Connecticut § 10-156gg - Minority candidate certification, retention or residency year program.

§ 10-156gg. Minority candidate certification, retention or residency year program.

Sec. 10-156gg. Minority candidate certification, retention or residency year program. (a) As used in this section:

(1) “Minority” has the same meaning as provided in section 10-156bb;

(2) “Minority candidate” means an individual who is a minority and employed by a local or regional board of education as a paraeducator or an associate instructor;

(3) “Residency program” means a certification program approved by the State Board of Education that requires participants to complete a residency in which such participants serve (A) in a position otherwise requiring professional certification, and (B) in a full-time position for ten school months at a local or regional board of education in the state under the supervision of (i) a certified administrator or teacher, and (ii) a supervisor from the regional educational service center or private, nonprofit teacher or administrator operating such certification program; and

(4) “Alliance district” has the same meaning as provided in section 10-262u.

(b) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, and each fiscal year thereafter, the Department of Education shall administer the minority candidate certification, retention or residency year program. Such program shall assist (1) minority candidates in enrolling in a residency program for purposes of becoming full-time, certified teachers upon successful completion of such residency program, and (2) local and regional boards of education in hiring and retaining such minority candidates.

(c) (1) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, and each fiscal year thereafter, each local and regional board of education for an alliance district shall partner with the operator of a residency program for purposes of enrolling minority candidates and placing them in such school district as part of such residency program. Following the successful completion of the residency program by a minority candidate, such board may hire such minority candidate. Such board may apply to the Commissioner of Education, at such time and in such manner as the commissioner prescribes, to receive a payment, as described in subdivision (2) of this subsection, for any of the costs described in subsection (e) of this section.

(2) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, the Commissioner of Education shall withhold from an alliance district, from the funds transferred by the Comptroller pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-262u, an amount equal to ten per cent of any increase in such funds that such alliance district received for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, over the amount of such funds that it received for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020. The department shall use such funds to make a payment to such alliance district and such alliance district shall expend such payment for any of the costs described in subsection (e) of this section.

(d) (1) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, and each fiscal year thereafter, any local or regional board of education, other than a local or regional board of education for an alliance district, may partner with the operator of a residency program for purposes of enrolling minority candidates and placing them in such school district as part of such residency program. Following the successful completion of the residency program by a minority candidate, such board may hire such minority candidate. Such board may apply to the Commissioner of Education, at such time and in such manner as the commissioner prescribes, to receive a grant for any of the costs described in subsection (e) of this section.

(2) The commissioner may, within available appropriations, award a grant to a local or regional board of education described in subdivision (1) of this subsection for any of the costs described in subsection (e) of this section.

(e) Any payments made or grants awarded under this section may be used for costs associated with the (1) enrollment of such minority candidates in a residency program, (2) certification process for such minority candidates, (3) hiring of such minority candidates following the successful completion of a residency program, or (4) retention of such minority candidates as certified employees of the school district.

(f) Any unexpended funds paid or awarded to a local or regional board of education under this section shall not lapse at the end of the fiscal year but shall be available for expenditure during the next fiscal year for purposes of implementing the provisions of this section.

(g) The department shall develop guidelines and criteria for the implementation of the minority candidate certification, retention or residency year program and administration of funds under this section.

(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 378; P.A. 23-167, S. 41; 23-208, S. 5; P.A. 24-41, S. 26.)

History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 effective July 1, 2021; P.A. 23-167 amended Subsec. (c)(2) by replacing “June 30, 2023, and each fiscal year thereafter” with “June 30, 2024” and “receives for the fiscal year” with “received for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021”, effective July 1, 2023; P.A. 23-208 amended Subsec. (c)(2) by replacing “June 30, 2024” with “June 30, 2025” and adding “an amount equal to”, effective July 1, 2023; P.A. 24-41 amended Subsec. (a)(2) by replacing “school paraprofessional” with “paraeducator”, effective July 1, 2024.