CNUSD & Norco College:
A Partnership to Improve and Expand
Services for Foster Youth Through LCFF
and LCAP
Foster Youth LCAP Summit
●
March 27, 2015
Dr. Milisav “Mike” Ilic, Director of Instructional Support, CNUSD
Ms. Mary Grothem, Safety and Violence Prevention & Counselor, CNUSD
Dr. Koji Uesugi, Dean of Student Services, Norco College
Our Model: Collaboration &
Leveraging Resources
Riverside
County
Office of
Education
Community
Partners
Norco
College
CNUSD
Student
Why We Do This Work…
Our Inspiration
It Takes a District: CNUSD’s LCFF and
LCAP-Based Foster Youth Services
In California…
 60,000 youth in foster care
 4,360 foster youth in Riverside County (3rd largest behind Los
Angeles and San Bernardino counties)
 48% female/52% male
 10 years old (avg. age)
 1.8 years in foster care
 4,000 age out of foster care annually
Foster Youth Life Outcomes by Age 24
Foster Youth
Comparison Group
Ever homeless
24%
NA
Currently employed
48%
74%
Women ever pregnant
75%
40%
$8,000
$18,300
Men convicted of crime
59%
10%
Women convicted of crime
28%
2%
Median income
Compounded Disadvantages
= Serious Delays
100%
90%
80%
11
13
70%
60%
30%
27
32
Far Below Basic
Below Basic
Basic
26
30
Proficient
Advanced
23
20%
10%
23
17
28
50%
40%
15
% of students
who scored at
each of five
proficiency levels
at the California
Standards Test in
English
Language Arts
22
0%
General Population
12
Economically
Disadvantaged
15
4
Foster Youth
Slide Content: John Burton Foundation’s
– “1023: SUPPORTING FOSTER YOUTH IN
COMMUNITY COLLEGE”
Percentage of Students Who
Completed High School by 2010
90%
80%
79%
70%
60%
53%
50%
45%
Foster youth have the
highest rate of high
school drop-out,
higher than students
who are:
• Low SES
• Have disabilities
40%
30%
20%
.
10%
0%
General Population
Comparison
Population
Foster Youth
Slide Content: John Burton Foundation’s
– “1023: SUPPORTING FOSTER YOUTH IN
COMMUNITY COLLEGE”
Foster Youth by School Level (CNUSD)
50%
46%
40%
36%
30%
20%
456 students total
13%
10%
4%
1%
0%
Elementary
High School
Intermediate
K-8
NPS
Low Income, English Learners, Foster Youth
88%
Continuation
70%
53%
District
66%
63%
69%
59%
44%
40%
42%
47%
35%
18%
0%
2010-2011
2011-2012
2012-2013
2013-2014
LCFF Allocation Formula
Concentration
Supplemental
Base Funding
Funds allocated by
grade level spans, K-3,
4-6, 7-8, 9-12, plus
add-on for K-3 & 9-12
All districts equal
Additional 20% of
base grant
Unduplicated count:
Low Income (LI),
English Language
Learners (EL) and
Foster Youth (FY)
Additional 50% of
base grant based on
unduplicated count
above 55% of district
enrollment
8 Areas of State Priorities Must be
Addressed in LCAP
Student
Achievement
School Climate
Basic Services
Student Engagement
Areas of State
Priorities
Implementation of
Common Core
Standards
Other Student
Outcomes
Parental Involvement
Course Access
MOTIVATE
Make a connection to school
Create a safe environment
Teacher or other adult on
campus
Safety and Violence Counselor
Activities
EDUCATE
AB 216
AB 490
PBIS
Tutoring
GRADUATE
Foster Youth College
Bound Day
College and Financial Aid
Summer Advantage
Program
CNUSD – Norco College – THRIVE Activities
Date
September
Activity
Fall Kick-Off (high school students)
October
November
December
Seniors and Caregivers Back-to-School
Orientation (kick-off)
Life Skills Workshop
Holiday Feast
January
Foster Youth College Bound Day
February
Life Skills Workshop Topic: Making
Healthy Choices
Take Placement Diagnostic
Norco College
Life Skills Workshop
End of Year Celebration (high school
students) • Seniors apply for EOPS
Summer Advantage (graduating
seniors)
Norco College
CNUSD District
Office
Norco College
March
April
May
June
Location
CNSUD District
Office
Learning Center North
Norco College
CNUSD District
Office
Norco College
High School Sites
Lead Group
CNUSD
CNUSD, NC,
and RDPSS
THRIVE
CNUSD
Norco
College
THRIVE
Norco
College
THRIVE
CNUSD
Norco
College
Loving and Caring Our Students: A High
School Counselor’s Case Management
Approach to Serving Foster Youth
Foster Youth Program 2008-2015
 Pilot Project at Centennial High School
 First Annual Foster Youth Orientation Fall 2008
 Project went District wide Fall 2009
 Added End of year Resiliency Celebration
 RCOE joined partnership
 High schools added “All Star” monthly meetings on each campus
Foster Youth Program Evolves
 4 year college tour added
 Collaboration with Norco College
 Foster Youth Success Committee Formed
 Added Norco College Bound Day
 Added holiday celebration
 Added middle school event
 Added Unity Forum
Role of Counselor
 Identify foster youth on their campuses
 Mentor foster youth
 Assess for needs – individual/group counseling
 Help determine ILP eligibility
 Encourage involvement with ILP and services
 Help students connect with social worker
Role of Counselor (continued)
 Focus on barriers to graduation
 Assess incoming 11th and 12th grade students for AB 216
 Assist with school supplies – PE clothes, backpack, pens, paper,
yearbook, senior activities
Role of Counselor (continued)
 Help foster youth prepare for parent visits
 Help students post parent visits, especially for those where parent
didn’t show
 Show students a team of adults on campus and in the district that
care about them and believe they can be successful - mentorship
Anecdotes- Our Successes
 JM– came to Norco High School as senior, behind credits, AB 216
implemented, graduated, Summer Bridges, now second semester
at Norco College
 Centennial High – dependent female student from LA County
came the end of senior year – placements unstable, frequent
runner after 1 week in placements, Questioning youth, I made
contact her first day, made connection, placement stabilized,
assisted in locating services
Successes (continued)
 Pollard High School – since inception of our program, only three of
the foster youth who attended there did not graduate.
 Corona High – 2 sisters who with mentoring and our program
graduated in 2012 and 2014 – first at UCLA in pre-med and second
a peer advisor at Mt SAC with plans to go to UCLA for social work
“On Their Own, But Not Alone”:
Community Colleges as a Hub for
Educational and Career Opportunities
Foster Youth Educational Outcomes
80%
75%
70%
50%
60%
50%
40%
15%
30%
20%
7%
10%
0%
Desire to go to
college
Graduate from
high school
Attend college
Complete
AA/Cert
3%
Attain Bachelor
Degree
Percentage of Students Who Entered
Community College by 2010
70%
60%
59%
50%
46%
43%
40%
30%
20%
10%
Slide Content: John Burton
Foundation’s – “1023:
SUPPORTING FOSTER YOUTH
IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE”
.
0%
General Population
Comparison Population
Foster Youth
Community College Enrollees’
One-Year Persistence Rate
70%
62%
60%
48%
50%
41%
40%
30%
20%
.
10%
0%
General Population
Comparison Population
Foster Youth
Slide Content: John
Burton Foundation’s –
“1023: SUPPORTING
FOSTER YOUTH IN
COMMUNITY
COLLEGE”
College Support Programs Work!
Average Persistence Rates
Foster Youth
26%
General Population
56%
Students in College Support Programs
72%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Slide Content: John Burton Foundation’s – “1023: SUPPORTING
FOSTER YOUTH IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE”
Our Students are Powerful Beyond
Measure
 They are:
Intelligent
Resilient
Seeking for an opportunity to shine
 We can assist by:
Providing a roadmap to get to their destination
Expecting their very best
Being that one person or one other person who cares
Foster Youth Support at Norco College
Nearly 200 students self identify as foster youth in FAFSA
Over 80 foster youth officially documented
Norco College was charged to respond to the needs
Foster Youth Success Committee convened
Focused on supporting foster youth to and through college
A Pipeline to College and Beyond
Universities and
Careers
Support K-12 to
CCC Pipeline
CCC*
(Norco College)
Direct Support at
CCC
Facilitate Access to
Universities/Careers
K-12 (CNUSD)
* Over 9,000 foster youth attend community college, which makes it
the ideal postsecondary hub to career/educational pathways.
1. College and High School Connection
Pipeline to College
(CNUSD)
Foster Youth College
Bound Day
2012-Present
Regular
Communication
(monthly meetings)
2011-Present
Foster Youth College Bound Day
 Connected with Corona Norco Unified School District (CNUSD)
high school foster youth liaisons
 Developed event to motivate and prepare foster youth to go
onto college
 70-90 high school students bussed to Norco College
 Cost shared by CNUSD and Norco College
Foster Youth College Bound Day
Program Components
Exposure
to
College
Campus
Resources
Motivationa
l Speakers
Grade
Specific
Workshops
Grade-Level Specific Workshops
Senior
Junior
Sophomore
• College
application
• FAFSA assistance
• Summer
Advantage
• Community
college options
• 4 year college
options
• College life
• Foster youth panel
“Norco College is a Foster Youthfriendly college.”
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Strongly Agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
“I didn’t think that college was a
possibility before today’s event.”
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Strongly Agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
“I now believe that it is possible for me
to go to college.”
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Strongly Agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
2. Community Resources for College
Students
 Oak Grove Center: ILP service provider for Riverside County (THRIVE)
Serves youth 16-21 at six sites
 MOU with THRIVE
Life coach drop-in service at Norco College (now serves youth off site
in Corona
Youth and student referrals to ILP workshops and county services
3. Direct Services for College Students
 Creation of Foster Youth Support Services
Identification through Financial Aid Office
Housed under Extended Opportunity Programs & Services
(EOPS…available at every CC)
Committed group of individuals
Sought students’ input for services and support
 Partnership with CCC FYSI
 Submitted and awarded two foundation grants
Norco College Foster Youth Support
Services (FYSS)
Foundation Support
- Stuart Foundation
- Career Ladders Project
- John Burton Foundation
•
•
•
•
EOPS: Extended Opportunity Programs & Services
FYSC: Foster Youth Success Committee
CNUSD: Corona-Norco Unified School District
RDPSS: Riverside County Department of Social Services
EOPS
FYSC
CNUSD
RDPSS
Foundation Partnerships
Stuart Foundation
$60,000 grant to support FYSS (2015-16)
Career Ladders Project
$25,000 grant to support FYSS (2013-14)
Technical support (ongoing)
John Burton Foundation
Laptops for eligible students
Textbook support
Stuart Foundation Grant Initiatives
Improve
Transition
Increase
Persistence
Improve Transition:
HS Senior Pilot
(CNUSD)
• Provide life and academic skills
(Norco College and THRIVE)
• Prepare students for college
course placement exam
• Diagnostic
• Intervention
• Assist with college application,
ensure FAFSA completion, and
identify for Summer Advantage
• Give priority for EOPS admission
for fall
Increase Persistence
at Norco College
• In-reach to students enrolled at
the college
• Connect them to existing
services
• Provide a point of contact and
drop-in center
• Leverage other resources
• Student Equity
funds/EOPS/Financial Aid
• Faculty Training
1st Annual Foster Care Awareness Month
at Norco College
Join Us on May 12!
Student Voices
 Attending and completing college is extremely important because it
not only proves to myself that I’m capable, but it allows me to show
my family that I’m not like my parents. It shows them I control my
future.
- Norco College Foster Youth
 Don’t let your past make you feel like you’re nobody. Be someone in
life and prove to your family and yourself that no matter what you’ve
been through, you could always move forward in a positive way. Let
all the pain and struggles make you a stronger person. Education is
the gateway to a better life.
- Norco College Foster Youth
Questions?
Thank you for joining us
Contact Information
Dr. Milisav (Mike) Ilic – milic@cnusd.k12.ca.us
Ms. Mary Grothem – mkgrothem@cnusd.k12.ca.us
Dr. Koji Uesugi – koji.uesugi@norcocollege.edu