Pupils in foster care: transfers between schools: educational record: course credit.

Existing law establishes procedures for the transfer of pupils in foster care between schools and, among other things, requires the local educational agency from which the pupil is transferring to compile the complete educational record of the pupil, including a determination of seat time, full or partial credits earned, and current classes and grades. This bill would require a local educational agency, as defined, in determining credits earned for coursework completed in a course that satisfies the requirements for graduation, to calculate and award credit for that course in proportion to the period of time the pupil attended the course and achieved a grade of D or higher. Existing law requires a school district and county office of education to which a pupil in foster care is being transferred to accept coursework satisfactorily completed by that pupil while attending another school, and requires credits accepted to be applied to the same or equivalent course, if applicable. Existing law prohibits a school district or county office of education from requiring the pupil in foster care to retake a course if the pupil has satisfactorily completed the entire course at another school, as specified. This bill would instead require a local educational agency, defined to also include a charter school, to accept full or partial credit and grades for coursework for which a pupil in foster care received a passing grade, as defined, while attending another school, and would prohibit a local educational agency from requiring a pupil in foster care to retake a course if the pupil has received a passing grade and completed the entire course in another school. The bill would specify that coursework completed in a course required for graduation shall be awarded in the same or an equivalent course that satisfies the requirements for graduation. The bill would require each local educational agency, at a regularly scheduled public hearing, to adopt a policy that establishes a method for awarding full or partial credit to pupils in foster care transferring between schools, and would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to issue a letter each year to each local educational agency notifying the agency of its responsibility to award all full and partial credit for courses to pupils in foster care who transfer between schools in accordance with specified provisions. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.