West Virginia School Counseling Protocol Transitions from Institutional Programs to Public Schools
Grade Level ‐ ALL Activity Description: Facilitating effective transitions of students between institutional settings
and West Virginia public schools.
School Counselor Performance Standard 2: The professional school counselor facilitates delivery of the WV Comprehensive Developmental School Counseling Program for all students. Function 2G: SUCCESSFUL TRANSITIONS: Establishes student supports for successful transitioning through programmatic levels, and from school to school, school to work, or school to post‐secondary, or career and technical training. Indicator 2G4: Partners with appropriate educational and community professions to facilitate successful transitions when enrolling new students or when facilitating transitions between grade levels. GOAL:
Counselors will facilitate effective transitions of Office of Institutional
Education students from institutional settings to the public school setting.
Rationale: The enrollment of students transitioning from an institutional setting takes a concerted effort on the part of the counselor in the public school setting and the OIEP counselor assigned to the institution to share information concerning the individual needs of the transitioning student and must be looked at on a case‐by‐case basis to determine placement. Some students transitioning from an institutional setting will fall under McKinney‐Vento “Homeless” education law and will circumvent standard enrollment procedures that include verification of records. If the student coming back to public schools is not returning to a custodial parent/guardian and would be identified under McKinney‐Vento, the student is entitled to immediate enrollment with procurement of records to follow. Materials: 1a. McKinney‐Vento Homeless Assistance Act, Reauthorized under NCLB 2001, Title VII, Part 1b. West Virginia School Law; Article 8 ‐ 18‐8A‐1, Legislative findings; definition of homeless child, 18‐8A‐2, Residence of child, 18‐8A‐4. Report on at‐risk children. 1c. Excerpt from WVDE Policy 2510: Assuring the Quality of Education: Regulations for Education Programs 1d. West Virginia School Counselor Performance Standards Transitions from Institutional Programs to Public Schools Protocol
Procedures: 1. Upon the student appearing to enroll or re‐enroll in school, the school counselor will communicate with the county attendance director/homeless liaison and/or the institutional counselor to determine how student will be coded upon enrollment. Through this conversation it will be determined whether the student will be returning to a parent/guardian to make a determination if the student falls under McKinney‐Vento services and is identified as “homeless”. 2. The school counselor is aware of the school’s responsibility related to McKinney‐Vento Federal Law requirements. 3. The school counselor will work collaboratively with the school principal, special education staff (if applicable), and the institutional counselor to transfer records and determine placement in classes. 4. The school counselor will work collaboratively with the school principal, and the institutional counselor to determine amount of credit transfer conversion. 5. The school counselor will introduce the transferring student and institutional liaison to the school principal who will review school rules, expectations, and school protocols to help facilitate a smooth transition. 6. The school counselor will initiate placement procedures to assess the student’s academic performance abilities to determine appropriate course placements (e.g. transcripts, IEPs, 504s, test scores, placement tests, etc.) 7. The school counselor refers each OIEP student to the SAT team and works with SAT team to offer appropriate support services. 8. The school counselor will monitor student progress and provide interventions when student is not making progress academically, behaviorally and/or attending regularly. 9. The school counselor will make referrals t outside agencies when the child’s needs exceed the school’s scope of services and programs. 10. The school counselor will participate in MSDT Team meetings when possible, and as needed to support a school/community approach to addressing each student’s needs to facilitate provision of services, resources, and programs to support student success in school. Resources: Resource 1a ‐ Subtitle VII‐B of the McKinney‐Vento Homeless Assistance Act, reauthorized by Title X, Part C, of the No Child Left Behind Act, ensures educational rights and protections for children and youth experiencing homelessness. This brief explains the key provisions in the Act concerning school enrollment and offers strategies for implementing the Act in a school district. The term “homeless children and youth”— (A) means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence …; and 2 Lead Protocol Developer: Rebecca Derenge, Coordinator – OIEP (Approved by State Protocol Task Force June 11, 2010) Transitions from Institutional Programs to Public Schools Protocol
(B) includes— (i) children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or are awaiting foster care placement; (ii) children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings … (iii) children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and (iv) migratory children who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because the children are living in circumstances described in clauses (i) through (iii). Resource 1b West Virginia School Law; Article 8 ‐ 18‐8A‐1, Legislative findings; definition of homeless child, 18‐8A‐2, Residence of child, 18‐8A‐4. Report on at‐risk children (a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that because of the growing number of children and families who are homeless in West Virginia there is a need to ensure that all homeless children receive a proper education. It is the intent of the Legislature that no child shall be denied the benefits of a free education in the public schools because the child is homeless. The Legislature further finds that programs and materials must be made available to homeless and at‐
risk children to assure opportunities for an equal education. Programs shall include, but not be limited to, incorporating the ideas of academic achievement, career exploration, self‐esteem enhancement, behavior modification and other programs relating to student development. Resource 1c – Excerpt from Policy 2510: 3.1.1. Education Goals. (W. Va. Code §18‐1‐4) a. Through the combined efforts of the government, the school system and the people, the West Virginia Education Goals set forth in W. Va. Code §18‐1‐4 will be achieved. 13.31. Education Program ‐ A structure for defining, delivering, and being accountable for a thorough and efficient system of education. This structure is applicable at the state, county, and school levels. Resource 1d ‐ West Virginia Professional Counselor Standards Evaluation: Student surveys, enrollment logs, interviews, phone calls, fewer complaints, increased graduation rate of OIEP students, parent satisfaction, credit recovery, and post secondary education of OIEP students. 3 Lead Protocol Developer: Rebecca Derenge, Coordinator – OIEP (Approved by State Protocol Task Force June 11, 2010)