6.1 Education Program Pursuant to Section 1370

Required Elements of School Program

1. School Programs: The County Board of Education shall provide for the administration and operation of juvenile court schools in conjunction with the Chief Probation Officer, or designee pursuant to applicable State laws. The school and facility administrators shall develop and implement written policy and procedures to ensure communication and coordination between educators and probation staff. Culturally responsive and trauma-informed approaches should be applied when providing instruction. Education staff should collaborate with the facility administrator to use technology to facilitate learning and ensure safe technology practices. The facility administrator shall request an annual review of each required element of the program by the Superintendent of Schools, and a report or review checklist on compliance, deficiencies, and corrective action needed to achieve compliance with this section. Such a review, when conducted, cannot be delegated to the principal or any other staff of any juvenile court school site. The Superintendent of Schools shall conduct this review in conjunction with a qualified outside agency or individual. Upon receipt of the review, the facility administrator or designee shall review each item with the Superintendent of Schools and shall take whatever corrective action is necessary to address each deficiency and to fully protect the educational interests of all youth in the facility. 
2. Required Elements:  The facility school program shall comply with the State Education Code and County Board of Education policies, all applicable federal education statutes and regulations and provide for an annual evaluation of the educational program offerings. As stated in the 2009 California Standards for the Teaching Profession, teachers shall establish and maintain learning environments that are physically, emotionally, and intellectually safe. Youth shall be provided a rigorous, quality educational program that respond to the different learning styles and abilities of students and prepares them for high school graduation, career entry, and post-secondary education
3. All youth shall be treated equally, and the education program shall be free from discriminatory action. Staff shall refer to transgender, intersex and gender-nonconforming youth by their preferred name and gender. 
   1. The course of study shall comply with the State Education Code and include, but not be limited to, courses required for high school graduation 
   2. Information and preparation for the High School Equivalency Test as approved by the California Department of Education shall be made available to eligible youth. 
   3. Youth shall be informed of post-secondary education and vocational opportunities. 
   4.  Administration of the High School Equivalency Tests as approved by the California Department of Education, shall be made available when possible. 
   5. Supplemental instruction shall be afforded to youth who do not demonstrate sufficient progress towards grade level standards 
   6. The minimum school day shall be consistent with State Education Code Requirements for juvenile court schools. The facility administrator, in conjunction with education staff, must ensure that operational procedures do not interfere with the time afforded for the minimum instructional day.  Absences, time out of class or educational instruction, both excused and unexcused, shall be documented in County Office of Education’s Student Information System, AERIES. 
   7.  Education shall be provided to all youth regardless of classification, housing, security status, disciplinary or separation status, including room confinement, except when providing education poses an immediate threat to the safety of self or others.  Education includes, but is not limited to, related services as provided in a youth’s Section 504 Plan or Individualized Education Program (IEP). 
4. School Discipline 
   1. Positive behavior management (PBIS) will be implemented to reduce the need for disciplinary action in the school setting and be integrated into the facility's overall behavioral management plan and security system. 
   2. During the daily morning school meeting, school staff shall be advised of administrative decisions made by probation staff that may affect the educational programming of students. 
   3. Except as otherwise provided by the State Education Code, expulsion/suspension from school shall be imposed only when other means of correction fails to bring about proper conduct.  School staff shall follow the appropriate due process safeguards as set forth in the State Education Code including the rights of students with special needs. Using a school referral, school staff shall document the other means of correction used prior to imposing expulsion/ suspension if an expulsion/suspension is ultimately imposed.  The referral shall be saved into the School Wide Information Systems (SWIS).
   4. The facility administrator, in conjunction with education staff will develop policies and procedures that address the rights of any student who has continuing difficulty completing a school day.
5. Youth who are not a safety risk will be accommodated in an alternative location, such as another classroom, visiting, or a living unit.
   1. A SLOCO staff member will work one on one with that youth to ensure their educational needs are met.
   2. Probation staff shall document school refusals in an incident report and forward to the youth’s probation officer. 
6. Provisions for Special Populations
   1.  State and federal laws and regulations shall be observed for all individuals with disabilities or suspected disabilities.  This includes but is not limited to child find, assessment, continuum of alternative placements, manifestation determination reviews, and implementation of Section 504 Plans and Individualized Education Programs. 
   2. Youth identified as English Learners (EL) shall be afforded an educational program that addresses their language needs pursuant to all applicable state and federal laws and regulations governing programs for EL students. 
7. Educational Screening and Admission
   1. Youth shall be interviewed after admittance and a record Maintained that documents a youth's educational history, including but not limited to
   2. School progress/school history;
   3. Home Language Survey and the results of the State Test used for English language proficiency
   4. Needs and services of special populations as defined by the State Education Code, including but not limited to, students with special needs. and,
   5. Discipline problems. 
      1. Youth will be immediately enrolled in school by San Luis County Office Of Education’s School Registrar. Educational staff shall conduct an assessment to determine the youth's general academic functioning levels to enable placement in core curriculum courses. 
      2. The School Registrar shall use CALPADS for out of county youth to determine their most recent school attended to obtain their educational records. 
      3. After admission to the facility, a preliminary education plan shall be developed for each youth within five school days. 
      4. Upon enrollment, education staff shall comply with the State Education Code and request the youth's records from his/her prior school(s), including, but not limited to, transcripts, Individual Education Program (IEP), 504 Plan, state language assessment scores, immunization records, exit grades, and partial credits. Upon receipt of the transcripts, the youth's educational plan shall be reviewed with the youth and modified as needed. Youth should be informed of the credits they need to graduate. 
8. Educational Reporting 
   1. The complete facility educational record of the youth shall be forwarded to the next educational placement in accordance with the State Education Code. 
   2. The County Superintendent of Schools shall provide appropriate credit (full or partial) for course work completed while in juvenile court school in accordance with the State Education Code.
9.  Transition and Re-Entry Planning 
   1. The Superintendent of Schools and   Probation shall develop policies and procedures to meet the transition needs of youth, This includes the development of an education transition plan into court school,  including accurate education records and IEP, all in accordance with the State Education Code and in alignment with Title 15, Minimum Standards for Juvenile Facilities, Section 1355.
   2. Using the Student Program and Services Steering Committee document, the School Principal and School Registrar will record a student’s grades, academic goals, eligibility, and post graduate options.
10.   Post-Secondary Education Opportunities  
    1. Youth detained in the juvenile hall can choose to participate in public postsecondary academic and career technical courses and programs offered online, for which they are eligible based on eligibility criteria and course schedules of the public postsecondary education campus providing the program.