Changes ahead for K-12 curriculum

Requirements include Native American and climate change studies

The new school year is bringing big changes to the K-12 curriculum in Connecticut. Here’s a peak at what’s new this fall and a preview of what’s to come in the years ahead.

Climate change

State law now requires Connecticut schools to teach climate change within the science curriculum.

While climate change instruction has been common practice for as many as 90% of schools in the state, the new requirement mandates that all schools must teach climate change in accordance with the Next Generation Science Standards starting this fall.

The standards, which include elementary, middle and high school lessons, cover typical weather conditions, ecosystems, weather-related hazards, climate patterns, the impact of human activity and climate change solutions, among other topics.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has also developed its own resources for educators including publications on climate change in Connecticut.

“I’m thrilled this requirement is going into effect and, if taught boldly, hopefully, and realistically by devoted science teachers, all of our kids will be much better off,” said State Rep. Christine Palm, the vice chair of the Environment Committee, who championed the passage of the initiative in 2022.

Financial literacy

Financial literacy is now an embedded component of the K-12 model curricula. CSDE’S K-2 and 3-5 math curriculum now features financial literacy lessons with an additional financial literacy-specific curriculum for sixth through 12th graders.

Under the new CSDE model curriculum, educators are encouraged to include at least one financial literacy lesson for each K-5 math unit. The department describes the hands-on, grade-appropriate tasks as building “concepts including income, spending, saving, investing, credit and risk.”

This year’s incoming freshman will be the first graduating class required to take a half-credit of personal financial management and financial literacy in order to receive their high school diplomas, as a result of legislation passed in the 2023 legislative session. CSDE said it is developing resources and guidance alongside local, state and national partners to implement the new graduation requirement.

“I am thrilled all students in Connecticut will learn financial literacy regardless of which school district they live in,” State Sen. Doug Mccrory, the chair of the Education Committee, said after leading Senate passage of the financial literacy legislation in May. “This levels the playing field for all students no matter their background and provides them all with the necessary resources they need to function in society. Learning about financial literacy can be beneficial from the time you are 10 years old all the way until you retire.”

State Rep. Corey Paris, who was one of the introducers of the original bill, also underscored the importance of the new requirement.

“Financial literacy empowers marginalized communities and lays the foundation for building generational wealth, once unattainable to so many within Connecticut,” Paris said. “These classes help narrow the opportunity gap between students who are well-prepared for future financial realities after high school and those who are left basically to fend for themselves. We have one chance to teach them this important life skill before they leave our high schools.”