2018 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 10 - Education and Culture
Chapter 170 - Boards of Education
Section 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.

(2) Public schools and school districts identified by the State Board of Education pursuant to section 10-223e of the 2012 supplement to the general statutes, as schools or districts in need of improvement pursuant to subsection (a) of section 10-223e of the 2012 supplement to the general statutes, or low achieving schools or districts pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of section 10-223e of the 2012 supplement to the general statutes shall: (A) Continue to be identified as schools in need of improvement and low achieving schools, and continue to operate under a state accountability plan prepared in accordance with the provisions of section 10-223e of the 2012 supplement to the general statutes, through June 30, 2012; (B) on or before July 1, 2012, be evaluated by the local or regional board of education and determined to be making adequate yearly progress; (C) if found to be failing to make adequate yearly progress by a local or regional board of education, be subject to the state-wide performance management and support plan prepared in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of this section; (D) continue to be eligible for available federal or state aid; (E) beginning July 1, 2012, be monitored by the Department of Education to determine if student achievement for such school or district is at an acceptable level, as defined in the state-wide performance management and support plan prepared in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of this section; and (F) be subject to rewards and consequences as defined in such state-wide performance management and support 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.

(3) Not later than one hundred seventy-five days before the conclusion of the term of the reconstituted board of education, 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 the date that such period of reconstitution will conclude. Upon receipt of such notice by the Secretary of the State, the electoral process shall commence in accordance with the provisions of section 9-164, except that if such notice is delivered before the time specified in section 9-391 to nominate candidates for municipal office in the year of a municipal election, such offices may be placed on the ballot of a regular election, as defined in section 9-1, with the approval of the legislative body of the municipality. Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 146 and section 10-46, the legislative body of the municipality or municipalities involved shall determine the terms of office of the new members to be elected for such office.

(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.