 11-181, S. 2.)

      History: P.A. 11-181 effective July 1, 2011.

      Sec. 10-16cc. Planning director for the coordinated system of early care and education and child development. Plan. Reports. (a) On or before July 15, 2011, the Governor shall appoint, in consultation with the Early Childhood Education Cabinet, established under section 10-16z, a planning director for the planning and development of the coordinated system of early care and education and child development described in section 10-16bb, provided such appointment is made within available appropriations or funded by donations from private sources or federal funds to cover the costs of carrying out the provisions of this section. The planning director shall be within the Office of Policy and Management.

      (b) (1) The planning director shall develop a plan for the coordinated system of early care and education and child development. Such plan shall consolidate existing early childhood education and child care programs and services serving children from birth to eight years of age, inclusive, into a coordinated system that attempts to (A) reduce the academic achievement gap, (B) increase participation in early childhood education programs, (C) increase parent engagement, family literacy and parenting skills, (D) increase oral language development, (E) increase social competence, (F) decrease special education placements, and (G) support parents and guardians of young children to find employment and to remain employed and encourage such parents and guardians to attend work training programs. Consolidation may include, but not be limited to, school readiness programs, Head Start programs, the family resource center program, established pursuant to section 10-4o, child care facilities, licensing and services described in section 8-210, the birth-to-three program, established pursuant to section 17a-248, professional development activities relating to early childhood education and any other relevant early childhood programs and services.

      (2) In developing such plan, the planning director shall (A) consider opportunities for consolidation between and within agencies to reduce redundancy and to improve the focus on positive outcomes for children and families; (B) seek areas of consolidation between and within agencies; (C) provide for the creation of memoranda of agreement between the coordinated system of early care and education and child development and nonprofit and philanthropic organizations; (D) identify opportunities to align services and meet the holistic needs of children and families; (E) implement an accountability framework to measure program and services outcomes; (F) identify common requirements for funding from various sources and identify waiver provisions related to such requirements that can be used to improve service delivery in the state; (G) identify barriers under state or federal law that inhibit effective consolidation of functions or utilization of interagency agreements; (H) consult with qualified local and regional planning groups; and (I) focus the memoranda of agreement to relevant program areas, such as, maternal and child health, literacy, family support, financial planning and early care and education.

      (c) For purposes of the development of the plan for the coordinated system of early care and education and child development, the planning director may enter into memoranda of agreement with and accept donations from nonprofit and philanthropic organizations.

      (d) The Departments of Education, Social Services, Public Health, Children and Families and Developmental Services and the Board of Regents for Higher Education shall assist the planning director in the planning and development of the plan for the coordinated system of early care and education and child development.

      (e) (1) On and after October 1, 2011, until July 1, 2013, the planning director shall report quarterly to the Early Childhood Education Cabinet. Such report may include, but not be limited to, (A) recommendations regarding the consolidation of agencies to improve coordination within the coordinated system of early care and education and child development, (B) suggestions regarding how federal, state and local resources can be combined to maximize efficiencies in the system and outcomes for children and families, (C) suggestions to improve the manner in which state and local early childhood education initiatives are coordinated so as to provide holistic, affordable, high quality early education for young children, (D) recommendations for improvements to the coordinated system of early care and education and child development, and (E) assurances that the provisions of section 8-210 are being preserved in the planning and development of the coordinated system of early care and education and child development.

      (2) On and after January 1, 2012, until July 1, 2013, the planning director shall semiannually report to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations, human services and education, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a. Such report may include, but not be limited to, (A) recommendations regarding the consolidation of agencies to improve coordination within the coordinated system of early care and education and child development, (B) suggestions regarding how federal, state and local resources can be combined to maximize efficiencies in the system and outcomes for children and families, (C) suggestions to improve the manner in which state and local early childhood education initiatives are coordinated so as to provide holistic, high quality early education for young children, (D) recommendations for improvements to the coordinated system of early care and education and child development, and (E) assurances that the provisions of section 8-210 are being preserved in the planning and development of the coordinated system of early care and education and child development.

      (3) On or before January 30, 2013, the planning director shall report to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations, human services and education, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a. Such report shall include recommendations as to which department shall be the lead agency and where the staff of the coordinated system of early care and education and child development will be located.

      (P.A. 11-48, S. 285; 11-181, S. 3.)

      History: P.A. 11-181 effective July 1, 2011; pursuant to P.A. 11-48, "Department of Higher Education" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Board of Regents for Higher Education" in Subsec. (d), effective July 1, 2011.

      Sec. 10-16mm. Task force to address academic achievement gaps. Master plan. Progress reports. (a) There is established a task force to address the academic achievement gaps in Connecticut by considering effective approaches to closing the achievement gaps in elementary, middle and high schools. The task force shall develop, in consultation with the Department of Education, the Connecticut State University System, the Interagency Council for Ending the Achievement Gap established pursuant to section 10-16nn, and the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, a master plan to eliminate the academic achievement gaps by January 1, 2020. Such master plan shall: (1) Identify the achievement gaps that exist among and between (A) racial groups, (B) ethnic groups, (C) socioeconomic groups, (D) genders, and (E) English language learners and students whose primary language is English; (2) focus efforts on closing the achievement gaps identified in subdivision (1) of this subsection; (3) establish annual benchmarks for implementation of the master plan and closing the achievement gaps; (4) make recommendations regarding the creation of a Secretary of Education; and (5) develop a plan for (A) changing the requirement for when a child five years of age may enroll in kindergarten pursuant to section 10-15c from January first of the school year to October first of the school year, and (B) the creation of spaces in school readiness programs for those children who reach the age of five after October first of any school year and are no longer eligible to enroll in kindergarten for such school year. The task force may amend such master plan at any time. For purposes of this section, "achievement gaps" means the existence of a significant disparity in the academic performance of students among and between (A) racial groups, (B) ethnic groups, (C) socioeconomic groups, (D) genders, and (E) English language learners and students whose primary language is English.

      (b) The task force shall consist of the following members:

      (1) Two appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives;

      (2) Two appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate;

      (3) One appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives;

      (4) One appointed by the majority leader of the Senate;

      (5) One appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives;

      (6) One appointed by the minority leader of the Senate;

      (7) One appointed by the chairman of the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus of the General Assembly;

      (8) The Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee; and

      (9) One appointed by the Governor.

      (c) Any member of the task force appointed under subdivision (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6) or (7) of subsection (b) of this section may be a member of the General Assembly.

      (d) All appointments to the task force shall be made not later than thirty days after July 8, 2011. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority.

      (e) The speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate shall select the chairpersons of the task force from among the members of the task force. Such chairpersons shall schedule the first meeting of the task force, which shall be held not later than sixty days after July 8, 2011.

      (f) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education shall serve as administrative staff of the task force.

      (g) (1) Not later than July 1, 2012, the task force shall submit the master plan described in subsection (a) of this section to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, and the Interagency Council for Ending the Achievement Gap described in section 10-16nn.

      (2) Not later than January 1, 2013, and annually thereafter until January 1, 2020, the task force shall submit progress reports on the implementation of the master plan described in subsection (a) of this section and recommendations for implementing said master plan to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a.

      (h) The task force shall terminate on January 1, 2020.

      (P.A. 11-85, S. 1.)

      History: P.A. 11-85 effective July 8, 2011.

      Sec. 10-16nn. Interagency Council for Ending the Achievement Gap. (a) There is established an Interagency Council for Ending the Achievement Gap. The council shall consist of: (1) The Lieutenant Governor, or the Lieutenant Governor's designee, (2) the Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee, (3) the Commissioner of Children and Families, or the commissioner's designee, (4) the Commissioner of Social Services, or the commissioner's designee, (5) the Commissioner of Public Health, or the commissioner's designee, (6) the president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, or the president's designee, (7) the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, or the commissioner's designee, (8) the Commissioner of Administrative Services, or the commissioner's designee, and (9) the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, or the secretary's designee. The chairperson of the council shall be the Lieutenant Governor, or the Lieutenant Governor's designee. The council shall meet at least quarterly.

      (b) The Interagency Council for Ending the Achievement Gap shall (1) assist the achievement gap task force, established pursuant to section 10-16mm, in the development of the master plan to eliminate the academic achievement gaps in Connecticut, described in section 10-16mm, (2) implement the provisions of such master plan, and, if necessary, make recommendations for legislation relating to such master plan to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, and (3) submit annual progress reports on the implementation of such master plan to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education and the achievement gap task force established pursuant to section 10-16mm, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a.

      (c) The Interagency Council for Ending the Achievement Gap shall be within the Department of Education for administrative purposes only.

      (P.A. 11-48, S. 285; 11-85, S. 2.)

      History: P.A. 11-85 effective July 1, 2011; pursuant to P.A. 11-48, "Commissioner of Higher Education" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education" in Subsec. (a)(6), effective July 1, 2011.

      Sec. 10-16oo. Model curricula and frameworks in reading and mathematics for schools and districts identified as having academic achievement gaps. Not later than July 1, 2012, the Department of Education shall approve and make available model curricula and frameworks in reading and mathematics for grades prekindergarten to grade four, inclusive, for use by local and regional boards of education for school districts or individual schools identified by the department as having academic achievement gaps. Such curricula and frameworks shall be culturally relevant, research-based and aligned with student achievement standards adopted by the State Board of Education. For purposes of this section, "achievement gaps" means the existence of a significant disparity in the academic performance of students among and between (1) racial groups, (2) ethnic groups, (3) socioeconomic groups, (4) genders, and (5) English language learners and students whose primary language is English.

      (P.A. 11-85, S. 8.)

      History: P.A. 11-85 effective July 1, 2011.

      Sec. 10-17g. Application for grant. Annual evaluation report. Annually, the board of education for each local and regional school district that is required to provide a program of bilingual education, pursuant to section 10-17f, may make application to the State Board of Education and shall thereafter receive a grant in an amount equal to the product obtained by multiplying the total appropriation available for such purpose by the ratio which the number of eligible children in the school district bears to the total number of such eligible children state-wide. The board of education for each local and regional school district receiving funds pursuant to this section shall annually, on or before September first, submit to the State Board of Education a progress report which shall include (1) measures of increased educational opportunities for eligible students, including language support services and language transition support services provided to such students, (2) program evaluation and measures of the effectiveness of its bilingual education and English as a second language programs, including data on students in bilingual education programs and students educated exclusively in English as a second language programs, and (3) certification by the board of education submitting the report that any funds received pursuant to this section have been used for the purposes specified. The State Board of Education shall annually evaluate programs conducted pursuant to section 10-17f. For purposes of this section, measures of the effectiveness of bilingual education and English as a second language programs include state-wide mastery examination results and graduation and school dropout rates. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2009, to June 30, 2013, inclusive, the amount of grants payable to local or regional boards of education under this section shall be reduced proportionately if the total of such grants in such year exceeds the amount appropriated for such grants for such year.

      (P.A. 77-588, S. 3, 7; P.A. 84-255, S. 4, 21; P.A. 99-211, S. 8, 10; P.A. 00-220, S. 4, 43; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3, S. 5; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-6, S. 43; P.A. 11-48, S. 177.)

      History: P.A. 84-255 changed the date of the report to the state board from July to September first and required the state board to evaluate the programs annually rather than biennially; P.A. 99-211 in Subdiv. (1) added references to language support services and language transition support services, in Subdiv. (2) added measures of effectiveness of bilingual education and English as a second language programs, added language specifying some measures that are effectiveness measures for purposes of the section and made technical changes, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 00-220 made a technical change, effective July 1, 2000; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3 added language re proportional reduction of grants for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, effective July 1, 2007; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-6 extended proportional reduction of grants through fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 11-48 extended proportional reduction of grants through fiscal year ending June 30, 2013, effective July 1, 2011.

      Sec. 10-19c. Program for careers in information technology. Section 10-19c is repealed, effective July 1, 2011.

      (P.A. 01-193, S. 3, 9; P.A. 11-48, S. 303.)

      Sec. 10-19m. (Formerly Sec. 17a-39). *(See end of section for amended version of subsection (c) and effective date.) Youth service bureaus. Annual report. Regulations. (a) For the purposes of this section, "youth" means a person from birth to eighteen years of age. Any one or more municipalities or any one or more private youth-serving organizations, designated to act as agents of one or more municipalities, may establish a multipurpose youth service bureau for the purposes of evaluation, planning, coordination and implementation of services, including prevention and intervention programs for delinquent, predelinquent, pregnant, parenting and troubled youths referred to such bureau by schools, police, juvenile courts, adult courts, local youth-serving agencies, parents and self-referrals. A youth service bureau shall be the coordinating unit of community-based services to provide comprehensive delivery of prevention, intervention, treatment and follow-up services.

      (b) A youth service bureau established pursuant to subsection (a) of this section may provide, but shall not be limited to the delivery of, the following services: (1) Individual and group counseling; (2) parent training and family therapy; (3) work placement and employment counseling; (4) alternative and special educational opportunities; (5) recreational and youth enrichment programs; (6) outreach programs to insure participation and planning by the entire community for the development of regional and community-based youth services; (7) preventive programs, including youth pregnancy, youth suicide, violence, alcohol and drug prevention; and (8) programs that develop positive youth involvement. Such services shall be designed to meet the needs of youths by the diversion of troubled youths from the justice system as well as by the provision of opportunities for all youths to function as responsible members of their communities.

      *(c) The Commissioner of Education shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, establishing minimum standards for such youth service bureaus and the criteria for qualifying for state cost-sharing grants, including, but not limited to, allowable sources of funds covering the local share of the costs of operating such bureaus, acceptable in-kind contributions and application procedures. Said commissioner shall, on December 1, 2011, and biennially thereafter, report to the General Assembly on the referral or diversion of children under the age of seventeen years from the juvenile justice system and on the referral or diversion of children aged seventeen and eighteen years from the court system. Such report shall include, but not be limited to, the number of times any child is so diverted, the number of children diverted, the type of service provided to any such child, by whom such child was diverted, the ages of the children diverted and such other information and statistics as the General Assembly may request from time to time. Any such report shall contain no identifying information about any particular child.

      (P.A. 76-127, S. 1-3, 5; P.A. 78-183, S. 1, 4; P.A. 89-191, S. 3; P.A. 91-146, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-91, S. 1, 2; 93-432, S. 1, 6; P.A. 95-339, S. 1, 8; P.A. 06-196, S. 62; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-4, S. 78; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 78; P.A. 11-136, S. 5.)

      *Note: On and after July 1, 2012, subsection (c) of this section, as amended by section 89 of public act 09-7 of the September special session and section 6 of public act 11-136, is to read as follows:

      "(c) The Commissioner of Education shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, establishing minimum standards for such youth service bureaus and the criteria for qualifying for state cost-sharing grants, including, but not limited to, allowable sources of funds covering the local share of the costs of operating such bureaus, acceptable in-kind contributions and application procedures. Said commissioner shall, on December 1, 2011, and biennially thereafter, report to the General Assembly on the referral or diversion of children under the age of eighteen years from the juvenile justice system and the court system. Such report shall include, but not be limited to, the number of times any child is so diverted, the number of children diverted, the type of service provided to any such child, by whom such child was diverted, the ages of the children diverted and such other information and statistics as the General Assembly may request from time to time. Any such report shall contain no identifying information about any particular child."

      (P.A. 76-127, S. 1-3, 5; P.A. 78-183, S. 1, 4; P.A. 89-191, S. 3; P.A. 91-146, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-91, S. 1, 2; 93-432, S. 1, 6; P.A. 95-339, S. 1, 8; P.A. 06-196, S. 62; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-4, S. 78; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 78, 89; P.A. 11-136, S. 5, 6.)

      History: P.A. 78-183 replaced youth service system with youth service bureau and expanded Subsec. (c), clarifying scope of regulations and adding provisions re annual report; P.A. 89-191 added Subsec. (b)(7) and (8) to include preventive programs, including youth suicide, alcohol and drug prevention and programs that develop positive youth involvement; Sec. 17-443 transferred to Sec. 17a-39 in 1991; P.A. 91-146 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that youth service bureaus may coordinate delivery of prevention, intervention, treatment and follow-up services for all youth and made technical change in Subsec. (b); P.A. 93-91 substituted commissioner and department of children and families for commissioner and department of children and youth services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-432 added pregnant and parenting youth to the list of individuals who may be referred to a youth service bureau, allowed the adult courts to refer individuals to the youth service bureau, and provided that a youth service bureau shall be the coordinating unit of community-based services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-339 amended Subsec. (c) to transfer responsibility for the program from the Commissioner of Children and Families to the Commissioner of Education, effective July 1, 1995; Sec. 17a-39 transferred to Sec. 10-19m in 1997; P.A. 06-196 made technical changes in Subsecs. (a) and (b), effective June 7, 2006; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-4 amended Subsec. (c) to substitute "age of eighteen" for "age of sixteen" and delete provision re referral or diversion of children between ages of sixteen and eighteen, effective January 1, 2010; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7 amended Subsec. (c) to substitute "age of seventeen" for "age of eighteen" and add provision re referral or diversion of children aged seventeen and eighteen, effective January 1, 2010, and further amended Subsec. (c) to substitute "age of eighteen" for "age of seventeen" and delete provision re referral or diversion of children aged seventeen and eighteen, effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 11-136 amended Subsec. (c) by replacing "1979" with "2011" and replacing "annually" with "biennially", effective July 1, 2011.

      Sec. 10-20a. Connecticut career certificate program. (a) Local and regional boards of education, the regional vocational-technical school system, postsecondary institutions and regional educational service centers, may (1) in consultation with regional workforce development boards established pursuant to section 31-3k, local employers, labor organizations and community-based organizations establish career pathway programs leading to a Connecticut career certificate in accordance with this section, and (2) enroll students in such programs based on entry criteria determined by the establishing agency. Such programs shall be approved by the Commissioner of Education and the Labor Commissioner. Applications for program approval shall be submitted to the Commissioner of Education in such form and at such time as the commissioner prescribes. All programs leading to a Connecticut career certificate shall provide equal access for all students and necessary accommodations and support for students with disabilities.

      (b) Programs established pursuant to this section may be offered for one or more years and shall include:

      (1) Not less than eighty hours during any year of school-based instruction which focuses on the academic, technical and employability skills outlined in the skill standards established pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, workplace safety awareness and instruction in the history of the American economy and the role of labor, business and industry;

      (2) Work-based instruction which includes worksite experience, including all major activities related to the career cluster. Such worksite experience shall: (A) Be paid, except as provided in subsection (c) of section 10-20b, (B) include a planned program of job training and work experiences, including training related to preemployment and employment skills to be mastered at progressively higher levels, that are coordinated with school-based instruction, (C) include instruction, to the extent practicable, in all aspects of the industry, (D) relate to the academic, technical and employability skills outlined in the skill standards established pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, (E) include, but not be limited to, on-the-job training, internships, community service and field trips, (F) be conducted in accordance with an individualized written training and mentoring plan, agreed to by the student, his parent or guardian, if the student is under eighteen years of age, the principal of the school or the chief executive officer of the agency operating the program in which the student is enrolled, or the designee of such principal or chief executive officer, and the employer, and (G) be in conformance with the requirements of section 10-20d; and

      (3) Activities that ensure coordination between school-based instruction and work-based instruction, including, but not limited to, (A) career awareness and exploration opportunities, and (B) information and guidance concerning transition to postsecondary education.

      (c) For purposes of this section, "career cluster" means a range of occupations which share a set of skills and knowledge organized under the federal career clusters endorsed by the Office of Vocational and Adult Education under the United States Department of Education. Such skills and knowledge include (1) academic and technical skills related to the type of employment, and (2) general employability skills. The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with other state, regional and local agencies, business and industry and labor organizations, shall maintain a list of federally recognized career clusters and skill standards for each such career cluster, along with the projected occupation growth area clusters within the state identified by labor market projections provided by the Labor Department.

      (P.A. 94-116, S. 21, 28; P.A. 97-195, S. 1, 5; P.A. 07-20, S. 1; Oct. Sp. Sess. P.A. 11-1, S. 35.)

      History: P.A. 94-116 effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 97-195 amended Subsec. (a) to designate existing provisions as Subdiv. (1), provide for the establishment of programs by postsecondary institutions, add the consultation role for regional workforce development boards, change the review and comment provision prior to approval by the commissioners by substituting regional school-to-career partnership for regional workforce development board, provide that students be enrolled based on entry criteria determined by the establishing agency, and add Subdiv. (2) re the regional school-to-career partnerships; amended Subsec. (b) in Subdiv. (1) to substitute school-based instruction for subject matter instruction and to add instruction in the history of the American economy and the role of labor, business and industry, in Subdiv. (2) to delete a requirement for not less than 180 hours of worksite experience, to redesignate existing Subparas. (B) and (C) as Subparas. (F) and (G), to add new Subparas. (B) to (E), inclusive, to change the provision for approval of the training and mentoring plan to include the parent or guardian, if the student is under 18 years of age, and the chief executive officer of the agency operating the program, and in Subdiv. (3) to expand the requirement for coordination to include career awareness and exploration opportunities and information and guidance concerning transition to postsecondary education; deleted Subsec. (c) re entry criteria; redesignated Subsec. (d) as Subsec. (c) and changed the description of the items included in skills and knowledge and made technical changes, effective June 24, 1997; P.A. 07-20 amended Subsec. (a) to designate programs leading to certificate as career pathway programs, delete provision re review and comment by the partnership, delete former Subdiv. (2) re partnerships, delete former Subdiv. (1) designator and redesignate existing Subparas. (A) and (B) as Subdivs. (1) and (2), amended Subsec. (b)(1) to add reference to workplace safety awareness and amended Subsec. (c) to require career clusters to be organized under federal career clusters and the maintenance of lists re projected occupation growth area clusters, effective July 1, 2007; Oct. Sp. Sess. P.A. 11-1 amended Subsec. (b)(2)(A) by adding reference to Sec. 10-20b(c) re exception to paid worksite experience, effective October 27, 2011.

      Sec. 10-20b. Connecticut career certificate. Compliance with state and federal laws and regulations. Student and employer requirements. Compensation. (a) Except for the provisions of chapter 567, all state and federal laws and regulations relating to employment, apprenticeship and occupational licensing shall apply to students in a program leading to a Connecticut career certificate pursuant to section 10-20a. Employers found to be in violation of a federal or state labor law may be prohibited from participation in the program.

      (b) Students participating in such programs shall not: (1) Replace any employee or cause any reduction in hours of work, wages or employment benefits of any employee of an employer participating in the program; or (2) be employed in a job from which an employee of a participating employer has been laid off and for which he retains recall rights. No employer shall terminate the employment of any of its employees or otherwise reduce its workforce or work hours in order to fill a vacancy so created with a student participating in the program. The participation of any employer who is a party to one or more collective bargaining agreements covering work to be performed by a student participating in the program shall be conditioned on the written concurrence of each labor organization that is a party to such an agreement.

      (c) The employment of students in programs established pursuant to section 10-20a shall be in compliance with sections 31-23 and 31-58 and shall be paid employment, unless the Labor Commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, in consultation with the Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee, receives and approves a written request from the principal of the school or the chief executive officer of the agency operating the program in which the student is enrolled, or the designee of such principal or chief executive officer, that such employment not be paid because such employment (1) includes worksite experiences that are generally not paid employment, such as community service activities or field trips, or (2) is an internship. The terms of compensation shall be (A) negotiated between the employer and such principal or chief executive officer, or the designee of such principal or chief executive officer, (B) accepted by the student, (C) based on the nature of the work and the status of the student-worker as a student, (D) reasonable for the actual work performed, and (E) in compliance with the provisions of title 31 concerning the employment of minors.

      (P.A. 94-116, S. 22, 28; P.A. 97-195, S. 2, 5; P.A. 07-20, S. 2; Oct. Sp. Sess. P.A. 11-1, S. 36.)

      History: P.A. 94-116 effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 97-195 amended Subsec. (c) to add references to the chief executive officer of the agency operating the program and made technical changes, effective June 24, 1997; P.A. 07-20 amended Subsec. (c) to add provisions re compliance with Secs. 31-23 and 31-58 and title 31 and make technical changes, effective July 1, 2007; Oct. Sp. Sess. P.A. 11-1 amended Subsec. (c) by designating provision re unpaid employment as new Subdiv. (1) and amending same to add "field trips", by adding new Subdiv. (2) re internships and by redesignating existing Subdivs. (1) to (5) as Subparas. (A) to (E), effective October 27, 2011.

      Sec. 10-21f. Career ladder programs. Section 10-21f is repealed, effective July 1, 2011.

      (P.A. 01-170, S. 2; P.A. 11-48, S. 303.)

PART IV
REGIONAL AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION CENTERS

      Sec. 10-65. Grants for constructing and operating agricultural science and technology education centers. Tuition charges. (a) Each local or regional school district operating an agricultural science and technology education center approved by the State Board of Education for program, educational need, location and area to be served shall be eligible for the following grants: (1) In accordance with the provisions of chapter 173, through progress payments in accordance with the provisions of section 10-287i, (A) for projects for which an application was filed prior to July 1, 2011, ninety-five per cent, and (B) for projects for which an application was filed on or after July 1, 2011, eighty per cent of the net eligible costs of constructing, acquiring, renovating and equipping approved facilities to be used for such agricultural science and technology education center, for the expansion or improvement of existing facilities or for the replacement or improvement of equipment therein, and (2) subject to the provisions of section 10-65b, in an amount equal to one thousand three hundred fifty-five dollars per student for every secondary school student who was enrolled in such center on October first of the previous year.

      (b) Each local or regional board of education not maintaining an agricultural science and technology education center shall provide opportunities for its students to enroll in one or more such centers in a number that is at least equal to the number specified in any written agreement with each such center or centers, or in the absence of such an agreement, a number that is at least equal to the average number of its students that the board of education enrolled in each such center or centers during the previous three school years, provided, in addition to such number, each such board of education shall provide opportunities for its students to enroll in the ninth grade in a number that is at least equal to the number specified in any written agreement with each such center or centers, or in the absence of such an agreement, a number that is at least equal to the average number of students that the board of education enrolled in the ninth grade in each such center or centers during the previous three school years. If a local or regional board of education provided opportunities for students to enroll in more than one center for the school year commencing July 1, 2007, such board of education shall continue to provide such opportunities to students in accordance with this subsection. The board of education operating an agricultural science and technology education center may charge, subject to the provisions of section 10-65b, tuition for a school year in an amount not to exceed eighty-two and five-tenths per cent of the foundation level pursuant to subdivision (9) of section 10-262f, per student for the fiscal year in which the tuition is paid, except that such board may charge tuition for (1) students enrolled under shared-time arrangements on a pro rata basis, and (2) special education students which shall not exceed the actual costs of educating such students minus the amounts received pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section and subsection (c) of this section. Any tuition paid by such board for special education students in excess of the tuition paid for non-special-education students shall be reimbursed pursuant to section 10-76g.

      (c) In addition to the grants described in subsection (a) of this section, within available appropriations, (1) each local or regional board of education operating an agricultural science and technology education center in which more than one hundred fifty of the students in the prior school year were out-of-district students shall be eligible to receive a grant in an amount equal to five hundred dollars for every secondary school student enrolled in such center on October first of the previous year, (2) on and after July 1, 2000, if a local or regional board of education operating an agricultural science and technology education center that received a grant pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection no longer qualifies for such a grant, such local or regional board of education shall receive a grant in an amount determined as follows: (A) For the first fiscal year such board of education does not qualify for a grant under said subdivision (1), a grant in the amount equal to four hundred dollars for every secondary school student enrolled in its agricultural science and technology education center on October first of the previous year, (B) for the second successive fiscal year such board of education does not so qualify, a grant in an amount equal to three hundred dollars for every such secondary school student enrolled in such center on said date, (C) for the third successive fiscal year such board of education does not so qualify, a grant in an amount equal to two hundred dollars for every such secondary school student enrolled in such center on said date, and (D) for the fourth successive fiscal year such board of education does not so qualify, a grant in an amount equal to one hundred dollars for every such secondary school student enrolled in such center on said date, and (3) each local and regional board of education operating an agricultural science and technology education center that does not receive a grant pursuant to subdivision (1) or (2) of this subsection shall receive a grant in an amount equal to sixty dollars for every secondary school student enrolled in such center on said date.

      (d) (1) If there are any remaining funds after the amount of the grants described in subsections (a) and (c) of this section are calculated, within available appropriations, each local or regional board of education operating an agricultural science and technology education center shall be eligible to receive a grant in an amount equal to one hundred dollars for each student enrolled in such center on October first of the previous school year. (2) If there are any remaining funds after the amount of the grants described in subdivision (1) of this subsection are calculated, within available appropriations, each local or regional board of education operating an agricultural science and technology education center that had more than one hundred fifty out-of-district students enrolled in such center on October first of the previous school year shall be eligible to receive a grant based on the ratio of the number of out-of-district students in excess of one hundred fifty out-of-district students enrolled in such center on said date to the total number of out-of-district students in excess of one hundred fifty out-of-district students enrolled in all agricultural science and technology education centers that had in excess of one hundred fifty out-of-district students enrolled on said date.

      (e) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2012, and June 30, 2013, the Department of Education shall allocate five hundred thousand dollars to local or regional boards of education operating an agricultural science and technology education center in accordance with the provisions of subsections (b) to (d), inclusive, of this section.

      (1955, S. 921d; 1961, P.A. 40; 1967, P.A. 638, S. 2; P.A. 78-218, S. 48; P.A. 82-204, S. 1, 2; P.A. 83-106, S. 1, 2; P.A. 84-460, S. 1, 16; P.A. 85-463, S. 1, 2; P.A. 86-71, S. 5, 11; P.A. 89-355, S. 3, 20; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-7, S. 2, 22; P.A. 93-410, S. 2, 6; P.A. 95-226, S. 14, 30; P.A. 96-178, S. 8, 18; P.A. 97-247, S. 13, 27; P.A. 00-192, S. 82, 102; P.A. 01-173, S. 11, 67; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-5, S. 5; P.A. 04-197, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3, S. 24; P.A. 08-152, S. 2; 08-170, S. 20; P.A. 09-45, S. 2, 3; P.A. 11-48, S. 203; 11-61, S. 86.)

      History: 1961 act changed references from high school to secondary school; 1967 act amended Subdiv. (a) to delete limitation to centers to be built and equipped before June 30, 1967, to delete number of centers to total of 24 for entire state and to allow grants for expansion and improvement of existing facilities and for replacement or improvement of equipment; P.A. 78-218 substituted "local" for "town" boards of education; P.A. 82-204 permitted boards of education to charge actual cost of education for special education students and made special education tuition a reimbursable expense under state special education formula; P.A. 83-106 excluded from "total cost of operating" calculation transportation expenditures otherwise reimbursable and stipulated use of previous year's average daily membership count in car grant calculation; P.A. 84-460 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that projects to construct, acquire, renovate or equip vocational agriculture centers would be eligible for school construction grants; P.A. 85-463 added Subsec. (b) re grant eligibility of E.O. Smith School; P.A. 86-71 deleted the references to Sec. 10-266n which was repealed and added the reference to Sec. 10-97; P.A. 89-355 deleted Subsec. (b) re E.O. Smith School, restructured the section with a new Subsec. (b) designation and provided that tuition grants be phased out and not be paid for the fiscal years following the fiscal year ending June 30, 1990, and made technical changes; June Sp. Sess. 91-7 provided for a grant equal to $700 per student in Subsec. (a), eliminating grants for the total cost of operating a vocational agriculture center and amended Subsec. (b) to limit tuition to the average per pupil expenditures for all students enrolled in the vocational agriculture center minus $700 rather than the average per pupil expenditure for all secondary school pupils in the receiving district and eliminated grants to sending school districts; P.A. 93-410 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to add "subject to the provisions of section 10-65b" and further amended Subsec. (b) to change the method for computing the cap on tuition charges, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-226 made technical changes in Subsecs. (a) and (b), amended Subsec. (b) to substitute 102% for 121% and in Subdiv. (2) to substitute references to amounts received pursuant to Subsecs. (a) and (c) for $700 and added Subsec. (c) concerning an additional grant, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-178 added Subsec. (d) re additional grants, effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 97-247 amended Subsec. (a) to remove requirement that facilities and equipment for which a grant is received pursuant to chapter 173 be used "exclusively" for vocational agricultural purposes, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 00-192 amended Subsec. (c) by adding new Subdiv. (2) re grants to local or regional boards operating vocational agriculture centers and designating existing Subdiv. (2) as Subdiv. (3), effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 01-173 amended Subsec. (d) to make technical changes, effective July 1, 2001; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-5 amended Subsec. (a)(1) to replace lump sum payments of the entire eligible cost with progress payments of 95% of the eligible cost, effective July 1, 2002; P.A. 04-197 amended Subsec. (b) by increasing maximum tuition from 102% to 120% of foundation level and by making a technical change, effective July 1, 2004; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3 amended Subsec. (a) to increase per pupil grant from $700 to $1,355 and amended Subsec. (b) to require boards of education to provide students an opportunity to enroll in a vocational agricultural center in a number that at least equals the number in any written agreement or the average number enrolled over the previous three years and to change limit on tuition charges from 120% to 82.5% of the foundation level, effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 08-152 and 08-170 changed "vocational agriculture" to "agricultural science and technology education" throughout, amended Subsec. (b) to provide that students in ninth grade shall be permitted to enroll in centers in a number that is at least equal to the average number enrolled during previous 3 school years and that if district provided enrollment opportunities at more than one center commencing July 1, 2007, the district shall continue to provide such opportunities and made a technical change in Subsec. (c)(3), effective July 1, 2008; P.A. 09-45 made technical changes in Subsecs. (c) and (d), effective May 20, 2009; P.A. 11-48 added Subsec. (e) re allocation of $500,000 in fiscal years ending June 30, 2012, and June 30, 2013, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-61 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by making existing provision re 95% of net eligible costs applicable for applications filed prior to July 1, 2011, and adding provision re 80% of net eligible costs for applications filed on or after July 1, 2011, effective July 1, 2011.

PART IVa
REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICE CENTERS

      Sec. 10-66j. Regulations. Annual grants, proportional reduction. Support of regional efforts to recruit and retain minority educators. (a) The State Board of Education shall encourage the formation of a state-wide system of regional educational service centers and shall adopt regulations with respect to standards for review and approval of regional education service centers in accordance with sections 10-66a and 10-66h.

      (b) Each regional educational service center shall receive an annual grant equal to the sum of the following:

      (1) An amount equal to fifty per cent of the total amount appropriated for purposes of this section divided by six;

      (2) An amount equal to twenty-five per cent of such appropriation multiplied by the ratio of the number of its member boards of education to the total number of member boards of education state-wide; and

      (3) An amount equal to twenty-five per cent of such appropriation multiplied by the ratio of the sum of state aid pursuant to section 10-262h for all of its member boards of education to the total amount of state aid pursuant to section 10-262h state-wide.

      (c) Within the available appropriation, no regional educational service center shall receive less aid pursuant to subsection (b) of this section than it received for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1999. Amounts determined for regional educational service centers pursuant to subsection (b) of this section in excess of the amounts received for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1999, shall be reduced proportionately to implement such provision if necessary.

      (d) Each regional educational service center shall support regional efforts to recruit and retain minority educators.

      (e) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2004, to June 30, 2013, inclusive, the amount of grants payable to regional educational service centers shall be reduced proportionately if the total of such grants in such year exceeds the amount appropriated for such grants for such year.

      (1972, P.A. 117, S. 10; P.A. 78-295, S. 7, 9; P.A. 83-554, S. 1, 2; P.A. 84-475, S. 1, 3; P.A. 85-377, S. 1, 13; 85-520, S. 1, 3; P.A. 86-301, S. 1, 2; P.A. 87-327, S. 1, 2; P.A. 88-358, S. 6, 9; P.A. 89-124, S. 1, 13; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-7, S. 3, 22; P.A. 95-226, S. 8, 30; P.A. 96-244, S. 8, 63; P.A. 00-187, S. 68, 75; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1, S. 31, 54; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 12; P.A. 04-26, S. 2; P.A. 05-245, S. 44; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3, S. 8; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-6, S. 44; P.A. 11-48, S. 178; 11-179, S. 2.)

      History: P.A. 78-295 made reference to state-wide system, required state board to adopt resolutions for review and approval of centers and added Subsecs. (b) and (c) re appropriations and disbursement of surplus appropriations; P.A. 83-554 amended Subsec. (b) allowing, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1984, for a grant payment of $56,000 and amended Subsec. (c) directing that any funds appropriated in excess of $325,000 be expended in implementing educational goals and objectives identified by the state board of education; P.A. 84-475 added new Subsec. (d) re competitive state grants to encourage innovative or exemplary programs; P.A. 85-377 substituted commissioner of education for state board in Subsec. (d); P.A. 85-520 increased amount of annual grant from $50,000 to $70,000 and eliminated former Subsec. (d) re competitive grants for innovative or exemplary programs; P.A. 86-301 amended Subsec. (b) to increase grant amount from $70,000 to $75,000; P.A. 87-327 amended Subsec. (b) to increase grant amount from to $85,000; P.A. 88-358 added new Subsec. (d) re listing of grants to regional educational service centers; P.A. 89-124 amended Subsec. (c) to substitute state aid pursuant to Sec. 10-262h for proportionate shares as determined in accordance with Sec. 10-262c which was repealed by Sec. 8 of public act 88-358 and made technical changes; June Sp. Sess. 91-7 amended Subsec. (d) to change the amount of the grants; P.A. 95-226 amended Subsec. (d) to authorize grant to RESCUE, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-244 substituted "EDUCATION CONNECTION" for "RESCUE" in Subsec. (d), effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 00-187 replaced former Subsecs. (b), (c) and (d) that specified amounts for grants to each center with the formula in new Subsec. (b), added new Subsec. (c) re requirement for the expenditure of specified percentage of the amount received, and added new Subsec. (d) to provide that within available appropriations no center receive less aid under the formula than it received for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1999, and to provide a method for proportionately reducing grants if necessary, effective July 1, 2000; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1 added Subsec. (e) re support of minority educator recruitment and data collection and analysis, effective July 1, 2001; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 added new Subsec., designated Subsec. (f) by the Revisors, re proportional reduction of grants for fiscal years ending June 30, 2004, and June 30, 2005, effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 04-26 made a technical change in Subsec. (f), effective April 28, 2004; P.A. 05-245 amended Subsec. (f) by extending the proportional reduction of grants through the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007, effective July 1, 2005; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3 amended Subsec. (f) to extend proportional reduction of grants through the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, effective July 1, 2007; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-6 amended Subsec. (f) to extend proportional reduction of grants through fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsec. (f) to extend proportional reduction of grants through fiscal year ending June 30, 2013, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-179 deleted former Subsec. (c) re requirement for expenditure of specified percentage of amount received, redesignated existing Subsecs. (d) to (f) as Subsecs. (c) to (e) and amended redesignated Subsec. (d) by deleting provision re data collection and analysis on efforts to reduce racial, ethnic and economic isolation, effective July 13, 2011.

PART IVb
CHARTER SCHOOLS

      Sec. 10-66bb. Application process and requirements. Charter renewal. Probation. Revocation. (a) On and after July 1, 1997, the State Board of Education may grant charters for local and state charter schools in accordance with this section.

      (b) Any person, association, corporation, organization or other entity, public or independent institution of higher education, local or regional board of education or two or more boards of education cooperatively, or regional educational service center may apply to the Commissioner of Education, at such time and in such manner as the commissioner prescribes, to establish a charter school, provided no nonpublic elementary or secondary school may be established as a charter school and no parent or group of parents providing home instruction may establish a charter school for such instruction.

      (c) The State Board of Education shall review, annually, all applications and grant charters in accordance with subsection (f) of this section. (1) Except as provided for in subdivision (2) of this subsection, no state charter school shall enroll (A) (i) more than two hundred fifty students, or (ii) in the case of a kindergarten to grade eight, inclusive, school, more than three hundred students, or (B) twenty-five per cent of the enrollment of the school district in which the state charter school is to be located, whichever is less. (2) In the case of a state charter school found by the State Board of Education to have a demonstrated record of achievement, said board shall, upon application by such school to said board, waive the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection for such school. The State Board of Education shall give preference to applicants for charter schools that will serve students who reside in a priority school district pursuant to section 10-266p or in a district in which seventy-five per cent or more of the enrolled students are members of racial or ethnic minorities and to applicants for state charter schools that will be located at a work-site or that are institutions of higher education. In determining whether to grant a charter, the State Board of Education shall consider the effect of the proposed charter school on the reduction of racial, ethnic and economic isolation in the region in which it is to be located, the regional distribution of charter schools in the state and the potential of over-concentration of charter schools within a school district or in contiguous school districts.

      (d) Applications pursuant to this section shall include a description of: (1) The mission, purpose and any specialized focus of the proposed charter school; (2) the interest in the community for the establishment of the charter school; (3) the school governance and procedures for the establishment of a governing council that (A) includes (i) teachers and parents and guardians of students enrolled in the school, and (ii) the chairperson of the local or regional board of education of the town in which the charter school is located and which has jurisdiction over a school that resembles the approximate grade configuration of the charter school, or the designee of such chairperson, provided such designee is a member of the board of education or the superintendent of schools for the school district, and (B) is responsible for the oversight of charter school operations, provided no member or employee of the governing council may have a personal or financial interest in the assets, real or personal, of the school; (4) the financial plan for operation of the school, provided no application fees or other fees for attendance, except as provided in this section, may be charged; (5) the educational program, instructional methodology and services to be offered to students; (6) the number and qualifications of teachers and administrators to be employed in the school; (7) the organization of the school in terms of the ages or grades to be taught and the total estimated enrollment of the school; (8) the student admission criteria and procedures to (A) ensure effective public information, (B) ensure open access on a space available basis, (C) promote a diverse student body, and (D) ensure that the school complies with the provisions of section 10-15c and that it does not discriminate on the basis of disability, athletic performance or proficiency in the English language, provided the school may limit enrollment to a particular grade level or specialized educational focus and, if there is not space available for all students seeking enrollment, the school may give preference to siblings but shall otherwise determine enrollment by a lottery; (9) a means to assess student performance that includes participation in state-wide mastery examinations pursuant to chapter 163c; (10) procedures for teacher evaluation and professional development for teachers and administrators; (11) the provision of school facilities, pupil transportation and student health and welfare services; (12) procedures to encourage involvement by parents and guardians of enrolled students in student learning, school activities and school decision-making; (13) procedures to document efforts to increase the racial and ethnic diversity of staff; and (14) a five-year plan to sustain the maintenance and operation of the school. Subject to the provisions of subsection (b) of section 10-66dd, an application may include, or a charter school may file, requests to waive provisions of the general statutes and regulations not required by sections 10-66aa to 10-66ff, inclusive, and which are within the jurisdiction of the State Board of Education.

      (e) An application for the establishment of a local charter school shall be submitted to the local or regional board of education of the school district in which the local charter school is to be located for approval pursuant to this subsection. The local or regional board of education shall: (1) Review the application; (2) hold a public hearing in the school district on such application; (3) survey teachers and parents in the school district to determine if there is sufficient interest in the establishment and operation of the local charter school; and (4) vote on a complete application not later than sixty days after the date of receipt of such application. Such board of education may approve the application by a majority vote of the members of the board present and voting at a regular or special meeting of the board called for such purpose. If the application is approved, the board shall forward the application to the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall vote on the application not later than seventy-five days after the date of receipt of such application. Subject to the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, the State Board of Education may approve the application and grant the charter for the local charter school or reject such application by a majority vote of the members of the state board present and voting at a regular or special meeting of the state board called for such purpose. The State Board of Education may condition the opening of such school on the school's meeting certain conditions determined by the Commissioner of Education to be necessary and may authorize the commissioner to release the charter when the commissioner determines such conditions are met. The state board may grant the charter for the local charter school for a period of time of up to five years and may allow the applicant to delay its opening for a period of up to one school year in order for the applicant to fully prepare to provide appropriate instructional services.

      (f) An application for the establishment of a state charter school shall be (1) submitted to the State Board of Education for approval in accordance with the provisions of this subsection, and (2) filed with the local or regional board of education in the school district in which the charter school is to be located. The state board shall: (A) Review such application; (B) hold a public hearing on such application in the school district in which such state charter school is to be located; (C) solicit and review comments on the application from the local or regional board of education for the school district in which such charter school is to be located and from the local or regional boards of education for school districts that are contiguous to the district in which such school is to be located; and (D) vote on a complete application not later than ninety days after the date of receipt of such application. The State Board of Education may approve an application and grant the charter for the state charter school by a majority vote of the members of the state board present and voting at a regular or special meeting of the state board called for such purpose. The State Board of Education may condition the opening of such school on the school's meeting certain conditions determined by the Commissioner of Education to be necessary and may authorize the commissioner to release the charter when the commissioner determines such conditions are met. Charters shall be granted for a period of time of up to five years and may allow the applicant to delay its opening for a period of up to one school year in order for the applicant to fully prepare to provide appropriate instructional services.

      (g) Charters may be renewed, upon application, in accordance with the provisions of this section for the granting of such charters. Upon application for such renewal, the State Board of Education may commission an independent appraisal of the performance of the charter school that includes, but is not limited to, an evaluation of the school's compliance with the provisions of this section. The State Board of Education shall consider the results of any such appraisal in determining whether to renew such charter. The State Board of Education may deny an application for the renewal of a charter if (1) student progress has not been sufficiently demonstrated, as determined by the commissioner, (2) the governing council has not been sufficiently responsible for the operation of the school or has misused or spent public funds in a manner that is detrimental to the educational interests of the students attending the charter school, or (3) the school has not been in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. If the State Board of Education does not renew a charter, it shall notify the governing council of the charter school of the reasons for such nonrenewal.

      (h) The Commissioner of Education may at any time place a charter school on probation if (1) the school has failed to (A) adequately demonstrate student progress, as determined by the commissioner, (B) comply with the terms of its charter or with applicable laws and regulations, (C) achieve measurable progress in reducing racial, ethnic and economic isolation, or (D) maintain its nonsectarian status, or (2) the governing council has demonstrated an inability to provide effective leadership to oversee the operation of the charter school or has not ensured that public funds are expended prudently or in a manner required by law. If a charter school is placed on probation, the commissioner shall provide written notice to the charter school of the reasons for such placement, not later than five days after the placement, and shall require the charter school to file with the Department of Education a corrective action plan acceptable to the commissioner not later than thirty-five days from the date of such placement. The charter school shall implement a corrective action plan accepted by the commissioner not later than thirty days after the date of such acceptance. The commissioner may impose any additional terms of probation on the school that the commissioner deems necessary to protect the educational or financial interests of the state. The charter school shall comply with any such additional terms not later than thirty days after the date of their imposition. The commissioner shall determine the length of time of the probationary period, which may be up to one year, provided the commissioner may extend such period, for up to one additional year, if the commissioner deems it necessary. In the event that the charter school does not file or implement the corrective action plan within the required time period or does not comply with any additional terms within the required time period, the Commissioner of Education may withhold grant funds from the school until the plan is fully implemented or the school complies with the terms of probation, provided the commissioner may extend the time period for such implementation and compliance for good cause shown. Whenever a charter school is placed on probation, the commissioner shall notify the parents or guardians of students attending the school of the probationary status of the school and the reasons for such status. During the term of probation, the commissioner may require the school to file interim reports concerning any matter the commissioner deems relevant to the probationary status of the school, including financial reports or statements. No charter school on probation may increase its student enrollment or engage in the recruitment of new students without the consent of the commissioner.

      (i) The State Board of Education may revoke a charter if a charter school has failed to: (1) Comply with the terms of probation, including the failure to file or implement a corrective action plan; (2) demonstrate satisfactory student progress, as determined by the commissioner; (3) comply with the terms of its charter or applicable laws and regulations; or (4) manage its public funds in a prudent or legal manner. Unless an emergency exists, prior to revoking a charter, the State Board of Education shall provide the governing council of the charter school with a written notice of the reasons for the revocation, including the identification of specific incidents of noncompliance with the law, regulation or charter or other matters warranting revocation of the charter. It shall also provide the governing council with the opportunity to demonstrate compliance with all requirements for the retention of its charter by providing the State Board of Education or a subcommittee of the board, as determined by the State Board of Education, with a written or oral presentation. Such presentation shall include an opportunity for the governing council to present documentary and testimonial evidence to refute the facts cited by the State Board of Education for the proposed revocation or in justification of its activities. Such opportunity shall not constitute a contested case within the meaning of chapter 54. The State Board of Education shall determine, not later than thirty days after the date of an oral presentation or receipt of a written presentation, whether and when the charter shall be revoked and notify the governing council of the decision and the reasons therefor. A decision to revoke a charter shall not constitute a final decision for purposes of chapter 54. In the event an emergency exists in which the commissioner finds that there is imminent harm to the students attending a charter school, the State Board of Education may immediately revoke the charter of the school, provided the notice concerning the reasons for the revocation is sent to the governing council not later than ten days after the date of revocation and the governing council is provided an opportunity to make a presentation to the board not later than twenty days from the date of such notice.

      (P.A. 96-214, S. 2; P.A. 97-290, S. 7, 29; P.A. 98-252, S. 6, 80; P.A. 99-289, S. 5, 11; P.A. 00-220, S. 5, 43; P.A. 03-76, S. 7; P.A. 06-55, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3, S. 12; P.A. 10-111, S. 12; P.A. 11-28, S. 3; 11-179, S. 11.)

      History: P.A. 97-290 amended Subsec. (c) to change the limit on the number of charter schools from 12 local and 12 state to 24 charter schools generally, to remove a limit on the total student population of all state charter schools, to remove restrictions on the number of charter schools that operate in Congressional districts and in a school district at any one time and to substitute requirement for consideration of regional distribution of charter schools in the state and the over concentration of charter schools within a school district in determining whether to grant a charter, to add preferences for a district in which 75% or more of the enrolled students are members of racial or ethnic minorities and for state charter schools located at a work-site and to require consideration of the effect of the proposed charter school on the reduction of racial, ethnic and economic isolation in the region in which it is to be located in determining whether to grant a charter, and amended Subsec. (d) to add requirement to document efforts to increase racial and ethnic diversity as new Subdiv. (13) and redesignate existing Subdiv. (13) as Subdiv. (14), and made technical changes, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-252 amended Subsec. (d)(8)(D) to make a technical change, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 99-289 amended Subsec. (c) to limit the restriction for state charter schools to "on and after July 1, 1999" and to add restriction pertaining to kindergarten to grade eight school, amended Subsec. (d) to specify that the governing council be responsible for oversight of charter school operations and that no member or employee have a personal or financial interest in the assets of the school, amended Subsecs. (e) and (f) to allow the State Board of Education to condition the opening of the school, to authorize the state board to allow the applicant to delay the opening and to make technical changes, amended Subsec. (g) to add the provisions relating to the independent appraisal and the reasons for denial of application for renewal, amended Subsec. (h) to expand the reasons for placing a school on probation, specify the notice requirements in such cases, add provisions relating to corrective action plans, additional terms and interim reports and added Subsec. (i) re revocation, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 00-220 amended Subsec. (i) to make a technical change, effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 03-76 made a technical change in Subsec. (h), effective June 3, 2003; P.A. 06-55 amended Subsec. (c) by deleting provision re maximum charters for period from July 1, 1997, to June 30, 1999, adding provision re annual review of applications and grant of charters in accordance with Subsec. (f), designating existing provisions re maximum enrollments as Subdiv. (1), making conforming and technical changes therein, and adding Subdiv. (2) re increased enrollments, effective May 8, 2006; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3 amended Subsec. (d) to make technical changes, to designate existing language in Subdiv. (3)(A) as clause (i) and to add clause (ii) re member of governing council from local or regional board of education, effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 10-111 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting "within available appropriations" and amended Subsec. (c) by replacing "such school" with "said board", replacing "may" with "shall", adding "by such school", deleting "and approval by" and replacing "enroll up to eighty-five students per grade, if within available appropriations" with "waive the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection for such school", effective May 26, 2010; P.A. 11-28 amended Subsec. (d)(13) by adding "procedures to", effective June 3, 2011; P.A. 11-179 amended Subsec. (f) by increasing number of days State Board of Education has to vote on a complete application from 75 to 90, effective July 13, 2011.

      Sec. 10-66dd. School professionals and persons holding charter school educator permits employed in charter schools. Charter schools subject to laws governing public schools; exceptions; waivers. Participation in the state teacher retirement system. (a) For purposes of this section, "school professional" means any school teacher, administrator or other personnel certified by the State Board of Education pursuant to section 10-145b.

      (b) (1) Subject to the provisions of this subsection and except as may be waived pursuant to subsection (d) of section 10-66bb, charter schools shall be subject to all federal and state laws governing public schools.

      (2) Subject to the provisions of subdivision (5) of this subsection, at least one-half of the persons providing instruction or pupil services in a charter school shall possess the proper certificate other than (A) a certificate issued pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of section 10-145b, or (B) a temporary certificate issued pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-145f on the day the school begins operation and the remaining persons shall possess a certificate issued pursuant to said subdivision (1) or such temporary certificate on such day.

      (3) The commissioner may not waive the provisions of chapters 163c and 169 and sections 10-15c, 10-153a to 10-153g, inclusive, 10-153i, 10-153j, 10-153m and 10-292.

      (4) The state charter school governing council shall act as a board of education for purposes of collective bargaining. The school professionals and persons holding a charter school educator permit, issued by the State Board of Education pursuant to section 10-145q, employed by a local charter school shall be members of the appropriate bargaining unit for the local or regional school district in which the local charter school is located and shall be subject to the same collective bargaining agreement as the school professionals employed by such district. A majority of those employed or to be employed in the local charter school and a majority of the members of the governing council of the local charter school may modify, in writing, such collective bargaining agreement, consistent with the terms and conditions of the approved charter, for purposes of employment in the charter school.

      (5) For the school year commencing July 1, 2011, and each school year thereafter, the Commissioner of Education may waive the requirements of subdivision (2) of this subsection for any administrator or person providing instruction or pupil services employed by a charter school who holds a charter school educator permit, issued pursuant to section 10-145q, provided not more than thirty per cent of the total number of administrators and persons providing instruction or pupil services employed by a charter school hold the charter school educator permit for the school year.

      (6) For the school year commencing July 1, 2011, and each school year thereafter, any administrator holding a charter school educator permit, issued pursuant to section 10-145q, shall be authorized to supervise and conduct performance evaluations of any person providing instruction or pupil services in the charter school that such administrator is employed.

      (c) School professionals employed by a local or regional board of education shall be entitled to a two-year leave of absence, without compensation, in order to be employed in a charter school provided such leave shall be extended upon request for an additional two years. At any time during or upon the completion of such a leave of absence, a school professional may return to work in the school district in the position in which he was previously employed or a comparable position. Such leave of absence shall not be deemed to be an interruption of service for purposes of seniority and teachers' retirement, except that time may not be accrued for purposes of attaining tenure. A school professional who is not on such a leave of absence and is employed for forty school months of full-time continuous employment by the charter school and is subsequently employed by a local or regional board of education shall attain tenure after the completion of twenty school months of full-time continuous employment by such board of education in accordance with section 10-151.

      (d) (1) An otherwise qualified school professional hired by a charter school prior to July 1, 2010, and employed in a charter school may participate in the state teachers' retirement system under chapter 167a on the same basis as if such professional were employed by a local or regional board of education. The governing council of a charter school shall make the contributions, as defined in subdivision (7) of section 10-183b, for such professional.

      (2) An otherwise qualified school professional hired by a charter school on or after July 1, 2010, and who has not previously been employed by a charter school in this state prior to July 1, 2010, shall participate in the state teachers' retirement system under chapter 167a on the same basis as if such professional were employed by a local or regional board of education. The governing council of a charter school shall make the contributions, as defined in subdivision (7) of section 10-183b, for such professional.

      (3) Any administrator or person providing instruction or pupil services in a charter school who holds a charter school educator permit issued by the State Board of Education pursuant to section 10-145q shall participate in the state teachers' retirement system under chapter 167a pursuant to subdivision (2) of this section when such administrator or person providing instruction or pupil services obtains professional certification pursuant to section 10-145b.

      (P.A. 96-214, S. 4; 96-244, S. 56, 63; P.A. 97-247, S. 14, 27; P.A. 10-111, S. 13; P.A. 11-28, S. 4, 5; 11-60, S. 1; 11-234, S. 2.)

      History: P.A. 96-244 amended Subsec. (c) to remove provision that a leave of absence not be deemed an interruption of service for "any purpose of employment" and substituted "teacher's retirement" for "employee benefits", effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 97-247 made technical changes in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 10-111 amended Subsec. (d) by designating existing provisions as Subdiv. (1), adding "hired by a charter school prior to July 1, 2010, and" therein and adding Subdiv. (2) re mandatory participation in teacher retirement system, effective July 1, 2010; P.A. 11-28 made technical changes in Subsecs. (b) and (d), effective June 3, 2011; P.A. 11-60 amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision re persons holding charter school educator permit in Subdiv. (4), adding Subdiv. (5) re waiver for charter school educator permit holders and making a conforming change in Subdiv. (2), and amended Subsec. (d) by adding Subdiv. (3) re participation in state teachers' retirement system when charter school educator permit holders obtain professional certification, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-234 made identical changes as P.A. 11-60 and added Subsec. (b)(6) re authorization for administrators holding permit to supervise and conduct performance evaluations, effective July 1, 2011.

      Sec. 10-66ee. Charter school funding. Special education students. Transportation. Contracts. Cooperative arrangements. (a) For the purposes of education equalization aid under section 10-262h a student enrolled (1) in a local charter school shall be considered a student enrolled in the school district in which such student resides, and (2) in a state charter school shall not be considered a student enrolled in the school district in which such student resides.

      (b) The local board of education of the school district in which a student enrolled in a local charter school resides shall pay, annually, in accordance with its charter, to the fiscal authority for the charter school for each such student the amount specified in its charter, including the reasonable special education costs of students requiring special education. The board of education shall be eligible for reimbursement for such special education costs pursuant to section 10-76g.

      (c) (1) The state shall pay in accordance with this subsection, to the fiscal authority for a state charter school for each student enrolled in such school, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006, seven thousand six hundred twenty-five dollars, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007, eight thousand dollars, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, eight thousand six hundred fifty dollars, for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2009, to June 30, 2011, inclusive, nine thousand three hundred dollars, and for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2012, and each fiscal year thereafter, nine thousand four hundred dollars. Such payments shall be made as follows: Twenty-five per cent of the amount not later than July fifteenth and September fifteenth based on estimated student enrollment on May first, and twenty-five per cent of the amount not later than January fifteenth and the remaining amount not later than April fifteenth, each based on student enrollment on October first. If the total amount appropriated for grants pursuant to this subdivision exceeds eight thousand six hundred fifty dollars per student for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, and exceeds nine thousand three hundred dollars for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, the amount of such grants payable per student shall be increased proportionately, except that such per student increase shall not exceed seventy dollars. Any amount of such appropriation remaining after such per student increase may be used by the Department of Education for supplemental grants to interdistrict magnet schools pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (c) of section 10-264l to pay for a portion of the audit required pursuant to section 10-66ll, to pay for expenses incurred by the Department of Education to ensure the continuity of a charter school where required by a court of competent jurisdiction and, in consultation with the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, to pay expenses incurred in the creation of a school pursuant to section 10-74g. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2005, such increase shall be limited to one hundred ten dollars per student. (2) In the case of a student identified as requiring special education, the school district in which the student resides shall: (A) Hold the planning and placement team meeting for such student and shall invite representatives from the charter school to participate in such meeting; and (B) pay the state charter school, on a quarterly basis, an amount equal to the difference between the reasonable cost of educating such student and the sum of the amount received by the state charter school for such student pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection and amounts received from other state, federal, local or private sources calculated on a per pupil basis. Such school district shall be eligible for reimbursement pursuant to section 10-76g. The charter school a student requiring special education attends shall be responsible for ensuring that such student receives the services mandated by the student's individualized education program whether such services are provided by the charter school or by the school district in which the student resides.

      (d) On or before October fifteenth of the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2001, and July 1, 2002, the Commissioner of Education shall determine if the enrollment in the program for the fiscal year is below the number of students for which funds were appropriated. If the commissioner determines that the enrollment is below such number, the additional funds shall not lapse but shall be used by the commissioner for (1) grants for interdistrict cooperative programs pursuant to section 10-74d, (2) grants for open choice programs pursuant to section 10-266aa, or (3) grants for interdistrict magnet schools pursuant to section 10-264l.

      (e) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes to the contrary, if at the end of a fiscal year amounts received by a state charter school, pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of this section, are unexpended, the charter school (1) may use, for the expenses of the charter school for the following fiscal year, up to ten per cent of such amounts, and (2) may (A) create a reserve fund to finance a specific capital or equipment purchase or another specified project as may be approved by the commissioner, and (B) deposit into such fund up to five per cent of such amounts.

      (f) The local or regional board of education of the school district in which the charter school is located shall provide transportation services for students of the charter school who reside in such school district pursuant to section 10-273a unless the charter school makes other arrangements for such transportation. Any local or regional board of education may provide transportation services to a student attending a charter school outside of the district in which the student resides and, if it elects to provide such transportation, shall be reimbursed pursuant to section 10-266m for the reasonable costs of such transportation. Any local or regional board of education providing transportation services under this subsection may suspend such services in accordance with the provisions of section 10-233c. The parent or guardian of any student denied the transportation services required to be provided pursuant to this subsection may appeal such denial in the manner provided in sections 10-186 and 10-187.

      (g) Charter schools shall be eligible to the same extent as boards of education for any grant for special education, competitive state grants and grants pursuant to sections 10-17g and 10-266w.

      (h) If the commissioner finds that any charter school uses a grant under this section for a purpose that is inconsistent with the provisions of this part, the commissioner may require repayment of such grant to the state.

      (i) Charter schools shall receive, in accordance with federal law and regulations, any federal funds available for the education of any pupils attending public schools.

      (j) The governing council of a charter school may (1) contract or enter into other agreements for purposes of administrative or other support services, transportation, plant services or leasing facilities or equipment, and (2) receive and expend private funds or public funds, including funds from local or regional boards of education and funds received by local charter schools for out-of-district students, for school purposes.

      (k) If in any fiscal year, more than one new state or local charter school is approved pursuant to section 10-66bb and is awaiting funding pursuant to the provisions of this section, the State Board of Education shall determine which school is funded first based on a consideration of the following factors in order of importance as follows: (1) The quality of the proposed program as measured against the criteria required in the charter school application process pursuant to section 10-66bb, (2) whether the applicant has a demonstrated record of academic success by students, (3) whether the school is located in a school district with a demonstrated need for student improvement, and (4) whether the applicant has plans concerning the preparedness of facilities, staffing and outreach to students.

      (l) Within available appropriations, the state may provide a grant in an amount not to exceed seventy-five thousand dollars to any newly approved state charter school that assists the state in meeting the goals of the 2008 stipulation and order for Milo Sheff, et al. v. William A. O'Neill, et al., as determined by the Commissioner of Education, for start-up costs associated with the new charter school program.

      (m) Charter schools may, to the same extent as local and regional boards of education, enter into cooperative arrangements as described in section 10-158a, provided such arrangements are approved by the Commissioner of Education. Any state charter school participating in a cooperative arrangement under this subsection shall maintain its status as a state charter school and not be excused from any obligations pursuant to sections 10-66aa to 10-66ll, inclusive.

      (P.A. 96-214, S. 5; P.A. 97-290, S. 9, 29; P.A. 98-168, S. 24, 26; P.A. 99-289, S. 6, 11; P.A. 00-48, S. 1, 12; 00-187, S. 23, 75; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1, S. 27, 54; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 14; P.A. 04-254, S. 8; P.A. 05-245, S. 38; P.A. 06-135, S. 26; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3, S. 11, 16; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5, S. 54; P.A. 08-170, S. 10; June 19 Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-1, S. 22; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-6, S. 36; P.A. 11-48, S. 200; 11-179, S. 12.)

      History: P.A. 97-290 amended Subsec. (c) to change the payment schedule and to add the provisions on special education students, added new Subsecs. (d) and (g) re unexpended funds and repayment and redesignated remaining Subsecs., amended Subsec. (e) to provide for reimbursement pursuant to Sec. 10-266m and amended Subsec. (i) to add funds received by local charter schools for out-of-district students, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-168 amended Subsec. (c) to change the state payment to $6,500 per student from an amount equal to 105% of the foundation level pursuant to Sec. 10-262f and made the same change for the purpose of calculating the school district payment for a special education student, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 99-289 amended Subsec. (b) to add provisions relating to special education costs, amended Subsec. (c) to substitute amount based on per cent of the foundation for a specific dollar amount, to substitute July fifteenth and September fifteenth for "in July and September", January fifteenth for "in January" and not later than April fifteenth for "in April", and add requirement for charter school to ensure that special education students receive services mandated in their individualized education programs and amended Subsec. (e) to add provision concerning appeal of denial of transportation services, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 00-48 amended Subsec. (c) to specify that payment for special education students be made by the school district on a quarterly basis, effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 00-187 amended Subsec. (c) to change the amount of the state payments to $7,000 for each student, effective July 1, 2000; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1 redesignated Subsecs. (d) to (i) as Subsecs. (e) to (j), making a technical change in Subsec. (e), and added new Subsec. (d) re determination of enrollment numbers and use of any additional funds, effective July 1, 2001; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 amended Subsec. (c)(1) by increasing amount of per student grant from $7,000 to $7,250 and adding provision re proportional increase, effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 04-254 amended Subsec. (c)(1) to provide for a maximum increase in grants payable per student for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2005, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 05-245 amended Subsec. (c)(1) by increasing amount of per pupil grant for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006, to $7,625 and by adding language re per pupil grant of $8,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007, and each fiscal year thereafter, effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 06-135 amended Subsec. (c)(1) by replacing $7,250 with $8,000 re total amount per student appropriated for grants and providing that supplemental per pupil grants shall not exceed $70 with any amount remaining to be used for supplemental grants for interdistrict magnet schools, effective July 1, 2006; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3 amended Subsec. (c)(1) to make technical changes, to increase the per pupil grant to $8,650 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, and $9,300 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, to make permissive the requirement that commissioner spend unallocated funds for supplemental grants for interdistrict magnet schools and to permit commissioner to use such funds to pay for audits and added Subsec. (k) re priority for funding of new schools, effective July 1, 2007; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5 amended Subsec. (c)(1) to provide that unallocated funds may be used to pay expenses incurred by department to ensure continuity of a charter school when required by a court and to pay expenses incurred when creating a CommPACT school, effective October 6, 2007; P.A. 08-170 added Subsec. (l) re start-up costs for charter schools in support of stipulation re Sheff v. O'Neill, effective July 1, 2008; June 19 Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-1 added Subsec. (m) re cooperative arrangements, effective July 1, 2009; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-6 amended Subsec. (c)(1) by adding "and each fiscal year thereafter," re state payment of $9,300, effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsec. (c)(1) by replacing "and each fiscal year thereafter" with "to June 30, 2011, inclusive", making a conforming change and adding provision re increasing per pupil grant to $9,400 for fiscal year ending June 30, 2012, and each fiscal year thereafter, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-179 amended Subsec. (k) by adding local charter schools to provision re if more than one charter school is approved in any fiscal year, redesignating existing Subdivs. (1) to (3) as Subdivs. (2) to (4), and adding new Subdiv. (1) re quality of proposed program measured against criteria required in application process, effective July 13, 2011.

      Sec. 10-66gg. Report to General Assembly. Not later than January 1, 2012, and biennially thereafter, within available appropriations, the Commissioner of Education shall review and report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, on the operation of such charter schools as may be established pursuant to sections 10-66aa to 10-66ff, inclusive, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education. Such report shall include: (1) Recommendations for any statutory changes that would facilitate expansion in the number of charter schools; (2) a compilation of school profiles pursuant to section 10-66cc; (3) an assessment of the adequacy of funding pursuant to section 10-66ee; and (4) the adequacy and availability of suitable facilities for such schools.

      (P.A. 96-214, S. 8; P.A. 98-168, S. 19, 26; P.A. 11-136, S. 7.)

      History: P.A. 98-168 specified certain information to be included in the report, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 11-136 deleted "annually" and added "Not later than January 1, 2012, and biennially thereafter" re review and report, effective July 1, 2011.

PART V
SPECIAL SCHOOLS AND CLASSES

      Sec. 10-69. Adult education. (a) Each local and regional board of education shall establish and maintain a program of adult classes or shall provide for participation in a program of adult classes for its adult residents through cooperative arrangements with one or more other boards of education, one or more cooperating eligible entities or a regional educational service center pursuant to the provisions of section 10-66a. Such board of education may admit an adult to any public elementary or secondary school. No person enrolled in a full-time program of study in any local or regional school district may enroll in an adult education activity unless (1) such person receives the approval of the school principal of the school in which such person is enrolled in such full-time program, or (2) such person is enrolled in an adult education activity as part of an alternative educational opportunity during a period of expulsion, in accordance with the provisions of section 10-233d. Instruction: (A) Shall be provided in Americanization and United States citizenship, English for adults with limited English proficiency and elementary and secondary school completion programs or classes; and (B) may be provided in (i) any subject provided by the elementary and secondary schools of such school district, including vocational education, (ii) adult literacy, (iii) parenting skills, and (iv) any other subject or activity.

      (b) (1) Prior to July 1, 2004, no providing school district shall grant an adult education diploma to any adult education program participant who has not satisfactorily completed a minimum of twenty adult education credits, of which not fewer than four shall be in English; not fewer than three in mathematics; not fewer than three in social studies, including one in American history; not fewer than two in science; and not fewer than one in the arts or vocational education. On and after July 1, 2004, no providing school district shall grant an adult education diploma to any adult education program participant who has not satisfactorily completed a minimum of twenty adult education credits, of which not fewer than four shall be in English; not fewer than three in mathematics; not fewer than three in social studies, including one in American history and at least a one-half credit course in civics and American government; not fewer than two in science; and not fewer than one in the arts or vocational education. (2) Each providing school district shall determine the minimum number of weeks per semester an adult education program shall operate and shall provide certified counseling staff to assist adult education program students with educational and career counseling.

      (c) Providing school districts shall award:

      (1) Credit for experiential learning, including: (A) Not more than two nonrequired credits for military experience, including training; (B) not more than one vocational education nonrequired and one required or not more than two nonrequired credits for occupational experience, including training; and (C) not more than one nonrequired credit for community service or avocational skills;

      (2) Credit for successful completion of courses taken for credit at state-accredited institutions, including public and private community colleges, technical colleges, community-technical colleges, four-year colleges and universities and approved public and private high schools and vocational-technical schools;

      (3) Not more than six credits for satisfactory performance on subject matter tests demonstrating prior learning competencies; and

      (4) Not more than three credits for independent study projects, provided that not more than one such credit shall be applied per subject area required pursuant to subsection (b) of this section.

      (d) The State Board of Education may adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to establish standards and procedures governing the awarding of adult education credits for learning experiences pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. Any such regulations shall specify: (1) The procedures for awarding credits for military experience; (2) the types of occupational experience, occupational training and other specialized skills for which adult education credits may be granted; (3) the procedure for applying credits earned at accredited or approved educational institutions towards an adult education diploma; (4) the procedure for the administration of subject matter tests to assess prior learning competencies; and (5) the procedure for evaluating and awarding adult education credits for independent study projects.

      (1949 Rev., S. 1387; 1961, P.A. 512, S. 1; P.A. 74-281, S. 1; P.A. 75-479, S. 5, 25; 75-576, S. 1; P.A. 78-218, S. 53; P.A. 81-397, S. 4; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 86-1, S. 30, 58; P.A. 87-499, S. 30, 34; P.A. 88-360, S. 7, 63; P.A. 90-33, S. 1, 4; P.A. 91-295, S. 5, 7; P.A. 92-126, S. 17, 18, 48; 92-262, S. 8, 42; P.A. 93-126, S. 1, 3; P.A. 95-259, S. 6, 32; 95-304, S. 1, 9; P.A. 97-290, S. 10, 29; P.A. 03-100, S. 3; P.A. 11-126, S. 2.)

      History: 1961 act added exception re petitions for activities recreational in nature, and clarified that petition for instruction in English and citizenship obligations applies to town of any size; P.A. 74-281 removed distinction between towns of less than 10,000 population and those of more than 10,000, required all school districts to provide, either alone or in cooperation with another district, classes in Americanization and citizenship, subjects usually offered in elementary and secondary schools and others by petition and substituted "persons sixty-two years of age or over" for "aged persons as defined by the state board"; P.A. 75-479 required subjects be taught that are necessary for elementary and secondary school completion programs and made other teaching of elementary and secondary subjects optional; P.A. 75-576 defined "adult", "adult class" and "adult education activity", required 150 hours of adult classes per year, required approval of principal for full-time student to enroll in adult education class, made optional the teaching of secondary and elementary subjects usually taught in that school district, rather than in the state, if requested by fifteen persons and made teaching of any other subject possible if requested by fifteen adults, rather than twenty persons over sixteen, and deleted special provisions governing recreational activities for handicapped and elderly; P.A. 78-218 specified applicability to local and regional boards; P.A. 81-397 deleted requirement that adult education program consist of at least 150 clock hours per year, allowed provision of services at regional education service center, allowed admission of adults to public elementary and secondary schools, required that programs offer course in English for adults with limited English proficiency, authorized offering vocational education courses and deleted requirement that fifteen persons register for, or request, optional courses before such courses are offered; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 86-1 added Subsecs. (b) and (c) re credits towards adult education diplomas and Subsec. (d) re regulations concerning credits for learning experiences and in Subsec. (a) substituted that boards of education shall provide "for participation in a program of adult classes" for "adult education services"; P.A. 87-499 added a definition of "cooperating eligible entity" in Subsec. (a), provided that cooperative arrangements may be with a cooperating eligible entity and made a technical change; P.A. 88-360 in Subsec. (a) provided that classes or services provided by a cooperating eligible entity be in conformance with the program standards applicable to boards of education; P.A. 90-33 in Subsec. (a) added authorized private occupational schools to definition of "cooperating eligible entity"; P.A. 91-295 expanded the definition of "cooperating eligible entity" to include regional community colleges, regional technical colleges, regional vocational-technical schools and libraries; P.A. 92-126 amended Subsecs. (a) and (c) to replace references to community colleges and technical colleges with single reference to community-technical colleges; P.A. 92-262 amended Subsec. (a) to add corporation or other business entity to the definition of "cooperating eligible entity"; P.A. 93-126 amended Subsec. (a) to include any licensed or accredited institution of higher education in the definition of "cooperating eligible entity" rather than regional community-technical colleges and to make technical changes to the definition, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-259 deleted part of former Subsec. (a) containing definitions which were added to Sec. 10-67 and made some technical changes, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 95-304 amended Subsec. (a) to expand the definition of "adult" to include students assigned to adult classes, effective July 1, 1995, but failed to take effect, P.A. 95-259 having deleted that part of said Subsec. (a); P.A. 97-290 amended Subsec. (a) to add classes in adult literacy and parenting skills, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 03-100 amended Subsec. (b) by designating provisions re diploma requirements as Subdiv. (1), making existing diploma requirements applicable prior to July 1, 2004, adding new diploma requirements applicable on and after July 1, 2004, and designating existing provisions re weeks of operation and counseling as Subdiv. (2), effective July 1, 2003; P.A. 11-126 amended Subsec. (a) by designating existing language re approval of principal as new Subdiv. (1), adding new Subdiv. (2) re enrollment in adult education activity as part of alternative educational opportunity during period of expulsion and making conforming changes, effective July 1, 2011.

      Sec. 10-71. State grants for adult education programs. (a) Each local or regional board of education or regional educational service center which has submitted an adult education proposal to the State Board of Education pursuant to section 10-71a shall, annually, be eligible to receive a state grant based on a percentage of eligible costs for adult education as defined in section 10-67, provided such percentage shall be determined as follows:

      (1) The percentage of the eligible costs for adult education a local board of education shall receive, under the provisions of this section, shall be determined as follows: (A) Each town shall be ranked in descending order from one to one hundred sixty-nine according to such town's adjusted equalized net grand list per capita, as defined in section 10-261; and (B) based upon such ranking, a percentage of not less than zero or more than sixty-five shall be determined for each town on a continuous scale, except that the percentage for a priority school district pursuant to section 10-266p shall not be less than twenty. Any such percentage shall be increased by seven and one-half percentage points but shall not exceed sixty-five per cent for any local board of education which provides basic adult education programs for adults at facilities operated by or within the general administrative control and supervision of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, provided such adults reside at such facilities.

      (2) The percentage of the eligible costs for adult education a regional board of education shall receive under the provisions of this section shall be determined by its ranking. Such ranking shall be determined by (A) multiplying the total population, as defined in section 10-261, of each town in the district by such town's ranking, as determined in subdivision (1) of this subsection, (B) adding together the figures for each town determined under (A), and (C) dividing the total computed under (B) by the total population of all towns in the district. The ranking of each regional board of education shall be rounded to the next higher whole number and each such board shall receive the same reimbursement percentage as would a town with the same rank, except that the reimbursement percentage for a priority school district pursuant to section 10-266p shall not be less than twenty.

      (3) The percentage of the eligible costs for adult education a regional educational service center shall receive under the provisions of this subsection and section 10-66i shall be determined by its ranking. Such ranking shall be determined by (A) multiplying the total population, as defined in section 10-261, of each member town in the regional educational service center by such town's ranking, as determined in subdivision (1) of this subsection, (B) adding together the figures for each town determined under (A), and (C) dividing the total computed under (B) by the total population of all member towns in the regional educational service center. The ranking of each regional educational service center shall be rounded to the next higher whole number and each such center shall receive the same reimbursement percentage as would a town with the same rank.

      (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (6) of section 10-67, a local or regional board of education or regional educational service center shall be eligible to receive an amount to be paid pursuant to the provisions of subsection (c) of this section. The amount shall equal the eligible expenditures from funds received from private sources by the local or regional board of education, regional educational service center or cooperating eligible entity multiplied by the appropriate percentage, as determined under subsection (a) of this section, provided such amount shall not exceed twenty per cent of the amount received by the local or regional board of education or regional educational service center pursuant to subsection (a) of this section for the previous fiscal year. For payments from private sources to be eligible for reimbursement pursuant to this subsection, (1) based upon estimated eligible costs approved by the Department of Education, the eligible expenditures from local taxes in a fiscal year shall not be less than seventy per cent of the eligible expenditures from local taxes for the previous fiscal year, and (2) the local or regional board of education, regional educational service center or cooperating eligible entity shall provide, not later than a date to be determined by the Commissioner of Education, evidence satisfactory to the commissioner of a written commitment of a payment from a private source. Evidence of actual payment shall be submitted to the commissioner not later than a date established by the commissioner. Upon receipt by a board of education or regional educational service center of state funds pursuant to this subsection attributable to expenditures of a cooperating eligible entity, the board or center shall provide for the distribution of such funds to the cooperating eligible entity for the provision of adult education programs and services pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 10-69.

      (c) Payments pursuant to this section for each estimated total grant of fifteen hundred dollars or more shall be made during the fiscal year in which such programs are offered as follows: Two-thirds of the grant entitlement based on estimated eligible costs of adult education, included in the approved proposal, in August and the adjusted balance, based on a revised estimate of such eligible costs to be filed with the Commissioner of Education at such time as the commissioner prescribes, in May. Payments pursuant to this section for each estimated total grant of less than fifteen hundred dollars shall be made in a single installment in May of the fiscal year in which such programs are offered, based on a revised estimate of the eligible costs of adult education filed with the Commissioner of Education at such time as the commissioner prescribes. Each recipient of a grant pursuant to this section shall submit a report of actual revenue and expenditures to the Commissioner of Education in such manner and on such forms as the commissioner prescribes on or before the September first immediately following the end of the grant year. Based on the report data, the commissioner shall calculate any underpayment or overpayment of the grant paid pursuant to this section and shall adjust the grant for the fiscal year following the fiscal year in which such underpayment or overpayment occurred or any subsequent fiscal year.

      (d) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2004, to June 30, 2013, inclusive, the amount of the grants payable to towns, regional boards of education or regional educational service centers in accordance with this section shall be reduced proportionately if the total of such grants in such year exceeds the amount appropriated for the purposes of this section for such year.

      (1949 Rev., S. 1389; 1957, P.A. 581, S. 2; 1961, P.A. 512, S. 2; 1967, P.A. 166, S. 2; P.A. 74-281, S. 2; P.A. 75-479, S. 6, 25; 75-576, S. 2; P.A. 78-218, S. 55; P.A. 79-128, S. 6, 36; P.A. 81-397, S. 6; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 83-4, S. 5, 8; P.A. 84-325, S. 2, 7; P.A. 85-476, S. 1, 6; 85-557, S. 1, 3; P.A. 86-333, S. 5, 32; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 86-1, S. 31, 58; P.A. 87-499, S. 31, 34; P.A. 88-360, S. 8, 9, 63; P.A. 89-355, S. 4, 20; P.A. 90-33, S. 2, 4; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-7, S. 4, 22; P.A. 92-262, S. 20, 42; P.A. 93-126, S. 2, 3; 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 31, 58; 95-259, S. 7, 32; P.A. 99-224, S. 8, 9; P.A. 03-76, S. 8, 9; 03-100, S. 4; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 10; P.A. 04-257, S. 10; P.A. 05-245, S. 16; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3, S. 3; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-6, S. 42; P.A. 11-48, S. 176.)

      History: 1961 act increased rate of reimbursement from six to $0.12 per pupil clock hour and added exception for classes defined as largely recreational in nature; 1967 act required certification of attendance before August first rather than "on the first day of July"; P.A. 74-281 substituted "school district" for "town" in first sentence and deleted other references to town boards, required certification by school districts providing services to other districts, changed reimbursement from $0.12 per pupil clock hour to formula multiplying average daily membership grant by pupil clock hours and dividing by 1,260 and substituted "persons sixty-two years of age or over" for "aged persons, as defined by the state board"; P.A. 75-479 changed divisor in formula to 1,080 and excluded from payment classes or activities "offered pursuant to subdivisions (1) or (2) of section 10-69" rather than those "defined by the state board of education to be largely recreational in nature"; P.A. 75-576 added phrase specifying that approval of state board necessary for cooperative arrangements between school districts and allowed payment for classes "primarily" for handicapped or elderly persons; P.A. 78-218 referred to any local or regional board rather than the board of any school district and made other technical changes; P.A. 79-128 changed formula by substituting "product" for "sum" and "the sum of two hundred fifty dollars" for "the average daily membership grant"; P.A. 81-397 terminated previous provisions re reimbursement for adult education as of June 30, 1981, and added Subsec. (b) providing for annual grants based on eligible costs as determined by specified formula; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 83-4 amended Subsec. (b)(3) to clarify that population figures used in calculating grants are to be total population figures as defined in Sec. 10-261; P.A. 84-325 deleted former Subsec. (a) re reimbursement of school districts for adult education programs offered during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1981; P.A. 85-476 amended section to specify that reimbursement percentage is determined by ranking, to provide that ranking is to be rounded to next higher whole number and to provide for reimbursement at same percentage as for a town with the same rank; P.A. 85-557 amended section to provide for payment of grants of less than $1,500 in a single installment; P.A. 86-333 substituted 1986 for 1983 in the introductory paragraph, inserted "total" in Subdiv. (2)(A), and in Subdiv. (3) provided for the submission of a report and adjustments in grant amounts for overpayments and underpayments; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 86-1 added "total" in Subdiv. (2)(A) and in Subdiv. (3) amended the payment schedules by substituting March for April and May for June and by providing that for grants of $1,500 or more, two-thirds be paid in August rather than one-third in August and one-third in December; P.A. 87-499 added new Subsec. (b) re reimbursement for payments from private sources, divided old section into Subsecs. (a) and (c) and made technical changes; P.A. 88-360 in Subsec. (b) added in Subdiv. (1) that eligible expenditures from local taxes be based on estimated eligible costs approved by the state department of education, specified that the board or center distribute state funds attributable to the expenditures of a cooperating eligible entity to the entity for providing certain adult education programs and services upon receipt of such funds and made technical changes and in Subsec. (c) substituted two-thirds of the grant entitlement based on estimated eligible costs for two-thirds of the estimated eligible costs, substituted February fifteenth for March fifteenth as the date on or before which a revised estimate is to be filed and made technical changes; P.A. 89-355 in Subsec. (a)(1) changed the reimbursement percentage sliding scale of 30% to 70% to 10% to 70% and provided for a 5% increase for boards of education which provide basic adult education programs for certain adults; P.A. 90-33 in Subsec. (b) provided that for payments from private sources to be eligible for reimbursement the eligible expenditures from local taxes be not less than 70% of the eligible expenditures from local taxes for the previous fiscal year; June Sp. Sess. 91-7 amended Subsec. (a) by requiring that grants be "within available appropriations"; P.A. 92-262 amended Subsec. (a) to delete provision specifying that grants be within available appropriations and in Subdiv. (1) to change ten to zero, seventy to sixty-five and five to seven and one-half and to add the exceptions for boards serving 4,000 or 2,000 students; P.A. 93-126 amended Subsec. (a) to make technical changes, Subsec. (b) to change the percentage limit from 10% to 20% and Subsec. (c) to change the filing date in two places from February fifteenth to a time prescribed by the commissioner and to allow the commissioner to adjust the grant in any subsequent fiscal year for an underpayment or overpayment, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-381 replaced Connecticut alcohol and drug abuse commission with department of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 deleted Subsec. (a)(1)(ii) re facilities operated by the former Department of Public Health and Addiction Services and replaced Department of Mental Health with Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 95-259 amended Subsec. (c) to extend the time for the report from "August" to "September" and made technical changes throughout the section, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 99-224 amended Subsec. (a) to add the requirement in Subdivs. (1) and (2) that the percentage for a priority school district be at least 20%, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 03-76 made technical changes in Subsecs. (a)(1) and (b), effective June 3, 2003; P.A. 03-100 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by inserting "and" after Subpara. (A), deleting provisions in Subpara. (B) re percentage increase for service of 4,000 or more students and deleting Subpara. (C) re service of 2,000 or more students, effective July 1, 2003; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 added Subsec. (d) re proportional reduction of grants for fiscal years ending June 30, 2004, and June 30, 2005, effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 04-257 made a technical change in Subsec. (a)(1)(B), effective June 14, 2004; P.A. 05-245 amended Subsec. (d) to extend the proportional reduction of grants through the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007, effective July 1, 2005; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3 amended Subsec. (d) to extend proportional reduction of grants through the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, effective July 1, 2007; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-6 amended Subsec. (d) to extend proportional reduction of grants through fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsec. (d) to extend proportional reduction of grants through fiscal year ending June 30, 2013, effective July 1, 2011.

      Sec. 10-74h. Innovation schools. Innovation plan. Evaluation. Enrollment. (a) A local or regional board of education for a school district identified as a priority school district, pursuant to section 10-266p, may, through agreement with the organizations designated or elected as the exclusive representatives of the teachers' and administrators' units, as defined in section 10-153b, convert an existing public school into an innovation school or establish a new school as an innovation school, in accordance with the provisions of this section, for purposes of improving school performance and student achievement. For purposes of this section, an innovation school is a school in which: (1) Faculty and district leadership are responsible for developing an innovation plan, as described in subsection (b) of this section, under which the school operates and the administrators of the school are responsible for meeting the terms of the innovation plan; or (2) an external partner is responsible for developing the innovation plan, as described in subsection (b) of this section, under which the school operates and the external partner is responsible for meeting the terms of the innovation plan. For purposes of this section, an external partner may include a public or private institution of higher education, nonprofit charter school operators, educational collaboratives or a consortia authorized by the Commissioner of Education that may include public or private institutions of higher education, parents, the organizations designated or elected as the exclusive representatives of the teachers' and administrators' units, as defined in said section 10-153b, superintendents or boards of education. The local or regional board of education shall decide whether the faculty and district leadership or an external partner is responsible for developing the innovation plan.

      (b) (1) An innovation school established under this section shall operate according to an innovation plan. Such plan shall articulate the areas of autonomy and flexibility in curriculum, budget, school schedule and calendar, school district policies and procedures, professional development, and staffing policies and procedures, including waivers from or modifications to contracts or collective bargaining agreements. Such innovation plan shall be developed by the faculty and district leadership or an external partner by means of an innovation plan committee. Membership of the innovation plan committee developed by (A) faculty and district leadership shall consist of at least nine members, but not more than eleven members, (i) five of whom shall be selected by the local or regional board of education and shall include (I) the superintendent of schools for the school district, or his or her designee; (II) a member of the local or regional board of education, or his or her designee; (III) two parents who have one or more children enrolled in the school, or, in the case of a new school, parents from the district; and (IV) the principal of the school, or, in the case of a new school and where a principal has not yet been hired, a principal from the school district in which the new school is located, (ii) two of whom shall be certified teachers of the school appointed by the exclusive bargaining representative of the teachers' unit chosen pursuant to section 10-153b, or, in the case of a new school and where no certified teachers have yet been hired, two certified teachers appointed by the exclusive bargaining representative of the teachers' unit chosen pursuant to section 10-153b, and (iii) not more than four of whom the local or regional board of education deems appropriate; (B) an external partner shall consist of at least nine members, but not more than eleven members, (i) seven of whom shall be selected by the local or regional board of education and shall include (I) the superintendent of schools for the school district, or his or her designee; (II) a member of the local or regional board of education, or his or her designee; (III) two parents who have one or more children enrolled in the school, or, in the case of a new school, parents from the district; (IV) the principal of the school, or, in the case of a new school and where a principal has not yet been hired, a principal from the school district in which the new school is located; and (V) two of whom shall represent the external partner, (ii) two of whom shall be certified teachers of the school appointed by the exclusive bargaining representative of the teachers' unit chosen pursuant to section 10-153b, or, in the case of a new school and where no certified teachers have yet been hired, two certified teachers appointed by the exclusive bargaining representative of the teachers' unit chosen pursuant to section 10-153b, and (iii) not more than two of whom the local or regional board of education deems appropriate. A majority vote of the innovation plan committee shall be required for approval and implementation of the innovation plan.

      (2) The innovation plan shall include, but not be limited to: (A) A curriculum plan that includes a detailed description of the curriculum and related programs for the proposed school and how the curriculum is expected to improve school performance and student achievement; (B) a budget plan that includes a detailed description of how funds shall be used in the proposed school to support school performance and student achievement that is or may be different than how funds are used in other public schools in the district; (C) a school schedule plan that includes a detailed description of the ways the program or calendar of the proposed school may be enhanced or expanded; (D) a staffing plan, including any proposed waivers or modifications of collective bargaining agreements, subject to agreement with the exclusive bargaining representative for the certified employees employed at the school, chosen pursuant to section 10-153b and in accordance with the provisions of subsection (c) of this section; (E) a policies and procedures plan that includes a detailed description of the unique operational policies and procedures to be used by the proposed school and how the procedures will support school performance and student achievement; and (F) a professional development plan that includes a detailed description of how the school may provide professional development to its administrators, teachers and other staff.

      (3) In order to assess the proposed school across multiple measures of school performance and student success, the innovation plan shall include measurable annual goals, including, but not limited to, goals relating to the following: (A) Student attendance; (B) student safety and discipline; (C) student promotion and graduation and dropout rates; (D) student performance on the state-wide mastery examination, pursuant to section 10-14n; (E) progress in areas of academic underperformance; (F) progress among subgroups of students, including low-income students, limited English-proficient students and students receiving special education; and (G) reduction of achievement gaps among different groups of students.

      (c) Nothing in this section shall alter the collective bargaining agreements applicable to the administrators, teachers and staff in the school, subject to the provisions of sections 10-153a to 10-153n, inclusive, and such collective bargaining agreements shall be considered to be in operation at an innovation school, except to the extent the provisions are waived or modified in the innovation plan and agreed to by a two-thirds vote of the members of the exclusive bargaining representative employed or to be employed at the innovation school.

      (d) Innovation schools authorized under this section shall be evaluated annually by the superintendent of schools for the school district. The superintendent shall submit the evaluation to the local or regional board of education and the Commissioner of Education. The evaluation shall determine whether the school has met the annual goals outlined in the innovation plan for the school and assess the implementation of the innovation plan at the school. The superintendent may amend or suspend one or more components of the innovation plan if the superintendent determines, after one year, an amendment is necessary because of subsequent changes in the school district that affect one or more components of such innovation plan. If the superintendent determines that the school has substantially failed to meet the goals outlined in the innovation plan, the local or regional board of education may: (1) Amend one or more components of the innovation plan; (2) suspend one or more components of the innovation plan; or (3) terminate the authorization of the school, provided the amendment or suspension shall not take place before the completion of the second full year of the operation of the school and the termination shall not take place before the completion of the third full year of the operation of the school. Any amendment to or suspension of any component of the innovation plan that changes the contract of employment for any teacher employed at the school shall be approved by a two-thirds vote of the members of the exclusive bargaining representative for the teachers employed at the school prior to any such amendment or suspension of the innovation plan.

      (e) The local or regional board of education shall allow a student who is enrolled in a school at the time it is established as an innovation school pursuant to this section to remain enrolled in the school if the student and the student's parents choose to have the student remain.

      (P.A. 10-111, S. 6; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 10-1, S. 70; P.A. 11-28, S. 6.)

      History: P.A. 10-111 effective July 1, 2010; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 10-1 made technical changes in Subsec. (d), effective July 1, 2010; P.A. 11-28 made technical changes in Subsec. (b), effective June 3, 2011.

      Sec. 10-76d. Duties and powers of boards of education to provide special education programs and services. Determination of eligibility for Medicaid. Development of individualized education program. Planning and placement team meetings. Public agency placements; apportionment of costs. Relationship of insurance to special education costs. (a)(1) In accordance with the regulations and procedures established by the Commissioner of Education and approved by the State Board of Education, each local or regional board of education shall provide the professional services requisite to identification of children requiring special education, identify each such child within its jurisdiction, determine the eligibility of such children for special education pursuant to sections 10-76a to 10-76h, inclusive, prescribe appropriate educational programs for eligible children, maintain a record thereof and make such reports as the commissioner may require. No child may be required to obtain a prescription for a substance covered by the Controlled Substances Act, 21 USC 801 et seq., as amended from time to time, as a condition of attending school, receiving an evaluation under section 10-76ff or receiving services pursuant to sections 10-76a to 10-76h, inclusive, or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 USC 1400 et seq., as amended from time to time.

      (2) Any local or regional board of education, through the planning and placement team established in accordance with regulations adopted by the State Board of Education under this section, may determine a child's Medicaid enrollment status. In determining Medicaid enrollment status, the planning and placement team shall: (A) Inquire of the parents or guardians of each such child whether the child is enrolled in or may be eligible for Medicaid; and (B) if the child may be eligible for Medicaid, request that the parent or guardian of the child apply for Medicaid. For the purpose of determining Medicaid rates for Medicaid eligible special education and related services based on a representative cost sampling method, the board of education shall make available documentation of the provision and costs of Medicaid eligible special education and related services for any students receiving such services, regardless of an individual student's Medicaid enrollment status, to the Commissioner of Social Services or to the commissioner's authorized agent at such time and in such manner as prescribed. For the purpose of determining Medicaid rates for Medicaid eligible special education and related services based on an actual cost method, the local or regional board of education shall submit documentation of the costs and utilization of Medicaid eligible special education and related services for all students receiving such services to the Commissioner of Social Services or to the commissioner's authorized agent at such time and in such manner as prescribed. The commissioner or such agent may use information received from local or regional boards of education for the purposes of (i) ascertaining students' Medicaid eligibility status, (ii) submitting Medicaid claims, (iii) complying with state and federal audit requirements and (iv) determining Medicaid rates for Medicaid eligible special education and related services. No child shall be denied special education and related services in the event the parent or guardian refuses to apply for Medicaid.

      (3) Beginning with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2004, the Commissioner of Social Services shall make grant payments to local or regional boards of education in amounts representing fifty per cent of the federal portion of Medicaid claims processed for Medicaid eligible special education and related services provided to Medicaid eligible students in the school district. Beginning with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, the commissioner shall exclude any enhanced federal medical assistance percentages in calculating the federal portion of such Medicaid claims processed. Such grant payments shall be made on at least a quarterly basis and may represent estimates of amounts due to local or regional boards of education. Any grant payments made on an estimated basis, including payments made by the Department of Education for the fiscal years prior to the fiscal year ending June 30, 2000, shall be subsequently reconciled to grant amounts due based upon filed and accepted Medicaid claims and Medicaid rates. If, upon review, it is determined that a grant payment or portion of a grant payment was made for ineligible or disallowed Medicaid claims, the local or regional board of education shall reimburse the Department of Social Services for any grant payment amount received based upon ineligible or disallowed Medicaid claims.

      (4) Pursuant to federal law, the Commissioner of Social Services, as the state's Medicaid agent, shall determine rates for Medicaid eligible special education and related services pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection. The Commissioner of Social Services may request and the Commissioner of Education and towns and regional school districts shall provide information as may be necessary to set such rates.

      (5) Based on school district special education and related services expenditures, the state's Medicaid agent shall report and certify to the federal Medicaid authority the state match required by federal law to obtain Medicaid reimbursement of eligible special education and related services costs.

      (6) Payments received pursuant to this section shall be paid to the local or regional board of education which has incurred such costs in addition to the funds appropriated by the town to such board for the current fiscal year.

      (7) The planning and placement team shall, in accordance with the provisions of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, 20 USC 1400, et seq., as amended from time to time, develop and update annually a statement of transition service needs for each child requiring special education.

      (8) (A) Each local and regional board of education shall notify the parent or guardian of a child who requires or who may require special education, a pupil if such pupil is an emancipated minor or eighteen years of age or older who requires or who may require special education or a surrogate parent appointed pursuant to section 10-94g, in writing, at least five school days before such board proposes to, or refuses to, initiate or change the child's or pupil's identification, evaluation or educational placement or the provision of a free appropriate public education to the child or pupil. Such parent, guardian, pupil or surrogate parent shall be given at least five school days' prior notice of any planning and placement team meeting conducted for such child or pupil and shall have the right to be present at and participate in and to have advisors of such person's own choosing and at such person's own expense to be present at and to participate in all portions of such meeting at which an educational program for such child or pupil is developed, reviewed or revised. Immediately upon the formal identification of any child as a child requiring special education and at each planning and placement team meeting for such child, the responsible local or regional board of education shall inform the parent or guardian of such child or surrogate parent or, in the case of a pupil who is an emancipated minor or eighteen years of age or older, the pupil of the laws relating to special education and the rights of such parent, guardian, surrogate parent or pupil under such laws and the regulations adopted by the State Board of Education relating to special education. If such parent, guardian, surrogate parent or pupil does not attend a planning and placement team meeting, the responsible local or regional board of education shall mail such information to such person. Each board shall have in effect at the beginning of each school year an educational program for each child who has been identified as eligible for special education.

      (B) At each initial planning and placement team meeting for a child, the responsible local or regional board of education shall inform the parent, guardian, surrogate parent or pupil of the laws relating to physical restraint and seclusion pursuant to chapter 814e and the rights of such parent, guardian, surrogate parent or pupil under such laws and the regulations adopted by the State Board of Education relating to physical restraint and seclusion.

      (9) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, for purposes of Medicaid reimbursement, when recommended by the planning and placement team and specified on the individualized education program, a service eligible for reimbursement under the Medicaid program shall be deemed to be authorized by a practitioner of the healing arts under 42 CFR 440.130, provided such service is recommended by an appropriately licensed or certified individual and is within the individual's scope of practice. Certain items of durable medical equipment, recommended pursuant to the provisions of this subdivision, may be subject to prior authorization requirements established by the Commissioner of Social Services. Diagnostic and evaluation services eligible for reimbursement under the Medicaid program and recommended by the planning and placement team shall also be deemed to be authorized by a practitioner of the healing arts under 42 CFR 440.130 provided such services are recommended by an appropriately licensed or certified individual and are within the individual's scope of practice.

      (10) The Commissioner of Social Services shall implement the policies and procedures necessary for the purposes of this subsection while in the process of adopting such policies and procedures in regulation form, provided notice of intent to adopt the regulations is published in the Connecticut Law Journal within twenty days of implementing the policies and procedures. Such policies and procedures shall be valid until the time final regulations are effective.

      (b) In accordance with the regulations of the State Board of Education, each local and regional board of education shall: (1) Provide special education for school-age children requiring special education who are described in subparagraph (A) of subdivision (5) of section 10-76a. The obligation of the school district under this subsection shall terminate when such child is graduated from high school or reaches age twenty-one, whichever occurs first; and (2) provide special education for children requiring special education who are described in subparagraph (A) or (C) of subdivision (5) of section 10-76a. The State Board of Education shall define the criteria by which each local or regional board of education shall determine whether a given child is eligible for special education pursuant to this subdivision, and such determination shall be made by the board of education when requested by a parent or guardian, or upon referral by a physician, clinic or social worker, provided the parent or guardian so permits. To meet its obligations under this subdivision, each local or regional board of education may, with the approval of the State Board of Education, make agreements with any private school, agency or institution to provide the necessary preschool special education program, provided such private facility has an existing program which adequately meets the special education needs, according to standards established by the State Board of Education, of the preschool children for whom such local or regional board of education is required to provide such an education and provided such district does not have such an existing program in its public schools. Such private school, agency or institution may be a facility which has not been approved by the Commissioner of Education for special education, provided such private facility is approved by the commissioner as an independent school or licensed by the Department of Public Health as a day care or nursery facility or be both approved and licensed.

      (c) Each local or regional board of education may provide special education for children requiring it who are described by subparagraph (B) of subdivision (5) of section 10-76a and for other exceptional children for whom provision of special education is not required by law.

      (d) To meet its obligations under sections 10-76a to 10-76g, inclusive, any local or regional board of education may make agreements with another such board or subject to the consent of the parent or guardian of any child affected thereby, make agreements with any private school or with any public or private agency or institution, including a group home to provide the necessary programs or services, but no expenditures made pursuant to a contract with a private school, agency or institution for such special education shall be paid under the provisions of section 10-76g, unless (1) such contract includes a description of the educational program and other treatment the child is to receive, a statement of minimal goals and objectives which it is anticipated such child will achieve and an estimated time schedule for returning the child to the community or transferring such child to another appropriate facility, (2) subject to the provisions of this subsection, the educational needs of the child for whom such special education is being provided cannot be met by public school arrangements in the opinion of the commissioner who, before granting approval of such contract for purposes of payment, shall consider such factors as the particular needs of the child, the appropriateness and efficacy of the program offered by such private school, agency or institution, and the economic feasibility of comparable alternatives, and (3) commencing with the 1987-1988 school year and for each school year thereafter, each such private school, agency or institution has been approved for special education by the Commissioner of Education or by the appropriate agency for facilities located out of state, except as provided in subsection (b) of this section. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (2) of this subsection or any regulations adopted by the State Board of Education setting placement priorities, placements pursuant to this section and payments under section 10-76g may be made pursuant to such a contract if the public arrangements are more costly than the private school, institution or agency, provided the private school, institution or agency meets the educational needs of the child and its program is appropriate and efficacious. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection to the contrary, nothing in this subsection shall (A) require the removal of a child from a nonapproved facility if the child was placed there prior to July 7, 1987, pursuant to the determination of a planning and placement team that such a placement was appropriate and such placement was approved by the Commissioner of Education, or (B) prohibit the placement of a child at a nonapproved facility if a planning and placement team determines prior to July 7, 1987, that the child be placed in a nonapproved facility for the 1987-1988 school year. Each child placed in a nonapproved facility as described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subdivision (3) of this subsection may continue at the facility provided the planning and placement team or hearing officer appointed pursuant to section 10-76h determines that the placement is appropriate. Expenditures incurred by any local or regional board of education to maintain children in nonapproved facilities as described in said subparagraphs (A) and (B) shall be paid pursuant to the provisions of section 10-76g. Any local or regional board of education may enter into a contract with the owners or operators of any sheltered workshop or rehabilitation center for provision of an education occupational training program for children requiring special education who are at least sixteen years of age, provided such workshop or institution shall have been approved by the appropriate state agency. Whenever any child is identified by a local or regional board of education as a child requiring special education and said board of education determines that the requirements for special education could be met by a program provided within the district or by agreement with another board of education except for the child's need for services other than educational services such as medical, psychiatric or institutional care or services, said board may meet its obligation to furnish special education for such child by paying the reasonable cost of special education instruction in a private school, hospital or other institution provided said board or the commissioner concurs that placement in such institution is necessary and proper and no state institution is available to meet such child's needs.

      (e) (1) Any local or regional board of education which provides special education pursuant to any mandates in this section shall provide transportation, to and from, but not beyond the curb of, the residence of the child, unless otherwise agreed upon by the board and the parent or guardian of the child, tuition, room and board and other items necessary to the provision of such special education except for children who are placed in a residential facility because they need services other than educational services, in which case the financial responsibility of the school district and payment to such district shall be limited to the reasonable costs of special education instruction as defined in the regulations of the State Board of Education. If a hearing board, pursuant to subsection (d) of section 10-76h, rejects the educational program prescribed by the local or regional board of education and determines that a placement by a parent or guardian was appropriate, the local or regional board of education shall reimburse the parent or guardian for the reasonable costs incurred for the provision of special education pursuant to this section from the initiation of review procedures as provided by said section 10-76h.

      (2) For purposes of this subdivision, "public agency" includes the offices of a government of a federally recognized Native American tribe. Notwithstanding any other provisions of the general statutes, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1987, and each fiscal year thereafter, whenever a public agency, other than a local or regional board of education, the State Board of Education or the Superior Court acting pursuant to section 10-76h, places a child in a foster home, group home, hospital, state institution, receiving home, custodial institution or any other residential or day treatment facility, and such child requires special education, the local or regional board of education under whose jurisdiction the child would otherwise be attending school or, if no such board can be identified, the local or regional board of education of the town where the child is placed, shall provide the requisite special education and related services to such child in accordance with the provisions of this section. Within one business day of such a placement by the Department of Children and Families or offices of a government of a federally recognized Native American tribe, said department or offices shall orally notify the local or regional board of education responsible for providing special education and related services to such child of such placement. The department or offices shall provide written notification to such board of such placement within two business days of the placement. Such local or regional board of education shall convene a planning and placement team meeting for such child within thirty days of the placement and shall invite a representative of the Department of Children and Families or offices of a government of a federally recognized Native American tribe to participate in such meeting. (A) The local or regional board of education under whose jurisdiction such child would otherwise be attending school shall be financially responsible for the reasonable costs of such special education and related services in an amount equal to the lesser of one hundred per cent of the costs of such education or the average per pupil educational costs of such board of education for the prior fiscal year, determined in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of section 10-76f. The State Board of Education shall pay on a current basis, except as provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection, any costs in excess of such local or regional board's basic contributions paid by such board of education in accordance with the provisions of this subdivision. (B) Whenever a child is placed pursuant to this subdivision, on or after July 1, 1995, by the Department of Children and Families and the local or regional board of education under whose jurisdiction such child would otherwise be attending school cannot be identified, the local or regional board of education under whose jurisdiction the child attended school or in whose district the child resided at the time of removal from the home by said department shall be responsible for the reasonable costs of special education and related services provided to such child, for one calendar year or until the child is committed to the state pursuant to section 46b-129 or 46b-140 or is returned to the child's parent or guardian, whichever is earlier. If the child remains in such placement beyond one calendar year the Department of Children and Families shall be responsible for such costs. During the period the local or regional board of education is responsible for the reasonable cost of special education and related services pursuant to this subparagraph, the board shall be responsible for such costs in an amount equal to the lesser of one hundred per cent of the costs of such education and related services or the average per pupil educational costs of such board of education for the prior fiscal year, determined in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of section 10-76f. The State Board of Education shall pay on a current basis, except as provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection, any costs in excess of such local or regional board's basic contributions paid by such board of education in accordance with the provisions of this subdivision. The costs for services other than educational shall be paid by the state agency which placed the child. The provisions of this subdivision shall not apply to the school districts established within the Department of Children and Families, pursuant to section 17a-37, the Department of Correction, pursuant to section 18-99a, or the Department of Developmental Services, pursuant to section 17a-240, provided in any case in which special education is being provided at a private residential institution, including the residential components of regional educational service centers, to a child for whom no local or regional board of education can be found responsible under subsection (b) of this section, Unified School District #2 shall provide the special education and related services and be financially responsible for the reasonable costs of such special education instruction for such children. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subdivision, for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2004, to June 30, 2007, inclusive, and for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2010, to June 30, 2013, inclusive, the amount of the grants payable to local or regional boards of education in accordance with this subdivision shall be reduced proportionately if the total of such grants in such year exceeds the amount appropriated for the purposes of this subdivision for such year.

      (3) Payment for children who require special education and who reside on state-owned or leased property or in permanent family residences as defined in section 17a-154, and who are not the educational responsibility of the unified school districts established pursuant to section 17a-37, section 17a-240 or section 18-99a, shall be made in the following manner: The State Board of Education shall pay to the school district which is responsible for providing instruction for each such child pursuant to the provisions of this subsection one hundred per cent of the reasonable costs of such instruction. In the fiscal year following such payment, the State Board of Education shall deduct from the special education grant due the local or regional board of education under whose jurisdiction the child would otherwise be attending school, where such board has been identified, the amount for which such board would otherwise have been financially responsible pursuant to the provisions of subdivision (2) of this subsection. No such deduction shall be made for any school district which is responsible for providing special education instruction for children whose parents or legal guardians do not reside within such district. The amount deducted shall be included as a net cost of special education by the Department of Education for purposes of the state's special education grant calculated pursuant to section 10-76g. A school district otherwise eligible for reimbursement under the provisions of this subdivision for the costs of education of a child residing in a permanent family residence shall continue to be so eligible in the event that a person providing foster care in such residence adopts the child. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subdivision, for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2004, and June 30, 2005, and for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2012, and June 30, 2013, the amount of the grants payable to local or regional boards of education in accordance with this subdivision shall be reduced proportionately if the total of such grants in such year exceeds the amount appropriated for the purposes of this subdivision for such year.

      (4) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services shall provide regular education and special education and related services to eligible residents in facilities operated by the department who are eighteen to twenty-one years of age. In the case of a resident who requires special education, the department shall provide the requisite identification and evaluation of such resident in accordance with the provisions of this section. The department shall be financially responsible for the provision of educational services to eligible residents. The Departments of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Children and Families and Education shall develop and implement an interagency agreement which specifies the role of each agency in ensuring the provision of appropriate education services to eligible residents in accordance with this section. The State Board of Education shall pay to the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services one hundred per cent of the reasonable costs of such educational services provided to eligible residents of such facilities. Payment shall be made by the board as follows: Eighty-five per cent of the estimated cost in July and the adjusted balance in May.

      (5) Application for the grant to be paid by the state for costs in excess of the local or regional board of education's basic contribution shall be made by such board of education by filing with the State Board of Education, in such manner as prescribed by the Commissioner of Education, annually on or before December first a statement of the cost of providing special education, as defined in subdivision (2) of this subsection, for a child of the board placed by a state agency in accordance with the provisions of said subdivision or, where appropriate, a statement of the cost of providing educational services other than special educational services pursuant to the provisions of subsection (b) or (g) of section 10-253, provided a board of education may submit, not later than March first, claims for additional children or costs not included in the December filing. Payment by the state for such excess costs shall be made to the local or regional board of education as follows: Seventy-five per cent of the cost in February and the balance in May. The amount due each town pursuant to the provisions of this subsection and the amount due to each town as tuition from other towns pursuant to this section shall be paid to the treasurer of each town entitled to such aid, provided the treasurer shall treat such grant or tuition received, or a portion of such grant or tuition, which relates to special education expenditures incurred pursuant to subdivisions (2) and (3) of this subsection in excess of such board's budgeted estimate of such expenditures, as a reduction in expenditures by crediting such expenditure account, rather than town revenue. The state shall notify the local or regional board of education when payments are made to the treasurer of the town pursuant to this subdivision.

      (f) No children placed out primarily for special education services shall be placed in a private school, agency or institution outside of the state, except when in the opinion of the Commissioner of Education it is determined that: (1) No public or approved private facility which can reasonably provide appropriate special education programs for such children is available in the state; (2) no public or approved private facility which can reasonably provide appropriate special education programs for such children is available in the state and the out-of-state placement is required for a period of time not to exceed two years, during which time the local or regional board of education responsible for providing such children with a special education shall develop an appropriate special education program or cause such program to be developed within the state; or (3) an out-of-state placement is more economically feasible than an existing special education program in the state or any such program that could be developed within the state within a reasonable period of time. No placement in an out-of-state private special education school, agency or facility shall be approved unless such school, agency or facility first agrees in writing to submit to the state Department of Education any such financial program and student progress reports as the commissioner may require for the purpose of making an annual determination as to the economic feasibility and program adequacy of the special education program provided. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to children placed out primarily for services other than educational services as described in subsection (d) of this section.

      (g) (1) Each local or regional board of education shall review annually and make a report as to the progress of each child for whom such board is obligated to provide a special education and who receives special education services in any private school, agency or institution and shall, upon request of the commissioner, submit such reports to the State Board of Education.

      (2) Whenever a local or regional board of education determines that a child who has for three years received special education services in private facilities pursuant to subsection (d) of section 10-76d must receive such services from private facilities for an additional period of time, the State Board of Education, shall annually thereafter review the progress of such child prior to approving or disapproving for purposes of reimbursement, pursuant to subsection (d) of section 10-76d, any continuation of private placement, considering such factors as the educational and other needs of the child.

      (h) The provisions of this section and sections 10-76a, 10-76b, 10-76c, 10-76f and 10-76g shall not be construed to relieve any insurer or provider of health or welfare benefits from paying any otherwise valid claim.

      (1967, P.A. 627, S. 4, 11; 1969, P.A. 793, S. 2; P.A. 73-111; P.A. 75-255; 75-364; 75-521, S. 3, 6; 75-585; P.A. 76-310, S. 1, 2; 76-341; P.A. 77-36; 77-614, S. 302, 610; P.A. 78-218, S. 65; P.A. 79-128, S. 19, 36; P.A. 80-113, S. 1, 2; 80-138, S. 2, 3; P.A. 81-187; 81-432, S. 1, 11; P.A. 82-311, S. 1, 4; P.A. 83-169, S. 8; 83-265, S. 1, 2; P.A. 84-255, S. 7, 21; P.A. 85-473, S. 1, 3; 85-491, S. 1, 3; P.A. 86-333, S. 6, 32; P.A. 87-324, S. 1, 2; 87-499, S. 2, 25, 26, 34; P.A. 88-360, S. 11, 12, 63; P.A. 89-315, S. 1, 3; P.A. 90-230, S. 14, 101; P.A. 91-16, S. 1, 2; 91-277, S. 4, 6; P.A. 92-170, S. 8, 26; 92-262, S. 10, 11, 42; P.A. 93-91, S. 1, 2; 93-352, S. 1, 3; 93-353, S. 47, 52; 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 94-245, S. 29, 41, 46; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-6, S. 1, 28; P.A. 95-237, S. 1, 5, 7; 95-257, S. 11, 12, 21, 32, 58; 95-259, S. 10, 32; P.A. 96-146, S. 2- 4, 12; P.A. 97-114, S. 1, 2; P.A. 98-168, S. 2, 3, 26; 98-252, S. 8, 80; P.A. 99-279, S. 4, 45; P.A. 00-48, S. 3, 10-12; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1, S. 39, 54; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-3, S. 54; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 3, 4, 244, 245; P.A. 05-141, S. 3; 05-245, S. 18; P.A. 06-13, S. 4; 06-18, S. 1-3; 06-188, S. 26; P.A. 07-73, S. 2(a); 07-147, S. 5; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-5, S. 61; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-6, S. 45; P.A. 11-48, S. 179; 11-51, S. 29.)

      History: 1969 act amended Subsec. (a) to delete reference to repealed Sec. 10-94a, to substitute Sec. 10-76g for 10-76h and to require school board to "prescribe suitable educational programs for eligible children", amended Subsec. (b) to delete provisions concerning special classes for educable and trainable mentally retarded children, making former Subdiv. (2) applicable to all children requiring special education and renumbering Subdivs. (2) and (3) as (1) and (2), made minor changes to Subsecs. (c) and (d) and added provisions in Subsec. (d) concerning school board's payments to meet child's needs in private school, hospital or other institution and amended Subsec. (e) to add limitation on board's financial responsibility toward expenses of children placed in residential facilities; P.A. 73-111 amended Subsec. (a) to replace Sec. 10-76g with 10-76h reference and to require boards to inform parents of children requiring special education of special education laws; P.A. 75-255 amended Subsec. (a) to require notice to parents of meeting to prepare educational program for child and to allow parent's participation in meeting; P.A. 75-364 amended Subsec. (d) to clarify provisions concerning private schools which may supply child's needs; P.A. 75-521 added Subsecs. (f) and (g); P.A. 75-585 added provisions in Subsec. (b) concerning preschool education supplied through private school; P.A. 76-310 required that contracts between school board and private school contain program description, goals and objectives of child's progress and timetable for returning child to community or transferring him to another institution in order for expenses to be reimbursable; P.A. 76-341 added Subsec. (g)(2) re children in private facilities for more than three years; P.A. 77-36 amended Subsec. (a) to allow parents to have advisors at meetings to determine child's educational program; P.A. 77-614 substituted commissioner of education for secretary of the state board of education, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-218 substituted "board of education" for "district" and "local" for "town"; P.A. 79-128 substituted "grant" for "reimbursement" in Subsec. (b) and "payment" for "reimbursement" in Subsecs. (d) and (e); P.A. 80-113 added Subsec. (h); P.A. 80-138 amended Subsec. (e) to provide for reimbursement of parent or guardian when parent's placement preferred to board's program by hearing board; P.A. 81-187 amended Subsec. (e) to specify transportation of children requiring special education be "curb-to-curb" transportation to and from child's residence, unless otherwise agreed upon by the board and child's parent or guardian; P.A. 81-432 added Subsec. (e)(2) and (3) clarifying educational and financial responsibility for children placed by public agencies; P.A. 82-311 amended Subsec. (e) clarifying provisions of P.A. 81-432 concerning state agency placements of children by: Limiting school board responsibility for transporting handicapped children "curb to curb" to mean not beyond the curb of their residence, clarifying that the educational and financial responsibility for children for whom no other board of education can be identified rests with the school district in which the child is placed, requiring the placing agency to provide to the district where the child is placed current and accurate information for the purpose of determining if a responsible school district exists, creating a uniform system of payments for towns which educate children who reside on state property, and clarifying that funding or tuition received by school boards for educating handicapped children placed by state agencies is credited to the school board's accounts only when such payments exceed the receiving board's budget estimates for educating these children; P.A. 83-169 amended Subsec. (e) to delete reference to "special" school districts; P.A. 83-265 clarified provisions relating to payment for children who reside on state-owned or leased property or in permanent family residences and who are not educational responsibility of unified school districts; P.A. 84-255 amended Subsec. (a) deleting obsolete provision relating to the exclusion or exemption from school privileges of any child requiring special education; P.A. 85-473 inserted new Subsec. (e)(4) re residents of department of mental health facilities who are between the ages of 18 and 21, renumbering former Subdiv. (4) accordingly; P.A. 85-491 amended Subsec. (e)(3) to provide that adoption of a child residing in a permanent family residence by a person providing foster care in the residence does not affect school district's eligibility for reimbursement; P.A. 86-333 in Subsec. (e)(2) substituted 1987 for 1982 and added placements in day treatment facilities to types of placements to which the subdivision applies, in Subsec. (e)(4) provided that boards submit reports of expenditures and that grant adjustments be made for overpayments or underpayments, in Subsec. (e)(5) substituted October for September as the time on or before which estimates of the cost of providing special education must be filed and made other technical changes; P.A. 87-324, in Subsec. (a), provided for individual transition plans commencing with the 1988-1989 school year; P.A. 87-499 amended Subsec. (b) to describe when a private facility need not be approved by the commissioner of education, added Subsec. (d)(3) requiring, with phase-in provisions, that private facilities be approved and changed a payment date in Subsec. (e)(4) from August to September and the report submission date from January to August fifteenth; P.A. 88-360 in Subsec. (a) increased the minimum number of school days for prior notice of a planning and placement team meeting from 3 to 5 and in Subsec. (e)(4) added references to the Connecticut alcohol and drug abuse commission; P.A. 89-315 in Subsec. (a) added provisions re reimbursement from Medicaid for special education costs and made a technical change; P.A. 90-230 made a technical change in Subsec. (b); P.A. 91-16 divided Subsec. (a) into Subdivs., limited the determination of eligibility for Medicaid to towns in which the number of children receiving aid to families with dependent children exceeds 75, and added language requiring parents or guardians to be notified of the possible consequences of accessing private insurance and prohibiting the denial of special education due to refusal to access private insurance or Medicaid; P.A. 91-277 made a technical change in Subsec. (e)(1); the references in Subdivs. (2) and (3) of Subsec. (e) to "section 17a-38" were corrected editorially to "section 17a-37" in 1993; P.A. 92-170 amended Subsec. (e) to require that board of education be notified when payments are made to town treasurer; P.A. 92-262 amended Subsec. (a)(6) to add provisions concerning transition services and authorized transition services as part of a child's program before his fifteenth birthday and amended Subsec. (d) to add the reference to group homes; P.A. 93-91 substituted commissioner and department of children and families for commissioner and department of children and youth services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-352 designated Subsec. (e)(4) as Subpara. (A) and deleted provisions dealing with the department of mental health and added separate Subpara. (B) concerning the department of mental health, effective August 15, 1993; P.A. 93-353 amended Subsec. (a) to specify in Subdiv. (7) that notice shall be given before the board proposes to or refuses to initiate or change the child's identification, evaluation, or educational placement and added requirement that each board have in effect at the beginning of the school year an educational program for each child who has been identified as eligible for special education, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-381 replaced department and commissioner of health services and Connecticut alcohol and drug abuse commission and executive director with department and commissioner of public health and addiction services, respectively, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 94-245 amended Subsec. (b) to remove obsolete language concerning preschool special education, effective June 2, 1994, and amended Subsec. (e)(2) to add provisions dealing with school districts which have a large number of children placed in foster homes, effective July 1, 1994; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-6 amended Subsec. (a)(2) to change the criteria for towns to be required to determine Medicaid eligibility from any town in which the number of children exceeds 75 to any town in which the "average number of children ages three to twenty-one enrolled in the Medicaid program on October first of each of the previous three years equals or exceeds one thousand", to remove requirement for the towns to request permission of the parent or guardian of such child to access private insurance and to notify them that accessing private insurance may affect benefits available through such insurance or costs to be paid to maintain such insurance, to replace the requirement for the board of education to request written permission of the parent or guardian to request Medicaid payment and to request such payment with a requirement, upon notification by the planning and placement team that the child is a recipient, to submit documentation of the provision and costs of Medicaid eligible special education and related services to the commissioner; added Subdivs. (4) to (7), inclusive, re Medicaid eligible payments and grants and renumbered Subdivs. (8) to (11), inclusive, in Subdiv. (8) requiring that payments be made to the town or regional school district which has incurred such costs and be deemed to be appropriated to the board of education and removed language limiting the districts use of such payments and in Subdiv. (9) changing the date for notification of whether a town will be required to comply from "by August 1, 1991" and "annually thereafter" to "by July 30, 1994, and by April first annually thereafter" and making the description of the children consistent with Subdiv. (2), effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-237 amended Subsec. (a)(11) to increase the requirements for notification and to make technical changes in said Subdiv. and amended Subsec. (e) to change the party who is financially liable for the cost of special education for children placed by the Department of Children and Families after July 1, 1995, in cases in which the local or regional board of education under whose jurisdiction the child would otherwise be attending school cannot be identified and to make numerous technical changes, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995 and deleted Subsec. (e)(4)(A) re services by the former Department of Public Health and Addiction Services and replaced Department of Mental Health with Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 95-259 amended Subsec. (a)(2) to raise the threshold for the determination of Medicaid eligibility from 1,000 to 5,000 children, effective July 6, 1995; P.A. 96-146 amended Subsec. (a)(2) to (4), inclusive, to substitute determination of a child's Medicaid enrollment status for a determination of whether a child is eligible for Medicaid, to provide for the sharing of information with the state's Medicaid agent for specified purposes, to add references to the commissioner's authorized agent and to make technical changes and made technical changes in Subsecs. (b) and (c), effective July 1, 1996, and amended Subsec. (e)(2) to add the notification requirements for the Department of Children and Families and the requirement for the convening of a planning and placement team meeting within 30 days of placement and participation of said department at the meeting, to remove a requirement that said department meet with representatives of the board of education under whose jurisdiction the child attended school or in whose district the child resided at the time of removal to review the child's individualized education plan, to cap the financial responsibility of a board of education during the period it is responsible for the cost of special education and related services and to provide for the payment of any costs in excess of such board's basic contributions by the State Board of Education on a current basis, and to add provision concerning the responsibility of Unified School District #2 for the provision of special education and related services and the cost of such education and services provided at a private residential institution to a child for whom no local or regional board of education can be found responsible under Subsec. (b), effective May 29, 1996; P.A. 97-114 amended Subsec. (d) to add provision that notwithstanding Subdiv. (2) and regulations concerning placement priorities, placements and payment pursuant to Sec. 10-76g may be made if public arrangements are more costly and private facilities meet the educational needs of the child and their programs are suitable and efficacious, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-168 amended Subsec. (b) to make a technical change and amended Subsec. (e)(2) to change one method for determining the financial responsibility of local and regional boards of education from "two and one-half times" the average to the average per pupil educational costs, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 98-252 amended Subsec. (e)(5) to change the time frames for the original submission from October to December, for the claim for additional children or costs from April to February and for the payments from December and June to February and April, to increase the amount of the first payment from 50% to 75% and to make technical changes, effective July 1, 1998 (Revisor's note: In Subsec. (a)(11) a reference to "... pupil who is an emaciated minor ..." was changed editorially by the Revisors to "... pupil who is an emancipated minor ..." to correct an error in the codification of P.A. 95-237); P.A. 99-279 amended Subsec. (a)(2) by deleting requirement that local or regional board of education determine Medicaid enrollment status of children for any town in which the average number of children ages 3 to 21 enrolled in the Medicaid program equals or exceeds 5,000 and by substituting in lieu thereof that any local or regional board of education may determine a child's Medicaid enrollment status and by adding "For the purpose of determining Medicaid rates for Medicaid eligible special education and related services based on an actual cost method, the local or regional board of education shall submit documentation of the costs and utilization of Medicaid eligible special education and related services for all students receiving such services to the Commissioner of Social Services or to the commissioner's authorized agent at such time and in such manner as prescribed." and provision authorizing commissioner to use information received from local or regional boards of education for purposes of determining Medicaid rates for Medicaid eligible special education and related services, deleted all provisions in former Subsec. (a)(3) and (4), adding in new Subdiv. (3) provisions as follows: "Beginning with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2000, the Commissioner of Social Services shall make grant payments to local or regional boards of education in amounts representing 60% of the federal portion of Medicaid claims processed for Medicaid eligible special education and related services provided to Medicaid eligible students in the school district. Such grant payments shall be made on at least a quarterly basis and may represent estimates of amounts due to local or regional boards of education. Any grant payments made on an estimated basis, including payments made by the Department of Education for the fiscal years prior to the fiscal year ending June 30, 2000, shall be subsequently reconciled to grant amounts due based upon filed and accepted Medicaid claims and Medicaid rates. If, upon review, it is determined that a grant payment or portion of a grant payment was made for ineligible or disallowed Medicaid claims, the local or regional board of education shall reimburse the Department of Social Services for any grant payment amount received based upon ineligible or disallowed Medicaid claims.", deleting from the new Subdiv. (4) (formerly Subdiv. (5)) requirement that rates for Medicaid eligible special education and related services be determined annually and that such rates reflect the reasonable average monthly cost per student of Medicaid eligible special education and related services for the current year, deleted all provisions in former Subsec. (a)(7), substituting in the new Subdiv. (6) (formerly Subdiv. (8)) "local or regional board of education" for "town or regional school district", deleted all provisions in former Subdiv. (9), renumbering the remaining Subdivs. accordingly, added in new Subsec. (a)(9) provisions re regulations and made technical changes throughout, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 00-48 rewrote Subsec. (a)(7), changing the time frame for the development of the statement of transition service needs from age 15 to age 14 and requiring the statement to focus on courses of study, made a technical change in Subsec. (d) and amended Subsec. (e)(4) to change the time for the payment of 85% of the estimated cost from September to July, effective July 1, 2000; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1 amended Subsec. (e)(5) to change the submission deadline for claims from February to March first and to change the date for the payment of the balance from April to May, effective July 1, 2001; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-3 amended Subsec. (a)(3) to provide that beginning in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2004, grant payments made by the Commissioner of Social Services to local or regional boards of education shall be reduced from 60% to 50% of the federal portion of Medicaid claims processed for Medicaid eligible special education and related services provided to Medicaid eligible students in the school district", effective August 20, 2003; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by changing "school-age children" to "children", amended Subsec. (a)(7) by adding provision re federal Individuals With Disabilities Education Act and by deleting provisions re a student's individualized education program and a detailed provision of transition services including interagency responsibilities, and amended Subsec. (e)(2) by making a technical change, adding language re proportional reductions in grants for fiscal years ending June 30, 2004, and June 30, 2005, in Subdivs. (2) and (3), effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 05-141 added new Subsec. (a)(9) re services deemed eligible for reimbursement under the Medicaid program, redesignating existing Subdiv. (9) as Subdiv. (10), effective June 24, 2005; P.A. 05-245 amended Subsec. (e)(2) to include offices of a government of a federally recognized Native American tribe as a public agency making placements and to extend the proportional reduction of grants through the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007, effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 06-13 made technical changes in Subsec. (e)(1), effective May 2, 2006; P.A. 06-18 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by replacing "suitable" with "appropriate" and adding language re the Controlled Substances Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, amended Subsec. (d) by changing "suitability" to "appropriateness" and "suitable" to "appropriate", and amended Subsec. (f) by changing "suitable" to "appropriate", effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 06-188 amended Subsec. (a)(9) to insert provision notwithstanding the general statutes, provide that certain recommended items of durable medical equipment, eligible for reimbursement under the Medicaid program, may be subject to prior authorization requirements established by the Commissioner of Social Services, delete requirement that diagnostic and evaluation services be specified on the individualized education program for Medicaid reimbursement purposes and make a technical change, effective July 1, 2006; pursuant to P.A. 07-73 "Department of Mental Retardation" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Department of Developmental Services", effective October 1, 2007; P.A. 07-147 amended Subsec. (a)(8) by designating existing language as Subpara. (A) and adding Subpara. (B) to require local or regional boards of education at each initial planning and placement team meeting to inform the parent, guardian, surrogate parent or pupil of laws relating to physical restraint and seclusion; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-5 amended Subsec. (a)(3) by adding provision requiring Commissioner of Social Services to exclude enhanced federal medical assistance percentages in calculating federal portion of Medicaid claims processed beginning with fiscal year 2009, effective October 5, 2009; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-6 amended Subsec. (e)(2) to extend proportional reduction of grants through the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsec. (e)(2) and (3) to extend proportional reduction of grants through fiscal year ending June 30, 2013, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-51 amended Subsec. (e)(5) to add reference to Sec. 10-253(g), effective July 1, 2011.

      Sec. 10-76g. State aid for special education. (a)(1) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1984, and each fiscal year thereafter, in any case in which special education is being provided at a private residential institution, including the residential components of regional educational service centers, to a child for whom no local or regional board of education can be found responsible under subsection (b) of section 10-76d, the Department of Children and Families shall pay the costs of special education to such institution pursuant to its authority under sections 17a-1 to 17a-26, inclusive, 17a-28 to 17a-49, inclusive, 17a-52 and 17b-251. (2) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1993, and each fiscal year thereafter, any local or regional board of education which provides special education and related services for any child (A) who is placed by a public agency, including, but not limited to, offices of a government of a federally recognized Native American tribe, in a private residential facility or who is placed in a facility or institution operated by the Department of Children and Families and who receives such special education at a program operated by a regional education service center or program operated by a local or regional board of education, and (B) for whom no local or regional board of education can be found responsible under subsection (b) of section 10-76d, shall be eligible to receive one hundred per cent of the reasonable costs of special education for such child as defined in the regulations of the State Board of Education. Any such board eligible for payment shall file with the Department of Education, in such manner as prescribed by the Commissioner of Education, annually, on or before December first a statement of the cost of providing special education for such child, provided a board of education may submit, not later than March first, claims for additional children or costs not included in the December filing. Payment by the state for such costs shall be made to the local or regional board of education as follows: Seventy-five per cent of the cost in February and the balance in May.

      (b) Any local or regional board of education which provides special education pursuant to the provisions of sections 10-76a to 10-76g, inclusive, for any exceptional child described in subparagraph (A) of subdivision (5) of section 10-76a, under its jurisdiction, excluding (1) children placed by a state agency for whom a board of education receives payment pursuant to the provisions of subdivision (2) of subsection (e) of section 10-76d, and (2) children who require special education, who reside on state-owned or leased property or in permanent family residences, as defined in section 17a-154, and who are not the educational responsibility of the unified school districts established pursuant to sections 17a-37, 17a-240 and 18-99a, shall be financially responsible for the reasonable costs of special education instruction, as defined in the regulations of the State Board of Education, in an amount equal to (A) for any fiscal year commencing prior to July 1, 2005, five times the average per pupil educational costs of such board of education for the prior fiscal year, determined in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of section 10-76f, and (B) for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2005, and each fiscal year thereafter, four and one-half times such average per pupil educational costs of such board of education. The State Board of Education shall pay on a current basis any costs in excess of the local or regional board's basic contribution paid by such board in accordance with the provisions of this subsection. Any amounts paid by the State Board of Education on a current basis pursuant to this subsection shall not be reimbursable in the subsequent year. Application for such grant shall be made by filing with the Department of Education, in such manner as prescribed by the commissioner, annually on or before December first a statement of the cost of providing special education pursuant to this subsection, provided a board of education may submit, not later than March first, claims for additional children or costs not included in the December filing. Payment by the state for such excess costs shall be made to the local or regional board of education as follows: Seventy-five per cent of the cost in February and the balance in May. The amount due each town pursuant to the provisions of this subsection shall be paid to the treasurer of each town entitled to such aid, provided the treasurer shall treat such grant, or a portion of the grant, which relates to special education expenditures incurred in excess of such town's board of education budgeted estimate of such expenditures, as a reduction in expenditures by crediting such expenditure account, rather than town revenue. Such expenditure account shall be so credited no later than thirty days after receipt by the treasurer of necessary documentation from the board of education indicating the amount of such special education expenditures incurred in excess of such town's board of education budgeted estimate of such expenditures.

      (c) Commencing with the fiscal year ending June 30, 1996, and for each fiscal year thereafter, within available appropriations, each town whose ratio of (1) net costs of special education, as defined in subsection (h) of section 10-76f, for the fiscal year prior to the year in which the grant is to be paid to (2) the product of its total need students, as defined in section 10-262f, and the average regular program expenditures, as defined in section 10-262f, per need student for all towns for such year exceeds the state-wide average for all such ratios shall be eligible to receive a supplemental special education grant. Such grant shall be equal to the product of a town's eligible excess costs and the town's base aid ratio, as defined in section 10-262f, provided each town's grant shall be adjusted proportionately if necessary to stay within the appropriation. Payment pursuant to this subsection shall be made in June. For purposes of this subsection, a town's eligible excess costs are the difference between its net costs of special education and the amount the town would have expended if it spent at the state-wide average rate.

      (d) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2004, to June 30, 2007, inclusive, and for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2010, to June 30, 2013, inclusive, the amount of the grants payable to local or regional boards of education in accordance with this section, except grants paid in accordance with subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section, for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2006, and June 30, 2007, and for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2010, to June 30, 2013, inclusive, shall be reduced proportionately if the total of such grants in such year exceeds the amount appropriated for the purposes of this section for such year.

      (1967, P.A. 627, S. 8, 11; 1972, P.A. 182; P.A. 75-587, S. 1, 2; P.A. 78-218, S. 66; 78-248, S. 2; P.A. 79-128, S. 17, 36; 79-408, S. 1, 2, 5; P.A. 80-154, S. 4, 5; 80-473, S. 1, 3; P.A. 81-420, S. 1, 4; 81-432, S. 9, 11; P.A. 82-91, S. 1, 38; 82-301, S. 1, 5; P.A. 83-495, S. 1, 2; P.A. 84-385, S. 1, 3; P.A. 85-393, S. 1, 2; 85-476, S. 2, 6; P.A. 88-136, S. 5, 37; P.A. 89-355, S. 5, 20; P.A. 90-225, S. 1, 2, 10; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-7, S. 7, 22; P.A. 92-262, S. 12, 23, 42; P.A. 93-91, S. 1, 2; 93-133, S. 1, 3; 93-353, S. 9, 52; P.A. 95-226, S. 5, 30; P.A. 96-146, S. 6, 12; P.A. 98-252, S. 9, 80; P.A. 00-220, S. 40, 43; P.A. 01-173, S. 64, 67; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1, S. 5, 54; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-7, S. 1; P.A. 03-76, S. 1, 10; 03-174, S. 8; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 20, 21; P.A. 05-245, S. 13, 19; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-6, S. 46; P.A. 11-48, S. 180.)

      History: 1972 act amended Subsec. (a) to include deadlines for applications and payments and to consider private institutions as school districts in cases where no school district is responsible for a child in the institution; P.A. 75-587 deleted former Subsecs. (b) and (c) re reimbursement for education of hearing-impaired children and exclusion of costs incurred before July 1, 1967, for special education and inserted new Subsec. (b) concerning reimbursement to districts where state wards have been placed in foster or group homes; P.A. 78-218 substituted "local or regional board of education" for "school district" in Subsec. (a) and "local" for "town" school district in Subsec. (b); P.A. 78-248 made no changes; P.A. 79-128 amended Subsec. (a) to delete reference to repealed Sec. 10-94a, to replace reimbursement percentage formula with formula applicable only to year ending June 30, 1980, and to all 50% reimbursement for private institutions for that year, inserted new Subsecs. (b) to (e) concerning special education grants, designated former Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (f), making provisions applicable to fiscal year ending June 30, 1980, and allowing 50% rather than 66 2/3% reimbursement for education costs while child placed in health care facility or institution, and added Subsec. (g) guaranteeing payments at least equal to amount received in 1979; P.A. 79-408 excluded state-operated school districts from provisions of Subsec. (a) and (b); P.A. 80-154 deleted reference to regional educational service centers in Subsec. (g); P.A. 80-473 substituted "adopted" for "made" throughout section, amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to add provisions concerning grants for excess costs and to add one year to year dates mentioned and to increase in Subsec. (a) the percentage from 20% to 25%, deleted Subsec. (d)(1) and renumbered remaining subdivs., and amended Subsecs. (e) and (f) to increase year dates by one year; P.A. 81-420 delayed current funding for one year, added Subsec. (h) making districts which incur special education costs in excess of 120% of the prior fiscal year's costs to be eligible to receive a grant for a percentage of the excess costs and authorizing the state board of education to pay its share of the special education costs of no-nexus children on a current basis; P.A. 81-432 repealed Subsecs. (e) and (f) re grants for fiscal years ending June 30, 1981, and June 30, 1982; P.A. 82-91 amended section to provide that school districts are to be reimbursed for costs of providing special education in accordance with a special formula for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1983, only, that payment to the department of children and youth services be 100% of the net cost of special education provided at private residential institutions with payment by the department to the institutions for fiscal year ending June 30, 1983, and each fiscal year thereafter and, in Subsec. (h), that grants to school districts incurring excess special education costs for fiscal year ending June 30, 1983, continue and that town treasurers be required to treat such grants as a reduction of expenditures; P.A. 82-301 repealed Subsec. (g), effective July 1, 1983, eliminating the "hold-harmless" payments to towns for special education costs, relettering former Subsec. (h) accordingly; P.A. 83-495 delayed current funding for one year and in Subsec. (d)(2) and (3) corrected reference to "total population as defined in section 10-261"; P.A. 84-385 repealed former Subsecs. (a) and (b)(1) re payment of reimbursements for special education provided during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1982, and the fiscal year ending June 30, 1983, relettered former Subsec. (b)(2) as Subsec. (a)(1), added new Subsec. (a)(2) re payment of reimbursement for special education provided during fiscal year ending June 30, 1985, relettered former Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (b) and delayed current funding for an additional year, relettered former Subsec. (d) as Subsec. (c), deleted reference to repealed Subsecs. (e) and (f), relettered former Subsec. (g) as Subsec. (d), and added new Subsec. (e) re state share of placements made in out-of-district private residential facilities; P.A. 85-393 deleted former Subsecs. (a)(1), (b)(1), (d) and (e)(2) re computation of reimbursements for special education costs for fiscal year 1983-84, re application for and disbursement of special education grants for fiscal year 1985-86 and thereafter, re grants for excess costs of special education and re education department's duty to develop data assessing costs of implementing section and to report data to special education study committee, relettering Subsecs. and deleting Subdiv. indicators as necessary, applied former Subsec. (e)(1), now (d), so as to exclude children placed by a state agency for whom a board of education receives payment under Sec. 10-76d(e)(2), deleting reference to placement of children in out-of-district private residential placements, deleted provision re adjustment of reimbursements for grants received and substituted provision disallowing reimbursement in subsequent year of amounts paid by state board on a current basis and required submission of cost estimates by October first, rather than by September first; P.A. 85-476 amended Subsec. (c) to specify that reimbursement percentage is determined by ranking, to provide that ranking is to be rounded to next higher whole number and to provide for reimbursement at same percentage as for a town with the same rank; P.A. 88-136 deleted obsolete provisions in Subsec. (a) re reimbursement received during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1986, and made a technical change; P.A. 89-355 in Subsec. (c) changed the reimbursement percentage sliding scale of 30% to 70% to 25% to 70%; P.A. 90-225 in Subsec. (c) changed the reimbursement percentage sliding scale of 25% to 70% to 10% to 70% and added new Subsecs. (e) and (f) re reimbursement for costs of providing special education to certain children requiring special education and an additional grant payment for certain towns for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1991, respectively; June Sp. Sess. 91-7 amended Subsec. (e)(1) to extend to June 30, 1992, the applicability of the method described therein for special education reimbursement; P.A. 92-262 amended Subsecs. (a), (c) and (d) to add reference to child described in Sec. 10-76a(e)(1), amended Subsec. (b) to make the existing Subsec. Subdiv. (1) and add Subdiv. (2), amended Subsec. (c)(1) to add reference to Sec. 2-32a, to substitute zero for ten and to add exception that no town receive less than 2% and deleted former Subsecs. (e) and (f) as obsolete; P.A. 93-91 substituted commissioner and department of children and families for commissioner and department of children and youth services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-133 amended Subdiv. (1) of Subsec. (b) to remove the requirement that the state board of education pay the department of children and youth services for 100% of the net cost of special education for the children described in said Subdiv., effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-353 added Subsec. (d)(2) re children residing on state-owned property or in permanent family residences, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-226 deleted former Subsecs. (a) and (c) re special education reimbursement for any exceptional child described in Sec. 10-76a(e)(1), relettered remaining Subsecs. and added new Subsec. (c) re supplemental special education grants, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-146 amended Subsec. (b) to make a technical change, effective July 1, 1996 (Revisor's note: A reference to "subdivision (2) of subsection (e)" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "subparagraph (B) of subdivision (5)" to conform with the designation changes made by said act); P.A. 98-252 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to change the time frames for submission of the statement from October to December, submission of claims for additional children or costs from April to February and payments from December and June to February and April, to increase the amount of the first payment from 50% to 75% and to make technical changes, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 00-220 amended Subsec. (b) to add the requirement for the expenditure account to be credited no later than 30 days after receipt by the treasurer of the necessary documentation from the board of education, effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 01-173 amended Subsec. (b) to change the time limit for the submission of claims from February to March first and to change the time for the payment of the balance from April to May, effective July 1, 2001; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1 amended Subsec. (b) to designate provision re five times the average per pupil educational costs as Subpara. (A) and apply it to fiscal years commencing prior to July 1, 2002, and to add Subpara. (B) re four and one-half times the average per pupil educational costs, effective July 1, 2001; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-7 amended Subsec. (b) by delaying until July 1, 2003, a decrease in financial responsibility from five times to four and one-half times the average per pupil educational costs, effective August 15, 2002; P.A. 03-76 made technical changes in Subsec. (a), effective June 3, 2003; P.A. 03-174 amended Subsec. (a) to substitute March first for February first as the latest date boards of education may update December statements of costs of providing special education for a child, to substitute May for April for the final payment of the balance and to make a technical change, effective July 1, 2003; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 amended Subsec. (b) by delaying until July 1, 2005, a decrease in financial responsibility from five times to four and one-half times the average per pupil educational costs and added Subsec. (d) re proportional reduction of grants for fiscal years ending June 30, 2004, and June 30, 2005, effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 05-245 amended Subsec. (a)(2) to replace "state agency" with "public agency" and to include offices of a government of a federally recognized Native American tribe as a public agency making placements and amended Subsec. (d) to extend the proportional reduction of grants through the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007, and to create an exception for grants paid in accordance with Subsec. (a)(2), effective July 1, 2005; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-6 amended Subsec. (d) to add provisions extending proportional reduction of grants through fiscal years ending June 30, 2010, and June 30, 2011, effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsec. (d) to extend proportional reduction of grants through fiscal year ending June 30, 2013, effective July 1, 2011.

      Sec. 10-76i. Advisory Council for Special Education. (a) There shall be an Advisory Council for Special Education which shall advise the General Assembly, State Board of Education and the Commissioner of Education, and which shall engage in such other activities as described in this section. On and after July 1, 2010, the advisory council shall consist of the following members: (1) Nine appointed by the Commissioner of Education, (A) six of whom shall be (i) the parents of children with disabilities, provided such children are under the age of twenty-seven, or (ii) individuals with disabilities, (B) one of whom shall be an official of the Department of Education, (C) one of whom shall be a state or local official responsible for carrying out activities under Subtitle B of Title VII of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, 42 USC 11431 et seq., as amended from time to time, and (D) one of whom shall be a representative of an institution of higher education in the state that prepares teacher and related services personnel; (2) one appointed by the Commissioner of Developmental Services who shall be an official of the department; (3) one appointed by the Commissioner of Children and Families who shall be an official of the department; (4) one appointed by the Commissioner of Correction who shall be an official of the department; (5) a representative from the Office of Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities; (6) a representative from the Parent Leadership Training Institute within the Commission on Children; (7) a representative from the Bureau of Rehabilitative Services; (8) five who are members of the General Assembly who shall serve as nonvoting members of the advisory council, one appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, one appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, one appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, one appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate and one appointed by the minority leader of the Senate; (9) one appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate who shall be a member of the Connecticut Speech-Language-Hearing Association; (10) one appointed by the majority leader of the Senate who shall be a public school teacher; (11) one appointed by the minority leader of the Senate who shall be a representative of a vocational, community or business organization concerned with the provision of transitional services to children with disabilities; (12) one appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives who shall be a member of the Connecticut Council of Special Education Administrators and who is a local education official; (13) one appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives who shall be a representative of charter schools; (14) one appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives who shall be a member of the Connecticut Association of Private Special Education Facilities; (15) one appointed by the Chief Court Administrator of the Judicial Department who shall be an official of such department responsible for the provision of services to adjudicated children and youth; (16) seven appointed by the Governor, all of whom shall be (A) the parents of children with disabilities, provided such children are under the age of twenty-seven, or (B) individuals with disabilities; and (17) such other members as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 USC 1400 et seq., as amended from time to time, appointed by the Commissioner of Education. Appointments made pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be representative of the ethnic and racial diversity of, and the types of disabilities found in, the state population. The terms of the members of the council serving on June 8, 2010, shall expire on June 30, 2010. Appointments shall be made to the council by July 1, 2010. Members shall serve two-year terms, except that members appointed pursuant to subdivisions (1) to (3), inclusive, of this subsection whose terms commenced July 1, 2010, shall serve three-year terms and the successors to such members appointed pursuant to subdivisions (1) to (3), inclusive, of this subsection shall serve two-year terms.

      (b) The advisory council shall elect annually its own chairperson and other officers as deemed necessary. The council shall meet at least once during each calendar quarter and at such other times as the chairperson deems necessary or upon the request of a majority of members in office. The State Board of Education shall meet at least annually with the council to review the state plan for the provision of special education. A majority of the members in office, but not less than ten, shall constitute a quorum. Any member who fails to attend fifty per cent of all meetings held during any calendar year shall be deemed to have resigned from office. The member appointed by the Commissioner of Education who is an official of the department shall meet with and act as secretary to the advisory council. Members of the advisory council shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for all reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. The Department of Education shall provide secretarial and administrative assistance to facilitate the activity of the advisory council. The Board of Regents for Higher Education shall appoint a liaison person to the advisory council.

      (c) The advisory council shall: (1) Advise the Department of Education of unmet needs in educating children with disabilities and on the administration of the provisions of sections 10-94f to 10-94k, inclusive; (2) review periodically the laws, regulations, standards and guidelines pertaining to special education and recommend to the General Assembly and the State Board of Education any changes which it finds necessary; (3) comment on any new or revised regulations, standards and guidelines proposed for issuance; (4) participate with the State Board of Education in the development of any state eligibility documents for provision of special education; (5) comment publicly on any procedures necessary for distributing federal funds received pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 USC 1400 et seq., as from time to time amended; (6) assist the Department of Education in developing and reporting such data and evaluations as may be conducted pursuant to the provisions of said act; (7) report to the General Assembly not later than January fifteenth in the odd-numbered years and not later than February fifteenth in the even-numbered years, concerning recommendations for effecting changes in the special education laws; and (8) perform any other activity that is required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 USC 1400, et seq., as from time to time amended.

      (1972, P.A. 167; P.A. 73-323; P.A. 77-402; 77-573, S. 24, 30; 77-614, S. 303, 610; P.A. 78-218, S. 68, 69, 212; P.A. 82-218, S. 38, 46; 82-314, S. 49, 63; P.A. 84-256, S. 1, 17; P.A. 91-277, S. 3, 6; P.A. 92-262, S. 13, 42; P.A. 93-91, S. 1, 2; P.A. 94-245, S. 34, 46; P.A. 95-312, S. 1, 2; P.A. 96-161, S. 10, 13; P.A. 97-98, S. 1, 2; P.A. 98-168, S. 12, 26; P.A. 00-220, S. 6, 43; P.A. 01-173, S. 12, 49, 67; P.A. 03-76, S. 41; P.A. 06-18, S. 7; P.A. 07-73, S. 2(b); P.A. 10-175, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 10-1, S. 41; P.A. 11-48, S. 285; 11-235, S. 2.)

      History: P.A. 73-323 amended Subsec. (d) to require that review take place on or before February first; P.A. 77-402 required that advisory council include at least one handicapped person; P.A. 77-573 substituted board of higher education for commission for higher education; P.A. 77-614 substituted commissioner of education for secretary of the state board of education and replaced former provisions concerning terms of first appointees, filling of vacancies and two-term limit on service with provision calling for four-year terms and setting expiration date of February 28, 1979, for present members, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-218 substituted "local or regional boards of education" for "town or regional school districts" and "chairperson" for "chairman" and changed deadline for review in Subsec. (d) from February first to February fifteenth; P.A. 82-218 replaced board of higher education with department of higher education pursuant to reorganization of higher education system, effective March 1, 1983; P.A. 82-314 changed official name of education committee; P.A. 84-256 amended section to add attendance and quorum requirements and to require council to advise department re unmet needs in educating handicapped children and administration of Secs. 10-94f to 10-94k, inclusive, comment on state plan and procedures for distributing federal funds and assist department in developing and reporting data and evaluations and to delete requirements concerning annual joint review with general assembly's education committee; P.A. 91-277 added prohibition against serving more than two consecutive terms and removed obsolete language; P.A. 92-262 provided that the committee also advise the general assembly and report to the general assembly on recommendations for changing special education laws, and that the terms of members expire on June 20, 1992, and specified the membership of a new larger committee; P.A. 93-91 substituted commissioner and department of children and families for commissioner and department of children and youth services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 94-245 deleted provision prohibiting more than two consecutive full terms, effective June 2, 1994; P.A. 95-312 amended Subsec. (a) to increase the membership from 25 to 28 and to add provisions concerning the early expiration of the terms of some members which were due to expire on June 30, 1996, effective July 6, 1995; P.A. 96-161 amended Subsec. (c) to remove obsolete Subdiv. (5) and to renumber remaining Subdivs. accordingly, effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 97-98 amended Subsec. (b) to delete provision that member who fails to attend three consecutive meetings is deemed to have resigned and to make technical changes, effective June 6, 1997; P.A. 98-168 amended Subsec. (a) to specify that the terms of existing members expire on June 30, 1998 and to change the membership of the council, amended Subsec. (b) to add the requirement for the State Board of Education to meet at least annually with the council, and made technical changes, effective June 4, 1998; P.A. 00-220 amended Subsec. (a)(10) to substitute person working in the field of special-education-related services for a member of the Connecticut Association of Urban Schools, and added provision for staggered terms, effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 01-173 amended Subsec. (a) to make a technical change, effective July 1, 2001, and amended Subsec. (c)(4) to substitute "eligibility documents" for "plan" and (c)(5) to update reference to the federal act and added Subsec. (c)(8) re other activity required by the federal act, effective July 6, 2001; P.A. 03-76 made technical changes in Subsecs. (b) and (c), effective June 3, 2003; P.A. 06-18 added Subsec. (a)(13) re members required by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, effective July 1, 2006; pursuant to P.A. 07-73 "Commissioner of Mental Retardation" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Commissioner of Developmental Services", effective October 1, 2007; P.A. 10-175 amended Subsec. (a) by substantially revising the number of and requirements for appointments to the advisory council on and after July 1, 2010, and amended Subsec. (b) by making a technical change, effective June 8, 2010; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 10-1 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by replacing "Eight" with "Nine" and adding Subpara. (D) re representative of institution of higher education that prepares teacher and related services personnel and amended Subsec. (a)(6) by replacing former provision re such representative with "member of the Connecticut Speech-Language-Hearing Association", effective June 22, 2010; pursuant to P.A. 11-48, "Department of Higher Education" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Board of Regents for Higher Education" in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-235 amended Subsec. (a) by adding new Subdivs. (5) re representative from Office of Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities, (6) re representative from Parent Leadership Training Institute within Commission on Children and (7) re representative from Bureau of Rehabilitation Services within Department of Social Services and redesignating existing Subdivs. (5) to (14) as Subdivs. (8) to (17), effective July 13, 2011 (Revisor's note: In Subsec. (a)(7), "Bureau of Rehabilitation Services within the Department of Social Services" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Department of Rehabilitative Services" to conform with changes made by P.A. 11-44, S. 1, 4).

      Sec. 10-76y. Assistive devices. (a) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, school districts, regional educational service centers, the Bureau of Rehabilitative Services, and all other state and local governmental agencies concerned with education may loan, lease or transfer an assistive device for the use and benefit of a student with a disability to such student or the parent or guardian of such student or to any other public or private nonprofit agency providing services to or on behalf of individuals with disabilities including, but not limited to, an agency providing educational, health or rehabilitative services. Such device may be sold or transferred pursuant to this section regardless of whether the device was declared surplus. The sale or transfer shall be recorded in an agreement between the parties and based upon the depreciated value of the device. For the purposes of this section, "assistive device" means any item, piece of equipment or product system, whether acquired commercially off-the-shelf, modified or customized, that is used to increase, maintain or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.

      (b) Each municipality which receives funds derived from loans, leases or transfers of assistive technology under this section by a local or regional board of education shall make such funds available to its local or regional board of education in supplement to any other local appropriation, other state or federal grant or other revenue to which the local or regional board of education is entitled.

      (P.A. 00-220, S. 35, 43; P.A. 11-44, S. 6.)

      History: P.A. 00-220 effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 11-44 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing "Board of Education and Services for the Blind" with "Bureau of Rehabilitative Services", effective July 1, 2011.

      Sec. 10-76ff. Procedures for determining if a child requires special education. (a) Each local and regional board of education shall, without delay, follow the procedures outlined in this section and in accordance with applicable federal law and regulations in determining if a child requires special education and related services, as defined in section 10-76a. (1) In conducting an evaluation of the child, the local or regional board of education shall: (A) Use a variety of assessment tools and strategies to gather relevant functional, developmental and academic information, including information provided by the child's parent or guardian, that may assist in determining (i) whether the child is a child, (I) who requires special education and related services pursuant to subparagraphs (A) and (C) of subdivision (5) of section 10-76a, (II) whose disability has an adverse effect on his educational performance, and (III) who, by reason of such adverse effect requires special education and related services, and (ii) the content of the child's individualized education program, including information related to enabling the child to be involved in and progress in the general curriculum or, for preschool children, to participate in appropriate activities; (B) not use any single measure or assessment as the sole criterion for determining whether a child is a child with a disability or determining an appropriate educational program for the child; and (C) use technically sound instruments that may assess the relative contribution of cognitive and behavioral factors, in addition to physical or developmental factors. (2) Each local and regional board of education shall ensure that: (A) Assessments and other evaluation materials used to assess the child are (i) selected and administered so as not to be discriminatory on a racial or cultural basis, and (ii) provided and administered in the language and form most likely to yield accurate information on what the child knows and can do academically, developmentally and functionally, unless it is not feasible to so provide or administer; (B) assessments and other evaluation materials used to assess a child (i) are used for purposes for which the assessments or measures are valid and reliable, (ii) are administered by trained and knowledgeable personnel, and (iii) are administered in accordance with any instructions provided by the producer of such tests; (C) the child is assessed in all areas of suspected disability; (D) assessment tools and strategies that provide relevant information that directly assists persons in determining the educational needs of the child are provided; and (E) assessments of children with disabilities who transfer from one school district to another school district in the same academic year are coordinated with such children's prior and subsequent schools, as necessary and as expeditiously as possible, to ensure prompt completion of full evaluations. (3) In accordance with section 10-76d and applicable federal law and regulations, upon completion of administration of assessments and other evaluation measures, the determination of whether the child is a child requiring special education and related services shall be made by a team consisting of qualified professionals and the parent or guardian of the child and a copy of the evaluation report and the documentation for such determination shall be given to the parent or guardian of the child. (4) The local or regional board of education shall not determine that a child requires special education and related services if the dominant factor for determining eligibility is (A) a lack of instruction in reading, including the essential components of reading instruction, as defined in Section 1208(3) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, or mathematics or limited English proficiency, or (B) evidence that the child's behavior violates the school's disciplinary policies or evidence that is derived from the contents of discipline records.

      (b) (1) The planning and placement team, as part of an initial evaluation, if appropriate, and as part of any reevaluations, shall review existing evaluation data on the child, including evaluations and information provided by the parent or guardian or the child, classroom-based assessments and observations and teacher and related services provider observations. On the basis of such review, and input from the child's parent or guardian, the planning and placement team shall identify what additional data, if any, is needed to determine: (A) Whether the child has a particular category of disability, or in the case of a reevaluation, whether the child continues to have such a disability; (B) the present levels of performance and educational needs of the child; (C) whether the child needs special education and related services, or in the case of a reevaluation, whether the child continues to need special education and related services or whether the child is able to be served within the regular education program with existing supplemental services, available in the school district; and (D) whether any additions or modifications to the special education and related services are needed to enable the child to meet the measurable annual goals set out in the individualized education program of the child and to participate, as appropriate, in the general curriculum. (2) The local or regional board of education shall administer such tests and other evaluation materials as may be needed to produce the data identified by the planning and placement team pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection. (3) If the planning and placement team decides that no additional data is needed to determine that the child continues to be a child requiring special education and related services, the local or regional board of education shall notify the parent or guardian of the child of (A) the decision and the reasons for it, and (B) the right of the parent or guardian to request an assessment to determine whether the child continues to be a child requiring special education and related services. The local or regional board of education shall not be required to conduct such an assessment unless requested to do so by the parent or guardian of the child. (4) A local or regional board of education shall evaluate a child identified as requiring special education and related services, in accordance with this section, prior to determining that such child no longer requires such special education or related services, except that such evaluation shall not be required before the termination of a child's eligibility for special education due to graduation from high school with a regular education diploma, or due to exceeding the age eligibility for a free appropriate public education pursuant to state regulations. For a child whose eligibility for special education terminates due to graduation from high school with a regular high school diploma or such child exceeds the age of eligibility for a free appropriate public education, the local or regional board of education shall provide the child with a summary of the child's academic achievement and functional performance, which shall include recommendations on how to assist the child in meeting the child's postsecondary goals.

      (c) The use of the word disability pursuant to this section shall not be the basis for limiting the services or programs, including regular education, available to such child.

      (P.A. 98-168, S. 5, 26; P.A. 06-18, S. 6; P.A. 11-235, S. 1.)

      History: P.A. 98-168 effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 06-18 amended Subsec. (a) by requiring evaluation of academic information, by adding language re measure and assessment, by replacing provision re native language with provision re the language and form most likely to yield accurate information, by replacing provision re standardized tests with provision re assessments and other evaluation materials, by adding Subdiv. (2)(E) re children who transfer between school districts, by broadening prohibition against using certain factors to determine eligibility by stating that they may not be the dominant factor and by expanding the description of reading, and amended Subsec. (b) by inserting "present" in Subdiv. (1)(B) and by providing an exception to the requirement for evaluation of child no longer requiring services in Subdiv. (4), effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 11-235 amended Subsec. (a) by adding "without delay" and "and in accordance with applicable federal law and regulations" to provision re boards of education determining if child requires special education, effective July 1, 2011.

PART VI
VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS, EDUCATION AND REHABILITATION

      Sec. 10-95h. Legislative committees to meet to consider issues re the regional vocational-technical school system and the state workforce. Required submissions. (a) Not later than November thirtieth each year, the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, higher education and employment advancement and labor shall meet with the superintendent of the regional vocational-technical school system, the Labor Commissioner, the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development and such other persons as they deem appropriate to consider the items submitted pursuant to subsection (b) of this section.

      (b) On or before November fifteenth, annually:

      (1) The Labor Commissioner shall submit the following to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, higher education and employment advancement and labor: (A) Information identifying general economic trends in the state; (B) occupational information regarding the public and private sectors, such as continuous data on occupational movements; and (C) information identifying emerging regional, state and national workforce needs over the next thirty years.

      (2) The superintendent of the vocational-technical school system shall submit the following to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, higher education and employment advancement and labor: (A) Information ensuring that the curriculum of the regional vocational-technical school system is incorporating those workforce skills that will be needed for the next thirty years, as identified by the Labor Commissioner in subdivision (1) of this subsection, into the regional vocational-technical schools; (B) information regarding the employment status of students who graduate from the regional vocational-technical school system; (C) an assessment of the adequacy of the resources available to the regional vocational-technical school system as the system develops and refines programs to meet existing and emerging workforce needs; and (D) recommendations to the State Board of Education to carry out the provisions of subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, of this subdivision.

      (3) The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall submit the following to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, higher education and employment advancement and labor: (A) Information regarding the relationship between the Department of Economic and Community Development and the regional vocational-technical school system, (B) information regarding coordinated efforts of the department and the regional vocational-technical school system to collaborate with the business community, (C) information on workforce training needs identified by the department through its contact with businesses, (D) recommendations regarding how the department and the regional vocational-technical school system can coordinate or improve efforts to address the workforce training needs identified in subparagraph (C) of this subdivision, (E) information regarding the efforts of the department to utilize the regional vocational-technical school system in business assistance and economic development programs offered by the department, and (F) any additional information the commissioner deems relevant.

      (P.A. 88-330, S. 1, 5; P.A. 97-136, S. 1; P.A. 07-40, S. 1; P.A. 08-153, S. 5; P.A. 10-76, S. 3; P.A. 11-48, S. 89; Oct. Sp. Sess. P.A. 11-1, S. 34.)

      History: P.A. 97-136 added recommendations on role of school craft committees and alternative technical training models to the duties of the committee; P.A. 07-40 added semiannual meeting requirement, replaced recommendations to be made by committee in former Subdivs. (1) to (4) with duties of committee in new Subdivs. (1) to (5), increased membership of committee to 19 and replaced former appointment process with new process in Subparas. (A) to (M), effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 08-153 amended Subparas. (A) and (B) to reduce number of full-time employees at qualifying firms to 500 or more and, in Subpara. (B), to specify that one appointee be a teacher in the regional vocational-technical school system, amended Subparas. (C), (D) and (E) to reduce number of full-time employees at qualifying firms to more than 50 but fewer than 500 and amended Subparas. (F) and (G) to reduce number of full-time employees at qualifying firms to 50 or fewer, effective July 1, 2008; P.A. 10-76 replaced former provisions re state-wide advisory committee with Subsec. (a) re meeting of legislative committees with superintendent of regional vocational-technical school system, director of Office of Workforce Competitiveness and Labor Commissioner to consider information and issues re state workforce and regional vocational-technical school system and Subsec. (b) re submission of information, assessment and recommendations, effective July 1, 2010; P.A. 11-48 removed references to director of the Office of Workforce Competitiveness, effective July 1, 2011; Oct. Sp. Sess. P.A. 11-1 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Commissioner of Economic and Community Development to list of persons with whom legislative committees shall meet and amended Subsec. (b) by adding Subdiv. (3) re submission of information and recommendations by Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, effective October 27, 2011.

      Sec. 10-95o. Closure or suspension of operations of a regional vocational-technical school. Development of plan by State Board of Education. Transportation of students during closure or suspension of operations. (a)(1) The State Board of Education shall not close or suspend operations of any regional vocational-technical school for more than six months unless the board (A) holds a public hearing at the school that may be closed or whose operations may be suspended, (B) develops and makes available a comprehensive plan for such school in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, and (C) affirmatively votes to close or suspend operations at a meeting duly called. Such public hearing shall be held after normal school hours and at least thirty days prior to any vote of the board pursuant to subparagraph (C) of this subdivision.

      (2) The board shall not extend the closure or suspension of operations of a regional vocational-technical school beyond the period set forth in the comprehensive plan described in subsection (b) of this section unless the board (A) holds another public hearing at a location in the town in which the school is located, after normal school hours and at least thirty days prior to any vote of the board pursuant to subparagraph (C) of this subdivision, (B) develops and makes available a new comprehensive plan for such school in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, and (C) affirmatively votes to extend such closure or suspension of school operations at a meeting duly called.

      (b) The State Board of Education shall develop a comprehensive plan regarding the closure or suspension of operations of any regional vocational-technical school prior to the public hearing described in subsection (a) of this section. Such comprehensive plan shall include, but not be limited to, (1) an explanation of the reasons for the school closure or suspension of operations, including a cost-benefit analysis of such school closing or suspension of operations, (2) the length of the school closure or suspension of operations, (3) the financial plan for the school during the closure or suspension of operations, including, but not limited to, the costs of such school closure or suspension of operations, (4) a description of the transitional phase to school closure or suspension of operations and a description of the transitional phase to reopening the school, (5) an explanation of what will happen to students currently enrolled at such school during the school closure or suspension of operations, including, but not limited to, available regional vocational-technical schools for such students to attend and transportation for such students to such schools, (6) an explanation of what will happen to school personnel during the school closure or suspension of operations, including, but not limited to, employment at other schools, and (7) an explanation of how the school building and property will be used during the school closure or suspension of operations. The State Board of Education shall provide for the mailing of such comprehensive plan to parents and guardians of students enrolled at the school and to school personnel employed at such school, and make such comprehensive plan available on the school's web site at least fourteen days prior to the public hearing described in subsection (a) of this section.

      (c) The State Board of Education shall be responsible for transporting any student enrolled in a regional vocational-technical school that is closed or whose operations are suspended pursuant to this section to another regional vocational-technical school during such period of closure or suspension of operations, and the board shall be responsible for the costs associated with such transportation.

      (P.A. 10-76, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 10-1, S. 69; P.A. 11-28, S. 7.)

      History: P.A. 10-76 effective July 1, 2010; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 10-1 amended Subsec. (a) to provide in Subdiv. (2) that board shall not extend closure or suspension of operations unless board acts under Subparas. (A), (B) and (C) and to make technical and conforming changes, effective July 1, 2010; P.A. 11-28 made a technical change in Subsec. (b), effective June 3, 2011.

      Sec. 10-96c. Indemnification of persons making gifts to department or regional vocational-technical school system. The Commissioner of Education may indemnify and hold harmless any person, as defined in section 1-79, who makes a gift of tangible property or properties with a fair market value in excess of one thousand dollars to the Department of Education or the regional vocational-technical school system for instructional purposes. Any indemnification under this section shall be solely for any damages caused as a result of the use of such tangible property, provided there shall be no indemnification for any liability resulting from (1) intentional or wilful misconduct by the person providing such tangible property to the department or the regional vocational-technical school system, or (2) hidden defects in such tangible property that are known to and not disclosed by the person providing such tangible property to the department or the regional vocational-technical school system at the time the gift is made.

      (P.A. 11-114, S. 1.)

      History: P.A. 11-144 effective July 8, 2011.