(a) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1996, and each fiscal year thereafter, a local or regional board of education, may, in accordance with this section, apply to the commissioner, pursuant to section 10-264e, for a grant for the school district or one or more schools within the school district. Such grants shall be limited to school districts or schools in which the average mastery percentage, as defined in subdivision (3) of section 10-262f, is equal to or exceeds fifteen per cent and shall be based on a local plan to improve the quality of school performance and student outcomes. Applicants for such grants may also request technical assistance and waivers of specific state statutory and regulatory mandates which may be granted by the commissioner for good cause.
(b) The commissioner may approve, in accordance with section 10-264e, programs pursuant to this section if the commissioner finds the program is likely to increase student performance as measured by mastery examination results, pursuant to section 10-14n, or enhance student awareness of diversity. Programs which may be eligible for grants pursuant to this section include, but are not limited to, early childhood education and extended-day kindergarten, parent involvement in the education of children and in the schools, reduction in class size, tutoring and mentoring of students, after-school academic programs, lengthening the instructional school day and lengthening the instructional school year.
(P.A. 93-263, S. 7, 14; P.A. 13-207, S. 17.)
History: P.A. 93-263 effective June 28, 1993; P.A. 13-207 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “state-wide mastery examination” with “mastery examination”, adding reference to Sec. 10-14n and making a technical change, effective July 1, 2013.