PA 07-241—sHB 7347
Education Committee
AN ACT CONCERNING MINOR CHANGES TO THE EDUCATION STATUTES
SUMMARY: This act:
1. revises the timetable for compiling data used to calculate each district's “mastery percentage” to reflect the change in the schedule for administering grades 3-8 mastery tests from fall to spring;
2. allows school boards to require certain information about surveys accompanying college admission exams to be provided to parents and guardians who attend college fairs at high schools under their jurisdiction;
3. allows directors of school readiness and certain before- or after-school programs to give medicine to children enrolled in the programs under certain conditions, and immunizes them from civil liability for ordinary negligence in giving the medicine;
4. allows the education commissioner to waive the requirement that a school superintendent hold a superintendent certificate issued by the State Board of Education (SBE), if the person meets the act's criteria for exceptional qualifications;
5. waives certain requirements for a durational shortage area permit and requires the SBE to issue a permit to a person who meets certain narrow criteria; and
6. requires the SBE to adopt regulations to certify marital and family therapists employed by local school boards.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2007, except for provisions allowing school readiness and certain after-school program directors to administer medication and waiving requirements for a durational shortage area permit, which are effective on passage.
§ 1 — MASTERY TEST DATA
In 2005, the General Assembly shifted the schedule for administering state mastery tests for grades 3 through 8 from the fall to the spring. The change took effect in the 2005-06 school year. The act makes a conforming change in the timetable for compiling mastery test data from tests administered in the 2005-06 and subsequent school years. The data is used to calculate each district's “mastery percentage,” which is a factor in determining educational need for the student weightings in the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula and is also used to help determine priority school districts. (PA 07-3, June Special Session, eliminates the mastery percentage factor from the ECS formula starting in FY 08. )
For mastery tests administered in the 2005-06 school year and after, the act requires the State Department of Education to use mastery data on record as of the December 31st, rather than the April 30th, following the test. It continues to allow school districts to ask for adjustments in their data but requires them to do so by the November 30th, rather than the March 31st, following the test.
§ 2 — NOTICE REGARDING SURVEYS ACCOMPANYING COLLEGE ADMISSION TESTS
The act authorizes school boards to require their high schools that host college preparation or admissions forums that parents and guardians may attend to inform them that responding to some surveys accompanying the admission exams is optional. It also requires the information to include a warning that releasing personal identifying information can increase a student's risk of identity theft.
Personal identifying information includes name; date of birth; mother's maiden name; ID numbers on various government documents such as drivers' licenses, passports, or Social Security cards; and bank card ID numbers.
§ 3 — ADMINISTERING MEDICATION IN SCHOOL READINESS AND BEFORE- AND AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS
The act allows directors of school readiness programs and certain before- or after-school programs to give medicine to a child who is enrolled in the program. The before- and after-school programs covered are those that are (1) administered by a public school system or municipal agency or department and (2) located in a public school. The medicine must be administered according to SBE regulations.
The act immunizes those who administer medicine according to the act from civil liability to the child or his or her parent or guardian for negligent acts or omissions in giving medicine. The immunity does not extend to acts or omissions that constitute gross, willful, or wanton negligence.
§§4 & 5 — WAIVER OF SUPERINTENDENT CERTIFICATION
The act allows the education commissioner to waive the requirement that a school superintendent hold an appropriate certificate issued by the SBE. It allows the commissioner to waive certification for a person he or she considers exceptionally qualified to be a school superintendent. To be considered exceptionally qualified, a person must:
1. have been appointed under an existing law allowing a local or regional board of education to appoint a person who is not properly certified as acting superintendent for up to 90 days with the education commissioner's approval,
2. have worked as a school superintendent in another state for a minimum of 15 years, and
3. be or have been certified as a superintendent by the other state.
§ 6 — DURATIONAL SHORTAGE AREA PERMIT WAIVER
The act waives certain requirements for the SBE to issue a durational shortage area permit (DSAP) and requires the board to issue a permit to a person who meets the act's criteria. It waives requirements that (1) a permit be issued only for teaching in a shortage area and (2) the permit holder have a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution. It requires the SBE to grant a DSAP in elementary education (a non-shortage area) to a person who (1) was born in Canada, (2) became a U. S. citizen on September 17, 2003, and (3) has been teaching special education classes for at least nine years. Regular DSAP terms and renewal limits apply to the DSAP issued under the act.
§ 7 — MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPIST CERTIFICATION
The act requires the SBE, by June 1, 2008, to adopt regulations establishing standards for certifying marital and family therapists employed by boards of education. The regulations must require (1) licensure by the Department of Public Health (DPH) as a marital and family therapist and (2) other experience the SBE considers appropriate for a marital and family therapist working in a school system.
BACKGROUND
Licensure Requirements for Marital and Family Therapists
DPH requires applicants for licensure as a marital and family therapist to complete:
1. a graduate degree program in marital and family therapy at an accredited higher education institution or a postgraduate clinical training program approved by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education and recognized by the U. S. Education Department;
2. at least 12 months of a supervised practicum or internship supervised by the degree-granting institution or postgraduate program within no more than 24 consecutive months with (a) an emphasis in marital and family therapy and (b) at least 500 direct clinical hours, including 100 hours of clinical supervision;
3. at least 12 months of relevant postgraduate experience, including at least 1,000 hours of direct client contact offering marital and family therapy after receiving a master's or doctoral degree or after the training year specified above; and
4. 100 hours of postgraduate clinical supervision by a licensed marital and family therapist not directly compensated by the license applicant for providing supervision.
Applicants must also pass a DPH-prescribed licensing exam (CGS § 20-195c).
Related Act
PA 07-3, June Special Session, revamps the ECS formula starting with FY 08. That act's changes include eliminating the mastery percentage from the formula's student weighting for educational need and eliminating supplemental aid, an ECS supplemental formula that also uses mastery percentage as a factor. But that act also uses the mastery percentage as a factor for determining each town's minimum budget requirement for education.
OLR Tracking: JSL: KM: CR: TS