1. Student Advocacy Services are required to serve approximately 200 students per year with approximately 100 active cases at any one point in time during the year . 2. The advocacy program will require sufficient staffing levels to provide advocacy services for up to two hearings conducted simultaneously between the hours of 8:00am and 4:00pm Monday through Friday excluding District holidays/recesses in order to support families in the process. 3. Referrals to the advocacy program will be initiated by the Director of Restorative Discipline. A Student Advocate will be assigned and will immediately schedule a meeting with the parent/guardian and student to introduce the program and prepare for the Superintendent Hearing. 4. The meeting is required to take place within 24 hours of the assignment of the Student Advocate. The meeting can be held at either the student’s home, vendor’s office space, or at the Hearing Office. 5. Each Student Advocate must submit weekly case notes for each active student for each contact/attempted contact/meeting documenting the date, start and end time, method of contact, location, attendees, and summary of discussion topics, action steps, open items to the Restorative Discipline Office via the vendor’s data management system throughout the course of their assignment to the student. The vendor’s data management system must be shared with the Restorative Discipline Office in a way that allows for efficient, clear communication that demonstrates impact of advocacy and transition services by the vendor. 6. The Student Advocate must notify the District’s Restorative Discipline Office via email immediately if issues are encountered with contacting the student and/or the student’s Superintendent Hearing. 7. The Student Advocate will review the incident, the hearing process, and the date and time of the Superintendent’s Hearing with the student and parent/guardian. 8. The Student Advocate will accompany the parent/guardian and student to the Superintendent’s Hearing and support the family throughout the process. The role of the Student Advocate is to clarify the proceedings to the family and ask questions in support of the student throughout the process. 9. Student Advocates work with the student and parent/guardian to develop a strategy for the hearing, encouraging students and parent/guardian to approach the hearing with a respectful, problem-solving framework. The Student Advocate accompanies the parent/guardian and student to the hearing, and if the student has an IEP or a 504 plan, to the Manifestation Determination Review meeting. 10. The Student Advocate is required to provide transportation if it is needed to ensure student and parent/guardian attendance at the hearing.
