K-12 areas of instruction required by statute in Connecticut

• Education policy by state
• State public education
• State higher education
• School choice by state
• Charter schools
• Trends in curriculum development
• Curriculum standards in public universities

See also: K-12 education content standards in the states

This page features information about K-12 areas of instruction required by state statute in Connecticut public schools.

Background

See also: K-12 education content standards in the states and K-12 curriculum authority, requirements, and statutes in the states

State education officials may develop content standards and curricula, depending on the state, in order to facilitate instruction in public schools. In some states, lawmakers also adopt required areas of instruction by statute.

K-12 content standards and curriculum development

State or local education officials may develop K-12 curricula for classroom instruction that generally includes lessons and materials used in a particular course of study. Depending on the state, K-12 curricula may reflect or incorporate state content standards—educational learning and achievement goals that state education officials either require or recommend that local schools satisfy in K-12 instruction.

Areas of instruction required by statute

Some state laws require the inclusion of specific areas of instruction in K-12 public school curricula. In these cases, lawmakers—rather than state education officials—mandate certain education requirements for students. Laws governing specific areas of instruction in K-12 curricula vary by state.

Statutorily required areas of instruction in Connecticut

The following table provides information about selected areas of instruction required by statute in Connecticut as of 2023. The statutes provided may not be comprehensive. The statutory text is provided below the table.

Statutorily required areas of instruction in Connecticut
Area(s) of instruction	Statute(s)
United States history and government	Connecticut General Statutes Title 10. Education and Culture § 10-18
Prescribed courses of study (including arts, consumer education, nutrition education, human growth and development, nutrition, first aid, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation training, etc.)	CT Gen Stat § 10-16b (2022)
African-American, black, Puerto Rican, and Latino studies instruction	CT Gen Stat § 10-16ss (2022)
Holocaust and genocide education	CT Gen Stat § 10-18f (2022)
Mental health	CT Gen Stat § 10-76v (2022)

Connecticut General Statutes Title 10. Education and Culture § 10-18:

"

Courses in United States history, government and duties and responsibilities of citizenship All high, preparatory, secondary and elementary schools, public or private, whose property is exempt from taxation, shall provide a program of United States history, including instruction in United States government at the local, state and national levels, and in the duties, responsibilities, and rights of United States citizenship.  No student shall be graduated from any such school who has not been found to be familiar with said subjects...

”

CT Gen Stat § 10-16b (2022):

"

Prescribed courses of study. In the public schools the program of instruction offered shall include at least the following subject matter, as taught by legally qualified teachers, the arts; career education; consumer education; health and safety, including, but not limited to, human growth and development, nutrition, first aid, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation training in accordance with the provisions of section 10-16qq, disease prevention and cancer awareness, including, but not limited to, age and developmentally appropriate instruction in performing self-examinations for the purposes of screening for breast cancer and testicular cancer, community and consumer health, physical, mental and emotional health, including youth suicide prevention, substance abuse prevention, including instruction relating to opioid use and related disorders, safety, which shall include the safe use of social media, as defined in section 9-601, and may include the dangers of gang membership, and accident prevention; language arts, including reading, writing, grammar, speaking and spelling; mathematics; physical education; science, which may include the climate change curriculum described in subsection (d) of this section; social studies, including, but not limited to, citizenship, economics, geography, government, history and Holocaust and genocide education and awareness in accordance with the provisions of section 10-18f; computer science, including, but not limited to, computer programming instruction; and in addition, on at least the secondary level, one or more world languages and vocational education. For purposes of this subsection, world languages shall include American Sign Language, provided such subject matter is taught by a qualified instructor under the supervision of a teacher who holds a certificate issued by the State Board of Education. For purposes of this subsection, the “arts” means any form of visual or performing arts, which may include, but not be limited to, dance, music, art and theatre...

”

CT Gen Stat § 10-16ss (2022):

"

African-American and black studies and Puerto Rican and Latino studies instruction. For the school year commencing July 1, 2021, and each school year thereafter, each local and regional board of education shall include African-American and black studies and Puerto Rican and Latino studies as part of the curriculum for the school district, pursuant to section 10-16b. In developing and implementing the African-American and black studies and Puerto Rican and Latino studies curriculum, the board may utilize the curriculum materials made available by the State Board of Education pursuant to subsection (d) of section 10-16b or other existing and appropriate public or private materials, personnel and resources, provided such curriculum is in accordance with the state-wide subject matter content standards, adopted by the state board pursuant to section 10-4...

”

CT Gen Stat § 10-18f (2022):

"

Holocaust and genocide education and awareness curriculum. For the school year commencing July 1, 2018, and each school year thereafter, each local and regional board of education shall include Holocaust and genocide education and awareness as part of the social studies curriculum for the school district, pursuant to section 10-16b. In developing and implementing the Holocaust and genocide education and awareness portion of the social studies curriculum, the board may utilize existing and appropriate public or private materials, personnel and other resources...

”

CT Gen Stat § 10-76v (2022):

"

Program components. Duties of mental health professionals. Parental consent required. Early detection and prevention programs funded under the provisions of sections 10-76u to 10-76x, inclusive, shall include (1) a component for systematic early detection and screening to identify children experiencing behavioral, disciplinary or early school adjustment problems, and (2) services that address such problems for children so identified...

”

See also

• K-12 areas of instruction required by statute in the states
• K-12 curriculum authority, requirements, and statutes in the states
• K-12 education content standards in the states
• Overview of trends in K-12 curricula development
• Use of the term critical race theory (CRT)

External links

• Search Google News for this topic