Sec. 25.007. TRANSITION ASSISTANCE FOR STUDENTS IN SUBSTITUTE CARE

(a) The legislature finds that:

(1) students in substitute care are faced with numerous transitions during their formative years; and

(2) students in substitute care who move from one school to another are faced with special challenges to learning and future achievement.

(b) In recognition of the challenges faced by students in substitute care, the agency shall assist the transition of substitute care students from one school to another by:

(1) ensuring that school records for a student in substitute care are transferred to the student's new school not later than the 14th day after the date the student begins enrollment at the school;

(2) developing systems to ease transition of a student in substitute care during the first two weeks of enrollment at a new school;

(3) developing procedures for awarding credit for course work, including electives, completed by a student in substitute care while enrolled at another school;

(4) promoting practices that facilitate access by a student in substitute care to extracurricular programs, summer programs, credit transfer services, electronic courses provided under Chapter 30A, and after-school tutoring programs at nominal or no cost;

(5) establishing procedures to lessen the adverse impact of the movement of a student in substitute care to a new school;

(6) entering into a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Family and Protective Services regarding the exchange of information as appropriate to facilitate the transition of students in substitute care from one school to another;

(7) encouraging school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to provide services for a student in substitute care in transition when applying for admission to postsecondary study and when seeking sources of funding for postsecondary study;

(8) requiring school districts, campuses, and open-enrollment charter schools to accept a referral for special education services made for a student in substitute care by a school previously attended by the student; and

(9) providing other assistance as identified by the agency.

Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 850 , Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 2009.