2023 Connecticut General Statutes › Title 10 - Education and Culture › Chapter 170 - Boards of Education › Section 10-222q. - Social and Emotional Learning and School Climate Advisory Collaborative.

(a) There is established a social and emotional learning and school climate advisory collaborative. The collaborative shall (1) collect information concerning the school climate improvement efforts of local and regional boards of education, (2) document any needs articulated by local and regional boards of education for technical assistance and training relating to fostering positive school climates, (3) identify best practices for promoting positive school climates, (4) direct resources to support state-wide and local initiatives on issues relating to fostering and improving positive school climates and improving access to social and emotional learning in schools, (5) develop an assessment for screening students in grades three to twelve, inclusive, to determine whether such students are at risk for suicide, (6) develop a biennial state-wide school climate survey, as described in subsection (c) of section 2 of public act 19-166*, (7) develop a model positive school climate policy, as described in subsection (a) of section 2 of public act 19-166*, (8) develop a plain language explanation of the rights and remedies available under sections 10-4a and 10-4b for distribution to parents and guardians pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (c) of section 10-222d, and provide such explanation to each local and regional board of education not later than January 1, 2021, and (9) perform other functions concerning social and emotional learning and fostering positive school climates.
(b) The collaborative shall consist of the following members:
(1) Five appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom is a member of the Juvenile Justice Policy and Oversight Committee, established pursuant to section 46b-121n; one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education; one of whom is a school administrator with experience in district-level, equity-focused and cross-disciplinary social and emotional learning; one of whom is a representative of an organization that provides free or reduced-cost legal services; and one of whom is a representative of Connecticut Parent Power;
(2) Five appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut Association of Schools; one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut Association of School Administrators; one of whom is a representative of the Social Emotional Learning Alliance for Connecticut; one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut School Counselor Association; and one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents;
(3) Three appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, one of whom is a representative of Special Education Equity for Kids of Connecticut; one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center; and one of whom is a representative of African Caribbean American Parents of Children with Disabilities, Inc.;
(4) Three appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, one of whom is a representative of the Center for Children's Advocacy; one of whom is a representative of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence; and one of whom is a representative of the Neag School of Education at The University of Connecticut;
(5) Three appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, one of whom is a representative of the American Federation of Teachers-Connecticut; one of whom is a representative of the Center for Social and Emotional Learning at Central Connecticut State University; and one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut Parent Teacher Association;
(6) Three appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut Education Association; one of whom is a representative of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Connecticut; and one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board established pursuant to section 17a-52;
(7) The Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee;
(8) The chairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children and education;
(9) The Child Advocate, or the Child Advocate's designee; and
(10) The executive director of the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity, or the executive director's designee.
(c) All appointments to the collaborative shall be made not later than thirty days after the effective date of this section. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority.
(d) The cochairpersons of the collaborative shall be the executive director of the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity, or the executive director's designee, and a cochairperson elected from among the members. The first meeting of the collaborative shall be held not later than sixty days after the effective date of this section.
(e) The collaborative may designate subcommittees and advisory groups to carry out its functions, provided any subcommittees so designated shall be comprised of members of the collaborative.
(f) The staff of the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity shall serve as administrative staff of the collaborative.
(g) Not later than January 1, 2021, and annually thereafter, the collaborative shall submit a report concerning (1) its efforts to (A) monitor the school climate improvement efforts of local and regional boards of education, (B) document needs articulated by local and regional boards of education for technical assistance and training relating to fostering positive school climates, (C) identify best practices for promoting positive school climates, and (D) direct resources to support state-wide and local initiatives on issues relating to fostering and improving positive school climates and improving access to social and emotional learning, and (2) any recommendations, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children and education, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a.
(P.A. 19-166, S. 1; P.A. 22-58, S. 66.)
*Note: Section 2 of public act 19-166 is special in nature and therefore has not been codified but remains in full force and effect according to its terms.
History: P.A. 19-166 effective July 8, 2019 (Revisor's note: Pursuant to P.A. 19-117, “Commission on Women, Children and Seniors” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity”); P.A. 22-58 amended Subsec. (b)(6) by replacing “Youth Suicide Advisory Board” with “Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board”, effective July 1, 2022.