A Best Interest Determination (BID) meeting is set up to provide students in foster care the opportunity to have a meaningful and collaborative participation between their Ed Rights Holder (ERH) and the school of origin (SOO) to determine the best plan for school stability .
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) does not provide a specific process on how to conduct a BID meeting. The purpose of this site is to guide the viewer through the process of how to conduct a BID meeting when working with a student in foster care who wants to stay at their SOO.
Students in foster care may remain in their school of origin unless there is a determination that it is it not in their best interest to do so.
A BID is important because it gives all parties involved in the child's life the opportunity to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the SOO or the school of residence (SOR). It also provides a more meaningful process of participation for the ERH, the school district, and the student (when applicable) when determining the SOO.
ESSA only states that the staff from the SOO, the ERH, and the student in foster care are to be included a BID meeting, however it is always best practice to include the Children's Social Worker (CSW) or other key player(s) that may have some valid interest in the student's education.
Another important reason why a BID is so important is that it creates a plan. This plan will be written out and agreed upon by the stakeholders at the meeting. The student will be able to have their voice heard and will be provided with documentation showing that his or her needs have been discussed.
As previously mentioned above, ESSA states that the following should be present when a BID meeting is held:
District- SOO Liaison
ERH
Student in Foster Care (when applicable)
Please remember it is always in the best interest to think about including the following stakeholders: Caregiver, CSW, wrap service representatives (if applicable), teachers, counselor, school psychologist, advocate, or any person with strong knowledge of the student.
The location where a BID should take place is not specified in ESSA. Best practice would state that all parties be "physically together" in a meeting room, ready to engage and discuss what is the best interest for the student.
As we all know, gathering the required parties may prolong the meeting and be impossible in some cases. Should this occur, below are some alternative ideas on how to best meet and discuss what's in the students best interest:
A phone conversation with all parties being able to hear one another clearly (use of a speaker phone, polycom device, etc)
Using a video conferencing application such as: Zoom, Adobe Connect, Skype, Google Hangouts, etc.
A written statement is sent on behalf of the missing party signed by the individual, if they are unable to be present.
Keep in mind the ability to use any of the above mentioned alternatives. You would want to make sure you are not using a method that is not understood fully by the missing party.
A BID meeting and meeting about method of transportation are two different conversations. It is strongly suggested that these two discussions are not mixed, as the method of transportation should not influence school stability. We understand that many times it is difficult to meet with all important parties more than once, so if a meeting to discuss whether or not it is in the best interest of the student to stay at their SOO and the method of transportation takes place in one meeting be aware