Sec. 10-206. Health assessments. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 10-206. Health assessments. (a) Each local or regional board of education shall require each pupil enrolled in the public schools to have health assessments pursuant to the provisions of this section. Such assessments shall be conducted by a legally qualified practitioner of medicine, an advanced practice registered nurse or registered nurse, licensed pursuant to chapter 378, a physician assistant, licensed pursuant to chapter 370, or by the school medical advisor to ascertain whether such pupil is suffering from any physical disability tending to prevent such pupil from receiving the full benefit of school work and to ascertain whether such school work should be modified in order to prevent injury to the pupil or to secure for the pupil a suitable program of education. No health assessment shall be made of any child enrolled in the public schools unless such examination is made in the presence of the parent or guardian or in the presence of another school employee. The parent or guardian of such child shall receive prior written notice and shall have a reasonable opportunity to be present at such assessment or to provide for such assessment himself or herself. A local or regional board of education may deny continued attendance in public school to any child who fails to obtain the health assessments required under this section.

      (b) Each local or regional board of education shall require each child to have a health assessment prior to public school enrollment. The assessment shall include: (1) A physical examination which shall include hematocrit or hemoglobin tests, height, weight, blood pressure, and, beginning with the 2003-2004 school year, a chronic disease assessment which shall include, but not be limited to, asthma as defined by the Commissioner of Public Health pursuant to subsection (c) of section 19a-62a. The assessment form shall include (A) a check box for the provider conducting the assessment, as provided in subsection (a) of this section, to indicate an asthma diagnosis, (B) screening questions relating to appropriate public health concerns to be answered by the parent or guardian, and (C) screening questions to be answered by such provider; (2) an updating of immunizations as required under section 10-204a, provided a registered nurse may only update said immunizations pursuant to a written order by a physician or physician assistant, licensed pursuant to chapter 370, or an advanced practice registered nurse, licensed pursuant to chapter 378; (3) vision, hearing, speech and gross dental screenings; and (4) such other information, including health and developmental history, as the physician feels is necessary and appropriate. The assessment shall also include tests for tuberculosis, sickle cell anemia or Cooley's anemia and tests for lead levels in the blood where the local or regional board of education determines after consultation with the school medical advisor and the local health department, or in the case of a regional board of education, each local health department, that such tests are necessary, provided a registered nurse may only perform said tests pursuant to the written order of a physician or physician assistant, licensed pursuant to chapter 370, or an advanced practice registered nurse, licensed pursuant to chapter 378.

      (c) Each local or regional board of education shall require each pupil enrolled in the public schools to have health assessments in either grade six or grade seven and in either grade nine or grade ten. The assessment shall include: (1) A physical examination which shall include hematocrit or hemoglobin tests, height, weight, blood pressure, and, beginning with the 2003-2004 school year, a chronic disease assessment which shall include, but not be limited to, asthma as defined by the Commissioner of Public Health pursuant to subsection (c) of section 19a-62a. The assessment form shall include (A) a check box for the provider conducting the assessment, as provided in subsection (a) of this section, to indicate an asthma diagnosis, (B) screening questions relating to appropriate public health concerns to be answered by the parent or guardian, and (C) screening questions to be answered by such provider; (2) an updating of immunizations as required under section 10-204a, provided a registered nurse may only update said immunizations pursuant to a written order of a physician or physician assistant, licensed pursuant to chapter 370, or an advanced practice registered nurse, licensed pursuant to chapter 378; (3) vision, hearing, postural and gross dental screenings; and (4) such other information including a health history as the physician feels is necessary and appropriate. The assessment shall also include tests for tuberculosis and sickle cell anemia or Cooley's anemia where the local or regional board of education, in consultation with the school medical advisor and the local health department, or in the case of a regional board of education, each local health department, determines that said screening or test is necessary, provided a registered nurse may only perform said tests pursuant to the written order of a physician or physician assistant, licensed pursuant to chapter 370, or an advanced practice registered nurse, licensed pursuant to chapter 378.

      (d) The results of each assessment done pursuant to this section and the results of screenings done pursuant to section 10-214 shall be recorded on forms supplied by the State Board of Education. Such information shall be included in the cumulative health record of each pupil and shall be kept on file in the school such pupil attends. If a pupil permanently leaves the jurisdiction of the board of education, the pupil's original cumulative health record shall be sent to the chief administrative officer of the school district to which such student moves. The board of education transmitting such health record shall retain a true copy. Each physician, advanced practice registered nurse, registered nurse, or physician assistant performing health assessments and screenings pursuant to this section and section 10-214 shall completely fill out and sign each form and any recommendations concerning the pupil shall be in writing.

      (e) Appropriate school health personnel shall review the results of each assessment and screening as recorded pursuant to subsection (d) of this section. When, in the judgment of such health personnel, a pupil, as defined in section 10-206a, is in need of further testing or treatment, the superintendent of schools shall give written notice to the parent or guardian of such pupil and shall make reasonable efforts to assure that such further testing or treatment is provided. Such reasonable efforts shall include a determination of whether or not the parent or guardian has obtained the necessary testing or treatment for the pupil, and, if not, advising the parent or guardian on how such testing or treatment may be obtained. The results of such further testing or treatment shall be recorded pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, and shall be reviewed by school health personnel pursuant to this subsection.

      (f) On and after February 1, 2004, each local or regional board of education shall report to the local health department and the Department of Public Health, on an annual basis, the total number of pupils per school and per school district having a diagnosis of asthma (1) at the time of public school enrollment, (2) in grade six or seven, and (3) in grade ten or eleven. The report shall contain the asthma information collected as required under subsections (b) and (c) of this section and shall include pupil age, gender, race, ethnicity and school. Beginning on October 1, 2004, and every three years thereafter, the Department of Public Health shall review the asthma screening information reported pursuant to this section and shall submit a report to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health and education concerning asthma trends and distributions among pupils enrolled in the public schools. The report shall be submitted in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a and shall include, but not be limited to, trends and findings based on pupil age, gender, race, ethnicity, school and the education reference group, as determined by the Department of Education for the town or regional school district in which such school is located.

      (1949 Rev., S. 1467; P.A. 78-218, S. 132; P.A. 80-440, S. 4, 10; P.A. 85-80, S. 1, 2; P.A. 91-327, S. 6, 8; P.A. 94-103, S. 1; P.A. 98-252, S. 12, 80; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-4, S. 41, 58; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 105, 131; P.A. 04-221, S. 36; P.A. 05-272, S. 2; P.A. 07-58, S. 1.)

      History: P.A. 78-218 replaced former provisions concerning examinations of female children with similar provisions applicable to examination of any child and made technical changes; P.A. 80-440 substituted "health assessment" for "health examination", deleted requirement for assessments at three-year intervals, required parent's or guardian's presence at examination, required that prior written notice be given to parent or guardian, deleted provisions concerning health records and added Subsecs. (b) to (e), re required assessments, recording of results and review; P.A. 85-80 amended Subsec. (a) to allow a local or regional board to deny continued attendance in public school to any child who fails to obtain the required health assessments; P.A. 91-327 amended Subsec. (b) to replace tests for lead paint poisoning with tests for lead levels in the blood; P.A. 94-103 amended Subsecs. (a), (b), (c) and (d), to add provision regarding the duties of registered nurses, advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants; P.A. 98-252 amended Subsecs. (b) and (c) to make technical changes, effective July 1, 1998; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-4 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision re licensed natureopath and person licensed to practice chiropractic and making a technical change, amended Subsecs. (b) and (c) by adding provisions re chronic disease assessment including asthma and re items included in assessment form and added Subsec. (f) re reporting requirements, effective July 1, 2002; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9 eliminated provision re licensed natureopaths and persons licensed to practice chiropractic, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 04-221 amended Subsec. (d) by requiring that form be completely filled out by physician, nurse or physician assistant, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 05-272 amended Subsec. (f) by eliminating reference to health assessment forms, requiring boards of education to report re the prevalence of asthma among students during three specific time periods and making technical changes; P.A. 07-58 amended Subsec. (c) to require the second set of adolescent health assessments in grades nine or ten instead of in grades ten or eleven, effective July 1, 2008.