AN ACT CONCERNING INTERVENTION MODEL FOR SCHOOLS IN NEED OF IMPROVEMENT AND CONCERNING URBAN EDUCATION.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. (Effective July 1, 2007) Each local or regional board of education with jurisdiction over an elementary or middle school that fails to make adequate yearly progress based on whole school academic achievement in math, reading, or both, as determined under the state-wide accountability plan adopted under section 10-223e of the general statutes for two consecutive years, shall reorganize such school to provide that:

(1) (A) The school be organized in academies, each containing a maximum of one hundred seventy-five students divided into different classes based on grade. (B) Each academy include all grade levels at the school. (C) Students be randomly assigned to academies. (D) The academies have different themes but the curriculum be the same in all.

(2) (A) The school principal appoint a teacher as team leader for each academy based on evaluations pursuant to section 10-151b of the general statutes. (B) Team leaders not be teacher supervisors, but be literacy, math or science specialists. (C) Team leaders work with the school's regular classroom teachers to: (i) Plan lessons; (ii) look at student data; (iii) work with small groups of students; (iv) provide model lessons; and (v) plan school and academy-wide activities.

(3) Each class in each academy have a ninety-minute math block and a two hour literacy block every day.

(4) Each student in the school have an individual education plan that incorporates the student's personal reading plan if the student is required to have a reading plan pursuant to section 10-265g or 10-265l of the general statutes, provided any child with an individual educational program developed pursuant to section 10-76d of the general statutes, follows such program.

(5) All teachers in the school of the same grade level meet weekly to plan lessons.

(6) Teachers meet daily in teams based on grade level to plan lessons.

(7) Teachers meet once a week with the team leader and the school principal to look at student work and data, evaluate instruction and make adjustments and changes in instruction.

(8) Students receive regular assessments, including short assessment tests every two weeks, that evaluate short-term progress and district-wide assessment tests every six weeks that evaluate a student's progress toward long-term objectives.

(9) Any child who is falling behind based on assessments conducted under subdivision (8) of this section be the subject of a meeting with teachers, school principal and parents.

Sec. 2. Section 10-266p of the general statutes is amended by adding subsection (h) as follows (Effective July 1, 2007):

(NEW) (h) Each local or regional school district that receives a grant in accordance with this section shall use an amount equal to or greater than twenty-five per cent of such grant to provide advance placement courses at each high school in the district.

Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2007) The School of Education at The University of Connecticut, in collaboration with the Department of Education, shall establish an educational service-delivery center to foster collaboration among educational professionals to provide field-based school improvement assistance. The purpose of such center shall be to increase collaboration between school personnel and university faculty specializing in educational research and to provide expertise and assistance to schools and school districts across the state with priority given to those schools identified as in need of improvement pursuant to section 10-223e of the general statutes and in conformance with the No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-110. The center shall: (1) Develop strategies and programs to reduce the achievement gap among school children; (2) provide assistance to school districts in implementing research-based system-wide strategies to improve school workplace and learning environments and to enhance positive student behavior; (3) identify and evaluate educational reforms designed to increase student achievement including, but not limited to, legislatively established pilot programs, charter schools and other innovative programs, assess such reforms' potential transferability to other school settings and disseminate findings and best practices to practitioners and policy makers in the state; (4) develop, disseminate, and assist in the implementation of smaller school settings, CommPACT schools, as defined in section 4 of this act, and other research-based school reform strategies for which a documented body of literature indicates success in improving student achievement; (5) work to develop and disseminate strategies to help schools and school districts improve access to support services and increase the number of community role models available to students to, including, but not limited to, increasing the number of tutors and mentors available to students and opportunities for students to participate in workplace experiences; (6) work to develop and disseminate strategies to increase parental involvement in school activities and school-level decisions affecting their children; (7) develop, disseminate and help implement strategies for improving the use of school schedules with the goal of increasing instructional time and opportunities for teamwork and collegiality among staff; (8) develop and assist in implementing school improvement teams consisting of experienced principals and teachers who will advise and assist schools requiring corrective action pursuant to the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-110, on ways to improve student achievement in such schools; (9) develop and assist implementing strategies to assist districts in attracting and retaining a uniformly high-quality and more diverse teacher, paraprofessional and administrator workforce and provide research-based professional development programs to continually improve professional practice; and (10) evaluate such center's field-based practices and experiences and provide for the dissemination of such practices and experiences to other schools and districts in the state.

Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2007)(a) The Commissioner of Higher Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Education, The Board of Trustees for The University of Connecticut and the Boards of Trustees of the Community-Technical Colleges and the Connecticut State University System, and the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges, shall establish a Teach-One competitive grant program available to institutions of higher education, entities affiliated with such institutions and nonprofit organizations to provide funds connecting children in priority and transitional school districts pursuant to section 10-266p of the general statutes, as amended by this act, to trained volunteer tutors and mentors, including, but not limited to, students attending institutions of higher education in Connecticut.

(b) Applicants for grants provided pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall apply to the Commissioner of Higher Education at such time and in such manner as the commissioner prescribes. In determining whether to award an applicant a Teach-One tutoring grant, the commissioner shall consider, at a minimum, whether an applicant's plan: (1) Can exhibit a commitment from one or more priority or transitional school districts, pursuant to section 10-266p of the general statutes, as amended by this act, to collaborate with the applicants to connect tutors and mentors to children in such districts; (2) provides for the long-term sustainability of the proposed tutoring program; (3) provides for the training of tutors in methods of teaching and appropriate interaction between students and tutors; (4) includes a commitment by a host institution of higher education to provide supplemental funding or other resources instrumental in the long-term sustainability of the proposed program; (5) includes strategies for coordinating with service learning, work study, or other stipend or volunteer-based student programs available through a host institution of higher education; (6) includes a mentoring program; (7) includes strategies for engaging volunteers from the business community to participate as tutors and mentors; (8) includes strategies for engaging retired professionals or other senior citizens as tutors and mentors; and (9) can provide priority and transitional districts, pursuant to section 10-266p of the general statutes, as amended by this act, tutoring services that could qualify as supplemental services pursuant to the No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-110.

Sec. 5. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2007) (a) For purposes of this section, "CommPACT school" means a public nonsectarian school that is (1) authorized and funded by a local or regional board of education to operate as a local public school subject to provisions of chapter 170 of the general statutes, (2) operated autonomously from such local or regional board, except in certain matters regarding collective bargaining agreements, (3) organized by a governance council consisting of representatives of the community served by the school, parents of students who would be served by such school, students who attend or will attend such school, and teachers and administrators who are employed or will be employed by such school, and (4) a public agency for purposes of the Freedom of Information Act, as defined in section 1-200 of the general statutes.

(b) The Commissioner of Education shall establish a CommPACT school start-up grant program to provide planning, development and start-up funding to districts authorizing newly formed CommPACT schools located in priority school districts pursuant to 10-266p of the general statutes, as amended by this act.

(c) Applicants for grants provided pursuant to subsection (b) of this section shall apply to the Commissioner of Education at such time and in such manner as the commissioner prescribes. In determining whether to award an applicant a CommPACT school start-up grant, the commissioner shall consider, at a minimum, the following factors: (1) The school governance and procedures for the establishment of a governing council that (A) includes representatives from the community served by the school, teachers, administrators and students participating or expecting to participate in the school, and parents and guardians of students enrolled or expected to be enrolled in the school, (2) the student admission criteria and procedures to promote a diverse student body and ensure that the school complies with the provisions of section 10-15c of the general statutes and that the school does not discriminate on the basis of disability, athletic performance or proficiency in the English language, provided the school may limit enrollment to a particular grade level or specialized educational focus and, if there is not space available for all students seeking enrollment, the school may give preference to siblings but shall otherwise determine enrollment by a lottery, and (3) whether the planned CommPACT school is organized to reform a school in need of improvement pursuant to the No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-110, or reduce the risk of a school receiving such designation based on such school's annual yearly progress as defined in said act.

(d) Within available appropriations, grants shall be awarded to successful applicants in an amount up to three hundred dollars for each student proposed to be enrolled in such school. If there are not sufficient funds to provide grants to all eligible applicants, the commissioner shall prioritize grants to applicants establishing schools identified as in need of improvement pursuant to the No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-110.

(e) For purposes of carrying out the provisions of this section, a CommPACT school may accept private donations to supplement its educational program provided such donations shall in no way limit the scope of program grants pursuant to this section.

Sec. 6. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2007) (a) The Commissioner of Education shall establish a teacher-mentor pilot grant program available to priority school districts pursuant to section 10-266p of the general statutes, as amended by this act, to increase teacher quality and retention and enhance the beginner educator support and training program under section 10-220a of the general statutes by implementing innovative mentoring and coaching strategies available to new teachers.

(b) Applicants for grants provided pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall apply to the Commissioner of Education at such time and in such manner as the commissioner prescribes. Applicants awarded a grant under this section shall include in their applications: (1) A description of how the proposed mentoring program would differentiate or supplement current beginner educator support and training mentor practices; (2) evidence that the proposed program is guided by research-based strategies for improving teacher mentoring; (3) an agreement with the center established pursuant to section 3 of this act to collaborate on the development and, if applicable, the implementation of innovative mentoring and professional coaching strategies; and (4) a plan for identifying, measuring, evaluating and reporting on program outcomes.

(c) Not later than July 1, 2008, grant recipients shall submit to the Department of Education a report on the performance of the pilot program based on the evaluation required under subdivision (4) of subsection (b) of this section.

(d) Not later than October 1, 2008, the Commissioner of Education shall, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, submit a report to the Governor and the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education on the outcomes of the pilot program pursuant to this section. The report shall include recommendations concerning: (1) Improving or reforming the beginner educator support and training program under section 10-220a of the general statutes and addressing accountability of such program; (2) whether such pilot program should be continued, expanded or otherwise used to improve teacher quality and retention in urban districts; and (3) the transferability of pilot program strategies to other districts regardless of their status as a priority school district pursuant to section 10-266p of the general statutes, as amended by this act.

Statement of Purpose:

To establish an intervention model for schools in need of improvement, to provide that priority school districts use twenty-five per cent of the grant money they receive as priority school districts for the provision of advanced placement courses and to enhance opportunity and workforce preparedness in our urban school systems.

[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.]