Bill Text: CT HB05352 | 2012 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: An Act Concerning The Study Of Personalized Learning Schools.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-04-11 - File Number 350 [HB05352 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2012-HB05352-Introduced.html
General Assembly |
Raised Bill No. 5352 | |||
February Session, 2012 |
LCO No. 1650 | |||
*01650_______ED_* |
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Referred to Committee on Education |
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Introduced by: |
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(ED) |
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AN ACT CONCERNING STUDENT-CENTERED LEARNING.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) The Department of Education shall establish a pilot program to promote the personalization of learning in schools. On or before June 15, 2012, local and regional boards of education may submit proposals to the department to participate in the pilot program and receive a grant to implement the program. One or more local or regional boards of education may submit joint proposals for grants under this section. On or before July 1, 2012, the Commissioner of Education shall select ten school districts from among the proposals received by the department based on the criteria described in subsection (b) of this section. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013, the commissioner shall provide grants in the amount of fifty thousand dollars for purposes of implementing the plans described in the proposals submitted to the department.
(b) The department shall develop evaluation criteria for use by the commissioner when selecting the proposals, submitted pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, that are the most innovative and most likely to improve the personalization of learning. Such criteria (1) shall focus on (A) the relationship of time and learning, (B) the personalization of learning, and (C) financial sustainability of reforms; and (2) may consider (A) the design of the proposed schooling model, (B) the proposed means of raising standards and improving student achievement, (C) the provision of early childhood education opportunities, (D) the use and availability of technology, (E) the use of student assessments to monitor student academic progress and achievement, and (F) accountability frameworks.
(c) Grants under this section shall be awarded to school districts for the purpose of implementing the plan described in the approved proposal submitted pursuant to subsection (a) of this section during the first three years of participation in the pilot program. Such grants shall be used to cover any costs or expenses in excess of the normal operational costs of the school district in the implementation of such plan. Such planning grants may be used to relieve the superintendent of schools, administrators and teachers of day-to-day responsibilities so that such superintendents, administrators and teachers may implement such plans in the school district.
(d) The department shall regularly conduct meetings with the superintendents of schools for each school district receiving a grant under this section and a representative from the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents. Such meetings shall discuss and evaluate the implementation of the plans described in the approved proposals, submitted pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, establish benchmarks for student and district performance and achievement and suggest recommendations for the improvement of the program.
(e) The commissioner may waive any provision of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education that inhibits the implementation of a plan described in an approved proposal submitted pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.
Sec. 2. Subsections (f) and (g) of section 10-221a of the 2012 supplement to the general statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2012):
(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 regionally accredited; [or] (2) through on-line coursework that is in accordance with a policy adopted pursuant to subsection (g) of this section; or (3) through the successful completion of a competency assessment, pursuant to subsection (g) of this section.
(g) Only courses taken in grades nine through twelve, inclusive, shall satisfy this graduation requirement, except that a local or regional board of education may grant a student credit (1) 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; (2) 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; (3) 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; (4) toward meeting the high school graduation requirement upon the successful completion of coursework at an institution accredited by the Board of Regents for 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; (5) 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 regionally accredited; [or] (6) toward meeting the high school graduation requirement upon the successful completion of the board examination series pursuant to section 10-5c; or (7) toward meeting the high school graduation requirement upon the successful completion of a competency assessment developed or approved by the Commissioner of Education pursuant to section 3 of this act.
Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective from passage) Not later than July 1, 2012, the Commissioner of Education shall develop or approve competency assessments to be used by local or regional boards of education for purposes of determining eligible credits for satisfaction of the high school graduation requirements pursuant to section 10-221a of the general statutes, as amended by this act.
Sec. 4. Section 10-5e of the 2012 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2012):
On and after July 1, 2014, the Department of Education shall commence development or approval of the end of the school year examinations to be administered pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (c) of section 10-221a. The department shall develop or adopt various models of such examinations and various means of administering such examinations to be part of a personalized assessment system developed by the department pursuant to section 5 of this act. Such examinations shall be developed or approved on or before July 1, 2016.
Sec. 5. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2012) On or before July 1, 2016, the Department of Education shall develop a personalized assessment system to be used by local and regional boards of education. Such personalized assessment system shall assist local and regional boards of education in improving student achievement by developing personalized learning opportunities for students, and shall include, but not be limited to, various models of examinations to be administered to students, pursuant to sections 10-14n and 10-221a of the general statutes, as amended by this act.
Sec. 6. (Effective July 1, 2012) The sum of five hundred thousand dollars is appropriated to the Department of Education, from the General Fund, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013, for implementing the provisions of the pilot program described in section 1 of this act.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
from passage |
New section |
Sec. 2 |
July 1, 2012 |
10-221a(f) and (g) |
Sec. 3 |
from passage |
New section |
Sec. 4 |
July 1, 2012 |
10-5e |
Sec. 5 |
July 1, 2012 |
New section |
Sec. 6 |
July 1, 2012 |
New section |
Statement of Purpose:
To promote the personalization of student learning by establishing a pilot program to provide grants to school districts to develop personalized systems of learning, authorizing the Commissioner of Education to develop assessments to be used to determine eligible credits for satisfying the high school graduation requirements, and to establish a personalized assessment system that develops various models of state examinations.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]