The superintendent's digest collects recent communications from the State Department of Education to leaders in local school districts. Items are organized by fiscal year, which runs from July 1 to June 30. Select an archive for entries from previous years.
Guidance for K-12 Schools
March 28, 2025
- 2024 IDEA LEA Determinations
- Save the Date - Day of AI Leadership Summit
- Right to Read Literacy Forum at the Legislative Office Building - April 4, 2025, from 10:00 am to 11:30 am
March 24, 2025
- Seal of Biliteracy Report Updated and new Graduate Report Available in EdSight Secure
- Requirements for Withdrawal of Students from Public School to Adult Education
- Student and Family Resources Pertaining to Immigration Activities: As a follow-up to the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) Guidance to K-12 Public Schools Pertaining to Immigration Activities, below is a list of Connecticut state agencies and other resources that may be helpful to refugee and immigrant families and students.
- Connecticut State Agencies:
- The Office of Community Services of the Department of Social Services (DSS) – Refugee Assistance Program
- Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) Immigration Hub
- DCF - V.I.T.A.L. (Voice and Choice; Innovate; Thorough and Accountable; Authentic Youth Engagement; Life Launch) Support for Undocumented Youth and families
- Additional Resources:
- Food and Nutrition Resources:
- Connecticut State Agencies:
March 20, 2025
- March 2025 Cert Alert: Emergency Educator Certification Endorsements for the 2025–26 School Year
- CT Fire Academy College Fair
March 14, 2025
- Notification Regarding the Local Food for Schools and Childcare Cooperative Agreement - The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) received notification from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service on March 7, 2025, that the upcoming Local Food for Schools and Child Care Cooperative Agreement (LFSCC) opportunity has been cancelled due to changes in USDA priorities. That opportunity was planned to go into effect later in 2025. This change does not affect the current federal program that 140 Connecticut school districts are already participating in, known as the Local Food for School Incentive Program (LFSIP), which has $1.8 million in Phase 1 and 2 funding in place and continuing until April 30, 2025. However, participating districts and programs should utilize their allotted funds as soon as possible as the utilization period ends on April 30, 2025. This information was provided to your school nutrition directors as well. There is also a Connecticut LFSIP which is operated by the State Department of Agriculture, that is state funded, and, therefore, not impacted by the cancellation of the federal LFSCC program. The CSDE’s Regional Farm to School Coordinators stand ready to support all participating districts with navigating the federal LFSIP and Connecticut LFSIP. For questions, please contact your assigned coordinator or the CSDE Child Nutrition team: Monica Pacheco at monica.pacheco@ct.gov, Fionnuala Brown at fionnuala.brown@ct.gov, or Jen Bove at jennifer.bove@ct.gov.
- Completion of Teacher Negotiations Act Submission (formerly the ED003)
March 6, 2025
March 3, 2025
- New Resource! BCBAs in Schools: Guidelines and Professional Standards for Connecticut
- Fluency Matters: Reimagining Mathematical Learning – Professional Development for Math Educators
- 2025 Challenge to Educational Citizenship Award Program
February 2025
February 27, 2025
- Executive Order Regarding Title IX Regulations: On February 5, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order entitled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” in which he directed the United States Department of Education and the United States Department of Justice to comply with a recent federal-court decision vacating the August 2024 Title IX regulations, which extended Title IX coverage to transgender students. As such, Title IX regulations have reverted to the 2020 iteration, which do not include transgender-student protections. The Executive Order also directed the United States Departments of Education and of Justice “to affirmatively protect all-female athletic opportunities and all-female locker rooms” and to “prioritize Title IX enforcement actions against educational institutions (including athletic associations composed of . . . such institutions)” that permit biological males who identify as females to participate on cisgender female athletic teams or use cisgender female locker rooms. Given these developments, the CSDE’s January 2024 Guidance on Civil Rights Protections and Supports for Transgender or Gender-Diverse Students regarding the right of transgender athletes to access the locker rooms, shower facilities, and athletic teams of the gender with which they identify is no longer in alignment with Title IX and is under review. As always, districts are advised to consult with their legal counsel regarding this issue.
- 2024-25 Out-of-Town Magnet School Transportation Grant Application (Form ED021) is now open for the spring submission
- Office of Policy and Management (OPM) Survey
- Student Summit IV: Navigating the Historical Waters of Our Unique Identities: An offering by Connecticut’s African American/Black and Puerto Rican/Latino Course of Studies
February 26, 2025
February 14, 2025
- Voices of Dyslexia: Tell Us Your Story
- On behalf of the Connecticut Department of Transportation: Calling All Future Engineers! Panel Discussion with Current Transportation Engineers
February 10, 2025
February 7, 2025
- 2025-26 State Board of Education Student Member Search and Application
- Governor Lamont Announces 2025 Legislative Proposal: Increase Special Education Support for Municipalities
- Revenue Sources Report on EdSight
- February 2025 Cert Alert: Implementation of Public Act No. 24-41 (Effective July 1, 2025)
February 3, 2025
- Survey on Vacancies in Teaching Endorsements, Special Service Endorsements, and Instructional Paraprofessionals
- Illuminating Black History and Culture Through Art PD Playlist
January 2025
January 31, 2025
Guidance to K-12 Public Schools Pertaining to Immigration Activities now available in multiple languages:
- Guidance to K-12 Public Schools Pertaining to Immigration Activities - Arabic
- Guidance to K-12 Public Schools Pertaining to Immigration Activities - Haitian Creole
- Guidance to K-12 Public Schools Pertaining to Immigration Activities - Mandarin
- Guidance to K-12 Public Schools Pertaining to Immigration Activities - Portuguese
- Guidance to K-12 Public Schools Pertaining to Immigration Activities - Spanish
January 30, 2025
- Connecticut Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education Pilot Program
- Office of Fiscal Analysis Funding Infographics:
- 01/2025: Board of Ed. Magnet FY 25 Funding – Infographic (January 2025)
- 01/2025: Education Finance Reform – Infographic (January 2025)
- 01/2025: RESC Magnet FY 25 Funding – Infographic (January 2025)
- 01/2025: State Charter School FY 25 Funding – Infographic (January 2025)
- 01/2025: Vocational Agriculture (ASTE) FY 25 Funding – Infographic (January 2025)
January 28, 2025
January 27, 2025
- Reminder: Handle with Care Alert System Webinar - Tuesday, January 28, 2025, from 9:00-10:00
- Revised Educational Employer Verification Form/Public Act No. 24-41
January 23, 2025
- ARP ESSER Drawdown Deadline: Final payment requests must be submitted to the State Department of Education (SDE) no later than 12:00 p.m. on January 27, 2025.
- Update: Transition in Federal Leadership: CSDE is actively reviewing the potential impact on school districts and working diligently to prepare guidance that ensures compliance with both state and federal law.
- Profile and Performance Reports (PPR) for 2023-24
January 21, 2025
- CSDE Announces Study to Explore Rate Setting for Outplaced Special Education Services
- 2024 Connecticut K-12 World Language Standards
January 10, 2025
- Assessment Audit
- CT-Dyslexia Awareness Event
- Parent Bill of Rights, Translation and Interpretation Services for English Learners/Multilingual Learners
- Now Available: K-12 Model Digital Citizenship Curriculum and Quick Start Guide
- 2024-25 Engage Every Student Recognition Program
January 6, 2025
- Preliminary Education Cost Sharing Calculations
- Handle with Care Alert System Webinar Memo and Flyer
- State Summative Assessment Calendar for 2025-26
- Rigorous Coursework Letters to be sent around January 10, 2025
December 2024
December 20, 2024
December 12, 2024
- FAFSA Completion Status Data Now Available
- CT State Department of Education 2025 Legislative Proposals
- Connecticut National Guard – Recruiter Access to Schools
December 9, 2024
December 5, 2024
- Press Release: Regional School Choice Application Open Now Through February 7, 2025
- U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Releases New Resource Explaining Civil Rights Implications of Schools’ Use of Artificial Intelligence
November 2024
November 26, 2024
November 18, 2024
- CCERC District Research Partnership Application
- Opioid Settlement Grant Opportunity
- Reminder - Illuminating Indigenous People, Cultures, and Perspectives PD Playlist for Educators
November 12, 2024
November 8, 2024
- Special Education Summit Notification
- American Rescue Plan (ARP) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Liquidation Extension
- Press Release: Accountability Results Show Improvement Across Most Indicators
November 4, 2024
October 2024
October 24, 2024
- Survey: Personal Technology Use in Schools (please complete one survey per district by Friday, November 8, 2024)
- Updated Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer and Religious Expression in Public Schools
- Press Release: Connecticut’s 2025 Anne Marie Murphy Paraeducator of the Year Announcement
October 21, 2024
September 2024
September 29, 2024
- New Contact: CSDE K-3 Literacy Assessment Contact - assign by October 21
- National Manufacturing Month PD Playlist for Educators
September 26, 2024
- Nominations for the 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholar Program
- CSDE 2024 Career and Technical Education (CTE) Summit
- The 2025 CT Teacher of the Year Ceremony
September 19, 2024
- New Attendance Reports in EdSight Secure
- Sharing Hispanic Heritage History Month PD Playlist
September 16, 2024
September 12, 2024
- American Rescue Plan (ARP) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Obligation Deadline Reminder
- 2023-2024 ED017 Now Open
- Testing Windows for the K-3 Universal Screening Reading Benchmark Assessments
| Beginning of Year (BOY) | Middle of Year (MOY) | End of Year (EOY) |
|---|---|---|
| September 9, 2024 to October 11, 2024 |
December 9, 2024 to January 31, 2025
|
April 22, 2025 to May 30, 2025
|
September 10, 2024
- Connecticut State Department of Education Kicks Off the 2024-25 School Year at Annual Back-to-School Meeting With Superintendents
- 2024-25 Back-to-School Meeting with Superintendents Slide Deck
September 9, 2024
- ECS Formula – At a Glance
- Unpaid Experiential Learning Program (UELP) is Back for the 2024-2025 School Year
September 6, 2024
September 5, 2024
- On Behalf of the Office of the State Comptroller: DUE DATE APPROACHING: Paraeducator Healthcare Subsidy Program Survey
- On Behalf of the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority: Teacher’s Homeownership Webinar
- Performance Matters Forum 2024
- NEW: Educator Vacancy Dashboard on EdSight
September 3, 2024
- 2024-25 CSDE Talk Tuesday Series
- Coming Soon - Increasing Educator Diversity Plan Revision Template & Webinar!
August 2024
August 29, 2024
- Using Free/Reduced Price Meal Eligibility for State Education Programs
- 2024-25 Out-of-Town Magnet School Transportation Grant Application
- Paraeducator Healthcare Subsidy Program Survey
August 27, 2024
August 23, 2024
- CT Physical Fitness Assessment (CPEA) - Preliminary Results for Indicator 11. Districts will have until 5 p.m. on Friday, August 30, 2024 to complete the review.
- Press Release for State Board Position Statement and Policy Guidance on Personal Technology in Schools.
August 21, 2024
August 19, 2024
August 15, 2024
Teen Suicide Prevention Resources:
Call or text 988 for crisis support
- Teacher-Course-Student (TCS) Accountability Indicators Preview Report in EdSight Secure on Thursday, August 22, 2024
- Access Extended: Defined Learning and Edmentum/APEX Learning
August 8, 2024
- New EdSight Dashboard on Dual Credit Courses Completed
- Survey on Vacancies in Teaching Endorsements, Special Service Endorsements, and Instructional Paraprofessionals
August 5, 2024
July 2024
July 25, 2024
- CT State Hosts Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Sessions this Summer – It’s not too late to apply for Fall 2024!
- Are Your District’s Contacts with CSDE Up to Date?
July 23, 2024
- The Education Financial System (EFS) is now open for filing Fiscal Year 2023-24 financial data with the Connecticut State Department of Education
- Designation of Certification Shortage Areas, 2024-25 School Year
July 22, 2024
- Memorandum: Three Year Pricing for Core Reading
- For additional details, go to CTSourceBidBoard and search for 24PSX0053.
July 19, 2024
July 18, 2024
- ARP ESSER Redistribution
- Defined Learning and Defined Careers August Learning Opportunity
- Prospective students can still apply for free tuition for the fall 2024
July 16, 2024
- Register for the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) Quality Institute, August 13-14, 2024 (In-Person). This conference will focus on the elements of a quality dual credit program.
July 2, 2024
- Reminder: Evaluation and Submission Plan (ESP) due by August 1, 2024
- Reminder: 3rd Annual School Staff Appreciation Digital Backpack
- On behalf of the Department of Public Health: Frequency of Radon Re-Evaluations in Connecticut Public Schools