<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".03" citation="COMAR 13A.05.09.03" title_num="13A" subtitle_num="05" chapter_num="09" heading="General Responsibilities.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>Each local school system in Maryland shall:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Develop, review, and revise policies to eliminate barriers to the identification enrollment, retention, and success in school of homeless students, including barriers related to:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Transportation issues;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Enrollment delays caused by residency requirements;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Lack of available records normally required for enrollment such as birth certificates, previous school records, immunization records, medical records, proof of residency, or other documentation;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Guardianship issues;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>Uniform or dress code requirements;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(f)">
        <text>Outstanding fees or fines;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(g)">
        <text>Issues related to absences; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(h)">
        <text>Opportunities to meet the same challenging State student academic achievement standards to which all students are held.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Coordinate with local social services agencies and other agencies or programs providing services to homeless children and youth and their families;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Coordinate with other local school systems on interdistrict issues, such as transportation or transfer of school records;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>Provide services to each eligible homeless student that are comparable to services offered to other students in the local school system, including:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Public preschool programs;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Educational programs or services;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Programs in career and technology education;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Special education programs;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>Programs for gifted and talented students;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(f)">
        <text>Before-school and after-school programs;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(g)">
        <text>School meal programs; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(h)">
        <text>Transportation; and</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>Designate a homeless education coordinator responsible for:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Ensuring that homeless children and youth are identified by school personnel, are enrolled in, and have a full and equal opportunity to succeed in schools of that local school system;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Coordinating the referrals of homeless children to health care, dental care, mental health services, and other appropriate services;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Expediting school placement decisions;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Identifying homeless children, youth, and families in the community through outreach and coordination activities with other entities and agencies;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>Coordinating programs and services to prevent duplication of services;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(f)">
        <text>Monitoring programs and projects to ensure their compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, if the local school system receives funds under the McKinney-Vento Act;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(g)">
        <text>Informing parents or guardians of homeless children and youth of the educational and related opportunities available to their children, ensuring that they are provided with meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(h)">
        <text>Disseminating public notice of the educational rights of homeless children and youth in the schools, community agencies, family shelters, soup kitchens, and organizations where children and youth receive services in a manner and form understandable to parents and guardians of homeless children and youth and unaccompanied youth;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(i)">
        <text>Ensuring that the parent or guardian of a homeless child or youth and any unaccompanied youth is fully informed of all transportation services, including transportation to the school of origin, is assisted in accessing transportation to the school that is selected, and that enrollment disputes are mediated in accordance with Regulation .07 of this chapter;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(j)">
        <text>Working with Title I administrators to ensure that Title I services are provided in accordance with the reservation of funds required by McKinney-Vento Act;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(k)">
        <text>Coordinating and collaborating with the State coordinator and community and school personnel responsible for the provision of education and related services to homeless children and youth;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(l)">
        <text>Developing and implementing a program to train school personnel on the educational rights of homeless children and youth, policies and procedures to identify and serve homeless children and youth, and on the special needs of homeless children and youth;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(m)">
        <text>Assisting unaccompanied homeless youth in the school selection process;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(n)">
        <text>Ensuring that enrollment disputes are mediated according to the local school system's appeal process consistent with Regulation .07 of this chapter; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(o)">
        <text>Ensuring homeless families and homeless children and youths have access to and receive educational services for which such families, children, and youths are eligible, including services through Head Start programs (including Early Head Start programs) under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. §9831 et seq.), early intervention services under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. §1431 et seq.), and other preschool programs administered by the local school system.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>The Department shall:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Respond to inquiries from parents and guardians of homeless children and youths, and from unaccompanied youth, to ensure that each child or youth who is the subject of such an inquiry receives the full protections and services provided by law;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Coordinate and collaborate with educators, including child development and preschool program personnel, providers of services to homeless and runaway children and youth and homeless families, local school system homeless education coordinators, and community organizations and groups representing homeless children and youth and their families;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Facilitate coordination of services to homeless students with other State agencies;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>Administer the McKinney-Vento Act grant program;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>Prepare and submit reports to the federal government in accordance with the requirements of the McKinney-Vento Act;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(6)">
      <text>Provide technical assistance to and conduct monitoring of local school systems in coordination with local school system coordinators to ensure local school system compliance; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(7)">
      <text>Provide professional development opportunities for local school system personnel and coordinators to assist such personnel and coordinators in identifying and meeting the needs of homeless children and youth.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>