Connecticut special‑education advisory committee advances annual report and urges legislators to require SRBI guidance statewide

The Connecticut State Advisory Council on Special Education Executive Committee met Dec. 17 and approved draft edits to its annual report while directing staff to produce a brief legislative one‑pager ahead of the upcoming session. The committee also voted to move its full council meeting to Jan. 28 to avoid a scheduling conflict.

The group focused on a set of legislative recommendations they want transmitted to lawmakers as part of a condensed summary. Committee members debated whether to frame the priority as a ‘‘mandate’’ or a ‘‘requirement’’ and settled on language asking legislators to require the integration of the State Department of Education’s forthcoming SRBI guidance into district practice. Chair Missy Wrigley summarized the proposed wording during the meeting: "Require integration of new forthcoming SRBI guidance to be implemented throughout all districts." The committee discussed implementation realities, including the need for technical assistance and the difficulty of imposing unfunded mandates, and asked staff to draft language that balances firmness with feasibility.

Committee members also discussed including a separate recommendation that digital citizenship instruction be taught through a special‑education lens rather than only as a general curriculum. A member urged that instruction on safe digital citizenship be reframed for students with disabilities, and members agreed to move that recommendation to the section addressed to legislators.

Staff and members agreed to include a past presentation from the Toe/TOE Youth Justice Institute in the report’s task‑force updates (presentation date March 26 was noted), and to shorten or format long links and charts for accessibility. Members acknowledged accessibility constraints in producing a polished one‑pager before the holidays and agreed staff would prepare a draft and a template for committee review.

On scheduling and logistics, the committee accepted a staff recommendation to shift the full council meeting to Jan. 28 (same time) so members could avoid conflicts with the State Board of Education meeting that will include a WestEd presentation. The motion to reschedule passed without recorded opposition.

Members also reviewed and approved meeting minutes from Oct. 8 and Nov. 12 with housekeeping spelling and formatting corrections, and ended the session after a motion to adjourn.

Votes at a glance - Motion to approve Oct. 8 minutes as corrected: moved by Catherine (S4), second recorded; outcome: approved (chair called for aye). - Motion to approve Nov. 12 minutes as corrected: moved and seconded; outcome: approved. - Motion to move full SAC meeting to Jan. 28 (same time): moved (Unidentified Speaker S5), seconded (Unidentified Speaker S3); outcome: approved. - Motion to adjourn: moved by Catherine (S4), seconded by Unidentified Speaker (S9); outcome: approved.

What’s next Staff agreed to draft a one‑page legislative summary and circulate a template and a draft to members for review in the coming days; the committee will present the final report and recommendations to the full council in January, and will consider timing and accessibility formatting before sending materials to legislators.