SB 438 - Education Reform in Connecticut

• Establishes alternate route to certification programs for school administrators, requiring participants to hold a bachelor's degree, have at least 40 months of teaching experience (10 months in Connecticut), and complete a one-year residency under certified administrator supervision; initial certificates valid for three years, with master's degree required within five years.

• Creates a statewide public school information system to track student performance, teacher credentials, and school/district data; expands by July 1, 2013 to include student and teacher performance growth metrics, school disciplinary records, and links to higher education enrollment data.

• Implements new high school graduation requirements for classes graduating in 2018 and beyond: minimum 25 credits including 9 in humanities, 8 in science/technology/engineering/mathematics, 3.5 in career/life skills, 2 in world languages, and 1 senior project; students must pass end-of-year exams in five core subjects.

• Allows priority school districts to convert schools into "innovation schools" with flexibility in curriculum, budget, staffing, and collective bargaining agreements, subject to annual evaluation and measurable achievement goals.

• Authorizes establishment of school governance councils in low-achieving schools to participate in school improvement decisions, review budgets, and recommend school reconstitution models (turnaround, restart, transformation, or CommPACT school).