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Connecticut College and Career Readiness Alignment | Renzulli Learning
College & Career Readiness · Connecticut

Connecticut Durable Skills & Career Readiness Alignment

Renzulli Learning is the K-12 platform that measures and develops the seven durable skills behind Connecticut’s career readiness framework — critical thinking, creativity, executive function, leadership, collaboration, communication, and self-direction. These are the durable skills behind the Connecticut State Department of Education’s (CSDE) College and Career Readiness definition, the 25-credit graduation requirement (CGS § 10-221a), Student Success Plans (SSPs) for grades 6-12, the 12 Next Generation Accountability indicators, the 300+ Industry Recognized Credentials registry released September 2025, the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System (CTECS), comprehensive CTE programs, and the 7 active Connecticut CTSOs.

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7 Durable Skills
Critical thinking, creativity, executive function, leadership, collaboration, communication, self-direction
4 Assessments
Profiler, Cebeci Test of Creativity, Executive Function Assessment, Leadership Assessment
40,000+
Curated, standards-aligned enrichment activities
K-12
Single platform from elementary through senior year
Why durable skills

The Seven Durable Skills at the Center of Connecticut’s Career Readiness Framework

Connecticut’s career readiness framework names the durable skills it wants every graduate to master — critical thinking, creativity, executive function, leadership, collaboration, communication, and self-direction. These are the same skills that the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) describes as employability skills in its College and Career Readiness definition: essential in any career area and the foundation for students to enter true career pathways that offer family-sustaining wages and opportunities for advancement. They are easy to name across CSDE’s CCR framework, the 25-credit graduation requirement, Student Success Plans, the 12 Next Generation Accountability indicators, the Industry Recognized Credentials registry, CTECS, comprehensive CTE programs, and Mastery-Based Learning — but harder to measure and develop systematically across grades K-12.

Renzulli Learning is the only K-12 platform that does both. The Cebeci Test of Creativity measures creativity (US Patent 12,087,176) — the durable skill behind Mastery-Based Diploma Assessments and Connecticut local-district Portrait of a Graduate creativity competencies. The Executive Function Assessment measures planning, working memory, and self-regulation — the durable skills behind sustained Student Success Plan cycles, 25-credit completion, and CTECS concentrator progression. The Leadership Assessment measures leadership, collaboration, communication, and work ethic — the durable skills behind every Connecticut CTSO and the employability skills at the heart of CSDE’s CCR definition. The Profiler captures interests, learning styles, and expression styles in 20+ languages — the foundation of the SSP career domain, dual enrollment course selection, and Industry Recognized Credential pathway choice.

Renzulli Learning is the K-12 platform that both measures and develops the seven durable skills behind every Connecticut career readiness requirement. Project-Based Learning produces evidence complementing Mastery-Based Diploma Assessments, CTE program artifacts, dual-enrollment portfolios, Industry Recognized Credential progression, and CTSO competition portfolios. The Personal Success Plan generates exportable summaries documenting student progression year by year — mapped directly to the Student Success Plan’s three domains (academic, personal/social, career), the CSDE CCR framework, and the 25-credit content areas. The Enrichment Database — 40,000+ curated, standards-aligned activities — develops every durable skill across humanities (including civics and the arts) and STEM. The result: Connecticut districts get measurable durable-skills evidence — turning College and Career Readiness from a definition into year-round documented practice.
The seven durable skills Renzulli develops

Durable Skills, Defined: What Renzulli Learning Measures and Develops

Each durable skill has a specific Renzulli instrument that measures it and a specific platform feature that develops it. These are the same skills behind every Connecticut CCR requirement — and the same skills the Cebeci Test of Creativity, Executive Function Assessment, Leadership Assessment, Profiler, Personal Success Plan, Project-Based Learning tools, and Enrichment Database produce evidence for:

Critical Thinking

Measure: Cebeci Test of Creativity
Develop: Project-Based Learning

Creativity

Measure: Cebeci Test of Creativity (US Patent 12,087,176)
Develop: Enrichment Database + Project-Based Learning

Executive Function

Measure: Executive Function Assessment
Develop: Personal Success Plan cycles + project planning

Leadership

Measure: Leadership Assessment
Develop: CTSO-aligned projects

Collaboration

Measure: Leadership Assessment
Develop: Group Project-Based Learning + peer feedback

Communication

Measure: 21st-century skills rubrics
Develop: Project presentations & portfolios

Self-Direction

Measure: Profiler + Executive Function Assessment
Develop: Personal Success Plan year-round goal cycles

Connecticut’s College and Career Readiness Definition

Connecticut’s Three CCR Skill Areas + Common Local Portrait of a Graduate Attributes

Connecticut does not maintain a single statewide Portrait of a Graduate document; instead, the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) anchors career readiness on its College and Career Readiness (CCR) definition: College and Career Readiness involves three major skill areas: core academic skills and the ability to apply those skills to concrete situations to function in the workplace and in routine daily activities; employability skills (such as critical thinking and responsibility) that are essential in any career area; and technical, job-specific skills related to a specific career pathway.

At the local level, many Connecticut districts have developed their own Portrait of a Graduate documents. Across districts including Thompson, Stamford, Wethersfield, Bloomfield, and others, three attribute clusters appear repeatedly: self-aware learners, collaborative communicators, and community-engaged problem-solvers. Together, the statewide CCR skill areas and local PoG attributes form a six-cluster framework. Renzulli Learning is the K-12 platform that both measures and develops the durable skills behind every cluster:

Statewide CCR
Core Academic Skills
Renzulli durable skills: Critical thinking + creativity + executive function
Measure: Cebeci Test of Creativity + Executive Function Assessment
Develop: 40,000+ Enrichment Database + Project-Based Learning
Applied to workplace and routine daily activities; humanities (incl. civics + arts) and STEM
Statewide CCR
Employability Skills
Renzulli durable skills: Critical thinking + leadership + collaboration + communication + self-direction
Measure: Leadership Assessment + Profiler + Executive Function Assessment
Develop: Personal Success Plan + Group Project-Based Learning
Critical thinking, responsibility — CSDE’s words: “essential in any career area”
Statewide CCR
Technical, Job-Specific Skills
Renzulli durable skills: All seven
Measure: All four Renzulli assessments
Develop: Project-Based Learning + Personal Success Plan + CTSO-aligned projects
Tied to a specific career pathway; supports CTECS, comprehensive CTE, the Industry Recognized Credentials registry, and CTSO membership
Local PoG
Self-Aware Learners
Renzulli durable skills: Self-direction + executive function
Measure: Profiler in 20+ languages + Executive Function Assessment
Develop: Personal Success Plan year-round goal cycles
Common across CT local-district PoGs; understand strengths, set goals, navigate paths and choices
Local PoG
Collaborative Communicators
Renzulli durable skills: Collaboration + communication + leadership
Measure: Leadership Assessment
Develop: Group Project-Based Learning + Project presentations & portfolios
Common across CT local-district PoGs; engage respectfully across diverse audiences and mediums
Local PoG
Community-Engaged Problem-Solvers
Renzulli durable skills: Critical thinking + creativity + community engagement
Measure: Cebeci Test of Creativity (US Patent 12,087,176)
Develop: Project-Based Learning + Enrichment Database
Common across CT local-district PoGs; critically examine, question assumptions, shape community solutions
Each statewide CCR skill area and local-PoG attribute cluster is a durable-skills cluster Renzulli Learning measures and develops. Connecticut districts can build CCR-aligned durable-skills evidence today — supporting the 25-credit graduation requirement, Student Success Plan completion, Mastery-Based Diploma Assessments, the 12 Next Generation Accountability indicators, dual enrollment expansion, the Industry Recognized Credentials registry, and CTSO membership in parallel. Districts with their own local Portrait of a Graduate get attribute-aligned evidence at the district level while supporting CSDE’s statewide CCR framework. Turning Connecticut’s College and Career Readiness definition from policy language into documented practice across the K-12 continuum.
Connecticut’s framework

How the Seven Durable Skills Map to Connecticut’s Career Readiness Framework

Connecticut’s career readiness framework is led by the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) under Commissioner Charlene M. Russell-Tucker, in partnership with the Connecticut State Board of Education and the Office of Workforce Strategy (OWS). Connecticut General Statutes § 10-221a sets graduation requirements; Public Act 21-199 codified Student Success Plans; and the Next Generation Accountability System (implemented in 2014-15) measures school and district performance across 12 indicators. The 2024-25 Accountability Index reached 71.8, up from 70.8 the prior year.

The framework includes CSDE’s College and Career Readiness (CCR) definition, the 25-credit graduation requirement (class of 2023+), Student Success Plans (SSPs) for grades 6-12, Mastery-Based Learning with the optional Mastery-Based Diploma Assessment, CTECS (state-run technical high schools), comprehensive CTE programs, the Industry Recognized Credentials registry (300+ credentials, released September 30, 2025), and 7 Connecticut CTSOs. Each component pairs with the Renzulli instruments and content that measure and develop the durable skills behind it:

CCR
CSDE College and Career Readiness Definition
Durable skills: All seven
Measure: All four Renzulli assessments
Develop: All Renzulli development tools
3 skill areas: core academic skills, employability skills, technical job-specific skills
25 Credits
Graduation Requirements (CGS § 10-221a)
Durable skills: Critical thinking + executive function + self-direction
Measure: EFA + Cebeci Test of Creativity
Develop: 40,000+ Enrichment Database + PBL
Class of 2023+: 9 humanities (incl. civics & arts), 9 STEM, 1 PE/wellness, 1 health/safety, 1 world lang. Class of 2027+: + 1/2 financial literacy
SSPs
Student Success Plans (Grades 6-12)
Durable skills: Self-direction + leadership + executive function
Measure: Profiler + EFA + Leadership Assessment
Develop: Personal Success Plan + Project-Based Learning
3 domains: academic, personal/social, career; codified by PA 21-199 (effective July 1, 2021); created in collaboration with student and parent/guardian
MBL
Mastery-Based Learning + Optional MBDA
Durable skills: All seven
Measure: Cebeci Test of Creativity + EFA
Develop: Project-Based Learning + Personal Success Plan
CGS § 10-221a(f)(g): credit through demonstration of mastery via cross-curricular requirements, CTE, virtual/work-based/service learning, dual enrollment, internships
CTECS & CTE
CTECS + Comprehensive CTE Programs
Durable skills: All seven
Measure: All four Renzulli assessments
Develop: Project-Based Learning + Personal Success Plan
CTECS: 17 state-run technical high schools, 31 credits, embedded WBL; comprehensive CTE: local district programs, 16 National Career Clusters, Perkins V
12 Indicators
Next Generation Accountability System
Durable skills: All seven
Measure: All four Renzulli assessments
Develop: Personal Success Plan + Project-Based Learning
12 indicators incl. Indicator 5 (postsecondary preparation - coursework), Indicator 6 (postsecondary readiness - exams + college credit); 2024-25 Index 71.8
IRCs + 7 CTSOs
Industry Recognized Credentials + 7 CT CTSOs
Durable skills: Leadership + collaboration + communication
Measure: Leadership Assessment
Develop: Project-Based Learning + Personal Success Plan
300+ Industry Recognized Credentials (released Sept 30, 2025); 7 CT CTSOs: DECA, FBLA, HOSA, SkillsUSA, FFA, FCCLA, TSA (in comprehensive/magnet HS only, not CTECS)
Real challenges

What Connecticut Curriculum Directors & Career Readiness Coordinators Struggle With

These are the durable-skills-and-career-readiness challenges we consistently hear from Connecticut district leaders, school counselors, CTE coordinators, and Student Success Plan coordinators — especially as the new Industry Recognized Credentials registry rolls out and dual enrollment continues its 50%+ growth:

Operationalizing Student Success Plans across all of grades 6-12

Connecticut law has required Student Success Plans for every student in grades 6-12 since Public Act 21-199, and SSPs must be created in collaboration with each student and parent or guardian, addressing all three domains (academic, personal/social, career). Districts often struggle to make the SSP a year-round, evidence-driven document rather than a once-a-year compliance form. Counselors need year-round interest, learning-style, executive function, and goal-setting tools that map cleanly to all three SSP domains and produce auditable, exportable evidence.

Documenting durable-skills evidence for the College and Career Readiness indicators

Connecticut’s Next Generation Accountability System weights Indicator 5 (postsecondary preparation - coursework) and Indicator 6 (postsecondary readiness - exams + college credit) heavily for high school accountability. The 2024-25 Accountability Index reached 71.8, but districts continue to need standardized durable-skills evidence that complements coursework completion and exam scores — especially for students whose pathways emphasize CTE concentrator status or Industry Recognized Credentials over four-year college enrollment.

Producing Mastery-Based Diploma Assessment artifacts where required

Public Act 23-21 (amended by PA 23-204) made the 1-credit Mastery-Based Diploma Assessment optional, but many Connecticut boards of education still require it. Districts need turnkey project frameworks, rubrics, and creativity assessments that produce MBDA-ready evidence aligned to CSDE’s College and Career Readiness framework and to local district Portrait of a Graduate competencies where they exist.

Connecting students to the 7 Connecticut CTSOs in comprehensive and magnet schools

Connecticut recognizes seven chartered Career and Technical Student Organizations — Connecticut DECA, Connecticut FBLA, Connecticut HOSA, SkillsUSA Connecticut, Connecticut FFA, Connecticut FCCLA, and Connecticut TSA. Per Connecticut HOSA, CTSOs are not currently permitted in CTECS state-run technical high schools, so they operate primarily in comprehensive and magnet high schools. Counselors need year-round interest, learning-style, and strength data to guide informed CTSO selection at scale — especially for the 300+ Industry Recognized Credentials released by CSDE in September 2025.

Scaling CTECS-aligned durable-skills evidence across 17 technical high schools

The Connecticut Technical Education and Career System (CTECS) operates 17 state-run technical high schools requiring 31 credits for graduation (versus the 25-credit local district minimum), with embedded Work-Based Learning. CTECS reports directly to the State Board of Education and runs in parallel with comprehensive CTE programs in local districts. Districts implementing CTE need durable-skills tools that produce auditable evidence alongside technical-skills evidence for both Perkins V concentrator reporting and the Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment cycle.

The platform

Eight Renzulli Learning Tools That Measure and Develop Connecticut’s Durable Skills

Each tool produces evidence aligned to the CSDE College and Career Readiness framework, the Student Success Plan’s three domains, the 25-credit graduation requirement, the optional Mastery-Based Diploma Assessment, the 12 Next Generation Accountability indicators, the Industry Recognized Credentials registry, and Connecticut’s 7 chartered CTSOs:

Renzulli Profiler: A strength-based student self-assessment in 20+ languages capturing each student’s interests, learning styles, and expression styles. Anchors the career and personal/social domains of the Student Success Plan, supports dual enrollment course selection, and informs Industry Recognized Credential pathway choice.
Cebeci Test of Creativity (CTC): A standardized creativity assessment (US Patent 12,087,176) producing reliable evidence of growth. Critical for Mastery-Based Diploma Assessments where required, for CSDE’s College and Career Readiness employability skills, and for local-district Portrait of a Graduate creativity competencies.
Executive Function Assessment: Measures planning, organization, working memory, and self-regulation. Surfaces students who need scaffolding to persist through 25-credit graduation requirements, dual enrollment coursework, and CTECS or comprehensive CTE concentrator progression.
Leadership Assessment: Measures the durable skills of leadership, collaboration, communication, and work ethic — CSDE’s “employability skills” in its CCR definition. Aligns directly with every Connecticut CTSO: Connecticut DECA, Connecticut FBLA, Connecticut HOSA, SkillsUSA Connecticut, Connecticut FFA, Connecticut FCCLA, and Connecticut TSA.
Personal Success Plan (PSP): Goal-setting, reflection, and exportable evidence-of-growth summaries mapped directly to all three SSP domains (academic, personal/social, career). Documents progression year by year — the auditable backbone of the Student Success Plan required by CGS § 10-221a(j).
Project-Based Learning Tools: Structured project frameworks producing artifacts for Mastery-Based Diploma Assessments, CTE program portfolios, dual-enrollment coursework, Industry Recognized Credential progression, and CTSO competition entries. Builds collaboration, communication, and creativity through authentic work.
Renzulli Enrichment Database: 40,000+ curated, standards-aligned activities across humanities (including civics and the arts), STEM, and career exploration. Supports the 25-credit graduation requirement under CGS § 10-221a, the 1/2 credit personal financial management requirement (class of 2027+), and CSDE’s Industry Recognized Credentials registry.
21st-Century & Durable Skills Framework: Maps the seven durable skills across CSDE’s three CCR skill areas, the 12 Next Generation Accountability indicators, the 25-credit graduation requirement, and Connecticut local-district Portrait of a Graduate competencies. The connective tissue between policy language and classroom practice.
Alignment, line by line

Connecticut Career Readiness Components ↔ Renzulli Learning Tools

For each major Connecticut career readiness component, here is the durable-skills cluster behind it and the specific Renzulli tools that measure and develop those skills:

CCR
CSDE College and Career Readiness Definition

CSDE’s verbatim CCR definition identifies three major skill areas: core academic skills (applied to workplace and daily activities); employability skills (such as critical thinking and responsibility, “essential in any career area”); and technical, job-specific skills tied to a specific career pathway — enabling students to enter career pathways with family-sustaining wages and opportunities for advancement.

Durable skills + Renzulli tools
All seven durable skills
  • Core academic → 40,000+ Enrichment Database + Executive Function Assessment
  • Employability → Cebeci Test of Creativity + Leadership Assessment + Profiler
  • Technical job-specific → Project-Based Learning + PSP + CTSO-aligned projects
  • PSP produces exportable evidence across all three CCR areas
  • Profiler in 20+ languages anchors career-pathway exploration
25 Credits
25-Credit Graduation Requirement (CGS § 10-221a)

Connecticut General Statutes § 10-221a requires 25 credits for the class of 2023 and beyond: 9 credits humanities (including civics and the arts), 9 credits STEM, 1 credit physical education and wellness, 1 credit health and safety, 1 credit world languages. Boards of education may also require a 1-credit Mastery-Based Diploma Assessment (made optional by Public Act 23-21 amended by PA 23-204). Class of 2027 and beyond: additional 1/2 credit personal financial management and financial literacy.

Durable skills + Renzulli tools
Critical thinkingExecutive functionSelf-direction
  • 40,000+ Enrichment Database supports humanities (civics, arts) and STEM coursework
  • Cebeci Test of Creativity + PBL produce Mastery-Based Diploma Assessment artifacts where required
  • EFA develops persistence behind 25-credit completion
  • PSP documents progression year by year across all credit categories
  • Enrichment Database covers personal financial management for the class of 2027+
SSPs
Student Success Plans — Grades 6-12

Required for every student in grades 6-12 by Connecticut General Statutes § 10-221a(j), amended by Public Act 21-199 (effective July 1, 2021). SSPs are created in collaboration with each student and parent or guardian and address three domains: academic, personal/social, career. Each SSP includes an academic plan in compliance with challenging curriculum policy.

Durable skills + Renzulli tools
Self-directionExecutive functionLeadershipCollaboration
  • Profiler in 20+ languages surfaces interests for SSP career and personal/social domains
  • PSP generates exportable summaries mapped to all three SSP domains
  • EFA develops planning, working memory, self-regulation behind the academic domain
  • Leadership Assessment develops collaborative SSP work
  • PBL produces SSP artifacts and progression evidence
MBL
Mastery-Based Learning + Optional Diploma Assessment

Connecticut law (CGS § 10-221a(f)(g)) explicitly authorizes credit through demonstration of mastery based on competency and performance standards. Mastery-Based Learning (MBL) provides multiple pathways: cross-curricular graduation requirements, career and technical education, virtual learning, work-based learning, service learning, dual enrollment and early college, courses taken in middle school, internships, and student-designed independent studies. The State Board of Education adopted MBL Guidelines aligning student expectations with state content standards.

Durable skills + Renzulli tools
Critical thinkingCreativityExecutive functionSelf-direction
  • Cebeci Test of Creativity measures creativity for MBL artifacts
  • EFA develops the persistence MBL requires
  • PBL produces standardized, exportable MBL evidence
  • PSP documents MBL progression across multiple pathways
  • 40,000+ Enrichment Database supports cross-curricular MBL work
CTECS + CTE
CTECS + Comprehensive CTE Programs

CTECS (Connecticut Technical Education and Career System) operates 17 state-run technical high schools reporting to the State Board of Education, requiring 31 credits (more than the 25-credit local minimum), 3 credits in CTE Program in grade 12, a senior summative, and embedded Work-Based Learning. Comprehensive CTE programs in local districts cover the 16 National Career Clusters under Perkins V; CT’s 2026-29 Perkins V State Plan public comment closed February 4, 2026.

Durable skills + Renzulli tools
All seven durable skills
  • EFA develops concentrator persistence
  • Cebeci measures creativity behind technical innovation
  • Leadership Assessment supports WBL placement and supervisor feedback
  • PBL generates WBL and senior summative artifacts
  • PSP documents CTE concentrator status for Perkins V reporting
12 Indicators
Next Generation Accountability System

Implemented in 2014-15, Connecticut’s Next Generation Accountability System measures performance across 12 indicators: academic achievement, academic growth, assessment participation, chronic absenteeism, postsecondary preparation - coursework (Indicator 5), postsecondary readiness - exams + college credit (Indicator 6), on-track to high school graduation, four-year graduation rate, six-year graduation rate (high needs), postsecondary entrance rate, physical fitness, and arts access. 2024-25 Accountability Index: 71.8 (up from 70.8). Dual enrollment course completions grew 50%+ (from 30,653 in 2018-19 to 46,344 in 2024-25).

Durable skills + Renzulli tools
Critical thinkingCreativityExecutive functionSelf-direction
  • Profiler informs course selection so students intentionally pursue rigorous coursework matched to their strengths (Indicator 5)
  • EFA develops persistence behind postsecondary readiness exam performance (Indicator 6)
  • 40,000+ Enrichment Database + PBL develop the content depth driving Indicators 5 and 6
  • PSP documents postsecondary entrance preparation (Indicator 10)
  • Enrichment Database supports arts access (Indicator 12) across humanities credits
IRCs + 7 CTSOs
300+ Industry Recognized Credentials + 7 Connecticut CTSOs

On September 30, 2025, CSDE in collaboration with the Office of Workforce Strategy (OWS) released the first-ever statewide list of 300+ Industry Recognized Credentials spanning advanced manufacturing, construction, healthcare, digital technology, and public safety. The CSDE Credential Registry updates annually (April 30 deadline). Connecticut recognizes 7 chartered CTSOs: Connecticut DECA (58 chapters, 2,500+ members), Connecticut FBLA, Connecticut HOSA, SkillsUSA Connecticut, Connecticut FFA, Connecticut FCCLA, and Connecticut TSA. Per Connecticut HOSA, CTSOs operate in comprehensive and magnet high schools (not in CTECS state-run technical high schools).

Durable skills + Renzulli tools
LeadershipCollaborationCommunicationSelf-direction
  • Profiler matches students to IRC pathways and CTSO interest areas
  • Leadership Assessment measures the durable skills behind every CT CTSO
  • PBL produces IRC progression evidence and competition-aligned CTSO artifacts
  • PSP documents IRC and CTSO progression as part of SSP career domain
  • EFA develops persistence behind credential mastery
From Connecticut educators

What Implementation Looks Like in Connecticut Districts

“Connecticut’s career readiness framework lives across multiple statutes and systems — CGS § 10-221a graduation requirements, Public Act 21-199 Student Success Plans, the 12 Next Generation Accountability indicators, Mastery-Based Learning, the new 300+ Industry Recognized Credentials registry, CTECS, and CTE. With Renzulli’s Profiler in 20+ languages providing the strength-based foundation for the SSP’s three domains, the Cebeci Test of Creativity producing standardized creativity evidence aligned to CSDE’s ‘employability skills’ CCR area, the Executive Function Assessment showing us which students need scaffolding to persist through the 25-credit requirement, the Leadership Assessment measuring the durable skills behind our seven Connecticut CTSOs, the Personal Success Plan generating exportable summaries mapped directly to all three SSP domains, and Project-Based Learning generating Mastery-Based Diploma Assessment artifacts where required, we have one durable-skills evidence layer that supports the SSP requirement, the optional MBDA, the Next Gen Accountability indicators, and the Industry Recognized Credentials registry — all without adding to our compliance burden.”
Curriculum Director · Connecticut public school district
FAQs

Connecticut Career Readiness & Renzulli Learning — Frequently Asked Questions

What is Connecticut’s College and Career Readiness (CCR) framework, and how does Renzulli Learning align with it?
Connecticut does not maintain a single statewide Portrait of a Graduate; instead, the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) anchors career readiness on its College and Career Readiness (CCR) definition, which identifies three major skill areas: core academic skills (applied to workplace and daily activities); employability skills (such as critical thinking and responsibility, “essential in any career area”); and technical, job-specific skills tied to a specific career pathway. Renzulli Learning measures and develops the durable skills behind all three areas. The Cebeci Test of Creativity (US Patent 12,087,176), Executive Function Assessment, Leadership Assessment, and Profiler in 20+ languages produce evidence; the Personal Success Plan, Project-Based Learning, and 40,000+ Enrichment Database develop the underlying skills. Many CT districts also operate their own local Portraits of a Graduate; Renzulli’s tools generate Portrait-aligned evidence at the district level while supporting CSDE’s statewide CCR framework, the 12 Next Generation Accountability indicators, and the 25-credit graduation requirement under CGS § 10-221a.
What are Connecticut’s high school graduation requirements, and how does Renzulli Learning support them?
Per Connecticut General Statutes § 10-221a, beginning with the class of 2023, students must complete a minimum of 25 credits including 9 credits humanities (including civics and the arts), 9 credits STEM, 1 credit physical education and wellness, 1 credit health and safety education, and 1 credit world languages. Boards of education may also require a 1-credit Mastery-Based Diploma Assessment (made optional by Public Act 23-21 amended by PA 23-204). Beginning with the class of 2027, an additional 1/2 credit in personal financial management and financial literacy is required. Connecticut also permits credit through demonstration of mastery via cross-curricular graduation requirements, CTE, virtual learning, work-based learning, service learning, dual enrollment and early college, courses taken in middle school, internships, and student-designed independent studies. Renzulli’s Project-Based Learning produces mastery-based diploma assessment artifacts; the 40,000+ Enrichment Database supports humanities and STEM coursework; and the Personal Success Plan documents progression year by year.
What are Student Success Plans (SSPs) and how does Renzulli’s Personal Success Plan map to them?
Connecticut Student Success Plans (SSPs) are required for every student in grades 6 through 12 under CGS § 10-221a(j) (amended by Public Act 21-199, effective July 1, 2021). SSPs are created in collaboration with each student and parent or guardian, and address three domains: academic, personal/social, career. Renzulli Learning’s Personal Success Plan generates exportable summaries that map directly to all three SSP domains. The Profiler (20+ languages) surfaces interests for the career and personal/social domains. The Executive Function Assessment develops planning, organization, working memory, and self-regulation behind the academic domain. Together, these tools turn the SSP requirement into year-round, auditable, exportable evidence rather than a once-a-year compliance document.
What is the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System (CTECS) and how does Renzulli support it?
The Connecticut Technical Education and Career System (CTECS) operates 17 state-run technical high schools (including Kaynor Tech and Abbott Tech), reporting directly to the State Board of Education rather than to local districts. CTECS requires 31 credits for graduation (more than the 25-credit local minimum), including 3 credits in the CTE Program in grade 12 plus a senior summative assessment and embedded Work-Based Learning (WBL). Renzulli’s Cebeci Test of Creativity (US Patent 12,087,176), Executive Function Assessment, and Leadership Assessment measure the durable skills behind successful CTE concentrator progression and WBL placement. Project-Based Learning generates WBL artifacts. The Personal Success Plan documents progression year by year — evidence districts can attach to Perkins V concentrator reporting and the Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment cycle.
What is the Next Generation Accountability System and how does Renzulli help with the College and Career Readiness indicators?
Connecticut’s Next Generation Accountability System (implemented in 2014-15) is a broad set of 12 indicators: academic achievement, academic growth, assessment participation, chronic absenteeism, postsecondary preparation (Indicator 5: coursework), postsecondary readiness (Indicator 6: exams + college credit), on-track to high school graduation, four-year graduation rate, six-year graduation rate (high needs), postsecondary entrance rate, physical fitness, and arts access. The 2024-25 Accountability Index reached 71.8 (up from 70.8 in 2023-24). Renzulli supports Indicators 5 and 6 directly: students engaged with the 40,000+ Enrichment Database, Project-Based Learning, and Personal Success Plan progression cycles develop the executive function, persistence, and content depth that drive rigorous coursework participation and postsecondary readiness exam performance. The Profiler also informs course selection so students intentionally pursue rigorous coursework matched to their strengths.
What are Connecticut’s Industry Recognized Credentials (IRCs)?
On September 30, 2025, the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE), in collaboration with the Office of Workforce Strategy (OWS), announced the first-ever statewide list of more than 300 validated Industry Recognized Credentials for high school students. The CSDE Credential Registry spans advanced manufacturing, construction, healthcare, digital technology, and public safety. New credentials are added annually (April 30 deadline). Renzulli Learning’s Profiler helps students identify which IRC pathways match their interests and strengths; the Cebeci Test of Creativity, Executive Function Assessment, and Leadership Assessment produce evidence of the durable skills behind credential success; and the Personal Success Plan documents IRC progression as part of the SSP career domain.
Which Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) are active in Connecticut?
Connecticut has seven active chartered Career and Technical Student Organizations: Connecticut DECA (58 chapters, 2,500+ members; State Career Development Conference); Connecticut FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America; State Leadership Conference at the Connecticut Convention Center, Hartford); Connecticut HOSA (Future Health Professionals; affiliated nationally since 1976); SkillsUSA Connecticut (trade, industrial, technical, health); Connecticut FFA Association (supported by the Connecticut Association of Agricultural Educators and the Connecticut FFA Foundation); Connecticut FCCLA (Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America); and Connecticut TSA (Technology Student Association). Per Connecticut HOSA, CTSOs are not currently permitted in CTECS state-run technical high schools; they operate primarily in comprehensive and magnet high schools. Leadership, collaboration, and communication are the durable skills behind every Connecticut CTSO. Renzulli’s Leadership Assessment measures these directly. Project-Based Learning produces competition-aligned artifacts. The Personal Success Plan documents CTSO progression year by year.
How does Mastery-Based Learning fit into Connecticut’s framework?
Connecticut law (CGS § 10-221a(f)(g)) explicitly authorizes credit through demonstration of mastery based on competency and performance standards, in accordance with State Board of Education guidelines. Mastery-Based Learning (MBL) provides multiple pathways for students to demonstrate subject-matter content, including cross-curricular graduation requirements, CTE, virtual learning, work-based learning, service learning, dual enrollment and early college, courses taken in middle school, internships, and student-designed independent studies. Renzulli’s Project-Based Learning, Cebeci Test of Creativity, Executive Function Assessment, and Personal Success Plan produce the kind of standardized, exportable, durable-skills evidence that complements MBL artifacts. Boards of education may also require a 1-credit Mastery-Based Diploma Assessment (made optional by Public Act 23-21 amended by PA 23-204); Renzulli’s project frameworks and rubrics produce MBDA-ready artifacts where districts choose to require this assessment.
How does Renzulli Learning support dual enrollment expansion in Connecticut?
Connecticut’s dual enrollment course completions grew from 30,653 in 2018-19 to 46,344 in 2024-25 — over 50% growth driven by approximately $4 million in CSDE grants to school districts and approximately $5 million to institutions of higher education. The University of Connecticut’s Early College Experience (ECE) program represents the largest share of dual-credit coursework, while Connecticut State Universities have grown sixfold since 2018-19. Renzulli’s Profiler in 20+ languages helps students identify dual-enrollment courses matched to their interests. The Executive Function Assessment surfaces planning, working memory, and self-regulation needs critical for college-level coursework. The Personal Success Plan documents dual-enrollment progression as part of the SSP academic and career domains. The 40,000+ Enrichment Database provides scaffolding for the rigor of dual-credit work.
Official sources

Connecticut Career Readiness Resources

All compliance decisions should reference these primary Connecticut sources. Renzulli Learning complements — not replaces — CSDE’s College and Career Readiness framework, Student Success Plans, Mastery-Based Learning, the Next Generation Accountability indicators, the Industry Recognized Credentials registry, CTECS, comprehensive CTE, and the 7 Connecticut CTSOs.

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