Ready to Succeed

1. Ready to Succeed An exploration of secondary and post-secondary educational outcomes for foster children in California The Ready to Succeed Project is supported by the Stuart Foundation K. Frerer & L. Sosenko June 10, 2009

2. Ready to Succeed: Overview of Presentation • Noted secondary and post-secondary outcomes • Major gaps in knowledge • Current project • First year objectives • Data match and exchange • Key variables • Counties: Fresno, Sacramento, San Diego • Educational institution update • Analysis suggestions & questions • Next steps for year two

3. Ready to Succeed: Noted secondary/post-secondary outcomes Compared to the general student population, foster children are less likely to: • Complete high school • Be enrolled in college preparatory classes • Attend college • Graduate from college

4. Ready to Succeed: Major gaps in knowledge • Secondary and post-secondary outcomes for California foster children • Outcomes for youth who exit outside of emancipation (i.e. reunification, guardianship)

5. Ready to Succeed: Current Project Research Questions: Question 1: What are the secondary and post-secondary education and/or training outcomes for foster youth in California? Question 2: What factors facilitate or impede successful completion of secondary and post-secondary education and/or training for foster youth?

6. Ready to Succeed: Current Project Collaborative Partners: ● California Department of Social Services (CDSS) ● U.C. Berkeley, Performance Indicators Project ● California Partnership for Achieving Student Success (Cal-PASS) ● Stuart Foundation Data systems to link: ● Child Welfare Services Case Management System (CWS/CMS) ● Cal-PASS

7. Ready to Succeed: Year One Project Objectives • Present the plan to key oversight bodies and agencies for buy-in and complete necessary institutional review board (IRB) approval processes. • Identify legislative mandates or waivers required to proceed with a pilot test of the linked databases. • Identify a pilot group and obtain necessary Cal-PASS agreements. • Identify and resolve data access and reporting issues.

8. Ready to Succeed: Current Project Challenges/Solutions • External legislative and legal constraints regarding data sharing • ● FERPA 2.Oversight agencies and committees ● State IRB ● CDSS 3. Educational data ● Educational institution support

9. Ready to Succeed: Data Match & Exchange MATCH: Unique foster children between 1998 and 2008 To match: a derived encrypted key identifier will be created based on the social security number (if available) or a combination of variables which include first and last name, date of birth, and gender UCB CWS/CMS Q2_2009 extract Cal-PASS: Primary file: Child welfare variables Unique project ID Link/Return with: educational variables unique project ID CDSS Secondary file: Unique project ID Encrypted identifier

10. Ready to Succeed: KeyVariables

11. Estimated unique foster children: 12,502¹ ¹Q4_2008 CWS/CMS extract, 1998 to 2008

12. Estimated unique foster children: 22,766¹ ¹Q4_2008 CWS/CMS extract, 1998 to 2008

13. Estimated unique foster children: 27,557¹ ¹Q4_2008 CWS/CMS extract, 1998 to 2008

14. Ready to Succeed: Educational Institution Update

15. Ready to Succeed: Educational Segment Update

16. Ready to Succeed: Analysis Suggestions & Questions Foundational Question: • Analysis suggestions • Questions? By linking the datasets, do we have sufficient information to answer our research questions?

17. Ready to Succeed: Year Two Next Steps: • Review year one progress. • Finalize pilot locales and agreements to participate from local educational agencies. • Complete programming required to link the Cal-PASS and CWS/CMS databases. • Transfer data. • Finalize analysis plan and report formats. • Run pilot test of linked database. • Identify and resolve issues.

18. References • Blome, W. (1997). What happens to foster kids: Educational experiences of a random sample of foster care youth and a matched group of non-foster care youth. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 14(1), 41-54. • Burley, M., & Halpern, M. (2001). Educational attainment of foster youth: Achievement and graduation outcomes for children in state care. Olympia, WA: Washington State Institute for Public Policy. • Courtney, M., & Dworsky, A. (2006). Early outcomes for young adults transitioning from out-of-home care in the USA. Child and Family Social Work, 11, 209-219. • Blome, W. (1997). What happens to foster kids: Educational experiences of a random sample of foster care youth and a matched group of non-foster care youth. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 14(1), 41-54. • Burley, M., & Halpern, M. (2001). Educational attainment of foster youth: Achievement and graduation outcomes for children in state care. Olympia, WA: Washington State Institute for Public Policy. • Courtney, M., Terao, S., & Bost, N. (2004). Midwest evaluation of the adult functioning of former foster youth: Conditions of youth preparing to leave state care. Chicago: Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago • Dumaret, A., Coppel-Batsch, M., & Couraud, S. (1997). Adult outcome of children reared for long-term periods in foster families. Child Abuse and Neglect, 21(10), 911-927. • Pecora, P., Williams, J., Kessler, R., Hiripi, E., O'Brien, K., Emerson, J., Herrick, M., & Torres, D. (2006). Assessing the educational achievements of adults who were formerly placed in • family foster care. Child and Family Social Work, 11, 220-231. 3. Blome, W. (1997). What happens to foster kids: Educational experiences of a random sample of foster care youth and a matched group of non-foster care youth. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 14(1), 41-54. Burley, M., & Halpern, M. (2001). Educational attainment of foster youth: Achievement and graduation outcomes for children in state care. Olympia, WA: Washington State Institute for Public Policy. Conger, D., & Rebeck, A. (2001). How children's foster care experiences affect their education: Vera Institute of Justice: New York Administration for Children's Services Farruggia, S., Greenberger, E., Chen, C., & Heckhausen, J. (2006). Perceived social environment and adolescents' well-being and adjustment: Comparing a foster care sample with a matched sample. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 35(3), 349-358. Landsford, J., Dodge, K., Pettit, G., Bates, J., Crozier, J., & Kaplow, J. (2002). A 12- year prospective study of the long-term effects of early child physical maltreatment on psychological, behavioral, and academic problems in adolescence. Archive Pediatric Adolescent Medicine, 156, 824-831. Sheehy, A., Oldham, E., Zanghi, M., Ansell, D., Correia, P. & Copeland, R. (2001) Promising Practices: Supporting Transition of Youth Served by the Foster Care System. Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service, Portland, ME; National Resource Center for Youth Services, Tulsa, OK. 4. Sheehy, A., Oldham, E., Zanghi, M., Ansell, D., Correia, P. & Copeland, R. (2001) Promising Practices: Supporting Transition of Youth Served by the Foster Care System. Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service, Portland, ME; National Resource Center for Youth Services, Tulsa, OK.Sheehy et al. (2001) 5. Courtney, M., Terao, S., & Bost, N. (2004). Midwest evaluation of the adult functioning of former foster youth: Conditions of youth preparing to leave state care. Chicago: Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago Pecora, P., Williams, J., Kessler, R., Hiripi, E., O'Brien, K., Emerson, J., Herrick, M., & Torres, D. (2006). Assessing the educational achievements of adults who were formerly placed in family foster care Child and Family Social Work, 11, 220-231. 6. Blome, W. (1997). What happens to foster kids: Educational experiences of a random sample of foster care youth and a matched group of non-foster care youth. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 14(1), 41-54. Burley, M., & Halpern, M. (2001). Educational attainment of foster youth: Achievement and graduation outcomes for children in state care. Olympia, WA: Washington State Institute for Public Policy. Dumaret, A., Coppel-Batsch, M., & Couraud, S. (1997). Adult outcome of children reared for long-term periods in foster families. Child Abuse and Neglect. 21(10), 911-927. Courtney, M., Terao, S., & Bost, N. (2004). Midwest evaluation of the adult functioning of former foster youth: Conditions of youth preparing to leave state care. Chicago: Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago Pecora, P., Williams, J., Kessler, R., Hiripi, E., O'Brien, K., Emerson, J., Herrick, M., & Torres, D. (2006). Assessing the educational achievements of adults who were formerly placed in family foster care Child and Family Social Work, 11, 220-231. 7. Needell, B., Webster, D., Armijo, M., Lee, S., Dawson, W., Magruder, J., Exel, M., Glasser, T., Williams, D., Zimmerman, K., Simon, V., Putnam-Hornstein, E., Frerer, K., Ataie, Y., Atkinson, L., Blumberg, R., & Cuccaro-Alamin, S. (2009). Child Welfare Services Reports for California. Retrieved [May 25, 2009], from University of California at Berkeley Center for Social Services Research website. URL: http://cssr.berkeley.edu/ucb_childwelfare> 8. Needell, B, Cuccaro-Alamin, S., Brookhart, A., Jackman, W., & Shlonsky, A. (2002). Youth emancipating from foster care in California: Findings using linked administrative data Berkeley: Center for Social Services Research.