Self-Study Toolkit: Records Transfer Module

This module is divided into three parts:

Part I. Introduction

Part II. Data Collection

Part III. Resources

Part I discusses why effective records transfer is important and offers background information on how records transfer can affect a youth's transition back into the community. Part II is designed to help measure how your facility is doing in terms of transferring student records and offers suggestions on how to improve. Part III provides additional resources on information sharing and National, State, and county data systems.

II. Data Collection: How am I doing?

In order to improve, you need to know where you are now. Complete the tables in the module to determine how your facility is doing in terms of successfully transferring student records.

Does your State collect this information in a different way? Please let us know about data collection processes in your State. Please e-mail Regina Waugh at rwaugh@air.org.

[Click here for a printer-friendly version of the table below.]

State Requirements
1.	Are you familiar with specific State legislation regarding privacy and records transfer?	Yes/No
	List key State legislation:
2.	Are you familiar with your State's transition plan?	Yes/No
	List key guidance beyond State Part D transition plan:
3.	How often is your facility monitored by the State?	Every ____ months/years
	Additional opportunities for technical assistance and evaluation (e.g., surveys, conferences):
Facility Procedures
4.	Does your facility have a formalized transition/records transfer procedure?	Yes/No
5.	Does your facility have a transition coordinator? List this person's responsibilities:	Yes/No
6.	Who is directly responsible for records transfer in your facility? (e.g., Is this person your transition coordinator?)
7.	What is the number/percentage of students with educational records from previous placements/schools?	Total ____ ____%
8.	What is the average number of days between student arrival and student records request?	____ days
9.	What is the average number of days between student records request and receipt?	____ days
10.	Do you record student information in the following areas:
	(a) Mental health?	Yes/No
	(b) Physical health?	Yes/No
	(c) Special education status?	Yes/No
	(d) Reading achievement?	Yes/No
	(e) Math achievement?	Yes/No
	(f) Coursework completed?	Yes/No
	(g) Credits earned?	Yes/No
	(h) Grades?	Yes/No
	(i) Vocational skills?	Yes/No
	(j) Student goals?	Yes/No
11.	How often are student records updated?	Every ____ months/years
	How are updates accomplished? (e.g., meetings with teachers/counselors/transition coordinator, progress monitoring assessments)
12.	Who is responsible for updating student records? (e.g., Is this person your transition coordinator?)
13.	How many students (number/percentage) leave the facility with updated records?	Total ____ ____%
14.	Average number of days to transfer student records to next placement?	Total ____ ____%

[Click here for a printer-friendly version of the preceding table.]

What can I do?

Encourage personal relationships/collaboration

In many cases, the problem of the smooth transfer of student records to and from a facility is the result of the wide variety of sources for those records. The degree of this problem differs from facility to facility, county to county, and State to State, depending on the structure of the juvenile justice system. For some facilities, the majority of students are coming from one specific geographical area, composed of a limited number of school districts. For other facilities, the students represent a large geographical area and many school districts. Yet, for other facilities, particularly long-term corrections facilities, students may come primarily from other detention facilities in the county or State.

The key to developing a successful records transfer system is personal relationships between facilities and schools.

It is essential that your facility have a specific person devoted to retrieving student records from past placements; that way, there is never a question of to whom the records should be directed and less of a chance that they are lost within the facility itself.

Identify the individuals responsible for records transfer in the schools, agencies, and facilities from which you are receiving students (and their records). For those facilities that receive students from a relatively small number of schools, it may be possible to do this for all or most of the places from which your students come; in others, it may be necessary to limit those relationships to the places responsible for the largest proportion of students.
Designate an individual at your facility responsible for coordinating the transfer of student records to their next placement. This may be your transition coordinator, an individual charged with managing all aspects of students’ transition plans. Identify those individuals at the appropriate schools, districts, or facilities who will be in charge of receiving incoming student records.
When possible, arrange to meet with those individuals to facilitate a system of prompt and efficient records transfer that works in the best interest of the students.

Develop an automated data system

In some States or counties, the entire juvenile justice system has an automated data collection system, which allows facilities to enter student information into a common database that can then be made available to other facilities and/or schools within the system at a moment’s notice. One such system is currently in place at the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE), the agency that is responsible for the youths attending Los Angeles’ Juvenile Court and Community schools. The system allows for the smooth uploading of student records from placements outside the system, as well as instant access to student records when transitioning between LACOE facilities. Other States with similar electronic student databases include Michigan, Oregon, Missouri, and Florida, and the city of New York. Please see the resources section below for more information.

Learn the law

Familiarize yourself with FERPA and any State and county legislation that governs information sharing and student records transfer. This will not only prevent any impropriety in facilitating the exchange of information between facilities, it will also enable you to get the maximum amount of information allowed from other schools and facilities. Additional information on FERPA and other Federal laws can be found in the resources section.

Several States have introduced laws requiring that record transfer take no more than a certain number of days. For example, Florida, Virginia, and Wisconsin require record transfer within 5 days.

Next: III. Resources

The National Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center for the Education of Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At Risk (NDTAC)

Self-Study Toolkit:
Records Transfer Module

Related Information

II. Data Collection: How am I doing?

What can I do?