1. Foster Youth Education
LCAP Implementation for Foster Youth Riverside County Office of Education March 27, 2015

2. Foster Care Education Facts
Are significantly more likely to change schools
Are significantly more likely to be enrolled in the lowest performing schools
Tested below basic and far below basic at twice the rate of students statewide
Are significantly more likely to drop out than any other at risk student group.
Have a 58% high school graduation rate, the lowest among at-risk student groups and as compared to a high school graduation rate of 84% for students statewide.
Are identified for Special Education services at almost three times the rate of non-foster students
Source: The Achievement Gap Report 2013: WestEd
Enter Created Date

3. Foster Youth Recent Legislation
AB 12 Signed into law 2010
Amends Welf. & Inst. Code §
Provides for extended eligibility for foster youth services if requested up to age 21 if certain conditions exist.

4. Foster Youth Recent Legislation
AB 167/216
Amends EC High School Graduation requirements for foster youth.
Provides for high schools in CA to grant a diploma to a foster youth entering a high school in the 11th or 12th grade if that student has met the minimum state requirements for graduation, unless that student is reasonably able to complete the schools graduation requirements

5. Foster Youth Recent Legislation
AB 97 School Finance Reform
Adds EC Section EC
Defines Foster Youth for purposes of serving students with LCFF funding
Expands the existing definition of foster youth currently defined under EC
Shifts funding, planning and accountability decision making for foster youth to school districts.

6. Proposed Legislation AB 854
Further refines the definition of foster youth.
Shift in service model
Changes roles of County Offices

7. Foster Youth Defined under LCFF
A child or youth who is the subject of a petition filed under Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) Section 300 (dependent of the court due to the presence or risk of abuse or neglect). This includes both children who are living at home while a dependent of the court as well as children who the court has ordered to be removed into the care, custody and control of a social worker for placement outside the home.

8. Foster Youth Defined under LCFF (cont’d)
A child or youth who is the subject of a petition filed under WIC Section 602 (meaning a court has taken jurisdiction over a child and declared the child to be a ward of the court due to the child’s violation of certain criminal laws) and has been ordered by a court to be removed from home pursuant to WIC Section 727 and placed in foster care as defined by WIC Section 727.4(d).

9. Foster Youth Defined under LCFF (cont’d)
A youth between ages 18 and 21 who is enrolled in high school, is a non-minor dependent under the placement responsibility of child welfare, probation, or a tribal organization participating in an agreement pursuant to WIC Section , and is participating in a transitional living case plan.

10. Who is not defined as Foster Youth under LCFF?
A child or youth who is in a “voluntary placement.” Voluntary placements are not subject to a petition filed under WIC Section 300.
A child or youth who is living with relatives or friends and who is not a dependent of the court (i.e. is not subject to a WIC Section 300 petition).
A child or youth who is a ward of the juvenile court pursuant to a petition filed under WIC Section 602 who is either living at home or has been ordered to be placed in a corrective or rehabilitative facility but has not been ordered to be removed from his or her home into a foster care placement pursuant to WIC Section 727.4(d).

11. What Now? LCFF Expands the definition of foster youth in California
Numbers of eligible youth in California may double
Increased demands on existing structures and systems
Schools will now be held accountable for educational outcomes for foster youth

12. What do we know about Foster Youth?
A population served by multiple systems
(often simultaneously):
California Department of Social Services
Child Welfare
Administrative Office of the Courts
Mental Health
County Probation
Community Based Organizations
Health Care system
Education Community

13. What do we know about Foster Youth? (cont’d)
Many have had multiple home and school placements 24% have had at least two placements
Some struggle with trust and school engagement as a result
Often a skills or academic credit gap
Behavior issues- by history or observation
Substance Abuse
Special Education or special learning needs
Medical Issues
Trauma history

14. How do we serve Foster Youth?
Inter-Disciplinary Approach
Multi-Systems Approach
Team Based
Comprehensive Case Management
Progress Monitoring
Flexible

15. Inter-disciplinary Approach to serving Foster Youth
Services approached based on:
Student need
Inter-agency approach to service delivery requires interaction cross-systems
individuals from several disciplines working toward a common goal
team members have the additional responsibility of the group effort
includes the professionals but also the student, family and/or significant others

16. Multi-Systems Services approached based on:
What do we know about who is already working with the student?
What agencies or systems is the student connected with?
Who has educational rights?
Who has information on history?
What services are already in place?
How is the student responding to those services?
Where are the gaps?

17. Team Based Team approach allows for:
Facilitates integrated interventions, instead of working on isolated tasks.
Less overwhelming for the student if information related to intervention is shared across disciplines, rather than presented separately
Can result in quicker decision making
Redundancy or fragmentation of service can reduced or eliminated
Increasing the cost efficiency of service.

18. Comprehensive Case Management
Comprehensive Case Management in schools includes:
A single point of contact in schools for the student in the coordination of services
Case manager is the liaison between the student, the school, home, government agencies and service providers to reduce duplication
Trust is built with the student, empowering the student to participate in decision making
Facilitates good identification of strengths, needs and goals
Can be a good source of contracting with the student and gaining agreement on roles and follow up.

19. Progress Monitoring Progress monitoring allows for:
The use of data to determine goals for learning that will take place over time.
The student’s school performance including behavior and attendance is measured on a regular basis (weekly or monthly).
Based on these measurements, services are adjusted as needed.
the student’s progression of achievement is monitored and approaches are adjusted to meet the individual students needs
Provides for regular, frequent review of progress and documentation of student progress for accountability purposes

20. Flexibility Process need to be student and family centered.
Process of good case management for foster youth would be
Process need to be student and family centered.
The monitoring and follow up needs to happen quickly and easily to help to build trust in the process and to aid in gaining agreements.
Organizational and institutional barriers need to be removed. process can accommodate differences in background, training, and beliefs, as well as differences in the nature and philosophy of the instructional programs and practices already in place.
Adjustments can be made easily; if something isn’t working, communicate and adjust.

21. How does this happen? Where does the responsibility belong?
LCFF does hold schools accountable for educational outcomes for foster youth.
Consider all of the partners when developing the approach to case managing foster youth in schools
Assign a single person as a case manager
Develop your referral process
Intervention forms
Train your school on the process

22. Models to consider MTSS Structure
MTSS is an integrated, comprehensive framework that focuses on Common Core State Standards, core instruction, differentiated learning, student-centered learning, individualized student needs, and the alignment of systems necessary for all students’ academic, behavioral, and social success.

23. Models to consider (cont’d)
Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS)
School-wide PBIS is a systems or tiered approach to establishing the social culture and behavioral supports needed for all children in a school to achieve both social and academic success.

24. Models to consider (cont’d)
Interconnected Systems Framework (ISF)
ISF within PBIS builds from the established and effective platforms of PBIS to integrate school mental health programs and services for students with a higher level of need, such as individualized academic or behavior support. Aligns with PBIS and MTSS and is an approach that includes emphasis on: (1) effective teams that include community providers, (2) early identification and access to service through data based decision making, (3) ongoing progress monitoring, and (4) rigorous systems review for effectiveness.

25. Additional models to integrate
Trauma Informed Practices
Trauma Informed Practices in schools integrates the following understandings include in the following domains in school: resiliency, relationships, self-regulation, academic competence, and health and wellness. These understandings aid school staff in understanding the needs of foster youth at a deeper level.

26. Questions? For additional information: Lisa Guillen, M.S.
Education Programs Consultant
California Department of Education
(916)