Overcoming the Invisible Achievement Gap through Evaluation, Empathy and Engagement Introduce us and our topic- Arayah 

The Vision FosterEd is a program operating in four states- Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Indiana- working together in partnership with a deeply invested team of state and local partners, students, and parents to build toward a reality in which the vast majority of system involved youth graduate high school with the widest array of possibilities for their future. We measure our success by the degree to which students in foster care are positively engaged in school and learning, empowered to take charge of their educational futures, and have meaningful relationships with caring adults who support their educational needs and strengths. Introduce us and our topic- Arayah.

AZ Invisible Achievement Gap Report Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, 2012-13 School Year Students in foster care are a distinct subgroup of at-risk students They are more likely than other students to: Change schools during the school year Be enrolled in special education Attend a non-traditional school Arayah Barrat, V.X., Berliner, B., & Felida, N.J. (2015). Arizona’s Invisible Achievement Gap: Education Outcomes of Students in Foster Care in the State’s Public Schools. San Francisco; WestEd.

School Mobility Only 58% of students that spent time in foster care stayed in one school for the full 2012-13 school year. 5% of students in foster care attended four or more schools in one year; Less than 1% of all students attended more than four schools. Arayah

Dropout Rates The graduation rate for all 12th grade students in foster care statewide was 78%. 12th grade students in foster care graduated at the rate of 33%. 18% of foster youth dropped out of the 12th grade; only 6% of all students dropped out at that age. Arayah

AZ Students in Foster Care & Special Education Julee

Every Student Succeeds Act Important provisions for students in foster care: Right to remain in the same school when in the child’s best interest Immediate enrollment in school and records transfer Transportation to school Points of Contact Data collection and reporting Julee

Educational Challenges Likelihood of necessary special services School mobility Lack of educational decision makers and advocates Trauma that can create emotional disabilities, classroom disruption, difficulty focusing, etc. Home mobility that can interrupt school success, homework, and stability Julee – End with Activity (circles)

Empathy & Engagement Embracing and attempting to understand the experiences and special needs of students in foster care. Learning best practices in trauma-informed care and mental health aid. Helping students learn to be their own advocates and utilize their resiliency to succeed in school. Practicing student-centered education and promoting youth voice. Jennifer-

Tips & Tools for Teachers Locating the Notice to Provider to know who to contact (DCS case worker and placement) Participating in Child and Family Team (CFT) meetings or providing updates For older students (Jr/Sr High) class surveys asking about extra support; access to computers; other responsibilities; what “check-in” questions to ask Offering to connect with new teacher(s) if a student changes schools High expectations and opportunities to commit to life-long education (ETV for 16+) Jennifer (& Julee?)

Tips & Tools for Teachers- Trauma Create an emotionally and physically safe space Establish predictability with schedules, preparation for transitions, and room for questions. Build a sense of trust by following through with promises and being transparent with explanations in times of change. Offer choices to empower students to make their own choices. Have regulation tools ready to help students in states of hyperarousal (angry, nervous, panicky) or hypoarousal (numb, depressed, fatigue) Never punish a student for behaviors that are trauma symptoms. Jennifer

2 x 10 Rule Spend 2 minutes a day for 10 days talking with an at-risk student about anything he/she wants to talk about Jennifer

Questions Contact us: Activity What are some of your stories? Tips? Tools? Questions? Resources Available Contact us: Julee Aros-Thornton Arayah Larson Volunteer Coordinator jaros.thornton@youthlaw.org alarson@youthlaw.org Jennifer Harris Education Liaison jharris@youthlaw.org Julee – Activity Arayah – Closing/questions