CHAPTER 164*
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

PART I
GENERAL

      Sec. 10-15. Towns to maintain schools. Public schools including kindergartens shall be maintained in each town for at least one hundred eighty days of actual school sessions during each year. When public school sessions are cancelled for reasons of inclement weather or otherwise, the rescheduled sessions shall not be held on Saturday or Sunday. Public schools may conduct weekend education programs to provide supplemental and remedial services to students. The State Board of Education (1) may authorize the shortening of any school year for a school district, a school or a portion of a school on account of an unavoidable emergency, and (2) may authorize implementation of scheduling of school sessions to permit full year use of facilities which may not offer each child one hundred eighty days of school sessions within a given school year, but which assures an opportunity for each child to average a minimum of one hundred eighty days of school sessions per year during thirteen years of educational opportunity in the elementary and secondary schools. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section and section 10-16, the State Board of Education may, upon application by a local or regional board of education, approve for any single school year, in whole or in part, a plan to implement alternative scheduling of school sessions which assures at least four hundred fifty hours of actual school work for nursery schools and half-day kindergartens and at least nine hundred hours of actual school work for full-day kindergartens and grades one to twelve, inclusive.
      (1949 Rev., S. 1349; 1967, P.A. 288, S. 1; 1971, P.A. 370, S. 1; 442; 1972, P.A. 120, S. 1; P.A. 75-284; P.A. 77-614, S. 302, 610; P.A. 78-218, S. 9; P.A. 80-241; P.A. 88-123; P.A. 98-243, S. 12, 25; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 99-1, S. 36, 51.)

      History: 1967 act included kindergartens and changed usual minimum age for entrance from six to five; 1971 acts rewrote provision concerning studies of alcohol and narcotics effects to include nicotine, tobacco and all controlled drugs and their effect on citizenship and personality as well as on health and character and specified that rescheduled school sessions may not be held on Saturday or Sunday; 1972 act added provision allowing full year use of facilities "which may not offer each child one hundred eighty days of school sessions within a given school year" but which will average out as one hundred eighty days per year over thirteen-year course of education; P.A. 75-284 forbade discrimination on grounds of sex, religion or national origin and required equal participation opportunities for any child in any school activity, program or course of study; P.A. 77-614 substituted commissioner of education for secretary of state board of education, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-218 deleted provisions dealing with age of students, discrimination and equal opportunity and deleted detailed prescribed course of study; P.A. 80-241 added provisions concerning alternate scheduling of school sessions; P.A. 88-123 added Subdiv. designations and in Subdiv. (1) added "for a school district, a school or a portion of school"; P.A. 98-243 added language to set different requirements for half and full-day kindergarten programs, effective July 1, 1998; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 99-1 authorized public schools to conduct weekend education programs to provide supplemental and remedial services to students, effective July 1, 1999 (Revisor's note: The phrase "... full-day kindergarten and grades one to twelve, inclusive." at the end of the section was changed editorially by the Revisors to "... full-day kindergartens and grades one to twelve, inclusive." for consistency).

      What constitutes residence of a child for school purposes. 59 C. 491. Discretion of board of education to prescribe particular subjects is to be independently exercised. 127 C. 351. See note to chapter 106. Cited. 135 C. 582. Cited. 147 C. 374. Cited. 152 C. 151. Cited. 218 C. 1. Cited. 238 C. 1.

      Cited. 26 CS 123. Health instruction and physical education courses authorized, when. 29 CS 397. Plaintiff, eligible for public schooling, has standing to bring action for declaratory judgment that the distribution of funds for public schools do not meet constitutional standards. 31 CS 379.

      Sec. 10-15a. Discontinuance of kindergarten programs restricted. Section 10-15a is repealed.

      (February, 1965, P.A. 87; 1967, P.A. 288, S. 3.)

      Sec. 10-15b. Access of parent or guardian to student's records. Inspection and subpoena of school or student records. (a) Either parent or legal guardian of a minor student shall, upon written request to a local or regional board of education and within a reasonable time, be entitled to knowledge of and access to all educational, medical, or similar records maintained in such student's cumulative record, except that no parent or legal guardian shall be entitled to information considered privileged under section 10-154a.

      (b) The parent or legal guardian with whom the student does not primarily reside shall be provided with all school notices that are provided to the parent or legal guardian with whom the student primarily resides. Such notices shall be mailed to the parent or legal guardian requesting them at the same time they are provided to the parent or legal guardian with whom the child primarily resides. Such requests shall be effective for as long as the child remains in the school the child is attending at the time of the request.

      (c) If any private or public school is served with a subpoena issued by competent authority directing the production of school or student records in connection with any proceedings in any court, the school upon which such subpoena is served may deliver such record or at its option a copy thereof to the clerk of such court. Such clerk shall give a receipt for the same, shall be responsible for the safekeeping thereof, shall not permit the same to be removed from the premises of the court and shall notify the school to call for the same when it is no longer needed for use in court. Any such record or copy so delivered to such clerk shall be sealed in an envelope which shall indicate the name of the school or student, the name of the attorney subpoenaing the same and the title of the case referred to in the subpoena. No such record or copy shall be open to inspection by any person except upon the order of a judge of the court concerned, and any such record or copy shall at all times be subject to the order of such judge. Any and all parts of any such record or copy, if not otherwise inadmissible, shall be admitted in evidence without any preliminary testimony, if there is attached thereto the certification in affidavit form of the person in charge of such records indicating that such record or copy is the original record or a copy thereof, made in the regular course of the business of the school, and that it was the regular course of such business to make such record at the time of the transactions, occurrences or events recorded therein or within a reasonable time thereafter. A subpoena directing production of such school or student records shall be served not less than eighteen hours before the time for production, provided such subpoena shall be valid if served less than eighteen hours before the time of production if written notice of intent to serve such subpoena has been delivered to the person in charge of such records not less than eighteen hours nor more than two weeks before such time for production.

      (P.A. 73-74; P.A. 78-218, S. 12; P.A. 85-554, S. 4, 6; P.A. 86-223; P.A. 06-115, S. 2.)

      History: P.A. 78-218 substituted "board of education" for "school board"; P.A. 85-554 added Subsec. (b) establishing procedures for inspection and subpoena of school or student records; P.A. 86-223 required serving of subpoena at least eighteen hours before time for production of records rather than twenty-four hours before as was previously required; P.A. 06-115 added new Subsec. (b) re school notices to the parent or guardian with whom the student does not primarily reside and redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (c), effective July 1, 2006.

      Cited. 211 C. 555. Cited. 230 C. 43.

      Sec. 10-15c. Discrimination in public schools prohibited. School attendance by five-year-olds. (a) The public schools shall be open to all children five years of age and over who reach age five on or before the first day of January of any school year, and each such child shall have, and shall be so advised by the appropriate school authorities, an equal opportunity to participate in the activities, programs and courses of study offered in such public schools, at such time as the child becomes eligible to participate in such activities, programs and courses of study, without discrimination on account of race, color, sex, religion, national origin or sexual orientation; provided boards of education may, by vote at a meeting duly called, admit to any school children under five years of age.

      (b) Nothing in subsection (a) of this section shall be deemed to amend other provisions of the general statutes with respect to curricula, facilities or extracurricular activities.

      (P.A. 78-218, S. 10; P.A. 79-128, S. 12, 36; P.A. 80-405, S. 1, 4; P.A. 81-472, S. 10, 159; P.A. 88-360, S. 3, 63; P.A. 97-247, S. 6, 27.)

      History: P.A. 79-128 required equal opportunity to participate in activities, programs and courses of study, deleting former possible limitation of equal opportunity, i.e. "within the limits of existing expenditures in any one school year"; P.A. 80-405 required school authorities to advise children of opportunities available when they are eligible to participate; P.A. 81-472 made technical changes; P.A. 88-360 substituted the provision that public schools be open to all children "who reach age five on or before the first day of January of any school year" for the provision that boards of education "may exclude children who will not attain the age of five years until after the first day of January of any school year"; P.A. 97-247 designated the existing section as Subsec. (a), added "sexual orientation" and added Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 1997.

      Cited. 187 C. 187. Cited. 195 C. 24. Cited. 238 C. 1.

      Sec. 10-15d. Applicability of education statutes to the Unified School Districts and the vocational-technical schools. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1987, and annually thereafter, all provisions of the general statutes concerning education, except those provisions relating to the eligibility for noncompetitive state aid unless otherwise provided, shall apply to the operation of the State of Connecticut-Unified School District #2 established pursuant to section 17a-37 within the Department of Children and Families, State of Connecticut-Unified School District #1 established pursuant to section 18-99a within the Department of Correction and State of Connecticut-Unified School District #3 established pursuant to section 17a-240 within the Department of Mental Retardation. All provisions of the general statutes concerning education, except those provisions relating to the eligibility for state aid unless otherwise provided, shall apply to the operation of the vocational-technical schools established pursuant to the provisions of section 10-95. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, where such a school or school district shows that a particular statutory provision should not apply, the commissioner may grant an exception.

      (P.A. 81-197; P.A. 83-169, S. 7; P.A. 87-499, S. 1, 34; P.A. 93-91, S. 1, 2.)

      History: P.A. 83-169 changed name designations of special school districts, amending internal references accordingly; P.A. 87-499 substituted 1987 for 1981, made the unified school districts eligible for competitive state aid and deleted the reference to the E.O. Smith School; (Revisor's note: In 1993 an incorrect internal reference to "section 17a-38" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "section 17a-37"); P.A. 93-91 substituted commissioner and department of children and families for commissioner and department of children and youth services, effective July 1, 1993.

      Cited. 45 CS 57.

      Sec. 10-15e. Applicability of education statutes to incorporated or endowed high schools or academies. All provisions of the general statutes concerning teachers shall apply to teachers employed by incorporated or endowed high schools or academies approved under the provisions of section 10-34. Teachers who are not certified and employed by such high schools or academies prior to June 30, 1983, shall be excluded from the provisions of this section until certified.

      (P.A. 83-219, S. 1, 4.)

      Sec. 10-16. Length of school year. Each school district shall provide in each school year no less than one hundred and eighty days of actual school sessions for grades kindergarten to twelve, inclusive, nine hundred hours of actual school work for full-day kindergarten and grades one to twelve, inclusive, and four hundred and fifty hours of half-day kindergarten, provided school districts shall not count more than seven hours of actual school work in any school day towards the total required for the school year. If weather conditions result in an early dismissal or a delayed opening of school, a school district which maintains separate morning and afternoon half-day kindergarten sessions may provide either a morning or afternoon half-day kindergarten session on such day.

      (1949 Rev., S. 1350; 1961, P.A. 86; 1967, P.A. 186, S. 1; P.A. 77-262; P.A. 79-128, S. 4, 36; P.A. 81-78, S. 1, 2; P.A. 82-106, S. 1, 2; P.A. 85-37, S. 1, 2; P.A. 96-161, S. 1, 13; P.A. 98-243, S. 13, 25.)

      History: 1961 act added provisions for computing half a school day and for dismissal because of weather conditions, and changed the technical language; 1967 act included nursery schools in provision for two and one-half hour school day; P.A. 77-262 established two hour session as school day when nursery school or kindergarten dismissed early because of weather conditions or scheduled early closing; P.A. 79-128 deleted qualifying phrase "For the purpose of apportionment" with regard to determination of school days; P.A. 81-78 required that beginning with the fiscal year ending June 30, 1983, each school district shall provide no less than four hundred fifty hours of actual school work for nursery schools and kindergartens and no less than nine hundred hours of actual school work for grades one to twelve; P.A. 82-106 repealed requirement that no less than four hundred fifty hours of actual school work be provided for nursery school and kindergarten students; P.A. 85-37 amended section to require one hundred eighty days of actual school sessions and to allow school districts to count up to seven hours per school day towards the required yearly number of hours; P.A. 96-161 removed requirements for the length of the school day, added requirement for no less than four hundred fifty hours of kindergarten for a school year and added provision allowing school districts which maintain separate kindergarten sessions to provide either a morning or afternoon session if weather conditions result in an early dismissal or delayed opening of school, effective June 3, 1996; P.A. 98-243 added language to set different requirements for half and full-day kindergarten programs, effective July 1, 1998.

      Cited. 152 C. 151. Cited. 187 C. 187. Cited. 195 C. 24. Cited. 238 C. 1.

      Sec. 10-16a. Silent meditation. Each local or regional board of education shall provide opportunity at the start of each school day to allow those students and teachers who wish to do so, the opportunity to observe such time in silent meditation.

      (P.A. 75-367, S. 2; P.A. 78-218, S. 13.)

      History: P.A. 78-218 substituted "Each local or regional board of education" for "The board of education of each town and of each regional school district".

      Sec. 10-16b. Prescribed courses of study. (a) In the public schools the program of instruction offered shall include at least the following subject matter, as taught by legally qualified teachers, the arts; career education; consumer education; health and safety, including, but not limited to, human growth and development, nutrition, first aid, disease prevention, community and consumer health, physical, mental and emotional health, including youth suicide prevention, substance abuse prevention, safety, which may include the dangers of gang membership, and accident prevention; language arts, including reading, writing, grammar, speaking and spelling; mathematics; physical education; science; social studies, including, but not limited to, citizenship, economics, geography, government and history; and in addition, on at least the secondary level, one or more foreign languages and vocational education. For purposes of this subsection, language arts may include American sign language or signed English, provided such subject matter is taught by a qualified instructor under the supervision of a teacher who holds a certificate issued by the State Board of Education.

      (b) If a local or regional board of education requires its pupils to take a course in a foreign language, the parent or guardian of a pupil identified as deaf or hearing impaired may request in writing that such pupil be exempted from such requirement and, if such a request is made, such pupil shall be exempt from such requirement.

      (c) Each local and regional board of education shall on September 1, 1982, and annually thereafter at such time and in such manner as the Commissioner of Education shall request, attest to the State Board of Education that such local or regional board of education offers at least the program of instruction required pursuant to this section, and that such program of instruction is planned, ongoing and systematic.

      (d) The State Board of Education shall make available curriculum materials and such other materials as may assist local and regional boards of education in developing instructional programs pursuant to this section. The State Board of Education, within available appropriations and utilizing available resource materials, shall assist and encourage local and regional boards of education to include: (1) Holocaust education and awareness; (2) the historical events surrounding the Great Famine in Ireland; (3) African-American history; (4) Puerto Rican history; (5) Native American history; (6) personal financial management; and (7) topics approved by the state board upon the request of local or regional boards of education as part of the program of instruction offered pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.

      (P.A. 78-218, S. 11; 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 79-128, S. 13, 36; P.A. 80-166, S. 2; P.A. 89-133, S. 1, 2; 89-185, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-416, S. 6, 10; P.A. 95-101, S. 1; P.A. 97-45, S. 1; 97-61, S. 1.)

      History: P.A. 78-303 allowed substitution of commissioner of education for secretary of state board of education in accordance with P.A. 77-614, S. 302, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-128 replaced specific subject listings with more general subject matter areas and added Subsecs. (b) and (c); P.A. 80-166 changed initial date in Subsec. (b) from "in 1981" to "on September 1, 1982"; P.A. 89-133 in Subsec. (a) added provision that language arts may include certain sign languages, added new Subsec. (b) providing an exemption from foreign language requirements for deaf or hearing impaired pupils and relettered Subsecs. (b) and (c) as Subsecs. (c) and (d); P.A. 89-185 in Subsec. (a) added the subjects which health and safety education shall include but not be limited to; P.A. 93-416 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that "safety" may include the dangers of gang membership, effective June 29, 1993; P.A. 95-101 added provision concerning Holocaust education and awareness in Subsec. (d); P.A. 97-45 amended Subsec. (d) to add provision concerning the Great Famine in Ireland; P.A. 97-61 amended Subsec. (d) to expand the list of topics for programs of instruction to include African-American History, Puerto-Rican History, Native American History, personal financial management and topics approved by the State Board of Education at the request of local or regional boards of education.

      See Sec. 10-19 re courses concerning effects of alcohol, nicotine or tobacco and drugs.

      See Sec. 10-221a re high school graduation requirements.

      See Sec. 29-7n(a) re definition of "gang".

      Cited. 187 C. 187. Cited. 195 C. 24. Cited. 238 C. 1.

      Subsec. (a):

      Cited. 44 CA 179.

      Sec. 10-16c. State board to develop family life education curriculum guides. The State Board of Education shall, on or before September 1, 1980, develop curriculum guides to aid local and regional boards of education in developing family life education programs within the public schools. The curriculum guides shall include, but not be limited to, information on developing a curriculum including family planning, human sexuality, parenting, nutrition and the emotional, physical, psychological, hygienic, economic and social aspects of family life, provided the curriculum guides shall not include information pertaining to abortion as an alternative to family planning.

      (P.A. 79-463, S. 1.)

      Sec. 10-16d. Family life education programs not mandatory. Nothing in sections 10-16c to 10-16f, inclusive, shall be construed to require any local or regional board of education to develop or institute such family life education programs.

      (P.A. 79-463, S. 2.)

      Sec. 10-16e. Students not required to participate in family life education programs. No student shall be required by any local or regional board of education to participate in any such family life program which may be offered within such public schools. A written notification to the local or regional board by the student's parent or legal guardian shall be sufficient to exempt the student from such program in its entirety or from any portion thereof so specified by the parent or legal guardian.

      (P.A. 79-463, S. 3.)

      Sec. 10-16f. Family life programs to supplement required curriculum. Any such family life program instituted by any local or regional board of education shall be in addition to and not a substitute for any health, education, hygiene or similar curriculum requirements in effect on October 1, 1979.

      (P.A. 79-463, S. 4.)

      Secs. 10-16g to 10-16k. Increased student time on task; grants. Application for grants; selection criteria. Project evaluations; statement of expenditures. Assistance and information to school districts. Continuation of pilot program; report. Sections 10-16g to 10-16k, inclusive, are repealed.

      (P.A. 85-487, S. 1-6; P.A. 86-333, S. 21, 22, 32; P.A. 88-136, S. 36, 37.)

      Sec. 10-16l. Establishment of graduation date. Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes to the contrary, a local or regional board of education may establish for any school year a firm graduation date for students in grade twelve which is no earlier than the one hundred eighty-fifth day noted in the school calendar originally adopted by the board for that school year, except that a board on or after April first in any school year may establish such a firm graduation date for that school year which at the time of such establishment provides for at least one hundred eighty days of school.

      (P.A. 87-270, S. 3, 4; P.A. 88-360, S. 54, 63; P.A. 93-353, S. 50, 52; P.A. 96-108, S. 2, 3.)

      History: P.A. 88-360 substituted "each grade participating in graduation exercises" for "grades kindergarten to twelve, inclusive," and "grades one to twelve, inclusive,"; P.A. 93-353 deleted the existing provisions and substituted new provisions concerning the date of graduation exercises, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 96-108 added exception for the establishment of graduation dates after April first in any school year, effective April 30, 1996.

      Sec. 10-16m. Extended-day kindergarten. Grants. Section 10-16m is repealed.

      (P.A. 87-357, S. 1, 2; P.A. 88-360, S. 45, 63; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-7, S. 21, 22.)

      Sec. 10-16n. Head Start grant program. Grant allocation. Advisory committee. (a) The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Social Services, shall establish a competitive grant program to assist nonprofit agencies and local and regional boards of education, which are federal Head Start grantees, in (1) establishing extended-day and full-day, year-round, Head Start programs or expanding existing Head Start programs to extended-day or full-day, year-round programs, (2) enhancing program quality and (3) increasing the number of children served. The commissioner, after consultation with the committee established pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, shall establish criteria for the grants, provided at least twenty-five per cent of the funding for such grants shall be for the purpose of enhancing program quality. Nonprofit agencies or boards of education seeking grants pursuant to this section shall make application to the Commissioner of Education on such forms and at such times as the commissioner shall prescribe. All grants pursuant to this section shall be funded within the limits of available appropriations or otherwise from federal funds and private donations. At least seventy-five per cent of the funding pursuant to this section shall be allocated to Head Start programs established prior to July 1, 1992. All full-day, year-round Head Start programs funded pursuant to this section shall be in compliance with federal Head Start performance standards.

      (b) The Department of Education shall annually allocate to each town in which the number of children under the aid to dependent children program, as defined in subdivision (14) of section 10-262f, equals or exceeds nine hundred children, determined for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1996, an amount equal to one hundred fifty thousand dollars plus eight and one-half dollars for each child under the aid to dependent children program, provided such amount may be reduced proportionately so that the total amount awarded pursuant to this subsection does not exceed two million seven hundred thousand dollars. The department shall award grants to the local and regional boards of education for such towns and nonprofit agencies located in such towns which meet the criteria established pursuant to subsection (a) of this section to maintain the programs established or expanded with funds provided pursuant to this subsection in the fiscal years ending June 30, 1996, and June 30, 1997. Any funds remaining in the allocation to such a town after grants are so awarded shall be used to increase allocations to other such towns. Any funds remaining after grants are so awarded to boards of education and nonprofit agencies in all such towns shall be available to local and regional boards of education and nonprofit agencies in other towns in the state for grants for such purposes.

      (c) There is established a committee to advise the Commissioner of Education concerning the coordination, priorities for allocation and distribution, and utilization of funds for Head Start and concerning the competitive grant program established under this section, and to evaluate programs funded pursuant to this section. The committee shall consist of twelve members as follows: One member designated by the Commissioner of Social Services; six members who are directors of Head Start programs, two from community action agency program sites or school readiness coordinators, one of whom shall be appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate and one by the speaker of the House of Representatives, two from school program sites, one of whom shall be appointed by the majority leader of the Senate and one by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, and two from other nonprofit agency program sites, one of whom shall be appointed by the minority leader of the Senate and one by the minority leader of the House of Representatives; one member designated by the Commission on Children; one member designated by the Early Childhood Education Council; one member designated by the Head Start Directors Association who shall be the parent of a present or former Head Start student; one member designated by the Connecticut Association for Community Action who shall have expertise and experience concerning Head Start; and one member designated by the Office of Human Development Services, Office of Community Programs, Region 1 of the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

      (d) The Commissioner of Education may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, for purposes of this section.

      (P.A. 91-269, S. 1, 2; P.A. 92-222, S. 1, 3; P.A. 93-262, S. 33, 87; P.A. 95-266, S. 3, 5; P.A. 97-247, S. 7, 27; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 00-1, S. 32, 46.)

      History: P.A. 92-222 transferred the program from the department of human resources to the department of education, added Subdivs. (2) and (3) in Subsec. (a), required twenty-five per cent of the funding for grants to be used to enhance program quality, changed the applicable date in Subsec. (a) from June 25, 1991, to July 1, 1992, and increased the membership of the advisory committee from eleven to thirteen by adding a member designated by the commission on children and a member designated by the Connecticut Association for Community Action; P.A. 93-262 replaced references to commissioner of income maintenance and commissioner of human resources with references to commissioner of social services, effectively reducing committee membership from thirteen to twelve members, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-266 inserted new Subsec. (b) re allocation for fiscal years ending June 30, 1996, and June 30, 1997, relettering former Subsecs. (b) and (c) as (c) and (d), effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 97-247 made a technical change in Subsec. (a) and in Subsec. (b) provided for annual grants, provided for proportional reductions so that the total amount of grants does not exceed two million seven hundred thousand dollars, and changed the provision dealing with how grant funds are to be used, effective July 1, 1997; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 00-1 amended Subsec. (c) to expand committee membership to include school readiness coordinators, effective June 21, 2000.

      Sec. 10-16o. Development of network of school readiness programs. The state shall encourage the development of a network of school readiness programs pursuant to sections 10-16p to 10-16r, inclusive, 10-16u and 17b-749a in order to:

      (1) Provide open access for children to quality programs that promote the health and safety of children and prepare them for formal schooling;

      (2) Provide opportunities for parents to choose among affordable and accredited programs;

      (3) Encourage coordination and cooperation among programs and prevent the duplication of services;

      (4) Recognize the specific service needs and unique resources available to particular municipalities and provide flexibility in the implementation of programs;

      (5) Prevent or minimize the potential for developmental delay in children prior to their reaching the age of five;

      (6) Enhance federally funded school readiness programs;

      (7) Strengthen the family through: (A) Encouragement of parental involvement in a child's development and education; and (B) enhancement of a family's capacity to meet the special needs of the children, including children with disabilities;

      (8) Reduce educational costs by decreasing the need for special education services for school age children and to avoid grade repetition;

      (9) Assure that children with disabilities are integrated into programs available to children who are not disabled; and

      (10) Improve the availability and quality of school readiness programs and their coordination with the services of child care providers.

      (P.A. 97-259, S. 1, 41; P.A. 00-187, S. 10, 75; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1, S. 10, 54; P.A. 03-76, S. 39; P.A. 04-215, S. 1.)

      History: P.A. 97-259 effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 00-187 added reference to Sec. 10-16u, effective July 1, 2000; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1 amended Subdiv. (10) to add provision re coordination with the services of child care providers, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 03-76 made a technical change in Subdiv. (5), effective June 3, 2003; P.A. 04-215 amended Subdiv. (2) by deleting reference to "approved" programs, effective July 1, 2004.

      Sec. 10-16p. Definitions. Lead agency for school readiness; standards. Grant programs. (a) As used in sections 10-16o to 10-16s, inclusive, 10-16u, 17b-749a and 17b-749c:

      (1) "School readiness program" means a nonsectarian program that (A) meets the standards set by the department pursuant to subsection (b) of this section and the requirements of section 10-16q, and (B) provides a developmentally appropriate learning experience of not less than four hundred fifty hours and one hundred eighty days for eligible children, except as provided in subsection (d) of section 10-16q;

      (2) "Eligible children" means children three and four years of age and children five years of age who are not eligible to enroll in school pursuant to section 10-15c, or who are eligible to enroll in school and will attend a school readiness program pursuant to section 10-16t;

      (3) "Priority school" means a school in which forty per cent or more of the lunches served are served to students who are eligible for free or reduced price lunches pursuant to federal law and regulations, excluding such a school located in a priority school district pursuant to section 10-266p or in a former priority school district receiving a grant pursuant to subsection (c) of this section and, on and after July 1, 2001, excluding such a school in a transitional school district receiving a grant pursuant to section 10-16u;

      (4) "Severe need school" means a school in a priority school district pursuant to section 10-266p or in a former priority school district in which forty per cent or more of the lunches served are served to students who are eligible for free or reduced price lunches;

      (5) "Accredited" means accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, a Head Start on-site program review instrument or a successor instrument pursuant to federal regulations, or otherwise meeting such criteria as may be established by the commissioner, in consultation with the Commissioner of Social Services;

      (6) "Year-round" means fifty weeks per year, except as provided in subsection (d) of section 10-16q;

      (7) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Education; and

      (8) "Department" means the Department of Education.

      (b) The Department of Education shall be the lead agency for school readiness. For purposes of this section and section 10-16u, school readiness program providers eligible for funding from the Department of Education shall include local and regional boards of education, regional educational service centers, family resource centers and providers of child day care centers, as defined in section 19a-77, Head Start programs, preschool programs and other programs that meet such standards established by the Commissioner of Education. The department shall establish standards for school readiness programs. The standards may include, but need not be limited to, guidelines for staff-child interactions, curriculum content, including preliteracy development, lesson plans, parent involvement, staff qualifications and training, transition to school and administration. The department shall develop age-appropriate developmental skills and goals for children attending such programs. The commissioner, in consultation with the Commissioners of Higher Education and Social Services and other appropriate entities, shall develop a continuing education training program for the staff of school readiness programs. For purposes of this section, prior to July 1, 2015, "staff qualifications" means there is in each classroom an individual who has at least the following: (1) A credential issued by an organization approved by the Commissioner of Education and nine credits or more, and on and after July 1, 2005, twelve credits or more, in early childhood education or child development from an institution of higher education accredited by the Board of Governors of Higher Education or regionally accredited; (2) an associate's degree with nine credits or more, and on and after July 1, 2005, twelve credits or more, in early childhood education or child development from such an institution; (3) a four-year degree with nine credits or more, and on and after July 1, 2005, twelve credits or more, in early childhood education or child development from such an institution; or (4) certification pursuant to section 10-145b with an endorsement in early childhood education or special education, and on and after July 1, 2015, "staff qualifications" means there is in each classroom an individual who has at least the following: (A) A bachelor's degree in early childhood education or childhood development, or in a related field approved by the Commissioner of Education from an institution of higher education accredited by the Board of Governors of Higher Education or regionally accredited; or (B) certification pursuant to section 10-145b with an endorsement in early childhood education or special education.

      (c) The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Social Services, shall establish a grant program to provide spaces in accredited school readiness programs for eligible children who reside in priority school districts pursuant to section 10-266p or in former priority school districts as provided in this subsection. Under the program, the grant shall be provided, in accordance with this section, to the town in which such priority school district or former priority school district is located. Eligibility shall be determined for a five-year period based on an applicant's designation as a priority school district for the initial year of application, except that if a school district that receives a grant pursuant to this subsection is no longer designated as a priority school district at the end of such five-year period, such former priority school district shall continue to be eligible to receive a grant pursuant to this subsection. Grant awards shall be made annually contingent upon available funding and a satisfactory annual evaluation. The chief elected official of such town and the superintendent of schools for such priority school district or former priority school district shall submit a plan for the expenditure of grant funds and responses to the local request for proposal process to the Departments of Education and Social Services. The departments shall jointly review such plans and shall each approve the portion of such plan within its jurisdiction for funding. The plan shall: (1) Be developed in consultation with the local or regional school readiness council established pursuant to section 10-16r; (2) be based on a needs and resource assessment; (3) provide for the issuance of requests for proposals for providers of accredited school readiness programs, provided, after the initial requests for proposals, facilities that have been approved to operate a child care program financed through the Connecticut Health and Education Facilities Authority and have received a commitment for debt service from the Department of Social Services pursuant to section 17b-749i, are exempt from the requirement for issuance of annual requests for proposals; and (4) identify the need for funding pursuant to section 17b-749a in order to extend the hours and days of operation of school readiness programs in order to provide child day care services for children attending such programs.

      (d) (1) The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Social Services, shall establish a competitive grant program to provide spaces in accredited school readiness programs for eligible children who reside (A) in an area served by a priority school or a former priority school as provided for in subdivision (2) of this subsection, (B) in a town ranked one to fifty when all towns are ranked in ascending order according to town wealth, as defined in subdivision (26) of section 10-262f, whose school district is not a priority school district pursuant to section 10-266p, or (C) in a town formerly a town described in subparagraph (B) of this subdivision, as provided for in said subdivision (2). A town in which a priority school is located, a regional school readiness council, pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-16r, for a region in which such a school is located or a town described in subparagraph (B) of this subdivision may apply for such a grant in an amount not to exceed one hundred seven thousand dollars per priority school or town. Eligibility shall be determined for a five-year period based on an applicant's designation as having a priority school or being a town described in subparagraph (B) of this subdivision for the initial year of application. Grant awards shall be made annually contingent upon available funding and a satisfactory annual evaluation. The chief elected official of such town and the superintendent of schools of the school district or the regional school readiness council shall submit a plan, as described in subsection (c) of this section, for the expenditure of such grant funds to the Department of Education. In awarding grants pursuant to this subsection, the commissioner shall give preference to applications submitted by regional school readiness councils and may, within available appropriations, provide a grant in excess of one hundred seven thousand dollars to towns with two or more priority schools in such district. A town or regional school readiness council awarded a grant pursuant to this subsection shall use the funds to purchase spaces for such children from providers of accredited school readiness programs.

      (2) (A) Commencing with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2005, if a town received a grant pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection and is no longer eligible to receive such a grant, the town may receive a phase-out grant for each of the three fiscal years following the fiscal year such town received its final grant pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection.

      (B) The amount of such phase-out grants shall be determined as follows: (i) For the first fiscal year following the fiscal year such town received its final grant pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, in an amount that does not exceed seventy-five per cent of the grant amount such town received for the town or school's final year of eligibility pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection; (ii) for the second fiscal year following the fiscal year such town received its final grant pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, in an amount that does not exceed fifty per cent of the grant amount such town received for the town's or school's final year of eligibility pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection; (iii) for the third fiscal year following the fiscal year such town received its final grant pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, in an amount that does not exceed twenty-five per cent of the grant amount such town received for the town's or school's final year of eligibility pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection.

      (e) (1) Priority school districts and former priority school districts shall receive grants based on their proportional share of the sum of the products obtained by multiplying the average number of enrolled kindergarten students in each priority school district and in each former priority school district for the three years prior to the year the grant is to be paid, by the ratio of the average percentage of free and reduced price meals for all severe need schools in such district to the minimum percentage requirement for severe need school eligibility, provided no such school district shall receive a grant that is less than the grant it received for the prior fiscal year, including any supplemental grants received in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2005, or a grant that is less than one hundred fifty thousand dollars.

      (2) The Department of Education may retain up to five-tenths of one per cent of the amount appropriated for purposes of this section for coordination, program evaluation and administration.

      (3) If a town that is eligible for a grant pursuant to subsection (c) of this section does not submit, by October first, a plan which is subsequently approved for the expenditure of the entire amount of funds for which such town is eligible, the department may use funds that such town has not earmarked for expenditure, to provide supplemental grants to other towns that are eligible for grants pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, for school readiness professional development, including, but not limited to, scholarship assistance for school readiness staff to attain early childhood education certification and staff training to enhance literacy teaching skills, and to conduct activities related to preschool and kindergarten student developmental evaluations or assessments.

      (f) Any school readiness program that receives funds pursuant to this section or section 10-16u shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion or disability. For purposes of this section, a nonsectarian program means any public or private school readiness program that is not violative of the Establishment Clause of the Constitution of the State of Connecticut or the Establishment Clause of the Constitution of the United States of America.

      (g) Subject to the provisions of this subsection, no funds received by a town pursuant to subsection (c) or (d) of this section or section 10-16u shall be used to supplant federal, state or local funding received by such town for early childhood education, provided (1) a town may use the greater of (A) twenty-five thousand dollars, or (B) up to five per cent but no more than fifty thousand dollars of the amount received pursuant to subsection (c) or (d) of this section or section 10-16u for coordination, program evaluation and administration, and (2) if a town provides twenty-five thousand dollars in local funding for early childhood education coordination, program evaluation and administration, such town may use up to ten per cent but no more than seventy-five thousand dollars of such amount for coordination, program evaluation and administration. Each town that receives a grant pursuant to said subsection (c) or (d) or section 10-16u shall designate a person to be responsible for such coordination, program evaluation and administration and to act as a liaison between the town and the Departments of Education and Social Services. Each school readiness program that receives funds pursuant to this section or section 10-16u shall provide information to the department or the school readiness council, as requested, that is necessary for purposes of any school readiness program evaluation.

      (h) For the first three years a town receives grants pursuant to this section, such grants may be used, with the approval of the commissioner, to prepare a facility or staff for operating a school readiness program and shall be adjusted based on the number of days of operation of a school readiness program if a shorter term of operation is approved by the commissioner.

      (i) A town may use grant funds to purchase spaces for eligible children who reside in such town at an accredited school readiness program located in another town. A regional school readiness council may use grant funds to purchase spaces for eligible children who reside in the region covered by the council at an accredited school readiness program located outside such region.

      (j) Children enrolled in school readiness programs funded pursuant to this section shall not be counted (1) as resident students for purposes of subdivision (22) of section 10-262f, or (2) in the determination of average daily membership pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of section 10-261.

      (k) Notwithstanding subsection (c) of this section, three million four hundred eighty-three thousand seven hundred fifty dollars of the school readiness appropriation for priority school districts shall only go to school readiness programs in the following towns: Bridgeport, Hartford, New Britain, New Haven, New London, Waterbury and Windham.

      (P.A. 97-259, S. 2, 41; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-11, S. 25, 65; P.A. 98-239, S. 30, 35; 98-252, S. 32, 80; P.A. 99-230, S. 1, 10; P.A. 00-187, S. 4, 75; P.A. 01-173, S. 48, 67; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1, S. 11-13, 54; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-7, S. 10; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 15, 30, 32; P.A. 04-15, S. 1; 04-26, S. 1; 04-215, S. 2; 04-254, S. 3; P.A. 05-13, S. 5; 05-245, S. 1, 10, 28; P.A. 06-13, S. 1, 2; 06-135, S. 1, 23.)

      History: P.A. 97-259 effective July 1, 1997; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-11 amended Subsec. (a) to make a technical change in Subdiv. (3), to new Subdiv. (4) defining "severe need school" and to redesignate former Subdivs. (4) to (7) as Subdivs. (5) to (8), effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-239 amended Subdiv. (3) of Subsec. (c) to provide that, after the initial requests for proposals, facilities approved to operate a child care program financed through CHEFA and which have received a commitment for debt service pursuant to Sec. 17b-749i are exempt from the requirement for issuance of annual requests for proposals, effective June 8, 1998, and applicable to all grants submitted on and after July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-252 amended Subdiv. (1) of Subsec. (a) to allow the commissioner to approve programs for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1998, and June 30, 1999, that are for less hours and days, amended Subsecs. (c) and (d) to make technical changes, amended Subdiv. (3) of Subsec. (e) to remove cap of one hundred twenty thousand dollars per fiscal year, amended Subsec. (g) to allow a town to use up to five per cent but no more than fifty thousand dollars for coordination, program evaluation and administration, and added new Subsec. (h) re use of grants in certain years to prepare a facility or staff for operating a program, effective June 8, 1998; P.A. 99-230 amended Subsec. (a)(2) to add children attending pursuant to Sec. 10-16t, to renumber existing Subsec. (a)(7) and (8) as Subsec. (a)(8) and (9) and to add new Subsec. (a)(7) defining "year-round", amended Subsec. (e) to change the percentages in Subdivs. (1) to (3), inclusive, and to add Subdiv. (4) re use of a percentage of grant funds not earmarked by town for expenditure, and amended Subsec.(g) to add Subdiv. (2) re authorization to use increased amount of grant funds for coordination, program evaluation and administration for towns that provide twenty-five thousand dollars in local funding for such purposes, to require towns that receive grants to designate a person to be responsible for coordination, program evaluation and administration and to act as a liaison between the town and the departments, and to require programs to provide information for evaluation purposes, and added Subsecs. (i) re purchase of spaces in program in another town or region and (j) re children not counted as resident students for purposes of Sec. 10-262f, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 00-187 added provisions re transitional school districts and former priority school districts, amended Subsec. (b) to specify the standards for staff qualifications on and after July 1, 2003, amended Subsec. (d) to allow the awarding of grants in excess of one hundred thousand dollars to towns with one or more priority schools, amended Subsec. (e) to base grants on the "average" number of enrolled kindergarten students in a priority school district for the "three years" prior to the year the grant is to be paid rather than on the number of such students for the prior year and to provide that no such district receives a grant that is less than the grant it received for the prior fiscal year, and amended Subsec. (h) to extend the provision to the fiscal year ending June 30, 2001, and add requirement for the commissioner's approval, effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 01-173 amended Subsec. (j) to designate portion of existing provisions as Subdiv. (1) and add Subdiv. (2) re determination of average daily membership, effective July 1, 2001; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1 amended Subsec. (b) to require curriculum content to include preliteracy development, amended Subsec. (c)(1) to add reference to the "regional" school readiness council, amended Subsec. (e) in Subdiv. (1) to establish a threshold for grants of at least one hundred fifty thousand dollars and in Subdiv. (4) to increase the percentage of funds that are not earmarked that the department is able to use from ten to fifty per cent, amended Subsec. (g)(1) to allow a town to use the greater of the amounts pursuant to Subparas. (A) or (B), to designate the existing limit as Subpara. (B) and to add Subpara. (A) re twenty-five thousand dollars, and amended Subsec. (h) to remove limitation on the provision for specific fiscal years and to substitute limitation for the first three years a town receives grants, effective July 1, 2001; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-7 added Subsec. (k) re appropriations for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2003, effective August 15, 2002 (Revisor's note: In Subsec. (k) the numeric dollar amounts "$2,576,580" and "$198,199" were replaced editorially by the Revisors with "two million five hundred seventy-six thousand five hundred eighty dollars" and "one hundred ninety-eight thousand one hundred ninety-nine dollars" for consistency with customary statutory usage); June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 amended Subsec. (b) to make definition of "staff qualifications" applicable beginning July 1, 2004, rather than July 1, 2003, amended Subsec. (d) by designating existing provisions as Subdiv. (1), adding reference to former priority schools therein and adding Subdiv. (2) re grants for former priority schools and amended Subsec. (k) by adding provisions re appropriations for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2004, and June 30, 2005, effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 04-15 amended Subsec. (b) to change staff qualifications on and after July 1, 2005, in Subdivs. (1), (2) and (3), and to add Subdiv. (4) re endorsement in early childhood education or special education, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-26 made technical changes in Subsec. (d)(2), effective April 28, 2004; P.A. 04-215 deleted definition of "approved" in Subsec. (a), made technical changes throughout, deleted "or approved" re school readiness program throughout, amended Subsec. (d) to increase maximum grant amount from one hundred thousand to one hundred seven thousand dollars and amended Subsec. (e) by deleting provision in Subdiv. (1) re per cent amount of appropriation for noncompetitive grant, deleting former Subdiv. (2) re per cent amount of appropriation for competitive grant, and amending redesignated Subdiv. (3) by changing plan submission deadline from January first, to October first, by increasing amount of funds not earmarked for expenditure that department may use from fifty to seventy per cent, and by adding provision re amounts that may be used for school readiness professional development, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-254 amended Subsec. (d)(1) by adding provision re towns ranked according to wealth and deleted former Subsec. (k) re appropriations for fiscal years ending June 30, 2003, June 30, 2004, and June 30, 2005, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 05-13 amended Subsec. (d) by extending competitive grant program and phase-out to certain towns and making conforming changes, effective May 4, 2005; P.A. 05-245 made a technical change in Subsec. (a)(1), amended Subsec. (b) to extend the current definition of "staff qualifications" to July 1, 2015, and to introduce new standards for staff qualifications on and after July 1, 2015, amended Subsec. (d)(1) by extending grant eligibility from the towns ranked one to twenty-eight, to the towns ranked one to fifty when all towns are ranked in ascending order according to town wealth, and amended Subsec. (e)(1) by adding language re supplemental grants received in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2005, effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 06-13 made technical changes in Subsecs. (d) and (e)(3), effective May 2, 2006; P.A. 06-135 amended Subsec. (e)(3) to delete percentage requirements and provide that Department of Education may determine the distribution of funds not earmarked for expenditure for the purposes of professional development and preschool and kindergarten assessments and added Subsec. (k) re funding for programs in certain towns, effective July 1, 2006.

      Sec. 10-16q. School readiness program requirements. Per child cost limitation. Sliding fee scale. Waiver from schedule requirements. (a) Each school readiness program shall include: (1) A plan for collaboration with other community programs and services, including public libraries, and for coordination of resources in order to facilitate full-day and year-round child care and education programs for children of working parents and parents in education or training programs; (2) parent involvement, parenting education and outreach; (3) (A) record-keeping policies that require documentation of the name and address of each child's doctor, primary care provider and health insurance company and information on whether the child is immunized and has had health screens pursuant to the federal Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment Services Program under 42 USC 1396d, and (B) referrals for health services, including referrals for appropriate immunizations and screenings; (4) a plan for the incorporation of appropriate preliteracy practices and teacher training in such practices; (5) nutrition services; (6) referrals to family literacy programs that incorporate adult basic education and provide for the promotion of literacy through access to public library services; (7) admission policies that promote enrollment of children from different racial, ethnic and economic backgrounds and from other communities; (8) a plan of transition for participating children from the school readiness program to kindergarten and provide for the transfer of records from the program to the kindergarten program; (9) a plan for professional development for staff, including, but not limited to, training (A) in preliteracy skills development, and (B) designed to assure respect for racial and ethnic diversity; (10) a sliding fee scale for families participating in the program pursuant to section 17b-749d; and (11) an annual evaluation of the effectiveness of the program. On and after July 1, 2000, school readiness programs shall use the assessment measures developed pursuant to section 10-16s in conducting their annual evaluations.

      (b) (1) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006, the per child cost of the Department of Education school readiness component of the program offered by a school readiness provider shall not exceed six thousand six hundred fifty dollars.

      (2) For fiscal year ending June 30, 2007, and each fiscal year thereafter, the per child cost of the Department of Education school readiness component of the program offered by a school readiness provider shall not exceed six thousand nine hundred twenty-five dollars. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (e) of section 10-16p, the Department of Education shall not provide funding to any school readiness provider that (A) on or before January 1, 2004, first entered into a contract with a town to provide school readiness services pursuant to this section and is not accredited on January 1, 2007, or (B) after January 1, 2004, first entered into a contract with a town to provide school readiness services pursuant to this section and does not become accredited by the date three years after the date on which the provider first entered into such a contract.

      (3) A school readiness provider may provide child day care services and the cost of such child day care services shall not be subject to such per child cost limitation.

      (c) A local or regional board of education may implement a sliding fee scale for the cost of services provided to children enrolled in a school readiness program.

      (d) A town or school readiness council may file a waiver application to the Department of Education on forms provided by the department for the purpose of seeking approval of a school readiness schedule that varies from the minimum hours and number of days provided for in subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 10-16p or from the definition of a year-round program pursuant to subdivision (7) of said subsection (a). The Department of Education may, in consultation with the Department of Social Services, approve any such waiver if the departments find that the proposed schedule meets the purposes set forth in the provisions of section 10-16o concerning the development of school readiness programs and maximizes available dollars to serve more children or address community needs.

      (P.A. 97-259, S. 3, 41; P.A. 98-243, S. 11, 25; P.A. 99-230, S. 2, 10; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1, S. 14, 54; P.A. 04-215, S. 3; P.A. 05-245, S. 8; P.A. 06-135, S. 24.)

      History: P.A. 97-259 effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-243 amended Subsec. (a) to add "public libraries" in Subdiv. (1) and provision for the transfer of records in Subdiv. (7), effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 99-230 amended Subsec. (a) to make the existing Subdiv. (3) Subpara. (B) and to add Subpara. (A) re record-keeping policies, and to require the use of assessment measures developed pursuant to section 10-16s for annual evaluations, effective July 1, 1999; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1 amended Subsec. (a) to renumber Subdivs. (4) to (10) as Subdivs. (5) to (11), to add new Subdiv. (4) re preliteracy practices and in Subdiv. (9) to include plan requirements in Subparas. (A) and (B), effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 04-215 amended Subsec. (b) to change the maximum per child cost from foundation, as defined in Sec. 10-262f(9), to six thousand four hundred dollars, and added Subsec. (d) re waiver from requirements of school readiness schedule, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 05-245 amended Subsec. (b) by designating existing language re maximum per child cost as Subdiv. (1) and increasing existing per child cost to six thousand six hundred fifty dollars for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006, by adding new Subdiv. (2) re maximum per child cost for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007, and each fiscal year thereafter, and by designating existing language re child day care services as Subdiv. (3), effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 06-135 amended Subsec. (b)(2) by adding provisions re denial of funding for lack of accreditation, effective July 1, 2006.

      Sec. 10-16r. Local school readiness councils; duties. Regional school readiness councils. (a) A town seeking to apply for a grant pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-16p or section 10-16u shall convene a local school readiness council or shall establish a regional school readiness council pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. Any other town may convene such a council. The chief elected official of the town or, in the case of a regional school district, the chief elected officials of the towns in the school district and the superintendent of schools for the school district shall jointly appoint and convene such council. Each school readiness council shall be composed of: (1) The chief elected official, or the official's designee; (2) the superintendent of schools, or a management level staff person as the superintendent's designee; (3) parents; (4) representatives from local programs such as Head Start, family resource centers, nonprofit and for-profit child day care centers, group day care homes, prekindergarten and nursery schools, and family day care home providers; (5) a representative from a health care provider in the community; and (6) other representatives from the community who provide services to children. The chief elected official shall designate the chairperson of the school readiness council.

      (b) The local school readiness council shall: (1) Make recommendations to the chief elected official and the superintendent of schools on issues relating to school readiness, including any applications for grants pursuant to sections 10-16p, 10-16u, 17b-749a and 17b-749c; (2) foster partnerships among providers of school readiness programs; (3) assist in the identification of (A) the need for school readiness programs and the number of children not being served by such a program, and (B) for priority school districts pursuant to section 10-266p, the number of children not being served by such a program and the estimated operating cost of providing universal school readiness to eligible children in such districts who are not being served; (4) submit biannual reports to the Department of Education on the number and location of school readiness spaces, estimates of future needs, and the factors identified pursuant to subdivision (3) of this subsection; (5) cooperate with the department in any program evaluation and, on and after July 1, 2000, use measures developed pursuant to section 10-16s for purposes of evaluating the effectiveness of school readiness programs; (6) identify existing and prospective resources and services available to children and families; (7) facilitate the coordination of the delivery of services to children and families, including (A) referral procedures, and (B) before and after-school child care for children attending kindergarten programs; (8) exchange information with other councils, the community and organizations serving the needs of children and families; (9) make recommendations to school officials concerning transition from school readiness programs to kindergarten; and (10) encourage public participation.

      (c) Two or more towns or school districts and appropriate representatives of groups or entities interested in early childhood education in a region may establish a regional school readiness council. If a priority school is located in at least one of such school districts, the regional school readiness council may apply for a grant pursuant to subsection (d) of section 10-16p. The regional school readiness council may perform the duties outlined in subdivisions (2) to (10), inclusive, of subsection (b) of this section.

      (P.A. 97-259, S. 4, 41; P.A. 98-243, S. 10, 25; P.A. 99-230, S. 3, 10; P.A. 00-187, S. 11, 75; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1, S. 15, 54; P.A. 04-215, S. 5; P.A. 05-245, S. 2.)

      History: P.A. 97-259 effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-243 amended Subdiv. (5) of Subsec. (b) to add Subpara. (B) re before and after-school child care, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 99-230 amended Subsec. (b) to add new Subdiv. (4) re biannual reports and new Subdiv. (5) re evaluations, and renumbered the existing Subdivs. (4) to (8), inclusive, as Subdivs. (6) to (10), inclusive, and amended Subsec. (c) to make a technical change, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 00-187 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to add references to Sec. 10-16u and to make technical changes, effective July 1, 2000; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1 amended Subsec. (a) to allow a town to establish a regional school readiness council, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 04-215 amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision in Subdiv. (3) re universal school readiness in priority school districts and by including factors identified pursuant to Subdiv. (3) as part of reporting requirements in Subdiv. (4), effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 05-245 amended Subsec. (a) by adding new Subdiv. (5) re a representative from a health care provider and redesignating existing Subdiv. (5) as Subdiv. (6), effective July 1, 2005.

      Sec. 10-16s. Interagency agreement on school readiness. Early Childhood Education Cabinet. Assessment measures. (a) The Commissioners of Education and Social Services shall develop an agreement to define the duties and responsibilities of their departments concerning school readiness programs. The commissioners shall consult with other affected state agencies and with the Early Childhood Education Cabinet. The agreement shall include, but not be limited to, a multiyear interagency agreement to establish and implement an integrated school readiness plan. Functions to be described and responsibilities to be undertaken by the two departments shall be delineated in the agreement.

      (b) (1) There shall be an Early Childhood Education Cabinet. The cochairpersons of the cabinet shall be the Governor, or the Governor's designee, and the Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee. The cabinet shall consist of the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management or the secretary's designee, the Commissioners of Social Services, Higher Education, Public Health, Children and Families and Mental Retardation or the commissioners' designees, the cochairpersons of each of the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education and human services or the cochairpersons' designees, the executive director of the Commission on Children, or the director's designee, and one person representing a local or regional school readiness council appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, and a representative of the Connecticut Head Start Association appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives.

      (2) Within available appropriations, the Early Childhood Education Cabinet shall (A) advise the Commissioner of Education on policies and initiatives to meet the goals established in section 10-16o, (B) conduct a state-wide longitudinal evaluation of the school readiness program in consultation with the Department of Social Services and the Department of Education, (C) develop budget requests for the early childhood program, and (D) promote consistency of quality and comprehensiveness of early childhood services.

      (c) On or before January 1, 2000, the commissioners shall adopt assessment measures for use by school readiness programs in conducting their annual evaluations pursuant to section 10-16q. The commissioners may adopt the assessment measures used for Head Start programs.

      (P.A. 97-259, S. 6, 41; P.A. 99-230, S. 4, 10; P.A. 05-245, S. 3.)

      History: P.A. 97-259 effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 99-230 designated existing Sec. as Subsec. (a) and added Subsec. (b) re assessment measures, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 05-245 amended Subsec. (a) by adding reference to the Early Childhood Education Cabinet, added new Subsec. (b) re the Early Childhood Education Cabinet and redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as new Subsec. (c), effective July 1, 2005.

      Sec. 10-16t. Participation by five-year-olds in school readiness programs. A local school readiness council may elect to reserve up to five per cent of the spaces in its school readiness programs for children who are five years of age and are eligible to attend school pursuant to section 10-15c. Such children shall only be eligible to participate in the school readiness program if they have been in the program for at least one year and the parent or legal guardian of such a child, the school readiness program provider and the local or regional school district in which the child would otherwise be attending school agree that the child is not ready for kindergarten.

      (P.A. 99-230, S. 9, 10.)

      History: P.A. 99-230 effective July 1, 1999.