Los Angeles Unified School District Pupil Services SARB Orientation for Interns

1. Los Angeles Unified School DistrictPupil ServicesSARB Orientation for Interns Presented by: Garyn Valdemar, LCSW Stephanie Lartelier, MSW SARB Chairs- ESC West November 13, 2013

2. Agenda • Introductions • Education Code, Truancy and Notifications • Tiered Interventions • Resources and Referrals • Intensive Case Management • SARB Overview ****Break*** • Mock SARB Panel • Debrief • Evaluations

3. What are Possible reasons why students do NOT attend school?

4. Education Code Truancy Definitions Truancy Notifications

5. EC 48200: Compulsory Full-Time Education Each person between the ages of 6 and 18 years …shall attend the public full-time day school or continuation school or classes for the full time designated as the length of the school day…in the school district….of the residency of either parent or guardian is located and each parent…shall send the pupil…for the full time designated…..

6. EC 48202Excused Absences What is an “excused absence” ? • Due to illness • Due to Quarantine • For the purpose of having medical, dental, optometric, or chiropractic services rendered • Funeral services: One day in California; 3 days outside California • Jury Duty • Illness or medical appointment of a child of whom the pupil is the custodial parent • Justifiable personal reasons: appearance in court, observance of a religious holiday, religious retreats, education conference and prior approval by the principal or designee • C.C.R Title 5, Sec 420 – same as above. • CCR – California Code of Regulations

7. Pop Quiz • Is kindergarten attendance mandatory ? • Parent called- upset that their 4th grade GATE student received a truancy letter when the family went to Thailand to accompany dad for a movie shoot. Parent upset that the school is classifying their 4th grader as a “truant”. Is parent complaint justified? • Second grade student had so far 27 absences and parent said it is due to “asthma”. You checked with the nurse and there is no medical note indicating student has asthma nor is there an inhaler at school. Are these absences excused?

8. Truancy EC Section 48260 A pupil…absent from school without valid excuse three full days in one school year or tardy or absent for more than any 30-minute period during the school day without a valid excuse on three occasions in one school year or any combination thereof, shall be reported…as a truant.

9. EC 48260.5 - Parent Notification • Upon a pupil’s initial classification as a truant, the school district shall notify the pupil’s parent or guardian, by first class mail or other reasonable means, of the following: • That the pupil is truant • That the parent or guardian is obligated to compel the attendance of the pupil at school • That the parent or guardians who fail to meet this obligation maybe guilty of an infraction and subject to prosecution • That alternative education programs are available in the district • That the parent or guardian has the right to meet with the appropriate school personnel to discuss solutions to the pupil’s truancy • That the pupil may be subject to prosecution under section 48264 • That the pupil may be subject to suspension, restriction, or delay of the pupil’s driving privilege

10. EC 48261 “Any pupil who has once been reported as a truant and who is again absent from school without valid excuse one or more days, or tardy on one or more days, shall be reported as a truant to the attendance supervisor or the superintendent of the district.”

11. Second Truancy Letter – Request for Parent Conference When should Truancy Letter #2 be sent? Should be sent after: • The parent/guardian has received the Initial Truancy Letter • The parent/guardian has been given a reasonable opportunity to respond • Student has one or more additional unexcused absences, tardies in excess of 30 minutes after the Initial Notification of Truancy was sent (minimum is 4 unexcused absences)

12. EC 48262 Any pupil is deemed an habitual truant who has been reported as a truant three or more times per school year, provided that no pupil shall be deemed an habitual truant unless an appropriate district officer or employee has made a conscientious effort to hold at least one conference with a parent or guardian of the pupil and the pupil himself, after the filing of either of the reports required by Section 48260 or Section 48261. For the purposes of this section, a conscientious effort means attempting to communicate with the parents of the pupil at least once using the most cost-effective method possible, which may include electronic mail or a telephone call.

13. Third Truancy Letter – Habitual Truant Reclassification When should Truancy Letter #3 be sent? Should be sent after: • The parent/guardian has received the 1st and 2nd Truancy Letters • The parent/guardian has been given the opportunity to attend a parent conference • Student accumulates one or more additional unexcused absences, tardies in excess of 30 minutes after the second truancy letter was sent (minimum 5 unexcused absences)

14. Resources and Referrals

15. Community Resource Referral Form Use when referring families to outside agencies • Template is available in SARB Intervention Guide • States that LAUSD assumes no responsibility for the services provided or fees charged, retain a copy of the form for your records • Agencies must be non-profit unless student has private insurance • Provide at least 3 referrals for each type of service from your School Resource Guide and Community Resource Referral List

17. Community Resource List • What types of services are included in your Community Resource List? • How did you find these resources?

18. Intensive Case Management

23. Intensive Case Management – Steps • Includes individual interventions (conferences, home visit, SART, SARB, etc.) • Identify students with attendance problems • Maintain list of target students • Document all contacts (telephone, mail, conferences, etc.) in the ISIS call log and/or Record of Contacts form • Issue all required absence notifications • Maintain protocol for Pupil Records BUL–2469.0 (ie: Access, Confidentiality, Notice of Educational Rights , etc.)

24. Role Play Activity • Pick a partner • Take turns playing role of PSA and Parent • 5 minutes for each conversation Scenario #1: Conference with parent of a 3rd grader who has missed 4 consecutive days and has not contacted the school. Scenario #2: Conference with a parent of a High School Freshman that has missed 13 of 30 days so far this school year.

25. ResourcePanel

26. Resource Panel • What are the two PRIMARY functions of Resource Panel? • Case consultation for difficult cases • Case presentation for SARB Referral • Resource Panel Composition: • SARB Chairperson/s • PSA Administrator • PSA, School or District Staff (IEP Nurse, etc.)

27. Resource Panel Preparation:Know Your Student What should you know about your student/family when presenting a case to Resource Panel?

28. RESOURCE PANEL PREPARATION • Notify SARB Chairperson to be added to Resource Panel calendar • Complete all required forms (see Resource Panel/SARB Document Checklist) • Bring original forms along with 1 copy (single-sided 8½” x 11” paper, unstapled) to Resource Panel

29. CASE PRESENTATION TO RESOURCE PANEL • Present and discuss the case • Panel determines if additional interventions and/or referrals are warranted • A letter may be mailed by the SARB Chair informing parent that a Resource Panel has been held • SARB Chair will schedule case for a hearing when and if case is ready and appropriate

30. Accessing the SARB Intervention Guide Accessing the SARB Intervention Guide!

31. RP/SARB Referral Checklist

33. School Attendance Review Board(SARB)

34. School Attendance Review Board • Established by CA legislature in 1975. • Purpose is to enhance the enforcement of compulsory education laws. • Diverts students with school attendance or behavior problems from the juvenile justice system until all available resources have been exhausted.

35. Purpose of SARB • Enforce CA Education Code Section 48200: Children between the ages 6 & 18 must attend school regularly. • Truancy is a complex problem: it involves the student, family, and community as a whole. • SARB is a strategy that utilizes school & community resources to help the student improve his/her attendance and deal with barriers to school attendance and graduate.

36. Multi-Agency SARB Representatives may include: • LA County Dept. of Children & Family Services • LA County Dept. of Public Social Services • LA County Dept. of Probation • Law Enforcement (DA, CA & Police) • Community Agencies • School District Professionals (i.e., Pupil Services, Mental Health, Nursing, Psych Services, Special Education)

37. Role & Responsibilities of the School • Take accurate attendance. • Exhaust school interventions & document the case management process. • Prepare and present cases to Resource Panel and SARB. • Monitor, support, and refer student and parents post-SARB as required.

38. Case Referrals Recommended student age is 6-16 years: • with chronic attendance issues. • who have recently started to miss school and would benefit from the SARB process. • who are most likely to attend school regularly following the SARB hearing.

39. Health Issues • With appropriate accomodations, students with medical diagnoses (e.g., asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, etc.) can and should attend school on a regular basis. • Accommodations may be made per doctor’s recommendations (e.g., certain treatments, medication, physical activity, etc.). • Safety is always top priority.

40. Students with IEPs • Students with IEPs are subject to the SARB process when they do not comply with compulsory education laws. • With appropriate accommodations, most disabilities should not prevent a child from attending school on a regular basis. • Ensure Special Education Students • Current IEP • Appropriate placement as determined by their IEP • Chronic absenteeism is not related to disability

41. Cases not appropriate for SARB: • Student is currently on formal probation. • Student is in foster care or group home. • IEP is out of compliance. • Disability is the cause of the absenteeism. • Confer with SARB chair for students 17-18 years of age.

42. Special Education Students Can these students be referred to SARB ?

43. Role of SARB Chairperson • Strategically develop, maintain and conduct Resource and SARB Panels. • Provide training and support to schools and SARB panel members. • Forward and track cases as they progress from Resource Panel to mediation and court. • Prepare and submit annual reports to LACOE. • Presides over SARB hearing, issues contract to the family.

44. Task of SARB Panel Members • Seek to understand why students are experiencing attendance/behavior problems. • Find solutions to unresolved student attendance & discipline problems. • Assist SARB Chair with direct questioning of family.

45. SARB Myths • SARB is court • SARB is a punitive measure • SARB will magically solve the problem • Referring school/staff member is no longer responsible for the case after SARB

46. Tone of SARB Hearings • SARB Chairs set the tone for each hearing. • Parents are our partners and we need to be sensitive to the struggles faced by our students and their families. • SARB’s take a formal, serious, problem-solving & positive tone. • Belittling, berating and threatening parents or students will not be tolerated. • SARB panel members will be reminded at each meeting to be respectful at all times.

47. Confidentiality • Information obtained during the performance of duties as a SARB panel member must remain confidential (CA Ed Code, Sec. 49076). • Families appearing before the SARB entrust sensitive information to the board. • All documents presented to the panel will be used for the purpose of finding solutions. • All case documents/packets will be collected and destroyed. • Mandated child abuse reporting is applicable.

48. Confidentiality Forms • All panel members must sign a confidentiality form each school year before their first SARB hearing. • A confidentiality statement is on the SARB Hearing sign-in sheet.

49. Review of Records • SARB case packets for each case will be distributed to the panel at the beginning of each hearing for review. • Documents provide panel members with a comprehensive summary of the student’s education history.

50. Packet Documents • Case Anecdotal Summary with interventions & school & community referrals • Attendance summary • Grade summary • Other pertinent documents Note: All packets will be collected at the end of the SARB hearing.