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AI for Education Reccomondations Graphic (United States Department of Education, 2023)

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A teacher who wants to incorporate more writing into sixth grade science uses a tool like

Studies show that a surprising proportion of teachers do not have a core program but use their own lessons or search TeachersPayTeachers or Pinterest, with results of highly varying quality. For them, AI might represent a sort of TeachersPayTeachers on steroids.

Tools need to get better at being guided by the teacher - eg, x minutes of group work, y minutes of class discussion, etc.

An area of growth may be in generating adaptations of existing lessons rather than wholly new material: "I have to follow the Illustrative Math scope and sequence but can we make this activity a role play?"

Coherence could be a problem. Tools need to generate units not individual lessons and to take account of other aspects of the learning experience including intervention and assessment.

Instruction coaching A teacher records the audio of a lesson and uses a tool to get feedback on skills such as wait time and handling specific student misconceptions.

Tools allow a teacher to record a lesson and get automated analysis and feedback. Current tools like TeachFX or Edthena provide analysis after class. Future tools may allow real-time coaching on screen or via an earbud.

Tools can help coach teachers on evidence-based frameworks such as Marzano or Danielson, supporting school-wide implementations.

Evidence in other sectors (eg, customer service) suggests a significant improvement in performance is possible through AI coaching.

Audio quality remains an unsolved problem: the teacher may be audible only part of the time and students hardly ever. Better audio equipment may be intrusive.

Some teachers worry about who will have access to recordings and transcripts.

The technique is currently better suited to whole class pedagogies, whereas effective practice may be more small-group-oriented.

Several researchers are working on more sophisticated analysis and feedback - eg, Dora Demszky at Stanford.

Teaching advisor An elementary school teacher finds that a subset of his class did not understand negative numbers. He uses AI to evaluate his current lesson plan, the students' responses to in-class checks-for-understanding, and arrives at an alternative way to introduce the concept in small groups.

If fine-tuned on pedagogy, an AI tool could play the role of coach and advisor to a teacher. For instance, it could give advice on specific ways to teach concepts, suggest alternatives, and diagnose student strengths and misconceptions.

Tools can also ingest an existing lesson and advise the teacher on improvements to it such as changes of pace, embedded checks for understanding, activities to ensure foundational skills are in place, connections to concepts students have already learned, etc.

Competency-based grading In a high school English unit, students zoom with refugees in order to write about their stories. The conversations are an opportunity for students to practice competencies including empathy and listening. An AI tool sends relevant snippets to the teacher to support competency-based feedback later.

Feedback and evaluation of transferable competencies - such as creative thinking and collaboration - is unfamiliar for most teachers. But evidence can often be found in student discussion or in work products such as presentations. AI tools could support teacher identification and evaluation of target competencies.

To be sufficiently accurate, tools will require units designed with specific competencies in mind, progressions for each competency, and good audio recording.

Tracking student project work (PBL) Students work on a project to create financial models for a new business. An AI tool tracks assets that students post to an LMS. The AI supports some students directly and provides daily reports to the teacher on who is making progress, what mathematics is incorporated into each student's model, and who needs teacher support.

Keeping track of the diversity of student work in a project-based learning (PBL) class can be challenging for a single teacher. PBL teachers also have anxiety about which standards are being covered by which students and when. Partly as a result, PBL is still a rare practice. AI supports could help it become more widespread.

If students keep a journal during the project, and/or post assets to a repository such as an LMS, an AI tool can analyze their work and (a) support student direction, (b) provide a synthesis to the teacher, and (c) alert the teacher when individual students need support.

Collaboration around content + practice An elementary school teacher, frustrated with the procedural approach to fractions in her math program, turns to an AI-moderated professional learning platform. There she is able to connect with like-minded teachers, have articles and research papers recommended to her automatically, participate in discussion with AI as subject-matter expert, and ultimately select new activities for her class.

Online collaboration and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) often don't attract a critical mass of educators and so never quite ignite. AI tools could make them much more active places.

AI-powered collaboration tools can understand a teacher's focus and challenges, match them with similar educators, and inject relevant research and blog posts into the conversation.

Analysis of student data An elementary school teacher uses data from reading running records to analyze growth for students who have been receiving an intervention: Has their growth accelerated? Who is responding to the intervention and who is not? What letter combinations do they most frequently miss as a group? What skills do they no longer need to work on? She uses the data at a meeting with the interventionist to optimize instruction and to re-assign students to groups that fit them better.

AI can ingest student data (eg, in CSV format or as a pasted table) and perform analyses on it, suggesting optimal student grouping, focus areas, and generating other insights.

Tool's that can perform analysis and data visualization include OpenAI's Advanced Data Analysis and Channel. For instance, you could upload NWEA MAP data from several cohorts and ask the tool to identify areas with the strongest and weakest growth, or ask for an analysis of summer loss, or combine data from several sources to build a detailed, cross-subject picture of a class.

Background knowledge refresh A middle grades science teacher wants to anticipate challenging questions her student might ask while discussing the human circulatory system.

Educators may want to refresh or deepen their knowledge of a topic before running an open discussion of it, especially if they didn't major in the topic.

People may be more willing to ask for help from an AI than a peer or their supervisor.

Teachers who follow the curriculum closely rather than "teaching the domain" may get less value from a refresh but miss the engagement that can come from pursuing student-led inquiry.

Admin support to free teacher time An elementary school teacher who used to spend an hour at the end of each week compiling a summary of what students will work on next week for a parent-facing app, now relies on AI. She pastes links to and extracts from reading, math, and other curricula into a chat window and asks for a parent-friendly summary. She reviews the result, adds an anecdotal sentence, and posts within five minutes.

A major obstacle to teachers implementing new and better practices is lack of time. Teachers may not have capacity to provide personalized feedback and support, or to plan for new pedagogical methods, even though they would like to.

Like a human assistant, AI tools could perform some teacher tasks such as drafting emails to colleagues and parents, responding to parent inquiries, inputting grades to the SIS, and tracking homework completion and use of supplemental digital tools.

AI can provide a natural language interface to common tasks - eg, "send the class a reminder that their prototype is due this Friday" which generates a post to the LMS.

Incorporating research-based practice A reading coach finds a journal paper for a method of teaching vocabulary. She uses

Educators are, like doctors, expected to read the latest research on evidence-based practice and incorporate them into their teaching. Very few have the time or skills to do so unaided.

AI tools can find relevant papers, summarize them, answer questions as if they were the paper's author, and even generate sample lesson segments incorporating the practice and customized for the topic a teacher is about to teach. This could potentially help bridge the long-standing research-to-practice gap in K-12 education.

Activity-specific content A tenth grade US history teacher wants to find a more engaging method of teaching the Cold War. He uses an AI tool to create a role-play simulation in which students play US and Soviet leaders in a re-enactment of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Before the simulation, students work in groups to research and write briefing documents for the players.

Many evidence-based and highly engaging methods of teaching require significant additional teacher effort to prepare. AI tools can dramatically reduce that effort, allowing a much larger proportion of teachers to use them.

Tools can take a topic or resource and design a jigsaw exercise for student groups with research and discussion prompts.

AI can generate role play materials - eg, you are a 1920s door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesperson (so you'll have to be able to explain what a vacuum is). The AI could also play one of the roles.

AI can set up a debate on a topic and help students prepare.

AI can support teachers in creating activities based on research-based strategies such as contrasting cases (eg, Dan Schwartz, Stanford), for example contrasting the graphs of equations that differ only in their use of +/- operators.

Flipping the classroom, in which students study independently what would previously have been the subject of a teacher lecture and then spend teacher-time on applications and problem-solving, can be effective but hard work. AI can generate materials to support it and work with students while the teacher circulates.

Explanations A high school biology class includes several students with below grade-level reading comprehension. The teacher decides to augment classroom explanations with those written in considerate text - ie, at the students' level. She takes existing content and uses AI to rewrite it. She uses questions generated by the AI to get feedback from students on whether they understood the explanation.

A basic element of instruction is explanation - of a concept, a big idea, a process, an event, etc. There is evidence that explanations customized to individual learners are more effective.

For instance, AI tools such as DiffIt can help a teacher take an existing explanation and re-write it at any reading level. If the AI has data on the student's knowledge level (eg, previous assessment data or student work), it can take that into account. Explanations that rely on prior knowledge a student doesn't have are, of course, not very helpful.

The tool can also create explanations that incorporate specific student interests, for instance explaining area and volume in terms of Minecraft.

Tools like Revyze and PeerTeach allow students to create explanations for each other and can use AI to ensure the contents are accurate before sharing. Students may find explanations created by peers to be more accessible.

To spice things up a little, AI can generate explanations in unusual formats, for instance a ballad, hip-hop song, or story explaining DNA-RNA-protein. Tools can also create animations or YouTube-like videos (Prof Jim) from explanation text.

Student questions generation A sixth grade student practicing unit rate questions asks her AI for questions based on Pixar movies. The AI says to complete her assignment she can answer either six moderately difficult questions, four challenging questions, or two formidable questions. She takes a deep breath and plunges in.

US classrooms use millions of questions and prompts for practice and formative assessment every day. In both cases, variety is good. But it is time-consuming to generate the perfect question set. AI tools such as PrepAI, to teach_ and Mindgrasp can take a content area and generate questions together with rubrics and model answers.

Tools can generate a variety of questions: multiple choice, short answer, essay prompts, exit tickets, etc.

They will evolve to offer questions that are customized to student interests, to different levels of challenge, different levels of Bloom's taxonomy, open-ended Fermi problems, and mini-projects.

(Importantly, they can also automatically grade all these types of problems and give students detailed feedback. See "Feedback on student work" below.)

Active learning embeds A middle school science teacher uses AI to take an existing lesson on plate tectonics and generate several challenging questions. The teacher selects one about the implications of tectonics. Students turn and talk then record their answers with feedback from AI. The teacher gets an evaluation of which students have understood the lesson so far.

Active learning is a much more effective method than traditional classroom teaching but it has proven difficult to train teachers to convert their lessons to active ones. AI tools could take an existing lesson and suggest active adaptations.

For instance, an AI tool can take the text of a traditional lesson and suggest active learning embeds such as having students break into groups to research a topic or work on problems. Students can receive feedback in real-time and AI could alert the teacher to groups who need further challenge or support.

Alternatively, the AI tool could convert an existing lesson into engaging media such as video with embedded questions, or a student interview with a character from science or history.

Focus on big ideas An elementary school teacher, worried that her current unit on fraction focuses too much on algorithms and manipulations rather than the big idea uses AI to generate an alternative sequence. The AI recommends a number line game from the research literature designed to emphasize that a fraction is a number.

Off-the-shelf curricula sometimes attempt to cover so much ground that the big ideas get lost. For example, it is common to find entire units on fractions that fail to drive home the point that a fraction is a number.

AI can identify big ideas - in existing content, from standards, or by topic - and generate lesson material such as video, animation, or checks-for-understanding in varying contexts to ensure students have a solid grasp on the idea before going on to apply it.

Focus on transfer An elementary school teacher notices that his students are adept at solving fractions problems but not at using them in real-world situations. He uses AI to generate fractions problems at fourth grade level across a wide range of contexts and has groups of students select three different contexts to work on.

Transfer is the ultimate goal of learning - enabling the learner to apply skills in new situations. Research shows that transfer is enhanced by practicing skills in varied contexts, for instance solving equations in abstract, word-problem, and authentic real-world situations.

AI tools can generate examples - including questions with and without solutions - across varying contexts, including the real world.

Tools can identify connections with similar concepts in other subjects, aiding transfer.

And tools can interleave examples of two or three different skills, so that students don't always know what skill to expect.

Worked examples A fifth grade math teacher wants to provide extra support to three of her students. She uses AI to generate worked examples interleaved with practice problems and compile them into a booklet she sends home with the students.

Worked examples - step-by-step demonstrations of how experts solve problems - improve students' ability to solve similar problems. Without examples, students sometimes reinforce flawed strategies.

AI tools can generate worked examples (both correct and incorrect - students identify the misstep) for a given topic. Examples can be interleaved with practice problems, similar to those included in professional programs such as Algebra By Example.

Flashcard generation A global history teacher takes a video on the industrial revolution and uses AI to generate flashcards based on the video transcript. She includes the flashcards in a digital study guide she posts to her class via the LMS.

AI can take text or video-transcript content and generate flashcards from it. For some types of material - eg, vocabulary - flashcards can be a helpful way for students to learn. Many flashcard apps provide practice based on spaced repetition which aids retention.

Flashcard apps like Quizlet and Anki and classroom engagement apps such as Kahoot are incorporating AI to generate flashcards and other formats such as quizzes and games.

A student can highlight any term, from any class, that they are unsure of, to add to their personal spaced-repetition flashcard bank.

Vocabulary / glossary An elementary school teacher beginning a unit on the weather uses AI to create a glossary of terms with definitions, examples, and etymologies at a fourth grade reading level and with translations to Spanish. She asks the AI to create claymation images for each of the examples which she includes in the glossary.

AI can take text or video-transcript content and generate a vocabulary list or glossary for it including definitions, usage examples, and etymology.

The glossary can include definitions written at a specific reading level and/or translated into a student's home language.

Quiz questions An elementary school teacher wants to check that students have read and understood their homework reading: a short book on Paul Revere's ride. The teacher uses AI to generate four questions per chapter, one at each Depth of Knowledge (DOK) level 1 through 4. He includes the quiz questions in a take-home pack for students.
AI can generate quiz questions based on a text or video transcript. Questions could be multiple choice, short answer, etc, at a specified Depth of Knowledge level or Bloom's Taxonomy level. They can include model answers for the teacher.
Graphic organizers A middle school science teacher is teaching a unit on ecosystems. She uses AI to generate a graphic organizer for a food web from producer to decomposer. She includes multiple blank versions of the organizer in a handout for students together with one model food chain, completed by the AI a pond ecosystem.
With help from plug-ins like Show Me, AI tools are already capable of rendering diagrams, such as a graphic organizer for a topic. They can also create a partially complete version of the graphic for students to fill in.
Just-in-time skill builder A student working on a project to build and tune a wind instrument realizes she can't succeed through trial and error tuning. At the prompting of her teacher, she collects data on the frequencies produced by different lengths of tube. But she is stuck in figuring out how to plot the data and fit a curve to it in a spreadsheet. She turns to an AI tool that walks her through the process and explains the underlying math in a way that gets her back to the project quickly.

Highly engaging learning experiences - projects, role plays, simulations, etc - often deliver students to a moment where they are motivated to upgrade their skills. Ideally, a teacher is right there but that can be difficult to orchestrate, especially across a whole class.

AI tools could step in providing just-in-time skill-specific instruction. That could be content that is part of a curriculum, provided by the teacher, generated by AI, or curated by AI from high-quality open content.

Just-in-time content is likely to be more effective if it refers to the specific context the student is in. For instance, if a student wants to fit a curve to air pollution data, the AI could incorporate that context into the instruction.

Extended learning A middle school student who appears already to have a good grasp of natural selection is given a choice of extension questions to research. She is concerned about the environment and so chooses to find and report on an example of human activity influencing species via natural selection. She creates a video describing pesticide resistance in insects. The AI asks for more detail about the long-term consequences and strategies to mitigate them which the student enthusiastically provides in a follow-up video.

AI tools can provide extended learning, enrichment, and new challenges to students who are ready to go further. The AI can offer a set of directions for a student to pursue, enhancing engagement. Rather than just previewing the next unit, extensions can go deeper into the existing topic.

Extensions can build autonomy for instance by generating a big question for the student to research. The student can present ideas to be evaluated by the AI which also reports progress to their teacher.

Connecting new content to old A high school history teacher wants to make a strong connection from the ideas in US founding documents to the Enlightenment precursors. An AI tool suggests that students read excerpts from John Locke that have been curated to highlight the relevant ideas and create a graphical representation showing the connections. The AI pinpoints the excerpts, generates a rubric, provides a model answer for the teacher, and gives feedback on student responses.

The press to get through content in subjects such as history can leave students with a feeling of disconnected silos. To offset that, teachers can make deliberate connections across material.

AI can help identify connections based on, for example, the full course syllabus. It can also generate content and activities to deepen the connection such as a graphic organizer mapping the ideas driving the American Revolution and founding documents to the Enlightenment precursors that inspired them.

This approach can also be used to "spiral" - ie, revisit prior material but with increased richness and complexity.

Personalized reading material An elementary school teacher transforms daily reading time by giving students a tool to create their own on-level books aligned with a unit on Greek myths they are studying. The AI tool generates a mini-book for each student based on their favorite mythological character and creates illustrations to match. The books include comprehension checks embedded in the text. The teacher prints each book out so her students can share it with the class and with family.

Early readers need lots of reading material for practice. But curating a book set that combines narrative and non-fiction text matching both the student's reading level and interests is challenging.

AI tools such as Koalluh can both identify suitable texts in the classroom library and, perhaps more importantly, generate new texts that fit perfectly. They can target phonics skills and embed comprehension checks. They can ensure vocabulary words are reinforced across texts rather than appearing only once, which makes learning more difficult.

Children can customize characters, choose how the plot unfolds (learning about story structure), and even change illustration styles.

Less-cheatable questions​​ A high school English teacher, worried that students may be using a chatbot to write essays, employs AI to interview students individually on their essay: what research they did, how they decided to structure the essay, what they left out, etc.

Students are already using ChatGPT to write essays and answer worksheet questions. GPTZero and others offer AI detection.

AI tools can, though, be used to make cheating difficult. For instance, an AI tool can question a student about their essay, what research they performed, decisions they made, their writing process, etc.

Teachers can also give alternate format questions: instead of having students summarize an article - something an AI does easily -ask them to record a presentation with audio or video, using AI to automatically generate a transcript and act as evaluator of the result.

If the purpose of teaching writing is, in some large part, to teach analytical thinking, there may be other ways to do the same. For example, some teachers embrace AI-as-essay-writer and ask students to analyze, fact-check, and improve on the generated essays.

Holistic assessment (based on longitudinal student work) A state agency proposes releasing multiple hours of formal assessment time to be used for instruction. Science faculty get together to develop a series of authentic performance tasks such as designing, building, and launching a rocket. Students use AI to curate a portfolio of work on the tasks including blog posts, video transcripts, and spreadsheets. The AI produces data for each student that mirrors and exceeds the traditional assessment data. After two years, the state drops the formal assessment requirement.

The dream of educators is that assessment as a separate, invasive moment could disappear and instead be fully embedded in instruction. (Formative assessment, embedded in instruction, is an important part of learning and should not disappear, of course.) AI tools may bring that dream closer to reality.

An AI tool could have access to the complete corpus of a student's work across multiple years of development. The tool could track a student's growth with respect to state standards (and other competency-based dimensions such as creativity), providing both the student and their teachers with a much richer view of what they know and can do.

Initially, formal assessment will continue in order to provide 'ground truth' to calibrate the AI. Over time, the AI's insights will become more valuable than those of a single, two-hour snapshot which often will not accurately represent what the student is capable of.

This 'holistic' approach also allows more authentic assessment - eg, performance tasks and real-world projects rather than multiple choice questions and essays.

Note that the approach will only work if the student has been assigned grade-level, rigorous work to evaluate.

Feedback on student work Elementary school students in a class studying the run up to the Civil War write two pages summarizing their understanding of events and causes. They get feedback from an AI tool that helps them improve their essay across several dimensions: their argument (eg, do they cite evidence), the clarity of reasoning, their understanding of specific events, and the completeness of their work. They can see their essay becoming stronger on each dimension as they work.

Learners advance by means of feedback on their work that is (a) immediate, or close to it and (b) includes an opportunity for them to try again. Since this requires a great deal of teacher effort, students typically don't receive the optimal amount of feedback. This has led to a proliferation of low-rigor exercises that can be automatically graded.

AI tools can generate feedback instantly and repeatedly including for high-rigor prompts such as making persuasive arguments and solving multi-part problems.

AI is especially good at language so feedback on writing (Wordtune, Grammerly) is already strong.

Automated feedback allows students to iterate: not just to answer and find out if they were correct but to revise and extend (Quill) until they have a high-quality response.

Feedback on short-answer questions across subjects is also already very good, though hallucinations sometimes occur.

Feedback on high-rigor, open-ended math problems is less advanced (Mathnet) since student work often takes the form of sketches and handwritten computations.

Identification of student thinking A middle school class working on unit rate answers an exit ticket on paper, drawing diagrams, tables, number lines, solving long division problems, scrawling arrows connecting parts, crossing out and starting over. They take a photo of their work and an AI tool takes a few seconds to identify thinking, whatever solution path they take, and separates conceptual understanding from computational error in an instant report to the teacher.

The last 20 years of proliferation of machine-scored assessment have had the perhaps unintended consequence that students seldom encounter deeper, open-ended problems, especially in STEM subjects. This, in turn, puts the emphasis back onto procedural thinking, often just tricks students have memorized (flip-and-multiply) and away from conceptual understanding.

Initiatives like Mathnet are developing AI tools to do what teachers can do: look at a student's written approach to an open-ended problem and identify (a) evidence of conceptual understanding, (b) gaps in understanding, © computational errors. In this analysis, judging the solution correct or requiring of student students a single, 'official' solution path is not as important as uncovering the student's mathematical thinking.

As well as the pedagogical benefits of drawing-to-learn, tools could provide teachers with much greater insight into student thinking in a way that can inform both subsequent lessons and subsequent teaching of the same lesson.

Competency-based feedback (eg, collaboration, critical thinking) A middle school teacher wants to improve student critical thinking. He uses an AI tool to identify that a segment on video game links to aggression in an upcoming lesson would be a good target. He has students analyze statements for and against the proposition with the help of an AI tool that reframes their causal explanations as questions - eg, "If one person played video games and was aggressive does it follow that everyone who plays violent video games will be aggressive?" Students reported that the AI guide improved their reasoning.

AI tools can help students build transferable competencies such as critical thinking, problem solving, generating creative solutions, understanding other perspectives, etc. Typical school learning experiences, focused on academic standards, may not offer students opportunities to practice and get feedback on competencies.

For instance, having an AI tool reframe feedback on causal explanations as questions has been shown to help improve critical thinking.

AI can take a lesson or unit outline and suggest which transferable competencies it affords practice on. The AI could then analyze student written work or presentations to generate feedback on those competencies.

Tracking student progress A sixth-grade mathematics teacher gets a detailed report for a new class based on longitudinal data from elementary school. The report identifies critical precursor work, leveraging data on previous sixth-grade cohorts in the sixth grade curriculum. It takes into account predictions of summer loss based on prior data.

For any given learning experience, some students master it and others need more time. Teachers sometimes have red-yellow-green dashboards reflecting the fragmentation of a class day by day. But few teachers have time to pore over dashboards and even fewer have time to solve the knotty problem that is captured there.

Like an expert assistant, AI can synthesize data across diverse tools and assessments into the most critical, specific recommendations for a classroom. It can take into account which gaps must be addressed before moving on, and which can safely wait til later, when the curriculum spirals back or, if the choice has to be made due to lack of time, let go.

Given access to longitudinal data for a student, AI could detect patterns that are not visible in single assessments such as a student whose conceptual understanding is masked by persistent computational errors.

AI can explain areas that require targeted practice in terms the student themselves or a family member can understand and act on, expanding the amount of learning time beyond class.

Rubric generation with model answers A high school history teacher has developed a performance task in which students curate a museum display for the Great Depression. In previous years, some students did not understand what they were asked to produce, even though the teacher thought they were capable of doing so. This year, the teachers uses AI to ingest the task description together with previous student work and suggest rubrics for the coherence of the exhibit and how well it reflects the key ideas of the Great Depression unit.

For complex, multi-faceted skills that do not lend themselves to a correct/incorrect judgment, students may struggle simply because they are not clear on the expected performance. Providing a rubric and model answers at different levels of performance is time consuming for a teacher, but easy for an AI tool.

This is especially useful for competency-based skills such as creative thinking, critical thinking, and communication.

24/7 Tutor An ELL middle schooler trailing in math knowledge is assigned Adam, an AI tutor that speaks his home language, Spanish. The student meets with the tutor three times per week for 45 minutes. The tutor has access to the main class curriculum and tailors topics to support grade-level work. The AI tutor is also available 24/7 on the student's phone to help with independent work in class or at home.

One-to-one human tutoring is perhaps the most effective educational approach we have. But it is expensive. AI holds the promise of being the tutor in your pocket that isn't just another drill-and-practice app. It feels like interacting with a real human tutor.

Today, AI tools are strongest at language. AI tutors for writing (Quill) are already here. Foreign language tutors are also available today (Duolingo, LangoTalk).

AI models are also strong at coding. Tools to support students learning to code (Replit) interact more as a copilot than a tutor.

Math is harder. AI is, strangely, better at conceptual math than procedures, and conceptual understanding is more important for learning, but tools have yet to take advantage of that. Science tutors are not yet arrived.

There is still much to solve: costs for tools like Khanmigo are prohibitively high, though certain to come down. And the user experience for so-called tutors often feels more like a treadmill than the trusting relationships that often develop with human tutors. For instance, they use a chat interface, in part because text-to-speech is still too slow to feel natural.

Most tools take a step-by-step tutoring approach, which is perhaps helpful for homework but denies the learner the chance to find their own pathway. No tools are yet designed for the intensive, three-times-per-week scheduled sessions that are most effective in human tutoring. That will be solved in time and AI tutors may go further: providing the kind of immersive worlds (eg, through VR) that are highly engaging.

Teachable agents A high school student is assigned Martha, a teachable agent for a physics course. Martha asks a lot of questions, especially about everyday things such as objects "bending" as they are immersed in water. (Her interests are coordinated with the physics course syllabus.) It's the students job to teach Martha and address her misconceptions. Martha gets confused when she finds inconsistencies but evolves and grows as she gains deeper understanding.

An AI tool could play the role of a learner that the student has to teach a given topic. Teaching something is one of the most effective ways of learning it. (See "teachable agents", Dan Schwartz, Stanford.)

A variant on this is to have the AI tool can act as a Socratic questioner to deepen a student's understanding.

A further variant is to teach non-playing characters (NPCs) in educational games to fulfill relevant quests, acting as teachable agents.

Support for students with special needs A high school student diagnosed with ADHD had found it challenging to stay organized and focus on tasks at hand. Now he uses an AI assistant that can log in to and understand the school's LMS. It helps him break down assignments into manageable tasks, plan towards deadlines and get reminders. The tool tracks his behaviors, offers suggestions for optimal work periods, and coordinates times when teachers are available to provide extra support. It incorporates game-like features that reward focus and task completion.

AI tools could be particularly effective at providing additional support to students with special needs throughout their education journey.

Tools could provide assistive writing support such as starter prompts, alternative input methods such as voice recognition, executive function support such as planning tools, visual support, and real-time classroom support such as text-to-speech and speech-to-text.

This is as well, of course, as personalized learning tools that adjust the pace of instruction, offer alternative explanations, and scaffold specific skills.

Mental health support An adolescent student feeling social and academic pressures accesses an AI tool provided by her school to deal with anxiety and stress issues. The tool is an AI chatbot counselor, ready to listen 24/7, and programmed with cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques, providing immediate coping strategies and relaxation exercises. Chatting with the AI allows her to open up about her feelings, a significant first step in acknowledging and addressing her struggles. It monitors patterns indicative of heightened stress and provides her with early interventions, personalized resources including videos, and connections to local mental health professionals.

AI tools such as Woebot Health can provide always-available, anonymous mental health support to students who may be hesitant to reach out to a human counselor.

Tools can offer advice and support techniques. They can provide a non-judgmental space for students to discuss their feelings and emotions, practice social skills, and receive encouragement and motivation. They can facilitate connections between students who are going through similar experiences.

They can monitor patterns that might indicate declining mental health and recommend professional help or alert a designated support person.

College / career advisor A high school senior aspiring to a degree in environmental science uses an AI tool to analyze her academic background, interests, and extracurricular activities and generate a list of colleges that match. It suggested a local dual-enrolment course that would help bolster her credentials. It also identified financial aid resources tailored to her and it helped her make her essays compelling and avoid common errors.

In many schools, students have only infrequent access to a counselor. AI could in some cases provide an alternative.

AI tools can provide students with tailored college and career advice, help identifying academic pathways, evaluate career options (eg, CareerDekho, Unschooler), provide job market insights and future skills demand that may be geography-specific, and recommend networking events and internships.

Tools can also help ensure that, for a desired college or career path, a student is taking the courses necessary to succeed.

And tools can support students in navigating the college application process, identifying scholarships and financial aid opportunities, and guidance on essays.

AI-supported student notebook Students in an earth science class on natural hazards use an AI notebook to capture ideas as they encounter them. The notebook lets them highlight concepts in school texts and build their own collection of examples of hazards and the processes that cause them. They then use the notebook as a jumping-off point for research on technologies to monitor and predict hazards. They spend five minutes at the end of each class answering quick questions generated by the notebook on material they have curated.

Student notes are sometimes scattered and not revisited. AI-enhanced notebooks such as Google Tailwind allow students to upload their course documents, automatically generate notes and summaries, create illustrations, and suggest related ideas and resources. They can also connect ideas from different sections of the notebook, helping students deepen understanding.

Notebooks can also become more active, rather than passive collection bins, for instance generating flashcards and quizzes.

Small group facilitation An elementary school teacher notices that some students do not make much progress on workbook problems. He uses AI tools to run small group instruction on comparing fractions (a topic he introduced today) for those students and finds that they are much more engaged discussing problems with each other than working in a book.

Small group instruction is very widely used in early reading and somewhat less frequently in math. A common problem is that only one group can work with a teacher at once and other groups may not be academically engaged.

AI tools such as Oko can manage a small group of students by monitoring video and recognizing speech so that students are engaged in a task chosen by the teacher -for instance, practicing skills introduced in a whole class lesson.

In the near future, tools will be able to engage in discourse directly with students, for instance directing a discussion on a topic while ensuring everyone contributes.

Discourse support tool for student groups A group of students are working together to solve a puzzle in a simulated physics world. An AI tool follows their conversation. When one student asks it for help, instead of giving physics support it suggests how to improve their discourse and collaboration. It notes that they have a habit of pursuing non-productive suggestions by group members. It offers to alert them when they next do that. They return to the task in a more focused way.

An AI tool could follow the conversation of a student group and give on-demand advice on group collaboration. For instance, it could point out which group members' ideas are not being tapped, or highlight that the group doesn't follow through on directions they identify, or don't seem clear on the problem they are solving.

Sidney D'Mello at the University of Colorado Boulder leads a team working on this use case.

The same approach could give domain-specific support to a group for instance clarifying terminology or offering a starting point or an alternative point-of-view.

Facilitated student discussion board Students in a unit on Newton's Laws read a paper and post their questions and confusions to an AI moderated discussion board. The AI facilitates a discussion in which new understandings surface.

An AI-facilitated discussion board could help students discuss questions, wonderings, confusing points, challenging problems, project ideas, connections with other topics, etc.

Students who do not always contribute in class may be very active in a discussion board and the asynchronous modality can encourage more thoughtful responses.

Facilitating whole class discussion A middle school math teacher is using Illustrative Math. Students begin by working on a difficult problem that often surfaces misconceptions. An AI tool monitors student work on the problem and automatically creates a slide show of student examples together with the key points the teacher should highlight during a whole class discussion."

An effective teaching strategy - known as productive struggle - is to have students work on a problem individually or in small groups and then facilitate a whole class discussion on what they found, guiding them towards an accurate and formalized (or perhaps more than one) solution. Many teachers find it challenging to orchestrate such discussions in real time and so may not capitalize on the value of this pedagogy.

An AI tool with access to each student's work can quickly recognize common misconceptions, strengths, and computational slips and produce a step-by-step discussion guide that the teacher can follow right away. The guide is similar to a skilled teaching assistant who was able to follow every student's thinking simultaneously.

The guide can suggest which student to call on, in what order, and could project student solutions from the teacher's laptop.

to get a summary of the paper and ask questions about the specifics of implementation. Then she generates a protocol customized to the vocabulary words she will be teaching in her next session. to generate a lesson based on an existing OpenSciEd plan but with an embedded writing activity.

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One morning shortly after Thanksgiving, 2022, we woke up to discover that technological capability had advanced by five years while we were sleeping. It took another week or two for us to realize it...

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Lesson Plan- Analyze text elements, work samples from AI and Students 

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Lesson Plan- Analyze text elements, work samples from AI and Students 

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In this lesson, students will watch an online video presenting the history of artificial intelligence, which goes back to the 1950s. They will also learn how current artificial intelligence technologies build on that history.

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How can AI help us become better writers? | Stanford CRAFT

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In this lesson, students compare AI and human-generated texts to analyze the affordances and limitations of large language models. They'll score, guess origins, and discuss differences, then decide which aspects to adopt or avoid in their writing. The lesson culminates in a discussion of what aspects of the AI-generated writing students should emulate in their own writing and what aspects they should avoid.

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The US Dept of Education - Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning

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The US Dept of Education - Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning

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Share this Report

The U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology's new policy report, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning: Insights and Recommendations, addresses the clear need for sharing knowledge, engaging educators, and refining technology plans and policies for artificial intelligence (AI) use in education. The report describes AI as a rapidly-advancing set of technologies for recognizing patterns in data and automating actions, and guides educators in understanding what these emerging technologies can do to advance educational goals-while evaluating and limiting key risks.

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Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning - Office of Educational Technology

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The need for sharing knowledge, engaging educators, and refining technology plans and policies for artificial intelligence (AI) use in education.

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The US Dept of Education- Designing for Education with Artificial Intelligence 

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The US Dept of Education- Designing for Education with Artificial Intelligence 

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Share this Report

Today and in the future, a growing array of Artificial Intelligence (AI) models and capabilities will be incorporated into the products that specifically serve educational settings. The U.S. Department of Education is committed to encouraging innovative advances in educational technology improve teaching and learning across the nation's education systems and to supporting developers as they create products and services using AI for the educational market.

Building on the Department's prior report, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning: Insights and Recommendations, this guide seeks to inform product leads and their teams of innovators, designers, developers, customer-facing staff, and legal teams as they work toward safety, security, and trust while creating AI products and services for use in education. This landscape is broader than those building large language models (LLMs) or deploying chatbots; it includes all the ways existing and emerging AI capabilities can be used to further shared educational goals.

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Designing for Education with Artificial Intelligence: An Essential Guide for Developers - Office of Educational Technology

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Informing product leads and their teams of innovators, designers, and developers as they work toward safety, security, and trust while creating AI products and services for use in education.

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Among the great challenges posed to democracy today is the use of technology, data, and automated systems in ways that threaten the rights of the American public. Too often, these tools are used to limit our opportunities and prevent our access to critical resources or services. These problems are well documented. In America and around the world, systems supposed to help with patient care have proven unsafe, ineffective, or biased. Algorithms used in hiring and credit decisions have been found to reflect and reproduce existing unwanted inequities or embed new harmful bias and discrimination. Unchecked social media data collection has been used to threaten people's opportunities, undermine their privacy, or pervasively track their activity-often without their knowledge or consent.

These outcomes are deeply harmful-but they are not inevitable. Automated systems have brought about extraordinary benefits, from technology that helps farmers grow food more efficiently and computers that predict storm paths, to algorithms that can identify diseases in patients. These tools now drive important decisions across sectors, while data is helping to revolutionize global industries. Fueled by the power of American innovation, these tools hold the potential to redefine every part of our society and make life better for everyone.

This important progress must not come at the price of civil rights or democratic values, foundational American principles that President Biden has affirmed as a cornerstone of his Administration. On his first day in office, the President ordered the full Federal government to work to root out inequity, embed fairness in decision-making processes, and affirmatively advance civil rights, equal opportunity, and racial justice in America.[i] The President has spoken forcefully about the urgent challenges posed to democracy today and has regularly called on people of conscience to act to preserve civil rights-including the right to privacy, which he has called "the basis for so many more rights that we have come to take for granted that are ingrained in the fabric of this country."[ii]

To advance President Biden's vision, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has identified five principles that should guide the design, use, and deployment of automated systems to protect the American public in the age of artificial intelligence. The Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights is a guide for a society that protects all people from these threats-and uses technologies in ways that reinforce our highest values. Responding to the experiences of the American public, and informed by insights from researchers, technologists, advocates, journalists, and policymakers, this framework is accompanied by From Principles to Practice-a handbook for anyone seeking to incorporate these protections into policy and practice, including detailed steps toward actualizing these principles in the technological design process. These principles help provide guidance whenever automated systems can meaningfully impact the public's rights, opportunities, or access to critical needs.

You should be protected from unsafe or ineffective systems. Automated systems should be developed with consultation from diverse communities, stakeholders, and domain experts to identify concerns, risks, and potential impacts of the system. Systems should undergo pre-deployment testing, risk identification and mitigation, and ongoing monitoring that demonstrate they are safe and effective based on their intended use, mitigation of unsafe outcomes including those beyond the intended use, and adherence to domain-specific standards. Outcomes of these protective measures should include the possibility of not deploying the system or removing a system from use. Automated systems should not be designed with an intent or reasonably foreseeable possibility of endangering your safety or the safety of your community. They should be designed to proactively protect you from harms stemming from unintended, yet foreseeable, uses or impacts of automated systems. You should be protected from inappropriate or irrelevant data use in the design, development, and deployment of automated systems, and from the compounded harm of its reuse. Independent evaluation and reporting that confirms that the system is safe and effective, including reporting of steps taken to mitigate potential harms, should be performed and the results made public whenever possible.

From Principles to Practice: Safe and Effective Systems

You should not face discrimination by algorithms and systems should be used and designed in an equitable way. Algorithmic discrimination occurs when automated systems contribute to unjustified different treatment or impacts disfavoring people based on their race, color, ethnicity, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, gender identity, intersex status, and sexual orientation), religion, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other classification protected by law. Depending on the specific circumstances, such algorithmic discrimination may violate legal protections. Designers, developers, and deployers of automated systems should take proactive and continuous measures to protect individuals and communities from algorithmic discrimination and to use and design systems in an equitable way. This protection should include proactive equity assessments as part of the system design, use of representative data and protection against proxies for demographic features, ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities in design and development, pre-deployment and ongoing disparity testing and mitigation, and clear organizational oversight. Independent evaluation and plain language reporting in the form of an algorithmic impact assessment, including disparity testing results and mitigation information, should be performed and made public whenever possible to confirm these protections.

From Principles to Practice: Algorithmic Discrimination Protections

You should be protected from abusive data practices via built-in protections and you should have agency over how data about you is used. You should be protected from violations of privacy through design choices that ensure such protections are included by default, including ensuring that data collection conforms to reasonable expectations and that only data strictly necessary for the specific context is collected. Designers, developers, and deployers of automated systems should seek your permission and respect your decisions regarding collection, use, access, transfer, and deletion of your data in appropriate ways and to the greatest extent possible; where not possible, alternative privacy by design safeguards should be used. Systems should not employ user experience and design decisions that obfuscate user choice or burden users with defaults that are privacy invasive. Consent should only be used to justify collection of data in cases where it can be appropriately and meaningfully given. Any consent requests should be brief, be understandable in plain language, and give you agency over data collection and the specific context of use; current hard-to-understand notice-and-choice practices for broad uses of data should be changed. Enhanced protections and restrictions for data and inferences related to sensitive domains, including health, work, education, criminal justice, and finance, and for data pertaining to youth should put you first. In sensitive domains, your data and related inferences should only be used for necessary functions, and you should be protected by ethical review and use prohibitions. You and your communities should be free from unchecked surveillance; surveillance technologies should be subject to heightened oversight that includes at least pre-deployment assessment of their potential harms and scope limits to protect privacy and civil liberties. Continuous surveillance and monitoring should not be used in education, work, housing, or in other contexts where the use of such surveillance technologies is likely to limit rights, opportunities, or access. Whenever possible, you should have access to reporting that confirms your data decisions have been respected and provides an assessment of the potential impact of surveillance technologies on your rights, opportunities, or access.

From Principles to Practice: Data Privacy

You should know that an automated system is being used and understand how and why it contributes to outcomes that impact you. Designers, developers, and deployers of automated systems should provide generally accessible plain language documentation including clear descriptions of the overall system functioning and the role automation plays, notice that such systems are in use, the individual or organization responsible for the system, and explanations of outcomes that are clear, timely, and accessible. Such notice should be kept up-to-date and people impacted by the system should be notified of significant use case or key functionality changes. You should know how and why an outcome impacting you was determined by an automated system, including when the automated system is not the sole input determining the outcome. Automated systems should provide explanations that are technically valid, meaningful and useful to you and to any operators or others who need to understand the system, and calibrated to the level of risk based on the context. Reporting that includes summary information about these automated systems in plain language and assessments of the clarity and quality of the notice and explanations should be made public whenever possible.

From Principles to Practice: Notice and Explanation

You should be able to opt out, where appropriate, and have access to a person who can quickly consider and remedy problems you encounter. You should be able to opt out from automated systems in favor of a human alternative, where appropriate. Appropriateness should be determined based on reasonable expectations in a given context and with a focus on ensuring broad accessibility and protecting the public from especially harmful impacts. In some cases, a human or other alternative may be required by law. You should have access to timely human consideration and remedy by a fallback and escalation process if an automated system fails, it produces an error, or you would like to appeal or contest its impacts on you. Human consideration and fallback should be accessible, equitable, effective, maintained, accompanied by appropriate operator training, and should not impose an unreasonable burden on the public. Automated systems with an intended use within sensitive domains, including, but not limited to, criminal justice, employment, education, and health, should additionally be tailored to the purpose, provide meaningful access for oversight, include training for any people interacting with the system, and incorporate human consideration for adverse or high-risk decisions. Reporting that includes a description of these human governance processes and assessment of their timeliness, accessibility, outcomes, and effectiveness should be made public whenever possible.

From Principles to Practice: Human Alternatives, Consideration, and Fallback

Applying the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights

While many of the concerns addressed in this framework derive from the use of AI, the technical capabilities and specific definitions of such systems change with the speed of innovation, and the potential harms of their use occur even with less technologically sophisticated tools.

Thus, this framework uses a two-part test to determine what systems are in scope. This framework applies to (1) automated systems that (2) have the potential to meaningfully impact the American public's rights, opportunities, or access to critical resources or services. These Rights, opportunities, and access to critical resources of services should be enjoyed equally and be fully protected, regardless of the changing role that automated systems may play in our lives.
This framework describes protections that should be applied with respect to all automated systems that have the potential to meaningfully impact individuals' or communities' exercise of: Rights, Opportunities, or Access
Civil rights, civil liberties, and privacy, including freedom of speech, voting, and protections from discrimination, excessive punishment, unlawful surveillance, and violations of privacy and other freedoms in both public and private sector contexts;

Equal opportunities, including equitable access to education, housing, credit, employment, and other programs; or,

Access to critical resources or services, such as healthcare, financial services, safety, social services, non-deceptive information about goods and services, and government benefits.

A list of examples of automated systems for which these principles should be considered is provided in the Appendix. The Technical Companion, which follows, offers supportive guidance for any person or entity that creates, deploys, or oversees automated systems.

Considered together, the five principles and associated practices of the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights form an overlapping set of backstops against potential harms. This purposefully overlapping framework, when taken as a whole, forms a blueprint to help protect the public from harm. The measures taken to realize the vision set forward in this framework should be proportionate with the extent and nature of the harm, or risk of harm, to people's rights, opportunities, and access.

[i] The Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/

[ii] The White House. Remarks by President Biden on the Supreme Court Decision to Overturn Roe v. Wade. Jun. 24, 2022. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/06/24/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-supreme-court-decision-to-overturn-roe-v-wade/

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Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights | OSTP | The White House

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Among the great challenges posed to democracy today is the use of technology, data, and automated systems in ways that threaten the rights of the American public. Too often, these tools are used to limit our opportunities and prevent our access to critical resources or services. These problems are well documented.

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US Department of Education Privacy Information 

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US Department of Education Privacy Information 

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Featured Publications

New education technologies often raise questions about how best to protect student privacy during use. This document addresses privacy and security considerations relating to computer software, mobile applications, and web-based tools provided by a third-party to a school or district that students and/or their parents access via the Internet and use as part of a school activity. It presents some requirements and best practices to consider when evaluating the use of online educational services.

This brief offers best practice recommendations for developing and implementing effective authentication processes to help ensure that only appropriate individuals and entities have access to education records. General suggestions provided in the brief are applicable to all modes of data access, be it in person, over the phone, by mail, or electronically.

The Privacy Technical Assistance Center, working with the Department of Education's Family Policy Compliance office, recently released a framework for edtech tools' Terms of Service Agreements. This document is intended to assist users in understanding how a given online service or app will collect, use and/or transmit user information so that they can then decide whether or not to sign up. It is recommended that developers align their Terms of Service Agreements with these best practices.

Featured Resources

The U.S. Department of Education runs the Privacy Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) as a "one-stop" resource for answering questions and addressing concerns related to privacy, confidentiality, and security practices. PTAC provides timely information and updated guidance on privacy, confidentiality, and security practices through a variety of resources, including training materials and opportunities to receive direct assistance with privacy, security, and confidentiality of student data systems.

Email and Student Privacy

School Volunteers and FERPA

Developing a Privacy Program for your District

Overview of Federal Regulations

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

FERPA is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds from the U.S. Department of Education. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level.

Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

The primary goal of COPPA is to place parents in control over what information is collected from their young children online. COPPA was designed to protect children under age 13 while accounting for the dynamic nature of the Internet. The Rule applies to operators of commercial websites and online services (including mobile apps) directed to children under 13 that collect, use, or disclose personal information from children, and operators of general audience websites or online services with actual knowledge that they are collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from children under 13. The Rule also applies to websites or online services that have actual knowledge that they are collecting personal information directly from users of another website or online service directed to children. Read more

Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA)

CIPA was enacted by Congress in 2000 to address concerns about children's access to obscene or harmful content over the Internet. CIPA imposes certain requirements on schools or libraries that receive discounts for Internet access or internal connections through the E-rate program. Read more

Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)

PPRA is intended to protect the rights of parents and students in two ways:

It seeks to ensure that schools and contractors make instructional materials available for inspection by parents if those materials will be used in connection with an ED-funded survey, analysis, or evaluation in which their children participate; and

It seeks to ensure that schools and contractors obtain written parental consent before minor students are required to participate in any ED-funded survey, analysis, or evaluation that reveals certain information.

PPRA applies to programs that receive funding from the U.S. Department of Education. Read more

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Privacy - Office of Educational Technology

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Featured Publications Featured Resources Overview of Federal Regulations Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) FERPA is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds from the U.S. Department of Education. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records.

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Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

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Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

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The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.

FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. Students to whom the rights have transferred are "eligible students."

Parents or eligible students have the right to inspect and review the student's education records maintained by the school. Schools are not required to provide copies of records unless, for reasons such as great distance, it is impossible for parents or eligible students to review the records. Schools may charge a fee for copies.

Parents or eligible students have the right to request that a school correct records which they believe to be inaccurate or misleading. If the school decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student then has the right to a formal hearing. After the hearing, if the school still decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student has the right to place a statement with the record setting forth his or her view about the contested information.

Generally, schools must have written permission from the parent or eligible student in order to release any information from a student's education record. However, FERPA allows schools to disclose those records, without consent, to the following parties or under the following conditions (34 CFR § 99.31):

School officials with legitimate educational interest;

Other schools to which a student is transferring;

Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes;

Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student;

Organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the school;

Accrediting organizations;

To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena;

Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies; and

State and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to specific State law.

Schools may disclose, without consent, "directory" information such as a student's name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and dates of attendance. However, schools must tell parents and eligible students about directory information and allow parents and eligible students a reasonable amount of time to request that the school not disclose directory information about them. Schools must notify parents and eligible students annually of their rights under FERPA. The actual means of notification (special letter, inclusion in a PTA bulletin, student handbook, or newspaper article) is left to the discretion of each school.

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Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

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Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Home Page.

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BU writing instructors brainstormed this list of teaching ideas in the spirit of exploration and experimentation. We will continue to refine and update. You'll notice that almost all of the suggestions end with a recommendation that students reflect on, debrief, compare, or discuss the AI-generated text-a step crucial to developing their critical AI literacy.

Feedback & Peer Review

Working with Texts

Argumentation

Genre Awareness

Information Literacy

Learn More: Writing Instruction in the Age of Generative AI

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BU writing instructors brainstormed this list of teaching ideas in the spirit of exploration and experimentation. We will continue to refine and update. You'll notice that almost all of the suggestions end with a recommendation that students reflect on, debrief, compare, or discuss the AI-generated text-a step crucial to developing their critical AI literacy.

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Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA)

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Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA)

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COPPA imposes certain requirements on operators of websites or online services directed to children under 13 years of age, and on operators of other websites or online services that have actual knowledge that they are collecting personal information online from a child under 13 years of age.

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Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule ("COPPA")

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COPPA imposes certain requirements on operators of websites or online services directed to children under 13 years of age, and on operators of other websites or online services that have actual knowledge that they are collecting personal information online from a child under 13 years of age.

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Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA)

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Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA)

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The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) was enacted by Congress in 2000 to address concerns about children's access to obscene or harmful content over the Internet. CIPA imposes certain requirements on schools or libraries that receive discounts for Internet access or internal connections through the E-rate program - a program that makes certain communications services and products more affordable for eligible schools and libraries. In early 2001, the FCC issued rules implementing CIPA and provided updates to those rules in 2011.

What CIPA requires

Schools and libraries subject to CIPA may not receive the discounts offered by the E-rate program unless they certify that they have an Internet safety policy that includes technology protection measures. The protection measures must block or filter Internet access to pictures that are: (a) obscene; (b) child pornography; or (c) harmful to minors (for computers that are accessed by minors). Before adopting this Internet safety policy, schools and libraries must provide reasonable notice and hold at least one public hearing or meeting to address the proposal.

Schools subject to CIPA have two additional certification requirements: 1) their Internet safety policies must include monitoring the online activities of minors; and 2) as required by the Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act, they must provide for educating minors about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms, and cyberbullying awareness and response.

Schools and libraries subject to CIPA are required to adopt and implement an Internet safety policy addressing:

Access by minors to inappropriate matter on the Internet;

The safety and security of minors when using electronic mail, chat rooms and other forms of direct electronic communications;

Unauthorized access, including so-called "hacking," and other unlawful activities by minors online;

Unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personal information regarding minors; and

Measures restricting minors' access to materials harmful to them.

Schools and libraries must certify they are in compliance with CIPA before they can receive E-rate funding.

CIPA does not apply to schools and libraries receiving discounts only for telecommunications service only;

An authorized person may disable the blocking or filtering measure during use by an adult to enable access for bona fide research or other lawful purposes.

CIPA does not require the tracking of Internet use by minors or adults.

You can find out more about CIPA or apply for E-rate funding by visiting the Universal Service Administration Co.'s (USAC's) CIPA webpage. USAC can answer questions about E-Rate at 1-888-203-8100.

Printable Version

Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) (pdf)

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Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA)

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The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) was enacted by Congress in 2000 to address concerns about children's access to obscene or harmful content over the Internet.

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The Ultimate Guide to Integrating AI Tools

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The Ultimate Guide to Integrating AI Tools

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Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revolutionized various aspects of our lives, including the field of writing. Thanks to AI tools, we now have the ability to create, edit, and refine content in ways that were previously unimaginable. These advanced tools serve to enhance the capabilities of writers by providing assistance with grammar, style, and even generating content.

The advantages of incorporating AI into writing practices are extensive:

This guide aims to instruct you on seamlessly integrating AI tools into your writing process. You will not only learn how to effectively utilize these tools but also how to do so responsibly, ensuring continuous improvement of your writing skills. By viewing AI as a collaborative partner rather than a replacement, you will be able to produce high-quality content that is uniquely yours.

For those interested in exploring how AI is being employed to bridge communication gaps beyond written language, this article delves into its role in translating sign languages. Understanding the impact of AI on diverse forms of expression, such as translating sign languages into spoken words, further emphasizes its potential beyond the realm of writing.". Links: "[{"url":"https://medium.com/@humansforai/using-ai-to-translate-signed-languages-f6a473b4bc09","partialContent":"Using AI to Translate Signed Languages | by Humans For AI | Medium Translating signed languages into spoken words is very difficult. Even though American Sign Language (ASL) or British sign language (BSL), for example, both derive from English, they are not mutually..."},{"url":"https://medium.com/@humansforai/ableism-in-ai-facial-recognition-technologies-in-recruitment-processes-the-lack-of-governance-67c36a1a0745","partialContent":"Ableism in AI: Facial Recognition Technologies in Recruitment Processes, the Lack of Governance and Account for the Multiplicity of Disability. | by Humans For AI | Medium For the HFAI blog and in tribute to the work of AboutFace.ca, translated from an academic case study completed in 2021 for the purpose of explainability. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is shaping the..."}]"

1. The Role of AI Tools in Writing

Generative AI tools have completely changed the way content is created, offering tremendous support to writers in various fields. These tools go beyond basic assistance; they are advanced helpers powered by machine learning that improve writing in many ways.

How Generative AI Tools Enhance Writing
1. Idea Generation
Generative AI tools act as idea catalysts, pushing the boundaries of creativity by suggesting concepts and themes that may not have crossed your mind. For example, if you're writing a blog post about nutrition, an AI tool can propose angles like the impact of diet on mental health or the future of food technology.
2. Content Drafting
These tools also assist in drafting content. Using their understanding of context and ability to predict text patterns, they can offer suggestions for the next sentences or paragraphs - an invaluable resource when faced with writer's block.

The Power Behind Generative AI Tools: Machine Learning

At the core of these advanced writing assistants lies machine learning. This technology enables them to analyze massive amounts of text data and learn from it, resulting in their ability to imitate human-like writing styles and provide relevant content recommendations.

Here are some examples of generative AI tools:

These examples highlight how integrating AI into your writing process can enhance the quality of your work while saving time and effort. However, it's crucial to maintain a critical mindset - AI should be seen as a tool wielded by skilled writers rather than a complete replacement.

The Distinction Between Human and Machine-Generated Content

As you explore the potential of AI, it's important to understand the differences between human and machine-generated content. Tone, style, and creativity are often what distinguish content with a personal touch from content generated solely by algorithms. Recognizing this distinction is key to preserving authenticity in your work.

While generative AI tools have made it easier to produce large amounts of content, they also raise questions about originality and voice - the very qualities that make human-written text valuable. As you incorporate these tools into your workflow, remember that they are most effective when used as collaborators in the creative process rather than standalone solutions.

To understand the drawbacks and advantages of AI compared to humans in more detail, I highly recommend reading this insightful article: AI vs Human: Navigating the Drawbacks and Advantages. Additionally, this piece provides interesting insights into how certain words can give away AI-generated text.".

2. Leveraging AI Throughout the Writing Process

2.1. Idea Generation and Brainstorming

When you start a writing project, the first step is usually coming up with ideas and brainstorming. This phase lays the groundwork for your content, and AI tools can be extremely helpful during this stage.

For instance, ChatGPT, an advanced language model, can assist you by generating a wide range of ideas based on a simple prompt you provide. Its training on diverse topics and styles ensures that the suggestions you receive are varied and innovative.

Similarly, Wordtune plays an important role in this phase. It not only suggests alternative ways to phrase your sentences but can offer creative twists on your original ideas, enhancing their appeal and uniqueness.

Moreover, tools like Google Bard use a large amount of information to provide inspiration that is both relevant and timely. By looking at recent articles, studies, and data points, they help ensure that your brainstormed ideas are based on current trends and knowledge.

Additionally, GrammarlyGO aids in brainstorming by targeting the linguistic accuracy of your ideas while ensuring they're coherently presented. It corrects grammatical mistakes in real-time, suggests vocabulary enhancements, and provides sentence structure recommendations for better readability.

Throughout the pre-production phase of writing, these AI tools act as digital muses, sparking creativity and helping shape preliminary thoughts into fully-formed concepts ready for development.

2.2. Crafting and Refining with AI Assistance

The drafting phase is where your ideas begin to take shape, and AI writing tools can be instrumental in refining these drafts. Here's how you can leverage AI for crafting and enhancing your content:

AI Writing Tools for Crafting

These tools are great for generating content based on your prompts or improving specific areas of your writing:

AI Writing Tools for Refining

These tools are designed to help you polish your work and ensure it meets high standards:

GrammarlyGO: When it's time to polish, GrammarlyGO offers advanced suggestions on grammar, tone, and style.

Incorporate these tools seamlessly into your workflow:

1. Revisions: Input sections of your draft into these tools to identify weak spots or generate alternative expressions.

2. Enhancement: Use the suggestions provided by AI to elevate language use, making your content more compelling.

3. Brainstorming Follow-up: After initial brainstorming, revisit the ideas with AI assistance to refine them further.

Remember, while these tools offer valuable assistance, it's crucial to maintain the originality of your voice throughout the writing process.

If you're intrigued by other AI writing tools beyond the ones mentioned here, explore further options such as Junia.ai, ClickUp, Writesonic, QuillBot & Rytr that may fit specific needs in your content creation journey. These alternatives offer a range of features and benefits similar to Jasper.ai, ensuring high-quality content creation.

With a clear understanding of how each tool fits within the stages of drafting and revising, you're equipped to use AI not just as an aide but as an integral part of crafting high-quality content. The next step is ensuring that clarity and coherence are not lost amidst this technological aid - a task perfectly suited for AI-powered editing tools. To further enhance your AI writing capabilities, consider exploring the impact of OpenAI's recent price cuts on the accessibility and affordability of these tools.

2.3. Ensuring Clarity and Coherence with AI-powered Editing

When you've crafted your content, the next crucial step is editing. AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Wordtune, Google Bard, and GrammarlyGO have revolutionized the editing phase by offering advanced features that go beyond basic spellcheck:

For writers keen on optimizing their work for search engines, these AI SEO tools in 2024 can significantly boost digital marketing efforts.

Meanwhile, those curious about the real-world applications of these tools might find Thomas Smith's experience detailed in his article on writing 100+ AI-Assisted Blog Posts, illuminating as it dives into the nuances of using AI in published articles.

By integrating these sophisticated editing tools into your writing process, you ensure that each piece you produce resonates with clarity and precision, effectively communicating your intended message.

3. Embracing the Future: Writing with AI

In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, embracing AI technology in the writing process can bring numerous benefits. However, it is crucial to maintain a critical stance and develop digital literacy skills to ensure responsible use. By understanding the strengths and limitations of AI tools, you can harness their full potential to become a more proficient writer.

Embracing AI Technology

AI tools have the power to streamline and enhance various aspects of the writing process. They can assist in generating creative ideas, refining written content, and even provide valuable feedback on grammar and clarity. Embracing these tools allows writers to work more efficiently and produce high-quality content.

Developing Digital Literacy Skills

While AI tools offer significant advantages, it is important for writers to continue developing their own skills. Digital literacy plays a key role in effectively utilizing AI tools and distinguishing between automated suggestions and authentic creative input. By honing your writing abilities alongside AI assistance, you can strike a balance that maximizes your potential as a writer.

Linking Opportunities

To further explore the importance of responsible AI use and digital literacy skills, you may find the following resources helpful:

By exploring these resources, you can deepen your understanding of the challenges and opportunities presented by AI tools in the context of writing.

Remember, responsible use of AI tools and continuous skill development are key to leveraging the full potential of AI technology in the writing process. Embrace the synergy of human intelligence and AI assistance to unlock new levels of writing excellence.

4. Ethical Considerations in Using AI for Writing

Exploring the Ethical Implications of Relying Too Heavily on AI Tools in Writing Tasks

When we use AI tools in our writing, it's important to think about the ethical issues that can arise from relying too much on these technologies. Here are some things to keep in mind:

Dependency and Autonomy: If we rely too heavily on AI tools, we might start to feel like we have less control over our writing and lose some of our creativity. It's important for writers to find a balance and not let AI tools take over their own voice and style.

Plagiarism and Originality: There's a risk of unintentional plagiarism when we use content generated by AI. We need to make sure that any ideas or content we create with the help of AI are original and properly credited.

Data Privacy and Security: We should be careful about the information we share with AI writing tools, thinking about possible privacy issues and making sure that any sensitive data is protected.

Bias and Fairness: AI tools can have biases based on the data they've been trained on. It's important for writers to think critically about the suggestions made by these tools so that we don't unknowingly reinforce any biases or stereotypes.

By keeping these ethical considerations in mind, writers can use AI tools responsibly, protecting their integrity while still taking advantage of the benefits these advanced technologies offer.

5. The Future of Writing in an AI-Driven World

The world of writing is changing dramatically because of automation and AI. While automation makes repetitive tasks easier, AI goes a step further by offering more advanced and context-specific assistance. This means that writers now have access to artificial intelligence tools that can help them with different aspects of creating content.

Automation vs. AI: Understanding the Difference

It's important to understand the distinction between automation and AI:

1. Automation simplifies predefined tasks, reducing the need for manual work and increasing efficiency.

2. AI, on the other hand, simulates human intelligence. It learns from interactions and can provide personalized and adaptive support.

Many professionals are worried about losing their jobs as they see AI becoming capable of drafting articles, summarizing data, and even generating creative stories. However, it's crucial to recognize the unique strengths that human writers possess:

As a result, writers are now in a position where they need to balance using AI tools to increase productivity with nurturing their own creative instincts. By embracing this combination, writers can continue to improve their skills and explore new possibilities in writing. While AI continues to evolve and change, writing remains a fundamentally human form of expression that relies on personal experiences and intellectual depth.

Conclusion

Integrating AI tools into your writing workflow offers a transformative potential to elevate your craft. Start by exploring the capabilities of various AI assistants and slowly infuse them into different stages of your writing. Remember, these tools are designed to augment your skills, not replace them. As you experiment with AI, pay attention to:

The responsible use of AI tools, ensuring that the work remains authentically yours.

The boundaries of technology and how it can sometimes misinterpret nuances or context.

Continuous development of your writing skills, using AI feedback to learn and improve.

Your creative spark combined with the computational power of AI can lead to exceptional writing that resonates and inspires. Embrace this synergy, where human intelligence meets AI assistance, to unlock unparalleled levels of writing excellence.

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The Ultimate Guide to Integrating AI Tools into Your Writing Process

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revolutionized various aspects of our lives, including the field of writing. Thanks to AI tools, we now have the ability to create, edit, and refine content in ways...

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The Writing Revolution - Empower teachers to help students

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By training educators in The Hochman Method©, The Writing Revolution (TWR) aims to help all students become proficient writers, readers, and critical thinkers.

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Connecticut General Statutes §§ 10-234aa through 10-234dd  (Student Data Privacy Law) 

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Connecticut General Statutes §§ 10-234aa through 10-234dd  (Student Data Privacy Law) 

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CHAPTER 170*

BOARDS OF EDUCATION

*Cited. 182 C. 93.

Local boards of education are not agents of the towns but creatures of the state. 25 CS 305.

Table of Contents
Sec. 10-218. Officers. Meetings. Sec. 10-218a. Oath of office. Sec. 10-219. Procedure for filling vacancy on local board of education. Sec. 10-220. Duties of boards of education. Sec. 10-220a. In-service training. Professional development and evaluation committees. Institutes for educators. Cooperating teacher program, regulations. Sec. 10-220b. Policy statement on drugs. Sec. 10-220c. Transportation of children over private roads. Immunity from liability. Sec. 10-220d. Student recruitment by regional and interdistrict specialized schools and programs. Recruitment of athletes prohibited. Information re and notice of availability of certain schools and education centers. Sec. 10-220e. Foster children count. Sec. 10-220f. Safety committee. Sec. 10-220g. Policy on calculation of students' grade point averages. Sec. 10-220h. Transfer of student records. Sec. 10-220i. Transportation of students carrying cartridge injectors. Sec. 10-220j. Blood glucose self-testing by children. Guidelines. Sec. 10-220k. Disclosure of educational records re student confined in residential facility. Sec. 10-220l. Qualified personnel to monitor school swimming pool. School swimming pool safety plan. Sec. 10-220m. Review of transportation arrangements of special needs students.
Secs. 10-220n and 10-220o. Reserved
Sec. 10-220p. Materials provided to students when discussing career options. Sec. 10-220q. Calculation of grade point average and determination of class rank percentile for Connecticut Automatic Admissions Program. Sec. 10-221. Boards of education to prescribe rules, policies and procedures. Sec. 10-221a. High school graduation requirements. Student support and remedial services. Excusal from physical education requirement. Diplomas for certain veterans and certain persons assisting in the war effort during World War II. Student success plans. Connecticut State Seal of Biliteracy. Sec. 10-221b. Boards of education to establish written uniform policy re treatment of recruiters. Sec. 10-221c. Development of policy for reporting complaints re school transportation safety. Reporting of accidents at school bus stops. Sec. 10-221d. Criminal history and child abuse and neglect registry records checks of applicants and employees of eligible school operators. Termination or dismissal. Fingerprinting. Availability of information re applicant's history. Sec. 10-221e. Intradistrict student assignment programs. Sec. 10-221f. School uniforms. Sec. 10-221g. Instructional time and facility usage assessment. Secs. 10-221h and 10-221i. Plan to improve reading skills. Technical assistance; standard of reading competency. Sec. 10-221j. Early Reading Success Panel. Sec. 10-221k. Assessments by priority school districts of need related to goal of reading success. Sec. 10-221l. State-Wide Early Reading Success Institute. Sec. 10-221m. Development and implementation of in-service reading instruction training program by priority school districts. Sec. 10-221n. Independent evaluation. Sec. 10-221o. Lunch periods. Recess. Undirected play. Boards to adopt policies addressing limitation of physical exercise. Sec. 10-221p. Boards to make available for purchase nutritious and low-fat foods. Sec. 10-221q. Sale of beverages. Sec. 10-221r. Advanced placement course program. Guidelines. Sec. 10-221s. Posting of Careline telephone number in schools. Investigations of child abuse and neglect. Disciplinary action. Sec. 10-221t. Alignment of common core standards with college level programs. Sec. 10-221u. Boards to adopt policies addressing the use of physical activity as discipline. Sec. 10-221v. Confidential rapid response team re suspected abuse or neglect. Sec. 10-221w. Policy re eligibility criteria for enrollment in advanced course or program. Sec. 10-221x. Challenging curriculum policy. Sec. 10-221y. Standardized conversion of transferred credits. Application toward graduation requirements. Sec. 10-222. Appropriations and budget. Sec. 10-222a. Boards to have use of funds from repayment and insurance proceeds for school materials and from payment for custodial services for use of school facilities. Sec. 10-222b. Board to have use of funds from the Manville property damage settlement trust. Sec. 10-222c. Hiring policy. Applicant's employment history; requirement to disclose and check upon. Immunity from civil and criminal liability. Sec. 10-222d. Safe school climate plans. Definitions. School climate assessments. Sec. 10-222e. Policy on evaluation and termination of athletic coaches. Sec. 10-222f. College informational forums. Sec. 10-222g. Prevention and intervention strategy re bullying and teen dating violence. Sec. 10-222h. Analysis of school districts' efforts re prevention of and response to bullying in schools. School climate assessment instruments. Sec. 10-222i. State-wide safe school climate resource network. Sec. 10-222j. Training re prevention, identification and response to school bullying, teen dating violence and youth suicide. Sec. 10-222k. District safe school climate coordinator. Safe school climate specialist. Safe school climate committee. Sec. 10-222l. Immunity of school employees, students, parents or guardians, individuals and boards of education from liability for certain actions relating to reporting, investigating and responding to school bullying and teen dating violence. Sec. 10-222m. School security and safety plans. School security and safety committees. Sec. 10-222n. School security and safety plan standards. Sec. 10-222o. Information re aggregate spending for education to be made available. Sec. 10-222p. Review of safe school climate plans by Department of Education. Approval or rejection. Sec. 10-222q. Social and Emotional Learning and School Climate Advisory Collaborative. Sec. 10-222r. Publication of plain language explanation of rights and remedies. Sec. 10-222s. Provision of training materials re prevention of and intervention in discrimination and harassment against students. Sec. 10-222t. Administration of social-emotional learning assessment. Sec. 10-222u. State-wide social-emotional support strategy. Sec. 10-222v. Social-emotional learning standards for grades four to twelve. Sec. 10-222w. Working group re bullying and safe school climate plans. Sec. 10-222x. Inclusion of 9-8-8 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number on student identification cards. Sec. 10-223. Separate high school accounts. Sec. 10-223a. Promotion and graduation policies. Basic skills necessary for graduation; assessment process. Secs. 10-223b to 10-223d. List of schools in need of improvement; process for improving school performance. Grants for schools in need of improvement. Identification of successful programs and methods. Sec. 10-223e. State-wide education accountability plan. State-wide performance management and support plan. Actions. Study of academic achievement. Reconstitution of boards of education. Sec. 10-223f. Use of charter school student performance data in the calculation of accountability index scores for alliance districts. Sec. 10-223g. On-line credit recovery program. On-line learning coordinator. Sec. 10-223h. Commissioner's network of schools. Turnaround committees. Operations and instructional audit. Turnaround plans. Reports. Sec. 10-223i. Contracts between boards of education and not-for-profit educational management organizations. Operations report. Enrollment policies. Sec. 10-223j. School governance councils. Sec. 10-223k. Department of Education to publish certain plans, rankings and formulas. Sec. 10-223l. Model school district responsibilities agreement. Sec. 10-223m. Adoption of policy to improve completion rates of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Sec. 10-223n. Publication of completion rates of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Sec. 10-224. Duties of the secretary. Sec. 10-225. Salaries of secretary and attendance officers. Sec. 10-226. Reports to Commissioner of Education. Sec. 10-226a. Documentation of pupils and teachers of racial minorities and pupils eligible for free or reduced price lunches. Sec. 10-226b. Existence of racial imbalance. Sec. 10-226c. Plan to correct imbalance. Sec. 10-226d. Approval of plan by state board. Sec. 10-226e. Regulations. Sec. 10-226f. Coordinator of intergroup relations. Sec. 10-226g. Intergroup relations training for teachers. Sec. 10-226h. Programs and methods to reduce racial, ethnic and economic isolation. Sec. 10-227. Returns of receipts, expenditures and statistics to Commissioner of Education. Verification mandated. Penalty. Sec. 10-228. Free textbooks, supplies, material and equipment. Sec. 10-228a. Free textbook loans to pupils attending nonpublic schools. Sec. 10-228b. Tax credits for donation of computers to schools. Sec. 10-229. Change of textbooks. Sec. 10-230. Flags in schoolrooms and schools. Policy on the reciting of the "Pledge of Allegiance". Sec. 10-230a. Employment of instructors of Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps programs. Sec. 10-230b. Exemplary veterans education program distinction. Sec. 10-231. Fire drills. Crisis response drills. Sec. 10-231a. Pesticide applications at schools: Definitions. Sec. 10-231b. Pesticide applications at schools: Authorized applications. Ban. Exceptions. Sec. 10-231c. Pesticide applications at schools without an integrated pest management plan. Prior notice. Sec. 10-231d. Pesticide applications at schools with an integrated pest management plan. Prior notice. Sec. 10-231e. Maintenance of heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. Sec. 10-231f. Indoor air quality committee. Sec. 10-231g. Green cleaning program at schools: Definitions. Implementation. Notice. Sec. 10-232. Restrictions on employment of members of board of education. Sec. 10-232a. Criminal history and child abuse and neglect registry records checks of applicants and employees of nongovernmental school operators. Termination or dismissal. Fingerprinting. Availability of information re applicant's history. Sec. 10-232b. Criminal history and child abuse and neglect registry records checks of students in teacher preparation programs. Fee waiver. Sec. 10-232c. Criminal history and child abuse and neglect registry records checks of persons who will perform service involving direct contact with students. Sec. 10-232d. Criminal history and child abuse and neglect registry records checks of certified school personnel. Denial of application for and revocation of certification. Sec. 10-233. Suspension of pupils. Sec. 10-233a. Definitions. Sec. 10-233b. Removal of pupils from class. Sec. 10-233c. Suspension of pupils. Sec. 10-233d. Expulsion of pupils. Sec. 10-233e. Notice as to disciplinary policies and action. Sec. 10-233f. In-school suspension of pupils. Reassignment. Sec. 10-233g. Reports of principals to police authority concerning physical assaults upon school employees by students. Sec. 10-233h. Arrested students. Reports by police, disclosure, confidentiality. Police testimony at expulsion hearings. Sec. 10-233i. Students placed on probation by a court. Sec. 10-233j. Student possession and use of telecommunication devices. Sec. 10-233k. Notification of school officials of potentially dangerous students. Provision of educational records of children returning to school from residential centers. Sec. 10-233l. Expulsion and suspension of children in preschool programs. Sec. 10-233m. Memorandum of understanding re school resource officers. Sec. 10-233n. Report re disaggregated school discipline data. Sec. 10-233o. Standards re alternative educational opportunities. Sec. 10-234. Expulsion of pupils.
Secs. 10-234a to 10-234z. Reserved
Sec. 10-234aa. Definitions. Sec. 10-234bb. Contracts between boards of education and contractors re student data. Requirements. Sec. 10-234cc. Requirements for operators re student data. Sec. 10-234dd. Duties re unauthorized release, disclosure or acquisition of student data. Sec. 10-234ee. Written guidance re Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and laws relating to student data privacy. Sec. 10-234ff. Uniform student data privacy terms-of-service agreement addendum. Sec. 10-234gg. Report re use of certain Internet web sites, online services or mobile applications without a contract. Sec. 10-235. Indemnification of teachers, board members, employees and certain volunteers and students in damage suits; expenses of litigation. Sec. 10-235a. Immunity from liability of internship providers. Sec. 10-236. Liability insurance. Sec. 10-236a. Indemnification of educational personnel assaulted in the line of duty. Sec. 10-236b. Physical restraint and seclusion of students by school employees. Sec. 10-236c. Behavior intervention meetings for certain students. Sec. 10-237. School activity funds. Sec. 10-238. Petition for hearing on questions relating to provision of education offered by the board of education. Sec. 10-239. Use of school facilities for other purposes. Sec. 10-239a. Demonstration scholarship program. Short title. Legislative intent. Sec. 10-239b. Definitions. Sec. 10-239c. Contract with federal agency for funds. Sec. 10-239d. Demonstration board and staff. Scholarships. Sec. 10-239e. Use of scholarships. Eligibility of schools. Sec. 10-239f. Collective bargaining by teachers. Sec. 10-239g. Evaluation of quality of education and satisfaction with schools under program. Sec. 10-239h. Liberal construction. Sec. 10-239i. Participation in the National Assessment of Educational Progress or other national or international assessment. Sec. 10-239j. Disclosure of accreditation reports. Notification requirements. Sec. 10-239k. Shared service agreements.
Sec. 10-218. Officers. Meetings. Each board of education shall, not later than one month after the date on which the newly elected members take office, elect from its number a chairperson and elect a secretary of such board and may prescribe their duties. The votes of each member of such board cast in such election shall be reduced to writing and made available for public inspection within forty-eight hours, excluding Saturday, Sunday or legal holidays, and shall also be recorded in the minutes of the meeting at which taken, which minutes shall be available for public inspection at all reasonable times. If such officers are not chosen after one month because of a tie vote of the members, the town council or, if there is no town council, the selectmen of the town shall choose such officers from the membership of the board. The chairperson of the board of education or, in case of such chairperson's absence or inability to act, the secretary shall call a meeting of the board at least once in six months and whenever such chairperson deems it necessary or is requested in writing so to do by three of its members. If no meeting is called within fourteen days after such a request has been made, one may be called by any three members by giving the usual written notice to the other members.

(1949 Rev., S. 1478; 1957, P.A. 165, S. 1; February, 1965, P.A. 202, S. 1; P.A. 78-136; 78-218, S. 142.)

History: 1965 act required election of board officers not later than one month after "date on which the newly elected members take office" rather than one month after the "annual or biennial election, as the case may be"; P.A. 78-136 deleted requirement that election of officers be "by ballot" but required that vote tally be put in writing, be made available for public inspection and be recorded in minutes; P.A. 78-218 substituted "chairperson" for "chairman" and also for masculine personal pronouns formerly used in section.

See Sec. 10-225 re salary of board secretary.

Town's power under former statute to pay school committeemen, not acting as school visitors, is limited to the secretary and treasurer of the school committee. 103 C. 424. Cited. 182 C. 93.

Sec. 10-218a. Oath of office. Members of boards of education shall, before entering upon their official duties, take the oath of office provided in section 1-25.

(1959, P.A. 76.)

Sec. 10-219. Procedure for filling vacancy on local board of education. If a vacancy occurs in the office of any member of the local board of education, unless otherwise provided by charter or special act, such vacancy shall be filled by the remaining members of said board until the next regular town election, at which election a successor shall be elected for the unexpired portion of the term, the official ballot specifying the vacancy to be filled.

(1949 Rev., S. 1500, 1502; 1953, S. 950d; 1967, P.A. 173; P.A. 81-257, S. 2, 10.)

History: 1967 act added qualifying phrase "unless otherwise provided by charter or special act"; P.A. 81-257 made filling of vacancy mandatory rather than optional unless otherwise provided by charter or special act by substituting "shall" for "may".

See Sec. 9-1 for applicable definitions.

Term "appointment" in Sec. 1-18a(e)(1) interpreted to include filling a vacancy as used in this section. 213 C. 216.

"Filling a vacancy" as used in section is an "appointment" within meaning of Sec. 1-18a(e)(1). 41 CS 267.

Sec. 10-220. Duties of boards of education. (a) Each local or regional board of education shall maintain good public elementary and secondary schools, implement the educational interests of the state, as defined in section 10-4a, and provide such other educational activities as in its judgment will best serve the interests of the school district; provided any board of education may secure such opportunities in another school district in accordance with provisions of the general statutes and shall give all the children of the school district, including children receiving alternative education, as defined in section 10-74j, as nearly equal advantages as may be practicable; shall provide an appropriate learning environment for all its students which includes (1) adequate instructional books, supplies, materials, equipment, staffing, facilities and technology, (2) equitable allocation of resources among its schools, (3) proper maintenance of facilities, and (4) a safe school setting; shall, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (f) of this section, maintain records of allegations, investigations and reports that a child has been abused or neglected by a school employee, as defined in section 53a-65, employed by the local or regional board of education; shall have charge of the schools of its respective school district; shall make a continuing study of the need for school facilities and of a long-term school building program and from time to time make recommendations based on such study to the town; shall adopt and implement an indoor air quality program that provides for ongoing maintenance and facility reviews necessary for the maintenance and improvement of the indoor air quality of its facilities; shall adopt and implement a green cleaning program, pursuant to section 10-231g, that provides for the procurement and use of environmentally preferable cleaning products in school buildings and facilities; on and after July 1, 2021, and every five years thereafter, shall report to the Commissioner of Administrative Services on the condition of its facilities and the action taken to implement its long-term school building program, indoor air quality program and green cleaning program, which report the Commissioner of Administrative Services shall use to prepare a report every five years that said commissioner shall submit in accordance with section 11-4a to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education; shall advise the Commissioner of Administrative Services of the relationship between any individual school building project pursuant to chapter 173 and such long-term school building program; shall have the care, maintenance and operation of buildings, lands, apparatus and other property used for school purposes and at all times shall insure all such buildings and all capital equipment contained therein against loss in an amount not less than eighty per cent of replacement cost; shall determine the number, age and qualifications of the pupils to be admitted into each school; shall develop and implement a written plan for minority educator recruitment for purposes of subdivision (3) of section 10-4a; shall employ and dismiss the teachers of the schools of such district subject to the provisions of sections 10-151 and 10-158a; shall designate the schools which shall be attended by the various children within the school district; shall make such provisions as will enable each child of school age residing in the district to attend some public day school for the period required by law and provide for the transportation of children wherever transportation is reasonable and desirable, and for such purpose may make contracts covering periods of not more than (A) five years, or (B) ten years if such contract includes transportation provided by at least one zero-emission school bus, as defined in 42 USC 16091(a)(8), as amended from time to time; may provide alternative education, in accordance with the provisions of section 10-74j, or place in another suitable educational program a pupil enrolling in school who is nineteen years of age or older and cannot acquire a sufficient number of credits for graduation by age twenty-one; may arrange with the board of education of an adjacent town for the instruction therein of such children as can attend school in such adjacent town more conveniently; shall cause each child five years of age and over and under eighteen years of age who is not a high school graduate and is living in the school district to attend school in accordance with the provisions of section 10-184, and shall perform all acts required of it by the town or necessary to carry into effect the powers and duties imposed by law.

(b) The board of education of each local or regional school district shall, with the participation of parents, students, school administrators, teachers, citizens, local elected officials and any other individuals or groups such board shall deem appropriate, prepare a statement of educational goals for such local or regional school district. The statement of goals shall be consistent with state-wide goals pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-4 and include goals for the integration of principles and practices of social-emotional learning and restorative practices in the program of professional development for the school district, in accordance with the provisions of section 10-148a, and career placement for students who do not pursue an advanced degree immediately after graduation. Each local or regional board of education shall annually establish student objectives for the school year which relate directly to the statement of educational goals prepared pursuant to this subsection and which identify specific expectations for students in terms of skills, knowledge and competence.

(c) Annually, each local and regional board of education shall submit to the Commissioner of Education a strategic school profile report for each school and school or program of alternative education, as defined in section 10-74j, under its jurisdiction and for the school district as a whole. The superintendent of each local and regional school district shall present the profile report at the next regularly scheduled public meeting of the board of education after each November first. The profile report shall provide information on measures of (1) student needs, including, but not limited to, a needs assessment that identifies resources necessary to address student trauma impacting students and staff in each school and adequately respond to students with mental, emotional or behavioral health needs, (2) school resources, including technological resources and utilization of such resources and infrastructure, (3) student and school performance, including in-school suspensions, out-of-school suspensions and expulsions, the number of truants, as defined in section 10-198a, and chronically absent children, as defined in section 10-198c, (4) the number of students enrolled in an adult high school credit diploma program, pursuant to section 10-69, operated by a local or regional board of education or a regional educational service center, (5) equitable allocation of resources among its schools, (6) reduction of racial, ethnic and economic isolation, (7) special education, and (8) school-based arrests, as defined in section 10-233n. For purposes of this subsection, measures of special education include (A) special education identification rates by disability, (B) rates at which special education students are exempted from mastery testing pursuant to section 10-14q, (C) expenditures for special education, including such expenditures as a percentage of total expenditures, (D) achievement data for special education students, (E) rates at which students identified as requiring special education are no longer identified as requiring special education, (F) the availability of supplemental educational services for students lacking basic educational skills, (G) the amount of special education student instructional time with nondisabled peers, (H) the number of students placed out-of-district, and (I) the actions taken by the school district to improve special education programs, as indicated by analyses of the local data provided in subparagraphs (A) to (H), inclusive, of this subdivision. The superintendent shall include in the narrative portion of the report information about parental involvement and any measures the district has taken to improve parental involvement, including, but not limited to, employment of methods to engage parents in the planning and improvement of school programs and methods to increase support to parents working at home with their children on learning activities. For purposes of this subsection, measures of truancy include the type of data that is required to be collected by the Department of Education regarding attendance and unexcused absences in order for the department to comply with federal reporting requirements and the actions taken by the local or regional board of education to reduce truancy in the school district. Such truancy data shall be considered a public record, as defined in section 1-200.

(d) (1) As used in this subsection:

(A) "Certified testing, adjusting and balancing technician" means a technician certified to perform testing, adjusting and balancing of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems by the Associated Air Balance Council, the National Environmental Balancing Bureau or the Testing, Adjusting and Balancing Bureau, or an individual training under the supervision of a Testing, Adjusting and Balancing Bureau certified technician or a person certified to perform ventilation assessments of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems through a certification body accredited by the American National Standards Institute;

(B) "Heating, ventilation and air conditioning system" means the equipment, distribution network, controls and terminals that provide, either collectively or individually, heating, ventilation or air conditioning to a building; and

(C) "Indoor air quality" has the same meaning as used by the United States Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration Standard Number 1910.1000 "OSHA Policy on Indoor Air Quality".

(2) Prior to January 1, 2008, and every three years thereafter, for every school building that is or has been constructed, extended, renovated or replaced on or after January 1, 2003, a local or regional board of education shall provide for a uniform inspection and evaluation program of the indoor air quality within such buildings, such as the Environmental Protection Agency's Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Program. The inspection and evaluation program shall include, but not be limited to, a review, inspection or evaluation of the following: (A) The heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; (B) radon levels in the air; (C) potential for exposure to microbiological airborne particles, including, but not limited to, fungi, mold and bacteria; (D) chemical compounds of concern to indoor air quality including, but not limited to, volatile organic compounds; (E) the degree of pest infestation, including, but not limited to, insects and rodents; (F) the degree of pesticide usage; (G) the presence of and the plans for removal of any hazardous substances that are contained on the list prepared pursuant to Section 302 of the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, 42 USC 9601 et seq.; (H) ventilation systems; (I) plumbing, including water distribution systems, drainage systems and fixtures; (J) moisture incursion; (K) the overall cleanliness of the facilities; (L) building structural elements, including, but not limited to, roofing, basements or slabs; (M) the use of space, particularly areas that were designed to be unoccupied; and (N) the provision of indoor air quality maintenance training for building staff. Local and regional boards of education conducting evaluations pursuant to this subsection shall make available for public inspection the results of the inspection and evaluation at a regularly scheduled board of education meeting and on the board's or each individual school's web site.

(3) Prior to January 1, 2024, and every five years thereafter, a local or regional board of education shall provide for a uniform inspection and evaluation of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system within each school building under its jurisdiction. Such inspection and evaluation shall be performed by a certified testing, adjusting and balancing technician, an industrial hygienist certified by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene or the Board for Global EHS Credentialing, or a mechanical engineer. Such heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems inspection and evaluation shall include, but need not be limited to: (A) Testing for maximum filter efficiency, (B) physical measurements of outside air delivery rate, (C) verification of the appropriate condition and operation of ventilation components, (D) measurement of air distribution through all system inlets and outlets, (E) verification of unit operation and that required maintenance has been performed in accordance with the most recent indoor ventilation standards promulgated by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, (F) verification of control sequences, (G) verification of carbon dioxide sensors and acceptable carbon dioxide concentrations indoors, and (H) collection of field data for the installation of mechanical ventilation if none exist. The ventilation systems inspection and evaluation shall identify to what extent each school's current ventilation system components, including any existing central or noncentral mechanical ventilation system, are operating in such a manner as to provide appropriate ventilation to the school building in accordance with most recent indoor ventilation standards promulgated by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. The inspection and evaluation shall result in a written report, and such report shall include any corrective actions necessary to be performed to the mechanical ventilation system or the heating, ventilation and air conditioning infrastructure, including installation of filters meeting the most optimal level of filtration available for a given heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, installation of carbon dioxide sensors and additional maintenance, repairs, upgrades or replacement. Any such corrective actions shall be performed, where appropriate, by a contractor, who is licensed in accordance with chapter 393. Any local or regional board of education conducting an inspection and evaluations pursuant to this subsection shall make available for public inspection the results of such inspection and evaluation at a regularly scheduled meeting of such board and on the Internet web site of such board and on the Internet web site, if any, of each individual school. A local or regional board of education shall not be required to provide for a uniform inspection and evaluation under this subdivision for any school building that will cease to be used as a school building within the three years from when such inspection and evaluation is to be performed.

(e) Each local and regional board of education shall establish a school district curriculum committee. The committee shall recommend, develop, review and approve all curriculum for the local or regional school district.

(1949 Rev., S. 1501; 1949, 1953, 1955, S. 957d; February, 1965, P.A. 574, S. 11; 1969, P.A. 690, S. 4; P.A. 78-218, S. 143; P.A. 79-128, S. 11, 36; P.A. 80-166, S. 1; P.A. 84-460, S. 3, 16; P.A. 85-377, S. 5, 13; P.A. 86-333, S. 11, 32; P.A. 90-324, S. 4, 13; P.A. 93-353, S. 28, 31, 52; P.A. 94-245, S. 9, 46; P.A. 95-182, S. 6, 11; P.A. 96-26, S. 2, 4; 96-244, S. 17, 63; 96-270, S. 1, 11; P.A. 97-290, S. 21, 29; P.A. 98-168, S. 8, 26; 98-243, S. 19, 25; 98-252, S. 13, 38, 80; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1, S. 115, 121; P.A. 00-157, S. 3, 8; P.A. 01-173, S. 19, 67; P.A. 03-220, S. 1, 2; P.A. 04-26, S. 4; P.A. 06-158, S. 5; 06-167, S. 1; P.A. 08-153, S. 6; P A. 09-81, S. 2; 09-143, S. 1; 09-220, S. 6; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-6, S. 54; P.A. 10-71, S. 4; P.A. 11-85, S. 6; 11-93, S. 6; 11-136, S. 10, 17; P.A. 12-120, S. 4; P.A. 13-247, S. 200; P.A. 15-133, S. 3, 4; 15-168, S. 3; 15-225, S. 4; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2, S. 84; P.A. 18-34, S. 7; P.A. 19-58, S. 2; P.A. 21-46, S. 13; 21-95, S. 11; P.A. 22-25, S. 12; 22-47, S. 20; 22-118, S. 369.)

History: 1965 act substituted Sec. 10-158a for repealed Sec. 10-158; 1969 act added requirement that boards of education "implement the educational interests of the state as defined in section 10-4a"; P.A. 78-218 substituted "school district" for "town" throughout, specified applicability of provisions to local and regional, rather than town, boards and required attendance of children "seven years of age and over and under sixteen" rather than "between the ages of seven and sixteen"; P.A. 79-128 added Subsec. (b) re statement of goals by local and regional boards; P.A. 80-166 amended Subsec. (b) to require first attestation that programs are based on state goals "on September 1, 1982" rather than "in 1981"; P.A. 84-460 amended Subsec. (a) requiring that boards insure all buildings and all capital equipment against loss in an amount not less than 80% of replacement cost; P.A. 85-377 substituted commissioner of education for state board; P.A. 86-333 amended Subsec. (b) to extend from July 1, 1986, to July 1, 1987, the date when boards of education are to begin reviewing and updating the statement of goals; P.A. 90-324 added Subsec. (c) re strategic school profile reports; P.A. 93-353 provisions requiring local or regional board to submit the statement of goals to the state board of education, state board to review the statement and approve the statement as it pertains to the state-wide goals, local or regional board to review and if necessary update the statement of goals every five years and submit such statement to the state board and state board to review and approve the statement as it pertains to the state-wide goals, and removed obsolete language and added Subsec. (d) concerning a report to the state board of education on educational goals and student objectives and the development of a comprehensive professional development plan, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 94-245 amended Subsec. (c)(1) to change the dates from May first to November first, effective June 2, 1994; P.A. 95-182 amended Subsec. (a) to remove a requirement that local and regional boards of education attest to the Commissioner of Education that program offerings and instruction are based on educational goals and student objectives and deleted Subsec. (d) re reports concerning the statement of educational goals and student objectives and the development and implementation of professional development plans, effective June 28, 1995; P.A. 96-26 amended Subsec. (a) to authorize placement of certain older pupils in alternative school programs or other suitable educational programs, effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 96-244 amended Subsec. (c) to delete obsolete language of Subdiv. (2), deleted Subdiv. (1) designation and replaced Subparas. with Subdivs., effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 96-270 amended Subsec. (a) to add the requirement to advise the Commissioner of Education of the relationship between any individual school building project and the long-term school building program, effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 97-290 amended Subsec. (a) to add provisions re an appropriate learning environment, report on the condition of facilities and action taken to implement the long-term building program and the annual report by the commissioner to the General Assembly, and added Subsec. (c)(4) and (5) re equitable allocation of resources and re reduction of racial, ethnic and economic isolation, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-168 amended Subsec. (c) to add provisions re special education, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 98-243 amended Subsec. (a) to lower the age requirement for school attendance from 7 to 5, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 98-252 amended Subsec. (a) to add requirement for a written plan for minority staff recruitment and to make a technical change and amended Subsec. (c) to remove November date for report and in Subdiv. (2) specified technological resources and utilization of such resources and infrastructure, effective July 1, 1998; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 00-157 amended Subsec. (a) to change the reference to the school attendance age from "sixteen years of age" to "eighteen years of age who is not a high school graduate", effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 01-173 amended Subsec. (a) to make a technical change for the purposes of gender neutrality, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 03-220 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provisions re maintenance of facilities and indoor air quality and making technical changes and added Subsec. (d) re indoor air quality inspection and evaluation program, effective July 1, 2003; P.A. 04-26 made a technical change in Subsec. (d)(5), effective April 28, 2004; P.A. 06-158 amended Subsec. (a) by changing annual reporting on facility conditions to biennial reporting, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 06-167 amended Subsec. (c) by adding language re parental involvement, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 08-153 added Subsec. (e) re establishment of curriculum committee, effective July 1, 2008; P.A. 09-81 amended Subsec. (a) by adding language re green cleaning program and amended Subsec. (d) by adding language requiring inspection results to be posted on the board's or individual school's web site; P.A. 09-143 amended Subsec. (c) by adding language re truancy data, effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 09-220 amended Subsec. (d)(2) by deleting requirement that inspection and evaluation program include evaluation of radon levels in the water; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-6 amended Subsec. (c) by adding new Subdiv. (4) re number of students enrolled in adult high school credit diploma program and redesignating existing Subdivs. (4) to (6) as Subdivs. (5) to (7), effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 10-71 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective May 18, 2010; P.A. 11-85 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing "develop" with "annually establish" and adding "for the school year" re student objectives and expectations, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-93 inserted provision in Subsec. (a) and added Subsec. (f) re maintenance of records of allegations, investigations and reports of child abuse and neglect by a school employee, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-136 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing references to biennial with references to triennial re report on long-term school building program, indoor air quality program and green cleaning program and amended Subsec. (c) by adding provision re actions taken by board of education to reduce truancy in district, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 12-120 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing "Commissioner of Education" with "Commissioner of Construction Services" and making a technical change, effective June 15, 2012; pursuant to P.A. 13-247, "Commissioner of Construction Services" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Commissioner of Administrative Services" in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 15-133 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provisions re alternative education, replacing reference to alternative school program with reference to alternative education and making conforming changes, and amended Subsec. (c) by adding provision re submission of strategic school profile report for each school or program of alternative education, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 15-168 amended Subsec. (c) by adding "in-school suspensions, out-of-school suspensions and expulsions" in Subdiv. (3), adding Subdiv. (8) re school-based arrests, replacing "for purposes of chapter 14" with "as defined in section 1-200", and making a technical change, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 15-225 amended Subsec. (c)(3) by replacing "truancy" with "the number of truants, as defined in section 10-198a, and chronically absent children, as defined in section 10-198c", effective July 1, 2015; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing references to triennial with references to every 5 years and replacing "2011" with "2021" re report on long-term school building program, indoor air quality program and green cleaning program, effective October 31, 2017; P.A. 18-34 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing "minority staff recruitment" with "minority educator recruitment", effective July 1, 2018; P.A. 19-58 amended Subsec. (b) to add provision re goals for career placement for students who do not pursue advanced degree immediately after graduation, effective July 1, 2019; P.A. 21-46 amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision re integration of principles and practices of social-emotional learning in program of professional development, effective July 1, 2021; P.A. 21-95 made identical changes as P.A. 21-46 and added "and restorative practices", effective July 1, 2021; P.A. 22-25 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subpara. designator (A) re 5 years and adding Subpara. (B) re 10 years if contract includes transportation by at least 1 zero-emission school bus; P.A. 22-47 amended Subsec. (c)(1) by adding provision re needs assessment that identifies resources necessary to address student trauma and adequately respond to students with mental, emotional or behavioral health needs, effective July 1, 2022; P.A. 22-118 amended Subsec. (d) by adding new Subdiv. (1) re definitions of "certified testing, adjusting and balancing technician", "heating, ventilation and air conditioning system" and "indoor air quality", designating existing provisions re uniform inspection and evaluation program of indoor air quality as Subdiv. (2) and amended same by redesignating existing Subdivs. (1) to (14) as Subparas. (A) to (N), adding Subdiv. (3) re uniform inspection and evaluation of heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, effective July 1, 2022.

See Sec. 10-4b re complaint procedure where failure or inability of board of education to implement educational interests of state is alleged.

Powers conferred and duties imposed by former statute construed. 65 C. 183. Former statute cited. 77 C. 195. Town may defend action brought against committee for official acts under former statute; duties as to moral fitness of teachers. 79 C. 240. Former statute held not to repeal provision in city charter. 82 C. 124. Control of town over committee under former statute. Id., 566. Former "school committee" was agent of law and not of the town. 99 C. 695. Cited. 129 C. 191; 134 C. 616; 143 C. 488. Actions of board, within confines of its powers, not subject to control of city common council or officers; if land devoted to school purposes, held city could not condemn it for a highway without approval of school committee. 147 C. 478. Section must be read with Sec. 10-186 re furnishing of transportation for school children, and it comprehends not only distance but safety factors. 148 C. 238. Number of teaching positions, need of curriculum coordinator and maintenance of school properties were matters within discretion of school board. 151 C. 1. Cited. 152 C. 148-150. Ability of board to perform its statutory duties not destroyed by requirement of town charter that it select nonprofessional employees under civil service requirements. Id., 568. Cited. 153 C. 283; 162 C. 568. Town boards of education, in matters not involving strictly budgetary concerns, act as agents of the state; under powers to "employ and dismiss" teachers, town boards of education can determine contested cases. 167 C. 368. Town, by referendum, could delegate its power of eminent domain to board of education which had authority to exercise it. 168 C. 135. Cited. 170 C. 38; Id., 318; 174 C. 522; 180 C. 96; 182 C. 93; Id., 253; 187 C. 187; 193 C. 93; 195 C. 24; 205 C. 116; 217 C. 110; 228 C. 640; Id., 699; 237 C. 169; 238 C. 1.

Cited. 6 CA 212; 44 CA 179. There is no statutorily mandated exception to residency requirement for displacement due to natural disaster, however board has discretion to interpret this section and Sec. 10-186 in such manner. 138 CA 677.

Elements justifying indemnification of a board member. 9 CS 442. Cited. 15 CS 370. Boards of education may discontinue or unite schools; history of section reviewed. 16 CS 339. Board as agent of the state. 19 CS 158. Boards of education may accord problem of racial imbalance relevance in making decisions. 26 CS 124. Cited. 27 CS 339. Extension of a "project concern" contract made by board of education of Milford with board of New Haven is an administrative decision to be made by board as agency of the state under its authority set out in Secs. 10-220 to 10-239 and board of aldermen was enjoined from holding an advisory referendum of voters as this would be an unlawful expenditure of city funds. 28 CS 207. School boards are agents of the state, not subject to recall under a municipal charter. 29 CS 201. Cited. 30 CS 63. The Connecticut education system violates Art. I, Sec. 20 and Art. VIII, Sec. 1 of the Connecticut Constitution. 31 CS 379. Relationship between boards of education and municipal budget authorities; extent of municipal obligation to finance education. 32 CS 132. Cited. 34 CS 115; 35 CS 55; 36 CS 293. Local board of education is not acting as agent of the state and not entitled to sovereign immunity when acting to recover damages arising from construction of school building. 40 CS 141. Cited. 44 CS 527.

Subsec. (a):

Town charter that allows for separate referenda for town's operating budget and education budget and that allows voters to reject the budgets three times does not rise to the level of a veto and does not violate state statute and policy concerning education. 268 C. 295.

Context of community orientation of family discussed in determining place of residence for purposes of school attendance. 34 CA 567.

Sec. 10-220a. In-service training. Professional development and evaluation committees. Institutes for educators. Cooperating teacher program, regulations. (a) Each local or regional board of education shall provide an in-service training program for its teachers, administrators and pupil personnel who hold the initial educator, provisional educator or professional educator certificate. Such program shall provide such teachers, administrators and pupil personnel with information on (1) the nature and the relationship of alcohol and drugs, as defined in subdivision (17) of section 21a-240, to health and personality development, and procedures for discouraging their abuse, (2) health and mental health risk reduction education that includes, but need not be limited to, the prevention of risk-taking behavior by children and the relationship of such behavior to substance abuse, pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV-infection and AIDS, as defined in section 19a-581, violence, teen dating violence, domestic violence and child abuse, (3) school violence prevention, conflict resolution, the prevention of and response to youth suicide and the identification and prevention of and response to bullying, as defined in subsection (a) of section 10-222d, except that those boards of education that implement any evidence-based model approach that is approved by the Department of Education and is consistent with subsection (c) of section 10-145a, sections 10-222d, 10-222g and 10-222h, subsection (g) of section 10-233c and sections 1 and 3 of public act 08-160*, shall not be required to provide in-service training on the identification and prevention of and response to bullying, (4) cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other emergency life saving procedures, (5) the requirements and obligations of a mandated reporter, (6) the detection and recognition of, and evidence-based structured literacy interventions for, students with dyslexia, as defined in section 10-3d, (7) culturally responsive pedagogy and practice, including, but not limited to, the video training module relating to implicit bias and anti-bias in the hiring process in accordance with the provisions of section 10-156hh, and (8) the principles and practices of social-emotional learning and restorative practices. Each local or regional board of education may allow any paraprofessional or noncertified employee to participate, on a voluntary basis, in any in-service training program provided pursuant to this section.

(b) Not later than a date prescribed by the commissioner, each local and regional board of education shall establish a professional development and evaluation committee. Such professional development and evaluation committee shall consist of (1) at least one teacher, as defined in subsection (a) of section 10-144d, selected by the exclusive bargaining representative for certified employees chosen pursuant to section 10-153b, (2) at least one administrator, as defined in subsection (a) of section 10-144e, selected by the exclusive bargaining representative for certified employees chosen pursuant to section 10-153b, and (3) such other school personnel as the board deems appropriate. The duties of such committees shall include, but not be limited to, participation in the development or adoption of a teacher evaluation and support program for the district, pursuant to section 10-151b, and the development, evaluation and annual updating of a comprehensive local professional development plan for certified employees of the district. Such plan shall: (A) Be directly related to the educational goals prepared by the local or regional board of education pursuant to subsection (b) of section 10-220, (B) on and after July 1, 2021, be developed with full consideration of the priorities and needs related to student social-emotional learning and restorative practices, in accordance with the provisions of section 10-148a, and student academic outcomes as determined by the State Board of Education, (C) provide for the ongoing and systematic assessment and improvement of both teacher evaluation and professional development of the professional staff members of each such board, including personnel management and evaluation training or experience for administrators, and (D) be related to regular and special student needs and may include provisions concerning career incentives and parent involvement. The State Board of Education shall develop guidelines to assist local and regional boards of education in determining the objectives of the plans and in coordinating staff development activities with student needs and school programs. For the school year commencing July 1, 2022, and each school year thereafter, such committees shall develop, evaluate and annually update a comprehensive local professional development plan for paraeducators of the district in accordance with the provisions of this subsection.

(c) The Department of Education, in cooperation with one or more regional educational service centers, is authorized to provide institutes annually for Connecticut educators. Such institutes shall serve as model programs of professional development and shall be taught by exemplary Connecticut teachers and administrators and by other qualified individuals as selected by the Department of Education. The Department of Education shall charge fees for attending such institutes provided such fees shall be based on the actual cost of such institutes.

(P.A. 73-632, S. 4, 5; P.A. 75-211, S. 2; P.A. 78-218, S. 144; P.A. 82-75, S. 1, 2; P.A. 84-314, S. 1, 2; P.A. 85-377, S. 6, 13; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 86-1, S. 10, 58; P.A. 87-352, S. 1, 2; 87-499, S. 13, 29, 34; P.A. 88-96, S. 1, 2; 88-273, S. 5, 6, 9; 88-360, S. 24, 63; P.A. 89-137, S. 10, 14; 89-168, S. 4; P.A. 90-324, S. 10, 11, 13; 90-325, S. 7, 32; P.A. 91-220, S. 7, 8; 91-264, S. 1, 2; 91-303, S. 19, 22; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-7, S. 9, 22; P.A. 93-23; 93-353, S. 29, 52; P.A. 94-221, S. 5; P.A. 95-101, S. 2; 95-182, S. 7, 11; 95-259, S. 21, 32; P.A. 96-244, S. 53, 63; P.A. 97-45, S. 2; 97-61, S. 2; P.A. 98-243, S. 20, 25; P.A. 00-220, S. 10, 43; P.A. 03-76, S. 16; 03-174, S. 3; 03-211, S. 6; P.A. 04-227, S. 1; P.A. 06-192, S. 2; P.A. 08-107, S. 1; 08-160, S. 6; June 19 Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-1, S. 16; P.A. 10-91, S. 1; P.A. 11-48, S. 285; 11-93, S. 5; 11-127, S. 3; 11-136, S. 2; 11-232, S. 5; P.A. 12-116, S. 43, 56; 12-173, S. 3; P.A. 13-3, S. 64; 13-31, S. 17; 13-245, S. 2; P.A. 15-97, S. 3; 15-108, S. 10; 15-215, S. 11; 15-232, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 292; P.A. 17-14, S. 5; 17-37, S. 2; 17-202, S. 20; P.A. 18-139, S. 5; P.A. 19-100, S. 2; P.A. 21-46, S. 12; 21-95, S. 10; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 383; P.A. 22-118, S. 258.)

*Note: Sections 1 and 3 of public act 08-160 are special in nature and therefore have not been codified but remain in full force and effect according to their terms.

History: P.A. 75-211 included instruction re alcohol and its effects in in-service training programs and health education programs; P.A. 78-218 specified applicability of provisions to local and regional boards in Subsecs. (a) and (b), deleted phrase "of every school district" and deleted September 1, 1974, deadline for establishment of programs in said Subsecs. and deleted Subsec. (c) re policy statements on procedures to deal with drug sales or use; P.A. 82-75 deleted Subsec. (b) which had required development of an ongoing program on drug and alcohol abuse; P.A. 84-314 added new Subsecs. (b) and (c) re development of plans to provide for the ongoing and systematic professional development of the professional staff members of boards of education and annual institutes to be held by the state department of education; P.A. 85-377 substituted commissioner of education for state board; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 86-1 added Subsec. (d) re cooperating teacher program and institutes and beginning teacher program; P.A. 87-352 included certified teachers at approved private special education facilities in the cooperating teacher and teacher mentor programs and made a technical change in Subsec. (d); P.A. 87-499 in Subsec. (c) provided that the institutes be provided in cooperation with one or more regional educational service centers and amended Subsec. (d) to provide that funding be in cooperation with one or more regional educational service centers and that the programs pay stipends that institutes be for teacher mentors in Subdiv. (2) and made technical changes; P.A. 88-96 added a reference to the Connecticut Humanities Council in Subsec. (d); P.A. 88-273 in Subsec. (d) added "who are Connecticut public school teachers" and provided that after July 1, 1989, the cooperating teacher and beginning teacher programs operate in accordance with regulations, that for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1989, selection of teachers be made pursuant to Subsec. (e) added by the same act rather than based on state guidelines, that all provisions concerning teacher negotiation law, Secs. 10-153a to 10-153n, inclusive, not apply to certain aspects of participation in the program and that the state board of education protect and save harmless certain persons and added Subsec. (e) re cooperating teacher and teacher mentor selection, placement and compensation for the fiscal years up to and including the fiscal year ending June 30, 1989; P.A. 88-360 in Subsec. (d)(2) added that the institutes be for Connecticut public school teachers, in Subsec. (d)(3) added that the beginning teacher program be for "other qualified persons approved by the commissioner of education" and that it be for persons who serve as assessors for beginning teachers and provided for the selection of qualified persons by the commissioner of education and made a technical change; P.A. 89-137 in Subsec. (d) provided that the Connecticut Humanities Council cooperate in offering continuing education institutes and not in offering the cooperating teacher program and the beginning teacher support and assessment program, substituted "educators" for "teachers" as persons for whom continuing education institutes are to be provided and provided that funds available under the subsection be paid directly to school districts for specified purposes; P.A. 89-168 changed the name from "standard" certificate to "professional educator" certificate and added a new Subdiv. (2) which includes information on health and mental issues affecting children, including child abuse and youth suicide as component of in-service training program; P.A. 90-324 in Subsec. (a) substituted "pupil personnel" for "guidance personnel", added "educator" after "initial" and "provisional" and required the commissioner of education rather than the state board of education to approve the program and in Subsec. (b) added administrators and their bargaining representatives as persons who may advise boards of education on the development of five-year plans and added that such plans may include provisions concerning career incentives and parent involvement in Subdiv. (1) and added new Subdiv. (2) re comprehensive professional development plans; P.A. 90-325 added Subsec. (a)(3) re providing of information as to the growth and development of exceptional children, in Subsec. (d) provided that certain private special education facilities be approved by the commissioner of education, rather than the state board of education, that teachers at facilities designated by the commissioner be able to participate in the cooperating teacher and beginning teacher support and assessment programs and added that the institutes in Subdiv. (2) be for assessors and that funds available under the subsection are for professional development activities for assessors, deleted Subsec. (e) re cooperating teachers and teacher mentors and made technical changes; P.A. 91-220 replaced requirement that program be approved by the commissioner with requirement that it be submitted to the commissioner in Subsec. (a); P.A. 91-264 in Subsec. (c) added language concerning the charging of fees; P.A. 91-303 in Subsec. (b)(2) added provision for submission of a plan on and after April 1, 1994, and provided for revision of plans every five years rather than every three years; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-7 amended Subsec. (d) to remove provision for stipends for teachers who train student teachers and for mentors, added specific requirements pertaining to beginning teacher support and assessment programs and added provision regarding different requirements than those specified in regulations for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1992; P.A. 93-23 amended Subsec. (a) to add risk reduction education language; P.A. 93-353 amended Subsec. (b)(2) to delete requirement that the plan be developed by April 1, 1991, and substituted "a date prescribed by the commissioner" and that the plan be a three-year plan and that it be submitted to the commissioner of education, changed the date for implementation of the plan and removed language on the development and submission of another plan by April 1, 1994, added requirement that the plan be directly related to the educational goals prepared by the local or regional board and removed requirement that the local or regional board review and revise its plan every five years and submit it to the commissioner, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 94-221 added Subsec. (a)(4) re school violence prevention and conflict resolution; P.A. 95-101 amended Subsec. (a) to add provision concerning Holocaust education and awareness; P.A. 95-182 amended Subsec. (b) to remove former Subdiv. (1) re development of five-year professional development plans, deleting Subdiv. (2) designator, effective June 28, 1995; P.A. 95-259 added Subsec. (a)(5) re cardiopulmonary resuscitation, effective July 6, 1995; P.A. 96-244 added Subsec. (a)(6) re computer and other information technology, effective June 6, 1996; P.A. 97-45 amended Subsec. (a) to add provision concerning the Great Famine in Ireland; P.A. 97-61 amended Subsec. (a) to expand the list of topics for in-service training programs by adding 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. 98-243 added Subsec. (a)(7) re teaching of language arts, reading and reading readiness, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 00-220 amended Subsec. (a) to remove a requirement to submit the program to the Commissioner of Education, effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 03-76 made technical changes in Subsecs. (c) and (d), effective June 3, 2003; P.A. 03-174 amended Subsec. (d) by deleting provision allowing for less than six observations, substituting provisions requiring assessment by educators with teaching experience in same field for provision not requiring assessment by teacher with certification endorsement in same field and making a technical change, effective July 1, 2003; P.A. 03-211 amended Subsec. (a)(3) by including children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or learning disabilities, effective July 1, 2003; P.A. 04-227 added Subsec. (a)(8) re second language acquisition, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 06-192 amended Subsec. (d) by making technical changes and adding language re placement in other countries, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 08-107 amended Subsec. (d) to eliminate provisions re beginning teacher support and assessment program, effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 08-160 amended Subsec. (a)(4) to add language re prevention of bullying, effective July 1, 2009 (Revisor's note: In 2009, a reference to "Board of Governors for Higher Education" in Subsec. (d) was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Board of Governors of Higher Education" for accuracy); June 19 Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-1 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing provision re development of professional development plan with provision re establishment and duties of professional development committee, by designating existing provisions re educational goals and assessment and improvement of teacher evaluation and professional development as Subdivs. (1) and (3) and adding Subdiv. (2) re priorities and needs related to student outcomes, and by making conforming changes, effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 10-91 amended Subsec. (a) by adding "teen dating violence, domestic violence" in Subdiv. (2), adding provision re allowing paraprofessionals and noncertified employees to participate in in-service training programs, adding new Subpara. (G) re domestic violence and teen dating violence and redesignating existing Subpara. (G) as Subpara. (H), effective July 1, 2010; pursuant to P.A. 11-48, "Board of Governors of Higher Education" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Board of Regents for Higher Education" in Subsec. (d), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-93 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (9) re information on requirements and obligations of mandated reporter, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-127 amended Subsec. (d) by including certified teachers at nonpublic schools as persons eligible to participate in cooperating teacher programs, adding provisos re nonpublic school teachers to pay for cost of participation in program and enrollment in program to be available first to public school teachers, adding exception re funds for program not to be paid to nonpublic schools for professional development activities and making conforming changes, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-136 amended Subsec. (a) by adding "and genocide" to provisions re Holocaust education and awareness in Subpara. (A), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-232 amended Subsec. (a)(4) by adding language re prevention and response to youth suicide and identification of and response to bullying, adding "that is approved by the Department of Education" re evidence-based model approach and making conforming changes, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 12-116 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (10) re teacher evaluation and support program and amended Subsec. (d)(2) by replacing references to continuing education with references to professional development, effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 12-173 amended Subsec. (a)(3) by adding provision re implementation of student individualized education programs, effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 13-3 amended Subsec. (a)(4) by making a technical change and amended Subsec. (a)(9) by adding new Subpara. (H) re mental health first aid training and redesignating existing Subpara. (H) as Subpara. (I), effective April 4, 2013; P.A. 13-31 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective May 28, 2013 (Revisor's note: In Subsec. (a)(10), a reference to "developed" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "adopted" to conform with change made by P.A. 13-245); P.A. 13-245 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting reference to Sec. 10-220a(a) and replacing "developed" with "adopted" and amended Subsec. (b) by replacing "professional development committee" with "professional development and evaluation committee", replacing "of" with "selected by" and adding provision re participation or adoption of teacher evaluation and support program, effective July 2, 2013; P.A. 15-97 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (11) re detection and recognition of and interventions for students with dyslexia, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 15-108 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision, codified by the Revisors as Subdiv. (12), re cultural competency, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 15-215 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing existing language re membership of committee with new Subdivs. (1) to (3) re membership of committee and redesignating existing Subdivs. (1) to (3) as Subparas. (A) to (C), effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 15-232 amended Subsec. (a) by adding new Subpara. (I) re trauma-informed practice training, and redesignating existing Subpara. (I) as Subpara. (J); June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 amended Subsec. (a) by adding new Subpara. (J) re second language acquisition and redesignating existing Subpara. (J) as Subpara. (K), effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 17-14 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing reference to Sec. 10-145a(d) with reference to Sec. 10-145a(c) in Subdiv. (4), and replacing reference to Sec. 10-145a(i) with reference to Sec. 10-145a(h) in Subdiv. (12), effective July 1, 2017; P.A. 17-37 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting "and youth suicide" in Subdiv. (2), deleting former Subdiv. (3) re growth and development of exceptional children, redesignating existing Subdivs. (4) and (5) as Subdivs. (3) and (4), deleting former Subdivs. (6) to (8) re computer and other information technology, teaching of language arts, and second language acquisition, respectively, redesignating existing Subdiv. (9) re mandated reporter as Subdiv. (5), deleting Subdiv. (10) re teacher evaluation and support program, redesignating existing Subdiv. (11) re literacy interventions for students with dyslexia as Subdiv. (6), deleting Subdiv. (12) re cultural competency, and deleting Subparas. (A) to (K) re various subjects that State Board shall assist and encourage boards of education to include as part of in-service training, effective July 1, 2017; P.A. 17-202 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing "handicapped and" with "children with a disability" in Subdiv. (3); P.A. 18-139 made technical changes in Subsec. (a), effective June 11, 2018; P.A. 19-100 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (7) re culturally responsive pedagogy and practice and making a conforming change, effective July 1, 2019; P.A. 21-46 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing "July 1, 2011" with "July 1, 2021", adding provision re student social-emotional learning and replacing "student outcomes" with "student academic outcomes" in Subpara. (B), deleting "shall" in Subpara. (C), designating existing provision re regular and special student needs as Subpara. (D) and making a conforming change, effective July 1, 2021; P.A. 21-95 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (8) re principles and practices of social-emotional learning and restorative practices, and amended Subsec. (b) by replacing "July 1, 2011" with "July 1, 2021", adding provision re student social-emotional learning and restorative practices and replacing "student outcomes" with "student academic outcomes" in Subpara. (B), deleting "shall" in Subpara. (C), designating existing provision re regular and special student needs as Subpara. (D) and making a conforming change, effective July 1, 2021; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 amended Subsec. (a)(7) by adding provision re video training module relating to implicit bias and anti-bias in hiring process, effective July 1, 2021; P.A. 22-118 amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision re committee to develop, evaluate and annually update a comprehensive local professional development plan for paraeducators, effective July 1, 2022.

See Sec. 10-373aa re Connecticut Humanities Council.

Sec. 10-220b. Policy statement on drugs. Section 10-220b is repealed.

(P.A. 78-218, S. 145; P.A. 87-499, S. 33, 34.)

(b) No town, or local or regional board of education or member thereof nor the school bus owner or operator authorized thereby shall be liable to any person for personal injuries received while being transported to or from school or school activities on a private road in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, provided the proximate cause of such injuries was the negligent construction or maintenance of such private road.

(P.A. 78-201.)

Cited. 239 C. 769.

Sec. 10-220d. Student recruitment by regional and interdistrict specialized schools and programs. Recruitment of athletes prohibited. Information re and notice of availability of certain schools and education centers. Each local and regional board of education shall provide full access to technical education and career schools, regional agricultural science and technology education centers, interdistrict magnet schools, charter schools and interdistrict student attendance programs for the recruitment of students attending the schools under the board's jurisdiction, provided such recruitment is not for the purpose of interscholastic athletic competition. Each local and regional board of education shall provide information relating to technical education and career schools, regional agricultural science and technology education centers, interdistrict magnet schools, charter schools, alternative high schools and interdistrict student attendance programs on the board's web site. Each local and regional board of education shall require school counselors to provide information to students and parents of students in middle and high schools within such board's jurisdiction of the availability of (1) vocational, technical, technological and postsecondary education and training at technical education and career schools, and (2) agricultural science and technology education at regional agricultural science and technology education centers, and publish such information on the Internet web site of such board.

(P.A. 97-39, S. 1; P.A. 98-252, S. 70, 80; P.A. 01-173, S. 20, 67; P.A. 08-152, S. 7; 08-170, S. 25; Oct. Sp. Sess. P.A. 11-1, S. 33; P.A. 12-116, S. 14; P.A. 17-237, S. 74; P.A. 22-125, S. 3.)

History: P.A. 98-252 substituted requirement for full access for requirement to provide an opportunity for recruitment, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 01-173 made a technical change, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 08-152 and 08-170 changed "vocational agriculture" to "agricultural science and technology education", effective July 1, 2008; Oct. Sp. Sess. P.A. 11-1 added provision re informing students and parents of availability of education and training at regional vocational-technical schools and regional agricultural science and technology education centers, effective October 27, 2011; P.A. 12-116 replaced references to regional vocational-technical schools with references to technical high schools and added provision re information relating to technical high schools, regional agricultural science and technology education centers, magnet schools, charter schools, alternative high schools and interdistrict student attendance programs to be provided on the board's web site, effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 17-237 replaced "technical high schools" with "technical education and career schools", and added "and postsecondary" and made a conforming change in Subdiv. (1), effective July 1, 2017; P.A. 22-125 replaced "shall inform" with "shall require school counselors to provide information to" and added ", and publish such information on the Internet web site of such board", effective July 1, 2022.

Sec. 10-220e. Foster children count. Section 10-220e is repealed, effective July 1, 2000.

(P.A. 98-252, S. 66, 80; P.A. 00-220, S. 42, 43.)

Sec. 10-220f. Safety committee. Each local and regional board of education may establish a school district safety committee to increase staff and student awareness of safety and health issues and to review the adequacy of emergency response procedures at each school. Parents and high school students shall be included in the membership of such committees.

(P.A. 98-252, S. 67, 80.)

History: P.A. 98-252 effective July 1, 1998.

See Sec. 10-231f re authority of safety committees to address indoor air quality issues.

Sec. 10-220g. Policy on calculation of students' grade point averages. Each local and regional board of education shall establish, and update as necessary, a written policy concerning the manner in which students' grade point averages are calculated, including whether such grade point average is weighted or not weighted. The policy shall provide that parents and students are advised as to whether a grade in an honors class, advanced placement class, International Baccalaureate program, Cambridge International program, dual enrollment, dual credit or early college is or is not given added weight for purposes of calculating grade point average and determining class rank.

(P.A. 99-81; P.A. 21-199, S. 13.)

History: P.A. 21-199 added ", and update as necessary", replaced "weighted grading for honors and advanced placement classes" with "the manner in which students' grade point averages are calculated, including whether such grade point average is weighted or not weighted", added ", International Baccalaureate program, Cambridge International program, dual enrollment, dual credit or early college" and made technical and conforming changes, effective July 1, 2021.

Sec. 10-220h. Transfer of student records. (a) When a student enrolls in a school in a new school district or in a new state charter school, the new school district or new state charter school shall provide written notification of such enrollment to the school district in which the student previously attended school or the state charter school the student previously attended not later than two business days after the student enrolls. The school district in which the student previously attended school or the state charter school that the student previously attended (1) shall transfer the student's education records to the new school district or new state charter school no later than ten days after receipt of such notification, and (2) if the student's parent or guardian did not give written authorization for the transfer of such records, shall send notification of the transfer to the parent or guardian at the same time that it transfers the records.

(b) In the case of a student placed in any juvenile justice facility and any incarcerated student being educated under the oversight of the administrative unit established pursuant to section 17a-3b, the Commissioner of Children and Families shall immediately upon placement of such student in such facility or under incarceration, inform the student's previous school of such placement. The school district in which the student previously attended school or the state charter school that the student previously attended shall, not later than five days after notification of such placement or incarceration, transfer the student's education records to the administrative unit.

(d) The new school district or new state charter school shall, not later than thirty days after receiving the student's education records, credit the student for all instruction received in Unified School District #1, Unified School District #2 or the administrative unit established pursuant to section 17a-3b.

(P.A. 00-220, S. 1, 43; P.A. 06-192, S. 1; P.A. 07-38, S. 1; P.A. 08-50, S. 1; P.A. 11-115, S. 2; P.A. 21-174, S. 7; P.A. 22-42, S. 3.)

History: P.A. 00-220 effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 06-192 added language re transfer of records from Unified School District #1 and receipt of credit for instruction received in said district, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 07-38 added language re notification of enrollment by new school district in the case of a transfer from Unified School District #1, effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 08-50 added language re state charter schools, effective July 1, 2008; P.A. 11-115 added language re notification of enrollment not later than 2 business days after student enrolls, added language re Unified School District #2 and made a technical change, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 21-174 designated existing provision re written notification of student enrolling in school in new district or in new state charter school as Subsec. (a), added Subsec. (b) re notification of previous school for certain students, designated existing provision re student who transfers from Unified School District #1 or #2 as Subsec. (c) and amended same to replace not later than 10 days after enrollment with immediate notification and replace not later than 10 days after notification re transfer of records to not later than 5 days, designated existing provision re crediting student for instruction received as Subsec. (d), and added references to education unit established pursuant to Sec. 17a-3b, effective October 1, 2022; P.A. 22-42 amended Subsecs. (b) to (d) by substituting "administrative unit" for "education unit".

Sec. 10-220i. Transportation of students carrying cartridge injectors. No local or regional board of education shall deny a student access to school transportation solely due to such student's need to carry a cartridge injector while traveling on a vehicle used for school transportation. For purposes of this section, "cartridge injector" means an automatic prefilled cartridge injector or similar automatic injectable equipment used to deliver epinephrine in a standard dose for emergency first aid response to allergic reactions.

(P.A. 03-211, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 03-211 effective July 1, 2003.

Sec. 10-220j. Blood glucose self-testing by children. Guidelines. (a) No local or regional board of education may prohibit blood glucose self-testing by children with diabetes who have a written order from a physician or an advanced practice registered nurse stating the need and the capability of such child to conduct self-testing. No local or regional board of education may restrict the time and location of blood glucose self-testing by a child with diabetes on school grounds who has written authorization from a parent or guardian and a written order from a physician or an advanced practice registered nurse stating that such child is capable of conducting self-testing on school grounds.

(b) The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Public Health, shall develop guidelines for policies and practices with respect to blood glucose self-testing by children pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. Such guidelines shall not be construed as regulations within the scope of chapter 54.

(P.A. 03-211, S. 7; P.A. 12-198, S. 1; P.A. 16-39, S. 7.)

History: P.A. 03-211 effective July 1, 2003; P.A. 12-198 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting reference to advanced practice registered nurse and adding prohibition re restricting time and location of blood glucose self-testing on school grounds, effective June 15, 2012; P.A. 16-39 amended Subsec. (a) by adding references to advanced practice registered nurse.

Sec. 10-220k. Disclosure of educational records re student confined in residential facility. In the case of a student confined pursuant to court order to a state-operated residential facility or community residential facility, the local or regional board of education of the town where the student attends school or the charter school that the student attends shall, upon request of the residential facility, disclose the student's educational records to personnel at such facility. Records disclosed pursuant to this section shall be used for the sole purpose of providing the student with educational services. Such disclosure shall be made pursuant to the provisions of 34 CFR 99.38 without the prior written consent of the student's parent or guardian. If the student's parent or guardian did not give prior written consent for the disclosure of such records, the local or regional board of education or the charter school shall send notification of such disclosure to the parent or guardian at the same time that it discloses the records. The student's educational records may not be further disclosed without a court order or the written consent of the student's parent or guardian.

(P.A. 11-57, S. 20; P.A. 21-104, S. 6.)

History: P.A. 21-104 replaced "detention" with "residential", effective January 1, 2022.

Sec. 10-220 l. Qualified personnel to monitor school swimming pool. School swimming pool safety plan. (a) For purposes of this section:

(1) "School swimming pool" means any swimming pool approved for use by a local or regional board of education for student aquatic activities;

(2) "Student aquatic activities" means any physical education class, interscholastic athletics or extracurricular activities offered to students by a local or regional board of education that makes use of a school swimming pool;

(3) "Qualified swimming coach" means any person who (A) holds a valid coaching permit issued by the State Board of Education, and (B) (i) is certified as a lifeguard by the American Red Cross or another nationally recognized organization that conducts aquatic training programs, (ii) has completed a safety training for swim coaches and instructors course offered by the American Red Cross or an organization approved by the State Board of Education, or (iii) was certified as a lifeguard for at least five years during the previous ten years and has at least five years' experience as a swimming coach or an instructor of a physical education course that makes use of a school swimming pool;

(4) "Qualified educator" means any person who (A) holds a valid certificate issued by the State Board of Education, pursuant to section 10-145b, with an endorsement in physical education, (B) (i) is certified as a lifeguard by the American Red Cross or another nationally recognized organization that conducts aquatic training programs, (ii) has completed a safety training course for swim coaches and instructors offered by the American Red Cross or an organization approved by the State Board of Education, or (iii) was certified as a lifeguard for at least five years during the previous ten years and has at least five years' experience as a swimming coach or an instructor of a physical education course that makes use of a school swimming pool, (C) is certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, pursuant to section 19a-113a, and (D) has completed a course in first aid offered by the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association, the Department of Public Health, any director of health or an organization using guidelines for first aid published by the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross;

(5) "Qualified lifeguard" means any person who (A) is sixteen years of age or older, (B) is certified as a lifeguard by the American Red Cross or another nationally recognized organization that conducts aquatic training programs, (C) is certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, pursuant to section 19a-113a, and (D) has completed a course in first aid offered by the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association, the Department of Public Health, any director of health or an organization using guidelines for first aid published by the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross.

(b) For the school year commencing July 1, 2013, in addition to the person responsible for conducting any student aquatic activity that makes use of a school swimming pool, there shall be at least one qualified educator, qualified swimming coach or qualified lifeguard who shall be solely responsible for monitoring such school swimming pool during such student aquatic activities for swimmers who may be in distress and providing assistance to such swimmers when necessary.

(c) For the school year commencing July 1, 2014, and each school year thereafter, no local or regional board of education shall offer a physical education course that makes use of a school swimming pool unless there is at least one qualified educator who shall serve as the instructor of such physical education course and be responsible for implementing the provisions of the school swimming pool safety plan developed pursuant to subsection (f) of this section, and at least one qualified educator, qualified swimming coach or qualified lifeguard whose primary responsibility is to monitor the school swimming pool for swimmers who may be in distress and provide assistance to such swimmers when necessary.

(d) For the school year commencing July 1, 2014, and each school year thereafter, no local or regional board of education shall permit any student to participate in any interscholastic athletic activity that makes use of a school swimming pool unless there is at least one qualified swimming coach who shall serve as a coach of such participating students and be responsible for implementing the provisions of the school swimming pool safety plan, developed pursuant to subsection (f) of this section, and at least one qualified educator, qualified swimming coach or qualified lifeguard whose primary responsibility is to monitor the school swimming pool for swimmers who may be in distress and provide assistance to such swimmers when necessary.

(e) For the school year commencing July 1, 2014, and each school year thereafter, no local or regional board of education shall offer any extracurricular activity that makes use of a school swimming pool unless there is at least one qualified lifeguard who shall (1) monitor the school swimming pool for swimmers who may be in distress and provide assistance to such swimmers when necessary, and (2) be responsible for implementing the provisions of the school swimming pool safety plan developed pursuant to subsection (f) of this section.

(f) Not later than July 1, 2014, each local or regional board of education that offers student aquatic activities at a school swimming pool shall adopt a school swimming pool safety plan that ensures compliance with this section and includes any other provisions deemed necessary and appropriate for ensuring the safety of students who use such school swimming pool for student aquatic activities. Such school swimming pool safety plan shall be reviewed and updated as necessary prior to the commencement of each school year.

(P.A. 13-161, S. 1; P.A. 19-105, S. 5.)

History: P.A. 13-161 effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 19-105 amended Subdiv. (4) to redefine "qualified educator", and amended Subdiv. (5) to redefine "qualified lifeguard", effective July 1, 2019.

Sec. 10-220m. Review of transportation arrangements of special needs students. Not later than January 1, 2016, and annually thereafter, each local and regional board of education shall review the transportation arrangements of their special needs students, both in and out of district, and make the appropriate changes to ensure the safe transportation of the students, which may involve placing school bus monitors or cameras on the vehicles used for such transportation.

(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 226.)

History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 effective June 30, 2015.

Secs. 10-220n and 10-220o. Reserved for future use.

Sec. 10-220p. Materials provided to students when discussing career options. Guidance counselors and school counselors may provide materials concerning manufacturing, military and law enforcement careers when discussing career options with students.

(P.A. 19-58, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 19-58 effective July 1, 2019.

(b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require a local or regional board of education to publish or provide a class ranking for any student or to publish on a student's transcript the grade point average calculated pursuant to subsection (a) of this section or whether such student is above or below the minimum class rank percentile established by the Board of Regents for Higher Education pursuant to subsection (e) of section 10a-11h.

(c) For the school year commencing July 1, 2022, and each school year thereafter, each local and regional board education shall notify each student enrolled in his or her final year of high school, and the parent or guardian of such student, whether such student may be admitted to at least one participating institution under the Connecticut Automatic Admissions Program based on the academic threshold established by such institution pursuant to subsection (e) of section 10a-11h.

(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 258.)

History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 effective July 1, 2021.

Sec. 10-221. Boards of education to prescribe rules, policies and procedures. (a) As used in this section, "remote learning" means instruction by means of one or more Internet-based software platforms as part of a remote learning model.

(b) Boards of education shall prescribe rules for the management, studies, classification and discipline of the public schools and, subject to the control of the State Board of Education, the textbooks to be used; shall make rules for the control, within their respective jurisdictions, of school library media centers, including Internet access and content, and approve the selection of books and other educational media therefor, and shall approve plans for public school buildings and superintend any high or graded school in the manner specified in this title.

(c) Each local and regional board of education shall develop, adopt and implement written policies concerning homework, attendance, promotion and retention. The Department of Education shall make available model policies and guidelines to assist local and regional boards of education in meeting the responsibilities enumerated in this subsection.

(d) Boards of education may prescribe rules to impose sanctions against pupils who damage or fail to return textbooks, library materials or other educational materials. Said boards may charge pupils for such damaged or lost textbooks, library materials or other educational materials and may withhold grades, transcripts or report cards until the pupil pays for or returns the textbook, library book or other educational material.

(e) Each local and regional board of education shall develop, adopt and implement policies and procedures in conformity with section 10-154a for (1) dealing with the use, sale or possession of alcohol or controlled drugs, as defined in subdivision (8) of section 21a-240, by public school students on school property, including a process for coordination with, and referral of such students to, appropriate agencies, and (2) cooperating with law enforcement officials. On and after January 1, 2022, no such policies and procedures shall result in a student facing greater discipline, punishment or sanction for use, sale or possession of cannabis than a student would face for the use, sale or possession of alcohol.

(f) Each local and regional board of education shall adopt a written policy and procedures for dealing with youth suicide prevention and youth suicide attempts. Each such board of education may establish a student assistance program to identify risk factors for youth suicide, procedures to intervene with such youths, referral services and training for teachers and other school professionals and students who provide assistance in the program.

(g) (1) Each local and regional board of education shall develop, adopt and implement written policies and procedures to encourage parent-teacher communication. These policies and procedures may include monthly newsletters, required regular contact with all parents, flexible parent-teacher conferences, drop-in hours for parents, home visits and the use of technology such as homework hot lines to allow parents to check on their children's assignments and students to receive assistance if needed. Such policies and procedures shall require the district to conduct two flexible parent-teacher conferences for each school year.

(2) For the school year commencing July 1, 2021, and each school year thereafter, the policies and procedures described in subdivision (1) of this subsection shall require the district to (A) offer parents the option of attending any parent-teacher conference by telephonic, video or other conferencing platform, (B) conduct one parent-teacher conference, in addition to those required pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, during periods when such district provides remote learning for more than three consecutive weeks, and one additional parent-teacher conference every six months thereafter for the duration of such period of remote learning, and (C) request from each student's parent the name and contact information of an emergency contact person who may be contacted if the student's parent cannot be reached to schedule a parent-teacher conference required pursuant to subparagraph (B) of this subdivision.

(3) On and after January 1, 2022, such policies and procedures shall require (A) a teacher conducting a parent-teacher conference required pursuant to subparagraph (B) of subdivision (2) of this subsection to provide a copy of the document developed pursuant to section 10-10h to the parent prior to the parent-teacher conference, and (B) if a teacher is unable to make contact with a student's parent in order to schedule a parent-teacher conference required pursuant to subparagraph (B) of subdivision (2) of this subsection after making three attempts, such teacher shall report such inability to the school principal, school counselor or other school administrator designated by the local or regional board of education. Such principal, counselor or administrator shall contact any emergency contact person designated by the student's parent pursuant to subparagraph (C) of subdivision (2) of this subsection to ascertain such student and family's health and safety.

(1949 Rev., S. 1479; P.A. 78-218, S. 146; P.A. 80-32, S. 2, 3; P.A. 81-257, S. 3, 10; P.A. 82-137, S. 1, 2; P.A. 84-275, S. 1, 2; P.A. 87-499, S. 14, 34; P.A. 89-168, S. 2; P.A. 90-133, S. 2; P.A. 97-290, S. 14, 29; P.A. 03-76, S. 17; P.A. 06-196, S. 64; P.A. 10-32, S. 28; 10-111, S. 29; P.A. 15-215, S. 17; P.A. 21-46, S. 14; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-1, S. 19; June Sp. Sess. 21-2, S. 390.)

History: P.A. 78-218 substituted "public school buildings" for "schoolhouses"; P.A. 80-32 substituted "library media centers" for "libraries" and included reference to "other educational media" to reflect increased scope of libraries; P.A. 81-257 added Subsec. (b) authorizing boards to prescribe rules to impose sanctions against pupils who damage or fail to return textbooks and library and other educational materials; P.A. 82-137 made permissive rather than mandatory the adoption of rules to impose sanctions against pupils who fail to return or damage textbooks; P.A. 84-275 added new Subsec. (b) re written policies concerning homework, attendance, promotion and retention, relettering former Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (c); P.A. 87-499 added new Subsec. (d) concerning policies and procedures re alcohol and controlled drugs; P.A. 89-168 added Subsec. (e) requiring each local and regional board of education to adopt a written policy and procedures for dealing with youth suicide prevention and youth suicide attempts; P.A. 90-133 in Subsec. (d) extended the deadline for the implementation of policies and procedures from July 1, 1988, to July 1, 1991, and added that the procedures include a process for coordination with appropriate agencies; P.A. 97-290 added Subsec. (f) re parent-teacher communication, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 03-76 made a technical change in Subsec. (b), effective June 3, 2003; P.A. 06-196 made a technical change in Subsec. (e), effective June 7, 2006; P.A. 10-32 made technical changes in Subsec. (d), effective May 10, 2010; P.A. 10-111 amended Subsec. (f) by adding provision re 2 flexible parent-teacher conferences per school year, effective July 1, 2010; P.A. 15-215 amended Subsec. (a) by adding "including Internet access and content", effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 21-46 added new Subsec. (a) defining "virtual learning", redesignated existing Subsecs. (a) to (f) as Subsecs. (b) to (g), amended redesignated Subsecs. (c), (e) and (f) by deleting references to July 1, 1985, July 1, 1991, July 1, 1990, respectively, amended redesignated Subsec. (g) by designating existing provisions as Subdiv. (1) and amending same to delete reference to September 1, 1998, replacing "get assistance" with "receive assistance" and deleting "For the school year commencing July 1, 2010, and each school year thereafter, such", adding Subdiv. (2) re certain requirements re parent-teacher conferences, and adding Subdiv. (3) re provision of document developed pursuant to Sec. 10-10h and reporting of inability to schedule parent-teacher conference, and making conforming changes effective July, 1 2021; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-1 amended Subsec. (d), codified by the Revisors as Subsec. (e), by adding provision re policies and procedures on and after January 1, 2022, re discipline, punishment or sanction for use, sale or possession of cannabis by student; June Sp. Sess. 21-2 redefined "virtual learning" as "remote learning" and replaced "an in-person" with "a" in the definition, and replaced "virtual learning" with "remote learning", effective July 1, 2021.

Cited. 152 C. 148. Effect of Teacher Negotiation Act on educational policy. 162 C. 577. Cited. 193 C. 93; 218 C. 1.

Board of education is agent of the state and not of the town in maintenance and management of public schools. 19 CS 158. Cited. 29 CS 397; 30 CS 63; 35 CS 55.

Sec. 10-221a. High school graduation requirements. Student support and remedial services. Excusal from physical education requirement. Diplomas for certain veterans and certain persons assisting in the war effort during World War II. Student success plans. Connecticut State Seal of Biliteracy. (a) For classes graduating from 1988 to 2003, inclusive, no local or regional board of education shall permit any student to graduate from high school or grant a diploma to any student who has not satisfactorily completed a minimum of twenty credits, not fewer than four of which shall be in English, not fewer than three in mathematics, not fewer than three in social studies, not fewer than two in science, not fewer than one in the arts or vocational education and not fewer than one in physical education.

(b) For classes graduating from 2004 to 2022, inclusive, no local or regional board of education shall permit any student to graduate from high school or grant a diploma to any student who has not satisfactorily completed a minimum of twenty credits, not fewer than four of which shall be in English, not fewer than three in mathematics, not fewer than three in social studies, including at least a one-half credit course on civics and American government, not fewer than two in science, not fewer than one in the arts or vocational education and not fewer than one in physical education.

(c) Commencing with classes graduating in 2023, and for each graduating class thereafter, no local or regional board of education shall permit any student to graduate from high school or grant a diploma to any student who has not satisfactorily completed a minimum of twenty-five credits, including not fewer than: (1) Nine credits in the humanities, including civics and the arts; (2) nine credits in science, technology, engineering and mathematics; (3) one credit in physical education and wellness; (4) one credit in health and safety education, as described in section 10-16b; (5) one credit in world languages, subject to the provisions of subsection (g) of this section; and (6) a one credit mastery-based diploma assessment.

(d) Commencing with classes graduating in 2023, and for each graduating class thereafter, local and regional boards of education shall provide adequate student support and remedial services for students beginning in grade seven. Such student support and remedial services shall provide alternate means for a student to complete any of the high school graduation requirements described in subsection (c) of this section, if such student is unable to satisfactorily complete any of the required courses or exams. Such student support and remedial services shall include, but not be limited to, (1) allowing students to retake courses in summer school or through an on-line course; (2) allowing students to enroll in a class offered at a constituent unit of the state system of higher education, as defined in section 10a-1, pursuant to subdivision (4) of subsection (g) of this section; (3) allowing students who received a failing score, as determined by the Commissioner of Education, on an end of the school year exam to take an alternate form of the exam; and (4) allowing those students whose individualized education programs state that such students are eligible for an alternate assessment to demonstrate competency on any of the five core courses through success on such alternate assessment.

(e) Any student who presents a certificate from a physician or advanced practice registered nurse stating that, in the opinion of the physician or advanced practice registered nurse, participation in physical education is medically contraindicated because of the physical condition of such student, shall be excused from the physical education requirement, provided the credit for physical education may be fulfilled by an elective.

(f) Determination of eligible credits shall be at the discretion of the local or regional board of education, provided the primary focus of the curriculum of eligible credits corresponds directly to the subject matter of the specified course requirements. The local or regional board of education may permit a student to graduate during a period of expulsion pursuant to section 10-233d, if the board determines the student has satisfactorily completed the necessary credits pursuant to this section. The requirements of this section shall apply to any student requiring special education pursuant to section 10-76a, except when the planning and placement team for such student determines the requirement not to be appropriate. For purposes of this section, a credit shall consist of not less than the equivalent of a forty-minute class period for each school day of a school year except for a credit or part of a credit toward high school graduation earned (1) at an institution accredited by the Board of Regents for Higher Education or Office of Higher Education or regionally accredited, (2) through on-line coursework that is in accordance with a policy adopted pursuant to subsection (g) of this section, or (3) through a demonstration of mastery based on competency and performance standards, in accordance with guidelines adopted by the State Board of Education.

(g) Only courses taken in grades nine to twelve, inclusive, and that are in accordance with the state-wide subject matter content standards, adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to section 10-4, shall satisfy the graduation requirements set forth in this section, except that a local or regional board of education may grant a student credit (1) toward meeting the high school graduation requirements upon the successful demonstration of mastery of the subject matter content described in this section achieved through educational experiences and opportunities that provide flexible and multiple pathways to learning, including cross-curricular graduation requirements, career and technical education, virtual learning, work-based learning, service learning, dual enrollment and early college, courses taken in middle school, internships and student-designed independent studies, provided such demonstration of mastery is in accordance with such state-wide subject matter content standards; (2) toward meeting a specified course requirement upon the successful completion in grade seven or eight of any course, the primary focus of which corresponds directly to the subject matter of a specified course requirement in grades nine to twelve, inclusive; (3) toward meeting the high school graduation requirement upon the successful completion of a world language course (A) in grade six, seven or eight, (B) through on-line coursework, or (C) offered privately through a nonprofit provider, provided such student achieves a passing grade on an examination prescribed, within available appropriations, by the Commissioner of Education and such credits do not exceed four; (4) toward meeting the high school graduation requirement upon achievement of a passing grade on a subject area proficiency examination identified and approved, within available appropriations, by the Commissioner of Education, regardless of the number of hours the student spent in a public school classroom learning such subject matter; (5) toward meeting the high school graduation requirement upon the successful completion of coursework during the school year or summer months at an institution accredited by the Board of Regents for Higher Education or Office of Higher Education or regionally accredited. One three-credit semester course, or its equivalent, at such an institution shall equal one-half credit for purposes of this section; or (6) toward meeting the high school graduation requirement upon the successful completion of on-line coursework, provided the local or regional board of education has adopted a policy in accordance with this subdivision for the granting of credit for on-line coursework. Such a policy shall ensure, at a minimum, that (A) the workload required by the on-line course is equivalent to that of a similar course taught in a traditional classroom setting, (B) the content is rigorous and aligned with curriculum guidelines approved by the State Board of Education, where appropriate, (C) the course engages students and has interactive components, which may include, but are not limited to, required interactions between students and their teachers, participation in on-line demonstrations, discussion boards or virtual labs, (D) the program of instruction for such on-line coursework is planned, ongoing and systematic, and (E) the courses are (i) taught by teachers who are certified in the state or another state and have received training on teaching in an on-line environment, or (ii) offered by institutions of higher education that are accredited by the Board of Regents for Higher Education or Office of Higher Education or regionally accredited.

(h) A local or regional board of education may offer one-half credit in community service which, if satisfactorily completed, shall qualify for high school graduation credit pursuant to this section, provided such community service is supervised by a certified school administrator or teacher and consists of not less than fifty hours of actual service that may be performed at times when school is not regularly in session and not less than ten hours of related classroom instruction. For purposes of this section, community service does not include partisan political activities. The State Board of Education shall assist local and regional boards of education in meeting the requirements of this section. The State Board of Education shall award a community service recognition award to any student who satisfactorily completes fifty hours or more of community service in accordance with the provisions of this subsection.

(2) A local or regional board of education may award a diploma to any person who (A) withdrew from high school prior to graduation to work in a job that assisted the war effort during World War II, December 7, 1941, to December 31, 1946, inclusive, (B) did not receive a diploma as a consequence of such work, and (C) has been a resident of the state for at least fifty consecutive years.

(3) (A) A local or regional board of education under whose jurisdiction a student would otherwise be attending school if such student were not educated under the oversight of the education unit of the Department of Children and Families established pursuant to section 17a-3b, shall award a diploma to any such student seventeen years of age or older who satisfactorily completes the minimum credits required pursuant to this section for students graduating in the year in which such diploma is awarded.

(B) If no such local or regional board of education can be identified, the Department of Children and Families shall determine whether a student educated under the oversight of the education unit of the department who is seventeen years of age or older has satisfactorily completed the minimum credits required pursuant to this section for students graduating in the year in which a diploma is sought by such student and the department shall award a diploma to any such student who has met such requirement.

(j) For the school year commencing July 1, 2012, and each school year thereafter, each local and regional board of education shall create a student success plan for each student enrolled in a public school, beginning in grade six. Such student success plan shall include a student's career and academic choices in grades six to twelve, inclusive. Beginning in grade six, such student success plan shall provide evidence of career exploration in each grade including, but not limited to, careers in manufacturing. The Department of Education shall revise and issue to local and regional boards of education guidance regarding changes to such student success plans. On and after July 1, 2020, in creating such student success plans, consideration shall be given to career and academic choices in computer science, science, technology, engineering and mathematics. On and after July 1, 2021, such student success plans shall be created, if possible, in collaboration with each student and the parent or guardian of such student. On and after July 1, 2022, such student success plans shall, to the extent it does not conflict with the career choices of the student or such student's parent or guardian, include an academic plan that is in compliance with the challenging curriculum policy adopted by the local or regional board of education pursuant to section 10-221x.

(k) Commencing with classes graduating in 2018, and for each graduating class thereafter, a local or regional board of education may affix the Connecticut State Seal of Biliteracy, as described in subsection (f) of section 10-5, to a diploma awarded to a student who has achieved a high level of proficiency in English and one or more foreign languages, as defined in said subsection (f). The local or regional board of education shall include on such student's transcript a designation that the student received the Connecticut State Seal of Biliteracy.

(P.A. 83-282; P.A. 84-297, S. 1, 2; P.A. 85-96, S. 1, 2; 85-613, S. 120, 154; P.A. 86-333, S. 12, 32; P.A. 88-136, S. 11, 37; P.A. 93-111, S. 1, 2; P.A. 95-182, S. 8, 11; P.A. 96-26, S. 3, 4; P.A. 00-124, S. 1, 2; 00-156; 00-187, S. 69, 75; P.A. 08-138, S. 1; P.A. 10-111, S. 16; P.A. 11-17, S. 1; 11-28, S. 14; 11-48, S. 285; 11-135, S. 1, 2; P.A. 12-156, S. 10; 12-173, S. 8; 12-197, S. 22; P.A. 13-57, S. 1; 13-108, S. 1; 13-118, S. 14; 13-122, S. 17; 13-247, S. 189; P.A. 15-237, S. 1; P.A. 17-29, S. 2; 17-42, S. 1; P.A. 18-47, S. 7; P.A. 19-58, S. 3; 19-128, S. 11; P.A. 21-79, S. 8; 21-144, S. 10; 21-174, S. 5; 21-199, S. 4.)

History: P.A. 84-297 amended Subsec. (a) to establish a state-wide twenty credit requirement for graduation effective for classes graduating in 1988 and thereafter; to state the minimum number of credits to be earned in English, mathematics, social studies, science, the arts or vocational education and physical education and to allow the local or regional board of education to determine what is an eligible credit for purposes of fulfilling the requirement; P.A. 85-96 amended Subsec. (a) to permit an exception to the course requirement for graduation, allowing local or regional boards to grant a student credit toward a specified course requirement upon the successful completion in grade seven or eight of any course, the primary focus of which corresponds directly to the subject matter of a specified course requirement in grades nine to twelve, but specifying that students must complete at least twenty credits in grades nine to twelve, notwithstanding the grant of such credit; P.A. 85-613 made technical change; P.A. 86-333 made provision in Subsec. (a) for credit for coursework earned at institutions of higher education to satisfy high school graduation requirements; P.A. 88-136 deleted obsolete provisions in Subsec. (a) re students graduating in 1987; P.A. 93-111 amended Subsec. (a) to add provisions on community service, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-182 deleted former Subsec. (b) concerning report to the General Assembly on graduation requirements, effective June 28, 1995; P.A. 96-26 added provision allowing expelled students to graduate if they have completed the necessary credits and deleted provision requiring that twenty credits toward graduation be completed in grades nine through twelve, effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 00-124 added new provision, designated as Subsec. (g), re diplomas for veterans of World War II, effective May 29, 2000; P.A. 00-156, effective October 1, 2000, and 00-187, effective July 1, 2000, both divided the existing section into Subsecs., adding new provisions as Subsec. (b) to require that classes graduating in 2004 and thereafter have at least one-half credit in civics and American government; P.A. 08-138 amended Subsec. (e) by adding new Subdiv. (2) re world language course and Subdiv. (3) re subject area approved by commissioner and redesignating existing Subdiv. (2) as Subdiv. (4), effective July 1, 2008; P.A. 10-111 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing "Commencing with classes graduating in 2004, and for each graduating class thereafter" with "For classes graduating from 2004 to 2017, inclusive", added new Subsec. (c) re graduation requirements beginning with classes graduating in 2018, added new Subsec. (d) re student support and remedial services, redesignated existing Subsecs. (c) to (g) as Subsecs. (e) to (i), amended redesignated Subsec. (f) by adding provision re on-line coursework, amended redesignated Subsec. (g) by adding "the successful", by adding Subparas. (A) and (B) and designating existing provision re nonprofit provider as Subpara. (C) in Subdiv. (2), by adding Subdiv. (5) re on-line coursework and by adding Subdiv. (6) re board examination series, and added Subsec. (j) re collection of student information, effective July 1, 2010; P.A. 11-17 amended Subsec. (i) by adding provision re Korean hostilities and making a conforming change, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-28 made a technical change in Subsec. (j), effective June 3, 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 Subsecs. (f) and (g), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-135 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing "2017" with "2019", amended Subsecs. (c) and (d) by replacing "2018" with "2020" and amended Subsec. (j) by adding language re student success plan and making conforming changes, effective July 8, 2011; P.A. 12-156 amended Subsecs. (f) and (g) by adding references to State Board of Education re accreditation, effective June 15, 2012; P.A. 12-173 amended Subsec. (d)(4) by replacing "individualized education plans" with "individualized education programs", effective June 15, 2012; P.A. 12-197 amended Subsec. (e) by adding provision allowing certification by an advanced practice registered nurse; P.A. 13-57 amended Subsec. (i) to allow the awarding of diplomas for veterans of the Vietnam Era, effective June 3, 2013; P.A. 13-108 amended Subsec. (f) by adding Subdiv. (3) re demonstration of mastery based on competency and performance standards, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 13-118 amended Subsecs. (f) and (g) to replace "State Board of Education" with "Office of Higher Education", effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 13-122 amended Subsec. (i) by designating existing provisions as Subdiv. (1) and amending same by replacing "left" with "withdrew from" and adding Subdiv. (2) re diplomas for persons assisting in the war effort during World War II, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 13-247 amended Subsec. (g) by making a technical change and replacing "board examination series" with "academic advancement program" in Subdiv. (6), effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 15-237 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing "2019" with "2020", amended Subsecs. (c) and (d) by replacing "2020" with "2021", amended Subsec. (g) by making a technical change and, in Subdiv. (4), by adding "during the school year or summer months", amended Subsec. (h) by adding provision re community service recognition award, and amended Subsec. (i) by adding "subsection (a) of" re references to Sec. 27-103, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 17-29 added Subsec. (k) re Connecticut State Seal of Biliteracy, effective July 1, 2017; P.A. 17-42 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing "2020" with "2022", amended Subsec. (c) by replacing provisions re graduation requirements with provisions re same, amended Subsec. (d) by replacing "2021" with "2023" and deleting "or end of the school year examinations", and amended Subsec. (g) by adding provision re state-wide subject matter content standards, adding new Subdiv. (1) re successful demonstration of mastery of subject matter content and redesignating existing Subdivs. (1) to (6) as Subdivs. (2) to (7), effective July 1, 2017; P.A. 18-47 amended Subsec. (i)(1) to add provision re person with qualifying condition and discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable and to make technical changes; P.A. 19-58 amended Subsec. (j) to add provisions re student success plan to provide evidence of career exploration in each grade and department to revise and issue guidance to boards of education re changes to student success plans, effective July 1, 2019; P.A. 19-128 amended Subsec. (j) by adding provision re on and after July 1, 2020 consideration to be given to career and academic choices in computer science, science, technology, engineering and mathematics, effective July 1, 2019; P.A. 21-79 amended Subsec. (i) by deleting reference to person with qualifying condition; P.A. 21-144 amended Subsec. (g) by deleting former Subdiv. (7) re successful completion of academic advancement program and making a conforming change, effective July 1, 2021; P.A. 21-174 amended Subsec. (i) by adding Subdiv. (3) re a student under oversight of education unit of Department of Children and Families, effective October 1, 2022; P.A. 21-199 amended Subsec. (j) by adding provisions re student success plans created in collaboration with each student and parent or guardian and including academic plan in compliance with challenging curriculum policy, effective July 1, 2021; (Revisor's note: In 2023, the language deleted by P.A. 21-79, S. 8, was removed editorially by the Revisors in the version of Subsec. (i), as amended by P.A. 21-174, S. 5, that became effective on October 1, 2022).

See 10-16b re prescribed courses of study.

Cited. 195 C. 24; 238 C. 1.

Sec. 10-221b. Boards of education to establish written uniform policy re treatment of recruiters. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, all public high schools and any private high school which receives state funds shall, subject to the provisions of subdivision (11) of subsection (b) of section 1-210, provide the same directory information and on-campus recruiting opportunities to representatives of the armed forces of the United States of America and state armed services as are offered to nonmilitary recruiters or commercial concerns. Local and regional boards of education and the governing board of any such private high school shall establish a written uniform policy for the treatment of all recruiters, including commercial, nonmilitary and military concerns and recruiters representing institutions of higher education.

(P.A. 84-87, S. 1, 7.)

Sec. 10-221c. Development of policy for reporting complaints re school transportation safety. Reporting of accidents at school bus stops. (a) The superintendent of schools of each local or regional school district and the supervisory agent of each nonpublic school shall develop and implement a policy for the reporting of all complaints relative to school transportation safety, and shall cause to be maintained a written record of all such complaints received. Each such superintendent of schools and each such supervisory agent shall, annually, within thirty days after the end of the school year, provide the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles with a copy of the written record of complaints received for the previous twelve-month period.

(b) The superintendent of schools of each local or regional school district and the supervisory agent of each nonpublic school shall make a written report of the circumstances of any accident within his jurisdiction and knowledge, involving a motor vehicle and any pedestrian who is a student, which occurs at a designated school bus stop or in the immediate vicinity thereof, to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles within ten days thereafter on a form prescribed by the commissioner.

(P.A. 89-320, S. 9, 12; P.A. 90-112, S. 8, 14.)

History: P.A. 90-112 added Subsec. (b), requiring superintendent and supervisory agent to make written report of circumstances of accidents involving motor vehicles and student pedestrians at or near bus stops to motor vehicles commissioner.

See Sec. 14-275 et seq. re Motor Vehicles Commissioner's powers and duties re school buses.

(c) If an eligible school operator requests, a regional educational service center shall arrange for the fingerprinting of any person required to submit to state and national criminal history records checks pursuant to this section or for conducting any other method of positive identification required by the State Police Bureau of Identification or the Federal Bureau of Investigation and shall forward such fingerprints or other positive identifying information to the State Police Bureau of Identification which shall conduct criminal history records checks in accordance with section 29-17a. Such regional educational service center shall maintain such fingerprints or other positive identifying information, which may be in an electronic format, for a period of four years, at the end of which such fingerprints and positive identifying information shall be destroyed. The State Police Bureau of Identification shall provide the results of such checks to such eligible school operator. No regional educational service center shall charge a fee for services under this subsection that exceeds any fee that the center may charge any applicant for a position with such center.

(d) State and national criminal history records checks for substitute teachers completed within one year prior to the date of employment with an eligible school operator and submitted to the employing eligible school operator shall meet the requirements of subsection (b) of this section. An eligible school operator shall not require substitute teachers to submit to state and national criminal history records checks pursuant to subsection (b) of this section if they are continuously employed by such eligible school operator, provided a substitute teacher is subjected to such checks at least once every five years. For purposes of this section, substitute teachers shall be deemed to be continuously employed by an eligible school operator if they are employed at least one day of each school year by such eligible school operator.

(e) The provisions of this section shall not apply to (1) a student employed by the eligible school operator that operates a school which the student attends, or (2) a person employed by an eligible school operator as a teacher for a noncredit adult class or adult education activity, as defined in section 10-67, who is not required to hold a teaching certificate pursuant to section 10-145b for his or her position.

(f) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (g) of section 31-51i, and to the extent permissible under state and federal laws regarding the dissemination of criminal history records, the State Board of Education shall, upon request of an eligible school operator, make available to such eligible school operator requesting information concerning an applicant for a position with such eligible school operator (1) any information concerning the applicant's eligibility for employment in a position with such eligible school operator requiring a certificate, authorization or permit issued pursuant to chapter 166, (2) whether the department has knowledge that the applicant has been disciplined for a finding of abuse or neglect or sexual misconduct, as defined in section 10-222c, and any information concerning such a finding, and (3) whether the department has received notification that the applicant has been convicted of a crime or of criminal charges pending against the applicant and any information concerning such charges. The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed to cause the state board to investigate any such request or disseminate the results of any national criminal history records check.

(P.A. 93-328; P.A. 94-221, S. 7; P.A. 95-259, S. 16, 32; P.A. 98-252, S. 15, 80; P.A. 01-173, S. 55, 67; 01-175, S. 2; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 19; P.A. 04-181, S. 3; June 19 Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-1, S. 8; P.A. 10-71, S. 5; P.A. 11-93, S. 1; P.A. 12-116, S. 47; 12-120, S. 21; P.A. 16-67, S. 1; P.A. 17-48, S. 4; 17-68, S. 9; P.A. 18-51, S. 9; P.A. 19-91, S. 1; P.A. 21-144, S. 4.)

History: P.A. 94-221 amended Subsec. (a) to allow local and regional boards of education to require criminal history records checks of persons hired prior to July 1, 1994, and to allow private schools to require such checks of applicants for positions in such schools and employees of such schools; P.A. 95-259 amended Subsec. (a) to add references to Subsec. (d) and to regional educational service centers, designated existing Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (d), inserting new Subsec. (b) re regional educational service centers and Subsec. (c) re substitute teachers and amended Subsec. (d), formerly Subsec. (b), to add provision concerning teachers of adult classes or activities, effective July 6, 1995; P.A. 98-252 amended Subsec. (b) to allow the service center to provide the results to other boards of education upon the request of the person fingerprinted, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 01-173 amended Subsec. (a) to substitute 30 for 90 days from date of employment for records checks, to add Subdiv. (3) re workers under public assistance employment programs, and to require boards of education to send notices of convictions to the State Board of Education, amended Subsec. (c) to make a technical change, amended Subsec. (d) by designating existing provisions as Subdivs. (1) and (3), adding Subdiv. (2) re employed students and making a technical change for purposes of gender neutrality in Subdiv. (3), and added Subsecs. (e) and (f) re submission of data bases to the State Police Bureau of Identification, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 01-175 made technical changes for purposes of gender neutrality in Subsecs. (a), (b) and (d), amended Subsec. (a) by replacing language re Subsec. (b) state criminal history checks, fingerprinting and charging of fee for national criminal history records checks with language re state and national criminal history checks pursuant to Sec. 29-17a, and amended Subsec. (b) by replacing language re fingerprinting pursuant to Subsec. (a) with language re fingerprinting and criminal history records checks pursuant to Sec. 29-17a; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 amended Subsec. (a) to designate existing provision re worker placed under public assistance employment program as Subpara. (A) and add Subpara. (B) re providers of supplemental services in Subdiv. (3), to redesignate existing Subparas. (A) and (B) as Clauses (i) and (ii) and to add requirement that the State Board of Education be notified of criminal convictions of providers of supplemental services, effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 04-181 amended Subsec. (b) by adding references to endowed or incorporated academies and special education facilities, effective July 1, 2004; June 19 Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-1 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting "On and after July 1, 1994", by adding Subpara. (C) re workers in nonpaid, noncertified positions completing requirements for educator certification, by designating existing provisions re person holding certificate, authorization or permit or employed by provider of supplemental services as subclauses (I) and (II) and adding subclause (III) re person in nonpaid, noncertified position completing requirements for educator certification, and made technical changes in Subsecs. (e) and (f), effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 10-71 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective May 18, 2010; P.A. 11-93 amended Subsec. (a) by adding new Subdiv. (2) re applicants for positions in public schools to submit to records check of Department of Children and Families child abuse and neglect registry and redesignating existing Subdivs. (2) and (3) as Subdivs. (3) and (4), amended Subsecs. (c) and (d) to make a technical change and added Subsec. (g) re applicants for certification to submit to records check of Department of Children and Families child abuse and neglect registry, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 12-116 made technical changes in Subsecs. (e) to (g), effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 12-120 amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision re maintenance and destruction of fingerprints and other positive identifying information, effective June 15, 2012; P.A. 16-67 added references to governing council of state or local charter school and interdistrict magnet school operator, amended Subsec. (a)(2) by deleting provision re position requiring certificate, authorization or permit, by deleting Subpara. (B) re position not requiring certificate, authorization or permit and by deleting Subpara. (A) designator, amended Subsec. (a)(3) by adding "on and after July 1, 2016," by replacing reference to person hired by board after July 1, 1994, with reference to applicant for position and, in Subpara. (C)(ii), by deleting provision re opportunity to file proper answer, amended Subsec. (b) by adding reference to contractor and adding provision re fee charged by regional educational service center, amended Subsec. (c) by adding provision re substitute teacher subject to checks, amended Subsec. (d) by deleting former Subdiv. (1) re applicability to person required to submit to criminal history records checks pursuant to Sec. 14-44(e), by deleting former Subdiv. (3) re teacher for noncredit adult class or adult education activity and by deleting Subdiv. (2) designator, added Subsec. (h) re availability of information concerning applicant, and made technical and conforming changes, effective July 1, 2016; P.A. 17-48 amended Subsec. (h) by replacing reference to Sec. 31-51i(f) with reference to Sec. 31-51(g); P.A. 17-68 added references to supervisory agents of nonpublic schools, amended Subsec. (a) by replacing "2016" with "2017" in Subdiv. (3), deleting provision re private school may require applicant to submit to criminal history records check, and adding provision re nonpublic school to pay fee charged for criminal history records checks required under section, and made technical and conforming changes, effective July 1, 2017; P.A. 18-51 amended Subsec. (d) by designating existing provision re student employed by school district in which student attends school as Subdiv. (1) and adding Subdiv. (2) re person employed by board of education as teacher for noncredit adult class or adult education activity, effective July 1, 2018; P.A. 19-91 replaced references to local and regional boards of education, governing councils of state and local charter schools, interdistrict magnet school operators and supervisory agents of nonpublic schools with eligible school operators, added new Subsec. (a) re definition of "eligible school operator", redesignated existing Subsecs. (a) to (d) as Subsecs. (b) to (e), deleted former Subsecs. (e) to (g), redesignated existing Subsec. (h) as Subsec. (f), amended redesignated Subsec. (b) by adding reference to section 31-51i, adding ", in writing,", adding provision re pending charges, replacing "2017" with "2019" in Subdiv. (3), deleting existing Subdiv. (4) re person who performs service involving direct student contact, redesignating existing clauses (i) and (ii) as Subparas. (A) and (B), deleting subclauses (II) and (III) re person employed by provider of supplemental services and employed in nonpaid, noncertified position completing preparation requirements, respectively, deleting provision re supervisory agent of nonpublic school responsible for paying fee for criminal history records check, and adding provision re provisions of subsection not to be construed to cause dissemination of results of criminal history records checks, amended redesignated Subsec. (c) by replacing provision re regional educational service centers to provide results of checks with provision re State Police Bureau of Identification to provide results of checks to eligible school operators, amended redesignated Subsec. (f) by adding "and to the extent permissible under state and federal laws regarding the dissemination of criminal history records" and "or disseminate the results of any national criminal history records check" and replacing references to Department of Education with State Board of Education, and made technical and conforming changes, effective July 1, 2019; P.A. 21-144 amended Subsec. (a) by redefining "eligible school operator", effective July 7, 2021.

Sec. 10-221e. Intradistrict student assignment programs. Local and regional boards of education may develop intradistrict student assignment programs. Under such programs parents may select the public school which their child will attend provided the school is in the school district in which the child resides. Boards of education may provide transportation services to students participating in the program.

(P.A. 96-213, S. 1, 5.)

History: P.A. 96-213 effective July 1, 1996.

Sec. 10-221f. School uniforms. A local or regional board of education may specify a school uniform for students in schools under its jurisdiction.

(P.A. 96-101, S. 1, 2.)

History: P.A. 96-101 effective May 8, 1996.

Sec. 10-221g. Instructional time and facility usage assessment. Each local and regional board of education shall conduct an instructional time and facility usage assessment in order to maximize student learning and community use of facilities. For purposes of such audit, the superintendent of schools of each school district shall meet regularly with representatives from the public library and the recreation department in the town or towns that comprise the school district to coordinate the availability of facilities.

(P.A. 97-290, S. 11, 29.)

History: P.A. 97-290 effective July 1, 1997.

(P.A. 97-290, S. 23, 29; P.A. 98-243, S. 1, 2, 25; P.A. 12-116, S. 97.)

Sec. 10-221j. Early Reading Success Panel. The Department of Education shall convene an Early Reading Success Panel composed of elementary school teachers, school administrators, national experts in the field of reading research and early childhood and higher education experts knowledgeable in the field of reading research. The panel shall review research on how reading is learned and on the knowledge and skills necessary for teachers to deliver effective reading instruction by July 1, 2000.

(P.A. 99-227, S. 1, 6.)

History: P.A. 99-227 effective July 1, 1999.

Sec. 10-221k. Assessments by priority school districts of need related to goal of reading success. Each local or regional board of education for a priority school district pursuant to section 10-266p shall conduct an assessment of its institutional and teacher need related to the attainment of the goal of reading success for children in its schools. The assessment shall include need in the areas of teacher training, assessment tools, curriculum, library books and other forms of technical assistance. The local or regional board of education shall report on the results of such assessment to the Department of Education, in such form as the Commissioner of Education prescribes, by July 1, 2000.

(P.A. 99-227, S. 2, 6.)

History: P.A. 99-227 effective July 1, 1999.

Sec. 10-221 l. State-Wide Early Reading Success Institute. The Department of Education shall develop, within available appropriations, a State-Wide Early Reading Success Institute for educators based on the review completed by the Early Reading Success Panel pursuant to section 10-221j and the assessments conducted pursuant to section 10-221k. The institute shall commence operation in the 2000-2001 school year. The institute shall use a training curriculum that incorporates comprehensive instruction in reading as determined by the Early Reading Success Panel pursuant to section 10-221j, to include, but not be limited to: (1) Instructional strategies that can be adapted for each student's needs; (2) early screening and ongoing assessment to determine which individual students need additional instruction; (3) teaching of oral language competencies, including phonological awareness, vocabulary, listening comprehension and grammatical skills; (4) systematic teaching of word identification skills including phonics instruction and instruction in phonemic awareness; and (5) teaching of comprehension competencies, including the use of context to infer meaning.

(P.A. 99-227, S. 3, 6; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1, S. 17, 54; P.A. 03-76, S. 46.)

History: P.A. 99-227 effective July 1, 1999; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1 added requirements re training curriculum used by the institute, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 03-76 made a technical change, effective June 3, 2003.

Sec. 10-221m. Development and implementation of in-service reading instruction training program by priority school districts. (a) On or before July 1, 2001, each local or regional board of education for a priority school district pursuant to section 10-266p shall develop and implement a three-year in-service reading instruction training plan for the professional development of the district's school librarians, elementary school principals and not less than seventy per cent of its teachers in grades kindergarten to three, inclusive, provided spaces are available at the State-Wide Early Reading Success Institute for such training.

(b) On or before October 1, 2001, each local or regional board of education for a priority school district shall revise the plan developed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section and implement such revised plan. The revised plan shall provide for a five-year school-based in-service reading instruction training program for the professional development of each elementary school's librarian, principal, reading specialist, special education teachers, speech and language specialists and classroom teachers in grades kindergarten to three, inclusive. Such plan shall (1) utilize the school-based training model developed by the State-Wide Early Reading Success Institute pursuant to section 10-221l, and (2) require the board of education to appoint a new or existing employee to serve as a school-based content specialist coordinator. The local or regional board of education may use funds received by the school district pursuant to section 10-265f for teacher training based on the plan.

(P.A. 99-227, S. 4, 6; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1, S. 18, 54.)

History: P.A. 99-227 effective July 1, 1999; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1 divided existing provisions into Subsecs. (a) and (b) and in Subsec. (b) added requirements re development and implementation of revised plan that provides for five-year school-based in-service reading instruction training program for specified personnel, re use of a school-based training model and re appointment of a new or existing employee as a school-based content specialist coordinator, effective July 1, 2001.

(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1, S. 20, 54.)

History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1 effective July 1, 2001.

Sec. 10-221o. Lunch periods. Recess. Undirected play. Boards to adopt policies addressing limitation of physical exercise. (a) Each local and regional board of education shall require each school under its jurisdiction to (1) offer all full day students a daily lunch period of not less than twenty minutes, and (2) include in the regular school day for each student enrolled in elementary school time devoted to physical exercise of not less than twenty minutes in total, except that a planning and placement team may develop a different schedule for a child requiring special education and related services in accordance with chapter 164 and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, 20 USC 1400 et seq., as amended from time to time. In the event of a conflict with this section and any provision of chapter 164, such other provision of chapter 164 shall be deemed controlling. Nothing in this subsection shall prevent a local or regional board of education from including an additional amount of time, beyond the twenty minutes required for physical exercise, devoted to undirected play during the regular school day for each student enrolled in elementary school.

(b) For the school year commencing July 1, 2022, and each school year thereafter, each local and regional board of education shall adopt a policy, as the board deems appropriate, concerning the circumstances when a school employee may prevent or otherwise restrict a student from participating in the entire time devoted to physical exercise in the regular school day, pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, as a form of discipline. Such policy shall (1) permit such prevention or restriction (A) when a student poses a danger to the health or safety of other students or school personnel, or (B) when such prevention or restriction is limited to the period devoted to physical exercise that is the shortest in duration if there are two or more periods devoted to physical exercise in a school day, provided the period of time devoted to physical exercise that such student may participate in during such school day is at least twenty minutes in duration, (2) only permit such prevention or restriction once during a school week, unless such student is a danger to the health or safety of other students or school personnel, (3) not include any provisions that such board determines are unreasonably restrictive or punitive, (4) distinguish between (A) discipline imposed prior to the start of such time devoted to physical exercise and discipline imposed during such time devoted to physical exercise, and (B) discipline that (i) prevents or otherwise restricts a student from participating in such time devoted to physical exercise prior to such time devoted to physical exercise, and (ii) methods used to redirect a student's behavior during such time devoted to physical exercise, and (5) not permit such prevention or restriction if a student does not complete such student's work on time or for such student's academic performance. For purposes of this section, "school employee" means (A) a teacher, substitute teacher, school administrator, school superintendent, guidance counselor, school counselor, psychologist, social worker, nurse, physician, school paraprofessional or coach employed by a local or regional board of education or working in a public elementary, middle or high school; or (B) any other individual who, in the performance of his or her duties, has regular contact with students and who provides services to or on behalf of students enrolled in a public elementary, middle or high school, pursuant to a contract with the local or regional board of education.

(P.A. 04-224, S. 1; P.A. 12-116, S. 9; 12-198, S. 5; P.A. 13-173, S. 2; P.A. 18-15, S. 6; P.A. 19-173, S. 1; P.A. 22-81, S. 9.)

History: P.A. 04-224 effective July 1, 2004 (Revisor's note: A reference to "Individual With Disabilities Education Act" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Individuals With Disabilities Education Act" for accuracy); P.A. 12-116 amended Subdiv. (2) by replacing "a period of physical exercise" with "time devoted to physical exercise of not less than twenty minutes in total", effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 12-198 made identical changes as P.A. 12-116, effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 13-173 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and amended same to replace "grades kindergarten to five, inclusive," with "elementary school" in Subdiv. (2) and added Subsec. (b) requiring each board to adopt a policy concerning the restriction of physical exercise as a form of discipline and defining "school employee", effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 18-15 amended Subsec. (b) by adding "school counselor", effective July 1, 2018; P.A. 19-173 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision re additional time devoted to undirected play, and amended Subsec. (b) by replacing "2013" with "2019" and adding "or undirected play", effective July 1, 2019; P.A. 22-81 amended Subsec. (b) by deleting existing provisions re adoption of policy concerning issue of school employee being involved in preventing a student from participating in entire time devoted to physical exercise or undirected play in regular school day as a form of discipline, adding new provisions re adoption of policy concerning circumstances when school employee may prevent or otherwise restrict a student from participating in the entire time devoted to physical exercise in regular school day as a form of discipline and redesignating Subdivs. (1) and (2) as Subparas. (A) and (B), effective May 24, 2022.

Sec. 10-221p. Boards to make available for purchase nutritious and low-fat foods. Each local and regional board of education and governing authority for each state charter school, interdistrict magnet school and endowed academy approved pursuant to section 10-34, shall make available in the schools under its jurisdiction for purchase by students enrolled in such schools nutritious and low-fat foods, which shall include, but shall not be limited to, low-fat dairy products and fresh or dried fruit at all times when food is available for purchase by students in such schools during the regular school day.

(P.A. 04-224, S. 2; P.A. 06-63, S. 6.)

History: P.A. 04-224 effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 06-63 added reference to governing authority of each state charter school, interdistrict magnet school and endowed academy, changed the reference to "nutritious, low-fat foods" to "nutritious and low-fat foods", and deleted language re drinks, including low-fat milk, natural fruit juices and water, effective July 1, 2006.

Sec. 10-221q. Sale of beverages. (a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) of this section, each local and regional board of education and the governing authority for each state charter school, interdistrict magnet school and endowed academy approved pursuant to section 10-34, shall permit at schools under its jurisdiction the sale of only the following beverages to students from any source, including, but not limited to, school stores, vending machines, school cafeterias, and any fund-raising activities on school premises, whether or not school sponsored: (1) Milk that may be flavored but contain no artificial sweeteners and no more than four grams of sugar per ounce, (2) nondairy milks such as soy or rice milk, which may be flavored but contain no artificial sweeteners, no more than four grams of sugar per ounce, no more than thirty-five per cent of calories from fat per portion and no more than ten per cent of calories from saturated fat per portion, (3) one hundred per cent fruit juice, vegetable juice or combination of such juices, containing no added sugars, sweeteners or artificial sweeteners, (4) beverages that contain only water and fruit or vegetable juice and have no added sugars, sweeteners or artificial sweeteners, and (5) water, which may be flavored but contain no added sugars, sweeteners, artificial sweeteners or caffeine. Portion sizes of beverages, other than water as described in subdivision (5) of this subsection, that are offered for sale pursuant to this subsection shall not exceed twelve ounces.

(b) Each such board of education or governing authority may permit at schools under its jurisdiction, the sale to students of beverages that are not listed in subsection (a) of this section, provided (1) such sale is in connection with an event occurring after the end of the regular school day or on the weekend, (2) such sale is at the location of such event, and (3) such beverages are not sold from a vending machine or school store.

(P.A. 06-63, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 06-63 effective July 1, 2006.

Sec. 10-221r. Advanced placement course program. Guidelines. (a) For the school year commencing July 1, 2011, and each school year thereafter, each local and regional board of education shall provide an advanced placement course program. For purposes of this section, "advanced placement course program" means a program approved by the State Board of Education that provides college or university-level instruction as part of a course for which credit is earned at the high school level.

(b) The State Board of Education shall develop guidelines to aid local and regional boards of education in training teachers for teaching advanced placement courses to a diverse student body.

(P.A. 10-111, S. 31; P.A. 11-136, S. 21.)

History: P.A. 10-111 effective July 1, 2010; P.A. 11-136 amended Subsec. (a) by redefining "advanced placement course program", effective July 8, 2011.

Sec. 10-221s. Posting of Careline telephone number in schools. Investigations of child abuse and neglect. Disciplinary action. (a) Each local and regional board of education shall post the telephone number for the Careline operated by the Department of Children and Families, pursuant to section 17a-103a, and the Internet web site address that provides information about the Careline in a conspicuous location frequented by students in each school under the jurisdiction of the board. Such posting shall be in various languages that are the most appropriate for the students enrolled in the school.

(P.A. 11-93, S. 13; P.A. 16-188, S. 2.)

History: P.A. 11-93 effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 16-188 designated existing provisions re investigations of abuse and neglect as Subsec. (b) and added Subsec. (a) re posting of telephone number and Internet web site address of Careline in schools, effective July 1, 2016.

Sec. 10-221t. Alignment of common core standards with college level programs. Each local and regional board of education, in collaboration with the Board of Regents for Higher Education and the Board of Trustees for The University of Connecticut, shall develop a plan to align Connecticut's common core state standards with college level programs at Connecticut public institutions of higher education not later than one year after Connecticut first implements said standards.

(June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-1, S. 224.)

History: June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-1 effective July 1, 2012.

Sec. 10-221u. Boards to adopt policies addressing the use of physical activity as discipline. Not later than October 1, 2013, each local and regional board of education shall adopt a policy, as the board deems appropriate, concerning the issue regarding any school employee being involved in requiring any student enrolled in grades kindergarten to twelve, inclusive, to engage in physical activity as a form of discipline during the regular school day. For purposes of this section, "school employee" means (1) a teacher, substitute teacher, school administrator, school superintendent, guidance counselor, school counselor, psychologist, social worker, nurse, physician, school paraprofessional or coach employed by a local or regional board of education or working in a public elementary, middle or high school; or (2) any other individual who, in the performance of his or her duties, has regular contact with students and who provides services to or on behalf of students enrolled in a public elementary, middle or high school, pursuant to a contract with the local or regional board of education.

(P.A. 13-173, S. 3; P.A. 18-15, S. 7.)

History: P.A. 13-173 effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 18-15 added "school counselor", effective July 1, 2018.

Sec. 10-221v. Confidential rapid response team re suspected abuse or neglect. Not later than January 1, 2016, each local and regional board of education shall establish a confidential rapid response team to coordinate with the Department of Children and Families to (1) ensure prompt reporting of suspected abuse or neglect, as described in section 46b-120, or sexual assault pursuant to the provisions of section 53a-70, 53a-70a, 53a-71, 53a-72a, 53a-72b or 53a-73a against a victim, as described in subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of section 17a-101a, and (2) provide immediate access to information and individuals relevant to the department's investigation. The confidential rapid response team shall consist of a teacher and the superintendent employed by the board of education, a local police officer and any other person the board of education deems appropriate. The department, along with the multidisciplinary team established pursuant to section 17a-106a, shall take immediate action to investigate and address each report of child abuse or neglect reported in any school.

(P.A. 15-205, S. 9.)

History: P.A. 15-205 effective July 1, 2015.

Sec. 10-221w. Policy re eligibility criteria for enrollment in advanced course or program. (a) As used in this section:

(1) "Advanced course or program" means an honors class, advanced placement class, International Baccalaureate program, Cambridge International program, dual enrollment, dual credit, early college or any other advanced or accelerated course or program offered by a local or regional board of education in grades nine to twelve, inclusive; and

(2) "Prior academic performance" means the course or courses that a student has taken, the grades received for such course or courses and a student's grade point average.

(b) Not later than July 1, 2022, each local and regional board of education shall adopt a policy, or revise an existing policy, concerning the eligibility criteria for student enrollment in an advanced course or program. Such policy shall provide for multiple methods by which a student may satisfy the eligibility criteria for enrollment in an advanced course or program, including, but not limited to, recommendations from teachers, administrators, school counselors or other school personnel. Such eligibility criteria shall not be based exclusively on a student's prior academic performance and that any use of a student's prior academic performance shall rely on evidence-based indicators of how a student will perform in an advanced course or program.

(c) Any policy adopted or revised and implemented under this section shall be in accordance with guidance provided by the Department of Education.

(P.A. 21-199, S. 3.)

History: P.A. 21-199 effective July 1, 2021.

Sec. 10-221x. Challenging curriculum policy. (a) Not later than July 1, 2022, each local and regional board of education shall adopt a challenging curriculum policy. A challenging curriculum policy shall include, but need not be limited to, (1) criteria for the identification of students in grades eight and nine who may be eligible to take or enroll in an advanced course or program, as defined in section 10-221w, and (2) a provision requiring the creation of an academic plan, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this section.

(b) Each local and regional board of education shall create an academic plan for each student identified under the criteria described in subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section. In creating an academic plan for a student, such plan shall be designed to enroll such student in one or more advanced course or programs and allow such student to earn college credit or result in career readiness. Each academic plan shall be aligned with (1) the courses or programs offered by the local or regional board of education, (2) such student's student success plan created pursuant to subsection (j) of section 10-221a, (3) the high school graduation requirements under section 10-221a, and (4) any other policies or standards adopted by the board relating to the eligibility for student enrollment in advanced courses or programs. A student, or the parent or guardian of a student, may decline to implement the provisions of an academic plan created for such student.

(c) A challenging curriculum policy adopted and implemented under this section shall be in accordance with guidance provided by the Department of Education.

(P.A. 21-199, S. 5.)

History: P.A. 21-199 effective July 1, 2021.

(P.A. 21-174, S. 6.)

History: P.A. 21-174 effective July 12, 2021.

(1949 Rev., S. 1480; P.A. 78-218, S. 147; P.A. 82-217; P.A. 84-484, S. 1, 2; P.A. 98-141, S. 1, 2; P.A. 12-116, S. 16; P.A. 13-60, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 78-218 simplified phraseology by specifying applicability of provisions to local boards, substituting "municipality" for "city, town or school district" and making other technical changes; P.A. 82-217 inserted provisions relating to supplemental appropriations; P.A. 84-484 inserted Subsec. indicator and added new Subsec. (b) re development of a financial information system to assist boards of education in reporting budget data; (Revisor's note: In 1995 the Revisors editorially substituted the numeric indicators (1), (2) and (3) for (a), (b) and (c) at the end of Subsec. (a) for consistency with statutory usage); P.A. 98-141 amended Subsec. (a) to add provisions re limited transfers in emergency circumstances and to define "meeting", effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 12-116 deleted former Subsec. (b) re financial information system and made a conforming change, effective May 14, 2012; P.A. 13-60 added provisions authorizing board or authority to make spending recommendations, requiring board of education to provide written explanation of reasons for rejection of recommendations and for transfers of funds and defining "itemized estimate".

Cited. 115 C. 158. Estimates should be itemized so as to indicate whether or not proposed expenditures are for purposes as to which board of education has duty or independent discretion. 127 C. 351. Under section and provisions of charter, Bridgeport board of education has full discretion as to expenditures of money appropriated for school purposes. 133 C. 415. If board of finance properly exercises its discretion and budget is approved by town, board of education has no power to exceed appropriations made. 138 C. 521. Board of finance cannot place funds for school purposes in general government budget to be paid to school board on happening of certain contingencies. 151 C. 1. Cited. 152 C. 568; 162 C. 393; 163 C. 537; 174 C. 522; 182 C. 253; 217 C. 110; 228 C. 699.

Cited. 14 CS 280; 15 CS 370. Board of finance may reduce the estimate submitted by the board of education; authority of board to refuse to honor vouchers up to the amount of money appropriated for maintenance of schools during the fiscal year discussed. 20 CS 224. Phrase "with such money as may be received from other sources for school purposes" does not apply to state and federal grants; appropriation request may be reduced by amount board of aldermen, in its discretion, considers is larger than is reasonably necessary. 25 CS 9. Provision in Trumbull charter re failure of board of finance to adopt budget for submission to town council upheld; relationship between boards of education and municipal budget authorities; extent of municipal obligation to finance education. 32 CS 132.

Subsec. (a):

Cited. 237 C. 169. Town charter that allows for separate referenda for town's operating budget and education budget and that allows voters to reject the budgets three times does not rise to the level of a veto and does not violate state statute and policy concerning education. 268 C. 295.

Sec. 10-222a. Boards to have use of funds from repayment and insurance proceeds for school materials and from payment for custodial services for use of school facilities. Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 106, or any municipal charter or special act to the contrary, whenever any student, or the parent or guardian of any student, pays for lost, damaged or stolen textbooks, library materials, other materials or equipment, or whenever insurance proceeds are received for lost, damaged or stolen textbooks, library materials, other materials or equipment, an amount equal to the amount so paid or received, net of any costs the fiscal authority having budgetary responsibility or charged with making appropriations for the school district has incurred for the purpose of replacing or repairing such lost, damaged or stolen textbooks, library materials, other materials or equipment, shall be deemed to be appropriated to the board of education in addition to the funds appropriated by the town to such board for the fiscal year in which such payment is made or insurance proceeds received. Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 106, or any municipal charter or special act to the contrary, whenever any outside group or individual makes payment for custodial costs for use of school facilities or otherwise for the use of school facilities an amount equal to the amount so paid or received, net of any costs the fiscal authority having budgetary responsibility or charged with making appropriations for the school district has incurred for the purpose of providing custodial services shall be deemed to be appropriated to the board of education in addition to the funds appropriated by the town to such board for the current fiscal year.

(P.A. 84-183, S. 1, 2; P.A. 90-122, S. 1, 3; P.A. 93-14, S. 1, 2; P.A. 94-245, S. 21, 46.)

History: P.A. 90-122 added repayment by parents or guardians of students and that the educational materials for which payment is received may be stolen and provided that insurance proceeds received for certain lost, damaged or stolen educational materials be deemed appropriated to the board of education; P.A. 93-14 added "equipment", removed specification that the material be "educational" and replaced "current" fiscal year with fiscal year "in which such payment is made or insurance proceeds received", effective April 21, 1993; P.A. 94-245 added provision for the use of funds received for payment for custodial services for the use of school facilities by outside groups and individuals, effective June 2, 1994.

Sec. 10-222b. Board to have use of funds from the Manville property damage settlement trust. Section 10-222b is repealed, effective July 1, 2000.

(P.A. 90-122, S. 2, 3; P.A. 00-220, S. 42, 43.)

Sec. 10-222c. Hiring policy. Applicant's employment history; requirement to disclose and check upon. Immunity from civil and criminal liability. (a) No local or regional board of education, governing council of a state or local charter school, interdistrict magnet school operator or supervisory agent of a nonpublic school shall offer employment to an applicant for a position, including any position which is contracted for, if such applicant would have direct student contact, prior to such board, council, operator or supervisory agent:

(1) Requiring of such applicant:

(A) To list the name, address and telephone number of each current or former employer of the applicant, if such current or former employer was a local or regional board of education, council, operator or supervisory agent or if such employment otherwise caused the applicant to have contact with children;

(B) A written authorization that (i) consents to and authorizes disclosure by the employers listed under subparagraph (A) of this subdivision of the information requested under subdivision (2) of this subsection and the release of related records by such employers, (ii) consents to and authorizes disclosure by the Department of Education of the information requested under subdivision (3) of this subsection and the release of related records by the department, and (iii) releases those employers and the department from liability that may arise from such disclosure or release of records pursuant to subdivision (2) or (3) of this subsection; and

(C) A written statement of whether the applicant (i) has been the subject of an abuse or neglect or sexual misconduct investigation by any employer, state agency or municipal police department, unless the investigation resulted in a finding that all allegations were unsubstantiated, (ii) has ever been disciplined or asked to resign from employment or resigned from or otherwise separated from any employment while an allegation of abuse or neglect was pending or under investigation by the Department of Children and Families, or an allegation of sexual misconduct was pending or under investigation or due to an allegation substantiated pursuant to section 17a-101g of abuse or neglect, or of sexual misconduct or a conviction for abuse or neglect or sexual misconduct, or (iii) has ever had a professional or occupational license or certificate suspended or revoked or has ever surrendered such a license or certificate while an allegation of abuse or neglect was pending or under investigation by the department or an investigation of sexual misconduct was pending or under investigation, or due to an allegation substantiated by the department of abuse or neglect or of sexual misconduct or a conviction for abuse or neglect or sexual misconduct;

(2) Conducting a review of the employment history of the applicant by contacting those employers listed by the applicant under subdivision (1) of this subsection. Such review shall be conducted using a form developed by the Department of Education in accordance with section 3 of public act 16-67* that shall request (A) the dates of employment of the applicant, and (B) a statement as to whether the employer has knowledge that the applicant (i) was the subject of an allegation of abuse or neglect or sexual misconduct for which there is an investigation pending with any employer, state agency or municipal police department or which has been substantiated; (ii) was disciplined or asked to resign from employment or resigned from or otherwise separated from any employment while an allegation of abuse or neglect or sexual misconduct was pending or under investigation, or due to a substantiation of abuse or neglect or sexual misconduct; or (iii) has ever had a professional or occupational license, certificate, authorization or permit suspended or revoked or has ever surrendered such a license, certificate, authorization or permit while an allegation of abuse or neglect or sexual misconduct was pending or under investigation, or due to a substantiation of abuse or neglect or sexual misconduct. Such review may be conducted telephonically or through written communication. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (g) of section 31-51i, not later than five business days after any such current or former employer of the applicant receives a request for such information, such employer shall respond with such information. A local or regional board of education, council, operator or supervisory agent may request more information concerning any response made by a current or former employer, and, notwithstanding the provisions of said subsection (g), such employer shall respond not later than five business days after receiving such request; and

(3) Requesting information from the Department of Education concerning (A) the eligibility status for employment of any applicant for a position requiring a certificate, authorization or permit issued pursuant to chapter 166, (B) whether the department has knowledge that a finding has been substantiated by the Department of Children and Families pursuant to section 17a-101g of abuse or neglect or of sexual misconduct against the applicant and any information concerning such a finding, and (C) whether the department has received notification that the applicant has been convicted of a crime or of criminal charges pending against the applicant and any information concerning such charges.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (g) of section 31-51i, any local or regional board of education, council, operator or supervisory agent that receives information that an applicant for a position with or an employee of the board has been disciplined for a finding of abuse or neglect or sexual misconduct shall notify the Department of Education of such information.

(c) No local or regional board of education, council, operator or supervisory agent shall employ an applicant for a position involving direct student contact who does not comply with the provisions of subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section.

(d) A local or regional board of education, council, operator or supervisory agent may employ or contract with an applicant on a temporary basis for a period not to exceed ninety days, pending the review of information received under this section by such board, council, operator or supervisory agent, provided:

(1) The applicant complied with subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section;

(2) The board, council, operator or supervisory agent has no knowledge of information pertaining to the applicant that would disqualify the applicant from employment with the board, council, operator or supervisory agent; and

(3) The applicant affirms that the applicant is not disqualified from employment with such board, council, operator or supervisory agent.

(e) No local or regional board of education, council, operator or supervisory agent shall enter into a collective bargaining agreement, an employment contract, an agreement for resignation or termination, a severance agreement or any other contract or agreement or take any action that:

(1) Has the effect of suppressing information relating to an investigation of a report of suspected abuse or neglect or sexual misconduct by a current or former employee;

(2) Affects the ability of the local or regional board of education, council, operator or supervisory agent to report suspected abuse or neglect or sexual misconduct to appropriate authorities; or

(3) Requires the local or regional board of education, council, operator or supervisory agent to expunge information about an allegation or a finding of suspected abuse or neglect or sexual misconduct from any documents maintained by the board, unless after investigation such allegation is dismissed or found to be false.

(f) No local or regional board of education, council, operator or supervisory agent shall offer employment to a person as a substitute teacher, unless such person and such board, council, operator or supervisory agent comply with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section. The board, council, operator or supervisory agent shall determine which such persons are employable as substitute teachers and maintain a list of such persons. No board, council, operator or supervisory agent shall hire any person as a substitute teacher who is not on such list. Such person shall remain on such list as long as such person is continuously employed by the board, council, operator or supervisory agent as a substitute teacher, as described in subsection (c) of section 10-221d, provided the board, council, operator or supervisory agent does not have any knowledge of a reason that such person should be removed from such list.

(g) In the case of an applicant who is a contractor, the contractor shall require any employee with such contractor who would be in a position involving direct student contact to supply to such contractor all information required of an applicant under subparagraphs (A) and (C) of subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section and a written authorization under subparagraph (B) of said subdivision. Such contractor shall contact any current or former employer of such employee that was a local or regional board of education, council, operator or supervisory agent or if such employment caused the employee to have contact with children, and request, either telephonically or through written communication, any information concerning whether there was a finding of abuse or neglect or sexual misconduct against such employee. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (g) of section 31-51i, such employer shall report to the contractor any such finding, either telephonically or through written communication. If the contractor receives any information indicating such a finding or otherwise has knowledge of such a finding, the contractor shall, notwithstanding the provisions of said subsection (g), immediately forward such information to any local or regional board of education, council, operator or supervisory agent with which the contractor is under contract, either telephonically or through written communication. Any local or regional board of education, council, operator or supervisory agent that receives such information shall determine whether such employee may work in a position involving direct student contact at any school under the jurisdiction or control of such board, council, operator or supervisory agent. No determination by a local or regional board of education, council, operator or supervisory agent that any such employee shall not work under any such contract in any such position shall constitute a breach of such contract.

(h) Any applicant who knowingly provides false information or knowingly fails to disclose information required in subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section shall be subject to discipline by the employing local or regional board of education, council, operator or supervisory agent that may include (1) denial of employment, or (2) termination of the contract of a certified employee, in accordance with the provisions of section 10-151.

(i) Any employer who provides information in accordance with subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section or subsection (g) of this section and the Department of Education for the provision of information requested in accordance with subdivision (3) of said subsection (a) shall be immune from criminal and civil liability, provided the employer or department did not knowingly supply false information.

(j) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10-151c and subsection (g) of section 31-51i, a local or regional board of education, council, operator or supervisory agent shall provide upon request by any other local or regional board of education, council, operator or supervisory agent for the purposes of an inquiry pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section or subsection (g) of this section or to the Commissioner of Education pursuant to subsection (b) of this section any information that the board, council, operator or supervisory agent has concerning a finding of abuse or neglect or sexual misconduct by a subject of any such inquiry.

(k) For purposes of this section and section 10-221d, (1) "sexual misconduct" means any verbal, nonverbal, written or electronic communication, or any other act directed toward or with a student that is designed to establish a sexual relationship with the student, including a sexual invitation, dating or soliciting a date, engaging in sexual dialog, making sexually suggestive comments, self-disclosure or physical exposure of a sexual or erotic nature and any other sexual, indecent or erotic contact with a student; (2) "abuse or neglect" means abuse or neglect as described in section 46b-120, and includes any violation of section 53a-70, 53a-70a, 53a-71, 53a-72a, 53a-72b or 53a-73a; and (3) "former employer" means any person, firm, business, educational institution, nonprofit agency, corporation, limited liability company, the state, any political subdivision of the state, any governmental agency, or any other entity that such applicant was employed by during any of the previous twenty years prior to applying for a position with a local or regional board of education, governing council of a state or local charter school or interdistrict magnet school operator.

(l) Prior to offering employment to an applicant, a local or regional board of education, council, operator or supervisory agent shall make a documented good faith effort to contact each current and any former employer that was a local or regional board of education, council, operator or supervisory agent or if such employment otherwise caused the applicant to have contact with children of the applicant in order to obtain information and recommendations which may be relevant to the applicant's fitness for employment, provided such effort shall not be construed to require more than three telephonic requests made on three separate days.

(m) No local or regional board of education, council, operator or supervisory agent shall offer employment to any applicant who had any previous employment contract terminated by a board, council, operator or supervisory agent or who resigned from such employment, if such person has been convicted of a violation of section 17a-101a, when an allegation of abuse or neglect or sexual assault has been substantiated.

(P.A. 01-173, S. 56, 67; P.A. 16-67, S. 2; P.A. 17-48, S. 5-8; 17-68, S. 10; 17-220, S. 6.)

*Note: Section 3 of public act 16-67 is special in nature and therefore has not been codified but remains in full force and effect according to its terms.

History: P.A. 01-173 effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 16-67 designated existing provisions re contacting employers as Subsec. (l) and amended same to make applicable prior to offering employment to applicant, add provision re contacting current and former employer that was a board of education, governing council of a charter school or magnet school operator or employer where employment required contact with children, and add provision re effort not construed to require more than 3 telephonic requests on 3 separate days, added Subsec. (a) re board of education, governing council of charter school or magnet school requirements before offering employment to applicant, added Subsec. (b) re notification to department of employee disciplined for finding of abuse or neglect or sexual misconduct, added Subsec. (c) re failure to comply with Subsec. (a), added Subsec. (d) re temporary employment, added Subsec. (e) re agreement and contract prohibitions, added Subsec. (f) re substitute teachers, added Subsec. (g) re contractors, added Subsec. (h) re providing false information or failure to disclose, added Subsec. (i) re immunity from criminal and civil liability, added Subsec. (j) re providing requested information, added Subsec. (k) re definitions and added Subsec. (m) re no offer of employment after substantiated allegation, effective July 1, 2016; P.A. 17-48 replaced references to Sec. 31-51i(f) with references to Sec. 31-51(g) in Subsecs. (a)(2),(b), (g) and (j); P.A. 17-68 added references to supervisory agent of nonpublic school, replaced references to Sec. 31-51i(f) with references to Sec. 31-51(g) and made technical and conforming changes, effective July 1, 2017; P.A. 17-220 amended Subsec. (k) by adding Subdiv. (3) re definition of former employer and making a conforming change, effective July 1, 2017.

(1) "Bullying" means an act that is direct or indirect and severe, persistent or pervasive, which (A) causes physical or emotional harm to an individual, (B) places an individual in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm, or (C) infringes on the rights or opportunities of an individual at school. "Bullying" shall include, but need not be limited to, a written, oral or electronic communication or physical act or gesture based on any actual or perceived differentiating characteristic, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, socioeconomic status, academic status, physical appearance, or mental, physical, developmental or sensory disability, or by association with an individual or group who has or is perceived to have one or more of such characteristics;

(2) "Cyberbullying" means any act of bullying through the use of the Internet, interactive and digital technologies, cellular mobile telephone or other mobile electronic devices or any electronic communications;

(3) "Teen dating violence" means any act of physical, emotional or sexual abuse, including stalking, harassing and threatening, that occurs between two students who are currently in or who have recently been in a dating relationship;

(4) "Mobile electronic device" means any hand-held or other portable electronic equipment capable of providing data communication between two or more individuals, including, but not limited to, a text messaging device, a paging device, a personal digital assistant, a laptop computer, equipment that is capable of playing a video game or a digital video disk, or equipment on which digital images are taken or transmitted;

(5) "Electronic communication" means any transfer of signs, signals, writing, images, sounds, data or intelligence of any nature transmitted in whole or in part by a wire, radio, electromagnetic, photoelectronic or photo-optical system;

(6) "Hostile environment" means a situation in which bullying among students is sufficiently severe or pervasive to alter the conditions of the school climate;

(7) "Outside of the school setting" means at a location, activity or program that is not school related, or through the use of an electronic device or a mobile electronic device that is not owned, leased or used by a local or regional board of education;

(8) "School employee" means (A) a teacher, substitute teacher, school administrator, school superintendent, guidance counselor, school counselor, psychologist, social worker, nurse, physician, school paraprofessional or coach employed by a local or regional board of education or working in a public elementary, middle or high school; or (B) any other individual who, in the performance of his or her duties, has regular contact with students and who provides services to or on behalf of students enrolled in a public elementary, middle or high school, pursuant to a contract with the local or regional board of education;

(9) "School climate" means the quality and character of school life based on patterns of students', parents' and guardians' and school employees' experiences of school life, including, but not limited to, norms, goals, values, interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning practices and organizational structures;

(10) "Positive school climate" means a school climate in which (A) the norms, values, expectations and beliefs that support feelings of social, emotional and physical safety are promoted, (B) students, parents and guardians of students and school employees feel engaged and respected and work together to develop and contribute to a shared school vision, (C) educators model and nurture attitudes that emphasize the benefits and satisfaction gained from learning, and (D) each person feels comfortable contributing to the operation of the school and care of the physical environment of the school;

(11) "Emotional intelligence" means the ability to (A) perceive, recognize and understand emotions in oneself or others, (B) use emotions to facilitate cognitive activities, including, but not limited to, reasoning, problem solving and interpersonal communication, (C) understand and identify emotions, and (D) manage emotions in oneself and others; and

(12) "Social and emotional learning" means the process through which children and adults achieve emotional intelligence through the competencies of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making.

(b) Each local and regional board of education shall develop and implement a safe school climate plan to address the existence of bullying and teen dating violence in its schools. Such plan shall: (1) Enable students to anonymously report acts of bullying to school employees and require students and the parents or guardians of students to be notified at the beginning of each school year of the process by which students may make such reports, (2) enable the parents or guardians of students to file written reports of suspected bullying, (3) require school employees who witness acts of bullying or receive reports of bullying to orally notify the safe school climate specialist, described in section 10-222k, or another school administrator if the safe school climate specialist is unavailable, not later than one school day after such school employee witnesses or receives a report of bullying, and to file a written report not later than two school days after making such oral report, (4) require the safe school climate specialist to investigate or supervise the investigation of all reports of bullying and ensure that such investigation is completed promptly after receipt of any written reports made under this section and that the parents or guardians of the student alleged to have committed an act or acts of bullying and the parents or guardians of the student against whom such alleged act or acts were directed receive prompt notice that such investigation has commenced, (5) require the safe school climate specialist to review any anonymous reports, except that no disciplinary action shall be taken solely on the basis of an anonymous report, (6) include a prevention and intervention strategy, as defined by section 10-222g, for school employees to deal with bullying and teen dating violence, (7) provide for the inclusion of language in student codes of conduct concerning bullying, (8) require each school to notify the parents or guardians of students who commit any verified acts of bullying and the parents or guardians of students against whom such acts were directed not later than forty-eight hours after the completion of the investigation described in subdivision (4) of this subsection (A) of the results of such investigation, and (B) verbally and by electronic mail, if such parents' or guardians' electronic mail addresses are known, that such parents or guardians may refer to the plain language explanation of the rights and remedies available under sections 10-4a and 10-4b published on the Internet web site of the local or regional board of education pursuant to section 10-222r, (9) require each school to invite the parents or guardians of a student against whom such act was directed to a meeting to communicate to such parents or guardians the measures being taken by the school to ensure the safety of the student against whom such act was directed and policies and procedures in place to prevent further acts of bullying, (10) require each school to invite the parents or guardians of a student who commits any verified act of bullying to a meeting, separate and distinct from the meeting required in subdivision (9) of this subsection, to discuss specific interventions undertaken by the school to prevent further acts of bullying, (11) establish a procedure for each school to document and maintain records relating to reports and investigations of bullying in such school and to maintain a list of the number of verified acts of bullying in such school and make such list available for public inspection, and annually report such number to the Department of Education, and in such manner as prescribed by the Commissioner of Education, (12) direct the development of case-by-case interventions for addressing repeated incidents of bullying against a single individual or recurrently perpetrated bullying incidents by the same individual that may include both counseling and discipline, (13) prohibit discrimination and retaliation against an individual who reports or assists in the investigation of an act of bullying, (14) direct the development of student safety support plans for students against whom an act of bullying was directed that address safety measures the school will take to protect such students against further acts of bullying, (15) require the principal of a school, or the principal's designee, to notify the appropriate local law enforcement agency when such principal, or the principal's designee, believes that any acts of bullying constitute criminal conduct, (16) prohibit bullying (A) on school grounds, at a school-sponsored or school-related activity, function or program whether on or off school grounds, at a school bus stop, on a school bus or other vehicle owned, leased or used by a local or regional board of education, or through the use of an electronic device or an electronic mobile device owned, leased or used by the local or regional board of education, and (B) outside of the school setting if such bullying (i) creates a hostile environment at school for the student against whom such bullying was directed, or (ii) infringes on the rights of the student against whom such bullying was directed at school, or (iii) substantially disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a school, (17) require, at the beginning of each school year, each school to provide all school employees with a written or electronic copy of the school district's safe school climate plan, and (18) require that all school employees annually complete the training described in section 10-220a or section 10-222j. The notification required pursuant to subdivision (8) of this subsection and the invitation required pursuant to subdivision (9) of this subsection shall include a description of the response of school employees to such acts and any consequences that may result from the commission of further acts of bullying.

(c) Not later than September 1, 2014, each local and regional board of education that has not had a safe school climate plan, developed pursuant to this section, previously reviewed and approved by the Department of Education shall submit a safe school climate plan to the department for review and approval in accordance with the provisions of section 10-222p. Not later than thirty calendar days after approval by the department of such safe school climate plan, the board shall make such plan available on the board's and each individual school in the school district's Internet web site and ensure that such plan is included in the school district's publication of the rules, procedures and standards of conduct for schools and in all student handbooks.

(d) On and after July 1, 2012, and biennially thereafter, each local and regional board of education shall require each school in the district to complete an assessment using the school climate assessment instruments, including surveys, approved and disseminated by the Department of Education pursuant to section 10-222h. Each local and regional board of education shall collect the school climate assessments for each school in the district and submit such school climate assessments to the department.

(P.A. 02-119, S. 1; P.A. 06-115, S. 1; P.A. 08-160, S. 4; P.A. 11-232, S. 1; P.A. 14-172, S. 2; 14-232, S. 2; 14-234, S. 3; P.A. 18-15, S. 8; P.A. 19-166, S. 3.)

*Note: Section 2 of public act 19-166 is special in nature and therefore has not been codified but remains in full force and effect according to its terms.

History: P.A. 02-119 effective July 1, 2002; P.A. 06-115 added annual notification requirement in Subdiv. (1), added Subdiv. (9) re interventions, redefined "bullying" to include harassment and behavior on a school bus and added language re policies to address bullying outside of the school setting, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 08-160 added language re implementation of policy, deleted provision re use on and after February 1, 2003, amended Subdiv. (3) to require notification be in writing, amended Subdiv. (4) to add exception re anonymous report, amended Subdiv. (5) to add language re prevention, amended Subdiv. (7) to add language re notification by each school and invitation to attend at least one meeting, amended Subdiv. (8) to add language re report to Department of Education, added Subdiv. (10) re identification of appropriate personnel, redefined "bullying" to provide that acts may be committed against any student more than once and added language re submission of policy to Department of Education and publication of policy by school district, effective July 1, 2008 (Revisor's note: In codifying section 4 of public act 08-160, a reference to "this act" was deemed by the Revisors to be a reference to section 5 of that act and therefore cited as "section 10-222g"); P.A. 11-232 replaced references to bullying policy with references to safe school climate plan throughout, designated existing provisions as Subsecs. (b) and (c), added Subsec. (a) re definitions, amended Subsec. (b) by adding provisions re safe school climate plan and making conforming changes, deleting former definition of "bullying", redesignating existing Subdivs. (5) to (7) as Subdivs. (6) to (8), adding new Subdivs. (5), (9) and (10), redesignating existing Subdiv. (9) as Subdiv. (11), deleting former Subdiv. (10) and adding Subdivs. (12) to (17), amended Subsec. (c) by expanding existing provisions re safe school climate plan and making conforming changes, and added Subsec. (d) re completion and submission of school climate assessments, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 14-172 amended Subsec. (b) to add provision re notice of bullying policy at the beginning of the school year in Subdiv. (1), add provision re prompt notice to parents re bullying investigation in Subdiv. (4), delete provision re verified act of bullying and add "policies and procedures in place" in Subdiv. (9), add new Subdiv. (10) re meeting with parents or guardians of student who commits verified act of bullying, redesignate existing Subdivs. (10) to (17) as Subdivs. (11) to (18) and make technical changes, effective July 1, 2014; P.A. 14-232 amended Subsec. (c) by replacing "January 1, 2012" with "September 1, 2014", adding requirement that boards of education that have not had a safe school climate plan previously reviewed and approved by department submit such plan for review and approval and making conforming changes, effective June 13, 2014; P.A. 14-234 amended Subsec. (a) to add new Subdiv. (3) defining "teen dating violence" and redesignate existing Subdivs. (3) to (8) as Subdivs. (4) to (9), and amended Subsec. (b) to add references to teen dating violence; P.A. 18-15 redefined "school employee" in Subsec. (a)(8) to include school counselors, effective July 1, 2018; P.A. 19-166 amended Subsec. (a) by redefining "bullying" in Subdiv. (1), redefining "school climate" in Subdiv. (9), adding Subdivs. (10) to (12) defining "positive school climate", "emotional intelligence" and "social and emotional learning", respectively, and amended Subsec. (b)(8) by adding Subparas. (A) and (B) re notice of results of investigation and explanation of rights and remedies available, respectively, effective July 1, 2021.

Section, revised to 2007, does not regulate teacher-student bullying but rather student-student bullying. 134 CA 288. A local board of education acts as an agent of the state entitled to sovereign immunity against a wrongful death action when it develops and implements the safe school climate plan required under section, but acts as an agent of the municipality when its employees allegedly fail to comply with the terms of the plan, and the qualified statutory immunity under Sec. 10-222 l applies. 184 CA 201.

(b) Any local or regional board of education acting directly, or through its duly authorized agent, that terminates or declines to renew the coaching contract of an athletic coach who has served in the same coaching position for three or more consecutive school years shall inform such coach of such decision no later than ninety days after the completion of the sport season covered by the contract. Such coach shall have an opportunity to appeal such decision to the local or regional board of education in a manner prescribed by such local or regional board of education. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit a local or regional board of education from terminating the coaching contract of an athletic coach at any time (1) for reasons of moral misconduct, insubordination or a violation of the rules of the board of education, or (2) because a sport has been cancelled by the board of education.

(P.A. 04-243, S. 1; P.A. 13-41, S. 2.)

History: P.A. 04-243 effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 13-41 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing former provisions with provision re evaluation of athletic coach by athletic director and deleted former Subsec. (c) re definition of "athletic coach", effective July 1, 2013.

See Sec. 10-151b re evaluation of teachers.

Sec. 10-222f. College informational forums. Each local and regional board of education may require any high school under its jurisdiction that hosts an informational forum concerning college preparation or the college admission process to which parents and guardians of students are invited to provide such parents and guardians with information about the optional nature of some surveys and questions that accompany examinations taken for college admission. The information provided to parents and guardians shall include a warning that the release of personal identifying information, as defined in subsection (b) of section 53a-129a, may increase a student's vulnerability to identify theft.

(P.A. 07-241, S. 2.)

History: P.A. 07-241 effective July 1, 2007.

Sec. 10-222g. Prevention and intervention strategy re bullying and teen dating violence. For the purposes of section 10-222d, the term "prevention and intervention strategy" may include, but is not limited to, (1) implementation of a positive behavioral interventions and supports process or another evidence-based model approach for safe school climate or for the prevention of bullying and teen dating violence identified by the Department of Education, (2) school rules prohibiting bullying, teen dating violence, harassment and intimidation and establishing appropriate consequences for those who engage in such acts, (3) adequate adult supervision of outdoor areas, hallways, the lunchroom and other specific areas where bullying or teen dating violence is likely to occur, (4) inclusion of grade-appropriate bullying and teen dating violence education and prevention curricula in kindergarten through high school, (5) individual interventions with the bully, parents and school employees, and interventions with the bullied child, parents and school employees, (6) school-wide training related to safe school climate, (7) student peer training, education and support, (8) promotion of parent involvement in bullying prevention through individual or team participation in meetings, trainings and individual interventions, and (9) culturally competent school-based curriculum focusing on social-emotional learning, self-awareness and self-regulation. Funding for the school-based bullying intervention and school climate improvement strategy may originate from public, private, federal or philanthropic sources. For purposes of this section, "interventions with the bullied child" includes referrals to a school counselor, psychologist or other appropriate social or mental health service, and periodic follow-up by the safe school climate specialist with the bullied child.

(P.A. 08-160, S. 5; P.A. 11-232, S. 2; P.A. 14-172, S. 3; 14-234, S. 4.)

History: P.A. 08-160 effective July 1, 2008; P.A. 11-232 deleted former Subdivs. (2) and (3) re school survey and bullying prevention coordinating committee, redesignated existing Subdivs. (4) to (8) as Subdivs. (2) to (6), added "education and" in Subdiv. (4), replaced references to "school staff" with "school employees" in Subdiv. (5), added new Subdiv. (7) re student peer training, education and support and redesignated existing Subdiv. (9) as Subdiv. (8), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 14-172 added Subdiv. (9) re school-based curriculum, funding and definition of "interventions with the bullied child", effective July 1, 2014; P.A. 14-234 amended Subdivs. (1) to (4) by adding references to teen dating violence.

Sec. 10-222h. Analysis of school districts' efforts re prevention of and response to bullying in schools. School climate assessment instruments. (a) The Department of Education shall, within available appropriations, (1) document school districts' articulated needs for technical assistance and training related to safe learning and bullying, (2) collect information on the prevention and intervention strategies used by schools to reduce the incidence of bullying, improve school climate and improve reporting outcomes, (3) develop or recommend model safe school climate plans for grades kindergarten to twelve, inclusive, and (4) in collaboration with the Connecticut Association of Schools, disseminate to all public schools grade-level appropriate school climate assessment instruments, approved by the department, to be used by local and regional boards of education for the purposes of collecting information described in subdivision (2) of this subsection so that the department can monitor bullying prevention efforts over time and compare each district's progress to state trends. Such school climate assessment instruments shall (A) include surveys that contain uniform grade-level appropriate questions that collect information about students' perspectives and opinions about the school climate at the school, and (B) allow students to complete and submit such assessment and survey anonymously.

(b) On or before February 1, 2014, and annually thereafter, the department shall, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, submit a report on the status of its efforts pursuant to this section including, but not limited to, the number of verified acts of bullying in the state, an analysis of the responsive action taken by school districts, an analysis of student responses on the uniform grade-level appropriate questions described in subparagraph (A) of subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of this section and any recommendations it may have regarding additional activities or funding to prevent bullying in schools and improve school climate to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education and children and to the speaker of the House of Representatives, the president pro tempore of the Senate and the majority and minority leaders of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

(c) The department may accept private donations for the purposes of this section.

(P.A. 08-160, S. 7; P.A. 09-45, S. 5; P.A. 11-232, S. 3; P.A. 13-3, S. 89; P.A. 14-232, S. 4.)

History: P.A. 08-160 effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 09-45 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective May 20, 2009; P.A. 11-232 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting former Subdivs. (1) and (2) and redesignating existing Subdivs. (3) to (5) as Subdivs. (1) to (3), replacing reference to model bullying policies with reference to model safe school climate plan and adding "or recommend" in Subdiv. (3), adding Subdiv. (4) re dissemination of school climate assessment instruments, and adding "and biennially thereafter" and provision re number of verified acts of bullying and analysis of districts' responsive action to report requirements, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 13-3 amended Subsec. (a) by designating existing provision re submission of report as new Subsec. (b), amended same by replacing "2010" with "2014", replacing "biennially" with "annually", adding provision re report submitted to speaker of the House of Representatives, president pro tempore of the Senate and majority and minority leaders of the House and Senate and making conforming changes, and redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (c), effective April 4, 2013; P.A. 14-232 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting "a" and replacing "plan" with "plans" in Subdiv. (3), deleting "including surveys," in Subdiv. (4), adding requirements re school climate assessment instruments and making a technical change, and amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision re analysis of student responses on uniform grade-level appropriate questions, effective June 13, 2014.

Sec. 10-222i. State-wide safe school climate resource network. (a) The Department of Education, in consultation with the State Education Resource Center, established pursuant to section 10-357a, the Governor's Prevention Partnership, the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity and the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, shall establish, within available appropriations, a state-wide safe school climate resource network for the identification, prevention and education of school bullying and teen dating violence in the state. Such state-wide safe school climate resource network shall make available to all schools information, training opportunities and resource materials to improve the school climate to diminish bullying and teen dating violence.

(b) The department may seek federal, state and municipal funding and may accept private donations for the administration of the state-wide safe school climate resource network.

(P.A. 11-232, S. 4; P.A. 14-212, S. 17; 14-234, S. 5; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 16-3, S. 144; P.A. 19-117, S. 118.)

History: P.A. 11-232 effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 14-212 amended Subsec. (a) by adding reference to Sec. 10-357a, effective June 13, 2014; P.A. 14-234 amended Subsec. (a) to add "the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence" and "teen dating violence"; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 16-3 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing "Commission on Children" with "Commission on Women, Children and Seniors", effective July 1, 2016; P.A. 19-117 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing "Commission on Women, Children and Seniors" with "Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity", effective July 1, 2019.

(P.A. 11-232, S. 6; P.A. 14-234, S. 6.)

History: P.A. 11-232 effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 14-234 added provision re annual training for school employees on teen dating violence, revised provision re those school employees excepted from annual training requirements and added references to teen dating violence in Subdivs. (1) to (4).

(b) For the school year commencing July 1, 2012, and each school year thereafter, the principal of each school, or the principal's designee, shall serve as the safe school climate specialist and shall (1) investigate or supervise the investigation of reported acts of bullying in the school in accordance with the district's safe school climate plan, (2) collect and maintain records of reports and investigations of bullying in the school, and (3) act as the primary school official responsible for preventing, identifying and responding to reports of bullying in the school.

(c) (1) For the school year commencing July 1, 2012, and each school year thereafter, the principal of each school shall establish a committee or designate at least one existing committee in the school to be responsible for developing and fostering a safe school climate and addressing issues relating to bullying in the school. Such committee shall include at least one parent or guardian of a student enrolled in the school appointed by the school principal, and for the school year commencing July 1, 2021, and each school year thereafter, such committee shall also include (A) school personnel, including, but not limited to, at least one teacher selected by the exclusive bargaining representative for certified employees chosen pursuant to section 10-153b, (B) medical and mental health personnel assigned to such school, and (C) in the case of a committee for a high school, at least one student enrolled at such high school who is selected by the students of such school in a manner determined by the school principal.

(3) Any parent or guardian or student serving as a member of any such committee shall not participate in the activities described in subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, of subdivision (2) of this subsection or any other activity that may compromise the confidentiality of a student.

(P.A. 11-232, S. 9; P.A. 13-3, S. 88; P.A. 21-95, S. 14.)

History: P.A. 11-232 effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 13-3 amended Subsec. (c)(2) by making a technical change, redesignating existing Subparas. (C) to (G) as Subparas. (D) to (H) and adding new Subpara. (C) re school security and safety plans and amended Subsec. (c)(3) by making a conforming change, effective April 4, 2013; P.A. 21-95 amended Subsec. (c) by adding provisions re committee members included for school year commencing July 1, 2021, and each school year thereafter, in Subdiv. (1), and adding "or student" in Subdiv. (3), effective July 1, 2021.

Sec. 10-222 l. Immunity of school employees, students, parents or guardians, individuals and boards of education from liability for certain actions relating to reporting, investigating and responding to school bullying and teen dating violence. (a) No claim for damages shall be made against a school employee, as defined in section 10-222d, who reports, investigates and responds to bullying or teen dating violence, as defined in section 10-222d, in accordance with the provisions of the safe school climate plan, described in section 10-222d, if such school employee was acting in good faith in the discharge of his or her duties or within the scope of his or her employment. The immunity provided in this subsection does not apply to acts or omissions constituting gross, reckless, wilful or wanton misconduct.

(b) No claim for damages shall be made against a student, parent or guardian of a student or any other individual who reports an act of bullying or teen dating violence to a school employee, in accordance with the provisions of the safe school climate plan described in section 10-222d, if such individual was acting in good faith. The immunity provided in this subsection does not apply to acts or omissions constituting gross, reckless, wilful or wanton misconduct.

(c) No claim for damages shall be made against a local or regional board of education that implements the safe school climate plan, described in section 10-222d, and reports, investigates and responds to bullying or teen dating violence, as defined in section 10-222d, if such local or regional board of education was acting in good faith in the discharge of its duties. The immunity provided in this subsection does not apply to acts or omissions constituting gross, reckless, wilful or wanton misconduct.

(P.A. 11-232, S. 10; P.A. 14-234, S. 7.)

History: P.A. 11-232 effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 14-234 added references to teen dating violence and made technical changes.

Sec. 10-222m. School security and safety plans. School security and safety committees. (a) For the school year commencing July 1, 2014, and each school year thereafter, each local and regional board of education shall develop and implement a school security and safety plan for each school under the jurisdiction of such board. Such plans shall be based on the school security and safety plan standards developed by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, pursuant to section 10-222n. Each local and regional board of education shall annually review and update, if necessary, such plans.

(b) For the school year commencing July 1, 2014, and each school year thereafter, each local and regional board of education shall establish a school security and safety committee at each school under the jurisdiction of such board. The school security and safety committee shall be responsible for assisting in the development of the school security and safety plan for the school and administering such plan. Such school security and safety committee shall consist of a local police officer, a local first responder, a teacher and an administrator employed at the school, a mental health professional, as defined in section 10-76t, a parent or guardian of a student enrolled in the school and any other person the board of education deems necessary. Any parent or guardian serving as a member of a school security and safety committee shall not have access to any information reported to such committee, pursuant to subparagraph (c) of subdivision (2) of subsection (c) of section 10-222k.

(c) Each local and regional board of education shall annually submit the school security and safety plan for each school under the jurisdiction of such board, developed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection.

(P.A. 13-3, S. 87.)

History: P.A. 13-3 effective April 4, 2013.

Sec. 10-222n. School security and safety plan standards. (a) Not later than January 1, 2014, the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, in consultation with the Department of Education, shall develop school security and safety plan standards. Not later than January 1, 2020, and every three years thereafter, the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, in consultation with the Department of Education, shall reevaluate and update the school security and safety plan standards. The school security and safety plan standards shall be an all-hazards approach to emergencies at public schools and shall include, but not be limited to, (1) involvement of local officials, including the chief executive officer of the municipality, the superintendent of schools, law enforcement, fire, public health, emergency management and emergency medical services, in the development of school security and safety plans, (2) a command center organization structure based on the federal National Incident Management System and a description of the responsibilities of such command center organization, (3) a requirement that a school security and safety committee be established at each school, in accordance with the provisions of section 10-222m, (4) crisis management procedures, (5) a requirement that local law enforcement and other local public safety officials evaluate, score and provide feedback on fire drills and crisis response drills, conducted pursuant to section 10-231, (6) a requirement that local and regional boards of education annually submit reports to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection regarding such fire drills and crisis response drills, (7) procedures for managing various types of emergencies, (8) a requirement that each local and regional board of education conduct a security and vulnerability assessment for each school under the jurisdiction of such board every two years and develop a school security and safety plan for each such school, in accordance with the provisions of section 10-222m, based on the results of such assessment, (9) a requirement that the safe school climate committee for each school, established pursuant to section 10-222k, collect and evaluate information relating to instances of disturbing or threatening behavior that may not meet the definition of bullying, as defined in section 10-222d, and report such information, as necessary, to the district safe school climate coordinator, described in section 10-222k, and the school security and safety committee for the school, established pursuant to section 10-222m, and (10) a requirement that the school security and safety plan for each school provide an orientation on such school security and safety plan to each school employee, as defined in section 10-222d, at such school and provide violence prevention training in a manner prescribed in such school security and safety plan. The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall make such standards available to local officials, including local and regional boards of education, and the Department of Education shall distribute such standards to all public schools within the state.

(b) Not later than January 1, 2014, and annually thereafter, the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall submit the school security and safety plan standards and any recommendations for legislation regarding such standards to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public safety and education, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a.

(P.A. 13-3, S. 86; P.A. 19-52, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 13-3 effective April 4, 2013; P.A. 19-52 amended Subsec. (a) to add provisions re reevaluation and updating of school security and safety plan standards and distribution of standards by the Department of Education to public schools, effective June 26, 2019.

Sec. 10-222o. Information re aggregate spending for education to be made available. (a) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014, and each fiscal year thereafter, each local and regional board of education shall annually make available on the Internet web site of such local or regional board of education the aggregate spending on salaries, employee benefits, instructional supplies, educational media supplies, instructional equipment, regular education tuition, special education tuition, purchased services and all other expenditure items, excluding debt service, for each school under the jurisdiction of such local or regional board of education.

(b) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014, and each fiscal year thereafter, each regional educational service center shall annually make available on the Internet web site of such regional educational service center the aggregate spending on salaries, employee benefits, instructional supplies, educational media supplies, instructional equipment, regular education tuition, special education tuition, purchased services and all other expenditure items, excluding debt service, for each school under the jurisdiction of such regional educational service center.

(c) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014, and each fiscal year thereafter, the governing authority for each state charter school shall annually make available on the Internet web site of such governing authority the aggregate spending on salaries, employee benefits, instructional supplies, educational media supplies, instructional equipment, regular education tuition, special education tuition, purchased services and all other expenditure items, excluding debt service, for each state charter school under the jurisdiction of such governing authority.

(P.A. 13-247, S. 192.)

History: P.A. 13-247 effective July 1, 2013.

(b) The Department of Education shall make available on the department's Internet web site (1) each safe school climate plan that has been approved by the department, (2) a list of the school districts that have an approved safe school climate plan, and (3) a list of the school districts whose safe school climate plans have been rejected and that are in the process of resubmitting their safe school climate plans for approval by the department.

(P.A. 14-232, S. 3; P.A. 15-143, S. 3.)

History: P.A. 14-232 effective June 13, 2014; P.A. 15-143 made technical changes in Subsec. (b), effective June 30, 2015.

(b) The collaborative shall consist of the following members:

(1) Five appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom is a member of the Juvenile Justice Policy and Oversight Committee, established pursuant to section 46b-121n; one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education; one of whom is a school administrator with experience in district-level, equity-focused and cross-disciplinary social and emotional learning; one of whom is a representative of an organization that provides free or reduced-cost legal services; and one of whom is a representative of Connecticut Parent Power;

(2) Five appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut Association of Schools; one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut Association of School Administrators; one of whom is a representative of the Social Emotional Learning Alliance for Connecticut; one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut School Counselor Association; and one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents;

(3) Three appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, one of whom is a representative of Special Education Equity for Kids of Connecticut; one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center; and one of whom is a representative of African Caribbean American Parents of Children with Disabilities, Inc.;

(4) Three appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, one of whom is a representative of the Center for Children's Advocacy; one of whom is a representative of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence; and one of whom is a representative of the Neag School of Education at The University of Connecticut;

(5) Three appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, one of whom is a representative of the American Federation of Teachers-Connecticut; one of whom is a representative of the Center for Social and Emotional Learning at Central Connecticut State University; and one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut Parent Teacher Association;

(6) Three appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut Education Association; one of whom is a representative of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Connecticut; and one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board established pursuant to section 17a-52;

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

(8) The chairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children and education;

(9) The Child Advocate, or the Child Advocate's designee; and

(10) The executive director of the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity, or the executive director's designee.

(c) All appointments to the collaborative shall be made not later than thirty days after the effective date of this section. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority.

(d) The cochairpersons of the collaborative shall be the executive director of the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity, or the executive director's designee, and a cochairperson elected from among the members. The first meeting of the collaborative shall be held not later than sixty days after the effective date of this section.

(e) The collaborative may designate subcommittees and advisory groups to carry out its functions, provided any subcommittees so designated shall be comprised of members of the collaborative.

(f) The staff of the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity shall serve as administrative staff of the collaborative.

(g) Not later than January 1, 2021, and annually thereafter, the collaborative shall submit a report concerning (1) its efforts to (A) monitor the school climate improvement efforts of local and regional boards of education, (B) document needs articulated by local and regional boards of education for technical assistance and training relating to fostering positive school climates, (C) identify best practices for promoting positive school climates, and (D) direct resources to support state-wide and local initiatives on issues relating to fostering and improving positive school climates and improving access to social and emotional learning, and (2) any recommendations, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children and education, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a.

(P.A. 19-166, S. 1; P.A. 22-58, S. 66.)

*Note: Section 2 of public act 19-166 is special in nature and therefore has not been codified but remains in full force and effect according to its terms.

History: P.A. 19-166 effective July 8, 2019 (Revisor's note: Pursuant to P.A. 19-117, "Commission on Women, Children and Seniors" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity"); P.A. 22-58 amended Subsec. (b)(6) by replacing "Youth Suicide Advisory Board" with "Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board", effective July 1, 2022.

(P.A. 19-166, S. 4.)

History: P.A. 19-166 effective July 1, 2019.

Sec. 10-222s. Provision of training materials re prevention of and intervention in discrimination and harassment against students. Each local and regional board of education, in consultation with the Department of Education and the social and emotional learning and school climate advisory collaborative established pursuant to section 10-222q, shall provide on the Internet web site of the department training materials to school administrators regarding the prevention of and intervention in discrimination against and targeted harassment of students based on such students' (1) actual or perceived differentiating characteristics, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, socioeconomic status, academic status, physical appearance or mental, physical, developmental or sensory disability, or (2) association with individuals or groups who have or are perceived to have one or more of such characteristics. Such training materials may be developed in consultation with or provided by one or more organizations offering training on identifying, preventing and intervening in discrimination.

(P.A. 19-166, S. 5.)

History: P.A. 19-166 effective July 1, 2019.

Sec. 10-222t. Administration of social-emotional learning assessment. (a) For the school year commencing July 1, 2021, and each school year thereafter, the Department of Education may provide to and assist local and regional boards of education in administering a social-emotional learning assessment to students pursuant to subsection (b) of this section.

(b) For the school year commencing July 1, 2021, and each school year thereafter, a local or regional board of education may administer a social-emotional learning assessment to students. A board may use (1) the social-emotional learning assessment provided by the Department of Education pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, or (2) another social-emotional learning assessment or mental health and resiliency screening.

(c) The parent or guardian of a student shall receive prior written notice of any social-emotional learning assessment or mental health and resiliency screening described in subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of this section that is to be administered pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. No student shall complete such assessment or screening unless such parent or guardian provides permission that such student may complete such assessment or screening.

(P.A. 21-95, S. 4; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 386.)

History: P.A. 21-95 effective July 1, 2021; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing "shall, upon request," with "may", amended Subsec. (b) by making provisions applicable for each school year thereafter and replacing "shall" with "may", deleted former Subsec. (c) re assessment for school year commencing July 1, 2022, redesignated existing Subsec. (d) as Subsec. (c) and amended same by adding "described in subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of this section", and made technical and conforming changes, effective July 1, 2021.

(b) The collaborative may consult with the national Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning to implement the provisions of this section.

(P.A. 21-95, S. 5.)

History: P.A. 21-95 effective July 1, 2021.

Sec. 10-222v. Social-emotional learning standards for grades four to twelve. Not later than October 1, 2022, the Department of Education shall develop student social-emotional learning standards for grades four to twelve, inclusive. Such standards shall be designed for a multitiered system of support that is culturally relevant and responsive, emphasizes school connectedness and includes restorative practices. Such standards shall be made available on the department's Internet web site. As used in this section, "social-emotional learning" means the process through which children and adults achieve emotional intelligence through the competencies of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making.

(P.A. 21-95, S. 6.)

History: P.A. 21-95 effective July 1, 2021.

(P.A. 21-95, S. 7.)

History: P.A. 21-95 effective June 28, 2021.

Sec. 10-222x. Inclusion of 9-8-8 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number on student identification cards. (a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) of this section, for the school year commencing July 1, 2023, and each school year thereafter, each local and regional board of education shall include on the student identification card distributed to each student in grades six to twelve, inclusive, the 9-8-8 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number.

(b) If the 9-8-8 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number has not been in operation for more than one year prior to the start of the school year commencing July 1, 2023, the provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall commence and be applicable to the school years immediately following the date that the 9-8-8 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has been operational in the state for three hundred sixty-six days.

(P.A. 22-47, S. 28.)

History: P.A. 22-47 effective July 1, 2022.

Sec. 10-223. Separate high school accounts. Section 10-223 is repealed, effective June 3, 1996.

(1949 Rev., S. 1481; P.A. 78-218, S. 148; P.A. 96-161, S. 12, 13.)

Sec. 10-223a. Promotion and graduation policies. Basic skills necessary for graduation; assessment process. (a) On or before July 1, 2000, each local and regional board of education shall review and revise its policies for promotion from grade to grade and for graduation in order to ensure that such policies foster student achievement, reduce the incidence of social promotion and meet the requirements of this section. On and after said date, such policies shall: (1) Include objective criteria for the promotion and graduation of students, (2) provide for the measuring of the progress of students against such criteria and the reporting of such information to parents and students, (3) include alternatives to promotion such as transition programs, and (4) provide for supplemental services, and such policies may require students who have substantial academic deficiencies that jeopardize their eligibility for promotion or graduation to attend after school programs, summer school or other programs offered by the school district that are designed to assist students in remedying such deficiencies.

(b) On or before September 1, 2002, each local and regional board of education shall specify the basic skills necessary for graduation for classes graduating in 2006, and for each graduating class thereafter, and include a process to assess a student's level of competency in such skills. The assessment criteria shall include, but not be exclusively based on, the results of the mastery examination, pursuant to section 10-14n, for students in grade ten or eleven. Each local and regional board of education shall identify a course of study for those students who have not successfully completed the assessment criteria to assist such students to reach a satisfactory level of competency prior to graduation.

(P.A. 99-288, S. 1, 6; P.A. 01-166; P.A. 13-207, S. 7.)

History: P.A. 99-288 effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 01-166 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and added Subsec. (b) re basic skills necessary for graduation and assessment of competency; P.A. 13-207 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing reference to tenth grade mastery examination with provision re results of mastery examination for students in grade ten or eleven and making technical changes, effective July 1, 2013.

(P.A. 99-288, S. 2, 6; P.A. 00-187, S. 1, 2, 75; 00-193, S. 2, 3; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1, S. 36, 54; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-7, S. 110.)

Sec. 10-223e. State-wide education accountability plan. State-wide performance management and support plan. Actions. Study of academic achievement. Reconstitution of boards of education. (a) As used in this section:

(1) "Accountability index" means the score resulting from multiple student, school or district-level measures, as weighted by the Department of Education, that (A) shall include the performance index score and high school graduation rates, and (B) may include, but need not be limited to, academic growth over time, attendance and chronic absenteeism, postsecondary education and career readiness, enrollment in and graduation from institutions of higher education and postsecondary education programs, civics and arts education and physical fitness.

(2) "Performance index" means the score, as calculated by the Department of Education using the mastery test data of record, assigned to student subgroups, schools or districts.

(3) "Mastery test data of record" has the same meaning as provided in section 10-262f.

(4) "Category five schools" means schools with the lowest performance as indicated by factors set forth in the state-wide performance management and support plan, prepared pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, that may include, but are not limited to, the accountability index.

(5) "Category four schools" means schools with the lowest performance other than category five schools as indicated by factors set forth in the state-wide performance management and support plan, prepared pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, that may include, but are not limited to, the accountability index.

(6) "Category three schools" means schools with higher performance than category four and five schools, but lower performance than category one and two schools as indicated by factors set forth in the state-wide performance management and support plan, prepared pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, that may include, but are not limited to, the accountability index.

(7) "Category two schools" means schools that have higher performance than category three, category four and category five schools, but lower performance than category one schools as indicated by factors set forth in the state-wide performance management and support plan, prepared pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, that may include, but are not limited to, the accountability index.

(8) "Category one schools" means schools that have the highest performance as indicated by factors set forth in the state-wide performance management and support plan, prepared pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, that may include, but are not limited to, the accountability index.

(9) "Focus school" has the same meaning as "focus school" as described in the United States Department of Education's ESEA Flexibility policy document, updated June 7, 2012.

(b) (1) For the school years commencing July 1, 2002, to July 1, 2011, inclusive, in conformance with the No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-110, the Commissioner of Education shall prepare a state-wide education accountability plan, consistent with federal law and regulation. Such plan shall identify the schools and districts in need of improvement, require the development and implementation of improvement plans and utilize rewards and consequences.

(2) For the school years commencing July 1, 2012, to July 1, 2014, inclusive, the Department of Education shall prepare a state-wide performance management and support plan, consistent with federal law and regulation. Such plan shall (A) identify districts in need of improvement, (B) classify schools as category one, two, three, four or five schools based on their school performance index and other factors, and (C) identify focus schools.

(3) For the school year commencing July 1, 2015, and each school year thereafter, the Department of Education shall prepare a state-wide performance management and support plan, consistent with federal law and regulation. Such plan shall (A) identify districts in need of improvement, (B) classify schools as category one, two, three, four or five schools based on the accountability index, and (C) identify focus schools.

(c) (1) Public schools identified by the State Board of Education pursuant to section 10-223b of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 2001, as schools in need of improvement shall: (A) Continue to be identified as schools in need of improvement, and continue to operate under school improvement plans developed pursuant to said section 10-223b through June 30, 2004; (B) on or before February 1, 2003, be evaluated by the local board of education and determined to be making sufficient or insufficient progress; (C) if found to be making insufficient progress by a local board of education, be subject to a new remediation and organization plan developed by the local board of education; (D) continue to be eligible for available federal or state aid; (E) beginning in February, 2003, and ending June 30, 2012, be monitored by the Department of Education for adequate yearly progress, as defined in the state accountability plan prepared in accordance with subsection (a) of this section; and (F) be subject to rewards and consequences as defined in said plan.

(d) (1) For those schools classified as category three schools, the department may require such schools to (A) develop and implement plans consistent with this section and federal law to elevate the school from low achieving status, and (B) be the subject of actions as described in the state-wide performance management and support plan, prepared in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of this section.

(2) For those schools classified as category three schools, the department may require the local or regional board of education for such schools to collaborate with the regional educational service center that serves the area in which such schools are located to develop plans to ensure such schools provide (A) early education opportunities, (B) summer school, (C) extended school day or year programming, (D) weekend classes, (E) tutorial assistance to their students, or (F) professional development to their administrators, principals, teachers and paraprofessionals. In requiring any educational program authorized by this subdivision, the Commissioner of Education may limit the offering of such program to the subgroup of students that have failed to reach performance benchmarks or those in transitional or milestone grades or those who are otherwise at substantial risk of educational failure as described in the state-wide performance management and support plan, prepared in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of this section.

(e) (1) (A) Any school or school district identified as in need of improvement pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of this section and requiring corrective action pursuant to the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-110, shall be designated and listed as a low achieving school or school district and shall be subject to intensified supervision and direction by the State Board of Education.

(B) Any school classified as a category four school or category five school or a school designated as a focus school shall be designated as low achieving and shall be subject to intensified supervision and direction by the State Board of Education.

(2) Notwithstanding any provision of this title or any regulation adopted pursuant to said title, except as provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection, in carrying out the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection and this subdivision, the State Board of Education shall take any of the following actions to improve student performance of the school district, a particular school in the district or among student subgroups, and remove the school or district from the list of schools or districts designated and listed as a low achieving school or district pursuant to said subdivision (1), and to address other needs of the school or district: (A) Require an operations audit to identify possible programmatic savings and an instructional audit to identify any deficits in curriculum and instruction or in the learning environment of the school or district; (B) require the local or regional board of education for such school or district to use state and federal funds for critical needs, as directed by the State Board of Education; (C) provide incentives to attract highly qualified teachers and principals; (D) direct the transfer and assignment of teachers and principals; (E) require additional training and technical assistance for parents and guardians of children attending the school or a school in the district and for teachers, principals, and central office staff members hired by the district; (F) require the local or regional board of education for the school or district to implement model curriculum, including, but not limited to, recommended textbooks, materials and supplies approved by the Department of Education; (G) identify schools for reconstitution, as may be phased in by the commissioner, as state or local charter schools, schools established pursuant to section 10-74g, innovation schools established pursuant to section 10-74h, or schools based on other models for school improvement, or for management by an entity other than the local or regional board of education for the district in which the school is located; (H) direct the local or regional board of education for the school or district to develop and implement a plan addressing deficits in achievement and in the learning environment as recommended in the instructional audit; (I) assign a technical assistance team to the school or district to guide school or district initiatives and report progress to the Commissioner of Education; (J) establish instructional and learning environment benchmarks for the school or district to meet as it progresses toward removal from the list of low achieving schools or districts; (K) provide funding to any proximate district to a district designated as a low achieving school district so that students in a low achieving district may attend public school in a neighboring district; (L) direct the establishment of learning academies within schools that require continuous monitoring of student performance by teacher groups; (M) require a local or regional board of education to (i) undergo training designed to improve the operational efficiency and effectiveness of the board of education as leaders of its district improvement plans by distinguishing and making clear the proper roles and different functions of the board of education, including the responsibility of developing the improvement plans and education policy for the district, and the school and district-level administrators, including the responsibility of implementing such improvement plans and policies, and (ii) submit an annual action plan to the Commissioner of Education outlining how, when and in what manner their effectiveness shall be monitored; (N) require the appointment of (i) a superintendent, approved by the Commissioner of Education, or (ii) a district improvement officer, selected by the commissioner, whose authority is consistent with the provisions of section 138 of public act 11-61*, and whose term shall be for one school year, except that the State Board of Education may extend such period; or (O) any combination of the actions described in this subdivision or similar, closely related actions.

(3) If a directive of the State Board of Education pursuant to subparagraph (C), (D), (E), (G) or (L) of subdivision (2) of this subsection or a directive to implement a plan pursuant to subparagraph (H) of said subdivision (2) affects working conditions, such directive shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of sections 10-153a to 10-153n, inclusive.

(f) The State Board of Education shall monitor the progress of each school or district designated as a low achieving school or district pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (e) of this section and provide notice to the local or regional board of education for each such school or district of the school or district's progress toward meeting the benchmarks established by the State Board of Education pursuant to subsection (e) of this section. If a school or district fails to make acceptable progress toward meeting such benchmarks established by the State Board of Education or fails to make adequate yearly progress pursuant to the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-110, for two consecutive years while designated as a low achieving school district, the State Board of Education, after consultation with the Governor and chief elected official or officials of the district, may (1) request that the General Assembly enact legislation authorizing that control of the district be reassigned to the State Board of Education or other authorized entity, or (2) notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 146, any special act, charter or ordinance, grant the Commissioner of Education the authority to reconstitute the local or regional board of education for such school district in accordance with the provisions of subsection (i) of this section.

(g) Any school district or elementary school after two successive years of failing to make adequate yearly progress shall be designated as a low achieving school district or school and shall be evaluated by the Commissioner of Education. After such evaluation, the commissioner may require that such school district or school provide full-day kindergarten classes, summer school, extended school day, weekend classes, tutorial assistance to its students or professional development to its administrators, principals, teachers and paraprofessional teacher aides if (1) on any subpart of the mastery examination administered to students in grade three, pursuant to section 10-14n, thirty per cent or more of the students in any subgroup, as defined by the No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-110, do not achieve the level of proficiency or higher, or (2) the commissioner determines that it would be in the best educational interests of the school or the school district to have any of these programs. In ordering any educational program authorized by this subsection, the commissioner may limit the offering of the program to the subgroup of students that have failed to achieve proficiency as determined by this subsection, those in particular grades or those who are otherwise at substantial risk of educational failure. The costs of instituting the ordered educational programs shall be borne by the identified low achieving school district or the school district in which an identified low achieving school is located. The commissioner shall not order an educational program that costs more to implement than the total increase in the amount of the grant that a town receives pursuant to section 10-262i in any fiscal year above the prior fiscal year.

(h) The Commissioner of Education shall conduct a study, within the limits of the capacity of the Department of Education to perform such study, of academic achievement of individual students over time as measured by performance on mastery examinations administered to students in grades three to eight, inclusive, pursuant to section 10-14n. If this study evidences a pattern of continuous and substantial growth in educational performance on said examinations for individual students, then the commissioner may determine that the school district or elementary school shall not be subject to the requirements of subsection (g) of this section, but shall still comply with the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-110, if applicable.

(i) (1) The State Board of Education may authorize the Commissioner of Education to reconstitute a local or regional board of education pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (f) of this section and in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (2) of this subsection, for a period of not more than five years. The board shall not grant such authority to the commissioner unless the board has required the local or regional board of education to complete the training described in subparagraph (M) of subdivision (2) of subsection (e) of this section. Upon such authorization by the board, the commissioner shall terminate the existing local or regional board of education and appoint the members of a new local or regional board of education for the school district. Upon the termination of an existing local or regional board of education, the electoral process for such board shall be suspended during the period of reconstitution. Such appointed members may include members of the board of education that was terminated. The terms of the members of the new board of education shall be three years. The Department of Education shall offer training to the members of the new board of education. The new board of education shall annually report to the commissioner regarding the district's progress toward meeting the benchmarks established by the State Board of Education pursuant to subsection (e) of this section and making adequate yearly progress, as defined in the state accountability plan prepared in accordance with subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of this section. Not later than one hundred eighty days before the conclusion of the three-year term of the reconstituted board of education, the commissioner may reappoint the members of the new board of education or appoint new members to such board of education for terms of two years, to commence at the conclusion of the initial three-year term, if the district fails to show adequate improvement, as determined by the State Board of Education, after three years.

(2) Upon terminating an existing local or regional board of education pursuant to the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection, the commissioner shall notify the town clerk in the school district, or in the case of a regional board of education, the town clerk of each member town, and the office of the Secretary of the State of such termination. Such notice shall include the date of such termination and the positions terminated.

(4) For purposes of this subsection, "electoral process" includes, but is not limited to, the nominations of candidates by political parties, nominating petitions, write-in candidacies and the filling of vacancies on the board of education.

(May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-7, S. 6; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3, S. 32; P.A. 08-153, S. 4; P.A. 10-111, S. 21; P.A. 11-135, S. 5; P.A. 12-116, S. 18; P.A. 13-207, S. 16; P.A. 15-215, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 326; P.A. 17-215, S. 1.)

*Note: Section 138 of public act 11-61 is special in nature and therefore has not been codified but remains in full force and effect according to its terms.

History: May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-7 effective August 15, 2002; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3 added Subsecs. (c) to (f) re low achieving schools or districts and direction by the State Board of Education, re monitoring of progress by State Board of Education, re evaluation by Commissioner of Education and re study of academic achievement, respectively, effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 08-153 amended Subsec. (c)(2) to add exception re Subsec. (c)(3) and, in Subpara. (E), add provision re parents and guardians, add new Subpara. (M) re training and annual action plan, redesignate existing Subpara. (M) as Subpara. (N) and make a technical change therein, added new Subsec. (c)(3) re carrying out directive in accordance with Secs. 10-153a to 10-153n and redesignated existing Subsec. (c)(3) as Subsec. (c)(4), effective July 1, 2008; P.A. 10-111 amended Subsec. (c)(2)(G) by adding reference re innovation schools, amended Subsec. (c)(3) by adding internal reference to Subdiv. (2)(G), amended Subsec. (d) by designating existing provision re request for legislation as Subdiv. (1) and adding Subdiv. (2) re authority of commissioner to reconstitute a board of education, added Subsec. (g) re school governance councils and added Subsec. (h) re authority of commissioner to reconstitute a board of education, effective July 1, 2010; P.A. 11-135 amended Subsec. (g) by adding provisions re similar school governance council model, adding Subdiv. (1)(C) re exception to school governance councils, deleting former Subdiv. (8) re evaluation and report, redesignating existing Subdiv. (9) as Subdiv. (8), and making conforming and technical changes, effective July 8, 2011; P.A. 12-116 added new Subsec. (a) re definitions, redesignated existing Subsec. (a) as Subsec. (b) and amended same by designating existing provisions re state-wide education accountability plan as Subdiv. (1) and making such provisions applicable for school years commencing July 1, 2002, to July 1, 2011, and adding Subdiv. (2) re state-wide performance management and support plan, redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (c) and amended same by designating existing provisions re schools in need of improvement as Subdiv. (1), redesignating existing Subdivs. (1) to (6) as Subparas. (A) to (F) and adding "and ending June 30, 2012," in redesignated Subpara. (E), and adding Subdiv. (2) re schools or districts in need of improvement and low achieving schools or districts, added new Subsec. (d) re category three schools, redesignated existing Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (e), amended redesignated Subsec. (e)(1) by designating existing provisions re school or school district identified as in need of improvement and requiring corrective action as Subpara. (A) and adding Subpara. (B) re category four and five schools and focus schools, amended redesignated Subsec. (e)(2) by adding "of the school district, a particular school in the district or among student subgroups", adding new Subpara. (N) re appointment of a superintendent or special master and redesignating existing Subpara. (N) as Subpara. (O), deleted former Subsec. (c)(4) re grant funds withheld, redesignated existing Subsecs. (d) to (f) as Subsecs. (f) to (h), deleted former Subsec. (g) re school governance councils, redesignated existing Subsec. (h) as Subsec. (i) and amended same by adding provision re suspension of electoral process during period of reconstitution, adding provision re when, for what reasons and for how long commissioner may reappoint existing members or appoint new members to reconstituted board, adding Subdiv. (2) re notification of termination of board of education, adding Subdiv. (3) re notice of conclusion of period of reconstitution and commencement of electoral process, adding Subdiv. (4) re definition of "electoral process", and made conforming changes throughout, effective May 14, 2012 (Revisor's note: In Subsec. (i), a Subdiv. (1) designator was inserted editorially by the Revisors for clarity); P.A. 13-207 amended Subsec. (g) by replacing "third grade state-wide mastery examination" with "mastery examination administered to students in grade three, pursuant to section 10-14n" and amended Subsec. (h) by replacing "the state-wide mastery examination" with "mastery examinations administered to students" and adding reference to Sec. 10-14n, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 15-215 amended Subsec. (e)(2)(N)(ii) by replacing "special master" with "district improvement officer", effective July 1, 2015; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing former Subdivs. (1) to (5) re definitions of "school performance index", "school subject performance index for mathematics", "school subject performance index for reading", "school subject performance index for writing" and "school subject performance index for science" with new Subdivs. (1) to (3) re definitions of "accountability index", "performance index" and "mastery test data of record", and redesignating existing Subdivs. (6) to (11) as new Subdivs. (4) to (9) and amending same by redefining "category five schools", "category four schools", "category three schools", "category two schools", "category one schools" and "focus school", and amended Subsec. (b) by making provisions of Subdiv. (2) applicable to school years commencing July 1, 2012, to July 1, 2014, and adding Subdiv. (3) re preparation of state-wide performance management and support plan for school year commencing July 1, 2015, and each school year thereafter, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 17-215 amended Subsec. (e)(2)(M) by replacing "and" with "or" re requirements, adding provision re distinguishing and making clear the proper roles and different functions of the board of education and school and district-level administrators, and making technical changes, effective July 1, 2017.

Training provision in Subsec. (h) is a condition precedent to State Board of Education's authority to authorize reconstitution; failure to satisfy such training provision renders the State Board powerless to authorize reconstitution, and because training provision concerns the scope of the legislature's grant of power to the State Board, the local board, as a separate agent of the state and a body inferior to the legislature, could not alter the scope of the grant by waiving such training provision. 304 C. 1.

(b) Not later than October 1, 2014, the Department of Education shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, the district performance indices results, calculated in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education.

(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3, S. 54; P.A. 12-116, S. 27; P.A. 13-206, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 333.)

History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3 effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 12-116 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provisions re determination of academic performance, adding reference to the state-wide performance management and support plan and making technical changes, effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 13-206 amended Subsec. (a) to replace provisions re pilot program for fiscal years 2008 to 2013 for the calculation of adequate yearly progress for purposes of the state-wide education accountability plan or the state-wide performance management and support plan for the Bridgeport, Hartford and New Haven school districts with provisions re calculation of district performance index for alliance districts for the school year commencing July 1, 2013, and each school year thereafter, and to make provisions applicable to state and local charter schools, amended Subsec. (b) by replacing "2013" with "2014", and made conforming changes, effective July 1, 2013; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing "2013" with "2015", replacing "district performance" with "accountability", replacing "10-262u" with "10-223e" re definition of accountability index and making a technical change, effective July 1, 2015.

Sec. 10-223g. On-line credit recovery program. On-line learning coordinator. A local or regional board of education for a school district with a dropout rate of eight per cent or greater in the previous school year shall establish an on-line credit recovery program. Such program shall allow those students who are identified by certified personnel as in danger of failing to graduate to complete on-line coursework approved by the local or regional board of education for credit toward meeting the high school graduation requirement pursuant to section 10-221a. Each school in the school district shall designate, from among existing staff, an on-line learning coordinator who shall administer and coordinate the on-line credit recovery program pursuant to this section.

(P.A. 10-111, S. 28; P.A. 11-28, S. 15.)

History: P.A. 10-111 effective July 1, 2010; P.A. 11-28 made a technical change, effective June 3, 2011.

(b) (1) Upon the selection by the Commissioner of Education of a school for participation in the commissioner's network of schools, the local or regional board of education for such school shall establish a turnaround committee for the school district. The turnaround committee shall consist of the following members: (A) Two appointed by the local or regional board of education, at least one of whom shall be an administrator employed by such board of education and at least one of whom shall be the parent or guardian of a student enrolled in the school district for such board of education; (B) three appointed by the exclusive bargaining unit for teachers chosen pursuant to section 10-153b, at least two of whom shall be teachers employed by such board of education and at least one of whom shall be the parent or guardian of a student enrolled in the school district for such board of education; and (C) the Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee. The superintendent of schools for the district, or the superintendent's designee, where such school is located shall be a nonvoting ex-officio member and serve as the chairperson of the turnaround committee.

(2) The turnaround committee, in consultation with the school governance council, as described in section 10-223j, for a school selected to participate in the commissioner's network of schools, shall (A) assist the Department of Education in conducting the operations and instructional audit pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, (B) develop a turnaround plan for such school in accordance with the provisions of subsection (d) of this section and guidelines issued by the commissioner, and (C) monitor the implementation of such turnaround plan.

(e) (1) For the school year commencing July 1, 2012, the Commissioner of Education shall develop one turnaround plan for a school selected to participate in the commissioner's network of schools. Such turnaround plan shall be implemented for the school year commencing July 1, 2012. Such plan may assign the management, administration or governance of such school to an approved not-for-profit educational management organization, and shall negotiate matters relating to such turnaround plan in accordance with the provisions of subsection (c) of section 10-153s.

(2) For the school year commencing July 1, 2012, the Commissioner of Education may approve a turnaround plan for a school selected to participate in the commissioner's network of schools that assigns the management, administration or governance of such school to an approved not-for-profit educational management organization, and shall negotiate matters relating to such turnaround plan in accordance with the provisions of subsection (c) of section 10-153s. Such turnaround plan shall be implemented for the school year commencing July 1, 2012.

(3) The commissioner shall permit not more than four total turnaround plans for schools selected to participate in the commissioner's network of schools implementing turnaround plans beginning in the school year commencing July 1, 2013, or July 1, 2014, to assign the management, administration or governance of such school to an approved not-for-profit educational management organization, provided the commissioner shall not permit such assignment in a turnaround plan to more than three schools in a single school year. If the commissioner does not approve a turnaround plan under subdivision (2) of this subsection, the commissioner may approve one additional turnaround plan for a school selected to participate in the commissioner's network of schools that assigns the management, administration or governance of such school to an approved not-for-profit educational management organization to be implemented in the school year commencing July 1, 2013, or July 1, 2014.

(4) For purposes of this section, and section 10-223i, "approved not-for-profit educational management organization" means a not-for-profit organization that is 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, that (A) operates a state charter school located in the state that has a record of student academic success for students enrolled in such state charter school, or (B) has experience and a record of success in improving student achievement for low income or low performing students through measures, including, but not limited to, reconstituting schools while, if applicable, respecting existing contracts of employees of such schools.

(f) The Commissioner of Education may partner with any public or private institution of higher education in the state, for a period not to exceed twelve months, to assist the Department of Education in collecting, compiling and replicating strategies, methods and best practices that have been proven to be effective in improving student academic performance in public schools, interdistrict magnet schools and charter schools. The commissioner shall make such strategies, methods and best practices available to local and regional boards of education and turnaround committees for use in developing a turnaround model, pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, and in implementing the turnaround plan for a school that is participating in the commissioner's network of schools.

(h) Each school participating in the commissioner's network of schools shall participate for three school years, and may continue such participation for an additional year, not to exceed two additional years, upon approval from the State Board of Education. Before the end of the third year that a school is participating in the commissioner's network of schools, the commissioner shall conduct an evaluation to determine whether such school is prepared to exit the commissioner's network of schools. In determining whether such school may exit the commissioner's network of schools, the commissioner shall consider whether the local or regional board of education has the capacity to ensure that such school will maintain or improve its student academic performance. If the commissioner determines that such school is ready to exit the commissioner's network of schools, the local or regional board of education for such school shall develop, in consultation with the commissioner, a plan, subject to the approval by the State Board of Education, for the transition of such school back to full control by the local or regional board of education. If such school is not ready to exit the commissioner's network of schools and participates in the commissioner's network of schools for an additional year, the commissioner shall conduct an evaluation in accordance with the provisions of this subsection. Before the end of the fifth year that a school is participating in the commissioner's network of schools, the commissioner shall develop, in consultation with the local or regional board of education for such school, a plan, subject to the approval by the State Board of Education, for the transition of such school back to full control by the local or regional board of education.

(i) Not later than thirty days after the approval of the turnaround plan for a school selected to participate in the commissioner's network of schools by the State Board of Education, the Commissioner of Education shall submit the operations and instructional audit and the turnaround plan for such school 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.

(j) (1) Not later than February 1, 2018, and annually thereafter, the Commissioner of Education shall annually submit a report on the academic performance of each school participating in the commissioner's network of schools 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. Such report shall include, but not be limited to, (A) the accountability index score, as defined in section 10-223e, for such school, (B) trends for the accountability index scores during the period that such school is participating in the commissioner's network of schools, (C) adjustments for subgroups of students at such school, including, but not limited to, students whose primary language is not English, students receiving special education services and students who are eligible for free or reduced price lunches, and (D) performance evaluation results in the aggregate for teachers and administrators at such school.

(2) Not later than February 1, 2018, and annually thereafter, the Commissioner of Education shall annually submit a report comparing and analyzing the academic performance of all the schools participating in the commissioner's network of schools 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. Such report shall include, but not be limited to, (A) the accountability index score, as defined in section 10-223e, for the school, (B) trends for the accountability indices during the period that such schools are participating in the commissioner's network of schools, (C) adjustments for subgroups of students at such schools, including, but not limited to, students whose primary language is not English, students receiving special education services and students who are eligible for free or reduced price lunches, and (D) performance evaluation results in the aggregate for teachers and administrators at such schools.

(3) Not later than February first following the expiration of the turnaround plan for each school participating in the commissioner's network of schools, the commissioner shall submit a final report that (A) evaluates such turnaround plan and the academic performance of such school during the period that such turnaround plan was in effect, and (B) makes recommendations for the operation of such school 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.

(4) Not later than January 1, 2020, the commissioner shall submit a report (A) evaluating the commissioner's network of schools and its effect on improving student academic achievement in participating schools, and (B) making any recommendations for the continued operation of the commissioner's network of schools 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.

(5) Not later than February first each year, the Commissioner of Education shall present the items submitted pursuant to subdivisions (1) to (4), inclusive, of this subsection to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education.

(P.A. 12-116, S. 19; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-2, S. 14, 15; P.A. 13-31, S. 18; 13-64, S. 2; 13-245, S. 17; P.A. 15-69, S. 2; 15-133, S. 7; 15-215, S. 2; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 258, 331; P.A. 17-173, S. 4.)

History: P.A. 12-116 effective May 14, 2012; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-2 amended Subsec. (d) by replacing "application" with "turnaround plan" re turnaround committee's acceptance of recommendation or choice of different model and amended Subsec. (e) by adding new Subdiv. (2) re approval of a turnaround plan for school year commencing July 1, 2012, redesignating existing Subdivs. (2) and (3) as Subdivs. (3) and (4), replacing "five total turnaround committees" with "four total turnaround plans" and adding provision re approval of one additional turnaround plan in redesignated Subdiv. (3) and deleting reference to school located out of state and making a technical change in redesignated Subdiv. (4)(B), effective June 15, 2012; P.A. 13-31 made a technical change in Subsec. (c), effective May 28, 2013; P.A. 13-64 amended Subsec. (d) by adding new Subpara. (F) re community schools, redesignating existing Subpara. (F) as Subpara. (G) and making a conforming change, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 13-245 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (3) re schools located in districts that have experience in turnaround reform or previously received a school improvement grant, effective July 2, 2013; P.A. 15-69 amended Subsec. (c) to replace "HUSKY Plan, Part A" with "HUSKY A" in Subpara. (O), effective June 19, 2015; P.A. 15-133 amended Subsec. (c)(H) by replacing "the alternative high school" with "alternative education, as defined in section 10-74j" and "available" with "offered", effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 15-215 amended Subsec. (d) by replacing "special master" with "district improvement officer", effective July 1, 2015; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 amended Subsec. (a) by adding "within available appropriations", replacing "On or before July 1, 2014, the" with "The" and adding "in any single school year" re commissioner may select not more than 25 schools, replacing provision re commissioner not to select more than 2 schools from a single school district in a single school year and not more than 4 schools in total from a single district with provision re commissioner may select not more than 5 schools in any single school year from a single school district to participate in commissioner's network of schools, and deleting "not later than the school year commencing July 1, 2014" re implementation of turnaround plan, and amended Subsec. (j) by replacing references to school performance index scores with references to accountability index scores and making conforming changes in Subdivs. (1) and (2), effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 17-173 amended Subsec. (j) by adding "Not later than February 1, 2018, and annually thereafter" in Subdivs. (1) and (2), replacing "Following" with "Not later than February first following" in Subdiv. (3), adding Subdiv. (5) re Commissioner of Education to present items to education committee, and making conforming changes, effective July 1, 2017.

(b) The contract between a local or regional board of education for a school participating in the commissioner's network of schools and a not-for-profit educational management organization shall (1) state the specific services provided by such not-for-profit educational management organization and the fees charged by such not-for-profit educational management organization for such services, and (2) include provisions outlining the circumstances in which such board of education is permitted to terminate such contract with such not-for-profit educational management organization.

(c) Any not-for-profit educational management organization that is assigned the management, administration or governance of a school participating in the commissioner's network of schools shall continue the enrollment policies and practices of such school that were in effect prior to such participation in the commissioner's network of schools.

(d) The not-for-profit educational management organization that is assigned the management, administration or governance of a school participating in the commissioner's network of schools shall not be the employer of any person employed at such school.

(P.A. 12-116, S. 22; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-2, S. 18.)

History: P.A. 12-116 effective May 14, 2012; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-2 amended Subsec. (d) by replacing "the principal, administrators and teachers" with "any person", effective June 15, 2012.

Sec. 10-223j. School governance councils. (a)(1) Except as provided in subdivision (4) of this subsection, on and after July 1, 2012, the local or regional board of education for a school that has been identified as in need of improvement pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of section 10-223 may establish, in accordance with the provisions of this subsection, a school governance council for each school so identified.

(2) Except as provided in subdivision (4) of this subsection, on and after July 1, 2012, the local or regional board of education for a school that has been designated as a low achieving school, pursuant to subparagraph (A) of subdivision (1) of subsection (e) of section 10-223e due to such school failing to make adequate yearly progress in mathematics and reading at the whole school level shall establish, in accordance with the provisions of this subsection, a school governance council for each school so designated.

(3) Except as provided in subdivision (4) of this subsection, on and after July 1, 2012, the local or regional board of education for a school that has been classified as a category four school or a category five school, pursuant to section 10-223e, shall establish, in accordance with the provisions of this subsection, a school governance council for each school so designated.

(4) The provisions of subdivisions (1) to (3), inclusive, of this subsection shall not apply to a school described in said subdivisions if (A) such school consists of a single grade level, or (B) such school is under the jurisdiction of a local or regional board of education that has adopted a similar school governance council model on or before July 1, 2011, that consists of parents, teachers from each grade level or subject area, administrators and paraprofessionals and such school governance council model is being administered at such school at the time such school is so identified as in need of improvement or so designated as a low achieving school.

(b) (1) The school governance council for a high school shall consist of (A) seven members who are a parent or guardian of a student attending the school, regardless of such parent or guardian's status as a public official, (B) two members who are community leaders within the school district, (C) five members who are teachers at the school, (D) one nonvoting member who is the principal of the school, or his or her designee, and (E) two nonvoting student members who are students at the school. The parent or guardian members shall be elected by the parents or guardians of students attending the school, provided, for purposes of the election, each household with a student attending the school shall have one vote. The community leader members shall be elected by the parent or guardian members and teacher members of the school governance council. The teacher members shall be elected by the teachers of the school. The nonvoting student members shall be elected by the student body of the school.

(2) The school governance council for an elementary or a middle school shall consist of (A) seven members who are a parent or guardian of a student attending the school, regardless of such parent or guardian's status as a public official, (B) two members who are community leaders within the school district, (C) five members who are teachers at the school, and (D) one nonvoting member who is the principal of the school, or his or her designee. The parent or guardian members shall be elected by the parents or guardians of students attending the school, provided, for purposes of the election, each household with a student attending the school shall have one vote. The community leader members shall be elected by the parent or guardian members and teacher members of the school governance council. The teacher members shall be elected by the teachers of the school.

(3) Terms of voting members elected pursuant to this subsection shall be for two years and no members shall serve more than four terms on the council. The nonvoting student members shall serve one year and no student member shall serve more than two terms on the council.

(c) (1) Except for those schools described in subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of this section, schools that have been designated as a low achieving school pursuant to subparagraph (A) of subdivision (1) of subsection (e) of section 10-223e due to such school failing to make adequate yearly progress in mathematics and reading at the whole school level prior to July 1, 2012, and are among the lowest five per cent of schools in the state based on achievement shall establish a school governance council for the school.

(2) Except for those schools described in subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of this section, schools that have been designated as a low achieving school, pursuant to subparagraph (A) of subdivision (1) of subsection (e) of section 10-223e, due to such school failing to make adequate yearly progress in mathematics and reading at the whole school level prior to July 1, 2012, but are not among the lowest five per cent of schools in the state based on achievement, shall establish a school governance council for the school.

(d) The school governance council shall have the following responsibilities: (1) Analyzing school achievement data and school needs relative to the improvement plan for the school prepared pursuant to this section; (2) reviewing the fiscal objectives of the draft budget for the school and providing advice to the principal of the school before such school's budget is submitted to the superintendent of schools for the district; (3) participating in the hiring process for the school principal or other administrators of the school by conducting interviews of candidates and reporting on such interviews to the superintendent of schools for the school district and the local and regional board of education; (4) assisting the principal of the school in making programmatic and operational changes for improving the school's achievement, including program changes, adjusting school hours and days of operation, and enrollment goals for the school; (5) working with the school administration to develop and approve a school compact for parents, legal guardians and students that includes an outline of the criteria and responsibilities for enrollment and school membership consistent with the school's goals and academic focus, and the ways that parents and school personnel can build a partnership to improve student learning; (6) developing and approving a written parent involvement policy that outlines the role of parents and legal guardians in the school; (7) utilizing records relating to information about parents and guardians of students maintained by the local or regional board of education for the sole purpose of the election described in subsection (b) of this section. Such information shall be confidential and shall only be disclosed as provided in this subdivision and shall not be further disclosed; and (8) if the council determines it necessary and subject to the provisions of subsection (i) of this section recommending reconstitution of the school in accordance with the provisions of subsection (g) of this section.

(f) The local or regional board of education shall provide appropriate training and instruction to members of the school governance council or a similar school governance council model, described in subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of this section, at a school that has been identified as in need of improvement pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of section 10-223e to aid the members in the execution of their duties.

(2) Any school governance council for a school or any similar school governance council model, described in subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of this section, at a school that has been identified as in need of improvement pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of section 10-223e may recommend reconstitution, pursuant to subdivision (8) of subsection (d) of this subsection, during the third year after such school governance council or such similar school governance council model was established if the school for such governance council has not reconstituted as a result of receiving a school improvement grant pursuant to Section 1003(g) of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, 20 USC 6301 et seq., or such reconstitution was initiated by a source other than the school governance council.

(h) A school governance council or any similar school governance council model, described in subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of this section, at a school that has been identified as in need of improvement pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of section 10-223e shall be considered a component of parental involvement for purposes of federal funding pursuant to Section 1118 of the No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-110.

(i) The Department of Education shall allow not more than twenty-five schools per school year to reconstitute pursuant to this section. The department shall notify school districts and school governance councils when this limit has been reached. For purposes of this subsection, a reconstitution shall be counted towards this limit upon receipt by the department of notification of a final decision regarding reconstitution by the local or regional board of education.

(P.A. 12-116, S. 23; P.A. 13-31, S. 19-21; P.A. 18-42, S. 8; P.A. 19-31, S. 2; 19-91, S. 8.)

History: P.A. 12-116 effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 13-31 made technical changes in Subsecs. (b)(3), (d) and (i), effective May 28, 2013; P.A. 18-42 amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision re parent or guardian of student to serve as student governance council member regardless of parent's or guardian's status as public official, and making technical changes, effective July 1, 2018; P.A. 19-31 made technical changes in Subsec. (b)(1) and (2), effective June 26, 2019; P.A. 19-91 amended Subsec. (b)(3) by replacing "two terms" with "four terms", effective July 1, 2019.

(P.A. 12-116, S. 88; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 332.)

History: P.A. 12-116 effective July 1, 2012; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 replaced "school performance" with "accountability" and added "as defined in section 10-223e" in Subdiv. (2), replaced "school performance" with "accountability" in Subdiv. (3), and replaced "school subject performance" with "accountability" in Subdiv. (4), effective July 1, 2015.

Sec. 10-223 l. Model school district responsibilities agreement. (a) Not later than January 1, 2018, the Department of Education may develop a model school district responsibilities agreement. In developing such model agreement, the department may consider any existing school district responsibilities agreement in use by a local or regional board of education with a demonstrated record of academic improvement. Such model agreement shall include, but need not be limited to, (1) a statement of guiding principles regarding the proper roles and functions of the board of education, the superintendent of schools for the school district and administrators, as defined in section 10-144e, (2) an enumeration of the specific duties and responsibilities of the board of education, the superintendent and administrators, and (3) signature lines for the members of the board of education, the superintendent and other administrators to acknowledge that they understand and will comply with the provisions of the agreement. The department shall post such model agreement on its Internet web site and otherwise make, upon request, such model agreement available to local and regional boards of education.

(b) For the school year commencing July 1, 2018, and each school year thereafter, a local or regional board of education may use the model school district responsibilities agreement to enter into an agreement with the superintendent of schools for the school district and any appropriate administrators of such school district.

(c) Any local or regional board of education that uses the model school district responsibilities agreement, pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, shall notify the Commissioner of Education that such board has entered into such agreement.

(P.A. 17-215, S. 2.)

History: P.A. 17-215 effective July 1, 2017.

Sec. 10-223m. Adoption of policy to improve completion rates of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Not later than July 1, 2022, each local and regional board of education shall adopt a policy to improve completion rates of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid by students enrolled in grade twelve in a high school under the jurisdiction of such board or an adult education program maintained by such board pursuant to section 10-69. A local or regional board of education may accept gifts, grants and donations, including in-kind donations, to implement the provisions of a policy adopted under this section.

(P.A. 21-199, S. 6.)

History: P.A. 21-199 effective July 1, 2021.

Sec. 10-223n. Publication of completion rates of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Not later than July 1, 2024, and annually thereafter, the Department of Education shall publish and make available on its Internet web site the student completion rate of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid for the graduating class for each high school and each school district. The department may exclude the completion data of certain subgroups of students for the purposes of publishing such data under this section if the career choices of the students in such subgroup are not relevant or applicable to the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

(P.A. 21-199, S. 8.)

History: P.A. 21-199 effective July 1, 2021.

Sec. 10-224. Duties of the secretary. The secretary of the board of education shall keep a record of all its proceedings in a book which such secretary shall provide for that purpose at the expense of the town and shall submit to the town at its annual meetings a report of the doings of the board. The report of the secretary and of the superintendent of schools shall be printed with the reports of the town officers. The superintendent of schools shall report to the Commissioner of Education such returns and statistics respecting the schools of the town as the commissioner requests.

(1949 Rev., S. 1482; P.A. 77-167, S. 1, 3; 77-614, S. 302, 610; P.A. 78-218, S. 149; P.A. 90-325, S. 8, 32.)

History: P.A. 77-167 deleted requirement that two copies of report be sent to secretary of the state board on or before October fifteenth and replaced it with more general requirement that report to secretary consist of "such returns and statistics ... as said board requests"; P.A. 77-614 substituted commissioner of education for secretary of the state board of education, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-218 deleted references to supervising agents and replaced "he" with "such secretary"; P.A. 90-325 provided that the returns and statistics reported by the superintendent be as requested by the commissioner of education, rather than the board of education.

Mandamus does not lie to compel secretary to insert in minutes acts of board of which he has no knowledge. 97 C. 434.

Sec. 10-225. Salaries of secretary and attendance officers. The salaries and compensation of the secretary of the board of education and of the attendance officers may be fixed by the town, as provided in section 7-460, but, until the town acts, the board of education shall fix such salary or compensation; provided no member of the board of education shall receive any compensation for services rendered as such member, but such member may be paid necessary expenses when performing a duty delegated by said board.

(1949 Rev., S. 1483; 1957, P.A. 13, S. 63; P.A. 78-218, S. 150.)

History: P.A. 78-218 substituted "such member" for "he" and deleted "his" in phrase "his necessary expenses".

Sec. 10-226. Reports to Commissioner of Education. Each local and regional board of education shall annually, before the first of October, return to the Commissioner of Education the name and the address of employment and contractual annual salary, or the equivalent thereof, of each teacher, principal and superintendent or other certified person which it employs. Each local and regional board of education shall submit to the Commissioner of Education, within seven days after receipt of notice of the decision to accept a contract offer for employment as a new superintendent, the name and address of the person accepting such offer.

(1949 Rev., S. 1484; February, 1965, P.A. 282, S. 1; 1971, P.A. 90, S. 1; P.A. 77-614, S. 302, 610; P.A. 78-218, S. 151; P.A. 83-116, S. 1, 2; P.A. 85-54, S. 2, 3.)

History: 1965 act changed deadline for reporting information re board members to secretary of state board from "annually before the fifteenth of October" to "within thirty days of the date of election" of the members but kept October fifteenth deadline for reporting information re teachers, principals and superintendents; 1971 act changed report date for teacher, principal and superintendent information to October first and required inclusion in report of data concerning "other certified" personnel; 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 "local" for "town" boards of education, deleted references to school districts and substituted "which it employs" for "employed in the public schools within its town or district"; P.A. 83-116 deleted requirement that boards of education report to commissioner of education names and addresses of their members; P.A. 85-54 added requirement that hiring board notify commissioner of name and address of person accepting offer of contract.

Sec. 10-226a. Documentation of pupils and teachers of racial minorities and pupils eligible for free or reduced price lunches. (a) Each local or regional board of education shall annually submit to the State Board of Education at such time and in such manner as the state board may prescribe such data as the state board may require in order to determine the total number of pupils and teachers of racial minorities and pupils eligible for free or reduced price lunches in the schools under the jurisdiction of each local or regional board and, in such cases as the state board shall determine, the number of pupils and teachers of racial minorities and pupils eligible for free and reduced price lunches in each school and in each grade.

(b) As used in sections 10-226a to 10-226e, inclusive, "pupils and teachers of racial minorities" means those whose race is defined as other than white, or whose ethnicity is defined as Hispanic or Latino by the federal Office of Management and Budget for use by the Bureau of Census of the United States Department of Commerce.

(1969, P.A. 773, S. 1; P.A. 74-149; P.A. 78-218, S. 152; P.A. 98-252, S. 40, 80; P.A. 03-174, S. 4.)

History: P.A. 74-149 redefined "pupils of racial minorities" by deleting clause "and whose color, appearance ... are distinguishable from persons whose ancestry is totally Caucasian"; P.A. 78-218 specified "local and regional" boards rather than "town boards"; P.A. 98-252 amended Subsec. (a) to add teachers of racial minorities and pupils eligible for free or reduced price lunches and amended Subsec. (b) to add teachers and to change the definition of racial minorities to the definition for other than white used by the Bureau of Census of the United States Department of Commerce, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 03-174 amended Subsec. (b) by substituting "race" for "racial ancestry" and by adding provision re ethnicity as Hispanic or Latino, effective, July 1, 2003.

Cited. 238 C. 1.

Sec. 10-226b. Existence of racial imbalance. (a) Whenever the State Board of Education finds that racial imbalance exists in a public school, it shall notify in writing the board of education having jurisdiction over said school that such finding has been made.

(b) As used in sections 10-226a to 10-226e, inclusive, "racial imbalance" means a condition wherein the proportion of pupils of racial minorities in all of the grades of a public school of the secondary level or below taken together substantially exceeds or falls substantially short of the proportion of such public school pupils in all of the same grades of the school district in which said school is situated taken together.

(1969, P.A. 773, S. 2.)

Cited. 21 CA 67.

Sec. 10-226c. Plan to correct imbalance. (a) Any board of education receiving notification of the existence of racial imbalance as specified in section 10-226b shall forthwith prepare a plan to correct such imbalance and file a copy of said plan with the State Board of Education. Said plan may be limited to addressing the imbalance existing at any school and need not result in a district-wide plan or district-wide pupil reassignment. A school district may request an extension of time in cases in which the number of students causing said imbalance is fewer than five students at a school.

(b) Any plan submitted by the board of education of any town under sections 10-226a to 10-226e, inclusive, shall include any proposed changes in existing school attendance districts, the location of proposed school building sites as related to the problem, any proposed additions to existing school buildings and all other means proposed for the correction of said racial imbalance. The plan shall include projections of the expected racial composition of all public schools in the district. The plan may include provision for cooperation with other school districts to assist in the correction of racial imbalance.

(1969, P.A. 773, S. 3, 4; P.A. 98-252, S. 41, 80.)

History: P.A. 98-252 amended Subsec. (a) to allow the plan to address imbalance existing at any school and not require a district-wide plan or pupil reassignment and to provide for extensions of time under specified circumstances, and amended Subsec. (b) to make a technical change, effective July 1, 1998.

Sec. 10-226d. Approval of plan by state board. Upon receipt of any plan required under the provisions of subsection (b) of section 10-226c, the State Board of Education shall review said plan. If it determines that the plan is satisfactory, it shall approve the plan and shall provide to the board of education such assistance and services as may be available. The board of education shall submit annual reports on the implementation of the approved plan, as the State Board of Education may require.

(1969, P.A. 773, S. 5; P.A. 98-252, S. 42, 80.)

History: P.A. 98-252 substituted annual reports for quarterly reports, effective July 1, 1998.

(1969, P.A. 773, S. 6; P.A. 86-78, S. 1, 2; P.A. 98-252, S. 43, 80.)

History: P.A. 86-78 added provisions for alternative regulations for school districts with minority student enrollments of 70% or more; P.A. 98-252 deleted language allowing regulations to include separate times and procedures for reports, criteria for plan approvals and standards for racial imbalance determinations for school districts with minority student enrollments of 70% or more and substituted requirement for regulations to include voluntary enrollment plans as an alternative for mandatory pupil reassignment, allowance for diverse schools existing in school districts with minority enrollment of 50% or more and a requirement for equitable allocation of resources within cited school districts, effective July 1, 1998.

(P.A. 75-372, S. 1; P.A. 78-218, S. 153; P.A. 81-472, S. 124, 159; P.A. 82-314, S. 55, 63; P.A. 92-170, S. 11, 26; P.A. 17-14, S. 6.)

History: P.A. 78-218 deleted obsolete reference to July 1, 1975, as date for selection of coordinator of intergroup relations and changed from February first to February fifteenth the deadline for progress reports on intergroup relations programs P.A. 81-472 made technical changes; P.A. 82-314 changed official name of education committee; P.A. 92-170 removed a requirement that state board report to the education committee of the general assembly on programs in intergroup relations; P.A. 17-14 replaced reference to Sec. 10-145a(b) with reference to Sec. 10-145a(a), effective July 1, 2017.

(P.A. 75-372, S. 2; P.A. 78-218, S. 154; P.A. 81-472, S. 125, 159; P.A. 17-14, S. 7.)

History: P.A. 78-218 specified applicability to regional and local boards, deleted reference to town boards and school districts and deleted obsolete reference to December 1, 1975, as deadline for provision of teacher training program in intergroup relations; P.A. 81-472 made technical changes; P.A. 17-14 replaced reference to Sec. 10-145a(b) with reference to Sec. 10-145a(a), effective July 1, 2017.

Sec. 10-226h. Programs and methods to reduce racial, ethnic and economic isolation. (a) A local or regional board of education for purposes of subdivision (3) of section 10-4a, may offer such programs or use such methods as: (1) Interdistrict magnet school programs; (2) charter schools; (3) interdistrict after-school, Saturday and summer programs and sister-school projects; (4) intradistrict and interdistrict public school choice programs; (5) interdistrict school building projects; (6) interdistrict program collaboratives for students and staff; (7) distance learning through the use of technology; and (8) any other experience that increases awareness of the diversity of individuals and cultures.

(b) Each local and regional board of education shall report by October 1, 2012, and biennially thereafter, to the Commissioner of Education on the programs and activities undertaken in its school district to reduce racial, ethnic and economic isolation, including (1) information on the number and duration of such programs and activities and the number of students and staff involved, and (2) evidence of the progress over time in the reduction of racial, ethnic and economic isolation.

(P.A. 97-290, S. 2, 29; P.A. 98-252, S. 14, 80; P.A. 00-220, S. 11, 43; P.A. 11-179, S. 3; P.A. 12-59, S. 1; 12-120, S. 26.)

History: P.A. 97-290 effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-252 deleted Subsec. (a)(7) re minority staff recruitment and renumbered the remaining Subdivs., effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 00-220 amended Subsecs. (b) and (c) to change the reporting dates and amended Subsec. (d) to make a technical change, effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 11-179 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing "July 1, 2000" with "October 1, 2011" and replacing "regional educational service center for its area" with "Commissioner of Education", deleted former Subsec. (c) re biennial report to commissioner and redesignated existing Subsec. (d) as Subsec. (c), effective July 13, 2011; P.A. 12-59 made a technical change in Subsec. (c), effective May 31, 2012; P.A. 12-120 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing "2011" with "2012" re report date, effective July 1, 2012.

See Sec. 10-220(a) re required development and implementation of plan for minority staff recruitment.

Sec. 10-227. Returns of receipts, expenditures and statistics to Commissioner of Education. Verification mandated. Penalty. Each board of education shall cause the superintendent to make returns not later than September first of each year to the Commissioner of Education of the receipts, expenditures and statistics, as prescribed by the commissioner, provided each such board may submit revisions to the returns in such form and with such documentation as required by the commissioner no later than December thirty-first of each year following the September submission. Such reports or returns required shall be made in accordance with the instructions furnished by the commissioner, shall be certified no later than December thirty-first of each year by the independent public accountant selected pursuant to section 7-392 for the purpose of auditing municipal accounts, and shall be subject to Department of Education verification. If the returns and statistics and revisions called for by said commissioner are not sent on or before the days specified in this section or if the returns are not certified as required by the commissioner on or before December thirty-first, each local and regional board of education required by law to make separate returns, whose returns and statistics or revisions are delayed until after those days, shall forfeit of the total sum which is paid for such board of education from the State Treasurer an amount to be determined by the State Board of Education, which amount shall be not less than one thousand dollars nor more than ten thousand dollars. The amount so forfeited shall be withheld from a subsequent grant payment as determined by the commissioner. Notwithstanding the penalty provision of this section, the Commissioner of Education may waive said forfeiture for good cause.

(1949 Rev., S. 1485; P.A. 77-167, S. 2, 3; 77-614, S. 302, 610; P.A. 78-218, S. 155; P.A. 79-128, S. 7, 36; P.A. 83-363, S. 4, 5; P.A. 84-221, S. 1, 2; P.A. 89-237, S. 3, 11; P.A. 91-303, S. 16, 22; 91-401, S. 13, 20; P.A. 98-252, S. 16, 80; P.A. 03-76, S. 18.)

History: P.A. 77-167 changed return deadline from August to September first in each year; P.A. 77-614 substituted commissioner of education for secretary of the state board of education, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-218 deleted references to returns made by "supervisor of schools", substituted "each local and regional school district" for "each town and each school district"; P.A. 79-128 substituted "board of education" for "school district", changed basis of penalty from "sum per child" to "total sum ... paid from the state treasury" and replaced 1%, 2%, 3%, 5% and 10% penalty assessments with $100, $200, $300, $500 and $1,000 penalty assessments; P.A. 83-363 provided cutoff for submission of revisions, required certification of reports or returns no later than December thirty-first by independent public accountant selected for purpose of auditing municipal accounts and required reports or returns to be subject to state department verification, including audit; P.A. 84-221 deleted weekly penalty provisions and substituted flat rate of $1,000 to $10,000, to be determined by the state board of education, added that the penalty would be withheld from a subsequent grant payment and that the state board may waive the forfeiture if failure to file data in a timely manner was due to extenuating circumstances; P.A. 89-237 allowed waivers of the forfeiture for failure to submit unaudited data in a timely manner; P.A. 91-303 removed requirement that reports be made under oath or affirmation and made technical changes; P.A. 91-401 repealed provision making reports and returns subject to state department of education audit, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 98-252 changed the basis for a waiver from circumstances beyond the control of the board to good cause and made technical changes, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 03-76 made a technical change, effective June 3, 2003.

Cited. 187 C. 187; 195 C. 24.

Sec. 10-228. Free textbooks, supplies, material and equipment. Each local and regional board of education shall purchase such books, either as regular texts, as supplementary books or as library books, and such supplies, material and equipment, as it deems necessary to meet the needs of instruction in its schools. In day and evening schools of elementary and secondary grades, all books and equipment, including, but not limited to, assistive devices, shall be loaned and materials and supplies furnished to all pupils free of charge, subject to such rules and regulations as to their care and use as the board of education prescribes. For purposes of this section "assistive device" means assistive device, as defined in subsection (a) of section 10-76y.

(1949 Rev., S. 1486; 1971, P.A. 186; P.A. 78-218, S. 156; P.A. 05-257, S. 1.)

History: 1971 act replaced references to towns with references to school districts, deleted reference to district committees and made specific mention of library books, material and equipment; P.A. 78-218 specified local and regional boards and deleted references to school districts; P.A. 05-257 added language re assistive devices, effective July 1, 2005.

Sec. 10-228a. Free textbook loans to pupils attending nonpublic schools. Each local and regional board of education may, at the request of any nonpublic elementary or secondary school pupil, including a kindergarten pupil, residing in and attending a nonpublic school in such district, or at the request of the parent or guardian of such pupil, or at the request of an administrator at the nonpublic school, on behalf of the pupil, arrange for a loan of nonreligious textbooks available to the local or regional board of education from a book distributor used by such board to such pupil, free of charge, provided the loan of any such textbook shall be requested for not less than one semester's use.

(P.A. 75-397; P.A. 78-218, S. 157; P.A. 07-190, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 78-218 specified local and regional boards and deleted reference to school districts; P.A. 07-190 added provisions re request of nonpublic school administrator on behalf of pupil and requiring that books be nonreligious and be available to board of education by distributor used by board, effective July 1, 2007.

Sec. 10-228b. Tax credits for donation of computers to schools. (a) The Commissioner of Revenue Services shall grant a credit against any tax due under the provisions of chapter 207, 208, 209, 210, 211 or 212, in any income year commencing prior to January 1, 2014, for the donation to a local or regional board of education or a public or nonpublic school of new computers or used computers that are not more than two years old at the time of the donation in accordance with this section. The amount of the credit shall not exceed fifty per cent of the fair market value of the new or used computer at the time of donation as described in this section.

(b) Any business firm may apply to the Commissioner of Revenue Services for a tax credit under this section. The commissioner, in consultation with the Commissioner of Education, shall develop an application form for such credit which shall contain, but not be limited to, the following information: (1) The number of computers to be donated, (2) to whom the donation will be made, (3) when the donation will be made, (4) the fair market value of the donated computers at the time of donation, and (5) such additional information as the commissioner may prescribe. A copy of a written agreement between the business firm and the local or regional board of education or public or nonpublic school shall be submitted with the application. The agreement shall provide for the acceptance of the computers by the board of education or public or nonpublic school, an acknowledgment that the computers are in good working condition and a requirement for the business firm to install, set up and provide training to school staff on such computers.

(c) Such applications may be submitted to the Commissioner of Revenue Services on an ongoing basis. The commissioner shall review each application and shall, not later than thirty days following its receipt, approve or disapprove the application. The decision of the commissioner to approve or disapprove an application pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be in writing and, if the commissioner approves the proposal, the commissioner shall state the maximum credit allowable to the business firm.

(d) (1) The amount of the credit granted to any business firm under the provisions of this section shall not exceed seventy-five thousand dollars annually. The total amount of all tax credits allowed to all business firms pursuant to the provisions of this section shall not exceed one million dollars in any one fiscal year. (2) The credit may only be used to reduce the taxpayer's tax liability for the year in which the donation is made and shall not be used to reduce such liability to less than zero.

(P.A. 00-170, S. 20, 42; P.A. 06-145, S. 1; 06-159, S. 1; P.A. 10-75, S. 25.)

History: P.A. 00-170 effective May 26, 2000, and applicable to income years commencing on and after January 1, 2000; P.A. 06-145 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) by permitting donations to nonpublic schools to be eligible for credit, effective July 1, 2006, and applicable to income years commencing on or after January 1, 2006; P.A. 06-159 amended Subsec. (c) to remove requirement that copy of decision be submitted with tax return, effective June 6, 2006, and applicable to taxable years commencing on or after January 1, 2006; P.A. 10-75 amended Subsec. (a) to provide for credits in any income year commencing prior to January 1, 2014, effective July 1, 2010.

Sec. 10-229. Change of textbooks. (a) No board of education shall change any textbooks used in the public schools except by a two-thirds vote of all the members of the board, notice of such intended change having been previously given at a meeting of such board held at least one week previous to the vote upon such change.

(b) If a board of education does change its textbooks pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, such board of education may donate the used textbooks to another board of education.

(1949 Rev., S. 1487; P.A. 78-218, S. 158; P.A. 95-259, S. 18, 32.)

History: P.A. 78-218 deleted phrase "of any town" with reference to boards of education; P.A. 95-259 added Subsec. (b) re donation of books, effective July 6, 1995.

Sec. 10-230. Flags in schoolrooms and schools. Policy on the reciting of the "Pledge of Allegiance". (a) Each local and regional board of education shall provide a United States flag for each schoolroom and shall cause such flag to be displayed therein during each day school is in session. Each such board shall also provide each school with a United States flag of silk or bunting, not less than four feet in length, and a suitable flagstaff or other arrangement whereby such flag may be displayed on the schoolhouse grounds each school day when the weather will permit and on the inside of the schoolhouse on other school days, and renew such flag and apparatus when necessary. If any board of education fails to provide either of the flags or the apparatus as required in this section or to renew any such flag or apparatus when necessary for a period of thirty days after the reception by it of written notice from the State Board of Education that such schoolhouse is not provided with such flag or apparatus or that such flag or apparatus should be renewed, each member of such board of education who has so received notice shall be fined not more than twenty-five dollars.

(b) The chief executive officer of any municipality is authorized to direct the board of education to display at half-staff all flags at all schools and other buildings administered by said board when flags are being displayed at half-staff on other buildings of the municipality.

(c) Each local and regional board of education shall develop a policy to ensure that time is available each school day for students in the schools under its jurisdiction to recite the "Pledge of Allegiance". The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed to require any person to recite the "Pledge of Allegiance".

(1949 Rev., S. 1488, 1489; 1969, P.A. 394; P.A. 78-218, S. 159; P.A. 02-119, S. 2.)

History: 1969 act added Subsec. (b) re display of flags at half-mast; P.A. 78-218 specified local and regional boards rather than town boards in Subsec. (a) and simply referred to "school" rather than "schoolhouse in which a school is maintained within such town" and substituted "municipality" for "city or town" in Subsec. (b); P.A. 02-119 added Subsec. (c) re the reciting of the "Pledge of Allegiance".

Sec. 10-230a. Employment of instructors of Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps programs. Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 166 relating to professional certification, a local or regional board of education may employ any person certified by the United States armed forces to be an instructor or assistant instructor of a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program to serve as an instructor or assistant instructor of a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program in a school, except that if such certified person is unavailable, a local or regional board of education may employ any person enrolled in a program of certification to be an instructor or assistant instructor of a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program administered by the United States armed forces.

(P.A. 11-179, S. 10; P.A. 15-215, S. 18.)

History: P.A. 11-179 effective July 13, 2011; P.A. 15-215 added exception re employment of person enrolled in program of certification, effective July 1, 2015.

Sec. 10-230b. Exemplary veterans education program distinction. The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Department of Veterans Affairs, shall award, upon receipt of a request, an exemplary veterans education program distinction to those local and regional boards of education that offer a program that provides students with opportunities to learn about the contributions of veterans, as defined in section 27-103, or collaborate with local veterans organizations. Such opportunities may include, but need not be limited to, classes, extracurricular activities, presentations or symposiums. A local or regional board of education may submit, at such time and in such manner as the state board prescribes, a request for such distinction by providing details about such board's program to the state board. The state board shall make information about the distinction available on the Department of Education's Internet web site.

(P.A. 16-188, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 16-188 effective July 1, 2016 (Revisor's note: A reference to "Department of Veterans' Affairs" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Department of Veterans Affairs" to conform with changes made by P.A. 16-167).

Sec. 10-231. Fire drills. Crisis response drills. (a) Each local and regional board of education shall provide for a fire drill to be held in the schools of such board not later than thirty days after the first day of each school year and at least once each month thereafter, except as provided in subsection (b) of this section.

(b) Each such board shall substitute a crisis response drill for a fire drill once every three months and shall develop the format of such crisis response drill in consultation with the appropriate local law enforcement agency. A representative of such agency may supervise and participate in any such crisis response drill.

(1949 Rev., S. 1490; P.A. 78-218, S. 160; P.A. 00-220, S. 12, 43; P.A. 09-131, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 78-218 specified local and regional boards of education and deleted references to towns; P.A. 00-220 added provision re crisis response drill, effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 09-131 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a), amended same to add requirement re fire drill to be held not later than 30 days after first day of school and make conforming changes, and added Subsec. (b) re crisis response drills.

(P.A. 99-165, S. 1, 6; P.A. 05-252, S. 2; P.A. 06-14, S. 1; 06-196, S. 223; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 438.)

History: P.A. 99-165 effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 05-252 added subdivision designators and definitions of "lawn care pesticide" and "integrated pest management", effective January 1, 2006; P.A. 06-14 made a technical change; P.A. 06-196 made technical changes, effective June 7, 2006; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 deleted reference to Sec. 19a-79a, redefined "lawn care pesticide" in Subdiv. (2) and added definition of "microbial pesticide" as Subdiv. (4) and "biochemical pesticide" as Subdiv. (5), effective June 30, 2015.

(b) No person shall apply a lawn care pesticide on the grounds of any public or private preschool or public or private school with students in grade eight or lower, except that (1) on and after January 1, 2006, until July 1, 2010, an application of a lawn care pesticide may be made at a public or private school with students in grade eight or lower on the playing fields and playgrounds of such school pursuant to an integrated pest management plan, which plan (A) shall be consistent with the model pest control management plan developed by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection pursuant to section 22a-66l, and (B) may be developed by a local or regional board of education for all public schools under its control, and (2) an emergency application of a lawn care pesticide may be made to eliminate a threat to human health, as determined by the local health director, the Commissioner of Public Health, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection or, in the case of a public school, the school superintendent.

(P.A. 99-165, S. 2, 6; P.A. 05-252, S. 3; P.A. 06-14, S. 2; 06-196, S. 224; P.A. 07-168, S. 1; P.A. 08-152, S. 8; 08-170, S. 26; P.A. 09-56, S. 2; P.A. 11-80, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 99-165 effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 05-252 designated existing language as Subsec. (a) and made a technical change therein, and added Subsec. (b) to prohibit, with certain exceptions, the use of lawn care pesticides on the grounds of a public or private preschool or public or private elementary school, effective January 1, 2006; P.A. 06-14 amended Subsec. (b) to make technical changes; P.A. 06-196 made technical changes in Subsec. (b), effective June 7, 2006; P.A. 07-168 amended Subsec. (b) to extend ban to any school with students grade eight or lower, and to extend end date of when certain applications are permitted to July 1, 2009; P.A. 08-152 and 08-170 amended Subsec. (a) to change "vocational agriculture" to "agricultural science and technology education", effective July 1, 2008; P.A. 09-56 amended Subsec. (b)(1) to extend end date of when certain applications are permitted to July 1, 2010, effective July 1, 2009; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, "Commissioner of Environmental Protection" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection" in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 2011.

Sec. 10-231c. Pesticide applications at schools without an integrated pest management plan. Prior notice. (a) As used in this section, "local or regional board of education" means a local or regional board of education that does not have an integrated pest management plan for the schools under its control that is consistent with an applicable model plan provided by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection under section 22a-66l and "school" means a school, other than a regional agricultural science and technology education center, under the control of a local or regional board of education.

(b) On and after July 1, 2000, at the beginning of each school year, each local or regional board of education shall provide the staff of each school and the parents or guardians of each child enrolled in each school with a written statement of the board's policy on pesticide application on school property and a description of any pesticide applications made at the school during the previous school year. Such statement and description shall be provided to the parents or guardian of any child who transfers to a school during the school year. Such statement shall (1) indicate that the staff, parents or guardians may register for prior notice of pesticide applications at the school, and (2) describe the emergency notification procedures provided for in this section. Notice of any modification to the pesticide application policy shall be sent to any person who registers for notice under this section.

(c) (1) On and after July 1, 2000, parents or guardians of children in any school and school staff may register for prior notice of pesticide application at their school. Each school shall maintain a registry of persons requesting such notice. Prior to providing for any application of pesticide within any building or on the grounds of any school, the local or regional board of education shall provide for the transmittal of notice, by electronic mail, to parents and guardians who have registered for prior notice under this section such that such electronic mail notice is received no later than twenty-four hours prior to such application. Notice shall be given by any means practicable to school staff who have registered for such notice. Notice under this subsection shall include (A) the name of the active ingredient of the pesticide being applied, (B) the target pest, (C) the location of the application on the school property, (D) the date of the application, and (E) the name of the school administrator, or a designee, who may be contacted for further information.

(2) On and after October 1, 2015, prior to providing for any application of pesticide within any building or on the grounds of any school, in addition to the requirements of subdivision (1) of this subsection, the local or regional board of education shall provide for notice of such application not less than twenty-four hours prior to such application by posting the notice required by subdivision (1) of this subsection either on or through: (A) The home page of the Internet web site for the school where such application will occur, or, in the event such school does not have a web site, on the home page of the Internet web site for such local or regional board of education, and (B) the primary social media account of such school or local or regional board of education. Each local or regional board of education shall indicate on the home page of such board of education how parents may register for prior notice of pesticide applications, as described in subdivision (1) of this subsection. Not later than March fifteenth of each year, the local or regional board of education shall send through the electronic mail notification or alert system or service of such school or local or regional board of education the notice required by subdivision (1) of this subsection for applications made since January first of such year and a listing of such notices for applications made during the March fifteenth through December thirty-first time frame from the preceding calendar year. The local or regional board of education shall additionally print such electronic mail notification required by this subdivision in the applicable parent handbook or manual, provided nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to require the reprinting of such handbook or manual to provide such notification. Nothing in this subdivision shall require the development or use of an Internet web site, social media account or electronic mail notification or alert system that is not already in use or existence prior October 1, 2015. For purposes of this section, "social media" means an electronic medium where users may create and view user-generated content, such as uploaded or downloaded videos or still photographs, blogs, video blogs, podcasts or instant messages.

(d) On and after July 1, 2000, no application of pesticide may be made in any building or on the grounds of any school during regular school hours or during planned activities at any school except that an emergency application may be made to eliminate an immediate threat to human health if (1) it is necessary to make the application during such a period, and (2) such emergency application does not involve a restricted use pesticide, as defined in section 22a-47. No child may enter an area where such application has been made until it is safe to do so according to the provisions on the pesticide label.

(e) On and after July 1, 2000, a local or regional board of education may make an emergency application of pesticide without prior notice under this section in the event of an immediate threat to human health provided the board provides for notice, by any means practicable, on or before the day that the application is to take place to any person who has requested prior notice under this section and concomitantly provides such notice in accordance with subdivision (2) of subsection (c) of this section.

(f) A copy of the record of each pesticide application at a school shall be maintained at the school for a period of five years. Such record shall include the information required under section 22a-66a.

(P.A. 99-165, S. 3, 6; P.A. 08-152, S. 9; 08-170, S. 27; P.A. 11-80, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 436.)

History: P.A. 99-165 effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 08-152 and 08-170 amended Subsec. (a) to change "vocational agriculture" to "agricultural science and technology education", effective July 1, 2008; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, "Commissioner of Environmental Protection" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection" in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 2011; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 amended Subsec. (c) by designating existing provisions as Subdiv. (1) and amending same by changing method for prior notice from mailing to electronic mail and making technical changes, and adding Subdiv. (2) re prior notice of pesticide applications through school or board of education Internet web sites and the primary social media account of the school or board of education and the electronic mailing of notice by March 15th of each year of pesticide applications in such year and applications made from March 15th to December 31st of the preceding calendar year, and re definition of "social media", and amended Subsec. (e) by adding provision re notice in accordance with Subsec. (c)(2) (Revisor's note: In Subsec. (c)(2), an internal reference to Sec. 10-231d was deleted editorially by the Revisors, in accordance with Sec. 2-56f, for accuracy).

Sec. 10-231d. Pesticide applications at schools with an integrated pest management plan. Prior notice. (a) As used in this section, "local or regional board of education" means a local or regional board of education which has an integrated pest management plan for the schools under its control that is consistent with an applicable model plan provided by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection under section 22a-66l and "school" means a school, other than a regional agricultural science and technology education center, under the control of a local or regional board of education.

(b) On and after July 1, 2000, at the beginning of each school year, each local or regional board of education shall provide the staff of each school with written guidelines on how the integrated pest management plan is to be implemented and shall provide the parents or guardians of each child enrolled in each school with a statement that shall include a summary of the integrated pest management plan for the school. Such statement shall be provided to the parents or guardian of any child who transfers to a school during the school year. Such statement shall (1) indicate that the staff, parents or guardians may register for notice of pesticide applications at the school, and (2) describe the emergency notification procedures provided for in this section. Notice of any modification to the integrated pest management plan shall be sent to any person who registers for notice under this section.

(c) On and after July 1, 2000, parents or guardians of children in any school and school staff may register for notice of pesticide application at their school. Each school shall maintain a registry of persons requesting such notice. Notice under this subsection shall include (1) the name of the active ingredient of the pesticide being applied, (2) the target pest, (3) the location of the application on the school property, (4) the date of the application, and (5) the name of the school administrator, or a designee, who may be contacted for further information.

(d) (1) On and after July 1, 2000, a local or regional board of education shall provide notice, by any means practicable, to any person who has requested notice under this section on or before the day that any application of pesticide is to take place at a school. No application of pesticide may be made in any building or on the grounds of any school during regular school hours or during planned activities at any school except that an emergency application may be made to eliminate an immediate threat to human health if (A) it is necessary to make the application during such a period, and (B) such emergency application does not involve a restricted use pesticide, as defined in section 22a-47. No child may enter an area of such application until it is safe to do so according to the provisions on the pesticide label.

(2) On and after October 1, 2015, prior to providing for any application of pesticide within any building or on the grounds of any school, in addition to the requirements of subdivision (1) of this subsection, the local or regional board of education shall provide for notice of such application not less than twenty-four hours prior to such application by posting the notice required by subdivision (1) of this subsection either on or through: (A) The home page of the Internet web site for the school where such application will occur, or, in the event such school does not have a web site, on the home page of the Internet web site for such local or regional board of education, and (B) the primary social media account of such school or local or regional board of education. Each local or regional board of education shall indicate on the home page of such board of education how parents may register for prior notice of pesticide applications, as described in subsection (c) of this section. Not later than March fifteenth of each year, the local or regional board of education shall send through the electronic mail notification or alert system or service of such school or local or regional board of education the notice required by subdivision (1) of this subsection for applications made since January first of such year and a listing of such notices for applications made during the March fifteenth through December thirty-first time frame from the preceding calendar year. The local or regional board of education shall additionally print such electronic mail notification required by this subdivision in the applicable parent handbook or manual, provided nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to require the reprinting of such handbook or manual to provide such notification. Nothing in this subdivision shall require the development or use of an Internet web site, social media account or electronic mail notification or alert system that is not already in use or existence prior to October 1, 2015. For purposes of this section, "social media" means an electronic medium where users may create and view user-generated content, such as uploaded or downloaded videos or still photographs, blogs, video blogs, podcasts or instant messages.

(e) A copy of the record of each pesticide application at a school shall be maintained at the school for a period of five years. Such record shall include the information required under section 22a-66a.

(P.A. 99-165, S. 4, 6; P.A. 08-152, S. 10; 08-170, S. 28; P.A. 11-80, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 437.)

History: P.A. 99-165 effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 08-152 and 08-170 amended Subsec. (a) to change "vocational agriculture" to "agricultural science and technology education", effective July 1, 2008; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, "Commissioner of Environmental Protection" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection" in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 2011; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 amended Subsec. (c) by requiring notice to include the target pest and making technical changes and amended Subsec. (d) by designating existing provisions as new Subdiv. (1), making technical changes therein and adding new Subdiv. (2) re prior notice of pesticide applications through school or board of education Internet web sites and the primary social media account of the school or board of education and the electronic mailing of notice by March 15th of each year of pesticide applications in such year and applications made from March 15th to December 31st of the preceding calendar year, and re definition of "social media" (Revisor's note: In Subsec. (d)(2), an internal reference to "subdivision (1) of this subsection" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "subsection (c) of this section", in accordance with Sec. 2-56f, for accuracy).

Sec. 10-231e. Maintenance of heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. (a) For purposes of this section "Standard 62" means the American Society of Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning Engineers Standard 62 entitled "Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality", as referenced by the State Building Code adopted under section 29-252.

(b) Each local or regional board of education shall ensure that its heating, ventilation and air conditioning system is (1) maintained and operated in accordance with the prevailing maintenance standards, such as Standard 62, at the time of installation or renovation of such system, and (2) operated continuously during the hours in which students or school personnel occupy school facilities, except (A) during scheduled maintenance and emergency repairs, and (B) during periods for which school officials can demonstrate to the local or regional board of education's satisfaction that the quantity of outdoor air supplied by an air supply system that is not mechanically driven meets the Standard 62 requirements for air changes per hour.

(c) Each local or regional board of education shall maintain records of the maintenance of its heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems for a period of not less than five years.

(P.A. 03-220, S. 7.)

History: P.A. 03-220 effective July 1, 2003.

Sec. 10-231f. Indoor air quality committee. Each local and regional board of education may establish an indoor air quality committee for each school district or facility to increase staff and student awareness of facets of the environment that affect the health of the occupants of school facilities including, but not limited to, air quality, water quality and the presence of radon. Such committee shall include, but not be limited to, at least one administrator, one maintenance staff member, one teacher, one school health staff member, one parent of a student and two members-at-large from the school district. No local or regional board of education, superintendent or school administrator may prohibit a school safety committee established pursuant to section 10-220f from addressing indoor air quality issues that affect the health of occupants of school facilities.

(P.A. 03-220, S. 9.)

History: P.A. 03-220 effective July 1, 2003.

Sec. 10-231g. Green cleaning program at schools: Definitions. Implementation. Notice. (a) As used in this section, (1) "green cleaning program" means the procurement and proper use of environmentally preferable cleaning products in school buildings and facilities, and (2) "environmentally preferable cleaning product" includes, but is not limited to, general purpose cleaners, bathroom cleaners, carpet cleaners, glass cleaners, floor finishes, floor strippers, hand cleaners and soaps, but does not include (A) any disinfectant, disinfecting cleaner, sanitizer or any other antimicrobial product regulated by the federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, 7 USC 136 et seq., or (B) any product for which no guideline or environmental standard has been established by any national or international certification program approved by the Department of Administrative Services, or which is outside the scope of or is otherwise excluded under guidelines or environmental standards established by such a national or international certification program.

(b) On or before July 1, 2011, each local and regional board of education shall implement a green cleaning program for the cleaning and maintenance of school buildings and facilities in its district. No person shall use a cleaning product inside a school unless such cleaning product meets guidelines or environmental standards set by a national or international environmental certification program approved by the Department of Administrative Services, in consultation with the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection. Such cleaning product shall, to the maximum extent possible, minimize the potential harmful impact on human health and the environment.

(c) On or before April 1, 2010, the Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Public Health, shall amend the school facility survey form to include questions regarding the phase-in of green cleaning programs at schools.

(d) On or before October 1, 2010, and annually thereafter, each local and regional board of education shall provide the staff of each school and, upon request, the parents and guardians of each child enrolled in each school with a written statement of the school district's green cleaning program. Such notice shall include (1) the types and names of environmentally preferable cleaning products being applied in schools, (2) the location of the application of such cleaning products in the school buildings and facilities, (3) the schedule of when such cleaning products are applied in the school buildings and facilities, (4) the statement, "No parent, guardian, teacher or staff member may bring into the school facility any consumer product which is intended to clean, deodorize, sanitize or disinfect.", and (5) the name of the school administrator, or a designee, who may be contacted for further information. Such notice shall be provided to the parents or guardians of any child who transfers to a school during the school year and to staff hired during the school year. Each local or regional board of education shall make such notice, as well as the report submitted to the Department of Education pursuant to subsection (a) of section 10-220, available on its web site and the web site of each school under such board's jurisdiction. If no such web site exists, the board shall make such notice otherwise publicly available.

(P.A. 09-81, S. 1; P.A. 11-80, S. 1.)

History: Pursuant to P.A. 11-80, "Commissioner of Environmental Protection" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection" in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 2011.

Sec. 10-232. Restrictions on employment of members of board of education. Notwithstanding the provisions of any special act to the contrary, no member of the board of education shall be employed for compensation by the board of which he or she is a member in any position in the school system. If any member of such board is employed contrary to the provisions of this section, the office to which he or she was elected or appointed shall become vacant. No provision of this section shall be construed to prohibit any member of a board of education from serving as a member of any school building committee established by a town or regional school district to undertake a school building project as defined in section 10-282.

(1949 Rev., S. 1493; 1953, S. 948d; 1963, P.A. 303; February, 1965, P.A. 281, S. 1; 1967, P.A. 154; P.A. 78-218, S. 161.)

History: 1963 act clarified that prohibition relates to employment as teacher or janitor "by" town rather than "in" town; 1965 act prohibited construction of statute to prevent school board member from serving on school building committee; 1967 act added "Notwithstanding the provisions of any special act to the contrary" and prohibited employment of board member, whether appointed or elected, "in any position in the school system", replacing provisions prohibiting employment as teacher or school janitor; P.A. 78-218 added feminine personal pronouns.

Cited. 152 C. 568; 182 C. 253.

(c) If a nongovernmental school operator requests, a regional educational service center shall arrange for the fingerprinting of any person required to submit to state and national criminal history records checks pursuant to this section or for conducting any other method of positive identification required by the State Police Bureau of Identification or the Federal Bureau of Investigation and shall forward such fingerprints or other positive identifying information to the State Police Bureau of Identification which shall conduct criminal history records checks in accordance with section 29-17a, the federal National Child Protection Act of 1993 and the federal Volunteers for Children Act of 1998. Such regional educational service center shall maintain such fingerprints or other positive identifying information, which may be in an electronic format, for a period of four years, at the end of which such fingerprints and positive identifying information shall be destroyed. The State Police Bureau of Identification shall provide the results of such checks to such nongovernmental school operator. No regional educational service center shall charge a fee for services under this subsection that exceeds any fee that the center may charge any applicant for a position with such center.

(d) State and national criminal history records checks for substitute teachers completed within one year prior to the date of employment with a nongovernmental school operator and submitted to the employing nongovernmental school operator shall meet the requirements of subsection (b) of this section. A nongovernmental school operator shall not require substitute teachers to submit to state and national criminal history records checks pursuant to subsection (b) of this section if they are continuously employed by such nongovernmental school operator, provided a substitute teacher is subjected to such checks at least once every five years. For purposes of this section, substitute teachers shall be deemed to be continuously employed by a nongovernmental school operator if they are employed at least one day of each school year by such nongovernmental school operator.

(e) The provisions of this section shall not apply to (1) a student employed by the nongovernmental school operator that operates a school which the student attends, or (2) a person employed by a nongovernmental school operator as a teacher for a noncredit adult class or adult education activity, as defined in section 10-67, who is not required to hold a teaching certificate pursuant to section 10-145b for his or her position.

(f) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (g) of section 31-51i, and to the extent permissible under state and federal laws regarding the dissemination of criminal history records, the State Board of Education shall, upon request of a nongovernmental school operator, make available to such nongovernmental school operator requesting information concerning an applicant for a position with such nongovernmental school operator, (1) any information concerning the applicant's eligibility for employment in a position with such nongovernmental school operator requiring a certificate, authorization or permit issued pursuant to chapter 166, (2) whether the department has knowledge that the applicant has been disciplined for a finding of abuse or neglect or sexual misconduct, as defined in section 10-222c, and any information concerning such a finding, and (3) whether the department has received notification that the applicant has been convicted of a crime or of criminal charges pending against the applicant and any information concerning such charges. The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed to cause the state board to investigate any such request or disseminate the results of any national criminal history records check.

(P.A. 19-91, S. 2; P.A. 21-144, S. 5.)

History: P.A. 19-91 effective July 1, 2019; P.A. 21-144 amended Subsec. (a) by redefining "nongovernmental school operator", effective July 7, 2021.

(b) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall waive the fee for a criminal history records check required under this section.

(P.A. 19-91, S. 3.)

History: P.A. 19-91 effective July 1, 2019.

(P.A. 19-91, S. 4.)

History: P.A. 19-91 effective July 1, 2019.

(b) The State Board of Education shall submit, periodically, to the State Police Bureau of Identification a database providing identification information of each person who holds a certificate, authorization or permit. The State Police Bureau of Identification shall conduct a state criminal history records check in accordance with section 29-17a against such database and shall notify the State Board of Education of any such person who has a criminal conviction. The State Board of Education may revoke the certificate, authorization or permit of such person in accordance with the provisions of subsection (i) of section 10-145b.

(P.A. 19-91, S. 5.)

History: P.A. 19-91 effective July 1, 2019.

Sec. 10-233. Suspension of pupils. Section 10-233 is repealed.

(1949, S. 959d; P.A. 75-609, S. 6.)

(a) "Exclusion" means any denial of public school privileges to a pupil for disciplinary purposes.

(b) "Removal" means an exclusion from a classroom for all or part of a single class period, provided such exclusion shall not extend beyond ninety minutes.

(c) "In-school suspension" means an exclusion from regular classroom activity for no more than ten consecutive school days, but not exclusion from school, provided such exclusion shall not extend beyond the end of the school year in which such in-school suspension was imposed.

(d) "Suspension" means an exclusion from school privileges or from transportation services only for no more than ten consecutive school days, provided such exclusion shall not extend beyond the end of the school year in which such suspension was imposed.

(e) "Expulsion" means an exclusion from school privileges for more than ten consecutive school days and shall be deemed to include, but not be limited to, exclusion from the school to which such pupil was assigned at the time such disciplinary action was taken, provided such exclusion shall not extend beyond a period of one calendar year.

(f) "Emergency" means a situation under which the continued presence of the pupil in school poses such a danger to persons or property or such a disruption of the educational process that a hearing may be delayed until a time as soon after the exclusion of such pupil as possible.

(g) "School" means any school under the direction of a local or regional board of education or any school for which one or more such boards of education pays eighty per cent or more of the tuition costs for students enrolled in such school.

(h) "School-sponsored activity" means any activity sponsored, recognized or authorized by a board of education and includes activities conducted on or off school property.

(P.A. 75-609, S. 1; P.A. 78-218, S. 162; P.A. 79-136, S. 1, 2; 79-236, S. 1; P.A. 80-483, S. 42, 186; P.A. 83-119, S. 1, 8; P.A. 86-398, S. 1; P.A. 95-304, S. 4, 9; P.A. 07-66, S. 1; P.A. 08-160, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 78-218 specified local or regional boards in Subsec. (f) and replaced "school boards" with "boards of education"; P.A. 79-136 redefined "expulsion" to replace requirement that exclusion from school not extend beyond school year in which imposed with provision that exclusion may carry over but may not be for more than 180 consecutive school days; P.A. 79-236 inserted definition of "in-school suspension" as Subsec. (c) and relettered remaining Subsecs. accordingly; P.A. 80-483 extended applicability of definitions by substituting "10-233g" for "10-233e"; P.A. 83-119 redefined "suspension" to include exclusion from transportation services only; P.A. 86-398 added Subdiv. (h) defining "school-sponsored activity"; P.A. 95-304 amended Subsec. (e) to base time limitation on expulsions on calendar year rather than school year, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 07-66 amended Subdiv. (c) defining "in-school suspension" to increase maximum consecutive days from 5 to 10, effective July 1, 2008; P.A. 08-160 changed effective date of P.A. 07-66, S. 1, from July 1, 2008, to July 1, 2009, effective June 12, 2008.

Cited. 193 C. 93.

Sec. 10-233b. Removal of pupils from class. (a) Any local or regional board of education may authorize teachers in its employ to remove a pupil from class when such pupil deliberately causes a serious disruption of the educational process within the classroom, provided no pupil shall be removed from class more than six times in any school year nor more than twice in one week unless such pupil is referred to the building principal or such principal's designee and granted an informal hearing in accordance with the provisions of section 10-233c.

(b) Whenever any teacher removes a pupil from the classroom, such teacher shall send such pupil to a designated area and shall immediately inform the building principal or such principal's designee as to the name of the pupil against whom such disciplinary action was taken and the reason therefor.

(P.A. 75-609, S. 2; P.A. 78-218, S. 163; P.A. 84-255, S. 11, 21.)

History: P.A. 78-218 substituted "local" for "town" boards of education, deleted references to school boards and school districts and replaced masculine personal pronouns with appropriate nouns; P.A. 84-255 amended Subsec. (a) to clarify that removal of a pupil from the classroom may only occur six times per "school" year.

Cited. 193 C. 93.

(b) In determining the length of a suspension period, the administration may receive and consider evidence of past disciplinary problems which have led to removal from a classroom, suspension or expulsion of such pupil.

(c) Whenever any administration suspends a pupil, such administration shall not later than twenty-four hours after the suspension notify the superintendent or such superintendent's designee as to the name of the pupil against whom such disciplinary action was taken and the reason therefor.

(d) Any pupil who is suspended shall be given an opportunity to complete any classwork including, but not limited to, examinations which such pupil missed during the period of suspension.

(e) For any pupil who is suspended for the first time pursuant to this section and who has never been expelled pursuant to section 10-233d, the administration may shorten the length of or waive the suspension period if the pupil successfully completes an administration-specified program and meets any other conditions required by the administration. Such administration-specified program shall not require the pupil or the parent or guardian of the pupil to pay for participation in the program.

(f) Whenever a pupil is suspended pursuant to the provisions of this section, notice of the suspension and the conduct for which the pupil was suspended shall be included on the pupil's cumulative educational record. Such notice shall be expunged from the cumulative educational record by the local or regional board of education if a pupil graduates from high school, or in the case of a suspension of a pupil for which the length of the suspension period is shortened or the suspension period is waived pursuant to subsection (e) of this section, such notice shall be expunged from the cumulative educational record by the local or regional board of education (1) if the pupil graduates from high school, or (2) if the administration so chooses, at the time the pupil completes the administration-specified program and meets any other conditions required by the administration pursuant to said subsection (e), whichever is earlier.

(g) On and after July 1, 2015, all suspensions pursuant to this section shall be in-school suspensions, except a local or regional board of education may authorize the administration of schools under its direction to impose an out-of-school suspension on any pupil in (1) grades three to twelve, inclusive, if, during the hearing held pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, (A) the administration determines that the pupil being suspended poses such a danger to persons or property or such a disruption of the educational process that the pupil shall be excluded from school during the period of suspension, or (B) the administration determines that an out-of-school suspension is appropriate for such pupil based on evidence of (i) previous disciplinary problems that have led to suspensions or expulsion of such pupil, and (ii) efforts by the administration to address such disciplinary problems through means other than out-of-school suspension or expulsion, including positive behavioral support strategies, or (2) grades preschool to two, inclusive, if during the hearing held pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the administration determines that an out-of-school suspension is appropriate for such pupil based on evidence that such pupil's conduct on school grounds is of a violent or sexual nature that endangers persons. An in-school suspension may be served in the school that the pupil attends, or in any school building under the jurisdiction of the local or regional board of education, as determined by such board. Nothing in this section shall limit a person's duty as a mandated reporter pursuant to section 17-101a to report suspected child abuse or neglect.

(P.A. 75-609, S. 3; P.A. 78-218, S. 164; P.A. 79-115, S. 1, 3; P.A. 83-119, S. 2, 8; P.A. 84-546, S. 24, 173; P.A. 88-317, S. 56, 107; P.A. 94-221, S. 3; P.A. 96-244, S. 18, 63; P.A. 97-247, S. 16, 27; P.A. 98-139, S. 1, 3; P.A. 07-66, S. 2; 07-122, S. 1; P.A. 08-160, S. 2; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-6, S. 56; P.A. 10-111, S. 20; P.A. 15-96, S. 1, 2.)

History: P.A. 78-218 specified local boards of education rather than town boards, deleted reference to school districts and substituted "such principal's" for "his" in Subsec. (a); P.A. 79-115 inserted new Subsec. (b) re consideration of past disciplinary problems in determining length of suspension and relettered former Subsecs. (b) and (c) as (c) and (d); P.A. 83-119 authorized boards of education to suspend transportation services from any pupil whose conduct while waiting for or receiving transportation endangers person or property or violates published policy of the board, and changed references from "building principal" or his designee to "administration"; P.A. 84-546 made technical changes in Subsec. (a); P.A. 88-317 amended reference to Secs. 4-177 to 4-180 in Subsec. (a) to include new sections added to Ch. 54, effective July 1, 1989, and applicable to all agency proceedings commencing on or after that date; P.A. 94-221 added Subsec. (e) re inclusion of notice of suspension in the cumulative educational record; P.A. 96-244 amended Subsec. (a) to add provisions relating to where the conduct took place and establishing distinct criteria for suspension for conduct on school grounds or at a school sponsored activity and off school grounds, effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 97-247 amended Subsec. (e) to eliminate a requirement to expunge the notice if a pupil is not expelled or suspended again during the two-year period commencing on the date of his return to school from the suspension, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-139 amended Subsec. (a) to add criteria for consideration in determining whether conduct is seriously disruptive of the educational process, effective June 4, 1998; P.A. 07-66 added new subsection, designated as Subsec. (g), re requirement that suspensions be in-school, effective July 1, 2008, P.A. 07-122 made technical changes in Subsec. (c), added new Subsec. (e) re program for first time suspensions, redesignated existing Subsec. (e) as Subsec. (f) and added provision therein re shortened or waived suspension period, effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 08-160 amended Subsec. (g) to apply provisions to suspensions occurring on and after July 1, 2009, and to specify in-school suspensions may be served in any school building under board's jurisdiction, effective July 1, 2008; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-6 amended Subsec. (g) to apply provisions to suspensions occurring on and after July 1, 2010, effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 10-111 amended Subsec. (g) by designating existing provision re determination of danger or disruption as Subdiv. (1) and adding Subdiv. (2) re determination by administration of appropriateness of out-of-school suspension based on certain evidence, effective May 26, 2010; P.A. 15-96 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing references to "any pupil" with references to "a pupil" and amended Subsec. (g) by applying provisions to suspensions occurring on and after July 1, 2015, adding exception re authorization of out-of-school suspensions, designating existing provision re out-of-school suspensions as Subdiv. (1) and making that provision applicable to pupils in grades 3 to 12, redesignating existing Subdivs. (1) and (2) as Subparas. (A) and (B), redesignating existing Subparas. (A) and (B) as clauses (i) and (ii), adding new Subdiv. (2) re out-of-school suspensions for pupils in grades preschool to 2, adding provision re duty as mandated reporter, and making conforming changes, effective July 1, 2015.

Cited. 193 C. 93; 238 C. 1.

Cited. 36 CS 357.

Sec. 10-233d. Expulsion of pupils. (a)(1) Any local or regional board of education, at a meeting at which three or more members of such board are present, or the impartial hearing board established pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, may expel, subject to the provisions of this subsection, any pupil in grades three to twelve, inclusive, whose conduct on school grounds or at a school-sponsored activity is violative of a publicized policy of such board and is seriously disruptive of the educational process or endangers persons or property or whose conduct off school grounds is violative of such policy and is seriously disruptive of the educational process, provided a majority of the board members sitting in the expulsion hearing vote to expel and that at least three affirmative votes for expulsion are cast. In making a determination as to whether conduct is seriously disruptive of the educational process, the board of education or impartial hearing board may consider, but such consideration shall not be limited to: (A) Whether the incident occurred within close proximity of a school; (B) whether other students from the school were involved or whether there was any gang involvement; (C) whether the conduct involved violence, threats of violence or the unlawful use of a weapon, as defined in section 29-38, and whether any injuries occurred; and (D) whether the conduct involved the use of alcohol.

(2) Expulsion proceedings pursuant to this section, except as provided in subsection (i) of this section, shall be required for any pupil in grades kindergarten to twelve, inclusive, whenever there is reason to believe that any pupil (A) on school grounds or at a school-sponsored activity, was in possession of a firearm, as defined in 18 USC 921, as amended from time to time, or deadly weapon, dangerous instrument or martial arts weapon, as defined in section 53a-3, (B) off school grounds, did possess such a firearm in violation of section 29-35 or did possess and use such a firearm, instrument or weapon in the commission of a crime under chapter 952, or (C) on or off school grounds, offered for sale or distribution a controlled substance, as defined in subdivision (9) of section 21a-240, whose manufacture, distribution, sale, prescription, dispensing, transporting or possessing with intent to sell or dispense, offering, or administering is subject to criminal penalties under sections 21a-277 and 21a-278. Such a pupil shall be expelled for one calendar year if the local or regional board of education or impartial hearing board finds that the pupil did so possess or so possess and use, as appropriate, such a firearm, instrument or weapon or did so offer for sale or distribution such a controlled substance, provided the board of education or the hearing board may modify the period of expulsion for a pupil on a case-by-case basis, and as provided for in subdivision (2) of subsection (c) of this section.

(3) Unless an emergency exists, no pupil shall be expelled without a formal hearing held pursuant to sections 4-176e to 4-180a, inclusive, and section 4-181a, provided whenever such pupil is a minor, the notice required by section 4-177 and section 4-180 shall also be given to the parents or guardian of the pupil at least five business days before such hearing. If an emergency exists, such hearing shall be held as soon after the expulsion as possible. The notice shall include information concerning the parent's or guardian's and the pupil's legal rights and concerning legal services provided free of charge or at a reduced rate that are available locally and how to access such services. An attorney or other advocate may represent any pupil subject to expulsion proceedings. The parent or guardian of the pupil shall have the right to have the expulsion hearing postponed for up to one week to allow time to obtain representation, except that if an emergency exists, such hearing shall be held as soon after the expulsion as possible.

(c) (1) In determining the length of an expulsion and the nature of the alternative educational opportunity to be offered under subsection (d) of this section, the local or regional board of education, or the impartial hearing board established pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, may receive and consider evidence of past disciplinary problems that have led to removal from a classroom, suspension or expulsion of such pupil.

(2) For any pupil expelled for the first time pursuant to this section and who has never been suspended pursuant to section 10-233c, except for a pupil who has been expelled based on possession of a firearm or deadly weapon as described in subsection (a) of this section, the local or regional board of education may shorten the length of or waive the expulsion period if the pupil successfully completes a board-specified program and meets any other conditions required by the board. Such board-specified program shall not require the pupil or the parent or guardian of the pupil to pay for participation in the program.

(d) No local or regional board of education is required to offer an alternative educational opportunity, except in accordance with this section. Any pupil under sixteen years of age who is expelled shall be offered an alternative educational opportunity, which shall be (1) alternative education, as defined by section 10-74j, with an individualized learning plan, if such board provides such alternative education, or (2) in accordance with the standards adopted by the State Board of Education, pursuant to section 10-233o, during the period of expulsion, provided any parent or guardian of such pupil who does not choose to have his or her child enrolled in an alternative educational opportunity shall not be subject to the provisions of section 10-184. Any pupil expelled for the first time who is between the ages of sixteen and eighteen and who wishes to continue his or her education shall be offered such an alternative educational opportunity if he or she complies with conditions established by his or her local or regional board of education. Such alternative educational opportunity may include, but shall not be limited to, the placement of a pupil who is at least seventeen years of age in an adult education program pursuant to section 10-69. Any pupil participating in any such adult education program during a period of expulsion shall not be required to withdraw from school under section 10-184. A local or regional board of education shall count the expulsion of a pupil when he was under sixteen years of age for purposes of determining whether an alternative educational opportunity is required for such pupil when he is between the ages of sixteen and eighteen. A local or regional board of education may offer an alternative educational opportunity to a pupil for whom such alternative educational opportunity is not required pursuant to this section.

(f) Whenever a pupil is expelled pursuant to the provisions of this section, notice of the expulsion and the conduct for which the pupil was expelled shall be included on the pupil's cumulative educational record. Such notice, except for notice of an expulsion of a pupil in grades nine to twelve, inclusive, based on possession of a firearm or deadly weapon as described in subsection (a) of this section, (1) shall be expunged from the cumulative educational record by the local or regional board of education if a pupil graduates from high school, or (2) may be expunged from the cumulative educational record by the local or regional board of education before a pupil graduates from high school if (A) in the case of a pupil for which the length of the expulsion period is shortened or the expulsion period is waived pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (c) of this section, such board determines that an expungement is warranted at the time such pupil completes the board-specified program and meets any other conditions required by such board pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (c) of this section, or (B) such pupil has demonstrated to such board that the conduct and behavior of such pupil in the years following such expulsion warrants an expungement. A local or regional board of education, in determining whether to expunge such notice under subparagraph (B) of this subdivision, may receive and consider evidence of any subsequent disciplinary problems that have led to removal from a classroom, suspension or expulsion of such pupil.

(g) A local or regional board of education may adopt the decision of a pupil expulsion hearing conducted by another school district provided such local or regional board of education or impartial hearing board shall hold a hearing pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section which shall be limited to a determination of whether the conduct which was the basis for the expulsion would also warrant expulsion under the policies of such board. The pupil shall be excluded from school pending such hearing. The excluded student shall be offered an alternative educational opportunity in accordance with the provisions of subsections (d) and (e) of this section.

(h) Whenever a pupil against whom an expulsion hearing is pending withdraws from school after notification of such hearing but before the hearing is completed and a decision rendered pursuant to this section, (1) notice of the pending expulsion hearing shall be included on the pupil's cumulative educational record, and (2) the local or regional board of education or impartial hearing board shall complete the expulsion hearing and render a decision. If such pupil enrolls in school in another school district, such pupil shall not be excluded from school in the other district pending completion of the expulsion hearing pursuant to this subsection unless an emergency exists, provided nothing in this subsection shall limit the authority of the local or regional board of education for such district to suspend the pupil or to conduct its own expulsion hearing in accordance with this section.

(i) Prior to conducting an expulsion hearing for a child requiring special education and related services described in subparagraph (A) of subdivision (5) of section 10-76a, a planning and placement team shall convene to determine whether the misconduct was caused by the child's disability. If it is determined that the misconduct was caused by the child's disability, the child shall not be expelled. The planning and placement team shall reevaluate the child for the purpose of modifying the child's individualized education program to address the misconduct and to ensure the safety of other children and staff in the school. If it is determined that the misconduct was not caused by the child's disability, the child may be expelled in accordance with the provisions of this section applicable to children who do not require special education and related services. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (d) and (e) of this section, whenever a child requiring such special education and related services is expelled, an alternative educational opportunity, consistent with such child's educational needs shall be provided during the period of expulsion.

(j) An expelled pupil may apply for early readmission to school. Except as provided in this subsection, such readmission shall be at the discretion of the local or regional board of education. The board of education may delegate authority for readmission decisions to the superintendent of schools for the school district. If the board delegates such authority, readmission shall be at the discretion of the superintendent. Readmission decisions shall not be subject to appeal to Superior Court. The board or superintendent, as appropriate, may condition such readmission on specified criteria.

(k) Local and regional boards of education shall submit to the Commissioner of Education such information on expulsions for the possession of weapons as required for purposes of the Gun-Free Schools Act of 1994, 20 USC 8921 et seq., as amended from time to time.

(l) (1) Any student who commits an expellable offense and is subsequently placed in a juvenile residential center or any other residential placement for such offense may be expelled by a local or regional board of education in accordance with the provisions of this section. The period of expulsion shall run concurrently with the period of placement in a juvenile residential center or other residential placement.

(2) If a student who committed an expellable offense seeks to return to a school district after participating in a diversionary program or having been placed in a juvenile residential center or any other residential placement and such student has not been expelled by the local or regional board of education for such offense under subdivision (1) of this subsection, the local or regional board of education for the school district to which the student is returning shall allow such student to return and may not expel the student for additional time for such offense.

(P.A. 75-609, S. 4; P.A. 78-218, S. 165; P.A. 79-115, S. 2, 3; 79-369, S. 1, 2; P.A. 81-215, S. 1, 3; P.A. 82-118, S. 1, 2; P.A. 83-218, S. 1, 2; 83-587, S. 70, 96; P.A. 84-546, S. 25, 173; P.A. 86-398, S. 2; P.A. 88-317, S. 57, 107; P.A. 92-37, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-35, S. 1-3; P.A. 94-221, S. 2; P.A. 95-304, S. 5, 9; P.A. 96-146, S. 9, 12; 96-244, S. 19-21, 63; P.A. 98-139, S. 2, 3; P.A. 00-157, S. 4, 8; P.A. 07-122, S. 2; 07-217, S. 45; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3, S. 49; P.A. 09-82, S. 1; P.A. 11-115, S. 3; 11-126, S. 1; P.A. 12-116, S. 87; 12-120, S. 28; P.A. 14-229, S. 1, 2; P.A. 15-96, S. 3; P.A. 16-147, S. 12; P.A. 17-220, S. 2; 17-237, S. 75, 76; P.A. 18-31, S. 12; P.A. 19-91, S. 9; P.A. 21-104, S. 7.)

History: P.A. 78-218 substituted "local" for "town" boards of education, deleted reference to school districts and included feminine personal pronoun in Subsec. (c); P.A. 79-115 inserted new Subsec. (b) re consideration of past disciplinary problems in determining length of expulsion and alternative educational opportunity to be offered and relettered former Subsecs. (b) and (c) as (c) and (d); P.A. 79-369 required presence of at least three members at meeting for expulsion and required majority vote, with at least three votes in favor of expulsion, for expulsion to be effected in Subsec. (a) and made technical change in Subsec. (b); P.A. 81-215 inserted new Subsec. (b) authorizing boards of education to establish impartial hearing boards for the purpose of conducting expulsion hearings, relettering remaining Subsecs. accordingly and amended Subsec. (e) to limit the mandatory provision of an alternative educational opportunity to pupils under 18 years of age, but specified that age limitation shall not apply to special education pupils; P.A. 82-118 repealed Subsec. (d) which required notification be sent to state board of education of any student against whom disciplinary action was taken, relettering Subsec. (e) accordingly, reduced age limitation on offering of alternative educational opportunities to expelled students from 18 to 16 and made offering of such programs to 16 to 18-year-olds made conditional on students' acceptance of board of education requirements in newly relettered Subsec. (d); P.A. 83-218 added Subsec. (e) limiting requirement that boards of education offer alternative educational opportunities to expelled students between the ages of 16 and 18; P.A. 83-587 made technical change in Subsec. (e); P.A. 84-546 made technical change, substituting references to pupils for references to students in Subsecs. (d) and (e); P.A. 86-398 amended Subsec. (e) by restructuring it and by not requiring boards of education to offer alternative educational opportunities to students expelled for offering controlled substances for sale or distribution and by imposing certain duties on boards of education; P.A. 88-317 amended references to Secs. 4-177 to 4-180 in Subsecs. (a) and (b) to include new sections added to Ch. 54, effective July 1, 1989, and applicable to all agency proceedings commencing on or after that date; P.A. 92-37 added Subsecs. (f) and (g) concerning the notice on the cumulative educational record and the adoption of the decision of another school district, respectively; P.A. 93-35 amended Subsec. (g) to limit the scope of the hearing and added Subsec. (h) concerning procedure when pupil who faces expulsion hearing withdraws from school, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 94-221 amended Subsec. (a) to provide for mandatory expulsion proceedings whenever there is reason to believe that a pupil was in possession of a weapon on school grounds and to provide for mandatory expulsion if it is determined as a result of the proceedings that the pupil did so possess the weapon and expanded Subsec. (e)(1) to include firearms and deadly weapons, to apply the provisions to school-sponsored activities and to provide for the referral to a planning and placement team of special education students; P.A. 95-304 amended Subsec. (a) to provide for expulsions for conduct off school grounds, to change the provisions concerning possession of a weapon and to provide for case by case modification of the period of expulsion, amended Subsec. (d) to limit the requirement for the provision of an alternative educational opportunity for pupils between 16 and 18 years of age to such pupils "expelled for the first time", to add provision on the counting of expulsions prior to 16 years of age, to remove language concerning special education students and language specifying that an alternative educational placement may include placement in a regular classroom program in another school and to add language on placement in an adult education program, amended Subsec. (e) to add requirement for report to the police in specified cases, to delete requirement for the board to report to the Commissioner of Education referrals based on the sale or distribution of controlled substances and to delete provisions concerning special education students, amended Subsec. (f) to add exception for possession of a firearm or deadly weapon, added Subsec. (i) re special education students and Subsec. (j) re information on expulsions for the possession of weapons and made technical corrections, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-146 made technical change in Subsec. (i), effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 96-244 amended Subsec. (a) to rewrite the criteria for expulsion for conduct based on where the conduct took place, to insert Subdiv. and Subpara. designations, to make the existing language Subpara. (A) and to apply it to conduct on school grounds or at a school sponsored activity, in Subpara. (A) to delete requirement that the possession be in violation of Secs. 29-35 or 53a-3, to add the cite to federal law for the definition of "firearm", to add "dangerous instrument or martial arts weapon", to add Subpara. (B) re conduct off school grounds and Subpara. (C) re controlled substances, amended Subsec. (e) to apply the federal definition for "firearm", to add "martial arts weapon" and to make technical changes and amended Subsec. (f) to delete provision requiring removal of the notice of expulsion from the cumulative record if the pupil is not expelled again or suspended one or more times during the 2-year period commencing on the date of return to school from the expulsion, effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 98-139 amended Subsec. (a)(1) to add criteria for consideration in determining whether conduct is seriously disruptive of the educational process, added new Subsec. (j) re readmission and redesignated existing Subsec. (j) as Subsec. (k), effective June 4, 1998 (Revisor's note: In Subsec. (a)(1)(D) the word "in" in the phrase "whether the conduct involved in the use of alcohol" was deleted editorially by the Revisors for grammatical accuracy); P.A. 00-157 amended Subsec. (d) to specify that boards of education are only required to offer an alternative educational opportunity in accordance with this section, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 07-122 made a technical change in Subsec. (a)(2), amended Subsec. (c) to designate existing language as Subdiv. (1) and add Subdiv. (2) re program for first time expulsions, and amended Subsec. (f) to designate existing language as Subdiv. (1), make a technical change therein and add Subdiv. (2) re shortened or waived expulsion period, effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 07-217 made a technical change in Subsec. (c), effective July 12, 2007; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3 amended Subsec. (a)(3) to add language re legal services information, effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 09-82 made a technical change in Subsecs. (f)(2) and (h) and added Subsec. (l) re prohibition against expulsion of students who return to school district after serving in a residential placement, effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 11-115 amended Subsec. (l) by designating existing provisions as Subdiv. (2) and amending same to delete "for one year or more, the" and add language re student who has not been expelled by board of education, and by adding Subdiv. (1) re expulsion of student to run concurrently with period of commitment, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-126 amended Subsec. (d) by adding provision re pupils participating in adult education program during period of expulsion shall not be required to withdraw from school and making technical changes, effective July 1, 2011; pursuant to P.A. 12-116, "regional vocational-technical school" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "technical high school" in Subsec. (e), effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 12-120 amended Subsec. (d) by replacing "sixteen" with "seventeen" re placement of pupil in adult education program, effective June 15, 2012; P.A. 14-229 amended Subsec. (c) by making a technical change in Subdiv. (1) and adding provision re exception for a pupil who has been expelled based on possession of a firearm or deadly weapon in Subdiv. (2), and amended Subsec. (f) by deleting existing Subdiv. (1) designator, making exception re expulsion based on possession of firearm or deadly weapon applicable to only pupils in grades nine to twelve, designating existing provision re expungement if pupil graduates from high school as new Subdiv. (1), adding new Subdiv. (2) re expungement before a pupil graduates from high school and deleting former Subdiv. (2), effective July 1, 2014; P.A. 15-96 amended Subsec. (a) by making provisions of Subdiv. (1) applicable to pupils in grades 3 to 12, making provisions of Subdiv. (2) applicable to pupils in grades kindergarten to 12 and making a technical change, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 16-147 amended Subsec. (a)(3) by adding provision re notice to be given at least 5 business days before hearing and to include information re legal rights and adding provision re representation of pupil and right to postpone hearing in order to obtain representation, amended Subsec. (d) by deleting provision notwithstanding Sec. 10-220(a), by adding provision equating alternative educational opportunity with alternative education with an individualized learning plan, amended Subsec. (e) by deleting provisions re boards of education not required to provide alternative educational opportunity to pupils between ages of 16 and 18 who are expelled for certain conduct endangering persons and by adding references to definition of firearm and references to dangerous instrument and martial arts weapon and by adding provision re controlled substance, amended Subsec. (l)(2) by adding provision re diversionary program, and made technical and conforming changes, effective August 15, 2017; P.A. 17-220 amended Subsec. (d) by adding "No local or regional board of education is required to offer an alternative educational opportunity, except in accordance with this section.", deleting "equivalent to", designating existing provision re alternative education as Subdiv. (1) and amending same by adding "if such board provides such alternative education", adding Subdiv. (2) re standards adopted by State Board of Education, replacing "program" with "opportunity", and making technical and conforming changes, effective August 15, 2017; P.A. 17-237 amended Subsec. (e) by replacing "technical high school" with "technical education and career school", effective July 1, 2017; P.A. 18-31 amended Subsec. (l) to replace reference to commitment with reference to placement in Subdiv. (1), to replace "detained" with "placed" in Subdiv. (2), and to delete references to the Connecticut Juvenile Training School, effective July 1, 2018; P.A. 19-91 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by replacing "or" with "and" in provision re expulsion of pupil whose conduct is violative of publicized policy of board and is seriously disruptive of educational process, effective July 1, 2019; P.A. 21-104 amended Subsec. (l) to replace "detention" with "residential", effective January 1, 2022.

Cited. 193 C. 93; 238 C. 1.

Cited. 36 CS 357.

Subsec. (a):

Subdiv. (1): Conduct that is "seriously disruptive of the educational process" means conduct that markedly interrupts or severely impedes day-to-day operation of a school; statute void for vagueness since it did not provide student with constitutionally adequate notice that having marijuana in the trunk of a car off school grounds after school hours was seriously disruptive of educational process and would subject him to expulsion. 246 C. 89.

(P.A. 75-609, S. 5; P.A. 78-218, S. 166; P.A. 94-221, S. 6; P.A. 00-48, S. 8, 12.)

History: P.A. 78-218 substituted "local" for "town" board of education; P.A. 94-221 required that parents and guardians as well as students be informed of school policies on conduct and expanded the matters to be covered to include school discipline; P.A. 00-48 added provisions re surrogate parents, effective July 1, 2000.

Cited. 193 C. 93.

Sec. 10-233f. In-school suspension of pupils. Reassignment. (a) Any local or regional board of education may authorize the administration of schools under its direction to impose an in-school suspension on any pupil whose conduct endangers persons or property or is seriously disruptive of the educational process, or is violative of a publicized policy of such board. No pupil shall be placed in in-school suspension without an informal hearing before the building principal or such principal's designee at which such pupil shall be informed of the reasons for the disciplinary action and given an opportunity to explain the situation, provided no pupil shall be placed in in-school suspension more than fifteen times or a total of fifty days in one school year, whichever results in fewer days of exclusion.

(b) A local or regional board of education may reassign a pupil to a regular classroom program in a different school in the school district and such reassignment shall not constitute a suspension pursuant to section 10-233c, or an expulsion pursuant to section 10-233d.

(P.A. 79-236, S. 2; P.A. 80-233, S. 1, 2; P.A. 84-546, S. 26, 173; P.A. 95-304, S. 6, 9.)

History: P.A. 80-233 allowed in-school suspensions for conduct which "is violative of a publicized policy" of the board of education as well as for conduct which endangers persons or property or which disrupts the educational process as previously provided; P.A. 84-546 made technical change substituting "pupil" for "student"; P.A. 95-304 added Subsec. (b) re reassignment, effective July 1, 1995.

Cited. 193 C. 93.

Sec. 10-233g. Reports of principals to police authority concerning physical assaults upon school employees by students. (a) Where there is a physical assault made by a student upon a teacher or other school employee on school property or in performance of school duties and such teacher or employee files a written report with the school principal based upon such assault, the school building principal shall report such physical assault to the local police authority.

(b) No school administrator shall interfere with the right of a teacher or other employee of a board of education to file a complaint with the local police authority in cases of threats of physical violence and in cases of physical assaults by a student against such teacher or employee.

(P.A. 79-464; P.A. 83-44, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-353, S. 32, 52.)

History: P.A. 83-44 amended Subsec. (a) to require filing of reports annually rather than semiannually; P.A. 93-353 deleted Subsec. (a) requiring each local or regional board of education to submit an annual report to the state board of education re school violence and Subsec. (d) requiring the state board of education to adopt regulations for such reports, relettering Subsecs. (b) and (c) as (a) and (b), effective July 1, 1993.

Sec. 10-233h. Arrested students. Reports by police, disclosure, confidentiality. Police testimony at expulsion hearings. If any person who is at least seven years of age but less than twenty-one years of age and an enrolled student is arrested for a violation of section 53-206c, a class A misdemeanor or a felony, the municipal police department or Division of State Police within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection that made such arrest shall, not later than the end of the weekday following such arrest, orally notify the superintendent of schools of the school district in which such person resides or attends school of the identity of such person and the offense or offenses for which he was arrested and shall, within seventy-two hours of such arrest, provide written notification of such arrest, containing a brief description of the incident, to such superintendent. The superintendent shall maintain such written report in a secure location and the information in such report shall be maintained as confidential in accordance with section 46b-124. The superintendent may disclose such information only to the principal of the school in which such person is a student or to the principal or supervisory agent of any other school in which the superintendent knows such person is a student. The principal or supervisory agent may disclose such information only to special services staff or a consultant, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker, for the purposes of assessing the risk of danger posed by such person to himself, other students, school employees or school property and effectuating an appropriate modification of such person's educational plan or placement, and for disciplinary purposes. If the arrest occurred during the school year, such assessment shall be completed not later than the end of the next school day. If an expulsion hearing is held pursuant to section 10-233d, a representative of the municipal police department or the Division of State Police, as appropriate, may testify and provide reports and information on the arrest at such hearing, provided such police participation is requested by any of the following: The local or regional board of education, the impartial hearing board, the principal of the school or the student or his parent or guardian. Such information with respect to a child under eighteen years of age shall be confidential in accordance with sections 46b-124 and 54-76l, and shall only be disclosed as provided in this section and shall not be further disclosed.

(P.A. 94-221, S. 10; P.A. 95-304, S. 7, 9; P.A. 97-149, S. 1, 2; P.A. 11-51, S. 134; 11-157, S. 2.)

History: P.A. 95-304 applied provisions of the section to persons arrested for class A misdemeanors, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 97-149 deleted language limiting the applicability of the section to arrests during the school year and specified the time frame for assessments applied to arrest during the school year, made the section applicable to arrests for violations of Sec. 53-206c, changed the time frame for oral notification from the end of the "next school day" to the "weekday" following the arrest, and added provision concerning testimony and the provision of reports and information at expulsion hearings by representatives of the municipal police department and the Division of the State Police, effective July 1, 1997; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, "Department of Public Safety" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection", effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-157 required notification to superintendent of school district in which person "attends school", changed "sixteen years" to "eighteen years" of age re confidentiality of information, and provided that information be confidential in accordance with Sec. 54-76 l.

Sec. 10-233i. Students placed on probation by a court. A student placed on probation by a court may return to school on a conditional basis, within the limits prescribed by the court, provided the court has requested, from the superintendent of schools of the school district in which the student resides, and considered (1) information on the student's school attendance, adjustment and behavior and (2) any recommendations for conditions for disposition or sentencing. Superintendents of schools shall provide such information to the court in a timely manner.

(P.A. 94-221, S. 11.)

Sec. 10-233j. Student possession and use of telecommunication devices. (a) No student in a public school in the state shall possess or use a remotely activated paging device unless such student obtains the written permission of the school principal for such possession and use. The principal shall grant such permission only if the student or his parent or guardian establishes to the satisfaction of the principal that a reasonable basis exists for the possession and use of the device.

(b) A local or regional board of education may restrict the student possession or use of cellular mobile telephones in the schools under its jurisdiction. In determining whether to restrict such possession or use, the local or regional board of education shall consider the special needs of parents and students.

(P.A. 95-304, S. 8, 9; P.A. 96-108, S. 1, 3.)

History: P.A. 95-304 effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-108 designated the existing Sec. Subsec. (a) and added Subsec. (b) re cellular mobile telephones, effective July 1, 1996.

Sec. 10-233k. Notification of school officials of potentially dangerous students. Provision of educational records of children returning to school from residential centers. (a) If the Department of Children and Families believes, in good faith, that there is a risk of imminent personal injury to the person or other individuals from a child in its custody who has been adjudicated a serious juvenile offender, the department shall notify the superintendent of schools for the school district in which such child may be returning to attend school or was attending prior to the adjudication of such determination, prior to the child's return. The superintendent of schools shall notify the principal at the school the child will be attending that the child is potentially dangerous. The principal may disclose such information only to special services staff or a consultant, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker, for the purpose of assessing the risk of danger posed by such child to himself, other students, school employees or school property and effectuating an appropriate modification of such child's educational plan or placement and for disciplinary reasons.

(b) The Department of Children and Families and the Judicial Department or the local or regional board of education shall provide to the superintendent of schools any educational records within their custody of a child seeking to enter or return to a school district from a juvenile residential center or any other residential placement prior to the child's entry or return. The agencies shall also require any contracting entity that holds custody of such records to provide them to the superintendent of schools prior to the child's entry or return. Receipt of the educational records shall not delay a child from enrolling in school. The superintendent of schools shall provide such information to the principal at the school the child will be attending. The principal shall disclose such information to appropriate staff as is necessary to the education or care of the child.

(P.A. 99-247, S. 4; P.A. 01-176; P.A. 18-31, S. 13; P.A. 21-104, S. 8.)

History: P.A. 01-176 added language requiring the provision of educational records of a child seeking to enter or return to a school district from a juvenile detention center, the Connecticut Juvenile Training School or any other residential placement prior to the child's entry or return (Revisor's note: The language added by P.A. 01-176 was designated editorially by the Revisors as Subsec. (b), and the existing provisions as Subsec. (a)); P.A. 18-31 amended Subsec. (b) to delete reference to the Connecticut Juvenile Training School, and to make a technical change, effective July 1, 2018; P.A. 21-104 amended Subsec. (b) to replace "detention" with "residential", effective January 1, 2022.

Sec. 10-233 l. Expulsion and suspension of children in preschool programs. (a) As used in this section, "preschool program provider" means a local or regional board of education, state or local charter school or interdistrict magnet school that offers a preschool program.

(b) (1) No preschool program provider shall expel any child enrolled in such provider's preschool program, except an expulsion hearing shall be conducted, in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (2) of this subsection, whenever there is reason to believe that any child enrolled in such preschool program was in possession of a firearm, as defined in 18 USC 921, as amended from time to time, on or off school grounds or at a preschool program-sponsored event. Such child shall be expelled for one calendar year if, at the expulsion hearing it is determined, that the child did so possess such a firearm. A preschool program provider may modify the period of expulsion for a child on a case-by-case basis.

(2) An expulsion hearing required under this subsection shall be conducted by (A) the program provider in accordance with the provisions of this subdivision, (B) a local or regional board of education, in accordance with the provisions of section 10-233d, if (i) the preschool program provider is a local or regional board of education, or (ii) the preschool program provider is a regional educational service center or a state or local charter school pursuant to an agreement between such preschool program provider and the board of education, or (C) an impartial hearing board established by the preschool program provider, provided (i) no employee of such preschool program provider shall be a member of the impartial hearing board, and (ii) the hearing board shall have the authority to conduct the expulsion hearing and render a final decision in accordance with the provisions of sections 4-176e to 4-180a, inclusive, and section 4-181a. Unless an emergency exists, no child shall be expelled under this subsection without a formal hearing held pursuant to sections 4-176e to 4-180a, inclusive, and section 4-181a, provided the notice required by section 4-177 and section 4-180 shall also be given to the parent or guardian of the child. If an emergency exists, such hearing shall be held as soon after the expulsion as possible. The notice shall include information concerning legal services provided free of charge or at a reduced rate that are available locally and how to access such services.

(c) No preschool program provider may authorize a suspension of a child enrolled in such provider's preschool program, unless the suspension is an in-school suspension.

(P.A. 15-96, S. 4.)

History: P.A. 15-96 effective July 1, 2015.

(P.A. 15-168, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 342; P.A. 21-95, S. 8.)

History: P.A. 15-168 effective July 1, 2015; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 replaced "may" with "shall" re inclusion of graduated response model for student discipline, deleted references to the Division of State Police within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection and made a conforming change, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 21-95 added provision re inclusion of provision in memorandum of understanding requiring all school resource officers to complete separate training specifically related to social-emotional learning and restorative practices, effective July 1, 2021.

Sec. 10-233n. Report re disaggregated school discipline data. (a) As used in this section:

(1) "Student" means a person who is enrolled in a school under the jurisdiction of a local or regional board of education;

(2) "School property" means the real property comprising a public elementary or secondary school under the jurisdiction of a local or regional board of education;

(3) "School day" means the hours in which a school is open to students for regular classroom instruction, intramural or interscholastic athletics, or extracurricular activities;

(4) "School-sponsored event" means any school activity conducted on or off school property regardless of when such school activity is conducted; and

(5) "School-based arrest" means an arrest of a student for conduct of such student on school property or at a school-sponsored event.

(b) The Department of Education shall annually examine data relating to in-school suspensions, out-of-school suspensions, expulsions and school-based arrests that has been submitted as part of the strategic school profile report pursuant to section 10-220, and shall disaggregate such data by school, race, ethnicity, gender, age, students with disabilities, English language learners, as defined in section 10-76kk, students who are eligible for free or reduced priced lunch pursuant to federal law and regulations, and type of offense for which the school-based arrests were made and the number of arrests made annually at each school within the school district. The department shall annually submit a report to the State Board of Education regarding the examination and disaggregation of such data and make the report available on the department's Internet web site.

(P.A. 15-168, S. 2.)

History: P.A. 15-168 effective July 1, 2015.

Sec. 10-233o. Standards re alternative educational opportunities. Not later than August 15, 2017, the State Board of Education shall adopt standards for the provision of an adequate alternative educational opportunity, offered pursuant to subsection (d) of section 10-233d. Such standards shall include, but need not be limited to, the kind of instruction and number of hours to be provided to a student enrolled in an alternative educational opportunity.

(P.A. 17-220, S. 3.)

History: P.A. 17-220 effective July 11, 2017.

Sec. 10-234. Expulsion of pupils. Section 10-234 is repealed.

(1949, S. 960d; 1957, P.A. 92; P.A. 75-609, S. 6.)

Secs. 10-234a to 10-234z. Reserved for future use.

(1) "Contractor" means an operator or consultant that is in possession of or has access to student information, student records or student-generated content as a result of a contract with a local or regional board of education;

(2) "Operator" means any person who (A) operates an Internet web site, online service or mobile application with actual knowledge that such Internet web site, online service or mobile application is used for school purposes and was designed and marketed for school purposes, to the extent it is engaged in the operation of such Internet web site, online service or mobile application, and (B) collects, maintains or uses student information;

(3) "Consultant" means a professional who provides noninstructional services, including, but not limited to, administrative, planning, analysis, statistical or research services, to a local or regional board of education pursuant to a contract with such local or regional board of education;

(4) "Student information" means personally identifiable information or material of a student in any media or format that is not publicly available and is any of the following: (A) Created or provided by a student or the parent or legal guardian of a student, to the operator in the course of the student, parent or legal guardian using the operator's Internet web site, online service or mobile application for school purposes, (B) created or provided by an employee or agent of a local or regional board of education to an operator for school purposes, or (C) gathered by an operator through the operation of the operator's Internet web site, online service or mobile application and identifies a student, including, but not limited to, information in the student's records or electronic mail account, first or last name, home address, telephone number, date of birth, electronic mail address, discipline records, test results, grades, evaluations, criminal records, medical records, health records, Social Security number, biometric information, disabilities, socioeconomic information, food purchases, political affiliations, religious affiliations, text messages, documents, student identifiers, search activity, photographs, voice recordings, survey responses or behavioral assessments;

(5) "Student record" means any information directly related to a student that is maintained by a local or regional board of education, the State Board of Education or the Department of Education or any information acquired from a student through the use of educational software assigned to the student by a teacher or employee of a local or regional board of education, except "student record" does not include de-identified student information allowed under the contract to be used by the contractor to (A) improve educational products for adaptive learning purposes and customize student learning, (B) demonstrate the effectiveness of the contractor's products in the marketing of such products, and (C) develop and improve the contractor's products and services;

(6) "Student-generated content" means any student materials created by a student including, but not limited to, essays, research papers, portfolios, creative writing, music or other audio files or photographs, except "student-generated content" does not include student responses to a standardized assessment;

(7) "Directory information" has the same meaning as provided in 34 CFR 99.3, as amended from time to time;

(8) "School purposes" means purposes that customarily take place at the direction of a teacher or a local or regional board of education, or aid in the administration of school activities, including, but not limited to, instruction in the classroom, administrative activities and collaboration among students, school personnel or parents or legal guardians of students;

(9) "Student" means a person who is a resident of the state and (A) enrolled in a preschool program participating in the state-wide public school information system, pursuant to section 10-10a, (B) enrolled in grades kindergarten to twelve, inclusive, in a public school, (C) receiving special education and related services under an individualized education program, or (D) otherwise the responsibility of a local or regional board of education;

(10) "Targeted advertising" means presenting an advertisement to a student where the selection of the advertisement is based on student information, student records or student-generated content or inferred over time from the usage of the operator's Internet web site, online service or mobile application by such student or the retention of such student's online activities or requests over time for the purpose of targeting subsequent advertisements. "Targeted advertising" does not include any advertising to a student on an Internet web site that such student is accessing at the time or in response to a student's response or request for information or feedback;

(11) "De-identified student information" means any student information that has been altered to prevent the identification of an individual student; and

(12) "Persistent unique identifier" means a unique piece of information that can be used to recognize a user over time and across different Internet web sites, online services or mobile applications and is acquired as a result of the use of a student's use of an operator's Internet web site, online service or mobile application.

(P.A. 16-189, S. 1.)

Sec. 10-234bb. Contracts between boards of education and contractors re student data. Requirements. (a) On and after July 1, 2018, a local or regional board of education shall enter into a written contract with a contractor any time such local or regional board of education shares or provides access to student information, student records or student-generated content with such contractor. Each such contract shall include, but need not be limited to, the following:

(1) A statement that student information, student records and student-generated content are not the property of or under the control of a contractor;

(2) A description of the means by which the local or regional board of education may request the deletion of any student information, student records or student-generated content in the possession of the contractor that is not (A) otherwise prohibited from deletion or required to be retained under state or federal law, or (B) stored as a copy as part of a disaster recovery storage system and that is (i) inaccessible to the public, and (ii) unable to be used in the normal course of business by the contractor, provided such local or regional board of education may request the deletion of any such student information, student records or student-generated content if such copy has been used by the operator to repopulate accessible data following a disaster recovery;

(3) A statement that the contractor shall not use student information, student records and student-generated content for any purposes other than those authorized pursuant to the contract;

(4) A description of the procedures by which a student, parent or legal guardian of a student may review personally identifiable information contained in student information, student records or student-generated content and correct erroneous information, if any, in such student record;

(5) A statement that the contractor shall take actions designed to ensure the security and confidentiality of student information, student records and student-generated content;

(6) A description of the procedures that a contractor will follow to notify the local or regional board of education, in accordance with the provisions of section 10-234dd, when there has been an unauthorized release, disclosure or acquisition of student information, student records or student-generated content;

(7) A statement that student information, student records or student-generated content shall not be retained or available to the contractor upon expiration of the contract between the contractor and a local or regional board of education, except a student, parent or legal guardian of a student may choose to independently establish or maintain an electronic account with the contractor after the expiration of such contract for the purpose of storing student-generated content;

(8) A statement that the contractor and the local or regional board of education shall ensure compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, 20 USC 1232g, as amended from time to time;

(9) A statement that the laws of the state of Connecticut shall govern the rights and duties of the contractor and the local or regional board of education; and

(10) A statement that if any provision of the contract or the application of the contract is held invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of the contract which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application.

(b) All student-generated content shall be the property of the student or the parent or legal guardian of the student.

(c) A contractor shall implement and maintain security procedures and practices designed to protect student information, student records and student-generated content from unauthorized access, destruction, use, modification or disclosure that, based on the sensitivity of the data and the risk from unauthorized access, (1) use technologies and methodologies that are consistent with the guidance issued pursuant to section 13402(h)(2) of Public Law 111-5, as amended from time to time, (2) maintain technical safeguards as it relates to the possession of student records in a manner consistent with the provisions of 45 CFR 164.312, as amended from time to time, and (3) otherwise meet or exceed industry standards.

(d) A contractor shall not use (1) student information, student records or student-generated content for any purposes other than those authorized pursuant to the contract, or (2) personally identifiable information contained in student information, student records or student-generated content to engage in targeted advertising.

(e) Any provision of a contract entered into between a contractor and a local or regional board of education on or after July 1, 2018, that conflicts with any provision of this section shall be void.

(f) Any contract entered into on and after July 1, 2018, that does not include (1) a provision required by subsection (a) of this section, or (2) the terms-of-service agreement addendum described in section 10-234ff, shall be void, provided the local or regional board of education has given reasonable notice to the contractor and the contractor has failed within a reasonable time to amend the contract to include the provision required by subsection (a) of this section or the terms-of-service agreement addendum.

(g) (1) Each local and regional board of education shall maintain and update, as necessary, an Internet web site with information relating to all contracts entered into pursuant to this section. Not later than five business days after executing a contract pursuant to this section, a local or regional board of education shall post notice of such contract on the board's Internet web site. The notice shall include the contract and (A) state that the contract has been executed and the date that such contract was executed, (B) provide a brief description of the contract and the purpose of the contract, and (C) state what student information, student records or student-generated content may be collected as a result of the contract.

(2) On or before September first of each school year, the board of education shall electronically notify students and the parents or legal guardians of students of the address of the Internet web site described in this subsection.

(h) A local or regional board of education and a contractor may include in any contract executed pursuant to this section, the uniform student data privacy terms-of-service agreement addendum, described in section 10-234ff, to satisfy the requirements of this section.

(i) A local or regional board of education shall not be required to enter into a contract pursuant to this section if the use of an Internet web site, online service or mobile application operated by a consultant or an operator is unique and necessary to implement a child's individualized education program or plan pursuant to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended from time to time, and such Internet web site, online service or mobile application is unable to comply with the provisions of this section, provided (1) such Internet web site, online service or mobile application complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, 20 USC 1232g, as amended from time to time, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, P.L. 104-191, as amended from time to time, (2) such board of education can provide evidence that it has made a reasonable effort to (A) enter into a contract with such consultant or operator to use such Internet web site, online service or mobile application, and (B) find an equivalent Internet web site, online service or mobile application operated by a consultant or an operator that complies with the provisions of this section, (3) the consultant or operator complies with the provisions of section 10-234cc for such use, and (4) the parent or legal guardian of such child, and, in the case of a child with an individualized education program, a member of the planning and placement team, sign an agreement that (A) acknowledges such parent or legal guardian is aware that such Internet web site, online service or mobile application is unable to comply with the provisions of this section, and (B) authorizes the use of such Internet web site, online service or mobile application. A local or regional board of education shall, upon the request of a parent or legal guardian of a child, provide the evidence described in subdivision (2) of this subsection to such parent or legal guardian.

(P.A. 16-189, S. 2; P.A. 17-200, S. 1; P.A. 18-125, S. 2.)

History: P.A. 16-189 effective October 1, 2016, and applicable to contracts entered into, amended or renewed on or after that date; P.A. 17-200 replaced "October 1, 2016" with "July 1, 2018" in Subsecs. (a), (e) and (f), effective July 10, 2017; P.A. 18-125 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subparas. (A) and (B) re deletion of records or content in possession of contractor in Subdiv. (2), replacing provision re completion of contracted services with provision re expiration of contract, and replacing "establish" with "independently establish" in Subdiv. (7), amended Subsec. (f) by designating existing provision re Subsec. (a) as Subdiv. (1), adding Subdiv. (2) re terms-of-service agreement addendum, amended Subsec. (g) by designating existing provisions re notice of contract as new Subdiv. (1) and amending same by redesignating existing Subdivs. (1) to (3) as Subparas. (A) to (C), adding provision re boards of education to maintain and update Internet web site and replacing provision re electronic notice to students and parents with provision re notice on board's Internet web site, and adding Subdiv. (2) re board to electronically notify parents and students of address of Internet web site, added Subsec. (h) re inclusion of uniform student data privacy terms-of-service agreement addendum in contract, added Subsec. (i) re contract not required if necessary to implement child's individualized education program or Section 504 plan, and made technical and conforming changes, effective July 1, 2018.

Sec. 10-234cc. Requirements for operators re student data. (a) An operator shall (1) implement and maintain security procedures and practices that meet or exceed industry standards and that are designed to protect student information, student records and student-generated content from unauthorized access, destruction, use, modification or disclosure, and (2) delete any student information, student records or student-generated content within a reasonable amount of time if a student, parent or legal guardian of a student or local or regional board of education who has the right to control such student information requests the deletion of such student information, student records or student-generated content, unless (A) state or federal law prohibits such deletion or otherwise requires the retention of such student information, student records or student-generated content, or (B) a copy of such student information, student records or student-generated content is in the possession of the operator as part of a disaster recovery storage system and is inaccessible to the public and unable to be used in the normal course of business by the operator, provided such student, parent or legal guardian of a student or local or regional board of education may request the deletion of any such student information, student records or student-generated content described in this subparagraph if such copy is used by the operator to repopulate accessible data following a disaster recovery.

(b) An operator shall not knowingly:

(1) Engage in (A) targeted advertising on the operator's Internet web site, online service or mobile application, or (B) targeted advertising on any other Internet web site, online service or mobile application if such advertising is based on any student information, student records, student-generated content or persistent unique identifiers that the operator has acquired because of the use of the operator's Internet web site, online service or mobile application for school purposes;

(2) Collect, store and use student information, student records, student-generated content or persistent unique identifiers for purposes other than the furtherance of school purposes;

(3) Sell, rent or trade student information, student records or student-generated content unless the sale is part of the purchase, merger or acquisition of an operator by a successor operator and the operator and successor operator continue to be subject to the provisions of this section regarding student information; or

(4) Disclose student information, student records or student-generated content unless the disclosure is made (A) in furtherance of school purposes of the Internet web site, online service or mobile application, provided the recipient of the student information uses such student information to improve the operability and functionality of the Internet web site, online service or mobile application and complies with subsection (a) of this section; (B) to ensure compliance with federal or state law or regulations or pursuant to a court order; (C) in response to a judicial order; (D) to protect the safety or integrity of users or others, or the security of the Internet web site, online service or mobile application; (E) to an entity hired by the operator to provide services for the operator's Internet web site, online service or mobile application, provided the operator contractually (i) prohibits the entity from using student information, student records or student-generated content for any purpose other than providing the contracted service to, or on behalf of, the operator, (ii) prohibits the entity from disclosing student information, student records or student-generated content provided by the operator to subsequent third parties, and (iii) requires the entity to comply with subsection (a) of this section; or (F) for a school purpose or other educational or employment purpose requested by a student or the parent or legal guardian of a student, provided such student information is not used or disclosed for any other purpose.

(c) An operator may use student information (1) to maintain, support, improve, evaluate or diagnose the operator's Internet web site, online service or mobile application, (2) for adaptive learning purposes or customized student learning, (3) to provide recommendation engines to recommend content or services relating to school purposes or other educational or employment purposes, provided such recommendation is not determined in whole or in part by payment or other consideration from a third party, or (4) to respond to a request for information or feedback from a student, provided such response is not determined in whole or in part by payment or other consideration from a third party.

(d) An operator may use de-identified student information or aggregated student information (1) to develop or improve the operator's Internet web site, online service or mobile application, or other Internet web sites, online services or mobile applications owned by the operator, or (2) to demonstrate or market the effectiveness of the operator's Internet web site, online service or mobile application.

(e) An operator may share aggregated student information or de-identified student information for the improvement and development of Internet web sites, online services or mobile applications designed for school purposes.

(f) Nothing in this section shall be construed to (1) limit the ability of a law enforcement agency to obtain student information, student records or student-generated content from an operator as authorized by law or pursuant to a court order, (2) limit the ability of a student or the parent or legal guardian of a student to download, export, transfer or otherwise save or maintain student information, student records or student-generated content, (3) impose a duty upon a provider of an interactive computer service, as defined in 47 USC 230, as amended from time to time, to ensure compliance with this section by third-party information content providers, as defined in 47 USC 230, as amended from time to time, (4) impose a duty upon a seller or provider of an electronic store, gateway, marketplace or other means of purchasing or downloading software applications to review or enforce compliance with this section on such software applications, (5) limit an Internet service provider from providing a student, parent or legal guardian of a student or local or regional board of education with the ability to connect to the Internet, (6) prohibit an operator from advertising other Internet web sites, online services or mobile applications that are used for school purposes to parents or legal guardians of students, provided such advertising does not result from the operator's use of student information, student records or student-generated content, or (7) apply to Internet web sites, online services or mobile applications that are designed and marketed for use by individuals generally, even if the account credentials created for an operator's Internet web site, online service or mobile application may be used to access Internet web sites, online services or mobile applications that are designed and marketed for school purposes.

(P.A. 16-189, S. 3; P.A. 18-125, S. 3.)

History: P.A. 18-125 amended Subsec. (a)(2) by adding Subparas. (A) and (B) re when student information, student records or student-generated content is not required to be deleted by an operator, effective July 1, 2018.

Sec. 10-234dd. Duties re unauthorized release, disclosure or acquisition of student data. (a)(1) Upon the discovery of a breach of security that results in the unauthorized release, disclosure or acquisition of student information, excluding any directory information contained in such student information, a contractor shall notify, without unreasonable delay, but not more than thirty days after such discovery, the local or regional board of education of such breach of security. During such thirty-day period, the contractor may (A) conduct an investigation to determine the nature and scope of such unauthorized release, disclosure or acquisition, and the identity of the students whose student information is involved in such unauthorized release, disclosure or acquisition, or (B) restore the reasonable integrity of the contractor's data system.

(2) Upon the discovery of a breach of security that results in the unauthorized release, disclosure or acquisition of directory information, student records or student-generated content, a contractor shall notify, without unreasonable delay, but not more than sixty days after such discovery, the local or regional board of education of such breach of security. During such sixty-day period, the contractor may (A) conduct an investigation to determine the nature and scope of such unauthorized release, disclosure or acquisition, and the identity of the students whose directory information, student records or student-generated content is involved in such unauthorized release, disclosure or acquisition, or (B) restore the reasonable integrity of the contractor's data system.

(3) Upon receipt of notice of a breach of security under subdivision (1) or (2) of this subsection, a local or regional board of education shall electronically notify, not later than two business days after receipt of such notice, the student and the parents or guardians of the student whose student information, student records or student-generated content is involved in such breach of security. The local or regional board of education shall post such notice on the board's Internet web site.

(b) Upon the discovery of a breach of security that results in the unauthorized release, disclosure or acquisition of student information, student records or student-generated content, an operator that is in possession of or maintains student information, student records or student-generated content as a result of a student's use of such operator's Internet web site, online service or mobile application, shall (1) notify, without unreasonable delay, but not more than thirty days after such discovery, the student or the parents or guardians of such student of any breach of security that results in the unauthorized release, disclosure or acquisition of student information, excluding any directory information contained in such student information, of such student, and (2) notify, without unreasonable delay, but not more than sixty days after such discovery, the student or the parents or guardians of such student of any breach of security that results in the unauthorized release, disclosure or acquisition of directory information, student records or student-generated content of such student. During such thirty-day or sixty-day period, the operator may (A) conduct an investigation to determine the nature and scope of such unauthorized release, disclosure or acquisition, and the identity of the students whose student information, student records or student-generated content are involved in such unauthorized release, disclosure or acquisition, or (B) restore the reasonable integrity of the operator's data system.

(P.A. 16-189, S. 4; P.A. 17-13, S. 1; 17-200, S. 2.)

History: P.A. 17-13 made a technical change in Subsec. (a)(3), effective July 1, 2017; P.A. 17-200 amended Subsec. (a)(3) by replacing "forty-eight hours" with "two business days" and making a technical change, effective July 1, 2017.

(P.A. 17-200, S. 3; P.A. 18-125, S. 4.)

History: P.A. 17-200 effective July 10, 2017; P.A. 18-125 added ", in consultation with the Commission for Educational Technology,", replaced "guidance" with "written guidance", replaced "provisions of" with "laws relating to student data privacy, set forth in", added reference to Sec. 10-234ff, and added Subdivs. (1) to (3) re content of written guidance, effective July 1, 2018.

(P.A. 18-125, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 18-125 effective June 7, 2018.

Sec. 10-234gg. Report re use of certain Internet web sites, online services or mobile applications without a contract. For the school year commencing July 1, 2018, and each school year thereafter, each local or regional board of education shall annually submit a report to the Commission for Educational Technology concerning the use of Internet web sites, online services or mobile applications without a contract pursuant to subsection (i) of section 10-234bb. Such report shall indicate whether or not any such Internet web sites, online services or mobile applications are being so used, and, if so, a list of all such Internet web sites, online services or mobile applications.

(P.A. 18-125, S. 6.)

History: P.A. 18-125 effective July 1, 2018.

(b) In addition to the protection provided under subsection (a) of this section, each local and regional board of education and each charter school shall protect and save harmless any member of such local or regional board of education or charter school governing council, or any teacher or other employee thereof or any member of its supervisory or administrative staff from financial loss and expense, including legal fees and costs, if any, arising out of any claim, demand or suit instituted against such member, teacher or other employee by reason of alleged malicious, wanton or wilful act or ultra vires act, on the part of such member, teacher or other employee while acting in the discharge of his duties. In the event such member, teacher or other employee has a judgment entered against him for a malicious, wanton or wilful act in a court of law, such board of education or charter school shall be reimbursed by such member, teacher or other employee for expenses it incurred in providing such defense and shall not be held liable to such member, teacher or other employee for any financial loss or expense resulting from such act.

(c) Legal fees and costs incurred as a result of the retention, by a member of the State Board of Education, the Board of Regents for Higher Education or the board of trustees of any state institution or by a teacher or other employee of any of them or any member of the supervisory or administrative staff of any of them, or by a teacher employed by any other state agency, of an attorney to represent his or her interests shall be borne by said State Board of Education, Board of Regents for Higher Education, board of trustees of such state institution or such state agency employing such teacher, other employee or supervisory or administrative staff member, as the case may be, only in those cases wherein the Attorney General, in writing, has stated that the interests of said board, Board of Regents for Higher Education, board of trustees or state agency differ from the interests of such member, teacher or employee and has recommended that such member, teacher, other employee or staff member obtain the services of an attorney to represent his interests and such member, teacher or other employee is thereafter found not to have acted wantonly, recklessly or maliciously.

(1949 Rev., S. 1494; 1949, 1951, 1955, S. 951d; 1959, P.A. 521, S. 1; February, 1965, P.A. 330, S. 43; 1971, P.A. 344; 1972, P.A. 201, S. 1; P.A. 73-651; P.A. 77-573, S. 24, 30; P.A. 78-54; 78-65; 78-208, S. 30, 35; 78-218, S. 167; P.A. 79-63; P.A. 80-197, S. 3; P.A. 81-450, S. 2; P.A. 82-218, S. 37, 46; P.A. 84-241, S. 2, 5; P.A. 88-273, S. 7, 9; P.A. 90-230, S. 15, 101; 90-325, S. 21, 32; P.A. 93-259, S. 1, 2; P.A. 95-79, S. 186, 189; P.A. 96-214, S. 7; P.A. 11-48, S. 285; P.A. 12-116, S. 87; P.A. 13-122, S. 6; P.A. 15-215, S. 5; P.A. 17-237, S. 77; P.A. 18-139, S. 6.)

History: 1959 act extended protection of state board of education, etc., to members of the board, other employees, and members of the supervisory or administrative staff as well as to teachers; 1965 act included commission for higher education under provisions of section; 1971 act included definition of "other employee" and extended definition of "teachers" and "other employees" to include faculty, staff and student employees of University of Connecticut Health Center or health services; 1972 act included protection for acts resulting in injury "which acts are not wanton, reckless or malicious" and included in definition of terms volunteers approved by boards of education to carry out prescribed duty under direction of certificated staff member; P.A. 73-651 included protection for acts which may infringe on person's civil rights and added Subsec. (b) re payment of legal fees and costs; P.A. 77-573 replaced commission for higher education with board of higher education; P.A. 78-54 included in definition of terms students enrolled in higher education institution engaged in supervised field work or clinical practice under certain conditions; P.A. 78-65 included in definition "any person, partnership or corporation providing students with community-based career education"; P.A. 78-208 substituted Sec. 10-183b for reference to repealed Sec. 10-161; P.A. 78-218 substituted "local or regional" boards of education for "town" boards in Subsec. (a), included feminine personal pronoun in Subsecs. (a) and (b) and made other technical changes; P.A. 79-63 included in definition students in vocational-technical high schools who are engaged in supervised health-related field placement programs under certain conditions; P.A. 80-197 explicitly stated in Subsec. (a) that provisions do not "limit or otherwise affect application of section 4-165 concerning immunity from personal liability"; P.A. 81-450 included student members of discipline committees with the definition of "other employee" for purposes of indemnification; P.A. 82-218 replaced board of higher education with board of governors pursuant to reorganization of higher education system, effective March 1, 1983; P.A. 84-241 added "of higher education" to board of governors' title; P.A. 88-273 in Subsec. (a) amended the definition of "teacher" and "other employee" to include a person who is a cooperating teacher, teacher mentor or assessor; P.A. 90-230 made technical corrections to the internal numbering of Subsec. (a); P.A. 90-325 added new Subsec. (b) re protection against alleged malicious, wanton, wilful etc., acts and relettered previous Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (c); P.A. 93-259 amended Subsec. (a) to include in the definition of "teacher" and "other employee" volunteer school bus safety monitors, effective June 28, 1993; P.A. 95-79 amended Subsec. (a)(4) to include a "limited liability company" providing students with community-based career education; P.A. 96-214 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to include charter schools and charter school governing councils; pursuant to P.A. 11-48, "Board of Governors of Higher Education" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Board of Regents for Higher Education" in Subsecs. (a) and (c), effective July 1, 2011; pursuant to P.A. 12-116, "regional vocational-technical school" and "vocational-technical school" were changed editorially by the Revisors to "technical high school" in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 13-122 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by deleting "teacher mentor or assessor", effective June 18, 2013; P.A. 15-215 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by adding "teacher mentor or reviewer", effective June 30, 2015; P.A. 17-237 amended Subsec. (a)(3) by replacing "technical high school" with "technical education and career school", effective July 1, 2017; P.A. 18-139 made technical changes in Subsec. (a), effective June 11, 2018.

See Sec. 10-212a re immunity from liability in cases involving administration of medications.

Cited. 180 C. 96; 196 C. 151; 203 C. 324.

Cited. 28 CA 272; 30 CA 594; 42 CA 542.

Statute provides teacher with indemnification from loss, not indemnification from liability; board of education not deprived of defense of governmental immunity. 19 CS 396. Board of education could not interpose defense of governmental immunity to action by student against teacher which joined board as defendant as well as teacher. 27 CS 337. Demurrer to count of complaint for injuries sustained in school track meet which joined board of education in suit against school coaches was proper as statute provides for indemnification from loss of coaches who may ultimately have cause of action against board for reimbursement. 28 CS 198.

Subsec. (a):

Indemnification available for losses sustained from claims or suits for injunctive relief as well as for damages. 195 C. 70.

Subsec. (b):

Board of education not required to provide teacher with legal representation in suit alleging malicious, wanton or willful conduct, but board may have duty to indemnify under specified circumstances. 260 C. 167.

Sec. 10-235a. Immunity from liability of internship providers. (a) For purposes of this section:

(1) "Internship" means supervised practical training of a student intern that is comprised of curriculum and workplace standards approved by the Department of Education and the Labor Department;

(2) "Internship provider" means a person, as defined in section 1-79, who provides an internship to a student intern pursuant to an agreement with (A) a local or regional board of education that operates an agricultural science and technology education center, and (B) the local or regional board of education otherwise responsible for educating such student intern if such board of education does not maintain an agricultural science and technology education center; and

(3) "Student intern" means a student enrolled in an agricultural science and technology education center participating in an internship offered or provided by an internship provider.

(b) No internship provider shall be liable to a student intern or a parent or guardian of a student intern for civil damages for any personal injury that results from acts or omissions of such internship provider offering or providing an internship to a student intern that may constitute ordinary negligence, provided such internship provider exercised reasonable care in the provision of the internship and was in compliance with any applicable safety and health standards established under any federal, state and local laws and regulations and any industry codes. The immunity provided in this subsection does not apply to acts or omissions constituting gross, reckless, wilful or wanton negligence.

(P.A. 15-215, S. 10.)

History: P.A. 15-215 effective July 1, 2015.

(1949 Rev., S. 1495; 1949, S. 952d; P.A. 84-460, S. 4, 16.)

History: P.A. 84-460 added reference to Sec. 10-220.

Sec. 10-236a. Indemnification of educational personnel assaulted in the line of duty. (a) Each board of education, the State Board of Education, the Board of Regents for Higher Education, the Board of Trustees for The University of Connecticut, and each state agency which employs any teacher, and the managing board of any public school, as defined in section 10-183b, shall protect and save harmless any member of such boards, or any teacher or other employee of such boards, from financial loss and expense, including payment of expenses reasonably incurred for medical or other service necessary as a result of an assault upon such member, teacher or other employee while such person was acting in the discharge of his or her duties within the scope of his or her employment or under the direction of such boards, state agency, department or managing board, which expenses are not paid by the individual teacher's or employee's insurance, workers' compensation or any other source not involving an expenditure by such teacher or employee.

(b) Any teacher or employee absent from employment as a result of injury sustained during an assault or for a court appearance in connection with such assault shall continue to receive his or her full salary, while so absent, except that the amount of any workers' compensation award may be deducted from salary payments during such absence. The time of such absence shall not be charged against such teacher or employee's sick leave, vacation time or personal leave days.

(c) For the purposes of this section, the terms "teacher" and "other employee" shall include any student teacher doing practice teaching under the direction of a teacher employed by a local or regional board of education or by the State Board of Education or Board of Governors of Higher Education, and any member of the faculty or staff or any student employed by The University of Connecticut Health Center or health services.

(P.A. 73-492; P.A. 77-573, S. 24, 30; P.A. 78-208, S. 31, 35; 78-218, S. 168; P.A. 79-376, S. 16; P.A. 82-218, S. 37, 46; P.A. 84-241, S. 2, 5; P.A. 11-48, S. 279; 11-61, S. 110.)

History: P.A. 77-573 replaced commission for higher education with board of higher education; P.A. 78-208 substituted Sec. 10-183b for reference to repealed Sec. 10-161; P.A. 78-218 included feminine personal pronouns in Subsecs. (a) and (b), substituted "local or regional" board of education for "town" board in Subsec. (c) and made technical change in Subsec. (a); P.A. 79-376 substituted "workers' compensation" for "workmen's compensation"; P.A. 82-218 replaced board of higher education with board of governors pursuant to reorganization of higher education system, effective March 1, 1983; P.A. 84-241 added "of higher education" to board of governors' title; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsec. (a) to replace references to Board of Governors of Higher Education and board of trustees of each state institution with references to Board of Regents for Higher Education and Board of Trustees for The University of Connecticut, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-61 deleted provisions re member of supervisory or administrative staff and made technical changes in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 2011.

Sec. 10-236b. Physical restraint and seclusion of students by school employees. (a) For purposes of this section:

(1) "Life-threatening physical restraint" means any physical restraint or hold of a person that (A) restricts the flow of air into a person's lungs, whether by chest compression or any other means, or (B) immobilizes or reduces the free movement of a person's arms, legs or head while the person is in the prone position;

(2) "Psychopharmacologic agent" means any medication that affects the central nervous system, influencing thinking, emotion or behavior;

(3) "Physical restraint" means any mechanical or personal restriction that immobilizes or reduces the free movement of a person's arms, legs or head, including, but not limited to, carrying or forcibly moving a person from one location to another. The term does not include: (A) Briefly holding a person in order to calm or comfort the person; (B) restraint involving the minimum contact necessary to safely escort a person from one area to another; (C) medical devices, including, but not limited to, supports prescribed by a health care provider to achieve proper body position or balance; (D) helmets or other protective gear used to protect a person from injuries due to a fall; (E) helmets, mitts and similar devices used to prevent self-injury when the device is (i) part of a documented treatment plan or individualized education program pursuant to section 10-76d, or (ii) prescribed or recommended by a medical professional, as defined in section 38a-976, and is the least restrictive means available to prevent such self-injury; or (F) an exclusionary time out;

(4) "School employee" has the same meaning as provided in subsection (b) of section 10-221o;

(5) "Seclusion" means the involuntary confinement of a student in a room from which the student is physically prevented from leaving. "Seclusion" does not include an exclusionary time out;

(7) "Exclusionary time out" means a temporary, continuously monitored separation of a student from an ongoing activity in a non-locked setting, for the purpose of calming such student or deescalating such student's behavior.

(b) No school employee shall use a physical restraint on a student except as an emergency intervention to prevent immediate or imminent injury to the student or to others, provided the restraint is not used for discipline or convenience and is not used as a substitute for a less restrictive alternative.

(c) No school employee shall use a life-threatening physical restraint on a student. This section shall not be construed as limiting any defense to criminal prosecution for the use of deadly physical force that may be available under sections 53a-18 to 53a-22, inclusive.

(d) (1) No school employee shall place a student in seclusion except as an emergency intervention to prevent immediate or imminent injury to the student or to others, provided the seclusion is not used for discipline or convenience and is not used as a substitute for a less restrictive alternative. (2) No student shall be placed in seclusion unless (A) such student is monitored by a school employee during the period of such student's seclusion pursuant to subsection (m) of this section, and (B) the area in which such student is secluded is equipped with a window or other fixture allowing such student a clear line of sight beyond the area of seclusion. (3) Seclusion shall not be utilized as a planned intervention in a student's behavioral intervention plan, individualized education program or plan pursuant to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended from time to time.

(e) No school employee may use a psychopharmacologic agent on a student without that student's consent except (1) as an emergency intervention to prevent immediate or imminent injury to the student or to others, or (2) as an integral part of the student's established medical or behavioral support or educational plan, as developed consistent with section 17a-543 or, if no such plan has been developed, as part of a licensed practitioner's initial orders. The use of psychopharmacologic agents, alone or in combination, may be used only in doses that are therapeutically appropriate and not as a substitute for other appropriate treatment.

(f) If any instance of physical restraint or seclusion of a student otherwise permissible under subsection (b) or (d) of this section exceeds fifteen minutes, (1) an administrator, as defined in section 10-144e, or such administrator's designee, (2) a school health or mental health personnel, as defined in subsection (a) of section 10-212b, or (3) a board certified behavioral analyst, who has received training in the use of physical restraint and seclusion pursuant to subsection (o) of this section, shall determine whether continued physical restraint or seclusion is necessary to prevent immediate or imminent injury to the student or to others. Upon a determination that such continued physical restraint or seclusion is necessary, such individual shall make a new determination every thirty minutes thereafter regarding whether such physical restraint or seclusion is necessary to prevent immediate or imminent injury to the student or to others.

(g) In the event that physical restraint or seclusion is used on a student four or more times within twenty school days:

(1) An administrator, one or more of such student's teachers, a parent or guardian of such student and, if any, a mental health professional, as defined in section 10-76t, shall convene for the purpose of (A) conducting or revising a behavioral assessment of the student, (B) creating or revising any applicable behavioral intervention plan, and (C) determining whether such student may require special education pursuant to section 10-76ff; or

(2) If such student is a child requiring special education, as described in subparagraph (A) of subdivision (5) of section 10-76a, or a child being evaluated for eligibility for special education pursuant to section 10-76d and awaiting a determination, such student's planning and placement team shall convene for the purpose of (A) conducting or revising a behavioral assessment of the student, and (B) creating or revising any applicable behavioral intervention plan, including, but not limited to, such student's individualized education plan.

(h) Each local or regional board of education shall notify a parent or guardian of a student who is placed in physical restraint or seclusion not later than twenty-four hours after the student was placed in physical restraint or seclusion and shall make a reasonable effort to provide such notification immediately after such physical restraint or seclusion is initiated.

(i) No school employee shall use a physical restraint on a student or place a student in seclusion unless such school employee has received training on the proper means for performing such physical restraint or seclusion pursuant to subsection (o) of this section.

(2) The Department of Education shall establish a pilot program for the school year commencing July 1, 2015. Such pilot program shall be implemented in various districts, including, but not limited to, an alliance district, a regional school district and a regional education service center. Under the pilot program, the Department of Education shall examine incidents of physical restraint and seclusion in schools and shall compile and analyze data regarding such incidents to enable the department to better understand and respond to incidents of physical restraint and seclusion on students in the state.

(k) The State Board of Education shall review the annual compilation of each local or regional board of education, and each institution or facility operating under contract with a local or regional board of education pursuant to subsection (d) of section 10-76d that provides special education for children, including any approved private special education program, and shall produce an annual summary report specifying (1) the frequency of use of physical restraint or seclusion on students, (2) whether any student subjected to such restraint or seclusion was a special education student, and (3) if any such student was a special education student, whether the use of such seclusion was in accordance with an individualized education program or whether the use of such seclusion was an emergency intervention to prevent immediate or imminent injury to the student or to others. Such report shall be submitted not later than January 15, 2017, and annually thereafter, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children and education for inclusion in the annual report card prepared pursuant to section 2-53m.

(l) Any use of physical restraint or seclusion on a student shall be documented in the student's educational record. The documentation shall include (1) the nature of the emergency and what other steps, including attempts at verbal deescalation, were taken to prevent the emergency from arising if there were indications that such an emergency was likely to arise, and (2) a detailed description of the nature of the restraint or seclusion, the duration of such restraint or seclusion and the effect of such restraint or seclusion on the student's established educational plan.

(m) Any student who is physically restrained shall be continually monitored by a school employee. Any student who is involuntarily placed in seclusion shall be frequently monitored by a school employee. Each student so restrained or in seclusion shall be regularly evaluated by a school employee for indications of physical distress. The school employee conducting the evaluation shall enter each evaluation in the student's educational record. For purposes of this subsection, "monitor" means (1) direct observation, or (2) observation by way of video monitoring within physical proximity sufficient to provide aid as may be needed.

(n) If the use of such restraint or seclusion results in physical injury to the student, the local or regional board of education, and each institution or facility operating under contract with a local or regional board of education pursuant to subsection (d) of section 10-76d that provides special education for children, including any approved private special education program, shall report the incident to the State Board of Education, which shall include such incident in the report required pursuant to subsection (k) of this section. The State Board of Education shall report any incidence of serious injury or death to the nonprofit entity designated by the Governor in accordance with section 46a-10b to serve as the Connecticut protection and advocacy system, as required by the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000, 42 USC 15041, et seq., as amended from time to time, and any regulations promulgated thereunder, and as required by the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness Act, 42 USC 10801 et seq., as amended from time to time, and any regulations promulgated thereunder, and, if appropriate, to the Child Advocate of the Office of the Child Advocate.

(A) An overview of the relevant laws and regulations regarding the use of physical restraint and seclusion on students and the proper uses of physical restraint and seclusion. For the school year commencing July 1, 2017, and annually thereafter, such overview shall be provided by the Department of Education, in a manner and form as prescribed by the Commissioner of Education;

(B) The creation of a plan by which each local and regional board of education shall provide training regarding the prevention of incidents requiring physical restraint or seclusion of students. Such plan shall be implemented not later than July 1, 2018. The Department of Education may, within available appropriations, provide ongoing monitoring and support to local or regional boards of education regarding the formulation and implementation of the plan; and

(C) The creation of a plan by which each local or regional board of education shall provide training regarding the proper means of physical restraint or seclusion of a student, including, but not limited to, (i) various types of physical restraint and seclusion; (ii) the differences between life-threatening physical restraint and other varying levels of physical restraint; (iii) the differences between permissible physical restraint and pain compliance techniques; and (iv) monitoring methods to prevent harm to a student who is physically restrained or in seclusion. Such plan shall be implemented not later than July 1, 2018;

(p) Each local or regional board of education shall develop policies and procedures that establish monitoring and internal reporting of the use of physical restraint and seclusion on students and shall make such policies and procedures available on such local or regional board of education's Internet web site and in such local or regional board of education's procedures manual.

(q) Nothing in this section shall be construed as limiting the justified use of physical force by a local, state or federal law enforcement official while in the performance of such official's duties.

(r) The State Board of Education shall adopt or revise regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, concerning the use of physical restraint and seclusion pursuant to this section. Not later than sixty days after the adoption or revision of such regulations, each local or regional board of education shall update any applicable policies and procedures regarding the physical restraint and seclusion of students and shall make such updated policies and procedures available in a manner consistent with the provisions of subsection (p) of this section.

(s) Not later than January 1, 2019, each local or regional board of education shall establish a policy regarding the use of an exclusionary time out. Such policy shall include, but need not be limited to, a requirement that (1) exclusionary time outs are not to be used as a form of discipline, (2) at least one school employee remain with the student, or be immediately available to the student such that the student and school employee are able to communicate verbally, throughout the exclusionary time out, (3) the space used for an exclusionary time out is clean, safe, sanitary and appropriate for the purpose of calming such student or deescalating such student's behavior, (4) the exclusionary time out period terminate as soon as possible, and (5) if such student is a child requiring special education, as defined in section 10-76a, or a child being evaluated for special education, pursuant to section 10-76d, and awaiting a determination, and the interventions or strategies are unsuccessful in addressing such student's problematic behavior, such student's planning and placement team shall convene as soon as is practicable to determine alternative interventions or strategies.

(P.A. 15-141, S. 1; P.A. 17-96, S. 6; 17-220, S. 5; P.A. 18-51, S. 4.)

History: P.A. 15-141 effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 17-96 amended Subsec. (n) to replace reference to director of Office of Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities with reference to Connecticut protection and advocacy system, effective July 1, 2017; P.A. 17-220 amended Subsec. (o) by replacing "school district" with "board of education", deleting references to school professionals, paraprofessional staff members and administrators, and adding provisions re members of crisis intervention team for each school district and providing training to teacher, administrator, school paraprofessional or other school employee, replacing "phased in over a period of three years beginning with the school year commencing July 1, 2015" with "provided during the school year commencing July 1, 2017, and each school year thereafter" in Subdiv. (1), adding "and the proper uses of physical restraint and seclusion" and adding reference to school year commencing July 1, 2017, and annually thereafter in Subdiv. (1)(A), replacing "or" with "and" re creation of plan to provide training, deleting "and professional development", and replacing "July 1, 2017" with "July 1, 2018" in Subdiv. (1)(B), deleting "and professional development" and replacing "July 1, 2017" with "July 1, 2018" in Subdiv. (1)(C), replacing "Not later than July 1, 2015" with "For the school year commencing July 1, 2017", replacing "or" with "and" re requirements to identify crisis intervention team, adding reference to teacher, administrator, school paraprofessional or other school employee re crisis intervention team, and adding provision re list of members of crisis intervention team in Subdiv. (2), and made technical and conforming changes, effective July 1, 2017; P.A. 18-51 amended Subsec. (a) by redefining "physical restraint" in Subdiv. (3), making a technical change in Subdiv. (4), redefining "seclusion" in Subdiv. (5), and adding Subdiv. (7) re definition of "exclusionary time out", amended Subsec. (d) by designating existing provisions re placement of student in seclusion as new Subdivs. (1) and (2), amending new Subdiv. (2) by redesignating existing Subdivs. (1) and (2) as Subparas. (A) and (B) and adding Subdiv. (3) re seclusion shall not be utilized as planned intervention, and adding Subsec. (s) re exclusionary time out policies, effective July 1, 2018.

Sec. 10-236c. Behavior intervention meetings for certain students. For the school year commencing July 1, 2022, and each school year thereafter, any teacher of record in a classroom may request a behavior intervention meeting with the crisis intervention team for the school, as described in section 10-236b, for any student whose behavior has caused a serious disruption to the instruction of other students, or caused self-harm or physical harm to such teacher or another student or staff member in such teacher's classroom. The crisis intervention team shall, upon the request of such teacher, convene a behavior intervention meeting regarding such student. The participants of such behavior intervention meeting shall identify resources and supports to address such student's social, emotional and instructional needs.

(P.A. 22-47, S. 19.)

History: P.A. 22-47 effective July 1, 2022.

Sec. 10-237. School activity funds. (a) Any local or regional board of education may establish and maintain in its custody a school activity fund through which it may handle (1) the finances of that part of the cost of the school lunch program not provided by town appropriations, (2) the finances of that part of the cost of driver education courses furnished by such board of education and not provided by town appropriations and (3) such funds of schools and school organizations as such board from time to time determines to be desirable, which funds may include amounts received as gifts or donations. Whenever a board of education establishes a school activity fund, it shall designate one of its members or some other person to serve as treasurer of such fund and shall fix his or her salary, which shall be paid from the regular town appropriation for school purposes. Such treasurer shall be bonded and shall keep separate accounts for each school lunch program, for each driver education program and for each school fund and each school organization fund included in the school activity fund and shall make expenditures from such fund in the manner and upon such authorizations as the board of education by regulation prescribes, provided the control of school funds and the funds of all school organizations shall remain in the name of the respective schools and organizations. The accounts of the school activity fund shall be considered town accounts and shall be audited by the town auditor in the same manner as all other town accounts.

(b) The accounts of any public school lunch program, whether maintained directly by the board of education or through an agent, shall be kept in accordance with regulations prescribed by the board of education and may include a petty cash fund on the imprest basis and shall be subject to the regular audit of town accounts as provided in section 7-392.

(c) Any local or regional board of education may receive and accept any donation or gift of personal property to be used for the educational benefit of students.

(1953, 1955, S. 953d; 1959, P.A. 672, S. 4; 1963, P.A. 493; P.A. 78-218, S. 169; P.A. 85-92, S. 1, 2; P.A. 91-401, S. 14, 20.)

History: 1959 act added Subsec. (1)(b); 1963 act added to Subdiv. (c) provision regarding gifts and donations for scholarships and student loans: P.A. 78-218 substituted "local or regional" board of education for "town" board and included feminine personal pronoun; P.A. 85-92 replaced numeric Subsec. indicators with alphabetic indicators and alphabetic Subdiv. indicators with numeric indicators to conform with general practice throughout statutes, deleted reference in Subsec. (a) to school boards' power to manage gifts or donations "for purposes of scholarships or student loans" and added Subsec. (c) empowering boards of education to accept donations or gifts for students' "educational benefit"; P.A. 91-401 deleted reference to Sec. 7-392 in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 1993.

Sec. 10-238. Petition for hearing on questions relating to provision of education offered by the board of education. The board of education of any municipality, upon written petition signed by one per cent of the electors of such municipality or fifty such electors, whichever is greater, the signatures thereon to be verified by the clerk of the municipality, shall hold a public hearing on any question relating to the provision of education offered by such board specified in such petition. Such hearing shall be held at a time and place to be designated by such board, not later than three weeks after receipt by the board of such petition.

(1953, S. 954d; 1957, P.A. 13, S. 64; P.A. 21-95, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 21-95 added "relating to the provision of education offered by such board", effective July 1, 2021.

Cited. 170 C. 318.

Sec. 10-239. Use of school facilities for other purposes. (a) Any local or regional board of education may provide for the use of any room, hall, schoolhouse, school grounds or other school facility within its jurisdiction for nonprofit educational or community purposes whether or not school is in session.

(b) Any local or regional board of education may grant the temporary use of rooms, halls, school buildings or grounds or any other school facilities under its management or control for public, educational or other purposes or for the purpose of holding political discussions therein, at such time when the school is not in session and shall grant such use for any purpose of voting under the provisions of title 9 whether or not school is in session, in each case subject to such restrictions as the authority having control of such room or building, grounds or other school facility considers expedient.

(1949 Rev., S. 1492; 1959, P.A. 122; 1963, P.A. 155; P.A. 78-21, S. 1, 2.)

History: 1959 act applied provisions to use of school grounds or other school facilities; 1963 act added specific provision for use of schools as voting places; P.A. 78-21 divided section into Subsecs. (a) and (b), replaced requirements that two-thirds vote at any legal meeting required for use of school facilities for nonschool uses and that such use to be allowed only when not used for school purposes with provision that board of education makes decision and that use for nonprofit educational or community purposes may be allowed whether or not school is in session and deleted references to school districts, towns, cities and boroughs.

(1972, P.A. 122, S. 1; P.A. 78-218, S. 170.)

History: P.A. 78-218 substituted "local" for "town" boards of education.

(1) "Demonstration area" means the area designated by the participating local or regional board of education for the purposes of a demonstration scholarship program defined in subsection (2) of this section, which area shall include a substantial number of needy or disadvantaged students;

(2) "Demonstration scholarship program" means a program for developing and testing the use of educational scholarships for all pupils eligible to attend public or private schools within the demonstration area, which scholarships shall be made available to the parents or legal guardians of a scholarship recipient in the form of a drawing right, negotiable certificate or other document which may not be redeemed except for educational purposes at schools fulfilling the requirements of subsection (a) of section 10-239e;

(3) "Demonstration board" means a board established by the local or regional board of education to conduct the demonstration scholarship program;

(4) "Contract" means the agreement entered into by the local or regional board of education and a federal governmental agency for the purpose of conducting a demonstration scholarship program.

(1972, P.A. 122, S. 2; P.A. 78-218, S. 171.)

History: P.A. 78-218 substituted "local" for "town" boards of education.

Sec. 10-239c. Contract with federal agency for funds. The local or regional board of education may contract with a federal governmental agency for funds to establish a demonstration scholarship program to exist for a period of up to five years, such board to receive such state and local aid for any of its students as would otherwise be provided by law regardless of whether or not such students participate in a demonstration scholarship program, which funds may be expended under the demonstration scholarship program as the demonstration contract shall provide and within the demonstration area.

(1972, P.A. 122, S. 3; P.A. 78-218, S. 172.)

History: P.A. 78-218 substituted "local" for "town" boards of education.

(1) The demonstration board may: (A) Employ a staff for the demonstration board, (B) receive and expend funds to support the demonstration board and scholarships for children in the demonstration area, (C) contract with other government agencies and private persons or organizations to provide or receive services, supplies, facilities and equipment, (D) determine rules and regulations for use of scholarships in the demonstration area, (E) adopt rules and regulations for its own government, (F) receive and expend funds from the federal governmental agency necessary to pay for the costs incurred in administering the program, (G) otherwise provide the specified programs, services and activities.

(2) The demonstration board shall award a scholarship to each school child residing in the demonstration area, subject only to such age and grade restrictions which it may establish. The scholarship funds shall be made available to the parents or legal guardian of a scholarship recipient in the form of a drawing right, certificate or other document which may not be redeemed except for educational purposes.

(3) The demonstration board shall establish the amount of the scholarship in a fair and impartial manner as follows: There shall be a basic scholarship equal in amount to every other basic scholarship for every eligible student in the demonstration area. In no case shall the amount of the basic scholarship fall below the level of average current expense per pupil for corresponding grade levels in the public schools in the demonstration area in the year immediately preceding the demonstration program.

(4) In addition to each base scholarship, compensatory scholarships shall be given to disadvantaged children. The amount of such compensatory scholarships and the manner by which children may qualify for them shall be established by the demonstration board.

(5) Adequate provision for the pro rata or incremental redemption of scholarships shall be made.

(6) The contract shall provide sufficient money to pay all actual and necessary transportation costs incurred by parents in sending their children to the school of their choice within the demonstration area, subject to distance limitations imposed by existing law.

(7) The contract shall specify that the contracting federal governmental agency shall hold harmless the participating board from any possible decreased economies of scale or increased costs per pupil caused by the transition to a demonstration program.

(1972, P.A. 122, S. 4; P.A. 78-218, S. 173; P.A. 07-217, S. 46.)

History: P.A. 78-218 substituted "local" for "town" boards of education; P.A. 07-217 made technical changes in Subdiv. (1), effective July 12, 2007.

Sec. 10-239e. Use of scholarships. Eligibility of schools. (a) The demonstration board shall authorize the parents or legal guardian of scholarship recipients to use the demonstration scholarships at any public or private school in which the scholarship recipient is enrolled provided such public or private school: (1) Meets all educational, fiscal, health and safety standards required by law, (2) does not discriminate against the admission of students and the hiring of teachers on the basis of race, color or economic status and has filed a certificate with the State Board of Education that the school is in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, (3) in no case levies or requires any tuition, fee or charge above the value of the education scholarship, (4) is free from sectarian control or influence except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, (5) provides public access to all financial and administrative records and provides to the parent or guardian of each eligible child in the demonstration area comprehensive information, in written form, on the courses of study offered, curriculum, materials and textbooks, the qualifications of teachers, administrators and paraprofessionals, the minimum school day, the salary schedules, financial reports of money spent per pupil and such other information as may be required by the demonstration board, (6) provides periodic reports to the parents on the average progress of the pupils enrolled, (7) meets any additional requirements established for all participating schools by the demonstration board.

(b) In compliance with the constitutional guarantee of free exercise of religion, schools may be exempted from subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of this section if they meet all other requirements for eligibility.

(1972, P.A. 122, S. 5, 6.)

(1972, P.A. 122, S. 7; P.A. 78-218, S. 174.)

History: P.A. 78-218 substituted "local" for "town" and "boards of education" for "school districts".

Sec. 10-239g. Evaluation of quality of education and satisfaction with schools under program. The demonstration board shall provide for a valid test for judging the quality of education and satisfaction with schools resulting from the demonstration scholarship program as compared to the present system of public and private schools. All evaluations done shall be reported in detail to the State Board of Education and the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education.

(1972, P.A. 122, S. 8; P.A. 82-314, S. 56, 63.)

History: P.A. 82-314 changed official name of education committee.

(1972, P.A. 122, S. 9.)

Sec. 10-239i. Participation in the National Assessment of Educational Progress or other national or international assessment. Each local and regional board of education, as may be designated by the Commissioner of Education, shall participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress or in any other national or international measure of student progress as may be determined by the commissioner.

(P.A. 90-324, S. 2, 13; P.A. 06-192, S. 10.)

History: P.A. 06-192 added provision re other national or international measure of progress as determined by commissioner, effective July 1, 2006.

Sec. 10-239j. Disclosure of accreditation reports. Notification requirements. (a) Within forty-five days of receipt of a New England Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation report for any public school, the local or regional board of education which has jurisdiction over such school shall publicly disclose the results of the report at a public meeting of the board of education and shall make the report available for inspection upon request.

(b) If the New England Association of Schools and Colleges places a school on probation or otherwise notifies the local or regional board of education or the superintendent of schools that a school in the district is at risk of losing its accreditation, the local or regional board of education shall notify the Department of Education of such placement or problems relating to accreditation and the department shall notify the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education of such placement or problems.

(P.A. 90-324, S. 5, 13; P.A. 98-252, S. 17, 80.)

History: P.A. 98-252 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and added Subsec. (b) re notification requirements, effective July 1, 1998.

Sec. 10-239k. Shared service agreements. Any two or more boards of education may, in writing, agree to establish shared service agreements between such boards of education or between such boards of education and the municipalities in which such boards of education are located.

(P.A. 10-167, S. 1.)

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Connecticut Board of Education Policy on Generative AI 

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Connecticut Board of Education Policy on Generative AI 

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What is predictive text?

Predictive text is an input technology that facilitates typing on a device by suggesting words the user may wish to insert in a text field. Predictions are based on the context of other words in the message and the first letters typed. The user simply taps on a word instead of typing it out on a computer keyboard or mobile device's soft keyboard. Predictive text can significantly speed up the input process.

Predictive text uses machine learning to curate a glossary of words and phrases that a user often types. The predictive text feature then ranks these commonly used words and phrases to guess when they will be used again.

Gmail's predictive text feature is available on desktop and mobile. It gives word recommendations in gray based on common phrases and the writer's style. Here, it predicts they will want to use the words 'could meet?' to finish the sentence.

One of the earliest applications for predictive text was T9 (text on 9 keys). T9 was invented in 1995 and made typing on mobile phones and other small devices easier. Prior to T9, typing on a mobile device required multitapping, where the user had to tap numbers up to four times to register letter characters.

T9 improved the mobile user experience by associating groups of letters on each phone key with words in a dictionary. Software in the device correlated sequences of key presses with words in the dictionary and prioritized predictions by frequency of use.

Although predictive text technologies are becoming increasingly sophisticated, the software is still notoriously error-prone. Erroneous predictive text input on Apple devices is sometimes referred to as the Cupertino effect. The name was inspired by the way early spell checkers would change the word cooperation to Cupertino, which just happens to be the city in California where Apple has its corporate headquarters.

Types of predictive text systems

Some examples of predictive text systems for mobile devices are the following:

Apple QuickType. Apple's predictive text feature has a machine learning component that enables the software to build custom dictionaries. This allows the software to remember things such as whether the user uses slang when communicating with specific people and adjust its text predictions accordingly.

Google Gboard. Google's keyboard application comes preinstalled on most Android devices. Gboard is sometimes also called the predictive text suggestion strip, word suggestion or auto-suggest. Gboard uses federated learning to train its prediction model on user behavior. Android first included a predictive text bar with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean in 2012.

Typewise. This predictive text application is compatible with both the Apple iOS and Android operating systems (OSes). Typewise also offers an AI writing assistant.

There are also many applications of predictive text outside of mobile messaging apps. Some examples include:

Word processing. Microsoft Word and other word processing applications make suggestions as a person types in a document.

Search engines. Google and other search engines use predictive text to guess a search query as the user types it in. The search engine will guess commonly searched phrases and then autocomplete the search query with either a previously searched phrase or suggestions based on commonly searched queries.

Email. Gmail Smart Compose helps users quickly respond to emails and inserts stock phrases, like greetings and sign offs into emails. Microsoft Outlook has a similar text suggestion feature.

Operating systems. Windows comes with a built-in predictive text function. When enabled, it is applied to applications running on the OS. The feature is disabled by default on Windows computers.

How predictive text uses machine learning

Predictive text uses machine learning to guess a writer's next word based on their writing style. As the user types, the machine learning algorithm notes commonly used words and creates a personalized dictionary.

The algorithm makes repeated observations and becomes attuned to the user's style. It also notes of the last few words the user wrote and narrows its suggestion based on those words. This is known as context-sensitive text prediction.

Predictive text uses language models to understand written input and make recommendations. Language models, such as Open AI's GPT-3, are used by search engines, behavioral marketers for sentiment analysis, content generation tools and chatbots.

How to use predictive text

Predictive text makes messaging or writing more efficient. It can also act as a spell check device in text messaging. The first step in using predictive text is to enable it on the user's mobile device.

Predictive text on an Apple iPhone

On iPhones, predictive text is enabled by default. If it is off, do the following to enable it:

1. Launch the Settings

2. Tap General > Keyboard.

3. Toggle on the switch next to Predictive.

When predictive text is turned on and a user starts to type, a bar above the keyboard will display suggested words and phrases. The user can click a suggested word as it appears in the suggestion bar to add it to the message.

For example, a user types the word happy and the strip displays the words birthday, bday and holidays as suggestions for the next word. If a user is in the process of typing happy and has typed the letters hap, the suggestions might be happy, happened and happiness to complete the word.

In some cases, predictive text will suggest emojis when a word is typed. For example, if the user types fire, a fire emoji is suggested alongside text suggestions. If the user types happy, a happy face emoji will be suggested.

Predictive text is one of the ways iPhone users can customize their keyboards among other features like spell check and autocorrect.

Predictive text on an Android device

On Android devices, Gboard predictive text is usually enabled by default. If it isn't turned on, Android users can follow these steps:

1. Launch the Settings

2. Tap System > Languages and input > On-screen keyboard > Gboard.

3. Tap Text correction.

4. Toggle on Show suggestion strip.

Predictive text in Gmail

Gmail's Smart Compose predictive text feature is slightly different on a laptop or desktop computer from predictive text on mobile devices. The user begins to type a word in the body of an email, and Smart Compose finishes the word it thinks is being typed in a lighter font. Smart Compose and its accompanying personalization option are enabled by default in Gmail.

To turn Smart Compose on or off follow these steps:

1. Open Gmail.

2. Click Settings > See all settings.

3. Under General, scroll to Smart Compose.

4. Select either Writing suggestions on or Writing suggestions off.

Smart Compose also learns from a user's writing style with personalized suggestions. The following four steps will turn personalized suggestions off:

1. Open Gmail.

2. Click Settings > See all settings.

3. Under General, scroll to Smart Compose

4. Select Personalization on or Personalization off.

Predictive text in Microsoft Word

To enable predictive text on Microsoft Word follow these steps:

1. Open Word.

2. Click File > Options.

3. Click

4. Check the box next to Show text predictions while typing.

Similar to Gmail, users will see suggested text in a lighter font displayed as they type.

How to turn off predictive text

Turning off predictive text is usually the same steps as turning the function on, but with the opposite final action. The following steps will turn off predictive text in various devices:

IPhone

1. Launch the Settings

2. Tap General > Keyboard.

3. Toggle the switch next to Predictive

To turn off the predictive text feature while typing, iPhone users can:

1. Hold the emoji icon to the left of the spacebar on the QWERTY keyboard.

2. Tap Keyboard Settings.

3. Toggle the switch next to Predictive

Android

1. Launch the Settings

2. Tap System > Languages and input > On screen keyboard > Gboard.

3. Tap Text correction.

4. Toggle off Show suggestion strip.

Other ways to use predictive text
Predictive text can be used to provide shortcuts to insert longer phrases or sentences in text. On iOS, the following steps enable this capability:

1. Launch the Settings

2. Tap General > Keyboard.

3. Tap Text Replacement.

4. Tap + in top right corner.

5. Enter text that is desired in the Phrase

6. Enter the misspelled trigger word or shortcut phrase in the Shortcut text input

7. Click Save.

For example, if the user enters On my way! in the Phrase field, and omw in the Shortcut field, On my way! will appear in the suggestion bar when a user types omw.

This approach can be useful for commonly misspelled words as well. For example, a user who is apt to misspell perceived would enter the correct spelling of that word in the Phrase field and the common misspelling percieved in the Shortcut field. When they type percieved, predictive text will suggest perceived.

Android's Gboard also has a "Block Offensive Words" feature. When enabled, it prevents the predictive text features from suggesting profanity to the user.

To remove words from Gboard predictive text, users can:

1. Launch the keyboard by clicking a text field.

2. Begin typing.

3. Tap and hold the undesired suggestion.

4. Drag the word to the trash can icon that appears.

Predictive text is often used in customer service applications to help agents quickly craft responses to customers. Learn how this and other AI technologies are used in customer service to improve customer experience and expedite workflow.

Continue Reading About predictive text

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What is Predictive Text? Definition and How to Use it | TechTarget

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Predictive text lets people type more efficiently. Learn how it works and how it's used on various devices, as well as how to turn it on and off.

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State of CT AI Responsible Use Framework 

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State of CT AI Responsible Use Framework 

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No, you will not be able to grant students access to Khanmigo. At this time, classroom access for Khanmigo is only available through school or district implementations. We invite district and school administrators to contact our Districts Partnership team to learn about Khanmigo for Districts.

Khanmigo for teachers offers a lot of exciting features, such as standards-aligned lesson planning tied to Khan Academy's world-class content library; an on-demand summary of recent student work so you can quickly assess progress and identify areas where additional support is needed; and Khanmigo-crafted learning objectives, rubrics, and even exit tickets.

As a nonprofit educational organization, we see it as our responsibility to explore what AI could mean for the future of education. We believe that AI has the potential to transform learning in a positive way, but we are also keenly aware of the risks. Therefore, we are only offering access to learners who are under 18 years old when their parents give them access or when their school district is partnered with Khan Academy. This collaboration across school leaders, teachers, families, and Khan Academy staff makes it possible to provide the level of supervision and support children deserve. We believe these guidelines will help us responsibly adapt AI for an educational setting.

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Khanmigo: Free, AI-powered teacher assistant by Khan Academy

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Khan Academy's AI-powered teacher tool streamlines your prep giving you more energy for teaching and students. Khanmigo is free for educators.

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How to use Grammarly to save time editing papers and give students feed back

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How to use Grammarly to save time editing papers and give students feed back

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Eduaide.Ai- Teacher Facing AI to help plan lessons, resources, and assessments

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Eduaide.Ai- Teacher Facing AI to help plan lessons, resources, and assessments

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An integrated lesson planning platform

All your tools in one place

Source It

The act of using a Large Language Model to write the basis for a generative educational resource. Generating content is only the first step.

Shape It

Look at generated content as a sculptor might a block of marble. Shape the raw material to suit your unique context. Use our suite of personalization tools to more deeply differentiate instruction.

Share It

Cultivate expertise and collaborate with other users. Share your educational resources with a community of practice to reuse, revise, remix, and redistribute to find what works best for students.

Take back your time. Master your craft.

Start teaching with Eduaide today.

1. Join us on Discord

Get help, ask questions, and interact with other Eduaide users and learn how they are using Eduaide.

2. Advisory Board

Learn more about our Advisory Board and how they are helping us build the best lesson planning platform for teachers.

3. Podcasts & Press

If you want to learn more about Eduaide, our philosophy, and our mission, check out our featured podcasts and press.

Copyright © 2024 Eduaide.Ai. LLC All Rights Reserved. Icons provided by Icons8. Site elements by Denys Koltovskyi - stock.adobe.com

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Eduaide.Ai is an AI-driven platform that helps educators create lesson plans, teaching resources, and assessments.

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The evidence is in the practice

ESSA Level 3 correlation evidence in math and ELA, earned by teachers running frequent formative assessments.

When teachers run 30+ formative questions a week, the research is clear: they get more data-driven, their students get more engaged. Wayground is built to make that practice enjoyable ot run, attainable to fit a class period, and habitual enough to last past September.

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Quizizz is now Wayground | Teacher AI and Resources

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Find standards-aligned resources that engage every student. Wayground (formerly Quizizz) helps teachers differentiate instruction with AI and track student progress.

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AI Is Dangerous, but Not for the Reasons You Think | Sasha Luccioni | TED

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Artificial intelligence is fast becoming an integral part of just about everything we do, and education is no exception. It can really be a teacher's pet by enhancing interactivity in learning and reducing teacher workloads.

There is now a huge number of AI-powered tools available to teachers, but knowing how to use them, or even which tools to choose from, can be a challenge. That's why we compiled this list of our best picks of AI tools for teachers.

What Are AI Tools for Teachers?

The modern-day teacher has at their disposal an unprecedented number of teaching tools, and one of the most recent ones is AI. While the field of artificial intelligence has existed for many years, its application in education is a more recent development.

Artificial intelligence is a machine or program's ability to perform tasks that usually require a human or to simulate a human being's cognitive function.

It can therefore be used to handle some of the tasks that a teacher would normally have to do themselves. There is no shortage of tools that use advanced AI technology available to teachers, each with its possible uses and advantages.

Teachers can make great use of AI in the classroom, during lesson planning, or for administrative tasks. The fact that AI can both improve and simplify your teaching process makes it one of the most indispensable tools in a teacher's repertoire.

In particular, AI is a great medium for interactive classroom activities, for designing and creating intricate educational content, and for completing mundane tasks so teachers can save precious time.

Why Do AI Tools Matter for Teachers?

The first reason AI is important for teachers is because it can enhance the classroom environment in which students learn. This can be achieved through interactive classroom activities or the creation of amazing teaching resources.

For example, AI chatbots like Bing or Google's Bard can be used in class to answer students' questions. Some AI tools can create engaging videos or interactive presentations that can be used to personalize learning.

The second major advantage of using AI in the classroom is that it saves time that can then be spent on teaching or other more important things. For example, there are generative AI tools that can generate lesson plans, make discussion prompts, or write assessments.

AI can also speed up other tasks, such as creating slides and grading assessments, or be used almost like a personal teaching assistant when you need someone to provide feedback.

Criteria for Selecting AI Tools for Teachers

Let's look at several important things to do if you're searching for a great AI tool for your teaching needs.

1. Set a goal

When selecting the right artificial intelligence-powered tool, you first need to decide what it will be used for. Do you want to save time on the grading process or writing reports? Could you use some help designing the perfect course or making engaging presentations? The tool you choose will depend on your requirements.

2. Research

Search the Internet for the best AI-powered tools for your desired use case and make sure to read any reviews and recommendations as well. Ask other teachers or read teacher blogs for real-life experience and honest feedback.

3. Experiment and practice

Play around with your new teaching toy. The best way to master an AI tool is through use, so try your best to test its limits, noting how well it does or does not perform certain tasks. It's also important to find an AI tool that works best for you and your classroom environment, because not every tool is suited to every teacher or situation.

4. Use and review

Once you feel comfortable, you can start to unleash its potential in the classroom. This can be done by teaching your students a lesson designed entirely or partially using AI. As with any innovation, it's always important to keep tabs on what works and what doesn't. That way, you'll understand the dos and don'ts of using AI-powered tools in the future.

The Top 5 AI Tools for Teachers

Next, we're going to explore the 5 most widely recognized AI-powered tools to simplify teaching.

1. iSpring Page

iSpring Page is an intuitive AI-powered course creation tool for developing entire courses, tutorials, and quizzes, all in your browser. With this cloud-based tool, teachers can create visually appealing eLearning content with ease. The intuitive user interface makes iSpring Page accessible and fun to use.

This education tool is equipped with iSpring AI, which is a virtual assistant capable of taking over a number of tasks to save you time and enhance your teaching process. You can use the AI assistant to generate and edit text, brainstorm ideas for courses, and create quiz questions.

iSpring Page is an all-in-one platform for creating or enhancing existing materials to increase student engagement in your classroom. iSpring AI helps you take your creativity to the next level.

Key features

Create exercises and quizzes

Generate text

Summarize information

Translate into multiple languages

Fix spelling and grammar errors

Polish your writing

Pricing

iSpring Page is priced at $470 per user/year and offers a 14-day free trial.

2. Canva Magic Write

Part of Canva's Magic Studio is an AI writing tool designed to help you overcome writer's block, brainstorm ideas, or create engaging written content. If writing isn't your strong point as a teacher, then this tool might be just what you need.

Canva Magic Write can inspire your creativity by providing ideas, structure, and content to make your lessons more engaging and impactful for your students. The potential and limitations of this tool come down to how often you can find a use for it and how satisfied you are with the content it creates.

Key features

Brainstorm ideas

Create outlines and lists

Edit and create content

Pricing

Canva's Magic Studio is available on a free plan, but you can upgrade to a premium plan to access some of Canva's additional features. You can get a free account for premium Canva features once your teaching credential is verified.

3. Magic School

This comprehensive AI-powered platform has an impressive number of tools that can perform a wide array of tasks. It can be used to create original content, generate ideas, make material accessible, and speed up other administrative tasks.

While the huge number of tools can be somewhat overwhelming at first, the friendly design of the platform allows teachers to browse through the different functions and select the tool that fits their needs. This is probably one of the best collections of AI tools for saving teachers' time.

Key features

User-friendly

Multifunctional

Free version available

Works for any grade level

Pricing

Magic School offers free access to most of its features. However, it also offers a premium version with unlimited access. The Plus plan costs $6.65 a month, and a 30-day free trial is available.

4. Education Copilot

Education Copilot is one of the best AI tools for designing class materials and lesson plans. The software uses AI to create content for the classroom. You can use it to generate lesson plans, project outlines, writing prompts, student reports, and more.

This tool is great if you want to save time on lesson planning for every single class. It's also perfect for creating personalized learning experiences for your students.

Key features

Design lesson plans and materials

Track student progress

Custom learning plans

Pricing

Education Copilot is priced at $9/month but offers a 30-day free trial.

5. PowerPoint Speaker Coach

PowerPoint Speaker Coach is an AI-powered tool that can help you rehearse your presentations and practice public speaking skills. This tool can analyze your speech through its tone, pace, and emphasis in order to deliver constructive feedback in real time.

This feedback bot is perfect if you're new to teaching and need to build your confidence in speaking, or if you find yourself giving a talk in front of a larger audience. For teachers who are keen to keep their class engaged with succinct and polished presentations, this is the tool to have.

Key features

Rehearsal report

Essentials feedback

Pricing

PowerPoint Speaker Coach is available as a free version but also offers a paid version with additional feedback and analytics.

Future Trends in AI for Teachers

Now, it's time to take a sneak peek into what the future has in store for teachers when it comes to using artificial intelligence in the classroom.

Democratization

More often than not, technology becomes increasingly accessible to more people. AI is unlikely to be any different, so we expect AI to become available for more people and in a wider range of settings.

Inclusivity

As AI tools increase in popularity, application, and proficiency, we expect them to foster inclusivity. There is real potential for AI to make learning materials more accessible for students with diverse needs, ensuring that every learner can thrive.

Application

It isn't easy to predict which challenges artificial intelligence will address, but we can be sure that the number of educational tasks that AI can help with will only increase. Wider application results in greater time savings. However, this shall not lead to over-reliance on AI tools.

AR and VR

Augmented reality and virtual reality are fields of technology in which many teachers can see a whole new world of potential. It seems reasonable, then, that the use of AI may enhance and transform the way in which AR and VR revolutionize our learning environments.

Wrap Up

AI is here to stay and will only continue to develop in the coming years. So, for teachers and students, it's not a matter of "Should you use AI?" but "How can I use AI?" and "Which AI tool is best for my needs?"

AI has huge potential to improve student learning, whether it's through the use of generative AI as a tool for your students or by finding the right software to enhance your teaching materials.

Time is everything for teachers. AI tools can be one of the most effective ways to save time that can then be used elsewhere.

Whether you use AI to create multiple-choice questions for your quizzes or track and assess student performance, the time you regain can be put to better use.

FAQ

Here are a few of the most commonly asked questions about AI tools for teachers.

Which AI is best for teachers?

There is no straightforward answer to this question. It really depends on the task you wish to assign to the tool. Many AI tools excel at performing a single task, while others have a range of uses, and some platforms offer many tools in a single package.

If you're looking for an integrated AI-powered assistant for creating courses and learning materials in your browser, then iSpring Page may be the best for you. If you need help making a lesson plan, you can check out Copilot.

How can AI help teachers?

In reality, AI can be used by both teachers and students in an infinite number of ways. However, we can define two principal ways in which it can help.

The first is by enhancing the learning experience of students, either as an interactive tool for them to engage with or in aiding in the design of learning materials.

Second, AI can be used as an effective time-saving tool by teachers, with its wide range of practical applications in the workload of teachers.

Is ChatGPT free for teachers?

ChatGPT is a generative AI chatbot that can hold a conversation with you based on information collected from the Internet. ChatGPT is a 'freemium' service, meaning it has a free version and a paid version.

While it can be a useful tool for both teachers and students if used to support research or writing by answering suggested prompts, it is unlikely to be effective as a replacement debate partner.

What is the best AI tool for teachers for lesson plans?

As with any AI tool, the best one is the one that balances ease of use with quality results. That said, two of the best AI tools for teachers to make lesson plans are Education Copilot and Magic School. Both tools are easy to use, have a friendly design, and boast great AI functionalities for teachers.

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The 5 Best AI Tools for Teachers to Optimize Learning

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Artificial Intelligence tools to help teachers optimize learning: iSpring Page, Magic Write, Education Copilot, and others.

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How SchoolAI is Aiming to Change the Classroom Game

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How SchoolAI is Aiming to Change the Classroom Game

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How some educators are harnessing the power of artificial intelligence

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New SchoolAI platform works as a powerful teachers’ assistant and customizable student tutor

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To Teach Better Writing, Don't Ban Artificial Intelligence. Instead, Embrace It.

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To Teach Better Writing, Don't Ban Artificial Intelligence. Instead, Embrace It.

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To Teach Better Writing, Don’t Ban Artificial Intelligence. Instead, Embrace it.

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By inviting ChatGPT into the classroom instead of locking it out, schools can push students toward independent thinking in a way that doesn’t signal mistrust.

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The Transformative Power of AI Writing Technologies: Enhancing EFL Writing Instruction through the Integrative Use of Writerly and Google Docs

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The Transformative Power of AI Writing Technologies: Enhancing EFL Writing Instruction through the Integrative Use of Writerly and Google Docs

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Use existing curriculum, or generate standards-aligned content with real, cited sources.

Choose a grade level and language, and watch Diffit create complete, differentiated resources. ✅

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Use existing curriculum, or generate standards-aligned content with real, cited sources. Choose a grade level and language, and watch Diffit create complete, differentiated resources. ✅

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From January 2023 to March 2024, multiple entities have published guidance on artificial intelligence (AI),[1] underscoring growing public concerns regarding AI governance. Meanwhile, as federal and state legislators weigh the need for AI regulations to safeguard the public from various risks, recent discourse about AI risk has overlooked the use of AI by children and their families or caregivers. This gap is widening as students increasingly turn to AI for homework assistance and interact with AI-generated content (including images and videos), and as caregivers (including both parents and educators) attempt to use AI to foster child engagement. Drawing on lessons from a recent Child Trends study on the capabilities of AI systems,[2] we propose stronger guidance and regulations to ensure rigorous assessment of potential harm by AI systems in contexts involving children and families.

For our study, we created two AI systems-both based on two prominent Large Language Models (LLMs; see Methods note below this blog)-and found that these two models showed strong agreement on simple tasks (e.g., identifying articles on compensating the early childhood workforce) but diverged when handling complex subjects (e.g., analyzing articles on change framework). This divergence in handling complex subjects illustrates a potential risk within AI systems: AI's interpretation (or misinterpretation) of complex human ideas and values could expose children and caregivers to incorrect information or harmful content.

We propose that federal and state regulators mandate proper assessment of three aspects of AI systems to minimize the potential risks of AI to children and families. First, regulators should mandate AI assessments that are capable of distinguishing between AI systems that can reliably handle both simple and complex subjects and those that cannot. Our experience with the AI systems created for our study illustrates the need for safeguards so that AI tools and systems meant for young people-from chatbots to virtual reality devices-can be trusted to not generate images and suggestions that are harmful, dangerous, or unethical.

Second, we propose that regulators underscore that it's critical for AI assessment to consider the developmental appropriateness and safety of AI-generated content for different age groups in specific contexts. As explained above, the capability of AI systems to handle complex subjects should be part of the determination of developmental appropriateness and safety. The European Union's new Artificial Intelligence Act proposes a risk classification system for AI, raising the question of whether AI systems should follow an age rating system akin to motion picture ratings, the Entertainment Software Rating Board ratings used for video games, and the Pan European Game Information ratings (used in 39 countries). In the U.S. context, the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act would mandate specific design and operation standards for digital services likely to be accessed by children, ensuring that these services are appropriate and safe for various age groups. The need to help the public distinguish age-appropriate AI content has become increasingly pertinent as AI extends beyond text generation to the creation of images, audios, and videos.

Third, we propose that regulators mandate continuous quality improvement for AI systems-using such processes as regular license renewals-because training data evolves over time and can make existing versions of AI systems outdated. During Child Trends' assessment of the two AI systems in our study, we found that one model couldn't recognize "Latinx" due to its outdated training data. This limitation has significant real-world consequences for children trying to understand their world. Cultural norms and language are constantly emerging and changing-consider terms such as "woke," "cisgender," and "equity"-as communities work to create a more inclusive society for children and families, and as they engage in fierce debates over issues of race, gender, ideology, and religion. Changes in cultural norms and framings underscore the need to monitor and refine AI systems on an ongoing basis to ensure that they remain relevant, accurate, and inclusive of evolving societal and linguistic dynamics. Regulators should consider the authorization of AI systems for market entry as the beginning-not the end-of the oversight process and should mandate regular follow-up evaluations similar to an annual license renewal process.

As we navigate an increasingly AI-integrated world, it becomes ever more imperative to develop robust regulations and guidelines for AI development-especially in contexts impacting children and families. Congress and state legislatures play a pivotal role in shaping the legal framework to ensure that AI systems are deployed responsibly and ethically. This would involve not just a superficial adoption of technology, but a deeper, more informed understanding of how AI impacts child development and well-being that can pave the way for an AI-empowered future that is safe for our younger generations.

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Recommendations for Regulating Artificial Intelligence to Minimize Risks to Children and Their Families - Child Trends

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From January 2023 to March 2024, multiple entities have published guidance on artificial intelligence (AI),[1] underscoring growing public concerns regarding AI governance. Meanwhile, as federal and state legislators weigh the need for AI regulations to safeguard the public from various risks, recent discourse about AI risk has overlooked the use of AI by children and their families or caregivers.

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COMMENTARY: ChatGPT will fundamentally change how we teach writing; that's a good thing

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Artificial Intelligence tools like ChatGPT pose a challenge to students and teachers, but also an opportunity to accelerate needed re-imagining of what we teach and why.

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Guidance on Artificial Intelligence (AI)

1: Introduction

Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and general algorithmic tools have played a role in teaching and learning for decades, albeit generally an invisible one. From tools that students engage with to deepen and personalize learning to organizational and decision-support systems that teachers and administrators leverage, technology has become ubiquitous in all aspects of learning.

More recently, AI tools have taken on a prominent role in discussions concerning the future of education, for several important reasons:

Access: The public - including students, teachers, and parents - now have easy access to tools that leverage AI, such as ChatGPT from OpenAI, Claude from Anthropic, and other forms of large language models (LLMs). Such applications have enabled anyone to use and understand the power of AI for learning and many other aspects of life.

Integration: In addition to obvious uses of AI, such as standalone tools, software for general and educational use now has AI components that speed and personalize user experiences and inform decision making.

Acceleration: Unprecedented investments in AI and the rapid acceleration of new forms of these tools have spurred a sense of urgency to understand and apply them thoughtfully to teaching and learning.

Now more than ever, innovations in technology remain critical to education as both enablers as well as sources of potential risk. This set of guidance and resources should help to equip educators, leaders, and anyone engaged in the education community to learn more about AI and its role in education, explore and implement approaches to safe and effective integration, and establish consistent frameworks for ongoing innovation and decision-making. This work should continue as new technologies emerge with different potential roles within and risks to teaching and learning. Toward that end, the Commission sees as a common goal that all students would have a baseline understanding of AI in the context of broader digital literacy, a core component of any "portrait of the graduate" in preparation for college and careers.

2: Types and Applications

The term "AI" appears broadly in conversations about emerging technology, often with little context. Use cases can include the generative AI serving as an "assistant" with student writing, all the way to automated robotic systems. As noted above, AI remains a broad and rapidly accelerating area of research and applications. To ground this set of guidance and resources, the following categories of AI may be helpful:

Automated Planning and Scheduling

Computer Vision

Knowledge-Based Systems

Machine Learning

Natural Language Processing

Robotics

For a more detailed schematic of AI definitions and types, see page 15 of the US Department of Education's Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning, referencing the work of Regona et al. The Center for Integrative Research in Computing and Learning Sciences (CIRCLS) has an excellent and often-updated Glossary of Artificial Intelligence Terms for Educators.

In the context of education, especially K - 12 education, AI already has a place in the following arenas (listed alphabetically):

Accessibility and Student Accommodation

Assessment and Reporting

Classroom Instruction

Decision-Support Systems

Facility Management

Finance

Human Resources and Recruitment

Operational Systems

Professional Development

Strategic Planning

Student Services (Special Education)

Teacher Evaluation

Technology Management

3: Instructional and Decision-Making Best Practices

The marketplace of educational tools that leverage AI continues to expand. As individual teachers and leadership teams consider the use of AI-powered apps, the following best practices in software use may provide assistance.

Platform Selection: Use of any software to support student learning or school operations should follow the same, repeatable processes. A set of stakeholders should identify the need (e.g., increase numeracy skills among fourth-grade students) and consider any shortcomings in the tools and approaches currently in use to address that need. With those specific objectives documented, peer recommendations and research can bring to light potential applications that educators may wish to adopt at the classroom, school, or district level.

Privacy and Data Collection: As part of the selection process and in ongoing use, schools should assess the breadth and type of data that AI-powered tools collect. Public schools must adhere to Connecticut's data privacy laws, with guidance on doing so available through the Commission's Student Data Privacy Web page. The Connecticut Educational Software Hub, powered by LearnPlatform, offers details on thousands of instructional apps to assist with this process.

Training and Support: Teachers will need a baseline understanding of AI technology and how it applies to their particular subject area and grade levels. This professional development applies to the use of AI tools for instruction, planning, and other activities as well as how to model and support effective use by teachers. See the training resources below for ways to begin supporting educators and leaders in the use of AI.

Community Engagement and Input: Many parents and other stakeholders are learning about AI in their personal and professional lives and may have questions about its use in their children's schools. Leaders may consider forming an advisory around the use of technology generally and AI tools specifically to encourage a culture of learning and transparency, as well as to tap the expertise that community experts may offer. The ILO Group has sound guidance on community engagement in its Artificial Intelligence Framework for District Leaders.

Incident Reporting: Considering appropriate and ethical use of AI tools, schools should consider broadening existing incident-reporting protocols to include misuse of technology. For example, AI tools can be used to create so-called "deep fakes," highly realistic but unauthorized images, audio, or other content.

The above best practices point to a number of potential risks when teachers and school leaders leverage AI-powered tools:

Bias: Machine learning systems improve through the process of interpreting and making predictions off of data sets. For example, a decision-support system may look at inputs such as grades, attendance, and discipline history and predict at-risk students. But the "training" data sets used to hone such tools may have bias incorporated into them. In the above case, human teachers may have been more inclined to discipline students in specific subgroups, leading to increased frequency of detentions, etc. A computer will look at these trends and "predict" that all students in that subgroup are more likely "at risk." The same goes for the formulas or algorithms that run such systems. They may look at hiring trends, for example, for certain jobs and conclude that specific genders or life experiences make candidates more qualified, even if the existing employee set has been chosen through human bias toward one group or another. Generally, AI does not impose lenses of equity and inclusion on the systems we use.

>> Steps to Consider: Especially for high-stakes systems that manage large swaths of student or sensitive employee data, and which leaders use to make decisions about instruction, advancement, etc., districts should engage with providers of such systems to get additional details on training data and algorithms. Educational software developers should already be attuned to these issues and be prepared to address ethical considerations such as bias in the development of their products.

Inaccuracy: The concept of a "human in the middle" is essential in using AI-powered software. Such tools are extremely good at predicting the logical sequence of words, numbers, or code, but at the time of this writing are still not "sentient" and capable of interpreting results through a human-like lens. The content that systems collect and use as the basis for predictions include accurate as well as inaccurate writing, calculations, etc. To use the concept of "quality control," a certain amount of inaccurate or even harmful and biased content inevitably becomes part of the data on which AI systems function.

>> Steps to Consider: Always interpret AI-driven results, content, and recommendations with discernment. They can accelerate and inform decision-making and content creation, but they can also include errors.

Intellectual Property and Plagiarism: One of the most common use cases in schools today on the use of AI is students using tools to write papers, complete math homework, or code projects for computer science or data analytics courses. Current AI tools are quite good at this work, and the temptation can be strong to use shortcuts in this regard.

>> Steps to Consider: Equip teachers with relevant and timely professional development to understand how current AI tools can be used appropriately for designing prompts and interpreting results. Educators should in turn model effective and responsible use of such tools. Engaging in a "dialog" with a large language model, for example, may help students identify errors in their work or hone language for an essay. They will use these tools in their future education and work lives, and schools should model effective use starting now.

Legal: Closely tied to the points above regarding intellectual property and plagiarism, use of AI tools still falls under existing legal frameworks concerning the misappropriation and misuse of content. At the time of this writing, Connecticut had considered but not yet put in place specific laws concerning issues such as the creation of likenesses (see CT House Bill 24-5421, "An Act Concerning Unlawful Dissemination of Intimate Images That Are Digitally Altered or Created through the Use of Artificial Intelligence"). During the 2024 legislative session, the General Assembly did put in place provisions for a pilot of "AI tools" in a limited number of schools as well as a call for teacher professional development (see Public Act 24-151).

>> Steps to Consider: Misuse of any type of content still falls under existing statute, so maintaining a solid understanding of existing general school law will help leaders frame current and future considerations regarding the legal ramifications of unlawful creation and dissemination of content.

Social and Emotional: The above example of "deep fake" image creation has already had significantly damaging impacts, especially on female students. The rapid acceleration of AI capabilities points to the likely increase and complexity of issues concerning student access to harmful digital content. Even less damaging scenarios may further isolate young people and negatively impact emotional well-being. The trajectory of digital "companions" is steep, with people of all ages already engaged in chatting with AI-powered bots that simulate behaviors of human companionship. Increased use of such tools may further isolate students, taking the place of authentic relationships.

>> Steps to Consider: For those leading efforts to support the social and emotional wellbeing of students, become familiar with common AI tools and potential applications. This work can take place through existing professional development in this area, leveraging the resources provided from the Connecticut State Department of Education's SEL page. Honest discussions with and support of students addressing the use of these tools will help identify and address potential risks of new technologies that leverage AI.

Equity of Access: The enormous potential of AI tools to accelerate and personalize learning also comes with a potential to broaden existing digital divides. Students with computers and home broadband connections, as well as strong teacher support to model AI tools, will have an opportunity to learn how to use such apps effectively. In the same vein, learners without access to technology will fall farther behind in understanding and mastering the use of emerging tools.

>> Steps to Consider: State and school leaders have taken great strides, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure equitable access to technology for all students. Laptop programs where students have a computer to take home are nearly ubiquitous at higher grade levels, and leaders should commit to establishing and maintaining such programs. Schools should assess student access to broadband at home as well, a relatively easy exercise by assessing student online activities after hours (e.g., submission of homework). All major Internet carriers offer low-cost Internet options that schools can promote to disconnected families, and many districts address short- and long-term connectivity issues by offering cellular hotspots for student use or partnering with local Internet service providers to offer volume purchasing. The Commission is actively leading statewide efforts in this area, addressing the needs of residents broadly, through its Digital Equity Program (CT.gov/DigitalEquity).

5: Policy and Guidance

Artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies often disrupt education environments and school climates. Each of the above risks provides an opportunity to learn, grow, and address the needs of students and staff.

In this regard, the creation of new school policies that address specific technologies can prove inefficient and burdensome to maintain. District administrators and school board members should consider whether AI truly "breaks'' existing policy (that is, requires separate and new guidance), or whether existing frameworks can adapt to and address emerging technologies. Ways of addressing plagiarism and cheating, harassment, bullying, and data privacy should remain consistent, even if new technologies may introduce new challenges of understanding and application.

The Commission has encouraged school boards to consider language that encourages responsible use of technology in its policy manuals (see Policy Guidance to Promote Digital Learning). Other benchmarks to consider, both within the K - 12 environment and more generally, include the following:

6: Resources

The nature of emerging technologies and innovations in education mean that any set of references and resources will remain fluid, a list at a point in time. The Commission intends the following to equip district leaders, educators, and families to explore and make effective use of AI for learning at all levels.

General Reference

Policy and Frameworks

U.S. Department of Education

Teaching Resources

7: Acknowledgements

The Commission for Educational Technology thanks the members of its Digital Learning Advisory Council for their guidance and input on this report:

Nick Caruso (Chair) - Senior Staff Associate for Field Service, CABE*

Jonathan Costa - Assistant Executive Director, EdAdvance

Larry Covino - Executive Director, Connecticut Association for Adult and Continuing Education

Andy DePalma - Director of Technology, EASTCONN

Josh Elliott - Associate Dean, Fairfield University School of Education and Human Development

Shaune Gilbert - Data Manager, ReadyCT

Jody Goeler - Senior Staff Associate for Policy Services, CABE

Barbara Johnson - Library Media Specialist, Colchester Public Schools

Jim Mindek - Information Technology, Connecticut Technical High School System

Josh Smith - Superintendent, Region 15 Public Schools

Karen Skudlarek - Educational Technologist, University of Connecticut

Chinma Uche - Computer Science Teacher, CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering, and President, CT Computer Science Teachers Association

Scott Zak* - Senior Director of Learning Technologies, CT State Colleges and Universities

*Also serves as a Commission member

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Guidance on Artificial Intelligence (AI)

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Guidance on Artificial Intelligence (AI)

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CT Bill Asks State to Choose AI Tool For Schools 2024

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CT Bill Asks State to Choose AI Tool For Schools 2024

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(TNS) - Some Connecticut teachers are starting to dabble in the world of artificial intelligence.

In Greenwich, that might look like plugging in a piece of text and telling the AI application to make it "match a student's instructional reading level so that they could read higher level content with appropriate leveled text," said Superintendent Toni Jones. Or perhaps using an AI tool to help come up with a lesson plan.

Greenwich Public Schools are "just beginning to scratch the surface of AI," Jones said.

However, a proposed bill could encourage the practice and provide more districts across the state with access to an AI tool.

Bill No. 5, "An Act Concerning School Resources," says the Connecticut State Department of Education will be required to select and use an AI tool that can be used by schools.

"We know AI is here to stay and AI has a lot of good potential to it, one of which is helping students ensure that they learn and they are able to succeed," said Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, a co-sponsor of the bill.

An early version of the bill actually would have required the state Department of Education to develop their own AI tool, but CSDE Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker said in public testimony that wasn't possible.

"Such tools are typically developed by software development corporations, higher education institutions or private research labs," she said.

After pushback, the bill now states that the CSDE will select an AI tool educators and students can use. But Russell-Tucker pointed out that the bill does not say what type of AI tool the CSDE should select.

"There is not one AI tool that can meet all educational needs," she said. "For example, some AI tools specialize in audio transcriptions for note-taking, some generate and edit text, some help teachers to streamline the grading tasks, while some others help simplify complex concepts for students."

Jones said that is what is exciting about AI - it can "impact not only instruction, but operations of a school district."

"In the past, Wikipedia, citation generators, Grammerly and Wolfram Alpha were revolutionary," Jones said. "The new AI tools take us to a different level. ... AI pulls from the global expertise on specific topics."

Take, for example, job postings.

"With AI, a job description with basic parameters can be created in seconds," Jones said. Human Resources Department "staff can then work to edit and refine that description to meet the needs of the organization. The process saves time and also staff resources to re-allocate to other tasks maximizing efficiency of the entire organization."

AI could also help students with tasks, such as conducting research.

Bethel Superintendent Christine Carver said a student could type a question into an AI application about a topic they are researching and "it would tell us in two seconds."

"It can almost be another tool to support - whether it's research, drafting, finding out quick information about something," Carver said. "The list goes on and on."

The proposed bill also has some guardrails built in regarding AI.

It requires the CSDE, along with the Connecticut Commission for Education Technology, to create a professional learning program for educators and students to learn "how to properly and safely" use AI.

Students and staff need to now how to physically use the programs, but also "how to leverage it, under what circumstances it might be useful and it might be a tool useful for teachers and/or students," Carver said.

There are also needs to be guidance on privacy, she added.

"I think one of the things that might be useful is like having something available that could be monitored," Carver said, pointing out the potential for plagiarism and other "ethical implications."

Another question surrounding the subject: Will districts be mandated to use the AI tool selected by the CDSE?

Kate Dias, president of the Connecticut Education Association teachers union, said she would not like to see that happen, especially since AI is constantly evolving.

"In three weeks, there will be a new (AI program). ... So, I think we have to be - particularly with technology - just so aware of how rapidly it changes and be prepared for that," Dias said.

Some superintendents agree, including Jones.

"GPS would prefer that our educator community work in partnership with our (Board of Education) for future policy and regulation decisions, not the CSDE," Jones said. "Every community is different in how technology tools and resources are utilized and distributed."

When it comes to bringing AI into the classroom, Matthew Conway, superintendent of Derby Public Schools, said it may take some school districts longer than others to get used to it.

"While it can be exciting and innovative for some, it is also an unfamiliar technology tool for most and will take time for everyone to learn and feel confident and comfortable using it in the classroom," Conway said.

©2024 The Middletown Press, Conn. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Connecticut Bill Asks State to Choose AI Tool for Schools

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A proposed piece of legislation would have the Connecticut State Department of Education select an AI tool for educators and students to use, and create a professional learning program to teach them how to use it.

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Study on Writerly and Google Doc Tech for MLL

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Study on Writerly and Google Doc Tech for MLL

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Using AI to Support Multilingual Students

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Using AI to Support Multilingual Students

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Artificial intelligence tools can help multilingual students better understand complex texts in English.

Fly View Productions/ iStock

When I first learned about incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) in instruction, I felt like I was standing at the entrance to a forest. I didn't know where to go, and not entering it felt like a comforting option. Fortunately, I had colleagues who were exuberant fans of AI, and they guided me on this journey of integrating AI into my instruction.

Though I am still just at the edge of the forest, I am already seeing how useful AI is as a tool, especially for establishing comprehensible input for multilingual learners. I am using AI to support these students in learning new content, producing mentor texts, and producing accessible texts.

Learning New Content

When students have to learn new content, the content can be rather dense and incomprehensible. I need to show them the key details of that topic, and AI is an excellent tool that meets this goal.

For example, when my students needed to know about the difference between a dictatorship and a democracy, we used Perplexity to produce a simple definition of each form of government. We went further by prompting Perplexity to provide a list of advantages and disadvantages of each form of government.

This Perplexity-generated text was produced from a synthesis of various articles and videos online. Instead of processing all of them, we used Perplexity to provide a brief introductory text so that students would have a basic understanding of these government types.

While a Google search will produce the most viewed links, Perplexity efficiently synthesizes the most viewed resources on the topic. This significantly reduces the time it takes to process all the various resources. Instead, students simply read a few paragraphs on the topic.

Many of my multilingual learners, who are highly fluent in another language, translate the AI-generated text. This helps them learn the content even more efficiently by using their more proficient language.

Producing Mentor Texts

A mentor text brings clarity in the kind of writing students are supposed to produce. Analyzing a mentor text helps teachers identify the content and the academic language required to communicate the content. Previously, I would spend hours crafting an appropriate mentor text. Fortunately with AI, that time is reduced to mere seconds.

I often use MagicSchool to generate a mentor text. I simply identify the content and the type of text (e.g., poem, news article, short story, review, op-ed, biography). In seconds, MagicSchool produces a satisfactory mentor text aligned with the criteria I identified.

I often make minor modifications to the AI-generated text, such as adding contextual details, taking out unnecessary details, and adding synonyms in parentheses behind possibly unfamiliar vocabulary words. After analyzing the text, I have clearly identified the words, sentence structure, and organization of the writing I have to teach. These become my guideposts for developing my lessons.

Producing Accessible Texts

Multilingual learners are frequently expected to learn content through reading articles. However, these articles are often significantly above their reading levels. Fortunately, AI platforms such as Poe can come to their aid.

For example, my eighth graders were expected to read a magazine article about the Willow project that was written at the 11th-grade level. I simply took the URL link for the article and gave it to Poe. I set the reading level to grade 5, and in a few seconds, Poe produced a much more accessible article about the project.

The only downside to Poe is that the length is significantly reduced to a few paragraphs because many of the less essential details are left out intentionally in the AI-generated text.

A Word of Caution

As in all things tech, there are pros and cons. We are just realizing how social media companies are using their platforms to market to the users. We are unaware of any hidden nefarious agenda of the people who are creating AI platforms for teachers and students. Therefore, as we enter this space, move with caution and refrain from jumping at every AI offering. Watch, observe, take note, and move in tiny steps.

After intentionally teaching students how to use various AI learning tools, I noticed that students have gravitated to them more than to Google searches. To see students adopt a new tool so quickly suggests that they feel successful using these tools to support and enrich their learning.

If AI continues to highlight what multilingual learners can do, and it fosters greater academic achievement, then it has rightfully earned a place in my instruction. I hope AI can find a place in your instruction as well.

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Using AI to Support Multilingual Students

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Using AI to support multilingual students in middle and high school helps them better understand complex texts in English.

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AI in Supporting Social Equity and Inclusive Learning Spaces

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AI in Supporting Social Equity and Inclusive Learning Spaces

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Artificial Intelligence (AI), once the realm of science fiction, is rapidly becoming a practical tool with immense promise in education. While there are more articles than I can count critiquing it as the end of integrity in writing, for those in marginalized communities who struggle with verbal communication, AI is an unimaginable tool for social connection. More than just a technological advancement, AI offers an avenue to address long-standing challenges in the education sector, especially concerning social equity and inclusive learning. At the heart of education lies the pursuit of equity, ensuring that every learner, regardless of their background, has access to quality education. Historically, educators have struggled with this, especially given the diverse needs of students. AI, with its data-driven insights and adaptability, can be instrumental in creating a more equitable learning environment.

One of the most notable advantages of AI is its ability to provide personalized learning experiences. As someone with a neurodiverse lens, I have always needed one-to-one support within a traditional academic setting. My family has paid a steep price for quality intervention, which one might define as essential humane educational support, but in our dystopian capitalist nation, I had a very privileged educational path. My entire family paid so that I could have individual psychological testing and then private school education- I am sure it is why I have a PhD today, thanks to that incredible early intervention.

AI now does this using Algorithms to analyze each student's learning style, pace, and areas of difficulty, tailoring instruction to fit their unique needs (Baker & Siemens, 2014). For students who might traditionally be marginalized due to learning disabilities, socio-economic backgrounds, or language barriers, such personalized interventions can level the playing field, ensuring they get the support they need when they need it- the intervention cannot be overstated.

Photo by Christina Morillo: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-wearing-red-top-holding-silver-macbook-1181722/

Cultural Responsiveness

AI-powered apps can be equipped with datasets that encompass diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Such tools can automatically translate lessons, making them accessible to learners from different linguistic backgrounds (Chen, 2018). Further, they can integrate culturally relevant content, ensuring that students see themselves represented in their learning materials. This cultural responsiveness fosters inclusivity, validating students' identities and experiences.

Bias in educational content, often unintentional, can hinder inclusivity. AI, trained with diverse datasets, can assist educators in recognizing and rectifying biases in teaching materials or methodologies (Zhao & Chen, 2019). While AI is not immune to biases present in the data it's trained on, with careful programming and continuous oversight, it can be a valuable tool in promoting fair representation in education. AI can also be an important tool in supporting caring and empathic communication exchanges, which can further support culturally responsive relationships in the classroom.

Enhancing Teacher Capacities

Educators often juggle large class sizes with limited resources. AI can ease this burden by providing insights into student progress, highlighting areas that need attention, and even suggesting interventions (Woolf, 2013). By managing routine administrative tasks and providing analytical insights, AI allows educators to focus on building relationships with students and fostering an inclusive classroom environment. Also, in adult education, AI could potentially educate adult learners to have a better understanding of how they learn, increasing the case for the learner to have not only a positive learning experience but also learned skills and paradigms that will apply to new and novel environments. AI might also make it more cost-effective for professors to develop learning materials and utilize gamification within the learning process.

Gamification's efficacy is well-established in educational literature for students across the lifespan. AI might pave the way for the US to adopt a working model that recognizes our current economic systems cannot continue consuming at the present rate. Just as our planet shouldn't be overexploited, our bodies shouldn't be overworked. Europe is shifting towards a 4-day work week. Meanwhile, marginalized communities are rallying around the concept of radical rest. How can AI support this movement towards radical rest, reduced economic stratification, and minimized environmental degradation?

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/strict-female-teacher-with-book-pointing-at-scribbled-blackboard-3771074/

I am okay as an instructor letting go of giving information-dumping lectures to AI tools so that I can spend my time creating truly meaningful learning interventions or lectures based on my lived experience, rather than some of the information that is often about learning to pass exams. This simulates more of a mentor/mentee model of learning, which still produces the best overall learning outcomes for learners across the lifespan. Human beings will always want to be with other human beings-let's start to dream about how this tool can help humanity and our planet live in ways that sustain life, creativity, empathy, and inclusion.

Accessible Learning

AI-driven tools, like speech-to-text, text-to-speech, or image recognition, can support students with disabilities, ensuring they can access content seamlessly. For instance, visually impaired students can use AI tools to convert textual content to audio, while those with hearing impairments might receive help from real-time transcription services (Zhang et al., 2017). I regularly promote the use of tools like Grammarly in my classroom and use it myself, both personally and professionally. I think there may be fear that capitalist/corporate organizations will use AI to further harm workers that will continue to support inconceivable economic inequity.

AI is also a tool with immense potential for creativity and better communication between people. When I stop and reflect on core concerns that are present in counseling, in some ways all issues that are present in a counseling context are connected to miscommunication. Accepting and integrating AI as a supportive tool and as a natural part of communication is the way of the future. Why not start to envision this tool as one that can be used for greater empathy through better communication and for social change?

Photo by Andrew Neel: https://www.pexels.com/photo/monitor-screen-with-openai-logo-on-black-background-15863044/

Challenges and Considerations

While AI presents opportunities, its implementation is not without challenges and ethical concerns. Data privacy, especially concerning minors, is paramount. Schools and tech providers must adhere to strict standards to ensure student data is not misused (Reidenberg & Schmitz, 2016). Moreover, the reliance on AI should not diminish the human aspect of teaching. The goal should be to use AI to enhance, not replace, the human connection essential in education.

In conclusion, AI has the potential to revolutionize the educational landscape, particularly in promoting social equity and inclusivity. By offering personalized, culturally responsive, and accessible learning experiences, AI can ensure that every student, irrespective of their background or abilities, is provided with an equitable opportunity to thrive.

References

Baker, R. S., & Siemens, G. (2014). Educational data mining and learning analytics. In Cambridge Handbook of the Learning Sciences (2nd ed., pp. 253-274). Cambridge University Press.

Chen, G. (2018). Artificial intelligence in education: Challenges and opportunities for sustainable development. UNESCO Digital Library.

Zhao, Y., & Chen, L. (2019). Enhancing the power of human teachers in the age of AI. Journal of Educational Change, 20(2), 157-175.

Woolf, B. P. (2013). Building intelligent interactive tutors: Student-centered strategies for revolutionizing e-learning. Academic Press.

Zhang, L., Peng, T., Wang, H., & Liu, Z. (2017). Research trends and features of intelligent tutoring system (ITS) studies from 2001 to 2017: A content analysis. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 12(10).

Reidenberg, J. R., & Schmitz, A. (2016). Teaching students to focus on the facts about privacy law and policy. Washington University Jurisprudence Review, 9, 1.

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Supporting Social Equity and Inclusive Learning Spaces

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Artificial Intelligence (AI), once the realm of science fiction, is rapidly becoming a practical tool with immense promise in education. While there are more articles than I can count critiquing it...

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A New Chapter is Being Written About Writing Instruction

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A New Chapter is Being Written About Writing Instruction

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In this study, in which artificial intelligence applications are examined at the K-12 level, the discussions are multi-dimensional. The use of artificial intelligence applications at the K-12 level, and especially the integrated use of online writing tools into the writing lessons, has led to the occurrence of plagiarism from time to time. In the first place, the fact that artificial intelligence applications create the feeling of being able to think like a human causes student to fully trust this software. What is more, when the subject is approached in terms of educational leadership, teachers' transfer of experience and high level of interaction during teaching and learning decreases. Because artificial intelligence applications individualize the education process and allow students to work more independently from the teacher and from peers. That being said, there are some points that are worth noting here. AI applications should be used as a tool, not an end because when these applications are utilized accountability cannot always be attained. The number of teachers who are already competent in informing and supervising students against malpractices is not sufficient. The fact that teachers are not fully competent in this respect poses a danger to the control and safety of the process. In order for artificial intelligence applications to be exercised effectively at the K-12 level, some software languages and coding skills must be acquired. Lastly, important steps need to be taken towards the future of artificial intelligence applications. Each country should include them in their education systems through their curricula from an early age along with AI applications. In this direction, teacher training programs should also be reviewed. It is of crucial importance to raise the awareness of the society on artificial intelligence, and about ethical rules and morality.

International Association of Educators. Egitim Fakultesi Dekanligi, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Canakkale 17100, Turkey. e-mail: secretary@inased.org; Web site: https://inased.org/epasrpi/

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ERIC - EJ1413267 - A New Chapter Is Being Written about Writing Instruction: Instructional Leadership at K-12 Levels in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Educational Policy Analysis and Strategic Research, 2023

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In this study, in which artificial intelligence applications are examined at the K-12 level, the discussions are multi-dimensional. The use of artificial intelligence applications at the K-12 level, and especially the integrated use of online writing tools into the writing lessons, has led to the occurrence of plagiarism from time to time.

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Student fights AI cheating allegations for using Grammarly | NewsNation Prime

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How AI Could Save (Not Destroy) Education

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How AI Could Save (Not Destroy) Education

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How AI Could Save (Not Destroy) Education | Sal Khan | TED

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Artificial intelligence (AI) learning tools in K-12 education: A scoping review

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) literacy is a global strategic objective in education. However, little is known about how AI should be taught. In this paper, 46 studies in academic conferences and journals are reviewed to investigate pedagogical strategies, learning tools, assessment methods in AI literacy education in K-12 contexts, and students' learning outcomes. The investigation reveals that the promotion of AI literacy education has seen significant progress in the past two decades. This highlights that intelligent agents, including Google's Teachable Machine, Learning ML, and Machine Learning for Kids, are age-appropriate tools for AI literacy education in K-12 contexts. Kindergarten students can benefit from learning tools such as PopBots, while software devices, such as Scratch and Python, which help to develop the computational thinking of AI algorithms, can be introduced to both primary and secondary schools. The research shows that project-based, human-computer collaborative learning and play- and game-based approaches, with constructivist methodologies, have been applied frequently in AI literacy education. Cognitive, affective, and behavioral learning outcomes, course satisfaction and soft skills acquisition have been reported. The paper informs educators of appropriate learning tools, pedagogical strategies, assessment methodologies in AI literacy education, and students' learning outcomes. Research implications and future research directions within the K-12 context are also discussed.

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Article Open access

Article Open access

Introduction

Artificial intelligence (AI) was defined in 1956 as "the science and engineering of creating intelligent machines" (McCarthy, 2004, p.2). AI education is considered a driver of economic growth, future workforce development, and global competitiveness (Cetindamar et al., 2022; Sestino & De Mauro, 2022). Researchers' interest in equipping students with AI knowledge, skills, and attitudes to thrive in an AI-rich future (Miao et al., 2021; Rina et al., 2022; Wang & Cheng, 2021) has given rise to the term "AI literacy", which concerns the design and implementation of AI learning activities, learning tools and applications, and pedagogical models. Some educators focus on demonstrating machine learning through activities for mastering coding skills and AI concepts (Marques et al., 2020), while others suggest focusing on computational thinking and engagement in deductive and logical reasoning practices (Wong, 2020). In this paper, it is argued that AI education should be extended beyond universities to K-12 students.

There have been a number of recent studies of AI in the context of kindergartens (Su & Yang, 2022; Williams et al., 2019a, 2019b), primary schools (Ali et al., 2019; Shamir & Levin, 2021), and secondary schools (Norouzi et al., 2020; Yoder et al., 2020). However, little is known about what and how AI should be taught (Su et al., 2023a; Ng et al., 2023; Van Brummelen et al., 2021). One challenge is delivering AI content in an age-appropriate and effective manner (Su et al., 2023b; Su & Yang, 2023). Despite the numerous AI learning tools available in K-12 contexts (Rizvi et al., 2023; Van Brummelen et al., 2021), such as Turtle Robot (Papert & Solomon, 1971), PopBots (Williams et al., 2019a) and LearningML applications (Rodríguez-García et al., 2020), many educators are concerned about the suitability of these tools (Chiu & Chai, 2020; Su & Yang, 2023).

Theoretical model

Modified technology-based learning model by the researchers of this review (adopted from Hsu et al., 2012)

According to Hsu et al. ( 2012), "research methods", "research issues", and "application domains" are the three main categories to be considered in the development of a coding scheme to gauge research trends in the field of technology-based learning and education. In terms of research methods, a quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approach is employed in this study to construct the coding scheme for the review of the literature (McMillan & Schumacher, 2010). In terms of research issues, with reference to Chang et al. ( 2018), learning outcomes are categorized as cognitive, affective, behavioral, and skills acquisition outcomes. Finally, two application domains are pursued in this paper: (1) the pedagogical strategies commonly used in science courses, which were employed by Lai and Hwang ( 2015) and which include constructive, reflective, didactic, and unplugged pedagogies (Cope & Kalantzis, 2016), and (2) the learning tools, namely, hardware, software, intelligent agents, and unplugged strategies, which are coded as suggested by Ng and Chu ( 2021).

Research objectives

In this study, the literature on pedagogical strategies, assessment methods, learning tools, and learning outcomes in AI K-12 settings is studied. Four research questions are formulated.

RQ1: What are the potential learning tools identified in AI K-12 education?

RQ2: What pedagogical strategies are commonly proposed by studies on AI K-12 learning tools?

RQ3: What learning outcomes have been demonstrated in studies on AI K-12 learning tools?

RQ4: What are the research and assessment methods used in studies on AI K-12 learning tools?

Methods

This study follows the same four steps employed in other studies on AI literacy in K-12 (e.g., Ng et al., 2022; Su et al., 2022): (1) identifying relevant studies, (2) selecting and excluding eligible studies, (3) data analysis, and (4) reporting findings. In this study, the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines (Moher et al., 2015) are followed.

Identifying relevant studies

The electronic databases used for the literature search were ACM, EBSCO, Web of Science, and Scopus. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive K-12 education for learning tools, encompassing early childhood education and primary and secondary education. As the education systems of different countries may differ from each other, the search string used in the paper for K-12 includes from kindergarten to secondary school students. In addition, learning tools are defined as a variety of learning platforms and systems, educational applications and activities that can enhance the teaching process and support students in AI literacy learning. Therefore, the search strings are reflected with specific definitions for K-12 and learning tools to search for target articles and data, as shown in Table 1.

Study selection and exclusion

To ensure the generalizability of the findings and to avoid biases in article selection, specific inclusion and exclusion criteria are employed in this study (Table 2).

The snowball method

To enhance the systematic search for relevant literature, the snowballing method as outlined by Sayers ( 2008) was employed. This involved tracing references in previously selected articles. The focus was on the references cited in the earlier selected articles as discovered through Google Scholar. Utilizing the snowballing method led to the identification of three additional articles that met the eligibility criteria described above.

Overview of selected studies

Table 3 presents an overview of the 46 selected studies, including the type of articles, year of publication, and educational level.

Publication trends

Forty-six articles were identified: 28 conference papers and 18 journal articles. The first article was published in 1995, and 39 articles have been published in the past 5 years, with a peak in 2021 (Fig. 3).

Countries

Most research took place in the USA (N = 8), China (N = 7), Finland (N = 3), Hong Kong (N = 3), Israel (N = 3), Spain (N = 3), Australia (N = 2) and Japan (N=2). Others were conducted in Brazil, Denmark, Greece, Indonesia, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Thailand, and the UK. The locations of the remaining six articles are unknown.

Educational levels

Primary and secondary schools are both the most researched educational levels, each covering 44% of the selected articles, followed by kindergartens (11%) and K-12 education (2%).

These selected studies generally include samples of students of both genders and a wide range of ages, from 3-year-old kindergarten students (Vartiainen et al., 2020) to 20-year-old Danish high school students (Kaspersen et al., 2021). It also encompasses participants in science technology engineering mathematics (STEM) classes (Ho et al., 2019), high-performing students of the Scientists in School program (Heinze et al., 2010), students with and without an AI background (Yoder et al., 2020), and students from varying socioeconomic backgrounds (Kaspersen et al., 2021).

There were three AI-related research studies between 1995 and 2017, mostly adopting unplugged activities and games for AI teaching, which are different from research conducted after 2017. The first article was published by Scherz and Haberman ( 1995), who designed a special AI curriculum with the use of abstract data types and instructional models (e.g., graphs and decision trees) to teach AI concepts such as logic programming and AI systems to high school students in Israel. In another two studies, the use of programming robots (Heinze et al., 2010) and computer science unplugged activities (Lucas, 2009) were explored with Australian and New Zealand K-6 students, respectively. Since then, a greater variety of learning tools have been employed and expanded to European and Asian countries across all educational levels in K-12 settings. Appendix 1 provides an overview of the selected articles.

Findings

RQ1: What are the potential learning tools identified in AI K-12 education?

The potential learning tools identified in K-12 contexts were intelligent agents (N = 20), software-focused devices (N = 19), hardware-focused devices (N = 10), and unplugged activities (N = 6) (Fig. 4 and Table 4). In this section, intelligent agents, software devices, and hardware devices are discussed.

Intelligent agents

In addition, Learning ML has been employed for primary schools to create AI-driven solutions and models, for example, to teach the supervised machine learning principle (Voulgari et al., 2021; Rodríguez-Garciá et al., 2021), which simplifies abstract AI algorithms for primary school students. Machine Learning for Kids, which introduces the power of the IBM Watson engine for AI modelling (Fernández-Martínez et al., 2021), Cognimates (Sabuncuoglu, 2020; Fernández-Martínez et al., 2021), which allows students to practice coding, and Ecraft2Learn, which contains a deep learning functionality (Kahn et al., 2018), have also been used in secondary school classrooms. Intelligent agents often offer students hands-on experience to develop datasets and to build customized machine learning systems.

Software devices

Software devices are adopted to enable mostly primary and secondary school students to learn about computational thinking, including programming for sequences, rule-based and conditional mechanisms, as well as data science and machine learning using visual language. For example, Scratch, a block-based programming software, is frequently used in both primary (Dai et al., 2023; Li & Song, 2019; Shamir & Levin, 2021) and secondary schools (Estevez et al., 2019; Fernández-Martínez et al., 2021). Other software is used for visualizing and scaffolding abstract AI concepts through online games and experiences, such as Quick and Draw (Martins et al., 2023) and Music Box (Han et al., 2018). In primary schools, Kitten is used to teach block-based programming (Li & Song, 2019), whereas C++ and JavaScript are used for logical thinking and simulation (Gong et al., 2020). In secondary schools, researchers have often employed free online software and tools, such as Snap (Yoder et al., 2020) and Python (Gong et al., 2018; Norouzi et al., 2020), for algorithm automation, as well as RapidMiner for no-code data science learning (Sakulkueakulsuk et al., 2018). To introduce machine learning concepts to secondary school students, other researchers have focused on developing online games such as the Rock Paper Game (Kajiwara et al., 2023) and the 3D role-player video game Quest (Priya et al., 2022).

Hardware devices

In addition, hardware, such as robotics and physical artifacts, has also been used with built-in software to supplement students' understanding of AI concepts. Williams et al. ( 2019a, 2019b) introduced a preschool originated programming platform consisting of a social robot (PopBot) and a block-based programming interface. In Williams et al. ( 2019a), 80 prekindergartens to second-grade children (aged four to seven) were asked to build their own LEGO robot characters by using DUPLO block programming. PopBot is used as a learning companion to demonstrate its human-like behavior and to demystify AI concepts to younger students.

The lawn bowling robot (Ho et al., 2019), Zhorai conversational robot (Lin et al., 2020), Micro: Bits (Lin et al., 2021), and Plush toys (Tseng et al., 2021) have been used in primary schools, while CUHKiCar (Chiu et al., 2021), the Alpha robot dog (Chai et al., 2020), Raspberry Pi Raspbian and a four-wheel drive chassis (Gong et al., 2018) have been used in secondary schools. For example, in Ho et al. ( 2019), grade six students built lawn-bowling robots for games and competitions while learning about the binary search and optimization algorithms of machine learning. Chiu et al. ( 2021) introduced the robotic CUHKiCar to secondary school students so that they could perform face-tracking and line following tasks.

RQ2: What pedagogical strategies are commonly proposed by studies on AI K-12 learning tools?

As shown in Fig. 5, the four orientations of pedagogy are summarized as authentic/constructive, reflective, didactic, and unplugged. While a total of 17 potential pedagogical strategies were identified within the four orientations in K-12 contexts (Table 5), authentic/constructive methodologies with project-based learning (N = 27) were the most popular pedagogy used across kindergartens (Williams et al., 2019a, 2019b), primary schools (Toivonen et al., 2020; Rodríguez-Garciá et al., 2021), and secondary schools (Gong et al., 2018; Kilhoffer et al., 2023; Sakulkueakulsuk et al., 2018). When teaching AI to students with a diverse range of needs, the evidence demonstrates the positive impact of combining multiple pedagogical approaches in K-12 studies (Heinze et al., 2010; Lee et al., 2021; Williams et al., 2019a, 2019b).

First, authentic and constructive methodologies, project-based (N = 27), human-computer interaction (N = 7), and play-based active learning (N = 5) approaches have been commonly used in K-12 education. Offering hands-on opportunities to students to learn about real-world applications of AI is an example of project-based learning (Fernández-Martínez et al., 2021; Han et al., 2018; Williams et al., 2019a). Other researchers have examined whether students can acquire AI knowledge on human-computer interactive experiences and have found that this does not require any prior knowledge of AI models, such as Zohari (Melsión et al., 2021) and Google Teachable Machine (Lin et al., 2020; Vartiainen et al., 2020). In addition, child-centered play-based learning can effectively engage students and encourage them to take the initiative to construct knowledge during the process of imaginative play (Heinze et al., 2010), which involves students adopting the role of AI developer, tester, and AI robot (Henry et al., 2021).

Pedagogical strategies in kindergartens

Pedagogical strategies in primary schools

Project-based learning is more frequently used in primary schools than in kindergartens: It has been reported as a learning approach in 14 of the 18 studies of primary school settings, compared to only three of the five studies in the kindergarten setting. Similarly, in primary school settings, studies have revealed a strong dependence on play/game-based (N = 5) and human-computer interaction learning approaches (N = 3).

Pedagogical strategies in secondary schools

Second, collaborative learning allows students to work in groups to promote cognitive knowledge, as it engages them in scientific inquiry with the help of smart devices (Wan et al., 2020). Kaspersen et al. ( 2021) designed a collaborative learning tool, VotestratesML, together with a voting project allowing students to build machine learning models based on real-world voting data to predict results.

RQ3: What learning outcomes have been demonstrated in studies on AI K-12 learning tools?

Of the 46 articles, 31 reported potential learning outcomes: (1) cognitive outcomes, (2) affective and behavioral outcomes, and (3) the level of course satisfaction and soft skills acquisition.

Cognitive outcomes

Thirty-one studies documented various degrees of positive cognitive outcomes. Students generally showed a basic understanding of AI, including AI rule-based systems (Ho et al., 2019), machine learning principles and applications (Han et al., 2018; Shamir & Levin, 2021), AI ethics (Melsión et al., 2021), and AI limitations (Lin et al., 2020). In Williams et al. ( 2019a), 70% of prekindergarten and kindergarten students understood knowledge-based systems, whereas Vartiainen et al. ( 2020) found that, through AI learning tools, younger students developed their computational thinking and their understanding of machine-learning principles and applications. Then, Dai et al. ( 2023) reported that primary school students taught with analogy-based pedagogy (i.e., using humans as a reference to teach and learn AI) significantly outperformed primary school students taught with the conventional direct instructional approach in terms of developing their conceptual understanding and increasing their AI technical knowledge proficiency as well as their ethical awareness of AI. Other researchers have argued that primary school students have demonstrated their understanding of AI by constructing and applying machine-learning algorithms with the help of digital role-playing games (Voulgari et al., 2021) and project-based pedagogy (Shamir & Levin, 2021). Through designing and programming a robot, students increased their understanding of AI biases (Melsión et al., 2021). In secondary schools, researchers have also reported an increase in students' knowledge of AI algorithms (Yoder et al., 2020) and machine learning concepts (Sakulkueakulsuk et al., 2018), as well as their recognition of AI patterns (Wan et al., 2020). For example, students understood the fundamental neural networks of machine learning concepts by developing a classification model of recycling images (Martins et al., 2023).

Affective and behavioral outcomes

Affective and behavioral outcomes have been identified in AI learning tool studies within K-12 contexts. In general, students' motivation to learn AI (Han et al., 2018; Shamir & Levin, 2021, 2022) and their interest in the course (Mariescu-Istodor & Jormanainen, 2019; Martins et al., 2023) were enhanced as a result of AI learning activities. Students' perceptions of the relevance of AI to their life also increased (Kajiwara et al., 2023; Lin et al., 2021). Students scored high on self-efficacy (Kajiwara et al., 2023; Shamir & Levin, 2022) and confidence (Shamir & Levin, 2021) in training and validating an AI system. In Martins et al. ( 2023), over 45% of 108 secondary school student participants in the introductory course "Machine Learning for all" reported that they perceived AI learning as an enjoyable experience, and 63% of them hoped to learn more about machine learning in the future.

Moreover, students reported that they were highly motivated to explore the Teachable Machine (Vartiainen et al., 2020), to design the robotic arm and computer source codes (Ho et al., 2019), to draw animals and sea creatures for the machine learning project (Mariescu-Istodor & Jormanainen, 2019), and to predict the sweetness of mangoes by using machine learning models (Sakulkueakulsuk et al., 2018).

From the behavioral perspective, high student engagement was reported in project-based (Kaspersen et al., 2021; Shamir & Levin, 2021; Wan et al., 2020) and play/game-based (Heinze et al., 2010; Voulgari et al., 2021) settings. Primary students attended all sessions and expressed a desire to join an upcoming AI contingency course (Shamir & Levin, 2021), while secondary students were actively engaged in scientific inquiry (Wan et al., 2020). Students were also keen on recommending AI games to their friends (Voulgari et al., 2021). Therefore, a combination of play/game-based and project-based approaches may consolidate AI concepts through gameplay while enhancing students' engagement in AI projects (Han et al., 2018).

Level of satisfaction and soft skills acquisition

The findings from the selected articles reveal that a deep understanding of AI promotes the acquisition of various soft skills. Ali et al. ( 2019) found that students' intellectual curiosity increased after engaging in the construction of an AI neuron. By using bulletin boards shared electronically and online chats for feedback, their collaboration and communication skills were also enhanced (Shamir & Levin, 2021). Moreover, students reported gaining problem solving and technical skills when working with AI systems, including coding, designing simple algorithms, and debugging in Scratch learning activities (Dai et al., 2023).

RQ4: What were the research and assessment methods used in AI K-12 learning tools studies?

In this section, an overview is presented of research methods and data collection procedures within K-12 contexts. Overall, researchers adopted a mixed method (N = 19), qualitative (N = 15) and quantitative methods (N = 12) in AI learning tools in K-12 research. Mixed methods are predominantly used in both primary school (e.g., Dai et al., 2023; Martins et al., 2023; Shamir & Levin, 2021; Toivonen et al., 2020) and secondary school contexts (e.g., Chiu et al., 2021; Estevez et al., 2019), whereas qualitative methods are commonly used in kindergartens (e.g., Heinze et al., 2010; Vartiainen et al., 2020), as shown in Table 6.

A variety of assessment methods were used: questionnaires and surveys (N = 30), artifacts/performance-based evaluation (N = 15), interviews (N = 14), observations (N = 5), games assessment (N = 1), and field visits (N = 1) (Table 7). The two most commonly used data collection methods - questionnaires and surveys and artifacts/performance-based evaluation - are discussed in this section.

In terms of assessment methods, questionnaires and surveys (N = 30) and artifacts/performance-based evaluation (N = 17) are the two most commonly used data collection methods across K-12 contexts (Table 7).

Questionnaires and surveys are used in a quantitative methodology to understand the perception of robotics and theory of mind (e.g., knowledge access, content false belief and explicit false belief). For example, perception of robotics and theory of mind were used in kindergartens (Williams et al., 2019a, 2019b).

Surveys were used to evaluate primary school students' motivation (Lin et al., 2021), self-efficacy in AI learning (Shamir & Levin, 2022), and perceived knowledge and competence (Dai et al., 2023; Mariescu-Istodor & Jormanainen, 2019; Ng et al., 2022). In addition to Ali et al. ( 2019), who used the Torrance test for assessment, researchers also utilized pre- and posttests (Tseng et al., 2021) to compare the AI learning outcomes of control and treatment groups in primary school settings (Melsión et al., 2021). Others provided AI educational experience without stating the assessment method (Ho et al., 2019; Lee et al., 2020; Tseng et al., 2021). Heinze et al. ( 2010) conducted AI learning activities without assessing learning outcomes. Shamir and Levin ( 2022) designed a questionnaire based on "constructionist validated robotics learning" for machine learning construction (the questionnaire included statements such as " I can make a ML system", " I can propose ideas for using ML to solve problems."). Dai et al. ( 2023) used multiple choice questions (e.g., " Which of the following devices or systems is an intelligent agent?") to evaluate the AI knowledge of primary school students according to Bloom's Taxonomy.

In secondary schools, surveys are used to measure students' information knowledge acquisition (Priya et al., 2022), perceived abilities (Chiu et al., 2021; Ng & Chu, 2021) and futuristic thinking, engagement, interactivity, and interdisciplinary thinking skills (Sakulkueakulsuk et al., 2018). For example, in Priya et al. ( 2022), surveys were used in the first phase of their study to test the knowledge gained by students in three AI areas, namely, supervised learning (e.g., " What is the underlying idea behind supervised learning?"), gradient descent (e.g., " In gradient descent how do we reach optimum point?"), and KNN classifications (e.g., " Using underlying principle of KNN classification classify a fruit which is surrounded by 2 apples and 1 mango in its nearest neighbors."). In the second phase of the study, surveys were used to evaluate students' satisfaction with the design of the game "ML Quest", which introduced machine learning concepts based on the quality factors of the technological acceptance model (e.g., "Visualizations displayed by ML-Game are relevant to the concept taught at each level").

Artifact-based/performance-based assessments are embedded in a large number of studies to evaluate learning outcomes. Through artifacts (e.g., Popbots), Williams et al., 2019a, 2019b) evaluated kindergarteners' knowledge and understanding of supervised machine learning. Ho et al. ( 2019) used a performance-based assessment to assess primary students' understanding of optimal data training and its AI applications. The artifact analysis of Shamir and Levin ( 2021) involved the construction of a rule-based AI system, which included designing, understanding, and creating the AI neural network agent. Dai et al. ( 2023) used a drawing assessment to evaluate primary school students' understanding of AI and its impact on their cognitive development using prompt questions (e.g., " What AI can do? What would you like to use AI for?") to stimulate their thinking.

Moreover, Yoder et al. ( 2020) focused on secondary school students' block-based programming artifacts to examine their knowledge of AI search algorithms and breadth-first search (BFS), as well as their understanding of the possibility of gender bias when using AI screening tools in recruitment. In Martins et al. ( 2023), machine learning model artifacts created by students were used as evidence to demonstrate their learning outcomes. The performance-based assessment was used to evaluate students' ability to correctly label the recycling trash images in the classification process.

Discussion and conclusion

In addition, educational tools and applications are used not only to contribute new ways of knowing and doing but also to embed learning tools at the center of the AI literacy activities and programs instead of playing a supporting role in the primary purpose of education. This is expanding to serve the human need for education. The use of multiple educational learning tools and pedagogical strategies may be influenced by various factors in the teaching process, including students' gender, background knowledge, and educational setting, all of which may affect their learning styles and motivation to learn AI. These factors and issues can be explored in future studies.

Research implications

From this study, the use of intelligent agents is recommended, including Teachable Machines, Machine Learning for Kids, and Learning for ML. Kindergarten students can benefit from learning tools such as PopBots, while software devices such as Scratch and Python can be introduced to demystify core AI principles to primary school students and create AI-driven solutions and models for secondary school students. Although hardware such as robotics and physical artifacts are generally effective, they may be costly for scalability.

This review reveals that constructivism, constructionism, and computational thinking are instrumental in addressing AI literacy education. Unfortunately, little research has adopted theoretical frameworks or conceptual models of reference for AI curricula, educational activities, or the design of AI learning tools and applications. To guide teaching, learning and effectiveness in using AI learning tools within AI literacy education, AI literacy learning theoretical frameworks are needed to guide the teaching instruction of kindergarten, primary and secondary school students. Usability, AI ethics, and transparency must be addressed in tool design to ensure that issues pertaining to data privacy and security will not arise. Moreover, there is currently insufficient theory-based, rigorous research on the effectiveness of AI educational tools to meet the diverse learning needs of students. Children may be invited to codesign with application designers. Thus, researchers may conduct theory-based and outcome-oriented quantitative and qualitative research on AI educational tools, which may be significantly beneficial to students.

More evaluation and documented analysis regarding the effectiveness of learning tools should be conducted to inform stakeholders of the existing trends in the field, pedagogical strategies, and instructional methods for teacher professional development.

More research, analysis, and evidence are needed to determine the effectiveness of AI learning tools before they are scaled up based on a risk-benefit analysis. Researchers should also clearly define the educational settings in which specific AI learning tools are appropriate to support the effective delivery of AI content in the classroom.

Recommendations

For educators

For teachers

Children learn best at a certain stage of cognitive development (Ghazi & Ullah, 2015). It is recommended that the content of instruction is consistent with students' cognitive developmental level, as it influences their readiness and ability to learn (Piaget, 2000). As a result, the technical and content depth of the educational learning tools should align with students' age and the teaching objectives, and teachers should understand students' cognitive development to plan age-appropriate activities with suitable learning tools. More collaboration among teachers with various pedagogical experiences across various educational levels may lead to more innovative and efficient teaching processes.

For researchers

Researchers should report evidence of the reliability. and validity of their findings where applicable since such data are crucial to evaluating the quality of their recommended learning tools or pedagogies. This can also aid other academics in updating their research on existing and developing pedagogical strategies. Researchers may consider designing and developing a standardized AI assessment mechanism that can be used across different grade levels to compare students' AI literacy. This approach permits the standardization of assessment criteria and instructional feedback and thus better supports the wider application of AI teaching in K-12 classrooms.

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Acknowledgements

The support and guidance provided by Professor Rupert Wegerif, Dr Annouchka Bayley, Dr Eleanor Dare and the University of Cambridge during this ongoing academic pursuit have been instrumental and greatly appreciated.

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1. Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, 184 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 8PQ, UK

Iris Heung Yue Yim

2. Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong SAR, China

Jiahong Su

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Correspondence to Iris Heung Yue Yim.

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Appendix 1: Overview of the selected articles

Appendix 1: Overview of the selected articles

Author

Research methods

Learning tools

Pedagogies

Country

Education Level

Lin et al. ( 2021)

Quantitative

AI curriculum textbook (Qin et al., 2019) issued by the local education authority, and a device similar to Micro:bit

Direct instruction, followed by hands-on activity

China

Upper primary school

Melsión et al. ( 2021)

Mixed

Grad-CAM explainability technique in an image captioning system( https://biaix.now.sh); Google Teachable Machine

Project-based learning; experiential learning; human-computer interaction

Sweden

Upper primary school

Voulgari et al. ( 2021)

Mixed

Artbot (an educational game design employed on the Learn ML website http://learnml.eu/g ames.php)

Game-based learning

Greece

Primary and secondary school

Estevez et al. ( 2019)

Mixed

Scratch

Experiential learning:

Spain

Upper secondary school

Project-based learning

Priya et al. ( 2022)

Quantitative

Machine Learning Quest

Game-based learning;

/

Secondary school

Project-based learning

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Yim, I.H.Y., Su, J. Artificial intelligence (AI) learning tools in K-12 education: A scoping review. J. Comput. Educ. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40692-023-00304-9
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Artificial intelligence (AI) learning tools in K-12 education: A scoping review - Journal of Computers in Education

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Artificial intelligence (AI) literacy is a global strategic objective in education. However, little is known about how AI should be taught. In this paper, 46 studies in academic conferences and journals are reviewed to investigate pedagogical strategies, learning tools, assessment methods in AI literacy education in K-12 contexts, and students' learning outcomes.

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This is the fifth and final post in the series Teaching Writing in the Age of AI. Check out the other posts in the series:

In this series, I've explored how teaching writing might change as the adoption of Artificial Intelligence accelerates. Late 2022 was a watershed moment in AI, with ChatGPT pushing generative AI into the mainstream. But there have been many technologies other than OpenAI's chatbot released in the past few years, and plenty of them will have an impact in education.

As an English teacher, I'm particularly concerned with the impact these technologies will have on how we teach writing. I think that English teachers are well-placed to adopt and even develop these technologies. To some extent, I think we will have to learn to adopt AI. On the other hand, there will always be room for traditional methods of writing instruction which are not reliant on technology.

Teaching writing has become, in many education settings, primarily for knowledge assessment. In this final post, I'll explore how AI has changed that, and why it may well be a very good thing.

The Calm Before the Storm

As a system, education is often accused of being slow-moving, too traditional, and reliant on industrial-era methods and practices. In some ways, I agree. Standardisation, high-stakes testing, and accountability have made many aspects of teaching simultaneously complex and dull. For example, I had the luxury of working in a school that wasn't too focused on NAPLAN results - the Australian standardised test that runs in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 - but many are not as fortunate.

We've seen recently how testing like NAPLAN can drive the narrative around teaching, with media reports ranking schools and publishing "league tables". It's an agenda that particularly impacts English teachers: NAPLAN literacy outcomes tends to dominate the discourse around reading and writing. In many schools, teaching writing - at least up to grade 9 - means teaching the persuasive and narrative styles required by the test. It's demoralising for English teachers, and despite repeated entreaties to not "teach to the test", it's inevitable that schools aiming for high ranks will require teachers to do just that.

On the other hand, in my practical experience in the classroom, I've seen amazing and inspiring lessons come from English teachers that defy standardisation and promote creativity and critical thinking. These pockets of excellence are clearly visible at events like the VATE and AATE state and national conferences, and the recent VATE VCE Days. These are teachers who have not succumbed to the pressure of NAPLAN and senior exams, and have been able to work within the supposedly rigid, outdated system.

Teachers have always had to navigate this balance of producing creative, engaging lessons with standardised curriculum and testing requirements. This status quo, however, is about to be disrupted by technologies which render the kind of writing assessed by NAPLAN obsolete.

Into the Vortex

It's already clichéd to talk about how disruptive ChatGPT has been. Articles beginning, "In late November 2022, tech startup and former non-profit OpenAI launched ChatGPT onto an unsuspecting world," were published everywhere from Wired to the abc, TechCrunch to the Sydney Morning Herald. The fact that ChatGPT garnered so much attention in both the technology sector and the mainstream media is what differentiates it from previous technologies.

But many educators have had their eyes on this tech for a while now. As early as the start of February 2021, my supervisor Lucinda McKnight published this article in The Conversation where she claimed "machines are also learning to write, so effectively that within a few years they may write better than humans." Looking back, "a few years" was an underestimate. Less than two years after the article was published, ChatGPT took the existing technology, slapped a user-friendly interface on top of it, and threw it out into the wild.

Success! You're on the list.

You can argue that ChatGPT doesn't write that well. You can point out that, technically, it " can't write essays ". But there's no arguing that the chatbot can produce writing which is of a higher quality than many people can produce. It is consistent, grammatically correct, and can adapt many styles. The technology also "hallucinates", produces biased output, and isn't particularly creative. That doesn't mean that it can't write, though. It just means that, at this very early stage in its development, it isn't perfect.

The release of ChatGPT has sent shockwaves throughout the educational community, with many educators scrambling to adapt to this new technology. That swirling vortex has suddenly opened up right there in our classrooms, and we're struggling to keep our footing. While some students may have been using GPT-based technologies in the classroom before ChatGPT's release, its high profile launch has made AI much more visible and accessible. AI is no longer some distant, sci-fi concept - it's here in our classrooms, whether we invited it or not.

The Eye of the Storm

Right now, we're in the middle of a hugely disruptive period when it comes to AI in the classroom. Many of our traditional methods of assessment and instruction won't work in the face of a technology that can easily produce student-level writing with a few taps on the keyboard.

That doesn't mean the end of High School English, in spite of claims to the contrary in the media. In fact, it can and should be treated as an opportunity. Like I mentioned earlier, English teachers are well primed not only to ride this storm out, but to benefit from AI technologies. Here are a few reasons why English teachers are well-placed to deal with generative artificial intelligence:

English teachers are trained to read and analyse texts critically. This skill is more important than ever in an age where AI-generated texts can easily spread misinformation and bias.

English teachers are also trained to teach persuasive and creative writing, skills that are difficult for current AI technologies to replicate without careful prompting. By emphasising these skills in the classroom, we can help our students develop their own unique voices and perspectives.

English teachers (and their school library colleagues) are adept at teaching research skills, which are essential for navigating the vast amounts of information available online. By teaching our students how to identify credible sources and fact-check information, we can help them to mitigate some of the limitations of current AI like Microsoft's new Bing.

English teachers have always taught ethics. AI is a highly problematic technology, with ethical concerns that run deep. From the well-publicised bias to lesser-known impacts on human labour and the environment, AI ethics needs to be thoroughly explored in the classroom.

Add to this list the fact that generative AI is entirely built on language, and you have a clear rationale for English teachers being among the first to adopt the new technology.

When the Dust Settles

Once the hype cycle of AI is over, and the dust has settled, we'll be able to get a clearer picture of how, when, and why to incorporate AI into the classroom. We'll also have an indication of when not to include the technology.

It seems clear already that students will be using generative AI in all sorts of applications, including text and image generation. Many universities have already adopted policies which permit students to use AI as long as it is correctly acknowledged. Workplaces from marketing agencies to law firms have started to explore the technology, and big companies like Coca-Cola are on board.

Right now, there is still a lot of speculation about what education looks like post-ChatGPT. I have seen many discussions about academic integrity, the need for updated assessment methods, and a shift away from content-based instruction and towards skills that hone students' critical and creative capacities.

There is also vast speculation around the technology itself. Remember, ChatGPT was only released a few months ago. In that time, we've seen announcements from Google that its chatbot Bard is on the way. Microsoft has released New Bing into the world, and indicated it will integrate GPT into its Office apps like Word and PowerPoint. Meta has released a powerful language model for research purposes. And OpenAI has been building towards the release of GPT-4, which will supposedly be an order of magnitude more powerful than the current model which underpins ChatGPT.

Let a few weeks or months go by, and the AI landscape will look very different to right now, at the end of February 2023. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the storm of information and excitement (and fear) about AI, you're not alone. But this will pass, the dust will settle, and these technologies will become as commonplace as word processors and internet search engines.

Writing the Future

While we wait for the hype cycle to die down, there are a few practical things that can be done right now. Again, I'm pointing this advice at my most familiar audience: English teachers. But I think that much of this is relevant for educators of all stripes.

Do a little professional learning: At this early stage in the technology's lifecycle, a little PL will go a long way. I've been running sessions on Practical Strategies for ChatGPT, as well as sessions in schools. There's also lots of great, accessible, and free professional learning out there, including Nick Jackson's course for teachers.

Review your assessment practices: Look at how you assess writing. Are tasks designed in a way that can easily be completed by generative AI? If so, what could you change? My previous post in this series had lots of practical advice on how to adjust tasks.

Don't revert to exams: Long before AI was a thing, I posted a popular article suggesting that conducting school assessed coursework (SACs) under exam conditions is not the best approach. It's a contentious point, as most schools run SACs as mini-exams. Even in the face of AI, supervised, timed exams are not the answer. These kinds of assessments disadvantage many students - find alternatives.

Chuck out TEEL: I've written plenty before about my opinions on formulaic structures like TEEL. I won't keep harping on about it.

Foster creativity: AI technologies can often produce formulaic writing that lacks the creativity and originality that good writing requires. By emphasising the importance of creativity in the writing process, we can help our students develop their own unique styles and perspectives that are difficult for AI to replicate.

Teach digital literacy: As AI technologies become more prevalent, it's increasingly important for students to develop critical digital literacy skills. By teaching our students how to evaluate online sources, identify bias and misinformation, and fact-check information, we can help them become responsible and informed digital citizens.

Emphasise the importance of ethics: AI technologies have the potential to reinforce bias and perpetuate inequality if not designed and implemented ethically, and that's not even the greatest ethical concern. By teaching our students about the ethical implications of AI in the classroom and beyond, we can help them become responsible and thoughtful users of technology.

Collaborate with AI technologies: Rather than seeing AI as a threat, we can choose to collaborate with it to enhance our teaching and learning practices. There are already many great examples out there for how teachers can incorporate AI into the classroom.

The future of writing, as far as I'm concerned, looks bright. I'm not threatened - as an educator or an author - by machines replacing essential, human skills. Writing is not just about demonstrating knowledge. Teaching writing in the age of AI will definitely change. If English teachers take the reins on these technologies, then it will change for the better.

Got questions or comments about this article? Want to get in touch to discuss teaching writing or anything else about AI? Get in touch using the form below:

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Teaching Writing in the Age of AI: Reinventing English

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This is the fifth and final post in the series Teaching Writing in the Age of AI. Check out the other posts in the series: Teaching Writing in the Age of AI Talking about academic integrity Asking questions Assessment and "cheating" In this series, I've explored how teaching writing might change as the adoption of...

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COMMENTARY: ChatGPT will fundamentally change how we teach writing; that's a good thing

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Artificial Intelligence tools like ChatGPT pose a challenge to students and teachers, but also an opportunity to accelerate needed re-imagining of what we teach and why.

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Journal: Journal of Higher Education Research DOI: 10.32629/jher.v4i2.1188

Yifan Dong
School of Foreign Languages, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian, China

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing various fields, including education. This study aims to explore the practical implementation of AI-powered pedagogy in the teaching of academic English writing. Specifically, the study examines the impact of an AI-powered writing tool on the teaching process and assessment in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom setting. A pre-test/post-test experimental design was employed to measure the effectiveness of the tool on students' writing skills. Results showed that the AI-powered writing tool positively impacted students' writing proficiency, as evidenced by significant improvements in writing scores from the pre-test to the post-test. In addition, the tool was found to enhance the teaching process by providing timely and individualized feedback, promoting student engagement, and increasing efficiency in grading. The findings highlight the potential of AI-powered pedagogy in transforming traditional English writing teaching and offer practical implications for teachers, students, and educational technology developers.

Keywords

academic English writing, AI-powered pedagogy, teaching process, assessment

Funding

The Teaching and Research Grant (Grant No. 0039012211) by Dalian Maritime University

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The core business of Frontier Science Publishing focuses on publishing academic journals and organizing international academic conferences. At the same time, FSP provides educational training, consultations on scientific and technological information, translation services, and publications of e-books.

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Campus Technology Insider

AI and the Future of Writing Instruction

The Campus Technology Insider podcast explores current trends and issues impacting technology leaders in higher education. Listen in as Editor in Chief Rhea Kelly chats with ed tech experts and practitioners about their work, ideas and experiences.

Much has been made of plagiarism concerns around the use of ChatGPT in education, and there's no doubt that generative AI technology will impact the role of writing both in higher education and in society in general. But as our guest Mark Warschauer points out, the use of AI for writing and communication presents an inherent contradiction: Those who can best write with AI will be those who can best write without it, because they'll need to be able to write good prompts, evaluate the AI output, and edit the resulting text into a usable final product. Warschauer is a professor of education and informatics at the University of California, Irvine, and founder of UCI's Digital Learning Lab. We talked about the potential of AI for teaching and learning, overcoming faculty skepticism about AI tools, research questions that should be asked about AI in education, and more.

Resource links:

Music: Mixkit

Duration: 26 minutes
Transcript
Ways to Listen

Campus Technology Insider is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify and Stitcher. Subscribe today or listen at campustechnology.com/podcast.

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected] .

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AI and the Future of Writing Instruction -- Campus Technology

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The use of AI for writing and communication presents an inherent contradiction: Those who can best write with AI will be those who can best write without it, according to Mark Warschauer professor of education and informatics at the University of California, Irvine, and founder of UCI's Digital Learning Lab.

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Teaching About AI-Mediated Writing | Teaching Writing

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is shifting how we experience reading and writing. Students and instructors alike need some understanding of the main limits and affordances of AI-generated writing. This page offers some basic information for writing instructors and some guidance on how to talk with students about generative AI.

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How to Keep Students Writing in the Age of AI Tools

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How to Keep Students Writing in the Age of AI Tools

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How to Keep Students Writing in the Age of AI Tools

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Stories of Survival and Overcoming the Odds

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Incorportating Generative AI into the Writing Process

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Incorportating Generative AI into the Writing Process

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As with any assignment, make sure that you understand the goals of the assignment using generative AI and clearly articulate those goals to the student, what skills and knowledge should they develop or gain from completing the assignment using generative AI. For example, is the goal for students to find ways for generative AI to complement their writing skills? Or, is the goal to be able to identify the limitations and best uses of generative AI when writing?

Below are some ways to use AI as starting point and idea generator in the writing process as well as an automated feedback tool to improve student writing:

(1) AI Drafting Process: Students use AI to generate a draft of a simple writing assignment. Students then analyze the AI's writing, focusing on accuracy, bias, or other characteristics important in your course. You may also ask students to improve the AI's draft to complete a second draft.

(2) Planning and Evaluating AI Use: Students create a plan for using AI within a specific assignment, like a scaffolded research paper, where they articulate for which steps it is valuable and appropriate to use AI, and when original thought and creativity are needed and why.

(3) AI Thesis Revision: Students use AI to quickly generate thesis statements on a variety of topics. Individually students revise these statements and share two that are strongest to a group for feedback, including what prompts they provided the AI and what revisions they made to each statement. Students use AI to "get started" by quickly generating ideas, and then leverage their own skills to refine and improve.

(4) AI Automated Feedback: Students can use generative AI to improve their writing by submitting a draft and grading rubric to an AI tool asking for feedback and areas to improve based on the rubric. Students can provide an analysis of what feedback and suggestions were useful and what was not useful.

PROMPT:

Please provide one paragraph of sentence structure and grammatical feedback and another on the strengths and weaknesses of the argument for the following essay:

I am a movie fanatic. When friends want to know what picture won the Oscar in 2001, they ask me. When friends want to know who voiced Optimus Prime in Transformers, they ask me. However, my buddies have stopped asking me if I want to go out to the movies. While I love movies as much as ever, I find it more enjoyable to wait for a movie's release on Netflix because of the inconvenience of going out, the temptations of the concession stand, and the behavior of some patrons.

First of all, just getting to the theater presents difficulties. Leaving a home equipped with an HDTV and surround sound isn't attractive on a cold or rainy night. Even if the weather cooperates, there is the hassle of looking for a parking space and the lines. There is also the worry of whether you and your friends will get all your seats together. Although none of these hindrances are insurmountable, it's much easier to stay seated on your sofa.

Second, the theater offers tempting snacks that I don't really need. At home I can control myself because there is no ice cream in the freezer, we don't have sodas in the fridge, and my snacks tend to be healthy, like fruits, nuts, and juices. At the movies, even if I only buy a Diet Coke, the smell of fresh popcorn dripping with butter soon overcomes me. And what about the nachos with cheese and the Snickers and M&M's? I'm better off without all those temptations.

Finally, some of the other patrons are even more of a problem than the concession stand. Little kids race up and down the aisles, making noise. Teenagers try to impress their friends by talking back to the actors on the screen or otherwise making fools of themselves. Some adults aren't any better, commenting loud enough to reveal plot twists that are supposed to be a secret until the movie's end. What am I doing here, I ask myself.

After arriving home from the movies one night, I decided I had had enough. I was not going to be a moviegoer anymore. I was tired of the problems involved in getting to the theater, resisting unhealthy snacks, and dealing with the patrons. The next day, I arranged to have premium movie channels added to my cable TV service, and I got a Netflix membership. I may now see movies a bit later than other people, but I'll be more relaxed watching box office hits in the comfort of my own living room.

RESPONSE:

Sentence structure and grammatical feedback:

The essay demonstrates generally good sentence structure and grammatical accuracy. The author effectively uses a mix of sentence types, including simple and compound sentences, to express their ideas clearly. However, there is a minor inconsistency in the essay's verb tense, which could be improved for better flow. For example, the author starts the essay in the present tense ("I am a movie fanatic," "they ask me") but switches to the past tense when narrating their decision to stop going to the theater ("After arriving home from the movies one night, I decided I had had enough"). Maintaining a consistent tense throughout the essay would enhance its coherence.

Strengths of the argument:

The essay presents a clear and relatable argument for the author's preference to watch movies on Netflix rather than going to the theater. The author uses personal experiences and anecdotes to illustrate the inconveniences of going out to the movies, such as bad weather, parking issues, and seating concerns. By sharing these relatable difficulties, the author helps readers empathize with their perspective. Furthermore, the essay effectively highlights the allure of unhealthy snacks at the concession stand and the disruptive behavior of some theatergoers. These points resonate with many people who have encountered similar challenges while watching movies in theaters.

Weaknesses of the argument:

While the essay provides a convincing case for the author's decision to stay home and watch movies on Netflix, it could benefit from acknowledging some potential counterarguments. For instance, going to the theater can offer a unique and immersive experience that cannot be fully replicated at home. Big screens, surround sound systems, and communal atmosphere add a different dimension to the movie-watching experience. Additionally, the essay's reliance on personal preferences and anecdotes might not apply universally to all movie enthusiasts. Some individuals may still prefer the social aspect of going to the movies, despite the inconveniences mentioned. Including a balanced perspective that considers both sides of the argument would strengthen the overall impact of the essay.

Source: Schmidli et. al (2023) "Considerations for Using AI In The Classroom." L&S Instructional Design Collaborative at University of Wisconsin - Madison. Retrieved [June 19 th, 2023] from https://idc.ls.wisc.edu/guides/using-artificial-intelligence-in-the-classroom/

Reflections

With any of these assignment and activity generative AI integration ideas, instructors should offer opportunities to discuss the use of AI with students so that they can reflect on their experience and analyze their engagement with the tool.

ChatGPT infused reflection and revision assignment may look like this process:

1. Ask students to identify a major question or challenge in a specific field or discipline.

2. Next, ask students to create a ChatGPT prompt that responds to the question or Challenge identified above.

3. Then, have students reflect on ChatGPT's output. What did ChatGPT answer correctly or incorrectly? What steps are needed to verify the generated content? Are there additional follow-up prompts that should be posed to ChatGPT to improve output?

4. Next, have students revise and improve the output of ChatGPT by correcting errors and expanding or enhancing content. During this step, make sure that students enable track changes in their documents.

5. Finally, have students submit the initial prompt, ChatGPT's output, and their revision of the ChatGPT response (Watkins, 2022).

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incorporating generative ai into the writing process for students

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Incorporating Generative AI Into the Writing Process For Students

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Incorporating Generative AI Into the Writing Process For Students

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Teaching Students to Write with AI - The SPACE Framework

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Teaching Students to Write with AI - The SPACE Framework

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Teaching Students to Write with AI: The SPACE Framework

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Understanding AI Writing Tools and Their Uses for Teaching and Learning

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Understanding AI Writing Tools and Their Uses for Teaching and Learning

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Understanding AI Writing Tools and Their Uses for Teaching and Learning at UC Berkeley | Center for Teaching & Learning

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ChatGPT can produce full essays based on simple prompts, which may tempt some students into submitting AI-generated essays from ChatGPT as their own work.

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ChatGPT can produce full essays based on simple prompts, which may tempt some students into submitting AI-generated essays from ChatGPT as their own work.

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Poe lets you ask questions, get instant answers, and have back-and-forth conversations with AI. Gives access to GPT-4, gpt-3.5-turbo, Claude from Anthropic, and a variety of other bots.

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Runway is an applied AI research company shaping the next era of art, entertainment and human creativity.

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Impact of AI on the Writing and Editing Process

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Impact of AI on the Writing and Editing Process

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Artificial intelligence has fundamentally altered how content writing and editing are handled. More than just convenience, AI touches every stage of the process, from quickly fetching research to distilling complex topics into easily-understandable paragraphs. As AI continues to improve, the world that writers and editors alike know will change. What can you expect? Where are the opportunities and what are the challenges ahead? Let's take a closer look.

How Does AI Play a Role in Content Creation?

Traditionally, writing and editing were purely human affairs, combining creativity, critical thinking and superior attention to detail. The process was understandably time-consuming and difficult and the end results depended heavily on the writer's or editor's skill and experience.

However, AI upended all of that with its arrival on the scene. New platforms and services allow users to leverage AI to the fullest even with no prior experience. With just a few simple prompts, AI can generate initial ideas all the way up to creating fully-drafted articles. Where AI truly excels, though, is in its ability to quickly analyze reams of data and draw upon it to create content that's interesting and engaging.

One of the main ways it does this is through natural language generation or NLG technologies.NLG is the art and science of creating coherent, understandable text from structured data - bridging the gap between computer data and human language.

With NLG, the computer is able to take input data in the form of templates, numbers or other configurations, look at it to analyze patterns, identify those patterns and then pull out the most relevant pieces of data.

The system then organizes the material in a way that's logical and makes sense. Text is planned and sentences generated, following the rules and logic of the language being used. All of this happens in mere seconds.

But NLG is just one piece of a very large, elaborate and interlocking puzzle. Through a combination of specific rules, statistical models and deep learning, AI generates ever more realistic, nuanced sentences that reflect human-like language.

AI wasn't always so responsive or reliable, however. In order to fully understand and appreciate its impact on writing and editing, let's take a brief step back to see how we got to this point.

A Brief History of AI Tools

AI tools can trace their roots back to the mid 20th century. Brilliant pioneer Alan Turing proposed the concept that one day, machines could simulate human intelligence. In the 1950s and 1960s, the first AI programs were developed. With names like the Logic Theorist and ELIZA, they showcased the potential for machines to performa reasoning tasks and process natural language.

The next decades were highlighted by a phoenix-like death and rebirth of various AI tools where new innovations sprouted and withered, mainly due to technical challenges and differences in funding. Once the Internet became more widespread and greater access to data and more computer power became commonplace, new breakthroughs in machine learning and natural language processing were made.

Moving on to the late 20th and early 21st centuries, we saw more sophisticated AI tools began to take shape. IBM's Watson won Jeopardy! against a human contestant. And, just a few short years later, AI tools have been integrated into our life in surprising and unexpected ways. From voice-activated assistants to new vaccine trials and even autonomous vehicles, the age of AI is just getting started.

That brings us to the writing and editing process of today. How exactly did we go from machines that can compute, to machines that can think and respond like a human to the point that we use them in our daily work?

How Today's AI Writing Tools Work

You may not realize it when you ask ChatGPT or Google Gemini a question, but in the background, sophisticated algorithms and learning techniques are being used to deliver answers. Both NLG and NLP technologies are at work, which in turn help the software understand and produce text that is "human-like" in nature.

The tools themselves are trained from incredible volumes of text and databases on the internet, including books, articles and many other sources, which help the machine learning programs "learn" different patterns,styles and nuances of language.

To make these tools work first requires a prompt or some kind of input from the writer. This could range from a basic question to a full-fledged set of instructions. The AI tool then processes the input, using its training data and algorithms to generate responses that make sense. Tools based on deep learning models like ChatGPT, analyze the input to understand the context of the question or request, and then tries to output content that aligns with it.

However, AI systems do more than just regurgitate existing content. They're designed to incorporate the creativity and reasoning abilities of the human writer. With techniques like fine-tuning and transfer learning, they can adopt the style of a particular writer, write in a specific way or format the content according to different requirements. For example, it's possible to go from creative writing, to a blog post, to technical documentation all on the same topic.

More recent advances in AI have included feedback loops wherein the AI refines the result based on its interaction with the user, including any corrections. This helps improve accuracy in the system over time and make content continually look and read more "human-like".

However, despite their breadth of knowledge on seemingly any topic, AI tools are not without their limitations. Today's tools still need human oversight to ensure that their responses are accurate, unbiased, appropriate and original.

Using AI for Drafting and Content Creation

Content creators can use AI to help draft and create content across a wide range of industries. Here are just a few ideas:

Turn Data-Driven Content into Reports

A common use of AI tools, particularly for the media and other organizations is to have AI produce articles, reports and stories from structured data. Content like financial reports, sports summaries or even weather forecasts can go from data points into a specific narrative in just a few keystrokes.

Generate New topic Ideas

AI can look at current trends, searches and even social media to suggest topics that users will find relevant and engaging. This allows content creators to stay ahead of the curve by producing material that matches the user's search intent and interests.

Outline and Structure Content

AI tools can help in the content planning phase by generating outlines based on a given topic. It can create a basic structure for articles including headlines and subheadlines, which in turn makes it easier for writers to organize their thoughts and ensure that a topic is covered to the fullest.

Overcoming Writer's Block

AI is fairly clever at coming up with some unique perspectives and creative ideas to help overcome writer's block. It can create entire storylines, provide alternative phrasing and even infuse a narrative with new ideas or expressions.

Personalization and SEO

AI tools can help writers and content creators design their content to cater to specific audience segments, building on existing personalization efforts. It can also suggest meta keywords, descriptions and other SEO techniques to help boost the content in search engines.

Translation and Localization

In cases where content needs to be published in several languages, AI-directed translation can help make the process faster. However, despite its advanced knowledge, depending on the language, some human oversight may be needed to ensure that the content flows grammatically and stylistically.

AI in Editing and Proofreading

Editors can also leverage AI to help them shortcut the tedious work of editing and proofreading, including:

Grammar and Syntax Improvements

AI tools can spot and correct a variety of grammar errors, ranging from simple punctuation mistakes all the way to complex syntax issues. These tools have the capacity to go well beyond ordinary spelling and grammar checks, allowing for more comprehensive corrections that ordinarily would require a dedicated editor or proofreader.

Adjustments in Style and Tone

AI can analyze text to make sure it fits the specific style and tone of a project. Whether the writing needs a more formal tone or a more conversational style, AI brings consistency to how these adjustments are made to keep sentence structure, word choice and expression uniform.

Improved Readability

AI is able to suggest changes that can improve the readability of a text. This is particularly helpful if you're looking to tailor existing content to a broader audience or to specific groups of readers. For instance, if you need to make technical documentation more understandable to non-experts, AI can provide you with options on how to do so. To learn the current readability level of your content, be sure to check out Originality.AI's Readability Checker.

Plagiarism Detection

AI algorithms can compare texts against vast databases of published materials to flag possible instances of plagiarism. This can be helpful for journalists, academic institutions and others who need to ensure that works are properly quoted and cited. If you'd like to see such an AI tool at work, take a look at Originality.AI's plagiarism checker. The tool can also optionally scan to see if AI has written all or part of the content, with up to 99% accuracy.

Fact-Checking

Until recently, AI wasn't able to verify factual information by comparing it to trusted sources. With new innovations in fact-checking, it can now check and verify details more accurately. Originality.AI also incorporates a built-in fact-checker within the platform, making it an invaluable tool for journalists, academics and researchers whose results hinge on factual accuracy.

Writing in the AI Era - How Writers Need to Evolve

With AI, writers are finding themselves at a crossroads where technology doesn't just assist with writing, it influences it. AI's integration into different stages of content creation, from generating ideas to editing the final draft, means that writers must re-evaluate their skills and strategies.

As AI becomes more sophisticated and advanced, writers must be able to blend traditional skills with technological know-how. This means, for example, knowing how to leverage AI tools to build on their work without it costing them their creativity or unique voice. It's a fine dance between using AI for drafting and editing, versus letting the technology take the lead or guiding it along the way.

In this way, writers need to develop a deep and detailed understanding, not of how AI itself works, but of what it can and cannot do, so that it complements their work, rather than replacing them outright. Using strictly AI to generate content makes that content sound too robotic and rigid. Using only human writers creates more interesting and engaging content, but at a slower pace. The agencies and businesses of today must find a way where both can work together seamlessly.

Beyond working together to complement each other's strengths, it's also important for writers to continually learn and improve, after all, AI certainly is. In just a few short years, technology has evolved well beyond anything we could've imagined, and at this point, it will continue to do so by leaps and bounds. Writers must be open to exploring new areas and skills, like data literacy, SEO and much more, enabling them to create content across a number of different channels.

The Bottom Line with AI in Writing and Editing: Where Do We Go From Here?

No one can deny that AI marks a considerable evolution in how content is created and edited. Today more than ever, what's needed is a complementary integration of human creativity with machine efficiency. As AI continues to learn and adapt, so too must writers and editors; enhancing productivity while preserving creativity.

AI tools don't have to diminish the writer's capabilities. Instead, it can enhance them, helping people to tell new stories and bridge new gaps in communication. Being able to not just face this challenge, but embrace it wholeheartedly will be the key to thriving as a writer or editor in an AI-powered world.

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The Impact of AI on the Writing and Editing Process - Originality.AI

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AI revolutionizes writing & editing! Explore the Impact of AI on the Writing and Editing Process and unlock new possibilities for writers and editors.

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To Teach Better Writing, Don't Ban AI, Instead, Embrace it.

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To Teach Better Writing, Don't Ban AI, Instead, Embrace it.

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To Teach Better Writing, Don’t Ban Artificial Intelligence. Instead, Embrace it.

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By inviting ChatGPT into the classroom instead of locking it out, schools can push students toward independent thinking in a way that doesn’t signal mistrust.

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We'll use different generative AI tools, to model ways AI can support the writing process, from prewriting, to research, to revision. Participants will walk ...

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What is Artificial Intelligence? | Quick Learner

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5 ways instructional coaches can leverage AI - SmartBrief

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AI seems scary at first, but teachers and instructional coaches who leverage AI responsibly will find it an enormous time-saver

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A Brief But Spectacular take on harnessing AI in schools

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AI Implications on Writing Instruction, Application and Assessment Slides

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AI Implications on Writing Instruction, Application and Assessment Slides

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AI Implications on Writing Instruction, Application and Assessment.pptx (2)