Improving Education Outcomes for Court- Involved Youth Jessica Feierman April 10, 2015

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What Every Child Needs

Instability

School Instability Attended 5 or more schools Attended 3 or more schools

EDUCATION OUTCOMES FOR YOUTH IN CARE  Is the deck stacked against our youth?

EDUCATION OUTCOMES FOR YOUTH IN CARE Less than 50% of high school students in care graduate

EDUCATION OUTCOMES FOR YOUTH IN CARE

College Graduation Rate

EDUCATION OUTCOMES FOR YOUTH IN CARE “youth in foster care are 2.5 [to] 3.5 [times] more likely to be receiving special education services than their non foster care peers.” * *National Working Group on Foster Care and Education, Education is the Lifeline for Youth in Care.

Making a Change Education was one of the few stabilities I had in my life. My hope would be that a family would fill that role, but for me, it was education. That was the greatest gift. Everything else was taken away from me, but education wasn’t.... It made the difference. NCSL and Excal Consulting Partners LLC. (March 2008) Stuart Foundation Stuart Foundation Video: It Gets Awesome eo.com/use r /r eview/ / af7d%22

IMPROVING EDUCATION OUTCOMES Youth in care who are connected to mentors are as likely to graduate than those who are not 3x

IMPROVING EDUCATION OUTCOMES Youth who stay in the same placement and school are more likely to graduate 50%

IMPROVING EDUCATION EDUCATION OUTCOMES Students who receive SIX months of one- on-one tutoring have a 1.7 grade level increase in reading

Blueprint for Change: Education Success for Children in Foster Care  8 Goals for Youth  Benchmarks for each goal indicating progress toward achieving education success  National, State, and Local Examples

Goal 1: Remain in the Same School  Innovative Examples: GIS Mapping School-Based Foster Family Recruitment Interagency Transportation Agreements Court Rules

Goal 2: Seamless Transitions  Innovative Example: Education Dashboards Specially Trained Liaisons Caseworker Role Specified

Goal 3: Young Children Ready to Learn  Prioritize young children in care for Head Start and other early learning programs  Assess young children in care for early intervention  Identify appropriate providers

Goal 4: Equal Access  Involvement in extra-curricular activities  Access to academic programs – including gifted and talented special education career and technical education

Goal 5: Address Dropout, Truancy, and Discipline  Compassionate Schools  Trauma-Informed Schools  Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

Goal 6: Involving and Empowering Youth  Youth involved in court  Youth plan early and often  Youth at education meetings with supportive adults

Goal 7: Supportive Adults as Advocates and Decision-makers  Mentors  Education Decision-Makers Special Education General Education  Advocates  Parents  Foster parents  Liaisons  Teachers

Goal 8: Obtaining Postsecondary Education  Higher Education Liaisons  Transition Planning Special and General Education Needs Post-Secondary Counseling College Tours Help with applications and FAFSA Prioritizing youth in care in college prep programs  Tuition Support and Fee Waivers  Campus Housing During Breaks  Campus Support Programs

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Legal Center Database

Conclusion

Contact Jessica Feierman Juvenile Law Center 1315 Walnut Street, Suite 400 Philadelphia, PA (215) ext 116 Legal Center for Foster Care and Education