Public Act No. 133: An Act Concerning Alternative Education

• Definition: Section 1. (Effective July 1, 2015) Alternative education means a school or program maintained and operated by a local or regional board of education that is offered to students in a nontraditional educational setting and addresses the social, emotional, behavioral and academic needs of such students. 
• Applicable Laws: Alternative education shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of sections 10-15 and 10-16 of the general statutes and shall be subject to all federal and state laws governing public schools, including length of school year and hours.
• Public Information: Each local and regional board of education shall make available on its Internet web site information relating to alternative education, including, the purpose, location, contact information, staff directory and enrollment criteria for such alternative education. 
• CSDE Guidelines: Sec. 2. (Effective July 1, 2015) The CSDE shall develop guidelines for the provision of alternative education, such guidelines shall include, a description of the purpose and expectations of alternative education, criteria for who is eligible to receive alternative education, criteria for how and when a student may enter or exit alternative education. 
• School Codes: The CSDE shall assign an identification code and organization code to each school or program of alternative education provided by a local or regional board of education for purposes of collecting, tracking and monitoring such alternative education in the public school information system. 
• Equal Advantage: Section 3. (Effective July 1, 2015): provide all children in the school district who receive alternative education equal advantages as compared with other children in the district based on C.G.S. 10-220a.
• Strategic School Profiles: Section. 4. (Effective July 1, 2015): Boards of education annually submit a strategic school profile report for each alternative education school or program under its jurisdiction. 
• Cooperative Arrangements: Section. 5. (Effective July 1, 2015): Pursuant to C.G.S. 10-158a, any two or more boards of education may agree to establish cooperative arrangements to provide school accommodations services, programs or activities, special education services, health care services or alternative education.
• Assessment of Disparities: Section. 6. (Effective July 1, 2015): Pursuant to C.G.S 10-4p, SBE must assess alternative education and alternative education opportunities as part of its statewide assessment of disparities among local and regional school districts to make comparisons to relevant national standards or regional accreditation standards. By law, this assessment is required before SBE develops a five-year implementation plan with appropriate goals and strategies to (1) achieve resource equity and equality of opportunity; (2) increase student achievement; (3) reduce racial, ethnic, and economic isolation; (4) improve effective instruction; and (5) encourage greater parental and community involvement in the state's public schools. 
• Commissioner’s Network: Section 7. (Effective July 1, 2015): Pursuant to C.G.S. 10-223h, CSDE shall perform an operations and instructional audit for any school selected to participate in the commissioner's network that inventories, among other things, any alternative education that the school offers to students.