Use linked cross-system data to target programs such as dropout prevention and postsecondary preparation for students in foster care¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The article's authors recommend that child welfare professionals, educators, and policymakers use cross-system data to inform interventions for students in foster care. Berliner states: "Now that we have solid data, we have a chance to really understand the specific risks and challenges that students in foster care face, so we can target programs and support—like dropout prevention and postsecondary preparation—to help them succeed in school and in life."

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• The linked cross-system dataset produced through the CDSS-CDE data-sharing agreement

Constraints¶

• The article notes the job of mining the dataset is not yet done, and Part 2 of the report examining relationships between foster care experience characteristics and education outcomes was still in development

Target Learners¶

• K-12 students in foster care

Target Learning Goals¶

• High school completion, dropout prevention, and postsecondary preparation

Related Strategies¶

• Broker a formal data-sharing agreement between child welfare and education agencies to identify and serve students in foster care
• Link education and child welfare data systems to make the foster care achievement gap visible and trackable
• Use an early warning system based on linked school and human services data to target resources and lessen risks before they become more serious
• Develop data-sharing memoranda of understanding and shared evaluation across child- and family-serving agencies
• Provide rigorous and relevant instruction connecting academics to postsecondary options
• Implement a web of supports for students in foster care: one-stop resource centers, school-based liaisons, tiered services, and cross-system collaboration
• Implement a coherent student database linking education, child welfare, mental health, and judicial systems rather than further studying data sharing

Examples¶

-

Key Sources¶

• Shared Data Reveal the Invisible Achievement Gap of Students in Foster Care. (2014). WestEd R&D Alert, Vol. 15, No. 1. https://www.wested.org/bookstore