Report of Regents P-12 Education/Higher Education Joint Meeting Committee to The Board of Regents

Your P-12 Education Committee and Higher Education Committee held a joint meeting on December 12, 2016.  All members were present, except for Regents Cea, Johnson, and Reyes, who were excused. 

MATTERS NOT REQUIRING BOARD ACTION

Ensuring Educational Stability for Children in Foster Care [P-12/HE (D) 1] – the Committee was provided with an update regarding the requirements for ensuring educational stability for students in foster care in accordance with requirements enumerated in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on June 23, 2016.  The guidance builds upon existing statutes to ensure educational stability of youth in foster care, specifically The Fostering Connections Act, The Uninterrupted Scholars Act, and the foster care provisions of Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by ESSA.  Department staff will continue to collaborate with the Office of Children and Family Services, local educational agencies, and local departments of social services to ensure educational stability for youth in foster care; address any barriers that may occur at the local level; and discuss specific strategies to pay for costs associated with educating youth in foster care (e.g., transportation).