Common use of Promising Practices Clause in Contracts

Promising Practices. ♦ The Miami-Dade school district created the Juvenile Justice Support Office to provide assistance to students involved with the court system and provide a link between the courts and the school system. The office, located on-site at the Juvenile Justice Center, conducts educational reviews, facilitates transfers, conveys information from the courts to school staff, and assists students in obtaining ser- vices as needed. In addition, each public school designates an assistant principal and guidance coun- selor as school-based liaisons (Juvenile Court Contacts) for children in care. ♦ In Nassau, school-based liaisons review educational records and initiate appropriate interventions. ♦ To protect a child’s privacy, information about a child’s xxxxxx care status should be limited to school- based liaisons and other school personnel who need the information to provide educational services. L i a i s o n s County Does the CBC designate a school liaison/educational specialist? Do individual schools designate school-based liaisons? Do the parties agree to desig- nate court liaisons to appear atjuvenile court hearings? Xxxxx N N N Bay N N N Brevard N N N Broward Y Y Y Xxxxxxx N N N Clay N Y N Xxxxxxx N N N DeSoto N N N Xxxxx N N N Flagler N N N Franklin N N N Gadsden N N N Hillsborough N N N Xxxxxx N N N Indian River N N N Xxxxxxx N N N Xxx N Y N Xxxx N N N Xxxx Y Y N Liberty N N N Madison N N N Manatee N N Y Xxxxxx N N N Miami-Dade Y Y Y Nassau Y Y Y Orange N Y Y Palm Beach N N* N Pinellas N N Y Polk N N N St. Xxxxx N Y N Santa Xxxx N N N Sarasota N N Y Seminole N N N Sumter Y Y N Suwannee Y Y N Xxxxxx N N N Volusia N N N Washington N N N * Palm Beach County’s agreement provides for a school-based liaison for children in shelter, but not fos- ter homes or other relative/non-relative placements. S e r v i c e s f o r C h i l d r e n w i t h D i s a b i l i t i e s Goal: Ensure that children in out-of-home care suspected of having a disability are evaluated, and if neces- sary, provided with appropriate educational services. Each child should have a person acting as a “parent” who actively participates in the educational planning process. Florida Statute § 39.0016: ♦ The school district must provide an individualized student intervention or an individual education plan (IEP) when a determination has been made through legally appropriate criteria that intervention services are required. The intervention or IEP must include strategies to enable the child to maximize the attain- ment of educational goals. (4)(b)(4). ♦ DCF and the school district must cooperate in accessing services and supports for a child in care who has or is suspected of having a disability to receive an appropriate education consistent with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and state implementing laws, rules, and assurances. (4)(c). ♦ Coordination of services for children in care with disabilities may include: ◊ Referral for screening ◊ Sharing of evaluations between the school district and DCF where appropriate ◊ Provision of education and related services appropriate for the needs and abilities of children in care ◊ Coordination of services and plans between the school and the residential setting to avoid dupli- cation or conflicting service plans ◊ Transition planning for children over the age of 14. (4)(c). Key Interagency Agreement Provisions: ♦ 31 counties require coordination of special education services between parties. Promising Practices ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ In Pinellas and De Xxxx Counties, the School Board xxxxxx care liaison for the individual school meets with the ESE coordinator to review the results of psychological evaluations and determine recommended educational services. In Xxxxx, Miami-Dade and Nassau, the school liaison determines participants in IEP and ensures participants have legal authority to act. The Brevard agreement requires notification to the CBC to participate in the IEP process. In Xxxx and Sumter, the CBC’s educational specialist/liaison participates in IEP staffings. A psychoeducational evaluation should be conducted for all children suspected of having a dis- ability as soon as they enter the dependency system. S e r v i c e s f o r C h i l d r e n w i t h D i s a b i l i t i e s County Does the agreement require the parties to coordinate in providing special education services? Xxxxx Y Bay Y Xxxxxxx Y Broward Y Xxxxxxx Y Xxxx X Xxxxxxx N DeSoto N Xxxxx Y Flagler Y Xxxxxxxx X Xxxxxxx Y Hillsborough Y Xxxxxx Y Indian River Y Xxxxxxx Y Xxx X Xxxx X Xxxx Y Liberty N Madison Y Manatee N Xxxxxx X Miami-Dade Y Nassau Y Orange N Palm Beach Y Pinellas N Polk Y St. Xxxxx Y Santa Xxxx Y Sarasota N Seminole Y Sumter Y Suwannee Y Xxxxxx X Volusia Y Wakulla Y Washington Y E d u c a t i o n a l A d v o c a t e s / D e c i s i o n - M x x x x x Goal: Ensure that children in out-of-home care have at least one significant adult involved in his or her educa- tion and encouraging his or her educational pursuits. Ensure than children with disabilities have someone to act as a “parent” or are appointed a surrogate parent. Florida Statute § 39.0016: ◊ Appointment of a surrogate parent consistent with IDEA as soon as the child is determined to be dependent and without a parent to act for the child. The surrogate parent must be appointed by the school district without regard to where the child is placed so that one surrogate parent can follow the education of the child during his or her entire time in state custody. (4)(c)(5). Key Interagency Agreement Provisions: ♦ 38 counties agree to determine the need for a surrogate parent. ♦ The school districts in 10 counties will collect data on the number of requests for a surrogate parent, whether the request was denied and the reason for denial. ♦ In 12 counties, DCF/CBC must notify the school district when a child’s change in placement or legal status makes them eligible for a surrogate parent. ♦ In 24 counties, the agreement acknowledges that parents can advocate for their children to receive spe- cial education services unless prohibited by court order. Promising Practices ♦ Counties should ensure that surrogate parents are appointed consistent with IDEA and Florida law. The Department of Education has also published a Technical Assistance Paper on the ap pointment of surrogate parents, available at xxx.xxxxx.xxx/xxx/xxx/x0000-00.xxx. ♦ Broward has a local protocol to ensure the identification and appointment of surrogate parents. ♦ Youth should be involved in all aspects of their education and empowered to become self- advocates for their educational needs. ♦ All children in xxxxxx care should have a designated education advocate. It might be a specially designated staff person, or a caseworker, xxxxxx parent or guardian ad litem. The key is that the person is specifically responsible and accountable for educational advocacy. A d v o c E d u c a t i o n a l a t e s / D e c i s i o n - M x x x x x County Do the parties agree to deter- mine the need for a surrogate parent? Does the agreement require the school district to collect data on requests for a surrogate parent? Does the agreement require DCF/CBC to notify the school dis- trict when a child’s change in placement/legal status makes themeligible for a surrogate parent? Does the agreement ac- knowledge that parents can advocate for their children to receive spe- cial education services unless prohibited bycourt order? Xxxxx Y N N N Bay Y N N N Xxxxxxx Y Y Y Y Broward Y Y Y N Xxxxxxx Y N N N Clay Y N N N Xxxxxxx Y Y Y Y DeSoto Y Y Y Y Xxxxx Y N N N Flagler Y N N N Xxxxxxxx Y N N Y Gadsden Y N N Y Hillsborough Y N N N Xxxxxx Y N N N Indian River Y N N N Xxxxxxx Y N N Y Xxx Y Y Y Y Xxxx Y N N Y Xxxx Y Y Y Y Liberty Y N N Y Madison Y N N Y Manatee Y Y Y Y Xxxxxx Y N N Y Miami-Dade Y N N Y Nassau Y N N Y Orange Y Y Y Y Palm Beach Y N N N Pinellas Y Y Y N Polk Y N N N St. Xxxxx N N N N Santa Xxxx Y N N Y Sarasota Y Y Y Y Seminole Y N N Y Sumter Y N Y Y Suwannee Y N Y Y Xxxxxx Y N N Y Volusia Y N N Y Wakulla Y N N Y Washington Y N N N T r a n s i t i o n a l P x x x x x x x Goal: Ensure that youth in care complete post-secondary education pursuits at rates comparable to, or better than, those not in care; obtain an education and skills that will lead to employment earning a living wage; and ob- tain independent living skills. Florida Statute § 39.0016: ♦ For each child known to the department 14 years of age or older, transition planning by the department and all providers, including the department’s independent living program staff, to meet the requirements of the local school district for educational purposes. (4)(c)(6). Key Interagency Agreement Provisions: ♦ 35 counties agree that schools and DCF/CBC will collaborate regarding transition planning and the provi- sion of independent living skills. Promising Practices: ♦ Broward, Miami and Xxxx agree to provide training annually for Independent Living staff on a vari- ety of education and post-secondary topics. ♦ In Broward, Xxxx, and Nassau, the local Agency for Workforce Innovation provides a description of the referral process and information and training for various stakeholders. ♦ In Broward, Independent Living staff provide the school with copies of Independent Living action plans and the school ensures that DCF/CBC has a copy of the student’s IEP. ♦ In Miami, the school district trains guidance counselors on the availability of tuition exemptions, fee waivers and scholarship opportunities for children in out-of-home care. ♦ In Miami and Nassau, the school district agreed to explore acceleration mechanisms such as dual enrollment, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, vocational programs, and other alternatives to determine if these programs can be used for children in out-of-home care. T r a n s i t i o n a l P x x x x x x x County Do the parties agree to collaborate re- xxxxxxx transition planning and the provi-sion of independent living skills? Does the DCF/CBC agree to have IL staff or caseworkers participate in schoolESE transition staffings? Xxxxx Y N Bay Y N Xxxxxxx Y Y Broward Y Y Xxxxxxx Y N Clay Y N Xxxxxxx Y Y DeSoto Y Y Xxxxx Y N Flagler N N Franklin Y N Gadsden Y N Hillsborough Y N Xxxxxx Y N Indian River Y N Xxxxxxx Y N Xxx Y Y Xxxx Y N Xxxx Y Y Liberty Y N Madison Y N Manatee Y Y Xxxxxx N N Miami-Dade Y Y Nassau Y N Orange Y N Palm Beach N N Pinellas Y N Polk Y N St. Xxxxx Y N Santa Xxxx Y N Sarasota Y N Seminole Y N Sumter Y N Suwannee Y N Xxxxxx Y N Volusia N N Wakulla Y N Washington Y N I n f o r m a t i o n S x x x x x x Goal: Ensure that information necessary to provide educational services and assess academic achievement is exchanged between the school system and child welfare system on both a system-wide and individual level. Florida Statute § 39.0016: ♦ Establish a protocol for DCF and the school district to share information about children in care (consistent with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act). (4)(a)(3).

Promising Practices. ♦ In Miami-Dade, school-based liaisons, known as Juvenile Court Contacts (JCC), have access to identify their school’s dependent population via the ISIS flag. The JCCs may request a data search utilizing the district’s mainframe, which provides a listing of dependent students at their school. This facilitates information sharing with CBC case managers at the school site. ♦ Broward is currently developing a comprehensive data collection and research protocol to assess the effectiveness of the interagency agreements. ♦ Miami-Dade school district created has developed a student and parent portal and will launch a student portfolio for the Juvenile Justice Support Office 2007-2008 school year which will provide extensive student academic information. CBC case managers will be provided access via the portal to provide assistance to students involved with the court system and provide their client’s student portfolio. I n f o r m a link between the courts and the school system. The office, located on-site at the Juvenile Justice Center, conducts educational reviews, facilitates transfers, conveys information from the courts to school staff, and assists students in obtaining ser- vices as needed. In addition, each public school designates an assistant principal and guidance coun- selor as school-based liaisons (Juvenile Court Contacts) for children in care. ♦ In Nassau, school-based liaisons review educational records and initiate appropriate interventions. ♦ To protect a child’s privacy, information about a child’s xxxxxx care status should be limited to school- based liaisons and other school personnel who need the information to provide educational services. L t i a i s o n s County X x x x x x x Does the Do the parties agree to Do the parties Does the CBC designate Does the school school agree to promote gaining con- agree to im- agree to pro- district agree to provide xxxx- sent to share school prove technol- vide a regularly provide infor- scripts/school liaisonrecords from the natu- ogy to effi- updated list of mation about County records toDCF/CBC? ral parents, legalguardian or court? ciently shareinformation? children incare? available ser-vices? Xxxxx Y N N N N Bay Y* Y Y N N Xxxxxxx Y N N Y Y Broward Y Y Y Y N Xxxxxxx Y* Y Y N Y Clay Y* Y N N Y Xxxxxxx Y Y Y Y Y DeSoto Y* N Y Y N Xxxxx Y Y Y N Y Flagler N N N Y Y Xxxxxxxx Y* Y Y N Y Gadsden N Y Y N Y Hillsborough Y N Y N Y Xxxxxx Y Y Y N Y Indian River Y Y Y N Y Xxxxxxx Y Y Y N N Xxx Y Y Y Y Y Xxxx Y* Y Y N Y Xxxx Y Y Y Y N Liberty Y Y Y N Y Xxxxxxx Y* Y Y N Y Manatee Y* Y Y Y N Xxxxxx N Y Y N N Miami-Dade Y Y Y Y Y Nassau Y Y Y N Y Orange N Y Y Y N Palm Beach N N N N Y Pinellas Y Y Y Y N Xxxx Y N Y N Y St. Xxxxx N N N Y N Santa Xxxx Y* N Y N N Sarasota Y Y Y Y N Seminole Y N N Y Y Sumter Y Y Y N N Xxxxxxxx Y Y Y Y N Xxxxxx Y N Y N Y Volusia Y N N Y Y Wakulla Y Y Y N Y Washington Y Y Y N Y * Transcripts will be provided annually or upon request T r a i n i n g Goal: Ensure that all of the individuals in the child’s life – biological parents, surrogate parents, pre-adoptive parents, relative/non-relative caregivers, guardians ad litem, caseworkers, school officials – are trained, consistent with their role, to promote the educational specialist? Do individual schools designate goals of children in out-of-home care. Florida Statute § 39.0016: ♦ DCF must incorporate an education component in all training programs, in coordination with the Depart- ment of Education and local school districts. (5). ♦ Training must be provided for the following stakeholders: ◊ surrogate parents ◊ biological parents where unification is the goal ◊ pre-adoptive parents where adoption is the goal ◊ xxxxxx parents ◊ Caseworkers. (5). Key Interagency Agreement Provisions: ♦ 38 counties agreed to provide training to caseworkers, xxxxxx parents, biological parents and pre- adoptive parents. ♦ 25 counties provide for the training of school personnel. ♦ 4 counties have a technical assistance manual or training material. Promising Practices: ♦ Miami-Dade County School District partnered with a nonprofit organization Educate Tomor- row to provide professional development training to over 700 school-based liaisons, known as Juvenile Court Contacts, Pre-K to Adult. The training material is available at educateto- xxxxxx.xxx. The district provided additional training to all elementary counselors, and to all middle school and sentior high guidance chair persons. ♦ Broward’s technical assistance manuals are available online at xxxx://xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx/ T r a i n i n g County Does the parties agree to provide training for caseworkers, xxxxxx parents, and natural parents? Do the parties agree to desig- nate court liaisons to appear atjuvenile court hearingsprovide training for school person-nel? Does the county have a technical assistance manual or trainingmaterial? Xxxxx N Y N N Bay Y Y N N N Brevard N Xxxxxxx Y N N Broward Y Y Y Xxxxxxx Y Y N Clay Y N N N Clay N Xxxxxxx Y N Xxxxxxx N N N DeSoto Y Y N Xxxxx Y Y Y Flagler Y N N N Xxxxx N N N Flagler N N N Franklin N N Xxxxxxxx Y Y N Gadsden N N Y Y N Hillsborough N N Y Y N Xxxxxx N N Y Y N Indian River N Y N N Xxxxxxx N N Y Y N Xxx N Y N Xxxx N N N Xxxx Y Y N Xxxx Y Y N Liberty N Y N N Madison N N Y Y N Manatee Y Y N N Xxxxxx Y Xxxxxx N N N Miami-Dade Y Y Y Nassau Y Y N Orange Y Orange N Y Y Palm Beach N N* N N Pinellas Y Y N N Polk Y Polk N N N St. Xxxxx Y N Y N Santa Xxxx N N Y Y N Sarasota Y Y N N Seminole Y Seminole N N N Sumter Y Y N Suwannee Y Y N Xxxxxx Y Y N Volusia Y N N N Volusia N N Wakulla Y Y N Washington Y Y N N N * Palm Beach County’s agreement provides for a school-based liaison for children in shelter, but not fos- ter homes or other relative/non-relative placements. S Recommenda t ions R e r v i c e s f o r C h i l d r m m e n w i t h D i s d a b i l i t i e o n s GoalLegislature The Florida Legislature should: Ensure that ♦ Conduct regular oversight on implementation of Florida Statute § 39.0016. ♦ Expressly include all children in out-of-home care suspected of having a disability are evaluated, and if neces- sary, provided with appropriate educational services. Each child should have a person acting as a “parent” who actively participates in the educational planning process. statutory definition of “homeless child” in Florida Statute § 39.0016: ♦ The school district must provide an individualized student intervention or an individual education plan (IEP1003.01(12) when a determination has been made through legally appropriate criteria that intervention services are required. The intervention or IEP must include strategies of the Education Code to enable the child to maximize the attain- ment of educational goals. (4)(b)(4)facilitate enrollment. ♦ DCF and the Create a dedicated funding stream for transportation to improve school district must cooperate in accessing services and supports stability. ♦ Mandate that dependency courts hold a hearing to determine who holds educational rights for a child children in care who has or is suspected and appoint a surrogate parent if necessary. Dependency courts should adopt a uniform order addressing educational issues and for the appointment of having a disability surrogate parents. ♦ Amend Florida law to receive an appropriate education consistent with provide that juvenile courts may appoint surrogate parents, as required by the Individuals Indi- viduals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and state implementing laws, rules, and assurances. (4)(c). ♦ Coordination of services for children in care with disabilities may include: ◊ Referral for screening ◊ Sharing of evaluations between the school district and DCF where appropriate ◊ Provision of education and related services appropriate Provide standards for the needs appointment of surrogate parents consistent with IDEA. ♦ Require that publicly funded post-secondary institutions provide housing for current and abilities of children in care ◊ Coordination of services former xxxxxx youth during school breaks. State Agencies DCF, DOE and plans between the school and the residential setting to avoid dupli- cation or conflicting service plans ◊ Transition planning for children over the age of 14. (4)(c). Key Interagency Agreement ProvisionsAWI should: ♦ 31 counties require coordination of special education services between parties. Promising Practices ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ In Pinellas Fully implement the state level interagency agreement including designating an administrator to adminis- ter and De Xxxx Counties, the School Board xxxxxx care liaison for the individual school meets monitor compliance with the ESE coordinator interagency agreement, as well as provide technical assistance to review the results of psychological evaluations and determine recommended districts. ♦ Promulgate administrative rules regarding educational services. In Xxxxx, Miami-Dade and Nassau, the school liaison determines participants in IEP and ensures participants have legal authority to act. The Brevard agreement requires notification to the CBC to participate in the IEP process. In Xxxx and Sumter, the CBC’s educational specialist/liaison participates in IEP staffings. A psychoeducational evaluation should be conducted case planning requirements for all children suspected of having a dis- ability as soon as they enter the dependency system. S e r v i c e s f o r C h i l d r e n w i t h D i s a b i l i t i e s County Does the agreement require the parties to coordinate in providing special education services? Xxxxx Y Bay Y Xxxxxxx Y Broward Y Xxxxxxx Y Xxxx X Xxxxxxx N DeSoto N Xxxxx Y Flagler Y Xxxxxxxx X Xxxxxxx Y Hillsborough Y Xxxxxx Y Indian River Y Xxxxxxx Y Xxx X Xxxx X Xxxx Y Liberty N Madison Y Manatee N Xxxxxx X Miami-Dade Y Nassau Y Orange N Palm Beach Y Pinellas N Polk Y St. Xxxxx Y Santa Xxxx Y Sarasota N Seminole Y Sumter Y Suwannee Y Xxxxxx X Volusia Y Wakulla Y Washington Y E d u c a t i o n a l A d v o c a t e s / D e c i s i o n - M x x x x x Goal: Ensure that children in out-ofof- home care. ♦ Develop quality assurance measures to assess local implementation of interagency agreements. State Agencies (continued) ♦ Ensure maximum utilization of available federal and state money, and explore public-home care private part- nerships and other funding sources to promote educational stability. Counties Local school districts, DCF districts, CBCs and other stakeholders should: ♦ If they have at least one significant adult involved in his or her educa- tion and encouraging his or her educational pursuits. Ensure than children with disabilities have someone to act as a “parent” or are appointed a surrogate parent. Florida Statute § 39.0016: ◊ Appointment of a surrogate parent consistent with IDEA as soon as the child is determined to be dependent and without a parent to act for the child. The surrogate parent must be appointed by the school district without regard to where the child is placed so that one surrogate parent can follow not already done so, enter interagency agreements regarding the education of the child during his or her entire time in state custody. (4)(c)(5). Key Interagency Agreement Provisions: ♦ 38 counties agree to determine the need for a surrogate parent. ♦ The school districts in 10 counties will collect data on the number of requests for a surrogate parent, whether the request was denied and the reason for denial. ♦ In 12 counties, DCF/CBC must notify the school district when a child’s change in placement or legal status makes them eligible for a surrogate parent. ♦ In 24 counties, the agreement acknowledges that parents can advocate for their children to receive spe- cial education services unless prohibited by court order. Promising Practices ♦ Counties should ensure that surrogate parents are appointed consistent with IDEA and Florida law. The Department of Education has also published a Technical Assistance Paper on the ap pointment of surrogate parents, available at xxx.xxxxx.xxx/xxx/xxx/x0000-00.xxx. ♦ Broward has a local protocol to ensure the identification and appointment of surrogate parents. ♦ Youth should be involved in all aspects of their education and empowered to become self- advocates for their educational needs. ♦ All children in xxxxxx care should have a designated education advocate. It might be a specially designated staff person, or a caseworker, xxxxxx parent or guardian ad litem. The key is that the person is specifically responsible and accountable for educational advocacy. A d v o c E d u c a t i o n a l a t e s / D e c i s i o n - M x x x x x County Do the parties agree to deter- mine the need for a surrogate parent? Does the agreement require the school district to collect data on requests for a surrogate parent? Does the agreement require DCF/CBC to notify the school dis- trict when a child’s change in placement/legal status makes themeligible for a surrogate parent? Does the agreement ac- knowledge that parents can advocate for their children to receive spe- cial education services unless prohibited bycourt order? Xxxxx Y N N N Bay Y N N N Xxxxxxx Y Y Y Y Broward Y Y Y N Xxxxxxx Y N N N Clay Y N N N Xxxxxxx Y Y Y Y DeSoto Y Y Y Y Xxxxx Y N N N Flagler Y N N N Xxxxxxxx Y N N Y Gadsden Y N N Y Hillsborough Y N N N Xxxxxx Y N N N Indian River Y N N N Xxxxxxx Y N N Y Xxx Y Y Y Y Xxxx Y N N Y Xxxx Y Y Y Y Liberty Y N N Y Madison Y N N Y Manatee Y Y Y Y Xxxxxx Y N N Y Miami-Dade Y N N Y Nassau Y N N Y Orange Y Y Y Y Palm Beach Y N N N Pinellas Y Y Y N Polk Y N N N St. Xxxxx N N N N Santa Xxxx Y N N Y Sarasota Y Y Y Y Seminole Y N N Y Sumter Y N Y Y Suwannee Y N Y Y Xxxxxx Y N N Y Volusia Y N N Y Wakulla Y N N Y Washington Y N N N T r a n s i t i o n a l P x x x x x x x Goal: Ensure that youth in care complete post-secondary education pursuits at rates comparable to, or better than, those not in care; obtain an education and skills that will lead to employment earning a living wage; and ob- tain independent living skills. Florida Statute § 39.0016: ♦ For each child known to the department 14 years of age or older, transition planning by the department and all providers, including the department’s independent living program staff, to meet the requirements of the local school district for educational purposes. (4)(c)(6). Key Interagency Agreement Provisions: ♦ 35 counties agree that schools and DCF/CBC will collaborate regarding transition planning and the provi- sion of independent living skills. Promising Practices: ♦ Broward, Miami and Xxxx agree to provide training annually for Independent Living staff on a vari- ety of education and post-secondary topics. ♦ In Broward, Xxxx, and Nassau, the local Agency for Workforce Innovation provides a description of the referral process and information and training for various stakeholders. ♦ In Broward, Independent Living staff provide the school with copies of Independent Living action plans and the school ensures that DCF/CBC has a copy of the student’s IEP. ♦ In Miami, the school district trains guidance counselors on the availability of tuition exemptions, fee waivers and scholarship opportunities for children chil- dren in out-of-home care. ♦ In Miami Review interagency agreements to assess whether the agreement meets the goals discussed in the “Assessing Interagency Agreements” section of this report. ♦ Develop policies and Nassau, procedures to implement interagency agreements. ♦ Collect data to assess the school district agreed effectiveness of the agreement’s initiatives. ♦ Meet atleast semi-annually to explore acceleration mechanisms such as dual enrollment, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, vocational programs, and other alternatives to determine if these programs can be used for children in out-of-home careassess implementation of the agreement. T r a n s i t i o n a l P x x x x x x x County Do the parties agree to collaborate re- xxxxxxx transition planning and the provi-sion of independent living skills? Does the DCF/CBC agree to have IL staff or caseworkers participate in schoolESE transition staffings? Xxxxx Y N Bay Y N Xxxxxxx Y Y Broward Y Y Xxxxxxx Y N Clay Y N Xxxxxxx Y Y DeSoto Y Y Xxxxx Y N Flagler N N Franklin Y N Gadsden Y N Hillsborough Y N Xxxxxx Y N Indian River Y N Xxxxxxx Y N Xxx Y Y Xxxx Y N Xxxx Y Y Liberty Y N Madison Y N Manatee Y Y Xxxxxx N N Miami-Dade Y Y Nassau Y N Orange Y N Palm Beach N N Pinellas Y N Polk Y N St. Xxxxx Y N Santa Xxxx Y N Sarasota Y N Seminole Y N Sumter Y N Suwannee Y N Xxxxxx Y N Volusia N N Wakulla Y N Washington Y N I n f o r m a t i o n S x x x x x x Goal: Ensure that information necessary to provide educational services and assess academic achievement is exchanged between the school system and child welfare system on both a system-wide and individual level. Florida Statute § 39.0016: ♦ Establish a protocol for DCF and the school district to share information about children in care (consistent with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act). (4)(a)(3).Appendices Appendix A

Promising Practices. ♦  In Miami-Dade, school-based liaisons, known as Juvenile Court Contacts (JCC), have access to identify their school’s dependent population via the ISIS flag. The JCCs may request a data search utilizing the district’s mainframe, which provides a listing of dependent students at their school. This facilitates information sharing with CBC case managers at the school site.  Broward is currently developing a comprehensive data collection and research protocol to assess the effectiveness of the interagency agreements.  Miami-Dade school district created the Juvenile Justice Support Office to provide assistance to students involved with the court system has developed a student and provide parent portal and will launch a link between the courts and the school system. The office, located on-site at the Juvenile Justice Center, conducts educational reviews, facilitates transfers, conveys information from the courts to school staff, and assists students in obtaining ser- vices as needed. In addition, each public school designates an assistant principal and guidance coun- selor as school-based liaisons (Juvenile Court Contacts) for children in care. ♦ In Nassau, school-based liaisons review educational records and initiate appropriate interventions. ♦ To protect a child’s privacy, information about a child’s xxxxxx care status should be limited to school- based liaisons and other school personnel who need the information to provide educational services. L i a i s o n s County Does the CBC designate a school liaison/educational specialist? Do individual schools designate school-based liaisons? Do the parties agree to desig- nate court liaisons to appear atjuvenile court hearings? Xxxxx N N N Bay N N N Brevard N N N Broward Y Y Y Xxxxxxx N N N Clay N Y N Xxxxxxx N N N DeSoto N N N Xxxxx N N N Flagler N N N Franklin N N N Gadsden N N N Hillsborough N N N Xxxxxx N N N Indian River N N N Xxxxxxx N N N Xxx N Y N Xxxx N N N Xxxx Y Y N Liberty N N N Madison N N N Manatee N N Y Xxxxxx N N N Miami-Dade Y Y Y Nassau Y Y Y Orange N Y Y Palm Beach N N* N Pinellas N N Y Polk N N N St. Xxxxx N Y N Santa Xxxx N N N Sarasota N N Y Seminole N N N Sumter Y Y N Suwannee Y Y N Xxxxxx N N N Volusia N N N Washington N N N * Palm Beach County’s agreement provides for a school-based liaison for children in shelter, but not fos- ter homes or other relative/non-relative placements. S e r v i c e s f o r C h i l d r e n w i t h D i s a b i l i t i e s Goal: Ensure that children in out-of-home care suspected of having a disability are evaluated, and if neces- sary, provided with appropriate educational services. Each child should have a person acting as a “parent” who actively participates in the educational planning process. Florida Statute § 39.0016: ♦ The school district must provide an individualized student intervention or an individual education plan (IEP) when a determination has been made through legally appropriate criteria that intervention services are required. The intervention or IEP must include strategies to enable the child to maximize the attain- ment of educational goals. (4)(b)(4). ♦ DCF and the school district must cooperate in accessing services and supports for a child in care who has or is suspected of having a disability to receive an appropriate education consistent with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and state implementing laws, rules, and assurances. (4)(c). ♦ Coordination of services for children in care with disabilities may include: ◊ Referral for screening ◊ Sharing of evaluations between the school district and DCF where appropriate ◊ Provision of education and related services appropriate portfolio for the needs and abilities of children in care ◊ Coordination of services and plans between 2007-2008 school year which will provide extensive student academic information. CBC case managers will be provided access via the school and the residential setting portal to avoid dupli- cation or conflicting service plans ◊ Transition planning for children over the age of 14their client’s student portfolio. (4)(c). Key Interagency Agreement Provisions: ♦ 31 counties require coordination of special education services between parties. Promising Practices ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ In Pinellas and De Xxxx Counties, the School Board xxxxxx care liaison for the individual school meets with the ESE coordinator to review the results of psychological evaluations and determine recommended educational services. In Xxxxx, Miami-Dade and Nassau, the school liaison determines participants in IEP and ensures participants have legal authority to act. The Brevard agreement requires notification to the CBC to participate in the IEP process. In Xxxx and Sumter, the CBC’s educational specialist/liaison participates in IEP staffings. A psychoeducational evaluation should be conducted for all children suspected of having a dis- ability as soon as they enter the dependency system. S e r v i c e s f o r C h i l d r e n w i t h D i s a b i l i t i e s County Does the agreement require the parties to coordinate in providing special education services? Xxxxx Y Bay Y Xxxxxxx Y Broward Y Xxxxxxx Y Xxxx X Xxxxxxx N DeSoto N Xxxxx Y Flagler Y Xxxxxxxx X Xxxxxxx Y Hillsborough Y Xxxxxx Y Indian River Y Xxxxxxx Y Xxx X Xxxx X Xxxx Y Liberty N Madison Y Manatee N Xxxxxx X Miami-Dade Y Nassau Y Orange N Palm Beach Y Pinellas N Polk Y St. Xxxxx Y Santa Xxxx Y Sarasota N Seminole Y Sumter Y Suwannee Y Xxxxxx X Volusia Y Wakulla Y Washington Y E d u c a t i o n a l A d v o c a t e s / D e c i s i o n - M x x x x x Goal: Ensure that children in out-of-home care have at least one significant adult involved in his or her educa- tion and encouraging his or her educational pursuits. Ensure than children with disabilities have someone to act as a “parent” or are appointed a surrogate parent. Florida Statute § 39.0016: ◊ Appointment of a surrogate parent consistent with IDEA as soon as the child is determined to be dependent and without a parent to act for the child. The surrogate parent must be appointed by the school district without regard to where the child is placed so that one surrogate parent can follow the education of the child during his or her entire time in state custody. (4)(c)(5). Key Interagency Agreement Provisions: ♦ 38 counties agree to determine the need for a surrogate parent. ♦ The school districts in 10 counties will collect data on the number of requests for a surrogate parent, whether the request was denied and the reason for denial. ♦ In 12 counties, DCF/CBC must notify the school district when a child’s change in placement or legal status makes them eligible for a surrogate parent. ♦ In 24 counties, the agreement acknowledges that parents can advocate for their children to receive spe- cial education services unless prohibited by court order. Promising Practices ♦ Counties should ensure that surrogate parents are appointed consistent with IDEA and Florida law. The Department of Education has also published a Technical Assistance Paper on the ap pointment of surrogate parents, available at xxx.xxxxx.xxx/xxx/xxx/x0000-00.xxx. ♦ Broward has a local protocol to ensure the identification and appointment of surrogate parents. ♦ Youth should be involved in all aspects of their education and empowered to become self- advocates for their educational needs. ♦ All children in xxxxxx care should have a designated education advocate. It might be a specially designated staff person, or a caseworker, xxxxxx parent or guardian ad litem. The key is that the person is specifically responsible and accountable for educational advocacy. A d v o c E d u c a t i o n a l a t e s / D e c i s i o n - M x x x x x County Do the parties agree to deter- mine the need for a surrogate parent? Does the agreement require the school district to collect data on requests for a surrogate parent? Does the agreement require DCF/CBC to notify the school dis- trict when a child’s change in placement/legal status makes themeligible for a surrogate parent? Does the agreement ac- knowledge that parents can advocate for their children to receive spe- cial education services unless prohibited bycourt order? Xxxxx Y N N N Bay Y N N N Xxxxxxx Y Y Y Y Broward Y Y Y N Xxxxxxx Y N N N Clay Y N N N Xxxxxxx Y Y Y Y DeSoto Y Y Y Y Xxxxx Y N N N Flagler Y N N N Xxxxxxxx Y N N Y Gadsden Y N N Y Hillsborough Y N N N Xxxxxx Y N N N Indian River Y N N N Xxxxxxx Y N N Y Xxx Y Y Y Y Xxxx Y N N Y Xxxx Y Y Y Y Liberty Y N N Y Madison Y N N Y Manatee Y Y Y Y Xxxxxx Y N N Y Miami-Dade Y N N Y Nassau Y N N Y Orange Y Y Y Y Palm Beach Y N N N Pinellas Y Y Y N Polk Y N N N St. Xxxxx N N N N Santa Xxxx Y N N Y Sarasota Y Y Y Y Seminole Y N N Y Sumter Y N Y Y Suwannee Y N Y Y Xxxxxx Y N N Y Volusia Y N N Y Wakulla Y N N Y Washington Y N N N T r a n s i t i o n a l P x x x x x x x Goal: Ensure that youth in care complete post-secondary education pursuits at rates comparable to, or better than, those not in care; obtain an education and skills that will lead to employment earning a living wage; and ob- tain independent living skills. Florida Statute § 39.0016: ♦ For each child known to the department 14 years of age or older, transition planning by the department and all providers, including the department’s independent living program staff, to meet the requirements of the local school district for educational purposes. (4)(c)(6). Key Interagency Agreement Provisions: ♦ 35 counties agree that schools and DCF/CBC will collaborate regarding transition planning and the provi- sion of independent living skills. Promising Practices: ♦ Broward, Miami and Xxxx agree to provide training annually for Independent Living staff on a vari- ety of education and post-secondary topics. ♦ In Broward, Xxxx, and Nassau, the local Agency for Workforce Innovation provides a description of the referral process and information and training for various stakeholders. ♦ In Broward, Independent Living staff provide the school with copies of Independent Living action plans and the school ensures that DCF/CBC has a copy of the student’s IEP. ♦ In Miami, the school district trains guidance counselors on the availability of tuition exemptions, fee waivers and scholarship opportunities for children in out-of-home care. ♦ In Miami and Nassau, the school district agreed to explore acceleration mechanisms such as dual enrollment, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, vocational programs, and other alternatives to determine if these programs can be used for children in out-of-home care. T r a n s i t i o n a l P x x x x x x x County Do the parties agree to collaborate re- xxxxxxx transition planning and the provi-sion of independent living skills? Does the DCF/CBC agree to have IL staff or caseworkers participate in schoolESE transition staffings? Xxxxx Y N Bay Y N Xxxxxxx Y Y Broward Y Y Xxxxxxx Y N Clay Y N Xxxxxxx Y Y DeSoto Y Y Xxxxx Y N Flagler N N Franklin Y N Gadsden Y N Hillsborough Y N Xxxxxx Y N Indian River Y N Xxxxxxx Y N Xxx Y Y Xxxx Y N Xxxx Y Y Liberty Y N Madison Y N Manatee Y Y Xxxxxx N N Miami-Dade Y Y Nassau Y N Orange Y N Palm Beach N N Pinellas Y N Polk Y N St. Xxxxx Y N Santa Xxxx Y N Sarasota Y N Seminole Y N Sumter Y N Suwannee Y N Xxxxxx Y N Volusia N N Wakulla Y N Washington Y N I n f o r m a t i o n S x x x x x x h a r i n g Does the Do the parties agree to Do the parties Does the CBC Does the school school agree to promote gaining con- agree to im- agree to pro- district agree to provide xxxx- sent to share school prove technol- vide a regularly provide infor- scripts/school records from the natu- ogy to effi- updated list of mation about County records toDCF/CBC? ral parents, legalguardian or court? ciently shareinformation? children incare? available ser-vices? Xxxxx Y N N N N Bay Y* Y Y N N Xxxxxxx Y N N Y Y Broward Y Y Y Y N Xxxxxxx Y* Y Y N Y Clay Y* Y N N Y Xxxxxxx Y Y Y Y Y DeSoto Y* N Y Y N Xxxxx Y Y Y N Y Flagler N N N Y Y Xxxxxxxx Y* Y Y N Y Gadsden N Y Y N Y Hillsborough Y N Y N Y Xxxxxx Y Y Y N Y Indian River Y Y Y N Y Xxxxxxx Y Y Y N N Xxx Y Y Y Y Y Xxxx Y* Y Y N Y Xxxx Y Y Y Y N Liberty Y Y Y N Y Xxxxxxx Y* Y Y N Y Manatee Y* Y Y Y N Xxxxxx N Y Y N N Miami-Dade Y Y Y Y Y Nassau Y Y Y N Y Orange N Y Y Y N Palm Beach N N N N Y Pinellas Y Y Y Y N Xxxx Y N Y N Y St. Xxxxx N N N Y N Santa Xxxx Y* N Y N N Sarasota Y Y Y Y N Seminole Y N N Y Y Sumter Y Y Y N N Xxxxxxxx Y Y Y Y N Xxxxxx Y N Y N Y Volusia Y N N Y Y Wakulla Y Y Y N Y Washington Y Y Y N Y * Transcripts will be provided annually or upon request T r a i n i n g Goal: Ensure that information necessary all of the individuals in the child’s life – biological parents, surrogate parents, pre-adoptive parents, relative/non-relative caregivers, guardians ad litem, caseworkers, school officials – are trained, consistent with their role, to provide promote the educational services and assess academic achievement is exchanged between the school system and child welfare system on both a systemgoals of children in out-wide and individual levelof-home care. Florida Statute § 39.0016: ♦ Establish  DCF must incorporate an education component in all training programs, in coordination with the Depart- ment of Education and local school districts. (5).  Training must be provided for the following stakeholders:  surrogate parents  biological parents where unification is the goal  pre-adoptive parents where adoption is the goal  xxxxxx parents  Caseworkers. (5). Key Interagency Agreement Provisions:  38 counties agreed to provide training to caseworkers, xxxxxx parents, biological parents and pre- adoptive parents.  25 counties provide for the training of school personnel.  4 counties have a protocol technical assistance manual or training material. Promising Practices:  Miami-Dade County School District partnered with a nonprofit organization Educate Tomor- row to provide professional development training to over 700 school-based liaisons, known as Juvenile Court Contacts, Pre-K to Adult. The training material is available at educateto- xxxxxx.xxx. The district provided additional training to all elementary counselors, and to all middle school and sentior high guidance chair persons.  Broward’s technical assistance manuals are available online at xxxx://xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx/ T r a i n i n g County Does the parties agree to provide training for DCF caseworkers, xxxxxx parents, and naturalparents? Do the parties agree to provide training for school district person-nel? Does the county have a technical assistance manual or training material? Xxxxx Y N N Bay Y Y N Xxxxxxx Y N N Broward Y Y Y Xxxxxxx Y Y N Clay Y N N Xxxxxxx Y N N DeSoto Y Y N Xxxxx Y Y Y Flagler Y N N Xxxxxxxx Y Y N Gadsden Y Y N Hillsborough Y Y N Xxxxxx Y Y N Indian River Y N N Xxxxxxx Y Y N Xxx Y N N Xxxx Y Y N Xxxx Y Y N Liberty Y N N Madison Y Y N Manatee Y Y N Xxxxxx Y N N Miami-Dade Y Y Y Nassau Y Y N Orange Y Y Y Palm Beach N N N Pinellas Y Y N Polk Y N N St. Xxxxx Y N N Santa Xxxx Y Y N Sarasota Y Y N Seminole Y N N Sumter Y Y N Suwannee Y Y N Xxxxxx Y Y N Volusia Y N N Wakulla Y Y N Washington Y Y N Recommenda t ions R ec o m m e n d a t i o n s Legislature The Florida Legislature should:  Conduct regular oversight on implementation of Florida Statute § 39.0016.  Expressly include all children in out-of-home care in the statutory definition of “homeless child” in Florida Statute § 1003.01(12) of the Education Code to share information about facilitate enrollment.  Create a dedicated funding stream for transportation to improve school stability.  Mandate that dependency courts hold a hearing to determine who holds educational rights for children in care and appoint a surrogate parent if necessary. Dependency courts should adopt a uniform order addressing educational issues and for the appointment of surrogate parents.  Amend Florida law to provide that juvenile courts may appoint surrogate parents, as required by the Indi- viduals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  Provide standards for the appointment of surrogate parents consistent with IDEA.  Require that publicly funded post-secondary institutions provide housing for current and former xxxxxx youth during school breaks. State Agencies DCF, DOE and AWI should:  Fully implement the Family Educational Rights state level interagency agreement including designating an administrator to adminis- ter and Privacy Act)monitor compliance with the interagency agreement, as well as provide technical assistance to districts.  Promulgate administrative rules regarding educational case planning requirements for children in out-of- home care.  Develop quality assurance measures to assess local implementation of interagency agreements. State Agencies (4)(a)(3).continued)  Ensure maximum utilization of available federal and state money, and explore public-private part- nerships and other funding sources to promote educational stability. Counties Local school districts, DCF districts, CBCs and other stakeholders should:  If they have not already done so, enter interagency agreements regarding the education of chil- dren in out-of-home care.  Review interagency agreements to assess whether the agreement meets the goals discussed in the “Assessing Interagency Agreements” section of this report.  Develop policies and procedures to implement interagency agreements.  Collect data to assess the effectiveness of the agreement’s initiatives.  Meet atleast semi-annually to assess implementation of the agreement. Appendices Appendix A