HB05034 AN ACT REDUCING TESTING BURDENS AND ENHANCING THE MATH…

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about the nature or amount of incentives, nor does it specify an effective date for the bill's implementation beyond July 1, 2026.

Act to Reduce Testing and Improve Math Education

This act aims to reduce testing burdens on students by limiting broad assessments and enhancing the math curriculum.

What This Bill Does

Defines 'broad assessment' as a test that measures what students should have learned over a semester or school year, excluding state-wide mastery exams and other required tests.
Requires the Commissioner of Education to create an incentive program by July 1, 2027, for schools that reduce testing time, integrate state-provided tools into their curriculum, and improve teacher skills in formative assessments.
Directs the Department of Education to develop guidance on reducing discretionary local student assessments by June 1, 2027.
Allows the Commissioner to request federal waivers to modify high school accountability models under the Every Student Succeeds Act, focusing more on college and career readiness measures.
Requires the Commissioner to redesign math pathways for high schools by January 1, 2027, to better prepare students for postsecondary careers in various fields.

Who It Names or Affects

Students who will have less time spent on broad assessments during the school year.
School districts and teachers who can benefit from incentives if they reduce testing time and improve teaching methods.
The Department of Education which must develop guidance for reducing local student assessments and redesign math pathways.

Terms To Know

broad assessment: A test that measures what students should have learned during a semester or school year, excluding state-wide mastery exams and other required tests.
formative assessment: An ongoing evaluation of student learning to provide feedback and improve teaching methods.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify the exact nature or amount of incentives for school districts.
It is unclear how much funding will be available for implementing these changes.
The effectiveness of reducing testing time on student learning outcomes remains to be seen.

Official Summary Text

To implement the Governor's budget recommendations.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

LCO No. 616 1 of 3

General Assembly Governor's Bill No. 5034
February Session, 2026 LCO No. 616

Referred to Committee on EDUCATION

Introduced by:
Request of the Governor Pursuant
to Joint Rule 9

AN ACT REDUCING TESTING BURDENS AND ENHANCING THE
MATH CURRICULUM.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2026 ) (a) As used in this section, 1
"broad assessment" means an assessment that measures what students 2
should have learned during a semester or during a school year. "Broad 3
assessment" does not include the state -wide mastery examinations 4
under section 10 -14n of the general statutes or any other student 5
assessments required by state or federal law. 6
(b) Not later than July 1, 2027, the Commissioner of Education shall 7
establish, within available appropriations, an incentive program for 8
school districts that (1) reduces or limits the amount of time student s 9
spend on taking broad assessments during the school year, (2) integrates 10
state-provided interim and formative assessment tools into the local 11
curriculum in a manner that supports ongoing instructional 12
improvement, and (3) increases teacher competency in the formative 13
assessment process. The incentive program may include public 14

Governor's Bill No. 5034

LCO No. 616 2 of 3

recognition, financial awards and enhanced autonomy or operational 15
flexibility for school districts. 16
(c) The Department of Education may accept private donations for 17
the purpose of this section. 18
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2026 ) Not later than June 1, 2027, the 19
Department of Education shall develop and provide guidance to local 20
and regional boards of education on effective strategies for reducing the 21
amount of discretionary local student assessments. Such guidance may 22
include the elimination of the fall and spring administration of broad 23
assessments, as defined in section 1 of this act, or substituting, where 24
appropriate, certain end-of-unit classroom summative assessments with 25
state-provided interim and formative assessment tools. 26
Sec. 3. (Effective from passage ) The Commissioner of Education may, 27
after consultation with the working group established pursuant to 28
section 28 of public act 24 -45, submit a request to the United States 29
Secretary of Education to amend the state's approved plan submitted 30
pursuant to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 , 20 31
USC 6301, et seq., as amended from time to time , and reauthorized by 32
the Every Student Succeeds Act, P.L. 114 -95. Such request may include 33
a waiver from federal accountability requirements under said act that 34
allows the Department of Education to modify the state's high school 35
accountability model by reducing the weight assigned to the academic 36
achievement indicator and increasing the weight for other relevant 37
indicators, such as college and career-oriented measures. 38
Sec. 4. ( Effective from passage ) (a) Not later than January 1, 2027, the 39
Commissioner of Education shall redesign Connecticut's high school 40
mathematics pathways to prepare students for relevant postsecondary 41
careers. Such mathematics pathways shall include, but need not be 42
limited to, (1) science, technology, engineering and mathematics, (2) 43
data science and statistics, (3) quantitative reasoning, and (4) workforce 44
and applied mathematics. The commissioner may consult with relevant 45

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LCO No. 616 3 of 3

stakeholders to implement the provisions of this subsection. 46
(b) The commissioner, in consultation with the Connecticut Educator 47
Preparation and Certification Board established pursuant to section 10 -48
150b of the general statutes, shall develop guidelines for the role of 49
mathematics specialists in supporting mathematics interventions in 50
schools. 51
(c) Not later than January 1, 2027, the commissioner shall (1) develop 52
a list of professional development providers to support the 53
implementation of high -quality mathematics instruction, and (2) 54
explore the feasibility of launching MathConn, a professional learning 55
series for educators. The commissioner may consult with relevant 56
stakeholders to implement the provisions of this subsection. 57
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 July 1, 2026 New section
Sec. 2 July 1, 2026 New section
Sec. 3 from passage New section
Sec. 4 from passage New section

Statement of Purpose:
To implement the Governor's budget recommendations.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]