SCHOOL & DISTRICT STAFF

School Enrollment & Residency
Schools often overlook the importance of effective enrollment procedures, which are tied to laws and policies related to student records, health, discipline, and rights of special populations (e.g., students experiencing homelessness, foster youth, military dependents, migratory children, students with disabilities, etc.). This workshop provides a step-by-step review of enrollment procedures that highlight the different ways in which students can meet residency requirements for school attendance, the documents and information that are required and those that are prohibited for schools to obtain during the enrollment process, and best practices in the identification of students and their needs.

Custody & Educational Rights
Identifying the person who has educational rights over a student is one of the most essential tasks for a school. This workshop focuses on situations when the educational rights holder is not easily identified due to a divorce or separation, or not accessible due to geographic distance, incarceration, hospitalization, or court-ordered placements.

School Attendance
There is a strong connection between student attendance and achievement -- when students are not in school, whether for excused or unexcused absences, they lose out on the opportunity to learn.  In order to successfully tackle chronic absenteeism and truancy, schools must commit to building a culture of attendance. This workshop focuses on prevention, early identification, intervention strategies that improve attendance and pupil engagement.  Participants will have the opportunity to examine current data from their schools/LEAs and begin developing an attendance improvement plan through a multi-tiered systems of support.

Homeless & Foster Youth
The rights of these underserved student populations in schools are established through state and federal laws. Local educational agencies must comply with these laws to ensure equitable access and educational opportunities, and must identify staff and provide resources through the school and the community to help remove barriers.

Section 504
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. Its intent is to provide students with disabilities equal access to educational programs, services, and activities.  Best practices in the identification, evaluation, eligibility, review and exit process will be addressed in this workshop.

Student Records
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of students’ personal identifiable information and education records.  State law reinforces the provisions of FERPA and further provides guidance to schools on how to effectively ensure the accuracy, maintenance and safekeeping of all student records. This workshop will cover the policies and procedures related to student records – from the gathering of student information beginning at the point of school enrollment to the destruction of records at the appropriate time.​

Comprehensive School Safety Plan
State law requires that each school develop and maintain an updated comprehensive school safety plan that addresses the safety concerns identified through a systematic planning process. The schoolsite council or school safety planning committee is tasked to write and develop the plan, which includes tactical responses to criminal incidents.  Part of the process involves collaborating with specified agencies, allowing members of the school community to express opinions about the school safety plan at a public hearing, and obtaining Board approval of the plan by March 1 of each year. This workshop provides step-by-step guidance in the development and/or revision of the school safety plan, highlighting the importance of ensuring policies and procedures are current and that the content of the plan is useful and practical for all members of the school community.

Bullying & Cyberbullying
Provides guidance on the school’s responsibility to address bullying and cyberbullying in order to maintain a safe and secure learning environment. Topics addressed will include the legal obligation and authority to act, policy considerations, and best practices for prevention and identification of bullying and cyberbullying.

Student Discipline
In recent years, there has been a united effort from the Federal, state and local level to improve school climate and school discipline. The focus has been for staff to pay closer attention to and address the social, emotional, and behavioral needs of all students, rather than on the use of exclusionary discipline. It is with proper implementation of student discipline procedures that a positive school climate and culture can be achieved. This workshop provides an in-depth review of the suspension and expulsion process, addressing issues such as student rights and due process, implementation of other means of correction, investigation of incidents, search and seizure, considerations for students with a disability, expulsion hearing requirements and outcomes, and readmission.

COUNTYWIDE CONCERNS

Student Services Symposium
This full-day interactive workshop provides an overview of the essential laws, policies and best practices in the area of student services.  Topics include, but are not limited to, enrollment, custody issues, attendance, health, school safety, student discipline, and records.  District and site administrators, counselors and front office classified staff are strongly encouraged to attend to develop and/or expand their knowledge.

Supervisor of Attendance Certification Training
In accordance with Education Code section 48240, each school district and each county superintendent of schools must appoint a supervisor of attendance and any assistant supervisors of attendance, as needed, to supervise the attendance of students.  The supervisor of attendance must be lawfully certified for the work by the county board of education prior to their appointment.  This training, if offered through a county office of education, satisfies the certification requirement.

School Attendance Review Board (SARB) Training
Truancy and chronic absenteeism are complex issues that have a wide-reaching impact on students, their families, schools, and communities as a whole.  This workshop provides a comprehensive overview of the SARB process, from the school site level through prosecution.  Best practices will be highlighted and resources for personnel working to improve attendance and behavior outcomes for students will be provided.

Model SARB Application (no cost training)
​The Model SARB Recognition Program identifies and recognizes results-based school attendance improvement programs at the district or county level.  This workshop will guide attendees through the various content areas and scoring rubric as well as provide strategies to successfully complete the application.

Legislative Update
Each year, new legislation impacts the daily operations and systems in our public schools. As the majority of these laws go into effect in the middle of the school year, county, district, charter and school site leaders are faced with many challenges in keeping track and complying with these laws. The primary focus of this workshop will be on new laws affecting the areas supported by student services/child welfare and attendance staff.  Suggested strategies and resources to assist with implementation and compliance will be provided.​

Notifications to Students/Parents
State and federal laws require that LEAs notify students and parents of certain rights and responsibilities at the beginning of each school year and upon enrollment. LEAs are also obligated to post certain notifications on their websites and physically at the school site(s). This workshop addresses those requirements and provides practical tips to ensure compliance. 

BOARD MEMBERS

Student Engagement, School Climate and Parent/Family Engagement in the LCAP
The LCAP is required to identify goals and measure progress for student subgroups across multiple performance indicators, including student engagement, school climate and parent/family engagement.  As elected representatives of the local community, board members are responsible for ensuring that these "engagement" priorities are addressed to positively impact student achievement and success.  This workshop will provide an overview of the "engagement" priorities, describe performance indicators, and highlight best practices for achieving district goals.

Student Discipline & the Expulsion Process
The governing board of each school district is required to establish rules and regulations for maintaining discipline in the schools under its jurisdiction and for determining the expulsion of students.  Board members are charged with providing the fair and equitable treatment of students facing suspension and/or expulsion by affording them their due process rights under law.  This workshop will review the current laws that govern the suspension and expulsion process,  focusing on the areas on which board members are authorized to act.

Complaints & Appeals
There are many reasons for which an appeal or complaint can be filed against a school that ultimately must be addressed by the governing board (i.e., grade level retention, expulsion order, records challenge, pupil fees, etc.) This workshop provides laws and policies that guide the processing of these appeals and complaints.