Sec. 10-206. Health assessments.
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.