Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 170 - Boards of Education
Section 10-220a. - In-service training. Professional development and evaluation committees. Institutes for educators. Cooperating teacher program, regulations.

(a) Each local or regional board of education shall provide an in-service training program for its teachers, administrators and pupil personnel who hold the initial educator, provisional educator or professional educator certificate. Such program shall provide such teachers, administrators and pupil personnel with information on (1) the nature and the relationship of alcohol and drugs, as defined in subdivision (17) of section 21a-240, to health and personality development, and procedures for discouraging their abuse, (2) health and mental health risk reduction education that includes, but need not be limited to, the prevention of risk-taking behavior by children and the relationship of such behavior to substance abuse, pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV-infection and AIDS, as defined in section 19a-581, violence, teen dating violence, domestic violence and child abuse, (3) school violence prevention, conflict resolution, the prevention of and response to youth suicide and the identification and prevention of and response to bullying, as defined in subsection (a) of section 10-222d, except that those boards of education that implement any evidence-based model approach that is approved by the Department of Education and is consistent with subsection (c) of section 10-145a, sections 10-222d, 10-222g and 10-222h, subsection (g) of section 10-233c and sections 1 and 3 of public act 08-160*, shall not be required to provide in-service training on the identification and prevention of and response to bullying, (4) cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other emergency life saving procedures, (5) the requirements and obligations of a mandated reporter, (6) the detection and recognition of, and evidence-based structured literacy interventions for, students with dyslexia, as defined in section 10-3d, (7) culturally responsive pedagogy and practice, including, but not limited to, the video training module relating to implicit bias and anti-bias in the hiring process in accordance with the provisions of section 10-156hh, and (8) the principles and practices of social-emotional learning and restorative practices. Each local or regional board of education may allow any paraprofessional or noncertified employee to participate, on a voluntary basis, in any in-service training program provided pursuant to this section.

(b) Not later than a date prescribed by the commissioner, each local and regional board of education shall establish a professional development and evaluation committee. Such professional development and evaluation committee shall consist of (1) at least one teacher, as defined in subsection (a) of section 10-144d, selected by the exclusive bargaining representative for certified employees chosen pursuant to section 10-153b, (2) at least one administrator, as defined in subsection (a) of section 10-144e, selected by the exclusive bargaining representative for certified employees chosen pursuant to section 10-153b, and (3) such other school personnel as the board deems appropriate. The duties of such committees shall include, but not be limited to, participation in the development or adoption of a teacher evaluation and support program for the district, pursuant to section 10-151b, and the development, evaluation and annual updating of a comprehensive local professional development plan for certified employees of the district. Such plan shall: (A) Be directly related to the educational goals prepared by the local or regional board of education pursuant to subsection (b) of section 10-220, (B) on and after July 1, 2021, be developed with full consideration of the priorities and needs related to student social-emotional learning and restorative practices, in accordance with the provisions of section 10-148a, and student academic outcomes as determined by the State Board of Education, (C) provide for the ongoing and systematic assessment and improvement of both teacher evaluation and professional development of the professional staff members of each such board, including personnel management and evaluation training or experience for administrators, and (D) be related to regular and special student needs and may include provisions concerning career incentives and parent involvement. The State Board of Education shall develop guidelines to assist local and regional boards of education in determining the objectives of the plans and in coordinating staff development activities with student needs and school programs.
(c) The Department of Education, in cooperation with one or more regional educational service centers, is authorized to provide institutes annually for Connecticut educators. Such institutes shall serve as model programs of professional development and shall be taught by exemplary Connecticut teachers and administrators and by other qualified individuals as selected by the Department of Education. The Department of Education shall charge fees for attending such institutes provided such fees shall be based on the actual cost of such institutes.
(d) The Department of Education may fund, within available appropriations, in cooperation with one or more regional educational service centers: (1) A cooperating teacher program to train Connecticut public school teachers, certified teachers at private special education facilities approved by the Commissioner of Education, certified teachers at nonpublic schools approved by the commissioner and certified teachers at other facilities designated by the commissioner, who participate in the supervision, training and evaluation of student teachers, provided such certified teachers at nonpublic schools pay for the cost of participation in such cooperating teacher program and provided further that enrollment in such program shall first be made available to public school teachers; and (2) institutes to provide professional development for Connecticut public school educators and cooperating teachers, including institutes to provide professional development for Connecticut public school educators offered in cooperation with the Connecticut Humanities Council. Funds available under this subsection shall be paid directly to school districts for the provision of substitute teachers when cooperating teachers are released from regular classroom responsibilities and for the provision of professional development activities for cooperating and student teachers, except that such funds shall not be paid to nonpublic schools for such professional development activities. The cooperating teacher program shall operate in accordance with regulations adopted by the State Board of Education in accordance with chapter 54, except in cases of placement in other countries pursuant to written cooperative agreements between Connecticut institutions of higher education and institutions of higher education in other countries. A Connecticut institution may enter such an agreement only if the State Board of Education and the Board of Regents for Higher Education have jointly approved the institution's teacher preparation program to enter into such agreements. Student teachers shall be placed with trained cooperating teachers. Cooperating teachers who are Connecticut public school teachers shall be selected by local and regional boards of education. Cooperating teachers at such private special education facilities, nonpublic schools and other designated facilities shall be selected by the authority responsible for the operation of such facilities. If a board of education is unable to identify a sufficient number of individuals to serve in such positions, the commissioner may select qualified persons who are not employed by the board of education to serve in such positions. Such regulations shall require primary consideration of teachers' classroom experience and recognized success as educators. The provisions of sections 10-153a to 10-153n, inclusive, shall not be applicable to the selection, placement and compensation of persons participating in the cooperating teacher program pursuant to the provisions of this section and to the hours and duties of such persons. The State Board of Education shall protect and save harmless, in accordance with the provisions of section 10-235, any cooperating teacher while serving in such capacity.
(P.A. 73-632, S. 4, 5; P.A. 75-211, S. 2; P.A. 78-218, S. 144; P.A. 82-75, S. 1, 2; P.A. 84-314, S. 1, 2; P.A. 85-377, S. 6, 13; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 86-1, S. 10, 58; P.A. 87-352, S. 1, 2; 87-499, S. 13, 29, 34; P.A. 88-96, S. 1, 2; 88-273, S. 5, 6, 9; 88-360, S. 24, 63; P.A. 89-137, S. 10, 14; 89-168, S. 4; P.A. 90-324, S. 10, 11, 13; 90-325, S. 7, 32; P.A. 91-220, S. 7, 8; 91-264, S. 1, 2; 91-303, S. 19, 22; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-7, S. 9, 22; P.A. 93-23; 93-353, S. 29, 52; P.A. 94-221, S. 5; P.A. 95-101, S. 2; 95-182, S. 7, 11; 95-259, S. 21, 32; P.A. 96-244, S. 53, 63; P.A. 97-45, S. 2; 97-61, S. 2; P.A. 98-243, S. 20, 25; P.A. 00-220, S. 10, 43; P.A. 03-76, S. 16; 03-174, S. 3; 03-211, S. 6; P.A. 04-227, S. 1; P.A. 06-192, S. 2; P.A. 08-107, S. 1; 08-160, S. 6; June 19 Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-1, S. 16; P.A. 10-91, S. 1; P.A. 11-48, S. 285; 11-93, S. 5; 11-127, S. 3; 11-136, S. 2; 11-232, S. 5; P.A. 12-116, S. 43, 56; 12-173, S. 3; P.A. 13-3, S. 64; 13-31, S. 17; 13-245, S. 2; P.A. 15-97, S. 3; 15-108, S. 10; 15-215, S. 11; 15-232, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 292; P.A. 17-14, S. 5; 17-37, S. 2; 17-202, S. 20; P.A. 18-139, S. 5; P.A. 19-100, S. 2; P.A. 21-46, S. 12; 21-95, S. 10; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 383.)
*Note: Sections 1 and 3 of public act 08-160 are special in nature and therefore have not been codified but remain in full force and effect according to their terms.
History: P.A. 75-211 included instruction re alcohol and its effects in in-service training programs and health education programs; P.A. 78-218 specified applicability of provisions to local and regional boards in Subsecs. (a) and (b), deleted phrase “of every school district” and deleted September 1, 1974, deadline for establishment of programs in said Subsecs. and deleted Subsec. (c) re policy statements on procedures to deal with drug sales or use; P.A. 82-75 deleted Subsec. (b) which had required development of an ongoing program on drug and alcohol abuse; P.A. 84-314 added new Subsecs. (b) and (c) re development of plans to provide for the ongoing and systematic professional development of the professional staff members of boards of education and annual institutes to be held by the state department of education; P.A. 85-377 substituted commissioner of education for state board; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 86-1 added Subsec. (d) re cooperating teacher program and institutes and beginning teacher program; P.A. 87-352 included certified teachers at approved private special education facilities in the cooperating teacher and teacher mentor programs and made a technical change in Subsec. (d); P.A. 87-499 in Subsec. (c) provided that the institutes be provided in cooperation with one or more regional educational service centers and amended Subsec. (d) to provide that funding be in cooperation with one or more regional educational service centers and that the programs pay stipends that institutes be for teacher mentors in Subdiv. (2) and made technical changes; P.A. 88-96 added a reference to the Connecticut Humanities Council in Subsec. (d); P.A. 88-273 in Subsec. (d) added “who are Connecticut public school teachers” and provided that after July 1, 1989, the cooperating teacher and beginning teacher programs operate in accordance with regulations, that for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1989, selection of teachers be made pursuant to Subsec. (e) added by the same act rather than based on state guidelines, that all provisions concerning teacher negotiation law, Secs. 10-153a to 10-153n, inclusive, not apply to certain aspects of participation in the program and that the state board of education protect and save harmless certain persons and added Subsec. (e) re cooperating teacher and teacher mentor selection, placement and compensation for the fiscal years up to and including the fiscal year ending June 30, 1989; P.A. 88-360 in Subsec. (d)(2) added that the institutes be for Connecticut public school teachers, in Subsec. (d)(3) added that the beginning teacher program be for “other qualified persons approved by the commissioner of education” and that it be for persons who serve as assessors for beginning teachers and provided for the selection of qualified persons by the commissioner of education and made a technical change; P.A. 89-137 in Subsec. (d) provided that the Connecticut Humanities Council cooperate in offering continuing education institutes and not in offering the cooperating teacher program and the beginning teacher support and assessment program, substituted “educators” for “teachers” as persons for whom continuing education institutes are to be provided and provided that funds available under the subsection be paid directly to school districts for specified purposes; P.A. 89-168 changed the name from “standard” certificate to “professional educator” certificate and added a new Subdiv. (2) which includes information on health and mental issues affecting children, including child abuse and youth suicide as component of in-service training program; P.A. 90-324 in Subsec. (a) substituted “pupil personnel” for “guidance personnel”, added “educator” after “initial” and “provisional” and required the commissioner of education rather than the state board of education to approve the program and in Subsec. (b) added administrators and their bargaining representatives as persons who may advise boards of education on the development of five-year plans and added that such plans may include provisions concerning career incentives and parent involvement in Subdiv. (1) and added new Subdiv. (2) re comprehensive professional development plans; P.A. 90-325 added Subsec. (a)(3) re providing of information as to the growth and development of exceptional children, in Subsec. (d) provided that certain private special education facilities be approved by the commissioner of education, rather than the state board of education, that teachers at facilities designated by the commissioner be able to participate in the cooperating teacher and beginning teacher support and assessment programs and added that the institutes in Subdiv. (2) be for assessors and that funds available under the subsection are for professional development activities for assessors, deleted Subsec. (e) re cooperating teachers and teacher mentors and made technical changes; P.A. 91-220 replaced requirement that program be approved by the commissioner with requirement that it be submitted to the commissioner in Subsec. (a); P.A. 91-264 in Subsec. (c) added language concerning the charging of fees; P.A. 91-303 in Subsec. (b)(2) added provision for submission of a plan on and after April 1, 1994, and provided for revision of plans every five years rather than every three years; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-7 amended Subsec. (d) to remove provision for stipends for teachers who train student teachers and for mentors, added specific requirements pertaining to beginning teacher support and assessment programs and added provision regarding different requirements than those specified in regulations for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1992; P.A. 93-23 amended Subsec. (a) to add risk reduction education language; P.A. 93-353 amended Subsec. (b)(2) to delete requirement that the plan be developed by April 1, 1991, and substituted “a date prescribed by the commissioner” and that the plan be a three-year plan and that it be submitted to the commissioner of education, changed the date for implementation of the plan and removed language on the development and submission of another plan by April 1, 1994, added requirement that the plan be directly related to the educational goals prepared by the local or regional board and removed requirement that the local or regional board review and revise its plan every five years and submit it to the commissioner, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 94-221 added Subsec. (a)(4) re school violence prevention and conflict resolution; P.A. 95-101 amended Subsec. (a) to add provision concerning Holocaust education and awareness; P.A. 95-182 amended Subsec. (b) to remove former Subdiv. (1) re development of five-year professional development plans, deleting Subdiv. (2) designator, effective June 28, 1995; P.A. 95-259 added Subsec. (a)(5) re cardiopulmonary resuscitation, effective July 6, 1995; P.A. 96-244 added Subsec. (a)(6) re computer and other information technology, effective June 6, 1996; P.A. 97-45 amended Subsec. (a) to add provision concerning the Great Famine in Ireland; P.A. 97-61 amended Subsec. (a) to expand the list of topics for in-service training programs by adding 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; P.A. 98-243 added Subsec. (a)(7) re teaching of language arts, reading and reading readiness, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 00-220 amended Subsec. (a) to remove a requirement to submit the program to the Commissioner of Education, effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 03-76 made technical changes in Subsecs. (c) and (d), effective June 3, 2003; P.A. 03-174 amended Subsec. (d) by deleting provision allowing for less than six observations, substituting provisions requiring assessment by educators with teaching experience in same field for provision not requiring assessment by teacher with certification endorsement in same field and making a technical change, effective July 1, 2003; P.A. 03-211 amended Subsec. (a)(3) by including children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or learning disabilities, effective July 1, 2003; P.A. 04-227 added Subsec. (a)(8) re second language acquisition, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 06-192 amended Subsec. (d) by making technical changes and adding language re placement in other countries, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 08-107 amended Subsec. (d) to eliminate provisions re beginning teacher support and assessment program, effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 08-160 amended Subsec. (a)(4) to add language re prevention of bullying, effective July 1, 2009 (Revisor's note: In 2009, a reference to “Board of Governors for Higher Education” in Subsec. (d) was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Board of Governors of Higher Education” for accuracy); June 19 Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-1 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing provision re development of professional development plan with provision re establishment and duties of professional development committee, by designating existing provisions re educational goals and assessment and improvement of teacher evaluation and professional development as Subdivs. (1) and (3) and adding Subdiv. (2) re priorities and needs related to student outcomes, and by making conforming changes, effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 10-91 amended Subsec. (a) by adding “teen dating violence, domestic violence” in Subdiv. (2), adding provision re allowing paraprofessionals and noncertified employees to participate in in-service training programs, adding new Subpara. (G) re domestic violence and teen dating violence and redesignating existing Subpara. (G) as Subpara. (H), effective July 1, 2010; pursuant to P.A. 11-48, “Board of Governors of Higher Education” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Board of Regents for Higher Education” in Subsec. (d), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-93 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (9) re information on requirements and obligations of mandated reporter, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-127 amended Subsec. (d) by including certified teachers at nonpublic schools as persons eligible to participate in cooperating teacher programs, adding provisos re nonpublic school teachers to pay for cost of participation in program and enrollment in program to be available first to public school teachers, adding exception re funds for program not to be paid to nonpublic schools for professional development activities and making conforming changes, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-136 amended Subsec. (a) by adding “and genocide” to provisions re Holocaust education and awareness in Subpara. (A), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-232 amended Subsec. (a)(4) by adding language re prevention and response to youth suicide and identification of and response to bullying, adding “that is approved by the Department of Education” re evidence-based model approach and making conforming changes, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 12-116 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (10) re teacher evaluation and support program and amended Subsec. (d)(2) by replacing references to continuing education with references to professional development, effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 12-173 amended Subsec. (a)(3) by adding provision re implementation of student individualized education programs, effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 13-3 amended Subsec. (a)(4) by making a technical change and amended Subsec. (a)(9) by adding new Subpara. (H) re mental health first aid training and redesignating existing Subpara. (H) as Subpara. (I), effective April 4, 2013; P.A. 13-31 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective May 28, 2013 (Revisor's note: In Subsec. (a)(10), a reference to “developed” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “adopted” to conform with change made by P.A. 13-245); P.A. 13-245 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting reference to Sec. 10-220a(a) and replacing “developed” with “adopted” and amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “professional development committee” with “professional development and evaluation committee”, replacing “of” with “selected by” and adding provision re participation or adoption of teacher evaluation and support program, effective July 2, 2013; P.A. 15-97 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (11) re detection and recognition of and interventions for students with dyslexia, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 15-108 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision, codified by the Revisors as Subdiv. (12), re cultural competency, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 15-215 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing existing language re membership of committee with new Subdivs. (1) to (3) re membership of committee and redesignating existing Subdivs. (1) to (3) as Subparas. (A) to (C), effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 15-232 amended Subsec. (a) by adding new Subpara. (I) re trauma-informed practice training, and redesignating existing Subpara. (I) as Subpara. (J); June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 amended Subsec. (a) by adding new Subpara. (J) re second language acquisition and redesignating existing Subpara. (J) as Subpara. (K), effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 17-14 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing reference to Sec. 10-145a(d) with reference to Sec. 10-145a(c) in Subdiv. (4), and replacing reference to Sec. 10-145a(i) with reference to Sec. 10-145a(h) in Subdiv. (12), effective July 1, 2017; P.A. 17-37 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting “and youth suicide” in Subdiv. (2), deleting former Subdiv. (3) re growth and development of exceptional children, redesignating existing Subdivs. (4) and (5) as Subdivs. (3) and (4), deleting former Subdivs. (6) to (8) re computer and other information technology, teaching of language arts, and second language acquisition, respectively, redesignating existing Subdiv. (9) re mandated reporter as Subdiv. (5), deleting Subdiv. (10) re teacher evaluation and support program, redesignating existing Subdiv. (11) re literacy interventions for students with dyslexia as Subdiv. (6), deleting Subdiv. (12) re cultural competency, and deleting Subparas. (A) to (K) re various subjects that State Board shall assist and encourage boards of education to include as part of in-service training, effective July 1, 2017; P.A. 17-202 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “handicapped and” with “children with a disability” in Subdiv. (3); P.A. 18-139 made technical changes in Subsec. (a), effective June 11, 2018; P.A. 19-100 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (7) re culturally responsive pedagogy and practice and making a conforming change, effective July 1, 2019; P.A. 21-46 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “July 1, 2011” with “July 1, 2021”, adding provision re student social-emotional learning and replacing “student outcomes” with “student academic outcomes” in Subpara. (B), deleting “shall” in Subpara. (C), designating existing provision re regular and special student needs as Subpara. (D) and making a conforming change, effective July 1, 2021; P.A. 21-95 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (8) re principles and practices of social-emotional learning and restorative practices, and amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “July 1, 2011” with “July 1, 2021”, adding provision re student social-emotional learning and restorative practices and replacing “student outcomes” with “student academic outcomes” in Subpara. (B), deleting “shall” in Subpara. (C), designating existing provision re regular and special student needs as Subpara. (D) and making a conforming change, effective July 1, 2021; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 amended Subsec. (a)(7) by adding provision re video training module relating to implicit bias and anti-bias in hiring process, effective July 1, 2021.

Structure Connecticut General Statutes