(a) The Departments of Education and Children and Families shall be required to annually track the academic progress of each child and youth in state custody, from prekindergarteners through those in twelfth grade, and submit a report on such progress to the achievement gap task force established pursuant to section 10-16mm. The Court Support Services Division of the Judicial Branch, in collaboration with the Department of Education, shall create an annual aggregate report on the academic progress of youth in its custody.

(b) For each child or youth who is in state custody pursuant to sections 17a-101 and 46b-129, the Department of Children and Families shall include a description of the child's or youth's educational status and academic progress in his or her case plan, as defined in section 17a-15. Such description shall include information regarding the child's or youth's current levels of educational performance, including absenteeism and grade level performance, and what supports or services will or are being provided to improve academic performance. For children and youth who are committed to Department of Children and Families' custody pursuant to section 46b-129, the educational status information shall be included in reports to the Juvenile Court and shall be reviewed by the court when decisions are made regarding the child's or youth's care.

(c) Each youth who is in a secure facility run or contracted for by the Court Support Services Division shall have a case plan that describes the youth's educational needs and grade-level performance and identifies what supports or services will or are being provided to support academic performance.

(d) The Department of Children and Families and Court Support Services Division shall develop a plan to ensure that all facilities and school programs run or contracted for by the department and the division are able to meet the academic and related service needs of enrolled children and youth. The plan shall ensure the ability to provide for (1) the development of effective practices for acquiring and reviewing students' educational records, including assessment of enrolled youth's present levels of academic performance; (2) the youth's identified educational and related service needs; (3) appropriate and ongoing professional development on providing educational and related services to abused, neglected and juvenile justice-involved youth; (4) research-based instruction and standards-based core curriculum for all enrolled youth; and (5) administrative review of all programs run or contracted for by the department or division. Such plan shall be finalized by July 1, 2014, and submitted to the achievement gap task force established pursuant to section 10-16mm.

(e) The superintendent of each school district that is providing education to a child or youth who is committed to the Department of Children and Families' custody pursuant to sections 17a-101 and 46b-129 shall provide (1) the department, (2) a foster parent of such child or youth, and (3) the attorney for such child or youth, a description of the child's or youth's educational status and academic progress that is substantially similar to the description provided to the parent or legal guardian of a child or youth who is not committed to the Department of Children and Families' custody. Such description shall include, but not be limited to, information regarding the child's or youth's current levels of educational performance, including absenteeism and grade level performance, test results, report cards, individual success plans and discipline reports.

(f) The Department of Children and Families and Court Support Services Division shall promptly review the educational files of any child or youth upon his or her entry into any facility or school program run or contracted for by the department or the division to determine if such child or youth may be eligible for special education pursuant to sections 10-76a to 10-76h, inclusive.

(P.A. 13-234, S. 124; P.A. 14-99, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 13-234 effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 14-99 added Subsec. (e) re provision of description of child's or youth's educational status and academic progress and Subsec. (f) re review of educational files and made technical changes.