Section 10-145h - Requirements for certification as a bilingual education teacher(a) On and after July 1, 2021, the State Board of Education shall require an applicant for certification as a bilingual education teacher to demonstrate written competency in English and written and oral competency in the other language of instruction as a condition of certification as follows: (1) Written competency in English shall be demonstrated by (A) successful passage of the essential skills test approved by the State Board of Education, or (B) a bachelor's degree, or its equivalent, from a regionally accredited institution of higher education in which the language of instruction is English, and (2) written competency in the other language shall be demonstrated (A) on an examination, if available, of comparable difficulty as specified by the Department of Education, or (B) a bachelor's degree, or its equivalent, from a regionally accredited institution of higher education in which the language of instruction is in the other language. If such an examination is not available, competency shall be demonstrated by an appropriate alternative method as specified by the department. Oral competency in the other language shall be demonstrated by an appropriate method specified by the Department of Education.(b) On and after July 1, 2015, the State Board of Education shall require persons seeking to become (1) elementary level bilingual education teachers to meet coursework requirements in elementary education and bilingual education, and (2) secondary level bilingual education teachers to meet coursework requirements in both the subject area they will teach and in bilingual education. The State Board of Education may issue an endorsement in bilingual education to an applicant who has (A) completed coursework requirements in (i) elementary education and bilingual education, or (ii) the subject area they will teach and bilingual education, and (B) successful passage of examination requirements for bilingual education, as approved by the State Board of Education.(c) On and after July 1, 2000, the State Board of Education shall require bilingual education teachers holding provisional educator certificates to meet the requirements of this subsection in order to qualify for a professional educator certificate to teach bilingual education. (1) Such bilingual education teachers who teach on the elementary level shall take fifteen credit hours in bilingual education and fifteen credit hours in language arts, reading and mathematics.(2) Such bilingual education teachers who teach on the middle or secondary level shall take fifteen credit hours in bilingual education and fifteen credit hours in the subject matter that they teach. Such professional educator certificate shall be valid for bilingual education and the grade level and content area of preparation.(d) On and after July 1, 2021, certification in (1) elementary bilingual education shall be valid for grades kindergarten to nine, inclusive, and (2) middle grades bilingual education shall be valid for grades four to nine, inclusive.(e) Not later than January 1, 2022, the Commissioner of Education shall approve guidelines for unique endorsements to authorize the teaching of secondary bilingual humanities and secondary bilingual science, technology, engineering and mathematics courses.(f)(1) A certified bilingual education teacher who has completed at least fifteen semester hours of credit in combined content coursework in the humanities shall be eligible to teach secondary humanities courses in a bilingual education program.(2) A certified teacher who does not hold an endorsement in bilingual education shall be eligible to teach secondary humanities courses in a bilingual education program if such teacher completes (A) fifteen semester hours of credit in combined content coursework in the humanities, and (B) the required coursework and testing for a bilingual endorsement under this section.(g)(1) A certified bilingual education teacher who has completed at least fifteen semester hours of credit in combined content coursework in the fields of science, technology, engineering or mathematics shall be eligible to teach secondary courses in such fields in a bilingual education program.(2) A certified teacher who does not hold an endorsement in bilingual education shall be eligible to teach secondary science, technology, engineering or mathematics courses in a bilingual education program if such teacher completes (A) fifteen semester hours of credit in combined content coursework in the fields of science, technology, engineering or mathematics, and (B) the required coursework and testing for a bilingual endorsement under this section.Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-145h
( P.A. 99-211, S. 4, 10; P.A. 05-290, S. 1; P.A. 06-13, S. 5; P.A. 08-170, S. 15; June 19 Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-1, S. 4; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 339.)
Amended by P.A. 21-0144,S. 2 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2021 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2021.Amended by P.A. 15-0005, S. 339 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2015 Special Session, eff. 7/1/2015.Amended by P.A. 09-0001, S. 4 of the June 19, 2009 Sp. Sess., eff. 7/1/2009.