Bill Text: CT SB00955 | 2017 | General Assembly | Comm Sub
Bill Title: An Act Concerning State Assistance To Certain Underperforming School Districts.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-05-03 - Referred by Senate to Committee on Appropriations [SB00955 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2017-SB00955-Comm_Sub.html
General Assembly |
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January Session, 2017 |
*_____SB00955ED____032717____* |
AN ACT CONCERNING STATE ASSISTANCE TO CERTAIN UNDERPERFORMING SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2017) (a) The State Board of Education may appoint a school or district improvement officer for any school designated as low achieving, pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (e) of section 10-223e of the general statutes, as amended by this act, or any educational reform district, as defined in section 10-262u of the general statutes, as applicable, except the state board shall not appoint a school or district improvement officer for any such low achieving school or educational reform district whose accountability index, as defined in section 10-223e of the general statutes, as amended by this act, has improved significantly over the previous three school years. The school or district improvement officer shall be an individual (1) with a demonstrated record of success in improving low performing schools or the academic performance of disadvantaged students, and (2) who is properly certified as a superintendent pursuant to chapter 166 of the general statutes or is granted a waiver in accordance with the provisions of section 10-157 of the general statutes. The school or district improvement officer shall (A) have full managerial and operational control over the low achieving school or educational reform district to implement the improvement plan, described in subparagraph (H) of subdivision (2) of subsection (e) of section 10-223e of the general statutes, as amended by this act, (B) work collaboratively with the local or regional board of education to implement the provisions of the improvement plan, and (C) be responsible for meeting the goals of the improvement plan. The improvement plan may include, but need not be limited to, any of the actions described in subparagraphs (A), (C) to (F), inclusive, (I), (J), (L) and (M) of subdivision (2) of subsection (e) of section 10-223e of the general statutes, as amended by this act. The Commissioner of Education shall settle any disputes between the school or district improvement officer and the local or regional board of education relating to the implementation of the improvement plan. The school or district improvement officer shall submit a written report to the State Board of Education and the local or regional board of education on a quarterly basis to provide information regarding the progress of the implementation of the improvement plan.
(b) (1) The Commissioner of Education shall annually evaluate each low achieving school or educational reform district for which a school or district improvement officer has been appointed to determine if the low achieving school or educational reform district has met the goals of the improvement plan and to assess the implementation of the improvement plan. The commissioner shall submit a written report of such evaluation to the State Board of Education, the district improvement officer and the local or regional board of education.
(2) If, after conducting an annual evaluation, the commissioner determines that the low achieving school or educational reform district has not met one or more goals of the improvement plan, the commissioner may require the school or district improvement officer to modify the improvement plan. If the commissioner determines that the low achieving school or educational reform district has substantially failed to meet multiple goals in the improvement plan, the commissioner may terminate the contract of the school or district improvement officer.
(3) Upon expiration of the contract of the school or district improvement officer, the commissioner shall conduct a review of the low achieving school or educational reform district to determine if the low achieving school or educational reform district has improved sufficiently, requires additional improvement or has failed to improve. If the commissioner determines that the low achieving school or educational reform district has improved sufficiently or requires additional improvement, the commissioner may renew the contract of the school or district improvement officer for an additional period not to exceed three years or return full managerial and operational control over the low achieving school or educational reform district to the local or regional board of education.
Sec. 2. Subsection (e) of section 10-223e of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2017):
(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 or the school or district improvement officer, appointed pursuant to subparagraph (N) of this subdivision, to develop and implement [a] an improvement 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 local and regional boards of education to (i) undergo training to improve their operational efficiency and effectiveness as leaders of their districts' improvement plans, 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] section 1 of this act, and whose term shall be for [one] three school [year] years, 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.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
July 1, 2017 |
New section |
Sec. 2 |
July 1, 2017 |
10-223e(e) |
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In Sections 1 and 2, "district improvement officer" was renamed "school or district improvement officer" for accuracy.
ED |
Joint Favorable Subst. |