2018 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 10 - Education and Culture
Chapter 164 - Educational Opportunities
Section 10-69 - Adult education.

(a) Each local and regional board of education shall establish and maintain a program of adult classes or shall provide for participation in a program of adult classes for its adult residents through cooperative arrangements with one or more other boards of education, one or more cooperating eligible entities or a regional educational service center pursuant to the provisions of section 10-66a. Such board of education may admit an adult to any public elementary or secondary school. No person enrolled in a full-time program of study in any local or regional school district may enroll in an adult education activity unless (1) such person receives the approval of the school principal of the school in which such person is enrolled in such full-time program, or (2) such person is enrolled in an adult education activity as part of an alternative educational opportunity during a period of expulsion, in accordance with the provisions of section 10-233d. Instruction: (A) Shall be provided in Americanization and United States citizenship, English for adults with limited English proficiency, and elementary and secondary school completion programs or classes; (B) may be provided in (i) any subject provided by the elementary and secondary schools of such school district, including vocational education, (ii) adult literacy, (iii) parenting skills, and (iv) any other subject or activity; and (C) may include college preparatory classes, for which the local or regional board of education may charge a fee, for adults who (i) have obtained a high school diploma or its equivalent, and (ii) require postsecondary developmental education that will enable such adults to enroll directly in a program of higher learning, as defined in section 10a-34, at an institution of higher education upon completion of such classes.

(b) (1) Prior to July 1, 2004, no providing school district shall grant an adult education diploma to any adult education program participant who has not satisfactorily completed a minimum of twenty adult education credits, of which not fewer than four shall be in English; not fewer than three in mathematics; not fewer than three in social studies, including one in American history; not fewer than two in science; and not fewer than one in the arts or vocational education. On and after July 1, 2004, no providing school district shall grant an adult education diploma to any adult education program participant who has not satisfactorily completed a minimum of twenty adult education credits, of which not fewer than four shall be in English; not fewer than three in mathematics; not fewer than three in social studies, including one in American history and at least a one-half credit course in civics and American government; not fewer than two in science; and not fewer than one in the arts or vocational education. (2) Each providing school district shall determine the minimum number of weeks per semester an adult education program shall operate and shall provide certified counseling staff to assist adult education program students with educational and career counseling.

(c) Providing school districts shall award:

(1) Credit for experiential learning, including: (A) Not more than two nonrequired credits for military experience, including training; (B) not more than one vocational education nonrequired and one required or not more than two nonrequired credits for occupational experience, including training; and (C) not more than one nonrequired credit for community service or avocational skills;

(2) Credit for successful completion of courses taken for credit at state-accredited institutions, including public and private community colleges, technical colleges, community-technical colleges, four-year colleges and universities and approved public and private high schools and technical education and career schools;

(3) Not more than six credits for satisfactory performance on subject matter tests demonstrating prior learning competencies; and

(4) Not more than three credits for independent study projects, provided that not more than one such credit shall be applied per subject area required pursuant to subsection (b) of this section.

(d) The State Board of Education may adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to establish standards and procedures governing the awarding of adult education credits for learning experiences pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. Any such regulations shall specify: (1) The procedures for awarding credits for military experience; (2) the types of occupational experience, occupational training and other specialized skills for which adult education credits may be granted; (3) the procedure for applying credits earned at accredited or approved educational institutions towards an adult education diploma; (4) the procedure for the administration of subject matter tests to assess prior learning competencies; and (5) the procedure for evaluating and awarding adult education credits for independent study projects.

(1949 Rev., S. 1387; 1961, P.A. 512, S. 1; P.A. 74-281, S. 1; P.A. 75-479, S. 5, 25; 75-576, S. 1; P.A. 78-218, S. 53; P.A. 81-397, S. 4; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 86-1, S. 30, 58; P.A. 87-499, S. 30, 34; P.A. 88-360, S. 7, 63; P.A. 90-33, S. 1, 4; P.A. 91-295, S. 5, 7; P.A. 92-126, S. 17, 18, 48; 92-262, S. 8, 42; P.A. 93-126, S. 1, 3; P.A. 95-259, S. 6, 32; 95-304, S. 1, 9; P.A. 97-290, S. 10, 29; P.A. 03-100, S. 3; P.A. 11-126, S. 2; P.A. 12-116, S. 87; P.A. 13-121, S. 1; P.A. 17-237, S. 52.)

History: 1961 act added exception re petitions for activities recreational in nature, and clarified that petition for instruction in English and citizenship obligations applies to town of any size; P.A. 74-281 removed distinction between towns of less than 10,000 population and those of more than 10,000, required all school districts to provide, either alone or in cooperation with another district, classes in Americanization and citizenship, subjects usually offered in elementary and secondary schools and others by petition and substituted “persons sixty-two years of age or over” for “aged persons as defined by the state board”; P.A. 75-479 required subjects be taught that are necessary for elementary and secondary school completion programs and made other teaching of elementary and secondary subjects optional; P.A. 75-576 defined “adult”, “adult class” and “adult education activity”, required 150 hours of adult classes per year, required approval of principal for full-time student to enroll in adult education class, made optional the teaching of secondary and elementary subjects usually taught in that school district, rather than in the state, if requested by fifteen persons and made teaching of any other subject possible if requested by fifteen adults, rather than twenty persons over sixteen, and deleted special provisions governing recreational activities for handicapped and elderly; P.A. 78-218 specified applicability to local and regional boards; P.A. 81-397 deleted requirement that adult education program consist of at least 150 clock hours per year, allowed provision of services at regional education service center, allowed admission of adults to public elementary and secondary schools, required that programs offer course in English for adults with limited English proficiency, authorized offering vocational education courses and deleted requirement that fifteen persons register for, or request, optional courses before such courses are offered; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 86-1 added Subsecs. (b) and (c) re credits towards adult education diplomas and Subsec. (d) re regulations concerning credits for learning experiences and in Subsec. (a) substituted that boards of education shall provide “for participation in a program of adult classes” for “adult education services”; P.A. 87-499 added a definition of “cooperating eligible entity” in Subsec. (a), provided that cooperative arrangements may be with a cooperating eligible entity and made a technical change; P.A. 88-360 in Subsec. (a) provided that classes or services provided by a cooperating eligible entity be in conformance with the program standards applicable to boards of education; P.A. 90-33 in Subsec. (a) added authorized private occupational schools to definition of “cooperating eligible entity”; P.A. 91-295 expanded the definition of “cooperating eligible entity” to include regional community colleges, regional technical colleges, regional vocational-technical schools and libraries; P.A. 92-126 amended Subsecs. (a) and (c) to replace references to community colleges and technical colleges with single reference to community-technical colleges; P.A. 92-262 amended Subsec. (a) to add corporation or other business entity to the definition of “cooperating eligible entity”; P.A. 93-126 amended Subsec. (a) to include any licensed or accredited institution of higher education in the definition of “cooperating eligible entity” rather than regional community-technical colleges and to make technical changes to the definition, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-259 deleted part of former Subsec. (a) containing definitions which were added to Sec. 10-67 and made some technical changes, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 95-304 amended Subsec. (a) to expand the definition of “adult” to include students assigned to adult classes, effective July 1, 1995, but failed to take effect, P.A. 95-259 having deleted that part of said Subsec. (a); P.A. 97-290 amended Subsec. (a) to add classes in adult literacy and parenting skills, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 03-100 amended Subsec. (b) by designating provisions re diploma requirements as Subdiv. (1), making existing diploma requirements applicable prior to July 1, 2004, adding new diploma requirements applicable on and after July 1, 2004, and designating existing provisions re weeks of operation and counseling as Subdiv. (2), effective July 1, 2003; P.A. 11-126 amended Subsec. (a) by designating existing language re approval of principal as new Subdiv. (1), adding new Subdiv. (2) re enrollment in adult education activity as part of alternative educational opportunity during period of expulsion and making conforming changes, effective July 1, 2011; pursuant to P.A. 12-116, “vocational-technical schools” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “technical high schools” in Subsec. (c)(2), effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 13-121 amended Subsec. (a)(2) to add Subpara. (C) re college preparatory classes, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 17-237 amended Subsec. (c)(2) by replacing “technical high schools” with “technical education and career schools”, effective July 1, 2017.