Bill Text: CA AB1055 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Foster youth: tribal pupils and voluntarily placed children.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2021-09-24 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 287, Statutes of 2021. [AB1055 Detail]
Download: California-2021-AB1055-Chaptered.html
Assembly Bill
No. 1055
CHAPTER 287
An act to amend Sections 42238.01, 48850, 48853.5, 49069.5, 49085, and 51225.2 of the Education Code, relating to foster youth.
[
Approved by
Governor
September 24, 2021.
Filed with
Secretary of State
September 24, 2021.
]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1055, Ramos.
Foster youth: tribal pupils and voluntarily placed children.
(1) Existing law establishes a public school financing system that requires state funding for school districts, county superintendents of schools, and charter schools to be calculated pursuant to a local control funding formula, as specified. Existing law requires funding pursuant to the local control funding formula to include, in addition to a base grant, supplemental and concentration grant add-ons that are based on the percentage of pupils who are unduplicated pupils, which is defined to include English learners, foster youth, or pupils eligible for free or reduced-price meals, as specified, served by the local educational agency. Existing law defines a foster youth for these purposes to include a dependent child of the court of an Indian tribe, consortium of tribes, or tribal organization who is the subject of a petition filed in the tribal court pursuant to
the tribal court’s jurisdiction in accordance with the tribe’s law, if the child would also meet specified state law standards describing when a child may be adjudged a dependent child of a juvenile court.
This bill would delete the requirement that a dependent tribal child also meet specified state law standards for purposes of the definition of foster youth for purposes of the local control funding formula. The bill would add children who are subjects of voluntary placement agreements to the definition of foster youth for purposes of the local control funding formula.
(2) Existing law provides specified rights and supports for pupils in foster care, including access to the same academic resources, services, and extracurricular and enrichment activities that are available to all pupils, the right to immediate enrollment and education in the least restrictive environment, the right to remain in the
school of origin during specified proceedings, prompt academic record transfers, protections against grade reductions due to changes in residential placement or court-ordered activities, recognition of partial credit, the right to remain in school for a fifth year to complete the local educational agency’s graduation requirements, fee waivers for certain exams, and procedural protections for disciplinary hearings.
This bill would extend those educational rights and supports to dependent children in accordance with tribal law, as specified, and children who are the subject of voluntary placement agreements.
(3) Existing law requires the State Department of Education and the State Department of Social Services to enter into a memorandum of understanding on or before February 1, 2014, that requires the State Department of Social Services, at least once per week, to share disaggregated information related
to foster youth with the State Department of Education. Existing law exempts the State Department of Social Services from collecting or sharing specified information relating to a dependent child of a court of an Indian tribe, consortium of tribes, or tribal organization.
This bill would prohibit local educational agencies from requiring an Indian tribe or tribal court representative to certify that a pupil is a dependent of an Indian tribe, consortium of tribes, or tribal organization, and would authorize tribal authorities to notify local educational agencies about a tribal pupil’s status as a dependent child under the court of an Indian tribe, consortium of tribes, or tribal organization.
(4) By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies related to certain foster youth, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
(5) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 42238.01 of the Education Code proposed by SB 167 and AB 167 to be operative only if this bill and one or both of those bills are enacted and this bill is enacted last.
(6) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State
Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YESBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the Claudette White Tribal Court Education Equity Act.SEC. 2.
Section 42238.01 of the Education Code is amended to read:42238.01.
For purposes of Section 42238.02, the following definitions shall apply:(a) “Eligible for free or reduced-price meals” means determined to meet federal income eligibility criteria, either through completing an application for the federal National School Lunch Program or through an alternative household income data collection form, or deemed to be categorically eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the federal National School Lunch Program, as described in Part 245 of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(1) (A) A school participating in a special assistance alternative authorized by Section
11(a)(1) of the federal Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (Public Law 113-79), including Provision 2, Provision 3, or the Community Eligibility Provision, may establish a base year for purposes of the local control funding formula by doing either of the following:
(i) Determining the pupils at the school who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals and using each pupil’s eligibility status in that base year to report eligibility for up to each of the following three school years.
(ii) Carrying over the number of pupils at the school who were eligible for free or reduced-price meals from the school year in which the school applied to use a federal universal school meal provision, and using each pupil’s eligibility status in the base year to report eligibility for
up to each of the following three school years.
(B) The school may include between base year eligibility determinations, any newly enrolled pupils who are determined to be eligible for free or reduced-price meals or any current pupils found to be newly eligible for free or reduced-price meals as identified through a local or state direct certification match or another categorical designation.
(2) A school that uses the special assistance alternative shall maintain information on each pupil’s eligibility status and annually submit information on that status in the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 42238.02 or subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 2574, as applicable.
(3) For a pupil who transfers to a school using a special assistance alternative and who is transferring between schools within the same school district, documentation supporting eligibility for that pupil for purposes of the local control funding
formula may be transferred from the pupil’s old school to the pupil’s new school, as long as the documentation supporting eligibility for that pupil is less than four years old and is updated at least once every four years.
(4) To the extent permitted by federal law, a school may choose to establish a new base year for purposes of the federal National School Lunch Program at the same time the school establishes a new base year for purposes of the local control funding formula. A school may use federal National School Lunch Program application forms to collect household income data as permitted under the federal National School Lunch Program. If the use of federal National School Lunch Program application forms is not permitted, a school shall use alternative household income data collection forms.
(5) An alternative household income data collection form shall be confidential and shall not be shared by the school other than as necessary for purposes of determining funding allocations under the local control funding formula and for assessing the accountability of that funding. An alternative household income data collection form shall contain, at a minimum, all of the following information:
(A) Information sufficient to identify the pupil or pupils.
(B) Information sufficient to determine that the pupil or household meets federal income eligibility criteria sufficient to qualify for either a free or reduced-priced meal under the federal Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (Public Law 113-79).
(C) Certification that the information is true and correct by the pupil’s adult household member.
(6) Paragraphs (1) and (3) are effective commencing with the 2014–15 fiscal year.
(b) “Foster youth” means any of the following:
(1) A child who is the subject of a petition filed pursuant to Section 300 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, whether or not the child has been removed from the child’s home by the juvenile court pursuant to Section 319 or 361 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(2) A child who is the subject of a petition filed pursuant to Section 602 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code, has been removed from the child’s home by the juvenile court pursuant to Section 727 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, and is in foster care as defined by subdivision (d) of Section 727.4 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(3) A nonminor under the transition jurisdiction of the juvenile court, as described in Section 450 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, who satisfies all of the following criteria:
(A) The nonminor has attained 18 years of age while under an order of foster care placement by the juvenile court, and is not more than 19 years of age on or after January 1, 2012, not more than 20 years of age on or after January 1, 2013, and not more than 21 years of age, on or after January 1, 2014, and as described in Section 10103.5 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code.
(B) The nonminor is in foster care under the placement and care responsibility of the county welfare department, county probation department, Indian tribe, consortium of tribes, or tribal organization that entered into an agreement pursuant to Section 10553.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(C) The nonminor is participating in a transitional independent living case plan pursuant to Section 475(8) of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 675), as contained in the federal Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-351), as described in Section 11403 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(4) A dependent child of the court of an Indian tribe, consortium
of tribes, or tribal organization who is the subject of a petition filed in the tribal court pursuant to the tribal court’s jurisdiction in accordance with the tribe’s law.
(5) A child who is the subject of a voluntary placement agreement, as defined in subdivision (p) of Section 11400 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(c) “Pupils of limited English proficiency” means pupils who do not have the clearly developed English language skills of comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing necessary to receive instruction only in English at a level substantially equivalent to pupils of the same age or grade whose primary language is English. “English learner” shall have the same meaning as provided for in subdivision (a) of Section 306 and as “pupils of limited English proficiency.”
SEC. 2.5.
Section 42238.01 of the Education Code is amended to read:42238.01.
For purposes of Section 42238.02, the following definitions shall apply:(a) “Eligible for free or reduced-price meals” means determined to meet federal income eligibility criteria, either through completing an application for the federal National School Lunch Program or through an alternative household income data collection form, or deemed to be categorically eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the federal National School Lunch Program, as described in Part 245 of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(1) (A) A school participating in a special assistance alternative authorized by Section 11(a)(1) of the federal Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (Public Law 113-79),
including Provision 2, Provision 3, or the Community Eligibility Provision, may establish a base year for purposes of the local control funding formula by doing either of the following:
(i) Determining the pupils at the school who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals and using each pupil’s eligibility status in that base year to report eligibility for up to each of the following three school years.
(ii) Carrying forward eligibility for pupils eligible for free or reduced-price meals from the school year in which the school applied to use a federal universal
school meal provision, and using each pupil’s eligibility status
from the application year to report eligibility for up to each of the following three school years.
(B) The school may include between base year eligibility determinations, any newly enrolled pupils who are determined to be eligible for free or reduced-price meals or any current pupils found to be newly eligible for free or reduced-price meals as identified through a local or state direct certification match or another categorical designation.
(2) A school that uses the special assistance alternative shall maintain information on each pupil’s eligibility status and annually submit information on that status in the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 42238.02 or subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 2574, as applicable.
(3) For a pupil who transfers to a school using a special assistance alternative and who is transferring between schools within the same school district, documentation supporting eligibility for that pupil for purposes of the local control funding formula may be transferred from the pupil’s old school to the pupil’s new school, as long as the documentation supporting eligibility for that pupil is less than four years old and is updated at least once every four years.
(4) To the extent permitted by federal law, a school may choose to establish a new base year for purposes of the federal National School Lunch Program at the same time the school establishes a new base year for purposes of the local control funding formula. A school may use federal National School Lunch Program application forms to collect household income data as permitted under the federal National School Lunch
Program. If the use of federal National School Lunch Program application forms is not permitted, a school shall use alternative household income data collection forms.
(5) An alternative household income data collection form shall be confidential and shall not be shared by the school other than as necessary for purposes of determining funding allocations under the local control funding formula and for assessing the accountability of that funding. An alternative household income data collection form shall contain, at a minimum, all of the following information:
(A) Information sufficient to identify the pupil or pupils.
(B) Information sufficient to determine that the pupil or household meets federal income eligibility criteria sufficient to qualify for either a free or reduced-priced meal under the federal Richard B.
Russell National School Lunch Act (Public Law 113-79).
(C) Certification that the information is true and correct by the pupil’s adult household member.
(6) Paragraphs (1) and (3) are effective commencing with the 2014–15 fiscal year.
(b) “Foster youth” means any of the following:
(1) A child who is the subject of a petition filed pursuant to Section 300 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, whether or not the child has been removed from the child’s home by the juvenile court pursuant to Section 319 or 361 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(2) A child who is the subject of a petition filed pursuant to Section 602 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, has been removed from the child’s home by the juvenile court pursuant to Section 727 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, and is in foster care as defined by subdivision (d) of Section 727.4 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(3) A nonminor under the transition jurisdiction of the juvenile court, as described in Section 450 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, who satisfies all of the following criteria:
(A) The nonminor has attained 18 years of age while under an order of foster care placement by the juvenile
court, and is not more than 19 years of age on or after January 1, 2012, not more than 20 years of age on or after January 1, 2013, and not more than 21 years of age, on or after January 1, 2014, and as described in Section 10103.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(B) The nonminor is in foster care under the placement and care responsibility of the county welfare department, county probation department, Indian tribe, consortium of tribes, or tribal organization that entered into an agreement pursuant to Section 10553.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(C) The nonminor is participating in a transitional independent living case plan pursuant to Section 475(8) of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 675), as contained in the federal Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-351), as described in Section 11403 of the
Welfare and Institutions Code.
(4) A dependent child of the court of an Indian tribe, consortium of tribes, or tribal organization who is the subject of a petition filed in the tribal court pursuant to the tribal court’s jurisdiction in accordance with the tribe’s
law.
(5) A child who is the subject of a voluntary placement agreement, as defined in subdivision (p) of Section 11400 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(c) “Pupils of limited English proficiency” means pupils who do not have the clearly developed English language skills of comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing necessary to receive instruction only in English at a level substantially equivalent to pupils of the same age or grade whose primary
language is English. “English learner” shall have the same meaning as provided for in subdivision (a) of Section 306 and as “pupils of limited English proficiency.”
SEC. 3.
Section 48850 of the Education Code is amended to read:48850.
(a) (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that all pupils in foster care and those who are homeless, as defined by the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11301 et seq.), have a meaningful opportunity to meet the challenging state pupil academic achievement standards to which all pupils are held. In fulfilling their responsibilities to these pupils, educators, county placing agencies, care providers, advocates, and the juvenile courts shall work together to maintain stable school placements and to ensure that each pupil is placed in the least restrictive educational programs, and has access to the academic resources, services, and extracurricular and enrichment activities that are available to all pupils, including, but not necessarily limited to, interscholastic sports administered by the California Interscholastic Federation. In all instances, educational and school placement decisions shall be based on the best interests of the child and shall consider, among other factors, educational stability and the opportunity to be educated in the least restrictive educational setting necessary to achieve academic progress.(2) A foster child who changes residences pursuant to a court order or decision of a child welfare worker or a homeless child or youth shall be immediately deemed to meet all residency requirements for participation in interscholastic sports or other extracurricular activities.
(3) (A) Pursuant to the federal McKinney-Vento
Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11301 et seq.), public schools, including charter schools, and county offices of education shall immediately enroll a homeless child or youth seeking enrollment except where the enrollment would be in conflict with subdivision (e) of Section 47605.
(B) The department and the State Department of Social Services shall identify representatives from the department, the State Department of Social Services, and other state agencies that have experience in homeless youth issues to develop policies and practices to support homeless children and youths and to ensure that child abuse and neglect reporting requirements do not create barriers to the school enrollment and attendance of homeless children or youths, including, but not limited to, ensuring that a pupil who is a homeless child or youth is not
reported to law enforcement by school personnel if the sole reason for the report is the pupil’s homelessness. The selected representatives shall present the policies and practices to the Superintendent and the State Department of Social Services to be considered for implementation or dissemination, as appropriate.
(b) Every county office of education shall make available to agencies that place children in licensed children’s institutions information on educational options for children residing in licensed children’s institutions within the jurisdiction of the county office of education for use by the placing agencies in assisting parents and foster children to choose educational placements.
(c) For purposes of individuals with exceptional needs residing in licensed children’s
institutions, making a copy of the annual service plan, prepared pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 56205, available to those special education local plan areas that have revised their local plans pursuant to Section 56836.03 shall meet the requirements of subdivision (b).
(d) For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1) “Homeless child or youth” and “homeless children and youths” as they are defined in Section 11434a(2) of Title 42 of the United States Code.
(2) “Pupils in foster care” has the same meaning as “foster youth,” as that term is defined in subdivision (b) of Section 42238.01.
SEC. 4.
Section 48853.5 of the Education Code is amended to read:48853.5.
(a) This section applies to a foster child. “Foster child” has the same meaning as “foster youth,” as that term is defined in subdivision (b) of Section 42238.01.(b) The department, in consultation with the California Foster Youth Education Task Force, shall develop a standardized notice of the educational rights of foster children, as specified in Sections 48850 to this section, inclusive, and Sections 48911, 48915.5, 49069.5, 49076, 51225.1, and 51225.2. The notice shall include complaint process information, as applicable. The department shall make the notice available to educational liaisons for foster children for dissemination by posting the notice on its internet website. Any version
of this notice prepared for use by foster children shall also include, to the greatest extent practicable, the rights established pursuant to Section 16001.9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. In developing the notice that includes the rights in Section 16001.9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, the department shall consult with the Office of the State Foster Care Ombudsperson.
(c) Each local educational agency shall designate a staff person as the educational liaison for foster children. In a school district that operates a foster children services program pursuant to Chapter 11.3 (commencing with Section 42920) of Part 24 of Division 3, the educational liaison shall be affiliated with the local foster children services program. The educational liaison shall do both of the following:
(1) Ensure and facilitate the proper educational placement,
enrollment in school, and checkout from school of foster children.
(2) Assist foster children when transferring from one school to another school or from one school district to another school district in ensuring proper transfer of credits, records, and grades.
(d) If so designated by the superintendent of the local educational agency, the educational liaison shall notify a foster child’s attorney and the appropriate representative of the county child welfare agency of pending expulsion proceedings if the decision to recommend expulsion is a discretionary act, pending proceedings to extend a suspension until an expulsion decision is rendered if the decision to recommend expulsion is a discretionary act, and, if the foster child is an individual with exceptional needs, pending
manifestation determinations pursuant to Section 1415(k) of Title 20 of the United States Code if the local educational agency has proposed a change in placement due to an act for which the decision to recommend expulsion is at the discretion of the principal or the district superintendent of schools.
(e) This section does not grant authority to the educational liaison that supersedes the authority granted under state and federal law to a parent or legal guardian retaining educational rights, a responsible adult appointed by the court to represent the child pursuant to Section 361 or 726 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, a surrogate parent, or a foster parent exercising the authority granted under Section 56055. The role of the educational liaison is advisory with respect to placement decisions and determination of the school of
origin.
(f) (1) At the initial detention or placement, or any subsequent change in placement of a foster child, the local educational agency serving the foster child shall allow the foster child to continue their education in the school of origin for the duration of the jurisdiction of the court.
(2) If the jurisdiction of the court is terminated before the end of an academic year, the local educational agency shall allow a former foster child who is in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 8, inclusive, to continue the foster child’s education in the school of origin through the duration of the academic school year.
(3) (A) If the jurisdiction of the court is terminated while a foster
child is in high school, the local educational agency shall allow the former foster child to continue the foster child’s education in the school of origin through graduation.
(B) For purposes of this paragraph, a school district is not required to provide transportation to a former foster child who has an individualized education program that does not require transportation as a related service and who changes residence but remains in the former foster child’s school of origin pursuant to this paragraph, unless the individualized education program team determines that transportation is a necessary related service.
(4) To ensure that the foster child has the benefit of matriculating with the foster child’s peers in accordance with the established feeder patterns of school districts, if
the foster child is transitioning between school grade levels, the local educational agency shall allow the foster child to continue in the school district of origin in the same attendance area, or, if the foster child is transitioning to a middle school or high school, and the school designated for matriculation is in another school district, to the school designated for matriculation in that school district.
(5) (A) Paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) do not require a school district to provide transportation services to allow a foster child to attend a school or school district, unless there is an agreement with a local child welfare agency that the school district assumes part or all of the transportation costs in accordance with Section 6312(c)(5) of Title 20 of the United States Code, or unless otherwise required under
federal law. This paragraph does not prohibit a school district from, at its discretion, providing transportation services to allow a foster child to attend a school or school district.
(B) In accordance with Section 6312(c)(5) of Title 20 of the United States Code, local educational agencies shall collaborate with local child welfare agencies to develop and implement clear written procedures to address the transportation needs of foster
youth to maintain them in their school of origin, when it is in the best interest of the foster youth.
(6) The educational liaison, in consultation with, and with the agreement of, the foster child and the person holding the right to make educational decisions for the foster child, may recommend, in accordance with the foster child’s best interests, that the foster child’s right to attend the school of origin be waived and the foster child be enrolled in a public school that pupils living in the attendance area in which the foster child resides are eligible to attend.
(7) Before making a recommendation to move a foster child from the foster child’s school of origin, the educational liaison shall provide the foster child and the person holding the right to make
educational decisions for the foster child with a written explanation stating the basis for the recommendation and how the recommendation serves the foster child’s best interests.
(8) (A) If the educational liaison, in consultation with the foster child and the person holding the right to make educational decisions for the foster child, agrees that the best interests of the foster child would best be served by the foster child’s transfer to a school other than the school of origin, the foster child shall immediately be enrolled in the new school.
(B) The new school shall immediately enroll the foster child even if the foster child has outstanding fees, fines, textbooks, or other items or moneys due to the school last attended or is unable to produce clothing or records
normally required for enrollment, such as previous academic records, medical records, including, but not limited to, records or other proof of immunization history pursuant to Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 120325) of Part 2 of Division 105 of the Health and Safety Code, proof of residency, other documentation, or school uniforms.
(C) Within two business days of the foster child’s request for enrollment, the educational liaison for the new school shall contact the school last attended by the foster child to obtain all academic and other records. The last school attended by the foster child shall provide all required records to the new school regardless of any outstanding fees, fines, textbooks, or other items or moneys owed to the school last attended. The educational liaison for the school last attended shall provide all records to the
new school within two business days of receiving the request.
(9) If a dispute arises regarding the request of a foster child to remain in the school of origin, the foster child has the right to remain in the school of origin pending resolution of the dispute. The dispute shall be resolved in accordance with the existing dispute resolution process available to a pupil served by the local educational agency.
(10) The local educational agency and the county placing agency are encouraged to collaborate to ensure maximum use of available federal moneys, explore public-private partnerships, and access any other funding sources to promote the well-being of foster children through educational stability.
(11) It is
the intent of the Legislature that this subdivision shall not supersede or exceed other laws governing special education services for eligible foster children.
(g) For purposes of this section, “school of origin” means the school that the foster child attended when permanently housed or the school in which the foster child was last enrolled. If the school the foster child attended when permanently housed is different from the school in which the foster child was last enrolled, or if there is some other school that the foster child attended with which the foster child is connected and that the foster child attended within the immediately preceding 15 months, the educational liaison, in consultation with, and with the agreement of, the foster child and the person holding the right to make educational decisions for the foster child, shall determine,
in the best interests of the foster child, the school that shall be deemed the school of origin.
(h) This section does not supersede other law governing the educational placements in juvenile court schools, as described in Section 48645.1, by the juvenile court under Section 602 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(i) (1) A complaint of noncompliance with the requirements of this section may be filed with the local educational agency under the Uniform Complaint Procedures set forth in Chapter 5.1 (commencing with Section 4600) of Division 1 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations.
(2) A complainant not satisfied with the decision of a local educational agency may appeal the decision to the
department pursuant to Chapter 5.1 (commencing with Section 4600) of Division 1 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations and shall receive a written decision regarding the appeal within 60
days of the department’s receipt of the appeal.
(3) If a local educational agency finds merit in a complaint, or if the Superintendent finds merit in an appeal, the local educational agency shall provide a remedy to the affected pupil.
(4) Information regarding the requirements of this section shall be included in the annual notification distributed to, among others, pupils, parents or guardians of pupils, employees, and other interested parties pursuant to Section 4622 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations.
SEC. 5.
Section 49069.5 of the Education Code is amended to read:49069.5.
(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(1) The mobility of pupils in foster care often disrupts their educational experience.
(2) Efficient transfer procedures and transfer of pupil records are critical factors in the swift placement of foster children in educational settings.
(3) Pupils who have had contact with the juvenile justice system are often denied credit or partial credit earned during enrollment in juvenile court schools. Delays in school enrollment and loss of earned credit can result in improper class or school placement, denial
of special education services, and school dropout.
(b) The proper and timely transfer between schools of pupils in foster care is the responsibility of both the local educational agency, including the county office of education for pupils in foster care who are enrolled in juvenile court schools, and the county placing agency, which includes the county probation department.
(c) As soon as the county placing agency or county office of education becomes aware of the need to transfer a pupil in foster care out of the pupil’s current school, the county placing agency or county office of education shall contact the appropriate person at the local educational agency of the pupil. The county placing agency shall notify the local educational agency of the date that the pupil will be leaving the
school and request that the pupil be transferred out.
(d) Upon receiving a transfer request from a county placing agency or notification of enrollment from the new local educational agency, the local educational agency receiving the transfer request or notification shall, within two business days, transfer the pupil out of school and deliver the educational information and records of the pupil to the next educational placement.
(e) As part of the transfer process described under subdivisions (c) and (d), the local educational agency shall compile the complete educational record of the pupil, including a determination of seat time, full or partial credits earned, current classes and grades, immunization and other records, and, if applicable, a copy of the pupil’s plan adopted
pursuant to Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Sec. 794) or individualized education program adopted pursuant to the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1400 et seq.).
(f) The local educational agency shall assign the duties listed in this section to a person who is competent to handle the transfer procedure and who is aware of the specific educational recordkeeping needs of homeless, foster, and other transient children who transfer between schools.
(g) The local educational agency shall ensure that, if the pupil in foster care is absent from school due to a decision to change the placement of a pupil made by a court or placing agency, the grades and credits of the pupil will be calculated as of the date the pupil left
school and no lowering of grades will occur as a result of the absence of the pupil under these circumstances.
(h) The local educational agency shall ensure that, if the pupil in foster care is absent from school due to a verified court appearance or related court ordered activity, no lowering of the pupil’s grades will occur as a result of the absence of the pupil under these circumstances.
(i) (1) A complaint of noncompliance with the requirements of this section may be filed with the local educational agency under the Uniform Complaint Procedures set forth in Chapter 5.1 (commencing with Section 4600) of Division 1 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations.
(2) A complainant not satisfied
with the decision of a local educational agency may appeal the decision to the department pursuant to Chapter 5.1 (commencing with Section 4600) of Division 1 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, and shall receive a written decision regarding the appeal within 60 days of the department’s receipt of the appeal.
(3) If a local educational agency finds merit in a complaint, or if the Superintendent finds merit in an appeal, the local educational agency shall provide a remedy to the affected pupil.
(4) Information regarding the requirements of this section shall be included in the annual notification distributed to, among others, pupils, parents or guardians of pupils, employees, and other interested parties pursuant to Section 4622 of Title 5 of the California Code of
Regulations.
(j) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) “County placing agency” means a county social services department or county probation department.
(2) “Local educational agency” means a school district, a county office of education, a charter school participating as a member of a special education local plan area, or a special education local plan area.
(3) “Pupil in foster care” has the same meaning as “foster youth,” as that term is defined in subdivision (b) of Section 42238.01.
SEC. 6.
Section 49085 of the Education Code is amended to read:49085.
(a) On or before February 1, 2014, the department and the State Department of Social Services shall develop and enter into a memorandum of understanding that shall, at a minimum, require the State Department of Social Services, at least once per week, to share with the department both of the following:(1) Disaggregated information on children and youth in foster care sufficient for the department to identify pupils in foster care.
(2) Disaggregated data on children and youth in foster care that is helpful to county offices of education and other local educational agencies responsible for ensuring that pupils in foster care receive appropriate
educational supports and services.
(b) To the extent allowable under federal law, the department shall regularly identify pupils in foster care and designate those pupils in the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System or any future data system used by the department to collect disaggregated pupil outcome data.
(c) To the extent allowable under federal law, the Superintendent, on or before July 1 of each even-numbered year, shall report to the Legislature and the Governor on the educational outcomes for pupils in foster care at both the individual schoolsite level and school district level. The report shall include, but is not limited to, all of the following:
(1) Individual schoolsite level and school
district level educational outcome data for each local educational agency that enrolls at least 15 pupils in foster care, each county in which at least 15 pupils in foster care attend school, and for the entire state.
(2) The number of pupils in foster care statewide and by each local educational agency.
(3) The academic achievement of pupils in foster care.
(4) The incidence of suspension and expulsion for pupils in foster care.
(5) Truancy rates, attendance rates, and dropout rates for pupils in foster care.
(d) To the extent allowable under federal law, the department, at least once per
week, shall do all of the following:
(1) Inform school districts and charter schools of any pupils enrolled in those school districts or charter schools who are in foster care.
(2) Inform county offices of education of any pupils enrolled in schools in the county who are in foster care.
(3) Provide school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools disaggregated data helpful to ensuring pupils in foster care receive appropriate educational supports and services.
(e) (1) For purposes of this section, “pupil in foster care” has the same meaning as “foster youth,” as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 42238.01.
(2) This section does not require the State Department of Social Services to collect, nor share with the department, any information regarding the population described in paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 42238.01.
(3) (A) For purposes of a dependent child, as described in paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 42238.01, the tribe may notify a local educational agency about the pupil’s status as a dependent child under the court of an Indian tribe, consortium of tribes, or tribal organization.
(B) A local educational agency shall not require an Indian tribe or tribal court representative to certify that any pupil is a dependent of an Indian tribe, consortium of tribes, or tribal
organization.
SEC. 7.
Section 51225.2 of the Education Code is amended to read:51225.2.
(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:(1) “Former juvenile court school pupil” means a pupil who, upon completion of the pupil’s second year of high school, transfers to a school district or charter school, excluding a school district operated by the Division of Juvenile Justice of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, from a juvenile court school.
(2) “Local educational agency” means a school district, county office of education, or charter school.
(3) “Pupil in foster care” has the same meaning as “foster youth,”
as that term is defined in subdivision (b) of Section 42238.01.
(4) “Pupil participating in a newcomer program” means a pupil who is participating in a program designed to meet the academic and transitional needs of newly arrived immigrant pupils that has as a primary objective the development of English language proficiency.
(5) “Pupil who is a child of a military family” means a pupil who meets the definition of “children of military families” under Section 49701.
(6) “Pupil who is a homeless child or youth” means a pupil who meets the definition of “homeless children and youths” in Section 11434a(2) of Title 42 of the United States Code.
(7) “Pupil who
is a migratory child” means a pupil who meets the definition of “currently migratory child” under subdivision (a) of Section 54441.
(b) (1) Notwithstanding any other law, a local educational agency shall accept coursework satisfactorily completed by a pupil in foster care, a pupil who is a homeless child or youth, a former juvenile court school pupil, a pupil who is a child of a military family, a pupil who is a migratory child, or a pupil participating in a newcomer program while attending another public school, a juvenile court school, a charter school, a school in a country other than the United States, or a nonpublic, nonsectarian school even if the pupil did not complete the entire course and shall issue that pupil full or partial credit for the coursework completed.
(2) For purposes of coursework completed by a pupil who is a child of a military family, “public school” includes schools operated by the United States Department of Defense.
(c) The credits accepted pursuant to subdivision (b) shall be applied to the same or equivalent course, if applicable, as the coursework completed in the prior public school, juvenile court school, charter school, school in a country other than the United States, or nonpublic, nonsectarian school.
(d) A local educational agency shall not require a pupil in foster care, a pupil who is a homeless child or youth, a former juvenile court school pupil, a pupil who is a child of a military family, a pupil who is a migratory child, or a pupil participating in a newcomer program to retake a course if the
pupil has satisfactorily completed the entire course in a public school, a juvenile court school, a charter school, a school in a country other than the United States, or a nonpublic, nonsectarian school. If the pupil did not complete the entire course, the local educational agency shall not require the pupil to retake the portion of the course the pupil completed unless the local educational agency, in consultation with the holder of educational rights for the pupil, finds that the pupil is reasonably able to complete the requirements in time to graduate from high school. When partial credit is awarded in a particular course, the pupil in foster care, the pupil who is a homeless child or youth, the former juvenile court school pupil, the pupil who is a child of a military family, the pupil who is a migratory child, or the pupil participating in a newcomer program shall be enrolled in the same or
equivalent course, if applicable, so that the pupil may continue and complete the entire course.
(e) A pupil in foster care, a pupil who is a homeless child or youth, a former juvenile court school pupil, a pupil who is a child of a military family, a pupil who is a migratory child, or a pupil participating in a newcomer program shall not be prevented from retaking or taking a course to meet the eligibility requirements for admission to the California State University or the University of California.
(f) (1) A complaint of noncompliance with the requirements of this section may be filed with the local educational agency under the Uniform Complaint Procedures set forth in Chapter 5.1 (commencing with Section 4600) of Division 1 of Title 5 of the California
Code of Regulations.
(2) A complainant not satisfied with the decision of a local educational agency may appeal the decision to the department pursuant to Chapter 5.1 (commencing with Section 4600) of Division 1 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations and shall receive a written decision regarding the appeal within 60 days of the department’s receipt of the appeal.
(3) If a local educational agency finds merit in a complaint, or if the Superintendent finds merit in an appeal, the local educational agency shall provide a remedy to the affected pupil.
(4) Information regarding the requirements of this section shall be included in the annual notification distributed to, among others, pupils, parents or
guardians of pupils, employees, and other interested parties pursuant to Section 4622 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations.
