John McLaughlin
Federal Program Manager, Title I, Part D
U.S. Department of Education (OESE, SASA)
1

S I M O N G O N S O U L I N
D i r e c t o r , N D T A C
A I R

The National Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center for the
Education of Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk (NDTAC) is a national resource center funded by ED providing direct assistance to state and local educational agencies, juvenile justice facilities, and community schools in the implementation of Title I, Part D (TIPD).
NDTAC provides technical assistance through:
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Direct communication with State coordinators and colleagues
Peer-to-peer community calls
Webinars and other virtual events
NDTAC National Conferences
Briefs, fact sheets, toolkits, and guides
National, State, and local conference presentations www.neglected-delinquent.org

Question: Who is responsible for the education of youth engaged in the child welfare system?
Answer: Everyone responsible for the well being of a child is inherently responsible for his or her academic achievement.

As compared to their non-system-involved peers, youth involved with the foster care system more often face:
 Higher rates of educational failure
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Unemployment
Poverty
Single parenting
Mental health concerns
Housing instability
Victimization
(Osgood, Foster, Flanagan, Ruth, 2005)

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Unfortunately, many agency policies, practices, and services intended to help youth involved in the child welfare system are often limited, duplicative , and/or fragmented.
Collaboration is the key to achieving practice, policy, and cultural changes that support educational stability and achievement for children and youth in care and for those responsible for their well-being.
(Casey Family Programs, 2011)

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Philosophical barriers between systems: different goals and missions
Structural barriers: separate agencies with separate funding streams and management structures, informationsharing challenges, desire to protect one’s turf
Language and communication barriers: lots of jargon in all agencies, different ways of speaking about youth and families, lack of mechanism to allow systems to routinely communicate with one another
Staff resistance barriers: collaboration can be threatening to staff, staff may feel out of their element if forced to think and act differently, reluctant to work with young adult offenders
Source: NCMHJJ

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Establishing and solidifying strong collaborations between child welfare and education
Establishing and implementing formalized information sharing agreements
Convening cross-agency training and meetings
Addressing challenges through strategic problem solving
Acting as advocates for the promotion of youth’s educational stability and success
(Christian, 2003)

Panel Format:
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David Osher
American Institutes for Research
Peter Leone
University of Maryland
Maura McInerney, Esq.
Education Law Center

The Connection Between School Climate,
The Conditions for Learning, and Academic
Success
D a v i d O s h e r
V i c e P r e s i d e n t , A m e r i c a n I n s t i t u t e s f o r R e s e a r c h
C o - D i r e c t o r , H u m a n a n d S o c i a l D e v e l o p m e n t
P r o g r a m

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Outcomes
Challenge posed by trauma and mental health needs

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On Your Own without a Net (McArthur Foundation study of Transition to Adulthood of Vulnerable Populations)
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 homelessness, mental health issues, disabilities special health care needs (Osgood, Foster, Flanagan, & Ruth, 2005)
3/10 of homeless adults former foster children
(Casey Family
Programs, 2001)
1/3 former Foster children need public assistance after 18
(Cournteny, Grogan-Taylor, Nesmith, 1998)
Education Key to Success (Cook, 1992; National Council of Juvenile and Family
Court Judges, 2002)

Education and Children in the Child Welfare
System
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Poorer Education Outcomes
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AIR California Study
(Parrish et al., 2005)
Chicago Example Graduation Rates: 1998-2003:
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All Students – 59%
Children in Forster Care – 32%
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More identification as special education classification or an emotional or behavioral disturbance
(Smithgall, Gladden, Yang,
Goerge, 2005
)
Poorer Education Placements
(Allensworth, Bryk, Easton, Luppescu
& Sebring, Forthcoming)
More mobility
(COURTNEY, RODERICK, SMITHGALL,GLADDEN, & NAGAOKA, 2004)

National Working Group on Foster Care and
Education: Long Term Goals
 Educational stability for children and youth in foster care
 Seamless educational transitions for children and youth when education changes do occur
 High quality educational experiences, expectations and aspirations for young people in foster care
 Greater national attention to the disparate educational outcomes for young people in foster care, particularly children and youth of color

What is our Standard of Success?
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Is Being On Track Sufficient?
Northwest Foster Alumni Study
(Washington & Oregon)
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Alumni obtained a high school diploma or passed the general education development (GED) test at the same rates as 25-to-
34-year-olds generally
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84.5% versus 87.3%
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But , they were much less likely to have a bachelor’s degree
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1.8% versus 22.5%.

The Particular Challenges of Trauma and Mental
Health Needs
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Removal from a family – no matter how dangerous the situation – is emotionally traumatizing for the child.
What precedes OR follows removal, may also cause trauma or retraumatization
Over 54% of foster care alumni had at least one mental health problem
(depression, social phobia, panic disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder, among others) compared with 22.1% of the general population
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About one quarter of the alumni experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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This figure is greater than the prevalence of PTSD among Vietnam or
Iraq war veterans — about 15%.

Impact of Trauma
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Increased Depression
Anxiety
Anger
Behavioral Problems
Greater alcohol and substance abuse
Lower Academic Achievement
The altered neural systems can shape behavioral that affect learning and subject to adult counteraggression

Trauma and Mental Health Needs
 Relational issues are particularly important for children in the child welfare system due to the likelihood of exposure to trauma or the existence of mental health issues.

Responding to Trauma
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EVERY system involved needs to be addressing the feelings and fears that result and not retraumatize
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Some (maybe a lot) of the “troubling” behaviors children exhibit in foster care and “special schools” is due to:
 system ignorance of this trauma, and
 failure to provide the essential emotional supports to overcome the anxieties.

Placement Instability
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Mobility is a risk factor
(Osher, Morrison, & Bailey, 2002)
Children experience frequent moves from one placement to another due to:
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A STUDY OF PLACEMENT STABILITY IN ILLINOIS
 challenges in meeting the emotional and developmental needs of foster children, often without adequate resources (Zinn,
DeCoursey, Goerge, and Courtney, 2006)

Placement Instability
 Children experience frequent moves from one placement to another due to:
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 challenges in meeting the emotional and developmental needs of foster children, often without adequate resources three-quarters (75.9%) of children's most recent placement moves were due, at least in part, to foster parents' inability or unwillingness to continue fostering the reason most commonly cited was foster parent's inability to tolerate children's behavioral or emotional problems (27.6%).
Zinn, DeCoursey, Goerge, and Courtney, 2006

 Emotions and social emotional capacities affect learning and teaching
 Relationships and social and emotional capacity provide a foundation for learning and transition planning
 Contexts affect emotions and relationships
 Learning is social process that depends upon the ability of the student to attend and the teacher to personalize

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There are measurable conditions for learning that affect the ability of students to attend and teachers to personalize
 There are measureable social emotional capacities that affect the conditions for learning
 Conditions and capacities can be improved through intervention.

Teaching Learning
Better
Outcomes
Conditions

Conditions for Learning (CFL)
Safety
• Physically safe
• Emotionally safe
• Treated fairly and equitably
• Avoid risky behaviors
• School is safe and orderly
Support , Care, & Connection
• Meaningful connection to adults
• Experience of Care & Respect
• Strong bonds to school
• Positive peer relationships
• Effective and available support
Challenge & Engagement
• High expectations
• School is connected to life goals
• Strong personal motivation
• Academic Engagement
• Rigorous academic opportunities
Social Emotional Competency
• Emotional intelligence
• Self Regulation
• Culturally competence
• Responsible and persistent
• Cooperative team players
• Contribute to school community
Osher et al., 2008

Implications for Children in Foster Care: National
Working Group on Foster Care and Education
Research Findings:
 Changing schools hinders academic achievement
 Students must be enrolled in school quickly and consistently
 Regular school attendance matters
 Children must have support to prevent serious behavior problems at school
 Multiple moves often mean lower test scores
Research Highlights on Education and Foster Care (July 2011)

Implications for Children in Foster Care: National
Working Group on Foster Care and Education
Research Findings (cont.):
 Holding students back can lead to dropping out of school
 Children’s special education needs must be met with quality services
 Support is needed to ensure students graduate
 Financial aid, scholarships and housing support lead to college success
 A strong start is especially important for young children in foster care
Research Highlights on Education and Foster Care (July 2011)

Children in Foster Care Can Be Negatively
Affected by
 Low Teacher and Staff Support
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Negative Peer Relationships
 Chaotic & Reactive Environments
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Poor Instructional and Behavioral Practices

Social and Emotional Conditions for Being Off
Track

CFL by Ethnicity
Middle Grades
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African American students provided the lowest ratings on the Safety Scales and the Social
Emotional Scales.
360
340
320
300
280
260
240
360
340
320
300
280
260
240
Safety
White (n=6,568)
Asian (n=2,553)
Challenge Student Support Soc Emot Learning
African Am (n=34,684)
Hispanic (n=29,117)
High School
Safety
White (n=6,466)
Asian (n=3,009)
Challenge Student Support
African Am (n=27,322)
Hispanic (n=21,799)
Soc Emot Learning

Both Supportive Relationships Between Teachers and
Students and Social Emotional Learning Promote :
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Student engagement
Positive attitudes towards learning
A sense of belonging toward school
Academic motivation
Academic achievement
(Barber & Oson, 1997; Begin & Begin, 2009; Birch & Ladd, 1997, Christenson & Anderson,
2002; Connell Halpern-Felsher, Clifford, Crichlow, & Usinger, 1995; Durlak, Weissberg,
Dymnicki, & Taylor, 2011; Hamre & Pianta, 2001; Osterman, 2000; Zins, Weissberg, Wang,
Walberg, 2004 Wentzel, 1997; Wentzel & Wigfield, 1998)

Why Are Conditions for Learning Important?
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Maximizing the amount of time that students really attend to learning
 working memory (Davidson, 2002)
 chemical changes (e.g., cortisol)
Maximizing the opportunity for the teacher to:
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Concentrate and differentiate
Teach in the Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky, 1978)
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Personalizing instruction
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Scaffolding learning and support

The Zone of Proximal Development for Learning and Development
ZPD support
Adapted from: Nakkula, & Toshalis, 2006

Teaching and developing behaviors, habits, and social problemsolving skills that are important for success in school, work, and life
(Social Emotional Learning)
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Self-Awareness (e.g., identifying and recognizing own emotions, recognizing strengths)
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Social Awareness (e.g., empathy, respect for others)
 Responsible Decision Making (e.g., evaluation and reflection, personal responsibility)
 Self-Management (e.g., impulse control, stress management)
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Relationship Skills (e.g., working cooperatively, help seeking and providing)

Evidence of Success with SEL
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23% increase in skills
9% improvement in attitudes about self, others, and school
9% improvement in prosocial behavior
9% reduction in problem behaviors
10% reduction in emotional distress
11% increase in standardized achievement test scores
(math and reading)
Source: Durlak, J.A., Weissberg, R.P., Taylor, R.D., & Dymnicki, A.B. (in press, Child
Development). The effects of school-based social and emotional learning: A meta-analytic review

SEL & Attitudes
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Higher sense of self-efficacy
Better sense of community (bonding) and view of school as caring
More positive attitudes toward school and learning
Higher academic motivation and educational aspirations
Greater trust and respect for teachers
Improved coping with school stressors
Increased understanding of consequences of behavior

What Youth Say Teachers Can Do
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Demonstrate Caring and Respect
Make a serious effort to know every student well so they feel supported and motivated to learn
Plan
Provide students with the information they need to do their work
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Be clear about expectations and concepts.
Create opportunities for students really learn about classmates’ cultures to help reduce negative peer interactions
Don’t do things that embarrass individual students
Don’t write them off.

What Former Foster Care Youth Say Works
The most important things to be successful:
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Caring, motivated mentors
 Role models
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Adults who listen to them
 Encouragement and high expectations from others
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Boundaries and structure from adults

What Former Foster Care Youth Say Works
The most important things to be successful:
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Having basic needs met (e.g., housing, nutrition, clothing)
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A stable living situation
 Supportive friends who are a positive influence; avoidance of peers who are a negative influence
 Support to develop good mental and emotional health

What Former Foster Care Youth Say Works
The most important things to be successful:
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Adequate educational support (e.g., financial aid for higher education, assistance transitioning to college, help learning how higher education systems work)
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Hope, self-confidence, a sense of responsibility, and personal goals
 Faith, a belief in something

What Former Foster Care Youth Say Works
The most important things to be successful:
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Opportunities to develop and model healthy relationships (e.g., with younger siblings)
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Opportunities to develop talents and participate in enrichment activities (e.g., sports)
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Opportunities to develop skills for leadership and professionalism (e.g., presenting self well, being articulate)

Bottom Line
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Cannot Improve Foster Care Outcomes Without Addressing
Mental Health and Social Emotional Learning
Cannot Address Mental Health Outcomes Without
Addressing Schools
Cannot Succeed Without Addressing the Social
Relationships Between and Among Youth and Adults
Cannot Address Either Without Addressing Need For
Capacity & Support
Cannot Succeed At Everything Without a Three-tiered
Approach that Addresses Promotion, Prevention, as Well
As Treatment

Bottom Line
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Need to be:
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Strengths Based
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Youth Driven
Family Driven
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Culturally Competent
Minimize Risk, Build Protective Factors
Focus on Thriving
Build Settings that Develop and Support Resilience

Bottom Line
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Race & Ethnicity Matter
Culture and Language Matter
Poverty Matters
Local Context Matters
Families Matter
Youth Voice Matter
Capacity Matters

Resources
 Safeguarding Our Children: An Action Guide,
Revised and Expanded (Sopris West)
 Teaching and Working with Children with Emotional
and Behavioral Challenges (Sopris West)

Addressing Student Problem Behavior (Parts 1, 2, 3)
(CECP)
 “Schools Make a Difference,” in Racial Inequity in
Special Education, The Civil Rights Project at
Harvard University and the Harvard Education Press

References
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Bryk, A. S., Sebring, P. B., Allensworth, E., Luppescu, S. & Easton, J. Q. (2010)0. Organizing schools for improvement: Lessons from Chicago. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Davidson, R. (2002). Anxiety and affective style: Role of prefrontal cortex and amygdala. Biological
Psychiatry, 51(1), 68-80.
Durlak, J.A., Weissberg, R.P., Taylor, R.D., & Dymnicki, A.B. (2011). The effects of school-based social and emotional learning: A meta-analytic review, Child Development, 82 (1), 405-432.
Greenberg, E., Skidmore, D., & Rhodes, D. (2004, April). Climates for learning: mathematics achievement and its relationship to schoolwide student behavior, schoolwide parental involvement,
and school morale. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Researchers
Association, San Diego, CA.
Gregory, A., & Weinstein, R. S. (2004). Connection and regulation at home and in school: Predicting growth in achievement for adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Research, 19, 405–427.
Hattie, J. (2009). Visible Learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement.
New York: Routledge.
Muller, C. (2001). The role of caring in the teacher-student relationship for at-risk students.
Sociological Inquiry, 71, 241–255.
Nakkula, M. J., & Toshalis, E. (2006). Understanding youth: Adolescent development for educators.
Cambridge: Harvard Education Press.
National Working Group on Foster Care Education. (July 2011). Research Highlights on Education
and Foster Care. Seattle, WA: Casey Family Programs. Retrieved from http://www.casey.org/Resources/Publications/pdf/EducationalOutcomesFactSheet.pdf.

References
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Osher, D., Bear, G., Sprague, J., & Doyle, W. (January-February, 2010). How we can improve school discipline. Educational Researcher, 39 (1), 48-58.
Osher, D. & Kendziora, K. (2010). Building Conditions for Learning and Healthy Adolescent
Development: Strategic Approaches in B. Doll, W. Pfohl, & J. Yoon (Eds.) Handbook of Youth
Prevention Science. New York: Routledge.
Spier, E., Osher, D., Kendziora, K., Cai.,C. (2009). Alaska Ice Summative Report. Washington, DC:
American Institutes for Research.
Osher, D., Sidana, A., & Kelly, P. (2008) Improving conditions for learning for youth who are
neglected or delinquent. Washington, D.C.: National Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center for the Education of Children and Youth who are Delinquent, Neglected, or at Risk.
Osher, D., Poirier, J. A., Dwyer, K. P., Hicks, R., Brown, L. J. Lampron, S., & Rodrigquez, C. (2008).
Cleveland Metropolitan School District Human Ware Audit: Findings and recommendations.
Washington, DC: American Institutes for Research.
Osher, D., Sprague, J., Weissberg, R. P., Axelrod, J., Keenan, S., Kendziora, K., & Zins, J. E. (2008). A comprehensive approach to promoting social, emotional, and academic growth in contemporary schools. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.) Best practices in school psychology V, Vol. 4 (pp. 1263–
1278). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.
Ryan, A. M., & Patrick, H. (2001). The classroom social environment and changes in adolescents’ motivation and engagement during middle school. American Educational Research Journal, 38, 437–
460.
Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society. Cambridge, MA : Harvard University Press.

Best Practices, Evidence-Based Practices, and
Evaluating Programs
Peter Leone
University of Maryland

Shared
Responsibility,
Collaboration,
Leadership
Improved
Education
Outcomes

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Key Elements
• Decision making
• Targeted services
• Shared resources
• Shared expertise
• Leadership
Outcomes
• Minimize disruptions to students’ education
• Ensure all students receive timely services

PRINCIPLES
Measuring
Outcomes that
Matter
Early Education is Essential
Improved
Education
Outcomes
Individually-
Tailored Support
Services
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Quality Education
Services are Critical
Change Requires within
Agency and Cross-agency
Leadership
Interagency
Communication &
Collaboration

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Enhance transportation support
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Improve out of home placement stability
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Reduce the use of suspension and expulsion (revise zero tolerance policies)
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Enhance transition support when placement and/or school changes occur
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Ensure educational rights are honored
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Engage the youth’s family

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Cross Systems Workgroups
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Shared Databases
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Timely transfer of records
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Cross-Agency Training
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Multi-Disciplinary Teams
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Education Liaisons
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Family Group Conferencing

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Measuring what matters – student performance
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Observing and listening to our students
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Creating accountability
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Foster care, group home, juvenile justice
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Engaging state department of education in supporting programs and holding them accountable
Source: Leone, Peter and Lois Weinberg (2010). Addressing the Unmet Educational
Needs of Children and Youth in the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems. Washington,
DC: Center for Juvenile Justice Reform, Georgetown University.

Maura McInerney, Esq.
Education Law Center
1315 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107 www.elc-pa.org

 A collaboration between the ABA, the Juvenile
Law Center and Education Law Center, Casey
Family Programs and the Annie E. Casey
Foundation.
 A national technical assistance resource and information clearinghouse on legal and policy matters affecting the education of children and youth in out-of-home care
 Website: www.abanet.org/child/education
 Listserv, Conference Calls, Publications,
Searchable Database

 Understanding the Special Education
Barriers for Children in Care
 How Child Welfare & Education Can
Collaborate to Address These Needs
 What Courts Can Do For You
 Strategies & Tips

 Special education is parent driven system
Children in care often lack an active involved special education decisionmaker.
 Child-find = knowledge of a student
Because children in care are highly mobile, special education needs may remain unidentified and unknown to current caretakers.
 Time is of the essence
Frequent school moves result in delayed evaluations, lost IEPs and mean that appropriate services are not provided in a timely manner.

 IEPs are not reviewed or progress monitored based on consistent standards and assessments.
 Specially designed instruction, resources & services are unknown.
 Schools & parents usually do not engage in ongoing communication.
 Transition plans are not detailed and youth-driven. Future plans: unclear.

 Communicate with school and relevant personnel
 Provide needed records & background
 Ensure active involved decisionmaker
 Attend school-based informal & official meetings (e.g., IEP, manifestation determinations etc.)
 Know the special education system.

 Understand the barriers.
 Know the players, even when they change or are new to the system.
 Welcome visitors who provide insight
& can help develop better IEPs
 Explain the process and the options
 Ask questions = know the student
 Integrate pre-existing services.

 Education records
 Appoint Education Decisionmaker
 Identify a child who may need to be evaluated and order DHS to act
 Ask the questions:
 Educational placement (alt ed, LRE etc.)
 Is child making progress?
 School discipline issues

 Role of courts in ensuring the “well being” of child includes addressing educational needs:
 Well-being outcome: tracking through court system
 Link between addressing education needs and achieving permanency
 Specific issues to consider at every hearing:
 Is a court order needed to access to IEP, ed records?
 Does the child have an active, involved Special
Education Decisionmaker (Surrogate Parent)?
 Is child in least restrictive environment?
 Is child making progress?
 Is IEP Team coordinating transition planning?

 Technical Assistance Brief : Asking the Right Questions II:
Judicial Checklists to Meet the Educational Needs of Children and Youth in Foster Care- NCJFCJ Outlines questions that should be asked in a courtroom with respect to the educational needs of children and youth in foster care.
http://www.ncjfcj.org/content/blogcategory/363/432/
 Blueprint For Change: Detailed framework is structured around eight concrete goals for youth and include benchmarks that demonstrate progress toward achieving
Education Success for children in foster care. www.abanet.org/child/education/blueprint
 Judicial Guide to Implementing the Fostering
Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 available at http://www.grandfamilies.org/images/pdf/Judicial%20Guide
%20to%20Fostering%20Connections%202011.pdf

Caseworkers and school staff must collaborate:
 School placement
 School stability
 Attendance issues
 Development of IEP
 Maintenance and tuning of IEP
 Integrate and collaborate provision of services
 Ensure progress towards IEP goals
 Address school discipline issues
 Identify Special Education Decision Maker
 Transition planning & services

 Relationship building:
 Understand the “other” perspective: recognize common goals of different systems
 Communicate often and regularly: Talk about the good things not just the bad.
 Know what you don’t know and respect the other system’s expertise.
 Respect the process.
 Document
 Learn more. “Know-it-all” less.

 Identifying children: Expedite evaluations
 Ensure consents are available, signed and provided to school district. Document.
 Attend & share “appropriate” information at
IEP meetings. Communicate in between.
 Address behaviors don’t’ deny them.
Attend school discipline meetings
 Conduct funct’l behavioral assessment AND revision IEPs re disability-related conduct.
 Consider a child’s need for 504 Plan.
 Coordinate transition planning.

 Blueprint For Change: Detailed framework is structured around eight concrete goals for youth and include benchmarks that demonstrate progress toward achieving
Education Success for children in foster care. www.abanet.org/child/education/blueprint
 State Implemention Toolkit: Guide to Fostering
Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008
 Casey Family Programs: Endless Dreams Curriculum
 Educator Screen

Consider issues at EVERY stage of process:
 Is the child in the right school placement and least restrictive environment in accordance with the special ed process?
 Does the youth need an eval or re-eval?
 Does child need different or additional supports or services to make progress?
 Does child have an ACTIVE involved special education decisionmaker?
 Does the youth need accommodations in school for a physical or behavioral issue?

 Is the youth on track to graduate?
 What is the graduation plan: What school will issue a diploma? Does the youth have sufficient credits?
 Does the youth’s transition plan address education goals and issues in sufficient detail?
 Who will assist the youth to access postsecondary opportunities?

www.elc-pa.org
Maura McInerney
Education Law Center
1315 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-238-6970 Ext. 31 mmcinerney@elc-pa.org