HB 2645
Initials CH Page 1 Transmitted
ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Fifty-sixth Legislature
Second Regular Session
House: ED DP 10-0-0-0 | 3rd Read 57-0-2-0-1
Senate: ED DPA 7-0-0-0 | 3rd Read 29-0-1-0
Final Read: 53-0-6-0-1
HB 2645: foster children; high school; transfer
Sponsor: Representative Jones, LD 17
Transmitted to the Governor
Overview
Details policies a school district governing board (governing board) or charter school
governing body (governing body) must adopt regarding the academic credits, graduation and
educational records of a foster child who transfers schools pursuant to a best interest
educational placement determination (educational determination).
History
Within five days after a child enters foster care or if a child's placement changes, specified
individuals must determine if it is in the child's best interest to remain in their school of
origin. If a change of educational placement is determined to be in the child's best interest,
then: 1) the new educational institution must enroll that child within two days of the
educational determination; and 2) the school of origin must transfer the child's education
records within two days after notice of the educational placement change. The new
educational institution must immediately enroll the child even if the child does not possess
the normally required enrollment records or owes fees to the school of origin (A.R.S. § 8-
530.04).
The State Board of Education (SBE) prescribes a minimum course of study and competency
requirements for high school graduation. A governing board may prescribe course of study
and competency requirements for high school graduation that are in addition to or higher
than those prescribed by SBE (A.R.S. § 15-701.01).
Provisions
1. Mandates SBE develop guidelines for school districts and charter schools to consider
when developing policies regarding the calculation of academic credits, including partial
credits, for foster children who are in the 9th-12th grades and transfer schools pursuant
to an educational determination.
2. Includes, in the SBE guidelines, alternative methods for a receiving school to calculate
and accept academic credits earned by a foster child in their school of origin.
3. Instructs a governing board and governing body to adopt transfer credit policies for foster
children in the 9th-12th grades who transfer pursuant to an educational determination
that specify how the school district or charter school will:
a) calculate full and partial academic credits earned at the school of origin;
b) accept all academic credits earned at the school of origin;
☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note HB 2645
Initials CH Page 2 Transmitted
c) determine whether to accept academic credits as core or elective credits; and
d) meet with the foster child to review their graduation plan within 10 days of receiving
the foster child's educational records from the school of origin.
4. Requires a school district or charter school to:
a) make every possible attempt to accept all academic credits earned as core credits; and
b) consider each learning outcome mastered and competency requirement demonstrated.
5. Directs a school district or charter school to provide a written copy of the graduation plan
to specified individuals.
6. Instructs each governing board and governing body to adopt policies concerning the
transfer of educational records for a foster child who was enrolled in the 9th-12th grades
that require the school of origin to include:
a) all academic credits earned; and
b) documentation of the competencies achieved by a foster child if the foster child did not
receive partial credit for a course in which they were enrolled.
7. Authorizes a school district or charter school that enrolls a foster child who transfers
schools pursuant to an educational placement to administer a local competency
assessment to award full or partial academic credit for the core competencies identified
in the educational records provided by the foster child's school of origin.
8. Prohibits a foster child who transfers schools due to an educational determination while
enrolled in the 11th or 12th grade from being required to satisfy a course of study or
competency requirements that are in addition to or higher than those prescribed by SBE.
9. Defines educational determination and foster child.