BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 1353|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 1353
Author: Wright (D)
Amended: 4/22/10
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 7-0, 3/24/10
AYES: Romero, Huff, Alquist, Liu, Maldonado, Price,
Simitian
NO VOTE RECORDED: Hancock, Wyland
SENATE HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE : 4-0, 4/13/10
AYES: Liu, Romero, Runner, Yee
NO VOTE RECORDED: Maldonado
SUBJECT : Foster youth: education stability
SOURCE : Compton Unified School District
DIGEST : This bill provides that consideration of the
proximity to the school in which a child is enrolled at the
time of placement in foster care is one indicator of the
best interests of the child with respect to educational
stability.
ANALYSIS :
Existing Law
1.Requires that the case plan for each child to include a
summary of health and education information or records of
CONTINUED
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the child. This summary must include assurances that the
child's placement in foster care takes into account the
proximity to the school in which the child is enrolled at
the time of placement.
2.Requires that the decision regarding foster care
placement be based upon selection of a safe setting that
is the least restrictive or most family-like available,
and that it is the most appropriate setting that is
available and in close proximity to the parent's home,
proximity to the child's school, or both.
3.Requires that all educational and school placement
decisions ensure that pupils are placed in the least
restrictive educational programs, and that the pupil has
access to all educational and extra-curricular and
enrichment activities that are available to all pupils.
4.Requires that the considerations of a foster child's
educational stability, special needs, and best interests
be taken into account when deciding on placement in the
most appropriate foster home.
5.Requires that local education agencies allow a foster
child to continue his or her education in the school of
origin for the duration of the academic school year.
This bill:
1.Makes findings and declarations about the importance of a
child's education; the negative effects on foster
children of their transfers from school to school; the
value of delaying a transfer until the end of a term,
semester, or academic year; and, the absence in
California law of provisions encouraging such a delay
when a foster child transfers from one school to another.
2.Provides that the best interests of a foster child shall
include minimal disruptions to school attendance and
education stability by timing school transfers during the
summer or other breaks in the school year.
3.Provides that the best interests of a foster child shall
include the opportunity to be educated in the least
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restrictive educational setting necessary to achieve
academic progress.
4.Adds to a foster child's bill of rights the right to
attend school with minimal disruptions to attendance and
educational setting caused by transfers during a term of
instruction.
5.Provides that the decision of which foster care setting
to choose for a child shall include selecting a setting
that is available in close proximity to the parent's
home, promotes educational stability by its location in
or near the child's school attendance area, and provides
an opportunity to delay any necessary school transfers to
the summer or normal matriculation schedule.
6.Encourages the California Department of Education and the
Department of Social Services to develop other indicators
of educational stability to complement the current
indicators of proximity of the home to the school and
accommodation of the child's matriculation schedule.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 4/27/10)
Compton Unified School District (source)
California Probation, Parole and Correctional Association
California State PTA
California Teachers Association
Junior Leagues of California's State Public Affairs
Committee
New Visions Foundation
Pomona Unified School District
U-Turn Alcohol & Drug Education Program, Inc.
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
"Foster youth lose an average of four to six months of
educational progress each time they change schools.
One-third of foster children have changed schools at least
five times. In Compton Unified School District, almost
half of its 1,265 students in foster care changed schools
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each year. Of these transfers, 85 percent resulted in a
student entering a new school after the first day of class.
In a national study of youth who had been in foster care,
those who had one fewer placement change per year were
almost twice as likely to graduate from high school."
CPM:cm 4/27/10 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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