Signed by Governor Ned Lamont

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes transparency requirements in education addressing school climate and improving teacher diversity.

Highlights:

• Establishes transparency requirements in education emphasizing school climate and improving teacher diversity (Sec. 1).

• Defines “school climate” as the quality and character of school life, including the relationships between outside educational organizations, students, families, board of education members and school staff (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that school climate is also the pattern’s of people’s experiences of school life, reflecting the school communitiy’s norms, goals, values, interpersonal relationships, teaching, learning, leadership practices, and organizational structure (Sec. 1).

• Requires the creation of school climate standards based on national guidelines as well as a bullying complaint form and the creation of several new practices for local implementation (Sec. 1).

• Requires each public school to have a school climate specialist and district climate coordinator by the 2025-2026 academic year (Sec. 1).

• Amends the definition of bullying to redefine is as any type of unwanted and aggressive behavior, including cyber bullying and teen dating violence (Sec. 1).

• Requires school boards to define the duties of a school resource officeer (SRO) and requires the officers to submit investigation or behavioral intervention reports (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes grants for the hiring of school social workers, psychologists, counselors, and school mental health specialits by 2024-2026 (Sec. 1).

• Amends several teacher recruitment components including the improvement of teacher diversity through recruitment programs for both high school students and aspiring educators (Sec. 1).

• Requires the state department of education to establish an Educator Apprenticeship Program by 2024 to help education students receive more classroom experience while they complete their programs (Sec. 1).

• Requires local school boards to submit plans to increase teacher diversity by the 2024-2025 academic year (Sec. 1).

• Amends the Minority Teacher Candidate Scholarsip Program to the Educators Diversity Scholarship Program, and its maximum grant amount will decrease from $20,000 to $10,000 (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the state board of education to grant adjunct professor permits to allow part-time, untenured college educators to also work part-time at school districts by 2024 (Sec. 1).

• Requires the School Paraeducator Advisory Council to develop a training program for high school students who aspire to be paraeducators (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes lawmakers to track how funding is being appropriated directory on students to help make education more transparent (Sec. 1).

• Expands teh CT Grant for CT Kids program to provide more locally grown food to students where the Department of Agriculture would create a school incentive program to reimburse local boards of education for buying locally or regionally grown food (Sec. 1).

• Requires all districts to implement a comprehensive reading curriculum model or program for pre-k to third graders by July, 2023 (Sec. 1).

• Requires the Department of Education’s Center for Literacy Research and Reading Success director to review and approve at least 5 reading curriculum models that are scientific and based on the following areas by July 2023, including (Sec. 1):

• Oral language;

• Phonemic awareness;

• Phonics;

• Fluence;

• Vocabulary;

• Rapid automatic name or letter name fluence; and

• Reading comprehension.

• Specifies that the Department of Education is responsible for creating curriculum to add cursive writing and world language classes for students between k-8th grade by 2024 (Sec. 1).

• Requires the Department of Education to work with local boards of education and public colleges to expand dual credit classes by 2024 (Sec. 1).

• Expands workforce development skills training for students (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes transparency requirements in education addressing school climate and improving teacher diversity.

Highlights:

• Establishes transparency requirements in education emphasizing school climate and improving teacher diversity (Sec. 1).

• Defines “school climate” as the quality and character of school life, including the relationships between outside educational organizations, students, families, board of education members and school staff (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that school climate is also the pattern’s of people’s experiences of school life, reflecting the school communitiy’s norms, goals, values, interpersonal relationships, teaching, learning, leadership practices, and organizational structure (Sec. 1).

• Requires the creation of school climate standards based on national guidelines as well as a bullying complaint form and the creation of several new practices for local implementation (Sec. 1).

• Requires each public school to have a school climate specialist and district climate coordinator by the 2025-2026 academic year (Sec. 1).

• Amends the definition of bullying to redefine is as any type of unwanted and aggressive behavior, including cyber bullying and teen dating violence (Sec. 1).

• Requires school boards to define the duties of a school resource officeer (SRO) and requires the officers to submit investigation or behavioral intervention reports (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes grants for the hiring of school social workers, psychologists, counselors, and school mental health specialits by 2024-2026 (Sec. 1).

• Amends several teacher recruitment components including the improvement of teacher diversity through recruitment programs for both high school students and aspiring educators (Sec. 1).

• Requires the state department of education to establish an Educator Apprenticeship Program by 2024 to help education students receive more classroom experience while they complete their programs (Sec. 1).

• Requires local school boards to submit plans to increase teacher diversity by the 2024-2025 academic year (Sec. 1).

• Amends the Minority Teacher Candidate Scholarsip Program to the Educators Diversity Scholarship Program, and its maximum grant amount will decrease from $20,000 to $10,000 (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the state board of education to grant adjunct professor permits to allow part-time, untenured college educators to also work part-time at school districts by 2024 (Sec. 1).

• Requires the School Paraeducator Advisory Council to develop a training program for high school students who aspire to be paraeducators (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes lawmakers to track how funding is being appropriated directory on students to help make education more transparent (Sec. 1).

• Expands teh CT Grant for CT Kids program to provide more locally grown food to students where the Department of Agriculture would create a school incentive program to reimburse local boards of education for buying locally or regionally grown food (Sec. 1).

• Requires all districts to implement a comprehensive reading curriculum model or program for pre-k to third graders by July, 2023 (Sec. 1).

• Requires the Department of Education’s Center for Literacy Research and Reading Success director to review and approve at least 5 reading curriculum models that are scientific and based on the following areas by July 2023, including (Sec. 1):

• Oral language;

• Phonemic awareness;

• Phonics;

• Fluence;

• Vocabulary;

• Rapid automatic name or letter name fluence; and

• Reading comprehension.

• Specifies that the Department of Education is responsible for creating curriculum to add cursive writing and world language classes for students between k-8th grade by 2024 (Sec. 1).

• Requires the Department of Education to work with local boards of education and public colleges to expand dual credit classes by 2024 (Sec. 1).

• Expands workforce development skills training for students (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text