Connecticut State Department of Education

Most Popular Services

  • K-12 Education

  • Apply to RSCO Open Choice or Magnet School

    The Regional School Choice Office (RSCO) lottery application includes the Hartford Region Open Choice Program and approximately 45 interdistrict magnet schools. Parents and guardians with children who reside in Connecticut at the time of application are eligible to apply.

  • CT Learning Hub

    The CT Learning Hub puts resources in the hands of CT families, students and educators. 

  • Carl D. Perkins and Career and Technical Education

    View Carl D. Perkins grants, publications, and Career and Technical Education Subject content.

  • Mastery-Based Learning Resource Center

    This website is designed to support local school districts that choose to implement Mastery-Based Learning, as well as families and community partners who want to learn more about this model.

  • School Nutrition Programs

    Information and guidance on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's school nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Afterschool Snack Program (ASP), Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP), Special Milk Program (SMP), and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) of the NSLP. 

  • Students

  • Discipline in Schools

    Guidance and resources for appropriate disciplinary practices in schools including resources regarding educational opportunities for students who have been expelled.

  • Comprehensive School Counseling

    The CT Comprehensive School Counseling Framework is an articulated, sequential kindergarten-through-grade 12 program that is comprehensive in scope, preventative in design, developmental in nature, driven by data, and integral to the school district’s curricula and instructional program.

  • Connecticut School Choice

    The Connecticut State Department of Education’s (CSDE) commitment to public school choice is evident in the five different types of public school choice programming available statewide.

  • Open Choice Districts

    The Open Choice program allows urban students to attend public schools in nearby suburban towns.

  • School Choice Transportation

    The Regional School Choice Office (RSCO), a collaboration of the State Department of Education (SDE), the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC), and the Hartford Public Schools (HPS), operates the regional transportation system that serves the Greater Hartford regional school choice programs: Hartford Region Open Choice; interdistrict magnet schools operated by HPS, CREC, Goodwin College, Bloomfield Public Schools, and East Hartford Public Schools; select Connecticut technical high schools; and the Suffield Regional Agriscience Center.

  • Families and Community

  • Discipline in Schools

    Guidance and resources for appropriate disciplinary practices in schools including resources regarding educational opportunities for students who have been expelled.

  • Chronic Absence

    Good attendance is essential to student achievement! Research shows that absences add up and that good attendance is essential to student achievement and graduation. Whereas, chronic absence and truancy can be lead to school drop-out, academic failure and juvenile delinquency. By removing barriers to attendance, districts, schools and community partners can improve attendance.

  • Interdistrict Magnet School Program

    Magnet schools are designed to attract students from diverse social, economic, ethnic, and racial backgrounds.

  • Open Choice Districts

    The Open Choice program allows urban students to attend public schools in nearby suburban towns.

  • School Governance Councils

    School Governance Councils provide a remarkable opportunity for Connecticut schools to engage with families and community members in the essential dialogue about student achievement and preparing all students for success.

  • Special Education

  • Special Education Guidance and Resources for COVID-19

    Information for special education leaders, school personnel, and families about Coronavirus (COVID-19) and special education.

  • Bureau of Special Education

    Homepage of the CSDE Bureau of Special Education

  • New IEP

    The Connecticut State Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education (BSE), is planning to implement a new Individualized Education Program (IEP) document and the Special Education Data System (CT-SEDS) in the 2022-23 school year.   This page will provide up-to-date information, documents and tools to assist in the roll-out of the new IEP.

  • Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs) Task Force

    The task force was established to review issues raised by a “Request for Amendment of Regulation” (Petition).

  • Individualized Education Program (IEP) and Planning and Placement Team (PPT)

    Tools, resources, and forms related to Planning and Placement Teams (PPT) and Individualized Education Programs (IEP)

  • Specific Learning Disability and SLD/Dyslexia

    This page contains information on the identification/assessment, instruction/intervention, and resources for educating students with SLD, including SLD/Dyslexia.

  • State Performance Plan (SPP) and Annual Performance Report (APR)

    Connecticut’s SPP/APR is a multi-year plan that describes and reports on the state’s performance on 17 compliance-based and results-based indicators in special education.

  • Adult Education

  • Download the GED Transcript

  • Provider Directory

  • Adult Education Programs and Services

    Instructional programs are provided predominantly through local school districts and through various community and faith-based organizations.

  • Federal Legislation and Grants

  • Adult Education Assessment and Accountability

  • Teachers and Administrators

  • Become a Teacher

    Teach Connecticut.org - Resources for becoming a teacher in Connecticut. 

  • Certification

    Connecticut is proud of its dedicated and innovative educators, and is eager to attract new teachers and other educational professionals to our schools. Whether you are a student in an educator preparation program, a veteran educator coming from another state, or a Connecticut teacher seeking a new certificate, we hope this page answers your questions.

  • Teacher Education and Mentoring (TEAM)

    In October 2009, Connecticut General Statute, Section 10-145o was passed and called for the establishment of “a teacher education and mentoring (TEAM) program that includes guided teacher support and coaching and the completion of instructional modules” for beginning teachers.

  • Educator Evaluation

    The importance of highly-skilled educators is beyond dispute, as a strong body of evidence now confirms what parents, students, teachers, and administrators have long known: effective teachers are among the most important school level factor in student learning, and effective leadership is an essential component of any successful school.

  • Talent Office

    The mission of the CSDE Talent Office is to develop and deploy talent management and human capital development strategies to districts and schools state-wide so that the most effective educators are in every school and classroom and all students are prepared for college, career and life.