Draft
1/29/96

San Joaquin County

Plan for Expelled Youth:

Large School Districts

Education Code §48926

Each county superintendent of schools in counties that operate community schools pursuant to Section 1980, in conjunction with superintendents of the school districts within the county, shall develop a plan for providing education services to all expelled pupils in that county.

Education Code §48916.1

a) At the time an expulsion of a pupil is ordered, the governing board of the school district shall ensure that an educational program is provided to the pupil who is subject to the expulsion order for the period of the expulsion, but only to the extent funds are appropriated for this purpose in the annual Budget Act or other legislation, or both.

Overview

Large school districts (could place name of district) within San Joaquin County provide many educational alternatives for expelled youth. Middle schools and high schools are experiencing an increasing number of student behaviors that result in recommendations for expulsion. In the past these incidents were limited to middle and high school programs, but today these behaviors are surfacing in lower elementary grades.

Early intervention strategies on the comprehensive school sites, alternative programs on the comprehensive school sites, off-site alternative programs, and referral to the San Joaquin County Office of Education Alternative Program are the major focus of the large district programs and subsequent student success (flow chart attached). The district provides intervention strategies which include, but are not limited to, one-on-one counseling, student study teams, academic and emotional assessments, parent support meetings, in-school suspension, off-campus suspension, special education services, after school activities, conflict management, student contracts, and alternative school placements.

There are students whose behavior violates California Education Code discipline sections, and who are referred by the school site administrator for expulsion from school. The District Discipline Review Board recommends expulsion to the Governing Board for those students whose behavior endangers other students and/or staff. Post-expulsion educational referral of such students varies in each individual case, and is viewed on a case-by-case situation.

Existing Educational Alternatives for Expelled Youth

Large school districts located within San Joaquin County offer the following options for expelled youth, depending on the specific offense and Education Code violation:

1) suspended expulsion with placement on the same school campus;

2) suspended expulsion with placement on a different school campus within the District;

3) suspended expulsion with placement on District Contracted Study, if the parent agrees;

4) expulsion with referral to a District Community Day School program*; or

5) expulsion with referral to the San Joaquin County Office of Education Court and Community School/Day Center Program.

Actual referral to such a placement is made by the District Governing Board, with recommendations from the District Discipline Review Board.

*option relies on funding

Gaps in Educational Services

There are three major gaps that exist in respect to providing educational services to expelled pupils:

1) A student could be expelled from the District under Education Code §48915 and referred to either a Community Day School, or Court and Community School program. This student could then commit another violation of Education Code §48915, or simply not attend and ultimately be referred back to the original District

2) Students in grades one through six who are expelled do not have the same educational options available as do expelled youth who are in grades seven through twelve, due to the limited numbers of students who are expelled in these lower grades. The limited number of expulsions, the significant geographical distances between elementary schools, the need for younger students to be in full-time classroom programs all makes the elementary school student particularly difficult to serve;

3) the Community Day School option for expelled students, as described in current California Education Code, is difficult for the following reasons:

a) the six (6) hour, or 360 minute day exceeds the required hours for a minimum school day (240 minutes), the required hours for a continuation school day (15 hours per week), and the required hours for students enrolled in the various elementary school programs,

b) access to the additional funding is restricted by having the student complete six hours of hour-by-hour attendance accounting in order for the district to receive the additional funding, and requiring additional attendance bookkeeping and record keeping,

c) the Community Day School program limits the available instructional strategies which can be used, such as contracted study, which limits the program flexibility required for success,

d) the separation of students in grades K-6 from students in grades 7-8 also creates boundaries that will be financially and/or geographically difficult.

Strategies for Addressing Identified Gaps in Service

The strategies for addressing the identified gaps in educational service for expelled youth are:

1) to use existing educational strategies and programs to meet the needs of expelled students;

2) to refer appropriate students to a District Community Day School program (if funded);

3) to refer expelled students to the San Joaquin County Office of Education Court and Community School/Day Center Program.

District Community Day School Alternative
Placements/Rehabilitation Plans

Expelled students who fail to meet the terms and conditions of their rehabilitation plan may be referred to a different District School, a District Community Day School Program (if funded), or the San Joaquin County Office of Education Court and Community School/Day Center Program.

Students who are expelled will be referred to an educational program deemed appropriate by the District Governing Board. The School District of residence continues to maintain responsibility for developing a rehabilitation plan for the student, referring the student to an appropriate educational setting, and ensuring that an educational program is provided.

Expelled students who are referred to a San Joaquin County Office of Education Court and Community School/Day Center Program develop an Individual Learning Plan with staff. Part of this plan may include a goal of returning to the school district of residence. Alternative placement and alternative strategies are developed, with the Court and Community School/Day Center staff, for those students who have difficulty meeting the terms and conditions of their District designed rehabilitation plan.