COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

P.O. BOX 2120

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120

SUPTS. MEMO NO. 140

July 21, 2006

INFORMATIONAL

TO:	Division Superintendents
FROM:	Billy K. Cannaday, Jr. Superintendent of Public Instruction
SUBJECT:	New Regulations Governing the Re-enrollment of Students Committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice

The Board of Education has promulgated new regulations governing the re-enrollment of students committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). (See Superintendents Memo #77, April, 15, 2005.) The new re-enrollment regulations will become final and in effect on August 23, 2006. The regulations present a procedure for re-enrollment of students into the public schools when they have been in the custody of the juvenile justice system and receiving instruction through local and regional detention homes and the Department of Correctional Education. The regulations promote the exchange of educational information concerning students among the Departments of Juvenile Justice and Correctional Education (DCE), local and regional detention homes, and local education agencies (LEAs).

The regulations are intended to:

• create a positive impact on the family, the students, court services, school divisions, and correctional centers, as they are seeking to continue the students education upon his or her release from a juvenile correction center
• provide for the coordinated transfer of information by court services, school divisions, detention homes, and correctional centers in order to afford students timely involvement in appropriate educational programs
• enhance communication, cooperation, and coordination of services among the public systems required to provide for the educational needs of juvenile parolees

The Virginia Department of Educations Office of Student Services convened a re-enrollment task force comprised of representatives from the Department of Juvenile Justice, local school divisions, detention centers, the Department of Correctional Education, and JustChildren that has developed several documents that will assist in the re-enrollment process. The final re-enrollment regulations, the procedures for the re-enrollment process, a model student re-enrollment plan, a school division timeline, and questions and answers can be found at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/studentsrvcs/.

As referenced in the regulations, each school division must identify a re-enrollment coordinator by September 15, 2006. The re-enrollment coordinators name, phone number, and

e-mail address should be sent to Vivian Stith-Williams, student services specialist, at Vivian.Stith-Williams@doe.virginia.gov or fax (984) 371-8796.

Two statewide institutes have been scheduled to provide technical assistance to DJJ, DCE, LEA, and detention home staff to assist them in the implementation of the regulations. These one-day institutes will be held on November 14 and November 17, 2006. Virginia Commonwealth Universitys Center for School-Community Collaboration will manage online registration and other logistics. Registration for each site (TBD) is limited to the first 300 participants. Registration will begin on September 18, 2006. To access the registration information, please visit: www.soe.vcu.edu/csc. Additional information on the two institutes will be made available through future superintendent and principal memos.

Questions may be directed to Cynthia Cave, director of student services, at (804)225-2818 or Cynthia.Cave@doe.virginia.gov.

BKC/MAE