Transcript A presentation for you to use or modify

A Call to Action
Wednesday, December 1st
9:00am-12:00pm
1000 W. Tharpe Street,
Tallahassee
Why are we here?
The Children
71 % of the children in foster care are between the
ages of 6 and 18 (school age)
It is estimated that when a student in foster care
changes schools, an average of four to six months
of educational progress is lost.
Children in foster care in one Florida School System
were more likely than same age peers to be retained
in grade and score lower on standardized tests.
The Children
100 % of the children
have hopes and dreams
before coming into the
dependency system.
3
Many Systems,
Many Silos
• School personnel often do not know a child is in
foster care or the implications of foster care on a
child’s education.
• Child welfare and Juvenile Justice professionals
often lack the training to provide the advocacy
these children require in the other systems.
Education Issue Brief: Improving Special Education for Children with Disabilities in Foster Care,
Claire van Wingerden, John Emerson, and Dennis Ichhikawa, Casey Family Programs, June 2002
There are laws and rules, but
Together,
we can find ways to do more than plan,
we can find ways to help each other
implement, to go from “good to great”
The GOALS
The Statewide “InterAgency Agreement”
Seeks to coordinate services for children
and incorporates
A Guide to Improve Education
Opportunities for Florida’s Foster
Youth
The Guide contains 11 Goals
(and many suggested actions)
Goal 1
School Stability:
Students should remain in their
same school, unless it is unsafe
Goal 2
Seamless Transition Between Schools.
Regardless of school district.
– No Delay in enrollment
– No Delay in records transfer
– No repeating or missing valuable
educational material
– No Loss of credits
– Minimize trauma so not overwhelmed
with the move and disruption
Goal 3
School Readiness:
Young children enter school ready to learn.
Goal 4
Full Participation in the School
Experience: 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 in all aspects
of their education and educational
planning and are empowered to be
advocates for their education needs.
Goal 7
Youth have an adult who is invested in
his or her education during and after
time in Foster Care,
including a Surrogate Parent where
appropriate.
Goal 8
Youth have supports to enter into, and
complete, postsecondary education or
obtaining employment.
Goal 9
Youth with Disabilities are:
Identified Early &
Served Appropriately
Goal 10
Youth are educated
in a trauma-sensitive environment,
recognizing the root cause
of inappropriate behaviors and
providing appropriate behavioral supports
that create a safe environment,
conducive to learning,
rather than punishing youth for acting in response
to their anger and hurt.
Goal 11
All Youth
Attend
and
Complete School
New Goal 12
EVERYBODY’S A TEACHER
•
•
•
•
Everybody plays a role in a child’s education
Stay engaged.
Stay proactive.
And remind yourself every time you look in the
mirror…
EVERYBODY’S A TEACHER
“report card”
• ADD LOCAL DATA
.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What are our local issues?
Early Childhood
Disabilities
Reading
FCAT and other testing
Education planning
Graduation
Transition Planning
Others brainstormed by group
Barriers to Success
• Add issues identified locally
Actions We Can Take
• Add Actions identified locally
Students Reading At and Above Grade Level
for Grade 3,
Graduate from High School
at Higher Rates Than
.
Students Reading Below Grade Level
• Reading represents the major foundational skill for school-based
learning,
• Reading ability is strongly related to opportunities for academic and
vocational success.
• A critical transition takes place during elementary school—from
learning to read up to third grade to reading to learn in fourth grade.
• Students who are not reading at grade level in third grade begin
having difficulty comprehending the written material that is a central
part of the educational process in the grades that follow
• children who are below grade level in third grade but catch up by
ninth grade have a better prognosis for their future educational
outcomes than those who continue to lag.
The voice of a child
“It’s hard to be making new friends, meeting new people,
and getting used to each school’s vibe. And it can
be hard to concentrate when you jump from home to home
and school to school.…Sometimes teachers assume
you’re just passing through their school and class,
and won’t take an interest in you. And if an adult in school
does take a special interest in you, you usually lose that
connection when you switch schools.” Russell Morse,
School Daze, Foster Care Youth United, p.9
(November/December 1999).
Together
• Partnerships empower students in foster care
to improve performance and prepare for postsecondary education, the world of work and
independence.
• Everyone benefits from the child’s success
Every child needs teachers