Substitute Senate Bill No. 14 is a comprehensive legislative proposal that introduces a range of changes to the education statutes in Connecticut, with a focus on improving educational outcomes, supporting special education, and enhancing early childhood education. The bill establishes an Office of Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities and a Center for Literacy Research and Reading Success within the Department of Education to ensure compliance with reading instruction standards and to implement a state-wide reading plan for K-3 students. It mandates a study on the feasibility of a state-wide program for advanced courses for high school students and updates the criteria for the Connecticut State Seal of Biliteracy. The bill also addresses tuition charges for interdistrict magnet schools, maintaining that tuition for the 2025 fiscal year shall not exceed fifty-eight percent of the per-student tuition charged in 2024, and outlines the employment rights of teachers at schools operated by Goodwin University Magnet Schools, Inc. or Goodwin University Educational Services, Inc.

The bill revises enrollment standards for magnet schools to comply with the Sheff v. O'Neill decision, promotes Connecticut agriculture in schools, and updates the definition and scope of "transition service" for special education. It requires the Department of Education to enter into memoranda of understanding with various state departments to coordinate transition services and mandates the appointment of liaisons to the State-wide Transition Services Coordinator. Additionally, the bill revises the Technical Education and Career System, including admissions policies, faculty recruitment, and program advisory committees, and establishes Early Start CT to provide state funding to early care and education programs. It also sets new qualifications for early childhood education staff and outlines financial provisions for the Early Start CT program, including per-child rates and classroom amounts. The bill includes insertions and deletions to existing statutes, such as amending financial assistance provisions for child care centers and the Connecticut Smart Start competitive grant program, and extends licenses for child care services statewide. The bill was approved on May 30, 2024, and most provisions are effective from July 1, 2024, or July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Public Act No. 24-78: 10-5, 10-95j, 10-96c, 10-66p, 10-95, 10-95p, 10-76q