The Board of Education recognizes that foster youth may face significant barriers to achieving academic success due to their family circumstances, disruption to their educational program, and their emotional, social, and other health needs.
To enable such students to achieve state and district academic standards, the Superintendent or designee shall provide them with full access to the district's educational program and implement strategies identified as necessary for the improvement of the academic achievement of foster youth in the district's Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP).
(cf. 0460 - Local Control and Accountability Plan)
(cf. 3100 - Budget)
(cf. 5131.6 - Alcohol and Other Drugs)
(cf. 5147 - Dropout Prevention)
(cf. 6011- Academic Standards)
(cf. 6145 - Extracurricular and Cocurricular Activities)
cf. 6145.2 - Athletic Competition)
(cf. 6164.2 - Guidance/Counseling Services)
(cf. 6173 - Education for Homeless Children)
(cf. 6179 - Supplemental Instruction)
The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that placement decisions for foster youth are based on the students' best interests as defined in law and administrative regulation (AR 6173.1). To that end, he/she shall designate a staff person as the district liaison for foster youth to help facilitate the enrollment, placement, and transfer of foster youth.
The Superintendent or designee and district liaison shall ensure that all appropriate staff, including, but not limited to, each principal, school registrar, and attendance clerk, receive training on enrollment, placement, transfer of foster youth, and other related rights and unique needs of foster youth.
(cf. 4131 - Staff Development)
(cf. 4231 - Staff Development)
(cf. 4331 - Staff Development)
The Board provides foster youth with a safe, positive learning environment that is free from discrimination and harassment and that promotes students' self-esteem and academic achievement. The Superintendent or designee shall develop strategies to build a foster youth's feeling of connectedness with his/her school, including, but not limited to, strategies that promote positive discipline and conflict resolution, the development of resiliency and interpersonal skills, and the involvement of foster parents, group home administrators, and/or other caretakers in school programs and activities.
(cf. 0410 - Nondiscrimination in District Programs and Activities)
(cf. 0450 - Comprehensive Safety Plan)
(cf. 5131 - Conduct)
(cf. 5131.2 - Bullying)
(cf. 513 7 - Positive School Climate)
(cf. 5138 - Conflict Resolution/Peer Mediation)
(cf. 5145.3 - Nondiscrimination/Harassment)
(cf. 5145.9 - Hate-Motivated Behavior)
(cf. 6020 - Parent Involvement)
To address the needs of foster youth and help ensure the maximum utilization of available funds the Superintendent or designee shall collaborate with local agencies including, but not limited to, the county placing agency, social services, probation officers, and juvenile court officers. The Superintendent or designee shall explore the feasibility of entering into agreements with these groups to coordinate services and protect the rights of foster youth.
(cf. 1400 - Relations between Other Governmental Agencies and the Schools)
At least annually and in accordance with the established timelines, the Superintendent or designee may shall report to the Board on the outcomes of foster youth regarding the goals and specific actions identified in the LCAP, including, but not limited to, school attendance, student achievement test results, promotion and retention rates by grade level, graduation rates, and suspension/expulsion rates. As necessary, evaluation data shall be used to determine and recommend revisions to the LCAP for improving or increasing services for foster youth.
(cf. 0500 - Accountability)
(cf. 5123 - Promotion/Acceleration/Retention)
(cf. 5144.1 - Suspension and Expulsion/Due Process)
(cf. 5144.2 - Suspension and Expulsion/Due Process (Students with Disabilities)
(cf. 6162.51 - Standardized Testing and Reporting Program)
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
32228-32228.5 Student safety and violence prevention
42238.01-42238.07 Local control funding formula
42920-42925 Foster children educational services
48645 -48646 Juvenile court schools
48850-48859 Educational placement of students residing in licensed children's institutions
48915.5 Suspension and expulsion; students with disabilities, including foster youth
48918.1 Notice of expulsion hearing for foster youth
49061 Student records
49069.5 Foster care students transfer of records
49076 Access to student records
51225.1 Exemption from district graduation requirements
51225.2 Pupil in foster care defined; acceptance of coursework, credits, retaking of course
51225.3 High school graduation
52060-52077 Local control and accountability plan
56055 Rights of foster parents in special education
HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE
1522.41 Training and certification of group home administrators
1529.2 Training of licensed foster parents
120341 Foster youth: school placement: immunization records
WELFARE AND INSTITUTIONS CODE
300 Children subject to jurisdiction
309 Investigation and release of child
317 Appointment of legal counsel
361 Limitations on parental or guardian control
366.27 Educational decision by relative providing living arrangements
602 Minors violating law; ward of court
726 Limitations on parental or guardian control
727 Order of care, ward of court
16000-160 14 Foster care placement
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5
4600-4687 Uniform complaint procedures
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 20
1415 Procedural safeguards; placement in alternative educational setting
6311 State plan
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 29
794 Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 42
670-679b Federal assistance for foster care programs
11431-11435 McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
Management Resources:
CSBA PUBLICATIONS
Foster Youth: Supports for Success, Governance Brief, May 2016
Our Foster Youth: What School Boards Can Do, May 2016
ALLIANCE FOR CHILDREN'S RIGHTS PUBLICATIONS
Foster Youth Education Toolkit, December 2016
CALIFORNIA CHILD WELFARE COUNCIL
Partial Credit Model Policy and Practice Recommendations
CITIES, COUNTIES AND SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP PUBLICATIONS
Our Children: Emancipating Foster Youth, A Community Action Guide
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PUBLICATIONS
Ensuring Educational Stability for Children in Foster Care, Non-Regulatory Guidance, June 2016
WEB SITES
CSBA: http://www.csba.org
Alliance for Children's Rights: http://www.kids-alliance.org
California Child Welfare Council: http://www.chhs.ca.gov/Pages/CAChildWelfareCouncil.aspx
California Department of Education, Foster Youth Services: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/pf/fy
California Department of Social Services, Foster Youth Ombudsman Office: http://www.fosteryouthhelp.ca.gov
California Foster Youth Education Task Force: http://www.cfyetf.org
California Youth Connection: http://www.calyouthconn.org/site/cyc
Cities, Counties, Schools Partnership: http://www.ccspartnership.org
Foster Ed: http://foster-ed.org
National Center for Youth Law: https:llyouthlaw.org
Policy NEWPORT-MESA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
adopted: February 26, 2019 Costa Mesa, California