Patrice McCarthy, Deputy Director and General Counsel Sheila McKay, Senior Staff Associate for Government Relations
February 23, 2007
ADVOCACY HIGHLIGHTS
PUBLIC HEARINGS EDUCATION COMMITTEE MONDAY, MARCH 1212:30 PM Room 1E
Please submit 60 copies of testimony one hour prior to the hearing. Sign-up for the hearing will begin at 10:30 AM in the first floor Atrium. The first hour of the hearing is reserved for Legislators, Constitutional Officers, State Agency Heads and Municipal Chief Elected Officials. After the first hour, speaker order will be determined by a lottery system. Lottery numbers will be drawn from 10:30 to 12: 00 PM in the first floor Atrium. Anyone wishing to testify after the completion of the drawing will have their names placed at the end of the list. Speakers will be limited to 3 minutes of testimony.
HB 7273 AAC Suspensions and Expulsions by Local and Regional Boards of Education to provide students who are facing their first suspension or expulsion and who complete a program and other conditions specified by the BOE an opportunity to have the term of the suspension or expulsion shortened or waved and to have notice of the suspension or expulsion expunged from the student’s record prior to graduation.
HB 7274 AAC Possession of Edged Weapons at School, to prohibit students possessing edged weapons on school grounds or at school sponsored activities.HB 7292AAC CPR Training and Automatic External Defibrillators, to require CPR as part of the health curriculum toward certification; require automatic external defibrillators and persons trained to use them at high school athletic events.
HB7344AAC Recruitment and Retention of Teachers, to require SDE to establish a program in priority districts to prepare paraprofessionals for teaching; identify institutions of higher education that can provide such a program; require DHE to establish a fellows program for recent minority college graduates and to establish a program for minority college seniors majoring in shortage areas; require SDE to establish a competitive program for BOE to form future teachers’ club after school at middle and high schools.
HB7345AAC Great Schools for All, to provide for new competitive grants for preschool subsidies and improvements to schools and districts; to enhance the public school information system and to provide for a new accountability system for public schools.
HB 7345 AAC Great Schools for All, to provide for new competitive grants for preschool subsidies and improvements to schools and districts; to enhance the public school information system and to provide for a new accountability system for public schools.
SDE establish a preschool subsidy program
Fiscal Year ending 6/30/08, the per child cost for SDE school readiness offered by a provider shall not exceed $8266; for Fiscal Year ending 6/30/09 and thereafter, costnot exceed $8514;
School will loose funding if not accredited by 3 years
SDE shall establish a competitive grant pilot schools program to assist school districts in raising student achievement through the creation of pilot schools; the pilot school must be approved by the BOE, has autonomy over budget, staffing, governance, curriculum and school calendar and is exempt from district policies and mandates; teachers voluntarily participate in a bargaining agreement with modified work rules while receiving union salary, benefits and accrual of seniority within the district;
SDE shall establish a competitive grant to create small high schools and small learning environments within existing high schools;
SDE shall establish a competitive grant to assist in teacher and principal recruitment and professional development programs and partnerships with nonprofit recruiting and professional development partners;
SDE shall establish a competitive grant for the creation and implementation of district wide school improvement plans;
SDE shall develop and implement a statewide public information system;
SDE shall add to the statewide accountability plan the development and implementation of a public school rating system;
Accountability guidelines shall be made available by 4/1/08; SDE shall release initial ratings based on the application of the accountability system criteria not later than 12/1/10 and each 12/1 thereafter;
HB 7346AAC Green School Buildings and Gross Earnings Tax on Diesel Fuel for School Buses
To provide for a 5% point bonus for any school building constructed according to green construction standards and to exempt diesel for school buses from the gross earnings tax.
HB 7347 AAC Minor Changes to the Education Statutes, all persons providing instruction or pupil services in charter schools shall hold appropriate educator certificate issued by SBOE; amend the definition of “mastery test data of record” to change (1) the data of record date from 4/30 to 12/31 in each year and (2) the due date for the filing of adjustment requests from 3/1 to 11/30.
HB 7348AAC After School and Out of School Time Grants, Enable SDE to use up to 5% of the after school grant for technical assistance, evaluation, program monitoring and professional development; to increase after school grant eligibility from 1 year to 2 years, require SDE report on performance outcomes and to increase the appropriation by $7 million each year.
HB 7349AAC School Business Administrators, to permit school business administrators to be considered a teacher under the teachers’ retirement system.HB 7350 AAC the Prevention of Childhood Obesity, to require BOE to provide the body mass index of each child in the 6th grade; to notify the parents as to underweight, overweight, healthy weight or risk of becoming overweight.HB 7351AAC Textbook Loans, to permit the loan of nonreligious textbooks from the district in which a nonpublic school is located, if the books are available from the distributor of books that the district uses and to permit an administrator to ask for such books on behalf of the student. HB 7352 AAC a Leadership Academy for School Superintendents and Principals, establish academy with the State Education Resource Center.HB 7353AAC an Alternate Route to Certification Program for Administrators, to develop and fund an alternate route to certification program for administrators.HB7354AAC the Commission on Educational Technology and Virtual Instruction for Connecticut Public Schools and Internet Safety, to increase online course availability to students and online professional development opportunities for teachers, to provide for instruction on safe internet use for students in grades 3,4 or 5 and to appropriate funds to enable the CT Distance Learning Consortium to deliver online courses to public schools.HB 7355AAC a Study of Universal Preschool, to require a study by the Early Childhood Education Cabinet of the feasibility of expanding preschool availability to 4 year olds.HB 7356AAC Off-Campus Assault and Battery, clarify that a student may be expelled for behavior on or off campus that is seriously disruptive to another student’s education.HB 7357AAC Para-educators, to provide for a voluntary credentialing system of para-educators and in-service training on the effective use of para-educators and to require BOE to encourage dialogue between teachers and para-educators on the most effective means to instruct students.HB 7358AAC Gifted and Talented Students, grant for special education to be provided to gifted and talented students.HB 7359AAC a Grant Program to Combat Truancy, competitive grant program to combat truancy.HB 7360AAC Transition from Preschool to School, require SDE to develop assessments for K-3.
SB 1354AAC the Chairperson of the State Board of Education and the Appointment of the Commissioner of Education, to require the chairperson of the SBOE to hold a degree in education and to provide that the appointment of the Commissioner of Education go through the legislative executive nominations process.SB 1355AAC Appropriations to the Even Start Program, to appropriate $5 million to the program.SB 1405AAC Intervention Model for Schools in Need of Improvement and Concerning Urban Education To establish an intervention model for schools in need of improvement, to provide that priority school districts use 25% of the grant money they receive as priority districts for the provision of AP courses and to enhance opportunity and workforce preparedness in urban districts.
Elementary or middle schools that fail to make AYP will be reorganized in academies with a maximum of 175 students per class;
Team leaders to be appointed as specialists in literacy, math or science;
Each class will have a 90 minute math block and a 2 hour literacy block every day;
Each student will have an IEP including a reading plan;
All teachers in same grade level meet weekly to plan lessons;
Once a week principal and team leader to evaluate instruction and make changes;
Students receive regular assessments including short assessment every two weeks and district wide assessments every six weeks;
A failing student will meet with the principal, teachers and parents;
Neag School of Education in collaboration with SDE shall establish an educational service delivery center to foster collaboration among educational professionals to provide field based school improvement assistance;
Higher Education in consultation with SDE and a variety of boards of trustees shall establish a Teach-One competitive grant program to funds to connect students in priority and transitional districts to train volunteer tutors and mentors;
“CommPACT school” means a public nonsectarian school authorized and funded by a board of education to operate autonomously from a board except for collective bargaining, organized by a governance council; SDE to establish a CommPact school start up grant program;
SDE to establish a teacher-mentor pilot grant program to increase teacher quality and retention and enhance BEST.
SB 1406AAC Authorization of State Grant Commitments for School Building Projects and Concerning Changes to the Statutes Concerning School Building Projects, to authorize state grant commitments for school building projects, to limit the grant eligibility of school construction renovation projects to only those facilities where at least75% of the total facility area is at least 30 years old and it has been at least 20 years since the last major renovation, to provide that for all projects authorized on or after 71/07 all attorneys’ fees and court costs related to litigation shall be eligible for state school construction grant assistance only if town prevails, to limit construction grant eligibility of site remediation costs so that they are eligible for state grant assistance not to exceed 25% of the appraised value of the site unless the purchase price plus remediationcost do not exceed 125% of the appraised value, to exempt the regional vocational-technical school system from requirements preventing projects from appearing on a list of projects seeking a change in scope or cost more than twice without reauthorization, to clarify that regional vocational-technical school projects shall be treated equally to other school projects when seeking grants for roof replacements, code compliance and other safety, health or emergency repairs and to permit reimbursement for fuel cells under the school construction program.SB 1407 AAC a Study of a Minimum Budget Requirement for Education Spending, to require SDE to develop a plan to replace the MER with a minimum budget requirement for education with a statewide minimum expenditure and a consideration for a town’s effort to raise money through taxation.SB 1408AAC Charter Schools, to allow for an increase in charter school enrollments for existing schools, to provide for a new per student funding formula for charter schools, to provide for a new accountability system for charter schools and for expansion of existing charter schools to new sites and to require BOE to transport students to charter schools outside of the district.SB 1409AAC Regionalization of Education to Reduce Racial, Ethnic and Economic IsolationEstablish a commission to consider consolidation of school districts to 6 districts.SB 1410AAC High School Curriculum and Graduation Requirements Reform, to enhance high school graduation requirements and to require a score of proficient or higher on the CAPT. Included:
23 credit required for 2011 graduating class, not fewer than 4 in English, not fewer than 4 in math including 2 in algebra and 1 in geometry, not fewer than 3 ½ in social studies chosen from a combination including 1 in American history, 1 in world history, 1 in world geography, ½ in economics, ½ in civics and American government, not fewer than 1 in technology and computer literacy, not fewer than 3 in biology, physics or chemistry, not fewer than 4 in physical education including at least 1 credit in wellness and not fewer than 1 ½ in arts, global awareness, ethics or personal finance.
Credit in community service may be offered if it is supervised by a certified administrator or teacher and consists of no less than 50 hours of actual service performed when school is not in session and not less than 10 hours of related classroom instruction.SB 1412AAC the State Education Resource Center, to permit teachers to purchase credits in the teachers’ retirement system for professional work for the state education resource center.SB 1413AAC In-School Suspensions, to provide that suspensions be in-school suspensions except under exceptional circumstances.SB 1416 AAC the Provision of Education During a Pandemic or Other Crisis, to require SDE in consultation with the departments of Public Health, Information Technology and Public Utility Control to study and make recommendations for developing a plan to provide instruction and other educational services on a remote basis to students in grade K to 12 in the event of school closings or mass student or teacher absences due to a pandemic or other crisis in the state.SB 1417AAC Charitable Contributions to the Regional Vocational-Technical School SystemTo clarify that professional development activities shall not constitute a gift to teachers employed in the vo-tech system.WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14 10: 15 AMRoom 1EPlease submit 60 copies of testimony two hours prior to the hearing in Room 1E. Sign-up for the hearing will be from 8- 9: 30 AM in the 1st floor Atrium of the LOB. The first hour of the hearing is reserved for Legislators, Constitutional Officers, Commissioners of State Agencies, Mayors and First Selectmen. Speakers will be limited to 3 minutes of testimony
HB 7295 An Act Mandating Integrated Pest Management At Schools, to mandate the use of integrated pest management pesticide application that is consistent with an applicable model plan provided by the Commissioner of DEP.
COMMITTEE ACTION SELECT COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN SB 226An Act Appropriating Funds For The Prevention Of Childhood Obesity.JFSCR -Appropriations(Substitute Language – removed specific program, increased funding to $500,000)SB 977AAC Restraints And Seclusion In Public Schools.JFCR- Education-- restrict the use of unreasonable restraint or seclusion administered upon a child by any school personnel.SB 1199AAC School Breakfast Programs. JFSCR- Education(Substitute Language – BOE participate for each severe needs school in district)HB 5110AAC Enforcement Of Bullying Policies And Establishment Of A Safe Learning Environment For Children And Youth.JFSCR- Education –SDE shall conduct an analysis of safe learning policies and practices in schools. Commissioner of Public Safety establish a state-wide toll-free anonymous telephone hotline-reports of violence in public schools, including bullying (Substitute Language- school maintain list of student reports and written reports for parents or guardians; suspension or expulsion of student who commits any verified acts(notice plural) of bullying)HB 6148AAC An Appropriation For After School Programs.JFCR-Education –Appropriate $7,600,000 in each of the next 2 yearsHB 7117AAC An Appropriation To Expand The Family School Connection Program. JFSCR- Appropriations(Substitute Language –$1 million)Program Review and Investigations CommitteeHB 6990AAC The Development Of A State-Issued Credential For Paraprofessionals. JFSCR to Education--Substitute Language-DELETION in brackets. The Department of Education shall develop a plan for a state-issued credential for paraprofessionals with instructional responsibilities in public schools in kindergarten to grade twelve, inclusive. [The plan shall provide that only those applicants that are citizens of the United States or lawfully residing immigrant aliens may be credentialed.] Not later than January 1, 2008, the department shall submit the plan with recommendations for implementation of the credentialing process to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, in accordance with section 11-4a of the general statutes.
HB 6998An Act Adopting The 2006 Recommendations Of The Legislative Program Review And Investigations Committee Concerning Adult Literacy. JFSCR to Appropriations-Creates an Adult Literacy Leadership Board to establish performance measures for the adult literacy system, develop and maintain an online inventory of programs and services, prepare state report card, create 3 year strategic plan; and an appropriation for 2 positions at SDE Substitute language—changes number of appointments to the Board, creates timeline to work with adults who do not have a high school diploma
Ledgend
AA An Act AAC An Act Concerning App Appropriations Committee Ed Education E&T Energy & Technology Env Environment GL General Law JFJoint Favorable – favorable vote out of committee JFS Joint Favorable Substitute CRChange of Reference – transmitting to another committee
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Web Sites of Interest
www.ctn.state.ct.us – videotaped coverage of legislative activities, including sessions.Live coverage as well as archived. www.cga.ct.gov – legislative home page, education committee site. www.state.ct.us/sde - state department of education site.
