The Connecticut State Board of Education (State Board) adopted Standards for Educational Opportunities for Students Who Have been Expelled (Standards) onJanuary 3, 2018. The State Board acted in response to P.A. 17-200, An Act Concerning Education Mandate Relief, containing a directive that the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) adopt such standards. The Standards delineate two permissible options for school districts for the provision of alternative education to expelled students: 1) to educate an eligible expelled student in an alternative educational program operated by the expelling district if placement in such a program is deemed appropriate as adjudged under the CSDE Standards or 2) to provide an eligible expelled student with a different educational opportunity as long as it meets the CSDE Standards.
The Standards clarify that school districts may permissibly educate an expelled student through an alternative education program offered by another local educational agency or operator. Whether a district elects to provide an expelled student with an AEO in an alternate education program or to provide a different alternative educational opportunity, the Standards require that school districts develop an individualized learning plan for each expelled student. Such learning plans must address specified areas including, but not limited to, academic and behavioral goals, bench marks for progress and monitoring of progress.
While acknowledging that many Connecticut school districts offer appropriate educational programming for expelled students, the CSDE expresses an expectation that districts would in most instances determine that enrollment in its own alternative educational program or that operated by another LEA or provider would be the most appropriate option. The CSDE recognizes that in unusual circumstances such placement may not be suitable or available.
The Standards emphasize the importance of providing high quality education to expelled students and require that individualized assessment be conducted. The Standards set specific required action to be taken by districts in five areas: student placement, creation of an individualized learning plan, review of placement, progress monitoring, and transitional planning. The Standards can be reviewed in entirety here:
Notably, the Standards contain no directive for a minimally required number of seat hours for instruction for expelled students. General alternative education programs are subject to state law requirements for the number of required seat hours and school days. However, the omission in the Standards is offset by the CSDE’s expressed preference that districts provide expelled students with an alternative educational opportunity that closely mirrors the full time educational environment from which the expelled student was removed.
The CSDE has expressed interest in developing best practices for reducing discipline, including expulsions, in improving alternative schools and programs, along with improving educational outcomes for expelled students.Futureexamination promises possible further change to or clarification of Connecticut’s existing law and formal guidance in this area.
For the present, school districts are encouraged to review current practices, procedures and policies related to student expulsions, and in particular, those related to the offering or provision of alternative educational opportunities to expelled students to ensure compliance with the latest revisions to C.G. S. 10-233d, Connecticut’s expulsion statute, and with the newly adopted CSDE Standards for the provision of alternative education to expelled students.