All Local Education Agencies (LEAs), including charter districts, are required to report reliable, valid, and comprehensive data on students in foster care to the State Education Agency (SEA) and the U.S. Department of Education, as mandated by (20 U.S.C. §6311 (h)(1)(C)(ii-iii)). Data points reported for students in foster care are the academic outcomes required for both LEA and SEA annually published report cards, as well as enrollment numbers to guide programmatic decisions both nationally and in Arizona.
To keep track of attendance and issue certificates, participants will need to register in the ADE Professional Learning and Development system & also Microsoft Teams.
See the training schedule below:
This training will provide a broad overview of all things foster care education, akin to a 101 course. Participants will be equipped to identify school of origin, participate in Best Interest Determinations, & collaboratively ensure transportation to the school of origin when it is necessary.
*It is mandatory for the Local Educational Agency Foster Care Point of Contact to attend this training at least once per school year.
This monthly meeting is an opportunity for Local Educational Agencies & child welfare agencies to gather together and troubleshoot all of the latest issues pertaining to foster care education.
This training will be a thorough examination of the Best Interest Determination process. Participants will be equipped to understand the differences between the school of origin versus the new school, handle the nuances in determining the best interest, and collaboratively ensure transportation to the school of origin when it is necessary.
*It is mandatory for the Local Educational Agency Foster Care Point of Contact to attend this training at least once per school year.
This training will be a deep dive into all of the nuances of the Local Educational Agency and child welfare agency's collaborative efforts to provide transportation to the school of origin for students in foster care.
This monthly meeting is an opportunity for Local Educational Agencies & child welfare agencies to gather together and troubleshoot all of the latest issues pertaining to foster care education.
This training will be a deep dive into all of the nuances of the Local Educational Agency and child welfare agency's collaborative efforts to provide transportation to the school of origin for students in foster care.
This training will be a thorough examination of the Best Interest Determination process. Participants will be equipped to understand the differences between the school of origin versus the new school, handle the nuances in determining the best interest, and collaboratively ensure transportation to the school of origin when it is necessary.
*It is mandatory for the Local Educational Agency Foster Care Point of Contact to attend this training at least once per school year.
This monthly meeting is an opportunity for Local Educational Agencies & child welfare agencies to gather together and troubleshoot all of the latest issues pertaining to foster care education.
This event will be tailored to support McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaisons of Record and Foster Care Points of Contact from local education agencies in the greater and surrounding Maricopa County Area.
This event will be tailored to support McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaisons of Record and Foster Care Points of Contact from local education agencies in the greater and surrounding Maricopa County Area.
This training will provide a broad overview of all things foster care education, akin to a 101 course. Participants will be equipped to identify school of origin, participate in Best Interest Determinations, & collaboratively ensure transportation to the school of origin when it is necessary.
*It is mandatory for the Local Educational Agency Foster Care Point of Contact to attend this training at least once per school year.
This training will provide a full account of the post-secondary supports available for students in foster care. Participants will be equipped to assist students in foster care with their college entry requirements & provide available financial assistance options.
Spring 2025 Foster Care Education Program Trainings
MANDATORY: Foster Care Points of Contact with less than 3 years of experience must take the Basics course at least once in the 2024-2025 school year. This training will provide a broad overview of all things foster care education, akin to a 101 course. Participants will be equipped to identify school of origin, participate in Best Interest Determinations, & collaboratively ensure transportation to the school of origin when it is necessary.
MANDATORY: All Foster Care Points of Contact must take the Best Interest Determinations course at least once in the 2024-2025 school year. This training will be a thorough examination of the Best Interest Determinations process. Participants will be equipped to understand the differences between the school of origin versus the new school, handle the nuances in determining the best interest, and collaboratively ensure transportation to the school of origin when it is necessary.
MANDATORY: Foster Care Points of Contact with less than 3 years of experience must take the Effects of Foster Care course at least once in the 2024-2025 school year. This training will describe the effects of foster care for students in foster care. Participants will be equipped to assist students in foster care with supportive resources & best practices.
MANDATORY: Foster Care Points of Contact with less than 3 years of experience must take the Effects of Foster Care course at least once in the 2024-2025 school year. This training will describe the effects of foster care for students in foster care. Participants will be equipped to assist students in foster care with supportive resources & best practices.
MANDATORY: All Foster Care Points of Contact must take the New Guidance course at least once in the 2024-2025 school year. This training will provide a broad overview of the new federal guidance for the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act Title I, Part A foster care school stability assurances. Participants will compare the new federal guidance to the previous federal guidance & be equipped to implement changes stemming from the new federal guidance.
MANDATORY: All Foster Care Points of Contact must take the Data course at least once in the 2024-2025 school year. This training will provide a broad overview of all things foster care education data. Participants will be equipped to utilize all foster care related reports in the Arizona Education Data Standards Portal & correctly input students in foster care into their Student Information System.
The purpose of this transportation arbitration process is designed to provide an avenue for either a local educational agency (LEA) or the Department of Child Safety (DCS) to dispute the transportation plan to the school of origin for children in foster care once all available troubleshooting options have been exhausted. The arbitration process was codified in Arizona Revised Statute (ARS) 8-530.05 to support the efforts of LEAs & DCS to implement federal legislation requirements pertaining to the school stability of children in foster care.
Federal and State Statutory Requirements
Both federal and state statutes require that LEAs and DCS collaborate to develop policies and procedures to ensure that, when in their best interest, children in foster care are provided transportation to and from their schools of origin.
An LEA must collaborate with the State or local child welfare agency to develop and implement clear written procedures governing how transportation to maintain children in foster care in their schools of origin, when in their best interest, will be provided, arranged, and funded for the duration of the child’s time in foster care (the transportation procedures). These procedures must ensure that—
Children in foster care needing transportation to their schools of origin will promptly receive that transportation in a cost-effective manner and in accordance with section 475(4)(A) of the Social Security Act; and
If there are additional costs incurred in providing transportation to the school of origin, the LEA will provide such transportation if (1) the local child welfare agency agrees to reimburse the LEA for the cost of such transportation; (2) the LEA agrees to pay for the cost; or (3) the LEA and local child welfare agency agree to share the cost (ESEA 1112(c)(5)(B)).
State Statutory Requirements
ARS 8-530.04 mandates requirements for making a best interest determination for school placement when a child enters foster care or experiences a change to their foster care living arrangement.
ARS 8-530.05 mandates requirements for creating an arbitration process specific to disputes pertaining to ensuring transportation to school of origin for children in foster care.
When to Initiate Arbitration
Before filing for a transportation arbitration, be sure to exhaust all available troubleshooting options to address any challenges with the current transportation plan, including the following strategies:
Escalation and communication of concerns to pertinent stakeholders within the LEA (i.e., Foster Care Point of Contact, communication to the Foster Care Point of Contact’s supervisor, federal programs contact, etc.).
Escalation and communication of concerns to the Arizona Department of Education (i.e., ADE Foster Care Point of Contact, emailing [email protected], etc.).
Escalation and communication of concerns to the Department of Child Safety (i.e., DCS Specialist’s supervisor, DCS Regional Point of Contact, emailing [email protected], etc.).
If the issue remains unresolved after the implementation of troubleshooting strategies, a representative from the LEA or DCS may initiate arbitration to address the following situations:
A disagreement with the transportation plan to the school of origin,
An unresolved complaint or concern with the effectiveness of the current transportation plan, or
The current transportation plan is not the most cost-effective and prompt transportation option available.
If there is a need for arbitration relating to the arrangement and/or funding of transportation to the school or origin, the following requirements are to be immediately implemented:
The child in foster care shall remain in their school of origin pending the result of the arbitration process.
DCS must ensure transportation to the school of origin for the duration of the arbitration process.
The State-level arbitration process shall be immediately initiated following the conclusion of the Best Interest Determination (BID), or at such time that the agreed upon transportation plan is no longer effective in transporting the child in foster care to the school of origin.
Upon receipt of the dispute, the Arizona Department of Education Foster Care Point of Contact, or designee, and the DCS Point of Contact, or designee, shall conduct the following steps within the arbitration process:
Review the dispute, and
Make a decision and notify the involved parties within ten (10) business days.
The decision rendered from the State-level arbitration process:
Is considered final in resolving the dispute,
Shall be implemented as directed in the decision, and
Shall remain in effect for the duration of the child’s current foster care living arrangement.
Executive Education Leadership Summit on Homeless and Foster Care Education Programs
The Arizona Department of Education’s Office of Homeless, Foster Care, and Refugee Education Programs is excited to announce a webinar designed specifically for education leaders. This four-hour professional learning opportunity will prepare district and site leaders in developing and enhancing essential programs for students experiencing homelessness and those placed in foster care.
This collaborative session will cover the following topics:
a quick and comprehensive overview of the Homeless Education Program (HEP) and Foster Care Education Program (FCEP);
an overview of programmatic requirements to ensure compliance with federal statute;
required tools to equip and empower designated program personnel; and
an opportunity to reflect on current programs to further develop robust HEP and FCEP at your LEA, Charter District, or school site.
Per 34 C.F.R. § 76.770, the Arizona Department of Education’s (ADE) Foster Care Education Program has scheduled monitoring to (a) inform the SEA of the LEA’s Foster Care Point of Contact and (b) to provide the LEA’s foster care transportation plan. This desktop monitoring will be accomplished within the virtual platform named Educational Monitoring, Assistance, and Compliance (EMAC), which is an ADEConnect application. LEAs in Cycle 4 of ADE’s Title I Monitoring are required to complete the Foster Care Education Program Monitoring in EMAC.
FY24 Foster Care Education Monitoring
LEA Submission Window: April 15, 2024 - May 10, 2024
These documents have all of the form fields listed to facilitate a thorough, exhaustive, accurate completion of the form. It is highly recommended to complete these documents, prior to entering submissions into EMAC.
Once LEAs complete the monitoring program in EMAC, these rubrics will be used by ADE’s Foster Care Education Program to assess if the forms that were completed in EMAC are in compliance or if they need to be returned for necessary revisions. It is highly recommended to consult these documents while completing each of the Prep Guides as it details exactly what criteria should be included in these monitoring programs. NOTE: These documents do not need to be filled out by LEA staff, but they are being provided so LEAs will know how ADE’s Foster Care Education Program will be assessing the monitoring programs and the criteria that will be required for compliance.
These documents have all of the form fields listed to facilitate a thorough, exhaustive, accurate completion of the form. It is highly recommended to complete these documents, prior to entering submissions into EMAC.
Once LEAs complete the monitoring program in EMAC, these rubrics will be used by ADE’s Foster Care Education Program to assess if the forms that were completed in EMAC are in compliance or if they need to be returned for necessary revisions. It is highly recommended to consult these documents while completing each of the Prep Guides as it details exactly what criteria should be included in these monitoring programs. NOTE: These documents do not need to be filled out by LEA staff, but they are being provided so LEAs will know how ADE’s Foster Care Education Program will be assessing the monitoring programs and the criteria that will be required for compliance.
State of Arizona Local Educational Agency Foster Care Point of Contact Update Form
Local educational agencies (LEAs) must designate a Foster Care Point of Contact that has the capacity to collaborate with local child welfare agencies (CWAs) to ensure educational stability requirements for students in foster care are implemented effectively (ESEA section 1112(c)(5)).
To provide, change, or updatecontact information of a Local Educational Agency Foster Care Point of Contact, complete the LEA Foster Care Point of Contact Form.
