Transcript Foster Care Education: Texas Trio Project
TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY
FOSTER CARE & EDUCATION
ADDRESSING STUDENTS IN K-12 TEXAS REACH 6.04.13
Workshop Goals
Texas Education Agency - Introduction
Education Impacts of Foster Care
Data & Information
Federal & State Law
School District Foster Care Liaison(s)
Linking with District Liaisons
Resources
Texas Trio Project
17-month federal demonstration grant, Child Welfare - Education System Collaborations to Increase Educational Stability (CWED), from U.S Dept of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children & Families
1 of 10 states chosen to highlight collaboration and cross-systems work addressing the education outcomes of children and youth in foster care.
TEA hired Foster Care & Education Policy Coordinator to coordinate grant activities and develop agency capacity
Build model collaboration - Facilitate improved coordination, communication, and practice
TEA; DFPS; Supreme Court Children’s Commission
Implement local pilot project
Partnered with HISD and local DFPS to identify: enrollment & withdrawal, cross-system training, additional barriers, and needs, etc.
Worked in 3 pilot schools.
Supreme Court Children’s Commission:
Education Committee
May 20, 2010 Supreme Court of Texas signed order establishing Education Committee of Permanent Judicial Commission for Children, Youth and Families. Seek to improve collaboration, communication & practice through partnerships with DFPS, TEA, and stakeholders in education and child protection community.
Focused on improving educational outcomes of foster children and youth.
Coordinated effort of numerous agencies and systems involved with child protection and education including -100 stakeholders.
Over 100 recommendations and strategies identified related to: School readiness, School Stability & Transitions, School Experience, Supports & Advocacy, Post Secondary Education.
http://texaschildrenscommission.gov/PDF/TheTe xasBlueprint.pdf
Charged to look at challenges, identify judicial practices and cross-disciplinary training needs, improve collaboration, and make recommendations regarding education.
TO THE ADMINISTRATOR ADDRESSED (TAA)
Letters regarding students in foster care:
Subject: Foster Care Awareness, May 17, 2013 available online:
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=25769804968
Subject: Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Requirements, March 6, 2013 available online:
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=25769803997
Subject: Importance of Maintaining the Education Stability for Children and Youth in the Foster Care System, August 22, 2012 available online:
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=2147508587
Subject: Attendance, Admission, Enrollment, Records and Tuition, August
2, 2012 available online: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=2147508100
TEA Listserv sign-up:
http://miller.tea.state.tx.us/list/
High Mobility - Foster Care impacts education:
Significant problems with transferring information and documentation between educational and child welfare systems. Records may be lost or misplaced, causing youth to lose credits and/or repeat classes. Records may not transfer in a complete and timely manner.
Youth may not be appropriately withdrawn from school, resulting in lowering of youth’s grades. Youth may sit out of school for days/weeks at a time, or are placed in inappropriate classes upon transferring to a new school. By 6 th grade, students who had changed schools 4 or more times lost about 1 year of educational growth (Courtney et al, 2004).
Casey Family Services, ‘Education Stability for Children & Youth in Foster Care’
Additional Impacts on Education
Stability (multiple school & home placements) Separation/Loss family Trauma impacts learning Special Education Missed school days for appointments Stigmatization Socialization Lower scores on standardized tests Loss of important educational, social, cultural connections.
For every school move - students in foster care lose 4-6 months of emotional growth & academic preparation. (Advocates for Children of New York, Inc. 2000)
Texas:
36,441 Texas children encounter the child welfare system 16,000 school age children are in foster care 23.1% (highest percentage) of children in care are 14-17.
1,410 young people exited from care in 2011.
On average each of these youth moved 8 times. Casey Family Programs, Austin, TX Webinar HB 452, Feb 2012, DFPS 2011, Data Book.
Education Outcomes - Foster Care in Texas
Fact: 40.7% of school leavers (reason for leaving school) for students in foster care are coded as graduated, as compared to 70.7% of school leavers statewide for students not in foster care, in grades 7-12. This is not a graduation rate. (PEIMS 2010-11) Fact: 28.7% of school leavers (reason for leaving school) for students in foster care are coded as dropped out, as compared to 8.4% of school leavers statewide for students not in foster care, in grades 7-12. This is not a dropout rate. (PEIMS 2010-11) Fact: Students in foster care are almost three times more likely (24.5%) to receive special education services compared to students in the general population (8.8%). (PEIMS 2011-12) PEIMS: 2011
10
Leaver Status of Students Who Left Texas Public Schools, Grades 7-12 2010-11 Graduated Dropped Out Left for non-graduate, non-dropout reasons: School outside Texas Homeschooling Removed by Child Protective Services All other non-graduate, non-dropout reasons
Counts of Foster Children
631 445 149 86 157 88
% of Foster Children
40.7
28.7
9.6
5.5
10.1
5.3
Statewide Counts
290,581 34,389 36,356 20,876 702 28,236
Statewide %
70.7
8.4
8.8
5.1
0.2
6.9
Note: The percentages on the first two rows are not graduation or dropout rates. These numbers represent the number of students who graduated or dropped out during the year divided by the total number of students who left during that school year.
Foster Children Compared to the State Population Dropouts by Grade 2010-11
11
40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12 Foster Children % Statewide %
12
80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Foster Children Compared to the State Population Graduates by Graduation Program Type 2010-11 Minimum Recommended Distinguished Foster Children % Statewide %
13
Counts and Percentages of Foster Children by Gender and Ethnicity: 2011-12 Female Male
Counts of Foster Children
11,554 12,465
% of Foster Children Statewide Counts
48.1 2,432,216
Statewide %
48.7
51.9 2,566,363 51.3
American Indian/ Alaskan Native Asian Black or African American Hispanic/Latino Native Hawaiian/ Other Pacific Islander White Two or more races 105 88 5,765 10,190 28 7,264 579 0.4
22,383 0.4
24.0
177,185 640,171 42.4 2,541,223 0.1
6,257 30.2 1,527,203 2.4
84,157 0.4
3.5
12.8
50.8
0.1
30.6
1.7
14
Counts and Percentages of Foster Children by Program: 2011-12
Category
At Risk Career and Technology Economically Disadvantaged Gifted and Talented Immigrant Limited English Proficient (LEP) PK Military Special Education
Counts of Foster Children
16,307 2,540 21,669 225 20 1,480 18 5,884
% of Foster Children
67.9
10.6
90.2
0.9
0.1
6.2
0.1
24.5
Statewide Counts
2,267,995 1,072,893 3,013,442 381,744 71,754 838,418 6,033 440,744
Statewide %
45.4
21.5
60.3
7.6
1.4
16.8
0.1
8.8
15
Counts and Percentages of Special Education Foster Children by Primary Disability: 2011-12 Emotional Disturbance Learning Disability Intellectual Disability Other health impairment Speech Impairment
Counts of Special Education Foster Children
2,055 1,152 806 748 598
% of Special Education Foster Children
34.9
19.6
13.7
12.7
10.2
Statewide Counts of Special Education Children
26,303 172,560 35,992 56,426 89,646
Statewide % of Special Education Children
6.0
39.2
8.2
12.8
20.3
Federal Law
Provisions for Students in Foster Care
Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act, 2008
Emphasizes the importance of school stability, maintaining the students school placement, importance of coordination between
child welfare and education agencies.
Assurance that the placement take into account appropriateness of current education setting & proximity to the school in which the child is enrolled at the time of placement.
If not in the best interest – state & local education agency provide immediate and appropriate enrollment in new school with ALL of the education records of the child provided to new school.
Amendment to Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Uninterrupted Scholars Act: Permits educational agencies and institutions to disclose
education records of students in foster care to State and county social service agencies or child welfare agencies.
The statute also amended the requirement that educational agencies and institutions notify parents before complying with judicial orders and subpoenas in certain situations. http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/hottopics/inde x.html
State Law
Texas Education Code Provisions for Students in Foster Care
Texas Education Code Recognizes students in foster care:
Immediate school enrollment - TEC 25.002 Timely Records transfer - TEC 25.002(a-1) Students grades 9-12 are entitled to finish high school where they were enrolled at the time of placement - TEC 25.001 (g) Free eligibility for PRE-K - TEC 29.153
Accelerated Instruction (At-risk indicators and Compensatory Education) - TEC 29.081 (Code #11) School District Foster Care Liaisons - TEC 33.904
Free College Tuition & Fee Waiver – TEC 54.366
TEA to assist the transition from one school to another of students in foster care - TEC 25.007
School District Foster Care Liaison:
“Each School District shall appoint at least one employee to act as a liaison officer to facilitate the enrollment in or transfer to a public school of a child in the district who in the conservatorship of the state. (TEC 33.904)”
Tuition & Fee Waiver (TEC 54.366)
Sec. 54.366. (a) A student is exempt from the payment of tuition and fees authorized in this chapter, including tuition and fees charged by an institution of higher education for a dual credit course or other course for which a high school student may earn joint high school and college credit.
Enrolls…..no later than the student's 25th birthday.
Transition Assistance for Students in Foster Care TEC 25.007:
Encouraging school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to provide services for a student in foster care in transition when applying for admission to post-secondary study and when seeking sources of funding for postsecondary study;
Foster Care: Who Are the Players?
Family Attorney/Atto ney Ad Litem Court/Judge
Student
Caregiver DFPS: Social Worker, Education Specialist, PAL & others Guardian Ad Litem; CASA Therapy/ Medical Community School
Transition to Adulthood
Family Community
Student
DFPS: PAL, After Care
LINKING WITH DISTRICT LIAISONS TO SUPPORT STUDENTS IN FOSTER CARE:
Bridging the Gap:
Introduce yourself to district liaisons. Host a collaborative forum with district liaisons and other groups who support the education of students in foster care. (ACC Luncheon) Create opportunities and include students where the tuition and fee waiver may be activated: summer bridge programs, introductory courses, mini-terms, and other opportunities. Communicate with liaisons about campus events and incorporate students. Host a celebration for graduating high school students. Include others involved in student’s life: judge, CASA, caseworkers, caregiver, etc.
TEA and Liaisons: Building Capacity
Identifying district liaisons and developing a contact list. TEA Website: Foster Care & Student Success http://www.tea.state.tx.us/FosterCareStudentSuccess/ Webinar Trainings (Foster Liaison 101, CPS/Court overview) Foster Care Education Listserv http://miller.tea.state.tx.us/list/ sign-up to received updates. Resource Guide – Coming Summer 2013!
Email: [email protected]
Foster Care Education & Policy Coordinator, [email protected]
; 512-463-9235
Coming Soon… Resource Guide - Summer 2013!
Resource Guide Chapters:
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12) 13) Education & Students in Foster Care Increasing Cross-System Awareness Building Cross-System Partnerships Understanding Foster Care District Foster Care Liaisons Identifying Students & Maintaining Confidentiality Enrollment 101 School Stability & Promoting Effective Transfers Education Decision Making & FERPA Additional School Provisions The School Experience – Providing Student Support Special Education Planning For Transitioning & Post Secondary Education
Education Service Center Regions
32
Welcome to Texas Supporting Success! This new free online program has been created exclusively for young people in foster care. It has articles, quizzes, information, tips and tools to help you manage your life , prepare for independent living, and plan for a happy future.
Additional Resources:
www.ownyourownfuture.com
www.texascollegeandcareer.org
www.texassupportingsuccess.org
www.texasgearup.com/byot/category/ Texas Youth Connection: http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/txyouth/default.asp
“A Youth Guide to School and Success” – Treehouse for Kids, Seattle, WA.
Thank you!
Kelly Kravitz, TEA [email protected]
(512) 463-9235