1. Cindy – Opening Comments about the Workgroup
6th year
Focus this year has been to implement recommendations from previous years (and by the way including this year – our workgroup has made 40 total recommendations to the SRT)
Respond to several new legislative proposals, and finalize workgroup legislative recommendations
Reorganizing PA Blue Print for Education Success for Foster Youth
Continued collaboration
Data Collection, sharing and analyzing
Enhancements to the PA Truancy Toolkit
New CWCR Truancy Prevention and Intervention Curriculum

2. Judge Kuhn and Keith (if he wants to speak briefly)
Good portion of Workgroup time spent finalizing workgroup legislative recommendations and commenting and responding to several new pieces of legislation that were introduced related to the Berks County case of the mom who was sentenced for failure to pay finds and subsequently died while incarcerated.
A few workgroup members were asked to testify at a legislative hearing – to educate members of the House Education Committee on the issues of truancy and to explain our workgroup’s efforts
The House of Representatives adopted HR 1032 (which is attached to the report) JSGC – study the issue of truancy and school dropout prevention including the study of truancy laws and policies, best practices and barriers regarding education success and stability, data collection measurement of educational outcomes for children in foster care and what other states are doing surrounding this topic. 7 ESTP members sit on this committee

3. Judge Ullman
Collaboration is worth noting - take a step back from where were 6 years ago. When we started, we were just beginning to unpack the issue of truancy, and then educational success for foster youth. We have spent a considerable about of time building those relationships understanding what one another does and most importantly understanding that the responsibility of educating our youth is a collaborative venture, not one agencies responsibility and that the only way we move the needle in addressing truancy or enhancing educational success for youth if foster care is by doing it together.
As the executive deputy sec of education sits here today – as part of the SRT is demonstratives our strong partnership.
Now, our partnership is much stronger. State Leaders from Education, Child Welfare, JCJC and the Courts meet regularly to discuss issues related to educational success.
Now, We speak with a common voice. This common voice has been extremely effective as we work to help and education the JSGC in making legislative recommendations, support efforts on the state level and work with local children's roundtables in implementing Workgroup recommendations.
We didn’t know where this workgroup would take us 6 years ago, but what we came to realize is our very first recommendation to Local Children’s Roundtables from way back in 2010 was “Demonstrating Effective Collaboration Efforts Including Sharing the Accountability and Responsibility…..” would help us to achieve so much at both the state and local levels. Of course we know there is still more to do, but what we do know is the only way it will get done is to do it TOGETHER.

4. PENNSYLVANIA
Cindy
First introduced the Pennsylvania Blueprint for Education Success for Foster Youth in focuses on 5 core areas
Enhanced communication and collaboration between child welfare, education and the courts
Cross systems education and resources
Legislative and policy reform
Data collection and sharing
Court Competencies
You will see our first in 2015 recommendation is to finalize, publish and implement the Blueprint (update on this)

5. What’s New Judge Kuhn Three major accomplishments this year:
First, 2014 Benchbook Revisions – Education – no chapter on education but information is dispersed throughout emphasizing the importance of educational well-being at each stage of the dependency process.
Second, the must anticipated revised truancy Child Welfare Resource Center’s Course 202: Truancy Prevention and Intervention training curriculum for child welfare professionals was completed and will be available in July 2015 to request this training. So thrilled about this enhanced training. Workgroup members worked closely with Sharon England and her staff from the CWRC to incorporate the workgroup’s recommendations from 2010 with a strong focus of understanding the root causes of truancy, and the importance and useful tools in working collaboratively to address the issue. Thank you to Sandy’s Office for helping to promote the training during the 2015 Spring Leadership Roundtables. Trainings are already scheduled for Erie, Montgomery, Allegheny in the next few months.
Third, In 2011, the workgroup first recommended updating and enhancing the PA Truancy Toolkit. Thanks so much to David Volkman and Mike Kozup from PDE on spearheading the enhancement efforts. We had a subgroup of our workgroup working with PDE on those enhancements –The Pennsylvania School Attendance Improvement and Truancy Reduction Toolkit is designed to provide resources and strategies for educators, child welfare professionals and court personnel to effectively address truancy in their local community. The toolkit is web-based in order to enable for updates and changes in the future as required by any changes in the School Code. – Ask David if he wants to add anything
Some highlights include a stakeholder specific sections and a model fillable PDF Attendance Improvement Plan (formerly a TEP) that can be completed and downloaded from the website.
Fourth, Educational Success Presentations at the 2015 Children’s Summit

6. Cindy
First Ever Education Summit for Foster Youth – In 2013 you approved such an event – happy to report the early planning efforts are underway.
Summit scheduled for late summer 2016 – start off to the school year
One day summit
Objective of the Summit would be to gather county teams consisting of cross-systems stakeholders (child welfare, education, courts, perhaps probation, legal systems stakeholders) to develop an action plan with concrete goals for enhancing collaborative efforts to improve educational outcomes.
Facilitated discussion regional and county teams
Youth will participate in a panel presentation and also assist county teams in a “ask the expert role”
One component of the local plan must include data sharing and planned evaluation of efforts
Workgroup members will act as ambassadors to assist county teams after the summit in implementation of the plan
We are really going to need your support to get counties there to participate

7. Cindy
Despite the strong partnership and the common understanding to collect, share and analyze data – it didn’t happen.
Lack of readily available information coupled with no formal sharing agreement and legal barriers – we hit the wall and were very frustrated. If we cant share, then who can?

8. Cindy
In the age of information – ignorance is a choice…..
Its time to get on the right road to collect, share and an analyze

9. Judge Ullman
We ask for your approval of the recommendations on page 9 to finalize, publish and implement the Blueprint for Education Success, urge PDE, DHS and the Courts to prioritize data, continue our work information the JSGC’s Committee on Truancy and School Dropout Prevention, continue to act as ambassadors to support the LCRs and finally to develop a comprehensive strategy to evaluate the Workgroup’s efforts.

10. If you want to move people, it has to be towards a vision that is positive for them, that taps important values, that gets them something they desire and it has to be presented in a compelling way that they feel inspired to follow. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
Cindy:
So here is our burning question articulated by someone who may look very familiar to you…..
Hi Everyone – remember me, Aaron from the 2015 Children’s Summit – the Voice from the back of the room…….
While we don’t have any good data on how foster youth are doing educationally in PA, what we can guess just from what we do know is that foster youth probably rank among the lowest for test scores and graduation rates and probably don’t have a strong connection to their schools.
I hear these stories from kids everyday – I don’t have to look at a spreadsheet to know we aren’t helping them as much as we could, we are moving them, we are taking away their support systems, their friends and the way they define themselves.
I know that its not easy, and there is a lot of red tape, but to me its pretty simple – you are the decision makers who can make things happen.
You cant make good decisions without good information – So I will ask you the same question that I ask youth – what will motivate you to do better.
What’s in it for us to have good educational data on kids in Foster Care? What’s in it for us if we don’t?
What will motivate you to act to make things better.

11. Burning question?
What would motivate you to gather, share and analyze information?
Courts’ Perspective – Judge Kuhn
Education’s Perspective – David Volkman
Child Welfare Perspective – Cathy Utz