1. Ensuring Educational Stability for Foster Care Children in SC
Presented by the South Carolina Department of Education &
the South Carolina Department of Social Services
October 2017

2. Presenters Tracie Sweet & Salley Branch
Office of Federal and State Accountability
SEA POC for Foster Care
South Carolina Department of Education
&
Salley Branch
Policy Unit/Human Services
SC CWA POC for Foster Care
South Carolina Department of Social Services

3. Session Objectives
Recognize the educational challenges for students in foster care and the importance of educational stability
Identify the Title I, Part A Foster Care Educational Stability Provisions
Describe how local education agencies (LEAs) and local child welfare agencies (CWAs) can support the implementation of foster care provisions at the local level.

4. Session Objectives
Describe the LEA and CWA point of contact’s responsibilities before, during, and after a best interest determination meeting.
Identify the factors that should be considered in determining whether remaining in a child’s school of origin is in his/her best interest, as it relates to school stability.
Describe the process for immediate enrollment of students in foster care if it is determined that it is not in their best interest to remain in the school of origin.

5. Agenda Welcome and Introductions Agenda, Objectives
Welcome and Introductions
Agenda, Objectives
What is educational stability?
Roles & Responsibilities of Educators and Child Welfare Agency Providers
Collaboration & Best Interest Determination Process Overview
Factors Influencing Best Interest Determination
Immediate Enrollment of Foster Care Children
Sharing Best Practice – Success Stories from South Carolina
Closure/Reflection
Adjournment

6. Background
& ESSA

7. The Every Student succeeds Act 2015
Reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA)
Reflects and reinforces provisions in Fostering Connections Act
Requires the SCDE to describe the steps it will take to ensure collaboration with the SCDSS to ensure the educational stability of children in foster care.

8. Where can you find Resources from today’s training?

9. https://ed.sc.gov/policy/federal-education-programs/title-i/title-i-part-a-foster-care/

12. Foster Care Joint
Guidance

13. WHAT IS EDUCATIONAL STABILITY?

14.
Video #4
1:43 minutes

15. Educational stability Under the LAW
ESSA and The Fostering Connections Act both agree on the following:
A foster care student must remain in the school in which the child is enrolled at the time of placement unless it is not in the child’s best interest, including consideration of the appropriateness of the current educational setting and the proximity to the school in which the child is enrolled at the time of placement. (BEST INTEREST DETERMINATON)
If it is not in the foster care child’s best interest to remain in the school in which the child is currently attending, then the child is to be immediately enrolled in the new school. (IMMEDIATE ENROLLMENT)

16. Journey Through Foster Care
413,000 Foster Care children in US
Over 3,500 in SC

17. Journey Through Foster Care
How long do children stay in foster care?

18. Educational Stability
How often do they experience school instability?
Foster care children change schools much more often than their peers who are not in foster care, which leads to a multitude of educational issues, including lower academic success, behavior problems, social and emotional issues, and more.

19. Changing schools Entering a new school means…
Adjusting to new curricula
Different expectations
New friends
New teachers
These changes and adjustments can lead to…
Delays in academic progress
Fewer opportunities for academic achievement
Challenges in developing and sustaining supportive relationships with teachers and peers

20. Educational Stability
Fifteen-year-old students in out-of-home care are about half as likely as other students to have graduated from high school 5 years later.
Only 54% of young adults who age out of foster care have completed high school.
Public school youth score percentile points below their peers on statewide standardized tests.
Foster care youth, on average, read at only a 7th grade level after completing 10th or 11th grade.

21. Educational Stability can make a difference
In a national study of 1,087 foster care alumni, youth who had one fewer placement changes per year were almost twice as likely to graduate from high school before leaving care.

22. South Carolina Equitable access to opportunity
The profile is the foundation for the mission of SCDE that ALL South Carolina students graduate prepared for success in college, careers, and citizenship.

23. Improving educational opportunities for Children in foster Care
National Working Group on Foster Care and Education identified 4 objectives with the potential for improving educational opportunities for children in foster care:
Improved educational stability for children and youth in foster care,
Seamless educational transitions for children and youth when school changes do occur,
High quality educational experiences, expectations, and aspirations for young people in foster care, and
Greater national attention to the disparate educational outcomes for young people in foster care, particularly youth of color.
For more information about the National Working Group on Foster Care and Education and resources from this group visit .

24.
Video #1
12 minutes

25. collaboration THE CHILD DSS CASE WORKER TEACHERS GUIDANCE COUNSELORS
FOSTER PARENTS
GUIDANCE COUNSELORS
CWA POCs
LEA POCs
BIRTH PARENTS
ADMINISTRATORS
GUARDIAN AD LITEM
IEP TEAM

26. Definition of Foster Care
The Title I foster care provisions apply to ALL children in foster care who are 21 or younger and who are entitled to a free public education through grade 12 enrolled in schools in the SEA.
“Foster care” means 24-hour substitute care for children placed away from their parents or guardians and for whom the child welfare agency has placement and care responsibility.

27. Definition of Foster Care
Examples of foster care placement situations:
With Relatives (licensed or unlicensed)
In an Emergency Placement Center/Shelter
In a Group Home or Residential Placement Setting
In a Foster Family Home
Whether or not they are eligible for Federal Title IV-E funding

28. Definition of Foster Care
What is NOT considered foster care?
Living at home with parents and receiving in-home services
Informally placed with relatives without child welfare involvement
Are not involved in the court system

29. Acronyms
ESSA – Every Student Succeeds Act LEA – Local Education Agency CWA – Child Welfare Agency POC – Point of Contact SCDE – South Carolina Department of Education SCDSS – South Carolina Department of Social Services BID – Best Interest Determination IE – Immediate Enrollment IEP – Individualized Education Plan IDEA – Individualized Education Act

30. Roles & Responsibilities

31. Roles & Responsibilities
What are YOUR roles and responsibilities for ensuring educational stability for children in foster care?
LEA POCs
Case Workers
School Principal
Participants will share aloud some of their roles and responsibilities related to ensuring educational stability for foster care children. Presenters (or selected participants from the group) will chart their responses on charts hanging in the room. Charts need to be made prior to training and hanging in the room ready for charting.
CWA POCs
Guidance Counselors
Title I Directors
Foster Care Parent

32. State Education Agency Point of contact (SEA POC)
Responsibilities include:
Monitoring LEAs and coordinating with the State CWA to issue state guidelines
Establishing uniform criteria around best interest determination and guidelines for transportation procedures
Facilitating data sharing with State and tribal CWAs
Provide professional development opportunities for LEA POCs
As we continue throughout the training, we will refer back to these posters and we may

33. Child Welfare Agency Point of contact (CWA POC)
Responsibilities include:
Serving as the primary POC between schools, families, and other service providers,
Notifying the LEA POC when a foster care child enters into foster care or has a change of placement,
Inviting relevant parties to participate in the best interest determination of the foster care child,
Completing the immediate enrollment form when it is not in the best interest of the foster care child to remain in the current school, and
Facilitating enrollment in the new school.

34. Local Education Agency – School Districts Point of contact (LEA POC)
Responsibilities include:
Developing and coordinating local transportation procedures in collaboration with local CWA POC,
Facilitating the best interest determination process,
Facilitating the transfer of records when it is determined not to be in a foster care child’s best interest to remain in his/her current school,
Ensuring that barriers are removed that prevent foster care students from immediately enrolling in the district when ESSA provisions have been followed (i.e., BID at previous school, no pending expulsion hearing), and
Facilitating the data sharing process with CWAs

35. Best Interest Determination Process

37. local education agency point of contact (LEA POC)
(where the student is currently enrolled)
local education agency point of contact (LEA POC)
(where the student is currently enrolled)
Depending on the county, that could be the CWA POC or the case worker. In most cases, the case worker will contact the LEA POC.
…or has already…

39. Best interest determination

40. Suggested Uses for Pages 3-5
Reference/guide to help prepare for the BID
Share with those providing input regarding BID prior to a BID meeting
Note taking during the BID
Other ideas?

41. What have you learned?
Kahoot.it

42. Factors Influencing Best Interest Determination

43. essa requirements
Children in foster care must remain in their school of origin, unless it is determined that it is not in their best interest.
If it’s not in the child’s best interest to stay in his or her school of origin, the student must be immediately enrolled in the new school, even if the child is unable to produce records normally required for enrollment.
The enrolling school shall immediately contact the school last attended to obtain relevant academic and other records.

44. Best Interest Determination Factors to Consider
What If Activity
Think about a child you know. Pull up a picture of that child on your phone or envision that child.
What factors should be considered in determining if he/she would remain in his/her current school.
Discuss with a close partner.

45. Best Interest Determination – Best Interest Factors
Examples
Child’s preferences
Safety of the child
Appropriateness of current educational programs in school or origin vs. school of residence
Which school can best serve the student’s needs (including special education)?
COST SHOULD NOT BE A FACTOR
Ask participants to share aloud some of the factors they discussed with their partner. Chart responses. Then share some of the factors on the screen.

46. Another tool for your Toolbox
Remind participants that this is only a tool. Some factors may play a much larger role in determining what is in the best interest of a child, such as safety.

47. Immediate enrollment

48. Immediate enrollment What if?
A BID must take place at the previous school district BEFORE a foster care student can be enrolled in a new school. WHY? The Fostering Connections Act and ESSA both state that a foster care child must remain in his/her current school, unless it is not in his/her best interest. The BID determines what is in the best interest of the student. If a foster care child enrolls in another school without having a BID, the law has not been followed.
What if?
What if the child is moving a very long distance away?
A BID must be conducted.
The way in which you conduct the BID is up to you.
What if the child is moving within the district?

49. Immediate Enrollment
A child can’t be denied enrollment because they don’t have proper documentation.
A child should also be attending classes and receiving appropriate academic services.
Policies should be reviewed to remove barriers to immediate enrollment.
Case workers or foster care parents should take the immediate enrollment form to the new school.

51. Best Practice – What’s working in Your District?

52. What’s working in Your District/county?
Collaboration Between LEA and CWA
Best Interest Determination Procedures
Immediate Enrollment Procedures
Transportation Procedures
Table share and then ask participants to share as a whole group

53. Transportation Requirements
LEAs and CWAs should work together to agree on costs.
Transportation procedures should include a dispute resolution process if parties can’t come to agreement.
A child must remain in his or her school of origin while any disputes regarding transportation costs are being resolved.
Reminders

54. ‘‘(i) ensure that children in foster care needing transportation to the school of origin will promptly receive transportation in a cost-effective manner and in accordance with section 475(4)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 675(4)(A)); and ‘‘(ii) ensure that, if there are additional costs incurred in providing transportation to maintain children in foster care in their schools of origin, the local educational agency will provide transportation to the school of origin if—
‘‘(I) the local child welfare agency agrees to reimburse the local educational agency for the cost of such transportation;
‘‘(II) the local educational agency agrees to pay for the cost of such transportation; or
Slides are here as reminders
‘‘(III) the local educational agency and the local child welfare agency agree to share the cost of such transportation; (ESSA 1112(c)(5)(B))

55. Transportation Requirements
Transportation must be provided in a “cost-effective” manner, so low-cost/no-cost options should be explored.
Even if an LEA doesn’t transport other students, it must ensure that transportation is provided to children in foster care consistent with procedures developed in collaboration with CWAs.
Transportation is an allowable use of federal funds, both under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act and Title I of the ESEA.
All funding sources should be maximized to ensure costs are not unduly burdensome on one agency.
Reminders

56. What Questions Do You Have?

57. https://www.removedfilm.com/pages/watch Video #4 Begin at 19:13
2 minutes

58. REFLECTION –
Exit Slips
Contact Information
Please complete the exit slip and leave it in the box near the door.
Tracie Sweet
SCDE
Salley Branch
SCDSS
“As the world turns,
so do you.
When you change for the good,
you change the world, too.”