State agencies would guide reading support and sign language teaching

The Department of Education must develop and share guidance with local and regional school boards. The guidance concerns students identified as struggling in reading. The guidance must be based on data from approved reading assessments. The department must submit a report on its guidance and any legislative recommendations by January 1, 2028.

The Department of Education administers annual scholarships of up to $10,000 per year. An applicant must have graduated from a public high school in Connecticut and attend a teacher preparation program at a four-year college. The applicant must be in an underrepresented population group identified as a teacher shortage area in Connecticut. Recipients must be in good standing in their teacher preparation program. The department must set administration rules by January 1, 2027; the rules may add eligibility criteria. Annual awards are specified for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, and each year after.

The Department of Education must form a working group and later give school boards American Sign Language curriculum guidance. The working group includes representatives from named state agencies, education and deafness organizations, and at least one public school American Sign Language instructor. The group recommends curriculum guidance, teacher certification standards, and advice for educator preparation programs; it does not itself set those standards. The working group starts January 1, 2027, and the department must send the curriculum guidance by July 1, 2030. Progress reports begin by January 1, 2028, and are due yearly after that.

The Comptroller must establish subsidy programs for eligible paraeducators and school boards. The individual subsidy covers public school paraeducators who open a health savings account or qualify for Medicare and enroll in a high deductible health plan. The board subsidy covers boards that provide health coverage to paraeducators and their dependents; the provisions also apply to charter schools. A paraeducator's individual subsidy depends on available appropriations and is limited by a percentage and maximum set by the Comptroller, minus certain employer contributions. A board subsidy depends on funds appropriated for that purpose and is capped at 10% of premium costs. The board must use it to reduce paraeducators' payroll deductions. The board subsidy does not apply to boards offering high deductible health plans. Both subsidy programs are specified for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, and each fiscal year after.