IMPROVING EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE CWLA’s National Conference 2015 Advancing Excellence through Innovation and Collaboration April 27,

Presentation Overview  Introductions  Kathleen McNaught, ABA Center on Children and the Law  Leslie Gross, Administrator, Office of Well Being, District of Columbia Child and Family Services  Megan Dho, Education Supervisor, Office of Well Being, District of Columbia Child and Family Services  Why does this matter?  National Overview  Federal Policy  The Blueprint for Change  Summary of CFSA’s Education Strategy  Why this matters to DC and CFSA  Process to develop Education Strategy  Six Proposed Action Areas to Make Change  Lessons Learned  How Can I Apply This in My State/County? 2

Video Everybody’s A Teacher 3

Why this Work Matters National Statistics  Youth in foster care on average read at only a 7 th grade level after completing 10 th or 11 th grade.  2 to 4 times more likely to repeat a grade.  About 50% complete high school by age 18 (compared to 70% of youth in general population).  15 year-olds in out-of-home care were about half as likely as other students to have graduated high school 5 years later, with significantly higher rates of dropping out (55%) or incarcerated (10%).  Far less likely to enter into, and complete, post-secondary education.  One study showed that over two thirds of children in care changed schools shortly after initial placement in care.  In a national study, youth who had even one fewer placement change per year were almost twice as likely to graduate from high school before leaving care. 4

Federal Policy  Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act (2008)  Places requirements on child welfare agencies to work with schools to support the education needs of children in foster care  Brought much-needed attention to the critical importance of education stability for children in foster care  Requires Best Interest Decisions to be made for school placement  Uninterrupted Scholars Act (2013)  Amended Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act giving easier access to school records for child welfare agencies 5

The Blueprint for Change A Framework for Increasing Education Success for Children in Foster Care  Goal 1: Youth are Entitled to Remain in their Same School when Feasible  Goal 2: Youth are Guaranteed Seamless Transitions Between Schools and School Districts When Moves Occur  Goal 3: Young Children Enter School Ready to Learn  Goal 4: Youth Have the Opportunity and Support to Fully Participate in all Aspects of the School Experience  Goal 5: Youth Have Supports to Prevent School Dropout, Truancy and Disciplinary Actions  Goal 6: Youth are Involved and Engaged in all Aspects of their Educational Planning and are Empowered to be Advocates for their Education Needs and Pursuits  Goal 7: Youth Have an Adult who is Invested in His or Her Education During and After His or Her Time in Out-of-Home Care  Goal 8: Youth Have Supports to Enter into, and Complete, Postsecondary Education 6

Overview of CFSA To improve the safety, permanence, and well being of abused and neglected children in the District of Columbia and to strengthen their families. CFSA is the child welfare agency. The child welfare system is composed of numerous public and private organizations partnering together. The Four Pillar Strategic Agenda guides our practice.

D.C. Child and Family Services Agency Overview 8 Number of children and youth in foster care 1,044 Characteristics of children and youth in foster care NumberPercentage Age Young children (0-4) % School age children and youth (age 5- 17) % Young adults (age 18-20) % Race/Ethnicity White353.35% Black % Other children and youth of color161.53% Gender Male % Female % Data as of February 28, 2015

Where DC Foster Kids Attend School District of Columbia Statistics 9 N=643 students (K-12) Based on data from April 6, 2015

Why this Work Matters in DC? District of Columbia Statistics  Performance  40-45% of the students in care who took the A+ Assessment in 2013 (over 500 children) scored below grade level in reading, math or both.  Of the 175 CFSA students in DCPS in school year, 70% are not proficient in reading (compared to 50.5% of DCPS students overall), and 68.5% not proficient in math (compared to 47% of DCPS students overall).  Special Education (approximation based on CFSA’s data as of 1/5/15)  40% youth enrolled in special education currently 10

CFSA Education Strategy Summary of Work 11  Identified Blueprint as guiding document to move education work forward at CFSA  Partnered with ABA Center on Children and the Law  Intensive review of policies and practices  Individual meetings with internal and external stakeholders  Group meetings and focus groups with internal and external stakeholders  What we Heard from Stakeholders  Need for role clarity  Social worker time/expertise  Resource parent commitment to education  Finalized CFSA’s Blueprint for Change including strengths, gaps, and recommendations for improvement.  Identified priority activities within the priority action areas and started to draft individual work plans to implement recommendations throughout CFSA.  Hired Project Coordinator to guide the work and keep it on task.

Six Proposed Action Areas for Change An Agency-wide Strategy to Implement the Blueprint Goals 1. Policy Improvements –revisions and additions to existing policies to encompass all goals and implementation of those policies 2. Training and Resources – ensure development and delivery of education training to all stakeholders 3. Practice Improvements - changing the culture and day to day work of the agency regarding the importance of education 4. Enhance Internal CFSA Staffing and Coordination - improve internal coordination around education and determine whether CFSA has the staff to support the range of expectations outlined in the Blueprint 5. Improve Collaboration With Key Stakeholders – develop a strategic plan for coordination and collaboration with school and other partners 6. Improve Information Sharing and Data Collection – improve CFSA’s ability to access and maintain necessary education information 12

CFSA Agency-Wide Education Strategy Action Area #1: Improving Policy  Revise & consolidate CFSA Education Services Policy  Expand the policy to address new areas of focus (special education, discipline, school choice)  Define roles and responsibilities of various CFSA staff and supports with respect to education Action Area #2: Training & Resources  Ensure all CFSA trainings emphasize the importance of educational stability and success for students in CFSA custody.  Create educational materials and tip sheets to guide social worker practice  Ensure educational resources are housed in a place that is accessible to all staff  Provide ongoing education related training to all staff, including:  private agency staff  other stakeholders (resource parents, biological parents, youth and agency attorneys) 13

CFSA Agency-Wide Education Strategy Action Area #3: Improving Practice  Ensure accurate and up-to-date records are included in each case file  Ensure education issues are addressed in every child’s case plan  Share contact and other key information with the schools our children and youth attend  Increase supports for our youth in the school setting (school liaisons, peer mentors)  Increase the engagement of youth, birth families and resource families in education planning  Increase youth involvement in extra-curricular activities and post-secondary planning Action Area #4: Enhance Internal Staffing and Coordination  Increase collaboration across administrations to address education at all stages of a child’s case (from removal to exit from care).  Clarify staff roles and responsibilities to support education success within and among CFSA and private agencies.  Identify staffing changes and additions needed to fully implement the CFSA adopted Blueprint for Change Framework 14

CFSA Agency-Wide Education Strategy Action Area #5: Collaborate with External Stakeholders  Maintain and cultivate relationships with key education partners.  Educate school partners about the unique educational needs of kids in care and explore ways to increase their capacity to meet those needs.  Identify potential areas for collaboration with relevant stakeholders including:  policy changes  resource sharing and training  citywide educational campaigns (school choice, enrollment/attendance)  data sharing Action Area #6: Improve Data-Sharing and Collection  Improve CFSA’s access to education data for all kids in care (grades, attendance, test scores, disciplinary records)  Develop systems to maintain and distribute critical education data in ways that can enhance practice. 15

Early Wins in tandem with Strategy Work  Leadership support and Internal Buy In  Internal Communication and Supports  Changing the way we do the work  Getting the word out about our education strategy and our education specialists  Getting education information in the hands of front line workers  Collaboration with partners 16

Lessons learned  Involve key staff with institutional knowledge  Collaboration and Teaming  Get people involved and get their opinions  Gain leadership support early  Maintain that support  Outside expertise to infuse new ideas  Integrate all plans  Form a plan to use the data  Patience and time 17

What Your Agency Can Do 18 Goal 1: Youth remain in their same school when possible and in their best interests  Map resource parents and schools at the very first placement  Ensure social workers are considering all factors for best interest decision-making  Make sure school has critical information they need to ensure needs of youth can be met Goal 2: Youth are guaranteed seamless transitions between schools and school districts  Ensure students are enrolled in the right classes and all earned credits are transferred  Review graduation requirements and monitor credits to ensure students are on track for graduation Goal 3: Young children in foster care enter school ready to learn  Share information with resource parents on developmental milestones and importance of reading with young children  Consider all options to ensure quality care and education settings

What Your Agency Can Do 19 Goal 4: Youth have the opportunity and support to fully participate in all aspects of the school experience  Ensure a child who may have special education needs is evaluated and prompt/appropriate implementation of an IEP occurs when school is changed  Help and encourage youth to participate in extra curricular activities Goal 5: Youth in care have dropout, truancy and school discipline rates equal to or less than those of all other children.  Monitor attendance and engage child’s team immediately when problems occur  Seek help to make sure rules are being followed when students are disciplined Goal 6: Youth are involved in and engaged in all aspects of their education and educational planning and are empowered to be self advocates for their education needs and pursuits.  Talk to youth about their future and counsel them about their education options  Build youth’s confidence, set high expectations and encourage success

What Your Agency Can Do 20 Goal 7: Youth have an adult investing in his or her education during and after his or her time in out of home care.  Ensure youth have an identified education decision maker and connect with that individual  Ensure resource parents are monitoring and assisting with all education needs  Involve birth parents (especially when the permanency goal is reunification) Goal 8: Youth in care enter into, and complete, post-secondary education pursuits at rates comparable to, or better than those not in care.  Talk early and often with youth about post-secondary plans (college/career/vocational)  Ensure youth receive information about financial assistance and understand implications of it  Stay connected to youth in college or other post-secondary programs and help find supports to keep them doing well and engaged, and ensure youth have other support systems in place

QUESTIONS?  Kathleen McNaught, Assistant Director, American Bar Association    Leslie Gross, Administrator, Office of Well Being    Megan Dho, Education Supervisor, Office of Well Being    Megan Fletcher, Project Specialist, Office of Well Being   21