fresno county foster youth and education may 30, 2008
TRANSCRIPT
Fresno CountyFoster Youth and EducationMay 30, 2008
Historical Education Initiatives
• K-Six Early Intervention Program • Parenting Partnership
• Data Sharing MOU/Court Order
Sharing Information with FUSD
Prior to AB490: School Board policy changes
MOU developed with FUSD to share info.
IT systems designed.
Foster Care Statistics
PLACEMENTTYPE
NUMBER # OFADDRESSES
# OFSCHOOLS
%ATTENDANCE
%UNEXCUSED
ALL FOSTERYOUTH
799 1.77 1.47 93.3 4.5
RELATIVEPLACEMENTS
130 1.67 1.35 92.6 4.7
GUARDIANHOME
158 1.23 1.09 95.3 2.2
FOSTERFAMILYHOME
333 1.71 1.30 95.3 2.7
GROUPHOME
178 1.77 1.48 88.1 9.8
PLACEMENTTYPE
CSTLANGUAGE ARTS
CSTMATH
GPA SUSPENDED
ALL FOSTERYOUTH
267 210 1.646 438
RELATIVEPLACEMENTS
287 260 1.465 76
GUARDIAN HOME 301 287 1.770 65
FOSTER FAMILYHOME
298 274 1.924 122
GROUP HOME 265 207 1.37 175
Foster Care Statistics cont.
Foster Youth EducationContinuum of Services
0-5Age 5-11 12-15 15-18 18-24
4 p
re-h
igh
sch
ool o
rien
tati
ons
Bri
dge
Pro
gram
K-6
In
terv
enti
on/H
omel
ess
Pro
ject
A
cces
s
GH
Exp
ecta
tion
s in
volv
emen
t in
ed
uca
tion
Ed
uca
tion
Lia
ison
K-8
YL
C –
Fre
sno
Ed
uca
tion
Pro
ject
MO
U/C
ourt
Ord
er:
Info
. Sh
arin
g
Dat
a S
har
e P
roje
ctB
SC
– I
mp
rovi
ng
Ed
uca
tion
al
Con
tin
uit
y
MH
SA
- T
her
apis
ts o
n c
amp
us
ILP
in H
igh
Sch
ool
Infa
nt
Men
tal H
ealt
h
0-6
Res
tru
ctu
rin
g: A
ll F
oste
r C
hild
ren
in H
ead
Sta
rt
Incr
edib
le Y
ears
– P
hoe
nix
Ele
m.
Ren
aiss
ance
/Gu
ard
ian
Sch
olar
s
Pre-School Elementary School
Middle School High School Post - High School
The Foster Bridge Program
Intensive program designed to offer aging-out foster youth support and guidance they need in order to make a smooth transition into college and/or vocational training.
Who is eligible? Aging out foster youth Must be between the ages of 18-21 Must have high school diploma or GED Must have reading and math scores at or above
7th grade level Upon completion of the Foster Bridge Program youth
will be guided to continue towards a two-or four-year degree at college or enter into short-term vocational or certificate training that leads to a career
Guardian Scholars – Core Elements
Process for identification and assessment of students for program acceptance
Full financial aid package Single on-campus point of contact/support person Availability of year round housing Academic guidance and counseling Academic supports – Tutoring, etc. Supplemental supports – transportation, child care, etc. Social Activities Student Leadership External supports – scholarships, employment Sustainable funding
Foster Youth EducationContinuum of Services
0-5Age 5-11 12-15 15-18 18-24
4 p
re-h
igh
sch
ool o
rien
tati
ons
Bri
dge
Pro
gram
K-6
In
terv
enti
on/H
omel
ess
Pro
ject
A
cces
s
GH
Exp
ecta
tion
s in
volv
emen
t in
ed
uca
tion
Ed
uca
tion
Lia
ison
K-8
YL
C –
Fre
sno
Ed
uca
tion
Pro
ject
MO
U/C
ourt
Ord
er:
Info
. Sh
arin
g
Dat
a S
har
e P
roje
ctB
SC
– I
mp
rovi
ng
Ed
uca
tion
al
Con
tin
uit
y
MH
SA
- T
her
apis
ts o
n c
amp
us
ILP
in H
igh
Sch
ool
Infa
nt
Men
tal H
ealt
h
0-6
Res
tru
ctu
rin
g: A
ll F
oste
r C
hild
ren
in H
ead
Sta
rt
Incr
edib
le Y
ears
– P
hoe
nix
Ele
m.
Ren
aiss
ance
/Gu
ard
ian
Sch
olar
s
Pre-School Elementary School
Middle School High School Post - High School
Department of Children and Family Services:
•County-administered public agency
•Child Welfare and Children’s Mental Health Services
•Over 700 employees
•Family to Family Initiative
•Over 2,232 children in out of home care
Fresno Unified School District:
•76,000 Students
•4th Largest School District in California
•82% Poverty Rate
•1,200 students in Foster Care/Group Homes
•2,300 Homeless Students
•107 Schools
Youth Law Center
Collaborative Project
Youth Law Project Goals
•Identify educational barriers faced by Fresno County youth in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems
•Propose strategies to remove those barriers
•Use data to focus on problem areas
•Begin with a population of foster children in grades 7 - 9 and follow over time to analyze the impacts of interventions.
Youth Law Center Collaborative Project
Pilot study with the Youth Law Center working with targeted 7th and 8th grade students living with relatives and performing at GPA 2.0 or below to address individual education barriers.
Youth Law Project Highlights 1st Year (21 Students)
GPA improved 71%
Changed schools 34%
2nd Year (30 Students)
GPA improved 67%
Changed schools 10%
3rd Year (40 Students)– Data pending (June 2008 report cards)
Children's Interagency DataSharing Project
Data Sharing Project• Establish a juvenile information sharing collaborative. • Utilized OJJDP Data Sharing Framework.
• Looked at other data sharing processes in other counties.
• Attended Juvenile Info. Sharing Symposium- Washington D.C.
• Developed MOU template with School Districts.
• Board of Supervisor special meeting.
• Presentation to District Superintendants and receive MOU approval.
Foster Youth and EducationBreakthrough Series Collaborative
Breakthrough SeriesCollaborative Goals
DCFS caseworkers to identify educational rights holder
Evaluate and review any current information on educational rights
Educational Rights Source Bring awareness, foster collaboration, and open lines
of communication with dependency judges Provide opportunities for foster youth to engage in
extracurricular activities as well as tutoring opportunities
2006-2007 School Year
SCHOOL GPA SCHOOL GPA
Academy ofNew Americans
3.667 Lawless 1.417
Ahwahnee 1.860 Scandanavian 1.900
Baird -- Sequoia 1.583
Bullard Talent 2.839 Tehipite 2.535
Carver 2.673 Tenaya 2.311
Cooper 2.026 Terronez 1.564
Fort Miller 1.857 Tioga 2.311
Hamilton 1.956 Wawona 1.773
Kings Canyon 2.101 Yosemite --
SCHOOL GPA
Bullard 1.70
De Wolf 2.641
Edison 1.62
Fresno 1.591
Hoover 1.705
McLane 1.636
Roosevelt 1.375
Sunnyside 1.916
7th & 8th Grade-Quarter 1
9th –12th Grade-Quarter 1
7 High Schools in FUSD
8 th Graders Transitioning to 9 th grade
Approximately 58 Foster Youth BSCBSC
BSC ActivitiesImprove communication with School Districts regarding notices of termination and placement change. Conformity to new California Rules of Court.
Develop education rights pamphlets for Birth Parents, Foster Youth and Foster Parents.
Work with incoming 9th graders at Sunnyside High.
Develop communication between all social workers working in the schools both County and FUSD.
Ethnicity of Student Participants
54%33%
13%
Hispanic Black White
Gender of Student Participants
33%
67%
Male Female
Primary Language of Student Participants
67%
33%
English Spanish
Age of Student Participants
7%
59%
27%
7%
13 14 15 16
9/07
Age of Student Participants at Time of FUSD Enrollment
27%
52%
7%7% 7%
4 5 6 9 10
Age of Student Participants at Time of Entry Into Out of Home Care
7% 7%7%
20%
13%7%13%
13%
13%
1 2 3 5 6 8 9 11 13
Service Program of Student Participants
86%
7% 7%
Permanent Placement Family Reunification Adjudicated 601/602
9/07
Student Participants Who Have An Educational Advocate Assigned
27%
66%
7%
Yes No Unknown
Student Participants Who Have Educational Assessments
13%
87%
Yes No9/07
Student Participants Who Have Experienced School Disruptions Due To
Placement or Re-Placement
47%
53%
Yes No
2005-2007
0.000
0.500
1.000
1.500
2.000
2.500
3.000
3.500
4.000
Grad
e Po
int A
vera
ge
GPA History of Student Participants
7th grade 2nd quarter 7th grade 4th quarter 8th grade 2nd quarter 8th grade 4th quarter
8th Grade English Language Arts CA Standards Test Scores
of Student Participants
57%29%
14%
Far Below Basic Below Basic Basic Proficient
8th Grade Mathematics CA Standards Test Scores of
Student Participants
43%
36%
7% 14%
Far Below Basic Below Basic Basic Proficient
2005 - 2007
Seventh Grade Fourth Quarter Grade Point Averages of Student Participants
14%
50%
36%
0%
0.00 to 0.99 1.00 to 1.99 2.00 to 2.99 3.00 to 4.00
Eighth Grade Fourth Quarter Grade Point Averages of Student Participants
7%
50%
36%
7%
0.00 to 0.99 1.00 to 1.99 2.00 to 2.99 3.00 to 4.00
0%
Other EducationInitiatives Training of School Personnel in Child Welfare Issues FUSD Bi-monthly meeting Education Liaison Education Law Training – Delinquency/Dependency Court System
attorneys Partnership with Probation on education of foster youth “Endless Dreams” Training for ILP Social Workers Data sharing meeting held with County Board of Supervisors, DCFS,
Probation, District Superintendents, and District Foster Care Liaisons Baseline data for foster youth in middle and high schools is being
collected and analyzed. Individual meetings with local group home providers to discuss
educational issues and expectations. Direct contact with the schools about individual foster youth issues
regarding student moves, truancy, testing and other obstacles that are preventing the youth from maximizing educational opportunities.
Other EducationInitiatives cont.
Restructuring of Independent Living Skills (ILP) unit social work assignments so social workers are assigned high schools with high percentages of foster youth enrolled. These social workers will work on campus weekly to meet and work with the youth enrolled to immediately identify and address educational issues.
Modifying Pride Foster Parent Training for new foster parents to include the importance of educational advocacy and how to navigate the school system
Developing in-service training to emphasize the social worker role and responsibility in the education of their children.
Inviting educational providers to the Family to Family Collaboratives and include the collaboratives in working within their schools to advocate for the foster youth in their community as a joint partnership between the community, the educators and the department.
Working with K-6 social workers on early identification of foster children in elementary schools having educational issues to promote early identification of learning disabilities, testing and support services.
Designing tracking system to follow foster children through the educational system and assist in assessing success of applied interventions.