Social & Emotional Climate Domain
Social & Emotional Climate Domain
State Legislation (2020 - 2025)
2024
- Public Act No. 24-29
- Requires SDE to develop an informational handout for students that explains what it means for a student to have an individualized education program or a plan pursuant to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, including what rights students are entitled to in the classroom under such program or plan.
- Public Act summary
- Public Act No. 24-41
- Requires local and regional board of education to provide training to prevent incidents requiring physical restraint or seclusion of students.
- Public Act No. 24-45
- Addresses school climate initiatives and provides insights related to managing challenging behavior. Additionally, establishes an advisory council that provides analysis and recommendations concerning the imposition of new mandates regarding educator professional development and in-service training.
- Public Act No. 24-93
- Requires SDE to conduct a comprehensive audit of the assessments administered to CT students.
- Public Act No. 24-139
- Requires SDE to develop school-based diversion initiatives and educational deficiencies among children in the juvenile justice system.
- Public Act summary
- Special Act No. 24-9
- Establishes a task force to study the effects and social impact of hate speech and bullying on children.
2023
- Public Act No. 23-66
- Requires SDE to use information collected from Title IX tool kit compliance reports as part of an annual analysis that includes the number of verified acts of bullying in the state, the school districts’ responses, and any other recommendations to improve school climate and (2) submit the analysis to legislative leaders and the Children’s and Education committees.
- Public Act summary
- Public Act No. 23-150
- Requires SDE to assist and encourage local and regional boards of education to include course content related to race, class, and culture into learning (e.g., Holocaust and genocide education and awareness; the historical events surrounding the Great Famine in Ireland; African American and Black studies; Puerto Rican and Latino studies; Native American studies; Asian American and Pacific Islander studies).
- Public Act summary
- Public Act No. 23-160
- Requires SDE to support after-school grant recipients in new ways and increases the amount SDE can retain from the grant program appropriation to provide program support.
- Public Act No. 23-167
- Requires SDE to publish each alliance district’s improvement plan; Requires additional efforts from school boards to increase educator diversity; from the SDE commissioner to assess school discipline practices and change school climate duties and procedures; and from the MOU to specify SRO’s duties and procedures and SRO’s to report investigations and behavioral interventions. The Act also significantly changes school climate and bullying legislation.
- Public Act summary
- Public Act No. 23-188
- The act establishes an implementation team and requires it to (1) develop a plan for prearrest diversion of low-risk children and (2) in doing so, consider stakeholder input (e.g., from children and families).
- Public Act summary
- Public Act No. 23-208
- Requires alliance district to partner with a minority teacher residency program operator to enroll candidates and place them in the district. To fund this program, SDE withholds from each alliance district a percentage of its state aid.
- Public Act summary
2022
- Public Act No. 22-47
- Requires DCF, working with SDE, to develop a peer-to-peer mental health support program for students in grades 6 through 12.
- Public Act summary
- Public Act No. 22-58
- Requires one member from SDE to be a representative on the Suicide advisory board.
- Public Act summary
- Public Act No. 22-80
- Renames the minority teacher recruitment task force and requires it to study existing recruitment and retention programs.
- Public Act summary
2021
- Public Act No. 21-2
- Requires SDE to provide oversight for interdistrict public school attendance programs, which are geared toward improving academic achievement; reducing racial, ethnic and economic isolation or preserving racial and ethnic balance; and providing a choice of educational programs.
- Public Act No. 21-46
- Requires SDE to develop, and annually update, a document for use by local and regional boards of education that provides information on educational, safety, mental health, and food insecurity resources and programs available for students and their families.
- Public Act summary
- Public Act No. 21-95
- On request, SDE must provide and assist local and regional boards of education in administering a SEL assessment to students. SDE is required to develop student SEL standards for grades four to twelve.
- Public Act summary
State Programs
All State Programs
- After School Programs (Agnes)
- Programs and funding acquisitions are built on partnerships between the school and a community organization. The programs must include three separate components in their mission: academic, enrichment, and wellness.
- Alliance District Extended School Hour Funding
- Funding is typically reserved for alliance districts that are larger and have more concentrated poverty. Unlike some other programs, there is no dosage requirement. Whereas grant funding is often highly prescribed, this funding allows districts to tailor it to fit their specific needs.
- Increasing Educator Diversity
- School boards are required to submit plans for increasing educator diversity and demonstrate how they will consider school climate in these plans. The Commissioner of Education reviews each plan, and SDE makes them publicly available.
- MTSS - Absence (Tier 1)
- MTSS serves as the guiding structure of the activities focused on attendance. Tier 1 consists of EdSight attendance data, the “School is Better with You” campaign, "Talk Tuesdays", prevention and intervention guides, and the state and attendance advisory team.
- Opportunity/Alliance Districts SEL Consulting
- Alliance districts are a group of 36 districts across the state identified as low performing or at-risk districts. The identification of these districts is used to allocate increased education cost share funding to increase positive student outcomes and academic performance. Further, districts are required to submit Alliance Plans that align to the TACO framework, including climate and culture goals.
- RSCO SEL Consulting and WestEd
- Provides training and technical assistance around school climate to identify magnet school and LEAS in the Sheff region.
- School-Based Diversion Initiative
- Purpose is to reduce juvenile justice involvement among youth with mental health needs. Primary districts are identified as those whose students are experiencing disproportionate amounts of juvenile system involvement, suspensions, and expulsions.
- School Climate Transformation Grant/MTSS - SEL (Tier 1)
- Multi-tier support system (MTSS) is a 3-tier, interdivision, support and prevention/intervention system to guide programs in SDE to address academic adjustment and SEL. Tier 1 (all students), tier 2 (at-risk), tier 3 (high need). In CT, SEL is essentially tier 1.
- School Is Better With You Campaign
- Consists of targeted advertisements, billboards, school posters, etc. across CT to bolster student engagement and decrease chronic absenteeism.
- SEL Evaluation - DESSA/HABITS
- An evaluation to understand what districts want and need for SEL. Goals: 1) DESSA to screen all students (tier 1) to assess SEL and 2) to extend HABITS through grade 12.
- State Performance- Indicator 4
- Component of a federally required performance plan focused on suspension/expulsion. SDE looks at discipline trends across students to identify disproportionate patterns.
- Supporting Teen Parents
- SPPT is a grant for the improvement of the psychosocial health and academic outcomes of students who are pregnant or are parenting.
- Talk Tuesdays (Absence)
- A series of bi-weekly, one-hour informal sessions where various districts come together to discuss school attendance.
- 21st Century Program
- In general, grants fund high-dosage programs wherein districts are partnered with community organizations. RESCS evaluate and help manage compliance across districts.
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