(a) Within the limits of available appropriations, the Commissioner of Education shall establish a program to encourage local and regional boards of education to develop innovative programs for educational improvement. Local and regional boards of education may file an application to participate in the program in such form and at such time as the commissioner requires. Each application shall include a plan developed by the local or regional board of education, in consultation with the teachers employed in the school or school system for which such application is being made. Proposed plans shall provide for an evaluation process to measure academic progress and school improvement resulting from participation in the program. For purposes of the program, the commissioner may waive requirements under chapters 163, 168, 170 to 173, inclusive, and chapter 164, except for the provisions relating to special education required under federal law, and regulations adopted pursuant to said chapters, provided each application identifies (A) the specific statutes or regulations from which a waiver is requested, if any, and (B) the manner in which each waiver is expected to assist in achieving specified educational benefits. Local and regional boards of education may cooperate with businesses and nonprofit organizations in developing and implementing such plans and may receive and expend private funds for purposes of this section.
(b) The Commissioner of Education may set aside up to ten per cent of the funds appropriated for purposes of this section to provide, on a competitive basis, minigrants to teachers in public schools for the development or use of innovative curricula, teaching aids or teaching methods. The amount of a minigrant shall not exceed five hundred dollars. The Department of Education may contract with a regional educational service center for purposes of this subsection.
(c) The commissioner shall, annually, report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, on the program to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education.
(P.A. 91-285, S. 1, 3; P.A. 92-262, S. 6, 42; P.A. 95-182, S. 9, 11; P.A. 98-252, S. 24, 80.)
History: P.A. 92-262 increased the number of programs from three to six, added provision for increasing the number of programs in a particular type of community, added references to chapters 163, 170, 171, this chapter and chapter 173, and extended by one year the time frames for reports to the General Assembly; P.A. 95-182 made demonstration program a permanent program, deleted limitations on the number and location of schools which could operate programs, changed the way the plan is to be developed and the content of the plan, revised the list of requirements which the commissioner may waive and made technical changes, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 98-252 added new Subsec. (b) re minigrants and redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (c), effective July 1, 1998.
Cited. 228 C. 699.
Structure Connecticut General Statutes
Title 10 - Education and Culture
Chapter 172 - Support of Public Schools. Transportation
Section 10-250. - Report showing number of children.
Section 10-251. - Penalty for refusing to give age of child.
Section 10-252. - Children in state receiving homes. Employment of teachers.
Section 10-255. - Waiver of forfeiture.
Section 10-256. - Misapplication of school money.
Section 10-257. - Income of town deposit fund.
Section 10-257h. - Data to be transmitted.
Section 10-257i. - Educational roundtable committee.
Section 10-258. - Trust funds.
Section 10-259. - Fiscal and school year defined.
Section 10-260. - State aid to towns.
Section 10-260a. - Auditing of state grants for public education. Review of procedures manual.
Section 10-261. - Definitions.
Section 10-261a. - Equalized net grand lists for purposes of educational equalization grants.
Section 10-261b. - Data re transfers of real property for preparation of equalized net grand lists.
Section 10-262f. - Definitions.
Section 10-262h. - Equalization aid grants.
Section 10-262j. - Minimum budget requirement.
Section 10-262k. - Grants for compensatory education programs.
Section 10-262l. - Grants for improvement in student achievement.
Section 10-262m. - Grants for high level of foster care placements in a school district.
Section 10-262n. - Grants to improve the use of technology in schools.
Section 10-262o. - Grant program for teacher technology training programs.
Section 10-262q. - Centralized web-based site for educators.
Section 10-262r. - Computer-assisted writing, instruction and testing. Pilot program.
Section 10-262t. - Grants to support plans that implement cost-saving strategies.
Section 10-262u. - Alliance districts.
Section 10-263. - Withholding of payments; adjustments for underpayments and overpayments of grants.
Section 10-263c. - Transitional school district grant program.
Section 10-263e. - Safe learning grant program.
Section 10-264. - Temporary additional payment.
Section 10-264e. - Grant applications.
Section 10-264f. - Grants for single districts or one or more schools within a district.
Section 10-264g. - Grants for two or more districts.
Section 10-264h. - Grants for capital expenditures for interdistrict magnet school facilities.
Section 10-264i. - Transportation grants for interdistrict magnet school programs.
Section 10-264p. - Sliding tuition scale for preschool programs offered at certain magnet schools.
Section 10-264r. - Reduced-isolation setting standards.
Section 10-265a. - Definitions.
Section 10-265aa. - The Partnership for Connecticut, Inc. Purposes, powers and reports.
Section 10-265b. - State grants for vocational education equipment.
Section 10-265bb. - Duties of the corporation.
Section 10-265c. - Distribution of funds. Grant application; limitations.
Section 10-265cc. - Board of directors.
Section 10-265d. - Bond authorization.
Section 10-265dd. - Funding to further the purposes of the collaboration.
Section 10-265e. - Definitions.
Section 10-265ee. - Financial assistance provided by the corporation. State assistance.
Section 10-265f. - Early reading success grant program.
Section 10-265ff. - Philanthropic Match account.
Section 10-265i. - Grants for priority school districts for the purchase of library books.
Section 10-265j. - Model early childhood learning programs.
Section 10-265n. - Even start family literacy program.
Section 10-265o. - Municipal aid for new educators grant program.
Section 10-265p. - Wraparound services grant program.
Section 10-265q. - Educational reform district science grant program.
Section 10-265r. - Heating, ventilation and air conditioning system grant program.
Section 10-265s. - Heating, ventilation and air conditioning system pipeline training pilot program.
Section 10-265t. - Bond issue for school air quality improvement grants.
Section 10-266aa. - State-wide interdistrict public school attendance program.
Section 10-266cc. - Lighthouse schools.
Section 10-266dd. - Sheff Lighthouse Schools.
Section 10-266ee. - Dr. Joseph S. Renzulli Gifted and Talented Academy. Grant.
Section 10-266j. - Intercommunity programs for disadvantaged children.
Section 10-266m. - Transportation grants.
Section 10-266p. - Priority school district grant program.
Section 10-266q. - Proposals and plans for expenditure of grant.
Section 10-266r. - Evaluation of program. Financial statement of expenditures.
Section 10-266s. - Interdistrict leadership grant program.
Section 10-266w. - School breakfast grant program.
Section 10-266x. - Development of innovative programs for educational improvement.
Section 10-266y. - Competitive grant program for certain high school projects.
Section 10-273a. - Reimbursement for transportation to and from elementary and secondary schools.
Section 10-276b. - Diverse learning environment for state-funded interdistrict programs.
Section 10-280a. - Transportation for pupils in nonprofit private schools outside school district.
Section 10-280c. - Nonpublic school transportation services pilot program.
Section 10-281. - Transportation for pupils in nonprofit private schools within school district.