Students in the Care of D.C. Coordinating Committee Act of 2018
Introduced: September 18, 2018
Co-introducers: Councilmembers Robert White, Brianne K. Nadeau, Brandon Todd, and Charles Allen.
BILL TEXT | PRESS RELEASE
Summary: To establish a Students in the Care of D.C. Coordinating Committee to identify challenges and resolve issues that students in detainment, commitment, incarceration, and foster care face in order improve educational outcomes.
Councilmember Grosso's Introduction Statement:
Today, I am introducing the Students in the Care of D.C. Coordinating Committee Act of 2018, along with my colleagues, Councilmembers Charles Allen, Robert White, Brandon Todd, and Brianne K. Nadeau.
This legislation establishes a multi-stakeholder committee to identify challenges and resolve issues that students in detainment, commitment, incarceration, and foster care face in order improve educational outcomes.
On October 4, 2017, the Committee on Education held a public roundtable to examine educational opportunities for students under the supervision or care of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, Court Social Services, Pre-Trial Services Agency, Department of Corrections, and Bureau of Prisons.
The roundtable revealed that many students in the care of DC experience significant barriers to earning a high school diploma. Many of these students are placed outside of the District of Columbia and are highly mobile. Consequently, they experience issues enrolling in school, obtaining transferrable credit, and receiving special education and related services. Consequently, these disruptions negatively affect the young person’s ability to move forward and become successful in their educational endeavors.
Fortunately, both public and government witnesses agreed that creating a working group to further tackle some of these issues was the next logical step.
From February to June, I convened a working group of over 80 participants comprised of students, Councilmembers and staff, executive agency
directors and staff, representatives from D.C. Superior Court, school leaders, and advocacy groups. For five months we grappled with how to best improve collaboration and coordination among entities responsible for the education and care of students.
As a result, we produced a report of over 40 policy and legislative recommendations that will help improve educational outcomes. One of those recommendation was to create a coordinating committee. For more information about the report, please visit my website.
I am confident this legislation will provide better educational continuity while strengthening and expanding critical services to ensure that our most vulnerable youth are afforded every available opportunity for success.
Thank you to everyone that participated in the working group and helped make this bill a reality. I look forward to all of the good work that lies ahead.