SB 109 — AN ACT MODIFYING THE CONNECTICUT AUTOMATIC ADMISSIONS PROGRAM.

Senate GeneralBill Assembly File No.

28109 FebruaryPublic Session,Act 2024 Senate Bill No.

10924-47 Senate,AN MarchACT 14,MODIFYING 2024THE TheCONNECTICUT CommitteeAUTOMATIC onADMISSIONS HigherPROGRAM. Education and Employment Advancement reported through SEN.

SLAP of the 5th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the Senate, that the bill ought to pass.

AN ACT MODIFYING THE CONNECTICUT AUTOMATIC ADMISSIONS PROGRAM.

(e) (1) The Board of Regents for Higher Education shall establish (A)[(A)] a minimum [class rank percentile] unweighted grade point average for applicants to qualify for admission through the Connecticut Automatic Admissions Program to each participating institution,institution. and (B) a standardized method for calculating grade point average.

[that[, and (B) a standardized method for calculating grade point average that shall be used to determine class rank percentile.] (2) Each participating institution shall establish the minimum unweighted grade point average, established pursuant to subdivision (1) of this section, as an academic threshold for admission to such institution through the Connecticut Automatic Admissions Program.Program [.

Any other institution of higher SB109education /shall Fileestablish No.one or more of the following academic thresholds:

28(A) 1The SB109minimum Fileclass rank percentile established by the Board of Regents for Higher Education pursuant to subparagraph (A) of subdivision (1) of this subsection, (B) a Senate Bill No.

28109 educationminimum shallgrade establishpoint oneaverage calculated in accordance with the standardized method established by the board pursuant to subparagraph (B) of subdivision (1) of this subsection, or more(C) a combination of a minimum grade point average calculated in accordance with the followingstandardized method established by the board pursuant to subparagraph (B) of subdivision (1) of this subsection] and may establish an additional academic thresholds:threshold of performance on a nationally recognized college readiness assessment administered to students enrolled in grade eleven pursuant to subdivision (3) of subsection (c) of section 10-14n.

(A)[Each Thestate minimumuniversity [classwithin rankthe percentile]Connecticut gradeState pointUniversity averageSystem establishedshall byestablish the Boardacademic ofthreshold Regentsset forforth Higherin Education pursuant to subparagraph (A) of subdivision (1) of this subsection, [(B) a minimum grade point average calculated in accordance with the standardized method established by the board pursuant to subparagraph (B) of subdivision (1)and ofmay thisestablish subsection,] or [(C)] (B) a combination of [a] the minimumadditional gradeacademic pointthresholds averageset [calculatedforth in accordancesubparagraphs with the standardized method established by the board pursuant to subparagraph (B) ofand subdivision(C) (1) of this subsection]subdivision. and performance on a nationally recognized college readiness assessment administered to students enrolled in grade eleven pursuant to subdivision (3) of subsection (c) of section 10-14n.

EachAn stateapplicant universityshall withinbe deemed to have satisfied the academic threshold for admission to a participating institution through the Connecticut StateAutomatic UniversityAdmissions SystemProgram shallif establishsuch applicant satisfies any one of the academic thresholdthresholds setestablished forthby insuch subparagraphinstitution.] (A)(3) No governing board of thisa subdivisionparticipating andinstitution mayshall establish thepolicies additionalor academicprocedures [thresholds]that thresholdrequire setany forthacademic qualifications in [subparagraphs]addition subparagraphto (B)the [andqualifications (C)]specified in subsection (b) of this subdivision.section and the academic threshold established pursuant to this subsection for the purposes of the Connecticut Automatic Admissions Program.

An applicant shall be deemed to have satisfied the academic threshold for admission to a participating institution through the Connecticut Automatic Admissions Program if such applicant satisfies any one of the academic thresholds established by such institution.

(3) No governing board of a participating institution shall establish policies or procedures that require any academic qualifications in addition to the qualifications specified in subsection (b) of this section and the academic threshold established pursuant to this subsection for the purposes of the Connecticut Automatic Admissions Program.

(a) For the school year commencing July 1, 2022, and each school year thereafter, for the purpose of qualifying a student for the Connecticut Automatic Admissions Program, established pursuant to section 10a- 11h, as amended by this act, each local and regional board of education shall (1) calculate a[a] the unweighted grade point average using[using the standardized method SB109established /by Filethe Board of Regents for Higher Public Act No.

2824-47 2 SB109of File3 Senate Bill No.

28109 established by the Board of Regents for Higher Education pursuant to subsection (e) of section 10a-11h,10a-11h,] as amended by this act, for each student who completes eleventh grade, and (2) determine whether such student's [class rank percentile] unweighted grade point average is above or below the minimum established by the Board of Regents for Higher Education pursuant to subsection (e) of section 10a-11h, as amended by this act.

Each local and regional board of education shall share a student's unweighted grade pointaverageandwhethersuchstudentisaboveorbelowtheminimumpoint [classaverage rankand percentile]whether such [student] grade point average is above or below the minimum [class rank percentile] established by the Board of Regents for Higher Education with (A) the student, (B) the student's parent or guardian, (C) the Department of Education, in the form and manner prescribed by the department, and (D) upon the student's request, a participating institution for the purposes of applying to such participating institution under the Connecticut Automatic Admissions Program.

(b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require a local or regional board of education to publish [or provide a class ranking for any student or to publish] on a student's transcript the unweighted grade point average calculated pursuant to subsection (a) of this section or whether such student[student] grade point average is above or below the minimum [class rank percentile] grade point average established by the Board of Regents for Higher Education pursuant to subsection (e) of section 10a-11h, as amended by this act.

ThisApproved actMay shall28, take2024 effectPublic asAct followsNo. and shall amend the following sections:

Section24-47 13 Julyof 1,3 2024 10a-11h(e) SB109 / File No.

28 3 SB109 File No.

28 Sec.

2 July 1, 2024 10-220q HED Joint Favorable SB109 / File No.

28 4 SB109 File No.

28 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.

In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional knowledge.

Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note State Impact:

None Municipal Impact:

None Explanation The bill, which makes a procedural change to the Connecticut Automatic Admissions Program, is not anticipated to result in a fiscal impact.

The bill requires participating institutions to use a grade point average for automatic admission, rather than a class rank.

The Out Years State Impact:

None Municipal Impact:

None SB109 / File No.

28 5 SB109 File No.

28 OLR Bill Analysis SB 109 AN ACT MODIFYING THE CONNECTICUT AUTOMATIC ADMISSIONS PROGRAM.

SUMMARY This bill requires higher education institutions participating in the Connecticut Automatic Admissions Program to use a Board of Regents for Higher Education (BOR)-established minimum grade point average (GPA), rather thana BOR-established minimumclass rank percentile,as an academic threshold for admission.

It correspondingly requires BOR to set this GPA, rather than class rank, threshold and makes conforming changes.

By law, the Connecticut Automatic Admissions Program is a BOR- established program that requires participating higher education institutions to automatically admit an applicant as a full-time, first-year student to a Connecticut in-person’s bachelor’s degree program if he or she meets certain eligibility requirements, which include meeting or exceeding the established academic threshold.