Laws/Regulations

Connecticut General Statue Section 10-262u establishes a process for identifying Alliance Districts and allocating increased Education Cost Sharing (ECS) funding to support district strategies to dramatically increase student outcomes and close achievement gaps by pursuing bold and innovative reforms. Pursuant to C.G.S. § 262u, each Alliance District’s receipt of its designated ECS funding is conditioned upon district submission and the Commissioner of Education’s approval of a plan, district progress and performance relative to that plan, and subsequent annual amendments, in the context of the district’s overall strategy to improve academic achievement.

Opportunity Districts

Signed into law on December 10, 2015, ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) is the federal legislation that governs elementary and secondary education in America.  ESSA reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and replaced No Child Left Behind.   Connecticut’s approved plan established ten Opportunity Districts.

Opportunity Districts (previously called Educational Reform Districts) are a subset of Connecticut’s Alliance Districts. Opportunity Districts are the 10 lowest performing districts in the state. Approximately 70 percent of Title I schools are found in these 10 districts. Under ESSA, these 10 districts are receiving an intensive level of support and will be accountable for continuous improvement toward our ESSA-required long-term goals.