PLANNED CORRECTIVE ACTION: Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) adheres to Section 1003.23, Florida Statutes, as it pertains to withdrawal of all students enrolled in the District. Based on the DOE's Comprehensive Management Information System Automated Student Attendance Recordkeeping System H...
PLANNED CORRECTIVE ACTION: Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) adheres to Section 1003.23, Florida Statutes, as it pertains to withdrawal of all students enrolled in the District. Based on the DOE's Comprehensive Management Information System Automated Student Attendance Recordkeeping System Handbook: A withdrawal is official when one or more of the following occurs: 1. A parent or legal guardian notifies the school that the child is permanently leaving the school to enroll in another school or in home education. 2. A request for the student's school record is received from a public or private school, in- or out-of-state, in which the student is enrolled or plans to enroll. 3. The student has died. 4. The student transferred to a prison or juvenile facility. The following withdrawal procedures are in place for scenarios where a student needs to be removed from the cohort due to emigration: 1. The registering parent notifies the school, in person, that the student is withdrawing because of having to leave the country. 2. The registrar validates the individual requesting to withdraw the student is the registering parent/legal guardian. 3. The registrar goes to the Student Information screen and inputs Code W3B under the transaction code, and inputs in the School Location line, FLOR or out of Florida identifier. 4. The registrar complete the Notice of Withdrawal/Transfer screen in DSIS by inputting the New School Name, New School Address, (City, State, Country), and phone numbers in addition to the out of Florida identifier (FLOR). 5. The registrar prints the Notice of Withdrawal/Transfer screen and the registering parent signs and dates the document. 6. The registrar provides the registering parent with a copy of the signed Notice of Withdrawal/Transfer screen and keeps a copy of the documentation in the student's cumulative folder (CUM). Upon further review, the District examined the Every Student Succeeds Act High School Graduation Rate Non-Regulatory Guidance. The guidance indicates that for students who leave the country, documentation of withdrawal may include the parent's signed confirmation indicating the student is departing the United States. The District's current procedure requiring a parent or guardian signature on the PF15 aligns with this guidance and reflects the parent's formal acknowledgement that the student is leaving the country and no longer enrolled in the District. The District's withdrawal procedures strictly adhere to the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) Automated Student Attendance Recordkeeping System Handbook. Per State protocol, a withdrawal is deemed official when a parent or legal guardian notifies the school that the child is leaving to enroll in another school. M-DCPS considers the parent's signed acknowledgment at the point of withdrawal as official documentation of a change in status, rather than a mere statement of "intent". While the District followed established State recordkeeping protocols, we recognize the Auditor General's emphasis on the additional evidentiary requirements found in Title 20, Section 7801(25), United States Codes. To address the variance between State and Federal requirements, the District will consult with the Florida Department of Education to seek clarification and work toward reconciling State withdrawal codes with Federal graduation cohort documentation standards. ANTICIPATED COMPLETION DATE: 03/04/2027 RESPONSIBLE CONTACT PERSON: Ana M. Gutierrez