Alessandra Graziani
Director of Special Education Compliance
Send Alessandra Graziani an Email
(413) 224-8411

In accordance with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), 2015, the Holyoke Public Schools (HPS) is committed to ensuring that students in Foster Care have equal access to the same free, appropriate public education as provided to other students in the Holyoke Public Schools.  HPS shall work with the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and other child welfare agencies to ensure educational stability.  Under ESSA, students in Foster Care placements are extended specific educational rights.  Those provisions appear in Title 1, Part A, and complement the rights established in the Fostering Connections Act of 2008.  All children have a right to public education.

Foster Care refers to 24-hour substitute care for children placed away from their parents and guardians and for whom DCF has placement and care responsibility.   Foster care residences include but are not limited to the following;

1. Foster Homes /Pre-Adoptive Homes 

2. Foster Homes of relatives (Kinship) 

3. Group Homes 

4. Emergency Shelters and Transitional Care Units - TCU

5. Residential Facilities 

6. Child Care Institutions

7. Treatment Residence

8. Hospital/CBAT 

The Holyoke Public Schools will continuously review procedures and practices to identify, remedy and remove barriers that children in foster care may face in the enrollment process, school attendance, accessing support services, academic programs, academic activities, and receiving appropriate credit for prior academic work. HPS shall maintain the confidentiality of the educational records of children in Foster Care consistent with Federal and State Laws and HPS policies and procedures.

Definition

The Educational Stability Team collaborates with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) and local school districts to implement the provisions for providing educational stability for students in Foster Care, as outlined in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).  Students in foster care are defined as “students who are in 24-hour out-of-home care away from their parent(s)/legal guardian(s) and for whom DCF has care and placement responsibilities.” Students in foster care now include students previously identified under McKinney Vento as students “awaiting foster care” (in an emergency, short-term placements).  For students in foster care, already having experienced abuse or neglect, high mobility can look like a series of different and varied placements.

DESE Foster Care 

Foster Care Education Liaison

HPS has designated a person to serve as the Foster Care Point of Contact (POC) as required by ESSA, 2015.  The POC will work with DCF in the best interest of the student(s) to ensure that the educational stability and rights of students in Foster Care are met.

Some of the responsibilities of the POC are: 

1. To identify and support students through coordination of the HPS and DCF services 

2. Participate in the process of making best-interest determinations 

3. Ensure immediate enrollment, timely transfer of records, and regular attendance at school 

4. Work with the transportation director to develop transportation as needed and in accordance with the District transportation policy 

5. Facilitate professional development for HPS staff regarding foster care students 

The Foster Care Education Liaison (Point of Contact), participates in the Best Interest Determination Meeting (BID).  If a student is moved to a foster care placement in another district than the one in which they are enrolled, a BID may take place. The Best Interest Determination (BID) process meetings are held among the POC, District Coordinator, District Director of Transportation, DCF POC, and the DCF Educational Coordinator when DCF places a student in foster care or DCF changes the student’s foster care placement.  The purpose of the BID meeting is to gather and share relevant information regarding the student’s needs and information regarding available programs and services.  The BID meeting determines if it is in the best interests of the student to remain enrolled in the school of origin or to instead enroll in the school district where the student is living in Foster Care (local enrollment).  At the BID meeting, attendance and factors considered relating to the student’s unique needs are considered and documented.  

The role of the local foster care point of contact is to ensure that all foster care students are: 

1. Identified and supported through coordination between districts and DCF 

2. Enrolled in and regularly attending school 

3. Have full and equal opportunities to succeed in school and meet the same challenging state academic standards as other students, and receive educational services for which they are eligible.

Enrollment

To minimize the disruption of the student’s education, ESSA requires HPS to enroll a student without required documentation including proof of residency, academic records, 504’s, IEPs, discipline records, documents evidencing proof of custody (birth certificate, custody or guardianship orders), and immunization records.  The Student Assignment Center will immediately contact the former school of origin to obtain academic and other records.

School Placement 

To assist in the enrollment of the student, the local agency representative will provide the district a Notice to Local Educational Agency (LEA), informing HPS that the student is in Foster Care.  Foster Care students are assigned to schools in the same manner and in accordance with the same process used by HPS SAC (with the exception of immediate enrolment as previously described).  If determined to be in a student's best interest to attend school locally (where placed in foster care), the local school district must enroll immediately with or without documentation including academic, health, discipline, and/or special education records.  The local school district will be provided a Notice to LEA from DCF which includes the student's emergency contact, residence, social worker, record release, and, if applicable and aligned to the District transportation policy, transportation needs. 

Dispute Resolution

In order to ensure a prompt resolution of disputes regarding school placement for children in Foster Care, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) and the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) have established the Foster Care School Selection Dispute Resolution Process (Foster Care Dispute Resolution) to resolve enrollment disputes concerning students in Foster Care.  The Foster Care Dispute Resolution process should be used when DCF and the involved school district(s) cannot agree about whether it is in a student’s best interest to continue to attend the school of origin or whether the student should have a local enrollment in the district in which the foster home or facility is located.  DCF has the authority to make final determinations about a student’s best interest, but a school district may dispute DCF’s best interest determinations.  

When DCF and HPS cannot agree about whether it is in the student’s best interest to remain in the school of origin or local enrollment, and DCF makes a final decision that the district disputes, the party can seek a review of DCF’s decision by utilizing a Foster Care School Selection Dispute Resolution Process established by ESE and DCF.  During the dispute resolution process, the student must attend the school selected by DCF following the BID process. 

Access to comparable services

HPS will provide students who are in Foster Care with services and educational programs comparable to those received by other students.  To promote educational stability, students should remain enrolled in and continue to attend their school or origin, unless, after the best interest determination, it is decided to be in the student's best interest not to or until they are no longer in foster care.  Students in foster care have a right to remain in their school of origin for the duration of their time in foster care or until all grades in the school are completed.

Transportation

Transportation must be provided for the student if they are outside of the mileage thresholds determined by the District's transportation policy just like all other students.  Absent other agreements between school districts and DCF, the district of origin is responsible for providing transportation to and from the school of origin if they are eligible. 

In compliance with ESSA, HPS has developed a plan for providing necessary intra-district transportation to allow a foster care student to remain in the same school.  HPS provides comparable transportation services comparable to those received by other students in the district.