Operation Education by juvenile_law_center

OPERATION:EDUCATION

AnActionKittoAchievePositiveEducationalOutcomesforYouth inthechildWelfareandJuvenileJusticeSystems

ApublicationofJuvenilesforJustice,YouthFosteringChange,andJuvenileLawCenter. YouthadvocatesinJuvenilesforJusticeandYouthFosteringChangecreatedthis publicationduringthe2018-2019programyear,incollaborationwithJuvenileLaw Centerstaff.

JuvenileLawCenteradvocatesforrights,dignity,equityandopportunityforyouthinthefostercare andjusticesystems.

Foundedin1975,JuvenileLawCenteristhe firstnon-profit,publicinterestlaw firmforchildreninthe country.We fightforyouththroughlitigation,appellateadvocacyandsubmissionof amicus (friend-ofthe-court)briefs,policyreform,publiceducation,training,consulting,andstrategiccommunications. Widelypublishedandinternationallyrecognizedasleadersinthe field,JuvenileLawCenterhas substantiallyshapedthedevelopmentoflawandpolicyonbehalfofyouth.Westrivetoensurethatlaws, policies,andpracticesaffectingyouthadvanceracialandeconomicequityandarerootedinresearch, consistentwithchildren’suniquedevelopmentalcharacteristics,andreflectiveofinternationalhuman rightsvalues.FormoreinformationaboutJuvenileLawCenter’swork,visitwww.JLC.org.

Images:

Cover,page1-2:photoby HoneyYanibelMinayaCruz

Cover,pages8,18:photoby MateseFields

Page19:photoby DarleneCerna

Page23:photoby MichelleMaria

WHAT’SINTHISBOOK

3.ExpediteRecordsTransfer,Re-Enrollment21

4.StandardizeGraduationRequirements22

CLASSOF2018-2019

YOUTHFOSTERING CHANGE

BRIT

IjoinedYFCbecauseIwantedtobeapartofsomethingthatdoesn’tjusttalk aboutmakingadifference,butthatactuallyworkstomakeadifference.AgoalI haveforthiseducationprojectthisyearistoraiseawarenessabouttheeducation issuesyouthinfostercareface.Afunfactaboutme:Iamlefthanded.

JUVENILESFOR JUSTICE

YOUTHFOSTERING CHANGE

QILAH

Iam21yearsoldandhavebeenapartofJ4Jfortwoyears.Icurrentlyworkat WawaandjustgraduatedfromaprogramforCertiﬁedNursingAssistant(CNA). Ienteredthesystemat15yearsoldandhavesupportedmyselfforthemajority ofmylife.Iwanttobesuccessful,andJuvenileLawCenterhasgivenmealotof supportandguidance.Mygoalformyprojectistoadvocatetopassthecredit transferbillinPennsylvania.

MARK

Iam18yearsoldandcurrentlyworkfulltimeatadeli.Iamalsotryingtogetmy educationbackontrack.Thisismy ﬁrstyearinYFC,andIjoinedbecauseYFC aimstohelpbetterthelivesofyouthincare.Iwanttousemyvoicetopushfor changeinthefostercaresystem.

JUVENILESFOR JUSTICE

ANGE

Iam20yearsoldandhavebeenapartofJ4Jforthreeyears.Ijustgraduated withmyGED!Ienteredthesystematage15andjoinedJ4Jbecauseofafriend’s reference.IwantpeopletoknowIamagoodpersonandagreatmom.Mygoal forthisprojectistohelpotheryoungpeople.

YOUTHFOSTERING CHANGE

AMBER

Iam17yearsoldandwillgraduatefromhighschoolthisyearandstartcollege inthefall.IamalsoaninternattheAchievingIndependenceCenter.IjoinedYFC becauseIhavemanyideasforchangingthesystem.Mygoalforourprojectisto giveavoicetounheardyouthwhoaregoingthroughsimilarexperiences.

LILLY

Ihavemanyplansforthefuture,includingattendingcollegeforcriminaljustice, joiningtheS.W.A.T.team,andbecomingalawyerandanadvocateforfoster youth.ThisismysecondyearinJ4J.

JUVENILESFOR JUSTICE

YOUTHFOSTERING CHANGE

DAISHALYNN

Iam17yearsoldanda ﬁrstyearmemberofYFC.Iamattendinganaccelerated school.Ienteredcareattheageof15andjoinedYFCtomakechange.Afunfact aboutmeisIlovefood.Mygoalforourprojectistohelppassaneducationbillin Pennsylvania.

JIHID

Iam20yearsoldandhavebeenapartofJ4Jforthreeyears.Ienteredthesystem in2017andjoinedJ4Jtohaveajob.IwantpeopletoknowthatIamintelligent andwanttoworkfortheCIAdoingCyberSecurity.Mygoalistomakechange.

JUVENILESFOR JUSTICE

ANTHONY

IhavebeenayouthadvocateinYFCfor3years,andIamgraduatingfromthe programthisyear.IjoinedbecauseIwantedtoadvocateforpolicyreformfor otheryouthwhohavehadexperienceinthesystem.FunFactaboutme:Iwas therecipientofthePennsylvania’sStatewideAdoptionNetwork’s2018Youth AdvocacyAward.Iamalsoapoetandafather.

JUVENILESFOR

BREE

IhavebeeninvolvedwithJuvenilesforJusticeforthreeyears.Iliketowritepoems, dance,crochet,andplayspades.Iamanartist,andmyarthasbeenfeaturedin severalJ4Jprojects.Iamcurrentlyinschoolforcosmetology.Iwouldalsoliketo takeupforensicsciencebecauseIaminterestedinhowcrimescenesaresolved.

JOHNATHAN

Iam21yearsold,afull-timecollegestudent,astudentworker,ayouthadvocate atJuvenileLawCenter,andaJudoka(IpracticeJudo).Mygoalforthisyear’s projectistohelpreformthewayplacementsareandthephilosophyaboutthe ﬁghtingforceforyouthinsteadofinopposition.Myself-drivenmissionisto alwaysbettermyself,tobeawareandwillingtohelpotherswhentheyarein need. YOUTHFOSTERING

JUVENILESFOR JUSTICE

ALEX

Iam19yearsoldandhavebeenamemberofJ4Jforthreeyears.Ienteredthe systematage14andjoinedJ4Jbecauseofafriendwhoalsoisapartofthe program.IhaveatwinandhaveaoneyearolddaughternamedAdrianna.My personalgoalistogiveAdriannatheworld,becomeatherapist,getmarriedby 30,havetwomorechildren,andbecomeafostermom.

YOUTHFOSTERING CHANGE

ALEXIS

Iam21yearsold,andthisismysecondyearinYFC.IalsoworkwiththePride TaskForceatValleyYouthHousetohelpendhomelessnessinPhiladelphia amongstLGBTQyouth.IamtakingclassesatCommunityCollegeofPhiladelphia. Mygoalforthisprojectistoadvocatetominimizeeducationdisruptionsand maximizesupportsandresourcesforfosteryouth.

DON

JUVENILESFOR JUSTICE

ThisismysecondyearinJ4J,andIhaveenjoyedhavinganopportunitytomakea change.Iplaybasketballanddrawverywell.Ialsolikevideogames,pizza,Sprite, andknowhowtodoaback ﬂip.Ilikespendingtimewithmyfamily,watching movies.Inthefuture,Iseemyselfowningabusiness,andmygoalistogobackto schooltogetamaster’sdegree.

YOUTHFOSTERING CHANGE

AIYANA

Iam18yearsoldandhavebeenpartofYFCforthreeyears.Icurrentlyworkat CommunityCouncilandamastudentatCommunityCollegeofPhiladelphia.I joinedYFCtogivechildrenavoice.Mygoalistoensurethatnochildisleftbehind inlife.Iwantallyouthtohaveameaningfuleducationalexperiencebecause educationisamajorpartofsuccess.

JUVENILESFOR JUSTICE

I-SHA-LE

Iam19yearsoldanda ﬁrst-yearmemberofJ4J.I ﬁrstenteredthejusticesystem in2015andthenenteredthefostercaresystemin2017.IjoinedJ4JbecauseI lovetomakechange.Iamgraduatingthisyearandlookingforwardtoattending collegeformusicproduction.Mygoalistomakeachangeinthejuvenilejustice system.

YOUTHFOSTERING CHANGE

KEEMA

Iam20yearsoldandhavebeenpartofYFCfortwoyears.Ihavebeeninandout ofcareformanyyearsandjoinedYFCtohelpteenswhoareagingout.Iwant peopletoknowthatIamaverygoodperson.Mygoalforthisprojectistomake ourvoicesheard.

JAHEEM

JUVENILESFOR JUSTICE

ThisismythirdyearinJ4J.Iwantedtobepartoftheprogramtoimprovehow kidsaretreatedinthissystem.Ihopethatin ﬁveyears,IhaveajobasanEMT andhavemyownhouseandcar.Iliketocook,spendtimewithmyfamilyandmy daughter,andgoshoppingwithmyfriends.IalsosignedupforJobCorpsandam excitedtobestartingonthepathtowardmycareer.

YOUTHFOSTERING CHANGE

STEVEN

Iam23yearsold,a ﬁrst-yearmemberofYFC,andworkatDrakesTavern.Ijoined YFCtohelpothershaveabetterandeasierlife.IwantpeopletoknowthatIam obsessedwithJoker!Inadditiontomypersonalgoaltogobacktoschool,mygoal forthisprojectistosucceed.

INTRODUCTION

Weare YouthFosteringChange and JuvenilesforJustice,advocacyprogramsforyouthat JuvenileLawCenter.Weworktoaffectchangethroughpolicyadvocacy,mediaoutreach, andpubliceducation.

Wehavepersonalexperienceinthechildwelfareandjuvenilejusticesystemsandhave facedmanychallengeswhilecompletingoureducation.Beinginoneorbothsystemscan greatlyimpactyoungpeople’sabilitytocompleteschoolandsuccessfullygraduateontime. Wedidn’tgetthesupportweneededtocompleteschool.Someofusare19and20years oldandarestillworkingtore-engageinschool.

Thoseofusinfostercarehavemovedalotorchangedschoolsfrequently,sometimeslosing creditsandrepeatingclassesorentiregrades.Wehadtojuggleadditionalresponsibilities thataretypicallymanagedbyadults.Wemanagedtheseobligationsalone—without enoughsupportfromcaseworkers,caregivers,attorneys,orourfamilies—whiletryingto graduatefromhighschool.Someofusalsoexperiencedhomelessnesswhichmadeiteven hardertogotoschoolandsucceed.

Thoseofuswithjusticesystemexperienceweresenttofacilitiesthatprovidedsub-standard education—orsometimesnoeducationatall.Thesefacilitieslackedthechallengingand engagingclassroomenvironmentswewouldhavehadinourcommunityschools.

Someofusdidnotreceiveappropriatecourseworkforourgradelevel,didnothaveour IndividualizedEducationPlans(IEPs)transferredtofacilities,and/ordidnotreceivethe serviceslistedinourIEPs.Veryfew—andsometimesnone—ofourcreditstransferredto ourcommunityschoolswhenwereturnedhome.Someofusreceivedsupportfromour attorneysorfamiliestore-enterschool,whileothershadtoadvocateforourselvesto completeoureducation.

Weknowwearenotalone.Manyyouthinfostercareandthejuvenilejusticesystemface thesameeducationalchallenges.Thefostercaresystemshouldhelpusmeetoureducation goals,notsetusback.Beinginthejusticesystemshouldn’tmeanyouthreceiveinadequate ornoeducation.

Allyouthhavearighttoreceiveeducation,andwecareaboutoureducationsuccessand ourpeers’success.Wewanttohelpimprovetheseoutcomesforourselvesandyouthlikeus.

BRIT

Iwenttoaresidential placementatage13and wasputinmiddleschoolin aschoolattheon-ground school.Iwasinclasses withkidsages12-15.I wenttothisschoolfora year.Afterthat,Iwasdischargedtoagroup homeinNorthWalesandwasputin9th gradeatmylocalpublicschool.Istayed thereforthreemonthsandthenmovedto adifferentgrouphomeinAmblerbecause theNorthWalesstaffdidn’twantmethere anymore.

Ittooktwoweeksformetostartschool.I enrolledatalocalpublicschoolfor9th grade andstayedalmostthewholeschoolyear. Mycaseworkerremovedmefromtheschool justtwomonthsbeforetheyearended,and becauseofthat,Ididnotcomplete9th grade.

Mycaseworkerthenmovedmetoagroup homeinPhiladelphia.

AfterIwasdischargedfromcourt,thejudge orderedmetoattendschoolinBensalem. Mymomwastoldthatsomeonewouldvisit ourhomewithinformation,andIwouldbe bussedtothenew school.Noone evercame,andwe didn’thearfrom anyoneforabouta month.

Afterthis,wewere duebackincourt, andthesamejudge toldmeIwould nowattendahigh schoolinPhilly.I triedgoingtothis school,butthey saidtheywouldnot acceptmeinthemiddleoftheschoolyear.I hadtogobacktocourtagain,andthejudge sentmetoaschoolforyouthinthefoster

caresystem.Istayedatthisschooluntilthe endof10th grade;thenItransferredtoa differenthighschoolinPhiladelphia.

Duringtheenrollmentprocess,Iwastold IhadahalfofcreditforSpanish—aclass Ihadnevertaken.IwasalsotoldIwould needtostartoverfromthe9th grade.

Iwasreallyupsetanddidnotwanttobe 17andin9th gradeallbecausetheschools didn’tkeeptrackofmycredits.

Idroppedoutofschoolforoneyearand thenwenttoaFEDprograminPhiladelphia. IgotmyGEDwithinsixmonths.

QILAH

Iwasexpelledin11th grade,senttoan alternativeschool,andlater forcedtogotoajuvenile placementbecauseofa GPSviolation.

ThealternativeschooldidnotknowIwas inplacementandmarkedmeabsentwhileI wasinthejuvenilefacility.

AfterIleftplacement,Iwasputinfostercare andplacedinagrouphome.Whilethere,I hadtoadvocateformyselftogotothelocal publicschoolandhadtotakeatesttobe acceptedattheschool.

Mygrouphomeandthelocalpublicschool hadanarrangementwiththeguidance counselorstosupportgraduationforfoster youth,andIgraduatedhighschoolwhileat thegrouphome.

WhenIwasdischargedfromfostercareat age18,Ididn’thaveanyvitaldocuments andhadto ﬁndthemonmyown.Iwasalso homelessandunstable.

Neitherthegrouphomenorthelocalpublic schoolgavemeadiploma,soIhadnoproof thatIgraduatedfromhighschool.Icalled

thegrouphomemyselfto trytogetmydiploma.

Later,Igothelpgetting mydiplomafroma programforyouthin fostercare.

NOW,IDO NOTKNOW WHENIWILL GRADUATE.

ThebiggestchallengeI hadwithmyeducationstartedbeforeIwent toplacement.

Ifeltalotofpressureattendinga predominantlywhitehighschoolin MontgomeryCountybeforeIwassent tothealternativehighschool.Ialsohad toadvocateformyselftoattendanoffgroundsschoolwhileinplacement.

IwishIhadmoresupporttoprepare forcollegeorhadsomeonewhocould guaranteemyeducationaltransitionwould besuccessful.

YOUTHFOSTERING CHANGE

MARK

Sinceenteringcare,Ihave beenintwoschools.Istarted th gradeatoneschool,but mygradeswereF’s.Iwas alsounnecessarilyplacedin adisciplinaryschoolwhich setmebackeducationally.

Startinginthe10th grade,Iattendeda schoolspeciﬁcallyforyouthinfostercare. AtthesametimethatIstartedthatschool,I neededtogetajob,andIdidn’tgotoschool asoftenbecauseIneededtowork.

Iwasfailingandnotcompletingschool assignments.Now,IdonotknowwhenIwill graduate.

Mybiggestchallengewithgraduatingon timeishavingconstantresponsibilities outsideofschoolandthelackof ﬂexibility andsupportthatschoolsprovideme.

ThereweremanytimesthatIhadproblems

athomeandschoolwhich causedmetoloseinterest andmotivation.

Thetypeofservices thatIneedtobestable inschoolaretutoring, extracurricularactivities, transportation,consistent andproductiveschool,andupdatesabout mygradelevelandprogress.

ANGE

Ihavebeentofouror ﬁve differentschoolssince leavingplacement.When I ﬁrstleftplacement, Istartedbackatmy neighborhoodschoolright away.

JUVENILESFOR JUSTICE

Theydidn’tputmeintherightgradelevel, soIstoppedgoingtoschoolandbecame truant.

Iwantedtogobacktoschool,soIlooked upcreditrecoveryprogramsonmyown. Istartedattendingoneprogrambutthen stopped,triedanotheroneandalsostopped.

Later,Idecidedtogobacktothe ﬁrst programbutstoppedattendingagain.

Atage20,IstartedattendingaGED programinPhiladelphia.Irecently graduatedfromtheprogramandgotmy GED.

Mybiggestchallengeintryingtogetmy diplomaorGEDisbeingfocusedenoughto gotoschooleveryday.

Ihavesomanyotherthingsgoingon,and Ihavetoberesponsibleformyself.Ialso didn’treceivemanycreditsforclassesIhad alreadytaken.

AMBER

Iwenttooneschoolfor halfofmy9th gradeyear andwenttoanon-grounds schoolwhileIwasina residentialfacility.The workattheschoolwasnot appropriateformygrade level—Iwasdoing8th gradework.

Afterleavingthisschool,Iwenttoacharter schoolfor10th grade,andthenIwenttoa localpublicschool forhalfofmy11th gradeyear.

Ihadabigproblem withmycreditsnot transferringduring thistime,andno onehelpedmetrack downmycredits.

schoolIwenttobeforeplacement,butthe principalsaidIwasawaytoolongandcould notcomeback.

Ittookmetwomonthstore-enrollin school,andIwenttoschoolonlinebecause nootherschoolwouldacceptme.Iwas havingtroubledoingmyworkatmycurrent schoolbecauseIdidn’tgetanappropriate educationinplacementandfellbehind.

IneededmorehelpwhenIcameoutof placementandtriedtogobacktoschool.

THEINSTRUCTIONI HADINPLACEMENT WASNOTADVANCED ENOUGH.

Noonecouldlocate mycreditsfrommy lastschool.Theschoolplacedmein11th gradeclassesanyway,butIwasconsidered a10th-graderinthesystembecauseIhadno credits.

Ithentransferredbacktotheprevious charterschoolformy12th gradeyear.

Icouldhaveusedemotionalsupportand mentalhealthservicestohelpstabilizemy schooling.

Thelongerittook metore-enroll,the longerIwasout ofclass,andthe harderitwasforme tosucceedwhen I ﬁnallystarted school.

Thebiggest challengeIhavehad tryingtograduate ontimehasbeengettingbackintoschool becausetheinstructionIhadinplacement wasnotadvancedenough.Iwasnot preparedfortheworkwhenItriedgoing backtoschool.Iamstilldoingonlineschool andtryingmybest.

DAISHALYNN

Ihavebeenin ﬁveschools sinceenteringcareatage15. Iam17yearsoldnow,andI aminschool.

YOUTHFOSTERING CHANGE

LILLY

Ididn’thaveany educationwhileIwasin juvenileplacement.After placement,Iwenttoa residentialfacilitywhere Iattendedacommunity schoolforamonth.

AfterIleftthisfacility,Itriedtogotothe

Iwasplacedintothesystem August30,2017.Iwentin withnothingexcepttheclothesIhadonmy back,andinninedaysIwouldhavetobe readytostart10th gradeattheschoolI’d beenattendingsince9th grade.

Itwasveryfrustratinghavingtobuy everythingIneeded—schoolsupplies,shoes, expensiveuniforms—alloveragain.Notto

mentiongettingsettledintoanewhousefull ofstrangers.

BySeptember18,Iwasbeingmovedinto arespitehomesomewherefarawayfrom myschoolandinanareaIneverheardof. Gettingtoschooltookalongtimeandwas hard,andIwasalwayslate.

OnSeptember23,Iwasplacedinanew fosterhomeinWestPhilly.Ittookmeawhile togetusedtoadifferentroutetoschool andback,buteventuallyIgotthehangofit. Thingsweregood withmeandat school.However, ﬁvemonthslaterI gotsuspendedfor ﬁvedays.Aftermy suspensionended, Iexpectedtocome backtoschoolas usual.IthoughtI wouldbebackin classandcatching uponalesson.Ihaditallwrong.

Ididn’twanttobeleftbehindorinhigh schoolforever,soIfoundanaccelerated highschoolthatwouldallowmetograduate withadiplomainMay2019.Itookthat opportunityandgotintotheschool.Ifeltso good,likemylifewasbackontrack!

IstartedattheschoolinAugust2018. Thingsweregoinggreatatschool,but horriblyinmyfosterhome.Thenattheend ofOctober,IfoundoutIwaspregnant.Iwas alreadygoingthroughsomuch,andafew monthslaterIgotintoa ﬁghtatschooland gotkickedout.At thatpoint,Iwasso readytojustgive up.

ITHOUGHT,”I’M GOINGINTOTHE11TH GRADEWITHONLY11 CREDITS.“

Thedeanpulledupmy ﬁleandsawIwas livinginWestPhillyandgoingtoschoolin NorthPhilly.Hethoughtitwouldbebest formeifIwenttoaneighborhoodschool becauseitwascloser,butthat’snotwhatI wanted.

Amonthlater,Iwasattendingahighschool inOverbrook.Iwasrepeatingclassesand re-doingthesamelessons.Iwasn’tlearning much,anditwentonlikethatfortherestof theyear.

AttheendofJune,Idecidedtocheckhow manycreditsIhadearned.Formy10th grade yearIonlygainedthreecredits.Iwasso angryandwentstraighttoacounselorwho toldmethatmycreditsfrommyprevious schoolwerenevertransferred.Allthehard workIputintobothschools,andIonlyhad threecredits!Ithought,“I’mgoingintothe 11th gradewithonly11credits.”

I’mcurrently attendingadifferent acceleratedschool, andIamontrack tograduateby December2019.

ThebiggestchallengeIhavehadwith schoolisgettingmycreditstransferred.It washardto ﬁndwaystograduateontime withoutenoughcredits.Iamhopefulthat newlawsandpoliciesarepassedtoensure thatnoyouth,especiallypeopleinthe system,havetogothroughwhatIdid.

JIHID

Ittookmethreeweeks togobacktotheschoolI attendedbeforeplacement. However,Icouldn’tstayat theschoolbecauseIwas expelledfromthewhole schooldistrictandcouldn’t gotoanyPhiladelphiapublicschools.I didn’t ﬁndthisoutuntilIcamehomefrom placement.

Itriedtogotoapublicschoolinanother district,butthejuvenileplacementlostmy transcriptssoIcouldn’tgotoaregular

school.Mymom andmyauntwere tryingtorecovermy losttranscripts.

Iwasforcedtogo toacyberschool inExtonandbe re-evaluatedfor gradelevel,since Ididn’thaveany credits.Iendedup beingplacedinthe rightgradelevelandgraduatedfromcyber school.

TheplacementIleftshouldhavetried harderto ﬁndmytranscripts.Theysaidthey sentthem,butIdidnotreceivethemand, therefore,hadnoproofofmygradelevel.

AnothermajorchallengeIhadgraduating ontimewascatchinguponschoolafter startinglate.

toldIhadtotransferschoolsduetobehavior issuesinschool.ThistimeIwassentto anacceleratedschoolanhourawayfrom mynewfosterhome,andIhadproblems commutingtotheschool.

FourtosixmonthsafterIstartedatthe acceleratedschool,Iwasreuniﬁedwith myparent.Ididnotcontinueattendingthe acceleratedschoolafterIwasreuniﬁed,and Ispentafewmonthsoutofschoolbefore startingaGEDprogram.IgotmyGEDfrom aprograminPhiladelphia.

ThebiggestchallengeIfacedthrough thisentireprocessofbeingincareand obtainingmyhighschooldiplomawas thatIneededmoresocialandemotional support,transportation,andtutoringtostay focusedinschoolandgraduateontime.I carealotabouteducationforfosteryouth andfurtheringmyowneducation.Iwantto attendcollege;speciﬁcally,Iwanttogointo aparalegalprogram.

ANTHONY

Istartedhighschoolatmy neighborhoodschoolwhen Ienteredfostercare.The creditsIearnedtheredidn’t transferwhenImoved schoolsbecausemyfoster careplacementchanged. Unfortunately,Istartedfailingclassesdueto problemsgoingoninmynewfosterhome, soIhadtomovehomesagain.Thistimemy gradesstartedimprovingbecauseIwasput intoafosterhomewithmytwobrothers.

ThingscontinuedtoimproveuntilIwastold Iwouldnotbereuniﬁedwithmybiological family.Findingthisoutmademeangryand disappointed.Ifeltbetrayedbyworkers andthesystem.Istartedfailingmyclasses becauseofthegriefandpainIfeltknowingI wasunabletoreturnhome.

Asmyprogressinschooldeclined,Iwas

BREE

Ionlymissedafewweeks ofschoolaftergoingto adetentioncenterand ajuvenileplacement. However,whenIwentback tomygrouphomeandthe on-groundsschool,the schoolcounselorsaidIwouldnotgraduate ontimebecauseImissedworkwhileatthe juvenileplacement.

Thesamecounseloradvocatedformeto graduatebecausesheknewIwasagood student.Ididextraworktocatchupand wasplacedintherightgrade.Igraduated ontimeandgotmydiplomaatage17.The schoolIwasinwassupportivebecausethey knewIworkedhard,evenifIgotinto ﬁghts atschool.

ThebiggestchallengeIhadwasgetting caughtuponalltheworkImissedsothat

Icouldgraduateontime.WhatIreally neededwasmoresupportdealingwithnonschoolrelatedissuesandsupporttohelpme learnhowtoremaincalmandstayoutof trouble.

whattheyoffered madethesupport seemnonexistent.

JOHNATHAN

Iwasgoingtomy

neighborhoodschoolin

WestPhiladelphia,then Ienteredcareandwas placedinashelter.The sheltertriedtoswitch metoadifferentschool, butbeforetheycould,Iwasplacedin aresidentialfacility.Iwenttoapublic communityschoolwhileattheresidential facility.Theschoolwasanalternative school,andIhadadelayedentry.

Theresidentialfacilityforcedmetogetan IEP.Iwastaughtbelowgrade-levelatthe alternativeschool.Ieventuallygotkickedout ofthecommunityschoolandhadtotransfer toanon-campusschoollocatedatthe residentialfacility.

Ileftthefacilityandmovedtoagrouphome inthePoconos.Ienrolledintheirlocalschool wherethestaffwouldtalkdowntome.Staff assumedIhadlearningdisabilitiesaside fromemotionalconcerns.Theymademe takespecialeducationclassesuntilItold themIwouldn’tattendschoolunlessthey putmeinproperclasses.

Igraduatedandtriedtogotoacommunity college.Myexperiencewasokay,but beinginagrouphomewasstillcausing disruptions.Ireliedonmygrouphometoget metoclasses,buttheyneglectedme.Itwas alsohardtostudyduetoallthedramaat thegrouphome.

ImovedtoPhiladelphiaandtriedtogoto anothercommunitycollege.Gettingthere waseasier,butthesupportswerehardto ﬁndor,onceIfoundthem,thequalityof

Iamnowattending CabriniUniversity andgettingsupport fromJuvenile LawCenter,JEVS HumanServices, andothersupports tocontinuetodo wellandgraduate.

ALEX

BeforeIleftthejuvenile placement,myjudgesaidI wasnotreadyforaregular highschool.Instead,Iwas putinanalternativeschool. Sinceleavingplacement,I havebeeninthreedifferent schools.

IWASTAUGHT BELOW GRADELEVELATTHE ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL.

JUVENILESFOR JUSTICE

Iamalsoinfostercareandhavebeen ineightdifferenthomesincludingfoster homes,groupplacements,andmother-baby homes(programstohelpmoms).Iam19 andstillin10th gradebecausetwoyearsof myschoolworkisgone.Now,Iamslowly enrollingmyselfinacharterprogram.

ThebiggestchallengeIhavehadtryingto graduateontimeisbeingmovedfromhome tohomeandschooltoschool.Theworkwas notconsistentfromschooltoschool.

ALEXIS

I’veattended15-20 schoolssinceenteringcare. IgotmydiplomawhenI was19yearsold.Imoved placementstoooften,and thereforewenttotoomany schools.Istruggledwith

YOUTHFOSTERING CHANGE

latenessandabsencesalotbecausewhen Imoved,Ioftenhadtorelyonmysocial workertocomepickmeupandtakeme toschool.Iwassometimeslateforschool dependingonwhenshecouldpickmeup andthedistancetotheschool.

Iwasalsoremovedfromclassestoo often—sometimesweekly—becauseofmy DHSinvolvement.Ioftenhadvisitations, meetings,andevenmyscheduledtherapy sessionat1:00pm—duringschoolhours. Iendedupmissingsomanyhoursof schooleachmonththatIoftenendedupin detentionorafterschooltomakeupwork.

I’VEATTENDED

15TO20

SCHOOLS

SINCE ENTERING CARE.

WhenIenteredhighschool,Ifaced additional challengeswith myeducationand credittransfers. Atonepoint,I droppedoutof highschooland washomeless. Thishappened becauseIran awayfroma grouphome whereInolonger feltsafe.Itriedto reportthethings thatmademefeel unsafe,likehavingallmybelongingsstolen constantly,butnothingeverhappened.

Duringthistime,Iattendedtwomore schoolsinothercounties,andwhenIwas transferredbacktothePhiladelphiaSchool District,manyofmycreditsdidnottransfer withme.

Forexample,Irepeatedmyseniorproject twicebecausethenameoftheseniorproject wasdifferent,andIwastolditcouldnot counttowardsmygraduation.Iwasupset thatIhadtocompleteanotherproject tograduateontime.Iwasalsofeeling unsafewhereIwasliving,soIranaway.I eventuallyre-enteredfostercare.

Iendedupgraduatingthroughahighschool programinPhiladelphiathatalsoallowsyou totakecollegecoursesattheCommunity CollegeofPhiladelphia,butmydiplomahas aPhiladelphiahighschoolname.

ThebiggestchallengeIhadwithgraduating ontimewasexperiencinghomelessnessdue toissueswithmyplacements,credittransfer problems,andhavingtoredosubjects inschool.IamnowgoingtoCommunity CollegeofPhiladelphiaanddoingwellinmy classes.

DON

Ittookmethreetofour weekstogetre-enrolled inmypublicschool afterIcamehomefrom placement.Ihadtrouble withmycreditsbecause theplacementwouldn’tgivethemtomy newschool.Iwasagradebehindbecause mycreditsnevergottransferred.

JUVENILESFOR JUSTICE

Myhighschooltriedtogetmycreditsfrom theplacement,buttheplacementnever providedthem.Schoolwashardbecause Ihadtostartmygradeover.Icouldhave ﬁnishedschoolin2018.

IwouldliketogotoCommunityCollegeof Philadelphia,butIamstillworkingtogetmy diploma.

Iam18yearsoldandjustrecentlystarted backatmylocalpublicschoolandam workingwithEducationLawCentertoget intoadifferentschool.

Ineededsomeonetobesupportiveandhelp mewhenIasked.Iwishsomeonewould havehelpedmewiththecreditsassoonasI camehomefromplacement—that’sbeenmy biggestchallengetograduatingontime.

AIYANA

Ienteredcareattheageof 15.Duringthattime,Iwent tothreeschoolsbeforeI graduated.

Iwasattendingapublic schoolwhenI ﬁrstentered care,andthenItransferredtoacharter schoolwhenIchangedfosterhomes.

Next,Iwenttoajuvenileplacement.I receivednocreditsduringthattime,andmy only“school”workwascoloringsheets.I wasdischargedfromthejuvenileplacement toafosterhomeandstartedgoingtoan acceleratedalternativeschool.

SinceIdidn’tearnanycreditsatthe juvenileplacementfacilitiesandthecharter schooldidn’thaveanyofmycredits,I hadtocomplete11th and12th gradeat theacceleratedschool.Igraduatedfrom thisschool,butthediplomasaysthatI graduatedfromalocalpublicschool.

Thebiggestbarriertograduatingontime wasnothavinganyrealschoolingatthe juvenileplacement.Icurrentlyattenda communitycollege.

10th gradeoveragain.

Atthispoint,Istartedatacharterschool becausenootherschoolwouldacceptme duetoapastjuvenileoffense.Iattended thisschoolforalmostayearanddidn’tearn anycredits.TheysaidIstillonlyhadseven credits.Then,mygrouphomeforcedme toattendaschoolspeciﬁcallyforyouthin fostercare.TheschoolcalledeveryschoolI hadattendedtoretrievemycredits.Iamstill workingongettingmydiplomathrougha differentprogram.

ThebiggestchallengeIhavehadgraduating isgoingtoalternativeschoolsandhaving thatmessupmycredits.IwastoldIearned acertainamountofcreditsinthoseschools, butpublicschoolssaidIearnedmuch less.Ineededconsistencythroughoutmy education.

KEEMA

I-SHA-LE

WhilelivinginTennessee, Ileftajuvenileplacement andwasforcedtoattend analternativeschoolfora yearsinceIwasexpelled fromtheonlylocalpublic school.

Afterthat,ImovedtoRidgley,Tennessee andattendedanalternativeschooltherefor afewmonths.Iearned11creditsatthat school,butwhenIlefttheschoolsaidIonly earnedsevencreditsforthe10th grade.I thenmovedagain,wenttoapublicschool inPhiladelphiaforamonth,andhadtostart

Ihavebeeninandoutof fostercaresincebirth.I startedhighschoolatmy neighborhoodschoolbut thentransferredtoaschool speciﬁcallyforyouthin fostercare.Ithenwenttoa grouphomeandattendedtheiron-grounds school.Ididn’tfeelliketheon-grounds schoolwasarealschool.

WhenIleftthatschool,Itriedgettingmy GEDfromaprograminPhiladelphia.While Iwasthere,Iwastoldbytheschooldistrict thatIhadearnedonlytwocreditsfrommy neighborhoodschool.Theydidn’tevenlook atmytimeatthegrouphomeorthehigh schoolforyouthincare.

IstilldonothavemydiplomaorGED.

ThebiggestbarrierIhavehadtryingto graduateishavingcreditsthatIearned lostandhavingachildwhiletryingtogoto school.

YOUTHFOSTERING CHANGE

JUVENILESFOR

JAHEEM

Iwasputonhouse arrestforthreemonths afterIcamehomefrom placement.Itwassummer, sotherewasnoschoolin session.

IdecidedIwantedtogetmyGEDbecause myjudgetoldmeIwouldnevergetoff probationifIdidn’t ﬁnishschool,andIknew gettingmyGEDwouldbethefastestwayto ﬁnishschool.

Iwasonprobationforaboutayearandwas takingclassestogetmyGEDatthesame time.Igraduatedaboutayearafterbeingon probation,andittookmeaboutayearanda halftotaltogetmyGED.

speciﬁcadvancedplacementclasses.They alsodidn’thaveproofofmetakingthose advancedclasses.

IwasabletogobacktoMontgomeryCounty forschoolbecauseofmyownadvocacy,and ItookthePSATsthere.Igotaperfectscore.

Becauseofmyscore,theschoolthoughtI wasreadyfortheactualSATs,butmyfoster parentswouldn’tsigntheconsentform.

IranawayagainsothatIcouldsignthe papersmyself.Duringthistime,Iwas homelessforayear.Iwasabletopassthe test,andIgotmydiploma.

IstartedworkingimmediatelyafterI graduated.IwenttoTempleUniversityand gotmyassociatesinArtandPsychology. AfterIgraduated,Iwashomeless.Iamstill working.

STEVEN

Ienteredcareatage ﬁve.I wenttoapublicschoolin MontgomeryCountyfora monthofhighschool.

Iranawayfrommy fosterhomebecause ofanaltercationinthe fosterhome.Iwasplacedinanotherfoster homeandtransferredtoapublicschoolin Philadelphia.

Iwasthereforaboutthreemonths,and Ididn’tliketheeducationatthisschool. Theworkwasn’tchallenging,andthe environmentwashostile.

Iwasinadvancedplacementclassesin MontgomeryCounty,butthePhiladelphia schooltriedtoplacemeinlowerlevel classesbecausetheydidn’thavethose

Thebiggestbarriertograduatinghigh schoolwasbeinghomeless.Iwanttobe ableto ﬁnanciallysupportmyself.Iwantto beabletolive,notjustsurvive.

IWANTTOBEABLETOFINANCIALLYSUPPORTMYSELF.

IWANTTOBEABLETOLIVE,NOTJUSTSURVIVE.

1.CreateAPointofContactforStudentsinFosterCare

Schoolmovesandplacementchangesoftendisruptyouth’seducation.Althoughyouth infostercarehavecaseworkers,theydonothavesomeoneatschoolwhoisspeciﬁcally assignedtohelpthemtransitionfromoneschooltothenext.Apointofcontactwouldhelp youthincarereintegratetoanewschoolafteramoveorsomeothereducationaldisruption.

HOWTOIMPLEMENTTHISRECOMMENDATION:

1.Identifyapointofcontactineveryschool.Eachpointofcontactshouldhavea maximumcaseloadof30students.

2.Recruitandhireprofessionalswithstrongbackgroundsinsocialwork,case management,orschoolcounselingandtraumatraining.

3.Schedulein-personmeetingswiththeyouthandtheirpointofcontactbeforetheyouth transitionstoanewschool.Itisthepointofcontact’sresponsibilitytoensurethat:

• Youthareintherightgradelevel;

• Allpreviouslyearnedcreditsandpartialcreditsare acceptedbythenewschoolandarecountedtowards graduation;

• Youthknowhowmanycreditstheystillneedtograduate ontime;

• Youthareconnectedtoeducationalsupports,including therapyand/ortutoring;

•IEPsarefollowedandyouthareincludedinIEPmeetings;

• Youthhaveappropriatetransportationtogettoschool;and

• Youthareinvolvedinextracurricularactivities

Information abouttheyouth’s involvementincare shouldbeshared responsiblyandin accordancewith existinglawsto protecttheyouth’s privacy.

4.Requirethepointofcontacttocommunicatewiththesendingplacementschooland/or on-groundsschooltodiscusssupportsforthestudentandtheircompletedschoolwork, andtoobtainthestudent’stranscriptsandotherdocumentation.Ensurestaffatthe previousschoolorplacementaresupportingthestudentandplanningforthetransition toanewschool.

5.Requirethepointofcontacttoconductregularcheck-inswiththeyouthandprovideongoingsupporttoensuretheyouthistakingtherightclassestograduate.Thesecheckinsshouldhappenonamonthlybasis,ataminimum,andcaninclude:

•Creatingagraduationtimeline;

• Workingwiththestudenttoapplyforscholarships, ﬁnancialaid,post-secondary andothereducationalopportunities;

• Facilitatingcommunicationwithteachers;

• Reviewingallgraduationrequirementswiththeyouthwellbeforegraduation;

• Communicatingwithcaseworkers,parents(orfosterparentsorothereducational decisionmakers),andattorneystomakesureeveryoneisonthesamepage;

•Encouragingandsupportingthestudenttograduate;and

• Providingaccesstoeducationalsupports(e.g.tutoring)

6.Allowyouthtobringasupportiveadulttomeetingswiththepointofcontact.

2.InvolveYouthinExtracurricularActivities

Youthinfostercareoftendonothavetheopportunitytoparticipateinextracurricular activitiesatschool,ortheirparticipationisdisruptedwhenayoungpersonchangesschools. Involvementintheseactivitiesgivesyouthincaretheopportunitytohaveanormalhigh schoolexperience.

HOWTOIMPLEMENTTHISRECOMMENDATION:

1.Makesureyouthknowabouttheirnewschool’sextracurricularactivitieswhenthey transitiontoanewschool,includinghowtheycanparticipate.

2.Ensurethatobtainingfundsforsupplies,equipment,andtravelassociatedwiththe activitiesdonotpreventayouthincarefromparticipating.

3.Makesureyouthwhohavementalandbehavioralhealthdiagnosesknowthat appropriateaccommodationscanbeputinplaceforthemtoparticipatein extracurricularactivitiesatschool.

3.ExpediteRecordsTransferandCourseRe-enrollment

Youthsometimesstruggletogetre-enrolledinschoolorinclassesaftertheyhavemoved schoolsorplacements.Someyoutharere-enrolledinthewrongclassesoreventhewrong grade,delayinganddisruptingtheireducation.Coursere-enrollmentshouldbeaquick processforyouth.

HOWTOIMPLEMENTTHISRECOMMENDATION:

1.Grantyouthincareortheirguadianshardcopiesofschoolrecordsincludingtranscripts, credits,medicalrecords,disciplinaryrecords,andIEPs,especiallyforschooltransfers.

2.Don’tmakeyouthwaittostartclassesjustbecauseofadelayedcreditortranscript transfer.Requireschoolstoexpeditetransferringacademicrecordsandcreditssoyouth haveaseamlesstransitionwhentheystartschool.

3.Ifclasscreditsarenoteasilytransferred,creditsarelost,youtharereturningfrom unaccreditedschools,oryouthhaveearnedpartialcredits,provideyouththechanceto takeplacementtestsinordertodeterminegradelevelandearnedcredits.

4.Youthwhohavepassedahigher-levelclass(likeSpanishII)shouldbegivencreditfor lowerlevelclasses(likeSpanishI)evenifitdoesnotshowupontheirtranscript.

5.Reasonablemeansmustbetakenforyouthtotakeclassescomparabletotheirprevious onesorcontinueprojectstheystartedattheirpreviousschool.

4.StandardizeGraduationRequirements

Youthincareoften ﬁndtheclassestheytakeinoneschoolarenotrecognizedbyanother school.Conﬂictingordifferentgraduationrequirementsatdifferentschoolsdisruptayoung person’spathtograduation.Thisoftenforcesyouthincaretore-doworktheyalready completedinacomparableclassatadifferentschool.

HOWTOIMPLEMENTTHISRECOMMENDATION:

1.Requireallcreditsearnedinplacementtobeacceptedortransferrabletoreturning schools.Ifgraduationrequirementsaredifferent,thecreditsshouldbeconvertedtobe equivalentreplacementcredits.

2.Requireschoolstoacceptcreditfromanyotherschoolthatislicensedorotherwise authorizedbytheState.

3.Allowschoolstowaiveclassrequirementsforgraduationincertaincircumstances.

4.Requireallplacementschoolstooffercoursesthatalignwithstatestandardsandcount towardgraduationanywhereinthestate.

5.InvestintheCommunity:

Investingincommunitiesisnecessarytoaddresstheracialinequitiesinthechildwelfare system.Thesekindsofinvestmentsencouragethegrowthofcommunity-basedsupports andreducethenumberofAfricanAmericanandLatinxyouthbeingfunneledintothechild welfaresystem.

HOWTOIMPLEMENTTHISRECOMMENDATION:

1.Requiretrainingsforschoolprofessionalsworkingwithyouthincare,suchastraumainformedapproaches,culturalcompetencytraining,andde-escalationtraining.

2.EnsureLGBTQ+youthincareand/oryouthwhohavementalhealthneedsgetspeciﬁc supportstohelpthemremainsafelyintheircommunity.

3.Investinschoolsspeciﬁcallytofundcounselingandguidancetosupportstudenthealth andsafety,insteadofspendingonsecuritymeasures(police,metaldetectors,etc.).

4.Provideservicesandeducationsupportsforyouthtoremainintheircommunitiesandin afamily-likesetting(i.e.kinship,fosterhome,etc.).

5.Providestudentswitheducationalresourcesthatrelatetotheirculture,ethnicity,and religion.

3.StandardizeGraduationRequirements

Youthleavingplacementoften ﬁndthatworktheycompletedinthefacilitydoesnotcount towardsgraduationintheirnewschool.Thismeanstheymustre-dowork,settingthem backanddelayinggraduation.

HOWTOIMPLEMENTTHISRECOMMENDATION:

1.Requireallcreditsearnedinplacementbeacceptedortransferrabletoreturning schools.Ifgraduationrequirementsaredifferent,thecreditsshouldbeconvertedtobe equivalentreplacementcredits.

2.Giveyouthleavingplacementortheirguardiansaphysicalcopyoftranscripts.

3.Requireeveryonewhoisbehindingraduatingtohaveapersonalizededucationalplan.

4.Iftheyouthisnotcurrentlyinschooland/ornotworkingwithaschool’spointofcontact, theirjudgeshouldappointsomeonetocreateapersonalizededucationplanwiththe youngperson.Thisisespeciallyimportantforyouthover18whohavenotgraduated.

5.RequireallcreditsearnedinPennsylvania,orearnedoutsidePennsylvaniadueto involvementinthejuvenilejusticeorchildwelfaresystem,beacceptedatschools throughoutthestate.

6.Requireallplacementschoolstooffercoursesthatalignwithstatestandardsandcount towardgraduationanywhereinthestate.

4.InvestinCommunities

Theseinvestmentsaddressracialinequitiesinthejuvenilejusticesystem.Theyoffer strategiestoreducethenumberofAfricanAmericanandLatinxyouthbeingfunneledinto thejuvenilejusticesystembyencouragingthegrowthofcommunity-basedsupports.

HOWTOIMPLEMENTTHISRECOMMENDATION:

1.Countiesmustinvestinpreventionservicestokeepkidsoutofjuvenilefacilitiesand intheircommunity.Theseservicesshouldbeforfamiliesandyouthtoaddressfamily needsthatcouldbeimpactingayouth’sabilitytodowellinschool.Theseservices shouldalsohelpyouth ﬁndwaystoreconnectwithintheircommunitieslikejobs, internships,sports,arts,etc.

2.Ensurethecurriculumreﬂectsdiversityandcultureinplacementandinlocalschools.

3.Requireallfacilitystaff,teachers,judges,attorneys,socialworkerstoreceivecultural competencytrainingsandtrauma-informedpracticetrainings.

4.Ensureyouthknowtheycanattendtheircommunityschoolswhenplacedinafacility, unlessacourthasexplicitlyorderedotherwise.

5.ImplementAccountabilityandEnforcementProcedures

Facilitiesoftendon’tgiveyouthsafe,secureopportunitiestoreportthesub-standard educationyouthreceivewhileinplacement.Whenvisitsorinspectionsdooccur,theydonot alwayscapturethewholepictureofyoungpeople’seducationalexperiencesortheissues youthfaceatthefacilityschools.

HOWTOIMPLEMENTTHISRECOMMENDATION:

1.Conductquarterly,randomizedinspectionsofschools(bystateorcounty)toensure schoolsarecompliantwiththestaterules.

2.Iftheschoolsaren’tmeetingtherequirements,animprovementplanmustbedeveloped beforethenextquarterlyinspection.

3.Giveyouthopportunitiestotalkabouttheireducationwhileinplacement—stateand countyinspectors,attorneys,CASAs,socialworkers,andotherprofessionalsvisiting youthinfacilitiesshouldconﬁdentiallyaskyouthquestionsabouttheireducational experience.Ideallyanindependentthirdpartywouldbecheckingonfacilitiesregularly, includingaskingyouthquestionsabouttheireducation.

BENCHCARD:YOUTHIN FOSTERCARE

RecommendedPractices

1. Letyouthspeak ﬁrstincourtsothey canactivelyparticipateintheircourt process. Regularlyinviteyouthtospeak privatelyinchamberstoaddressissues youthmaynotfeelcomfortableraising inthecourtroom.

2. Useatrauma-informedapproach whenmeetingwithyouth. Think aboutwhatthepersongoesthrough dailyasayouthincare.Forexample: Trytounderstandwhyyouthmayuse substancestocope.Istheresomething goingoninschoolorathome?

3. Askyouthwhatschooltheywantto attend. Iftheyhavenotbeengoingto school, ﬁndoutwhy.

4. Don’tplaceyouthbecauseoftruancy. Providesupportforyouthtostaywith theirfamilies,andidentifythebest schoolenvironmentforthem.

5. Knowabouttheeducationand conditionsinsidefacilities. Often,youth arecomingoutworsethanwhenthey wentin.

6. Donotsendyouthtofacilitiesthat aren’taccredited,providepooror limitededucation,ordonotoffer credits. Somefacilitiesdonotofferthe coursesyouthneedtograduateontime. Theymayofferdifferentclassesthan whatisneededforgraduationfromthe youth’shomedistrict,enrolltheyouthin toomanyelectivecourses,ornotoffer credit-bearingcoursesatall.Youthwill notreachtheirpotentialorthrivein thesefacilities.

Iamcapableofsuccessand soismyteam!Iwantyouto know:

• Whatisgoingoninmylife.Askme!

•I’mtellingyouthetruthwhenItalkin court.Isometimesfeelthatyoubelieve mycaseworker,evenwhenIamtelling thetruth.

•Iwanttotalkincourtandneedyou andmyteamtopayattentiontomy concerns.

•WhenIaminformed,IknowwhatIwant formyeducation.

• IhavebeeninDHSforawhileandknow thesystemverywell.Iwanttotellyou whatmyexperiencehasbeen.

•WhenIdon’tdowellinschool,itis becauseIneedsupportandtutoring— notpunishment,suchasbeingremoved fromschoolorsenttoplacement.

•Ibecamelessinterestedinschool becauseIkeptchangingschools, repeatingwork,andnotgettingsupport throughthisprocess.

•Isometimeshavetomissschooltogo tocourtormeetingswithcaseworkers, whichIwanttoattend.Scheduling theseactivitiesduringschoolhours makesitharderformetocompletemy schoolwork.

•IfallbehindifIhavetogotoanew schoolwhenIchangehomes.

•Goingtoschoolissometimesunsafefor mebecauseofbullyingorthecommunity.

Askyouthandtheirlegalteamsthefollowingquestionstoensureyouthareinthebest educationalsettingandarethrivinginschoolandathome.

QuestionstoAskYouthinCourt

Thesequestionsshouldbeaskedtobothyouthandadultsinthecourtroom.Youthshould alwayshavetheopportunitytospeak ﬁrst.

SchoolGoals:

•Whatsubjectareyoumostinterestedin?

•Whatareyouthinkingaboutdoingafterhighschool?

• Haveyouthoughtaboutcollege?

SchoolClimate:

•What’syourfavoritethingaboutschool?

•Doyouhaveanyconcernsaboutschoolthatyouwouldliketoshare?

•Doyoufeelsafeinschool?

SchoolSupport:

•Isthereanadultinvolvedinmakingeducationdecisionswithyou?Who?

•Whatareyourworkersdoingtohelpyousucceedinschool?

• Arethestaffandteachersatyourschoolhelpingyoutofullyengageinschool?

• Hasanyonetalkedtoyouaboutpreparingforeducationortrainingafterhighschool?

•Whatkindofsupportdoyouneedfromyourschool?Tutoring?Counseling?Ifyouhave anIEP,areyougettingadditionalsupport?

Classwork&CourseInformation:

•Whattypeofworkareyoudoinginyourclasses?Isitchallengingenough?Isittoo challenging?

• Howareyourgrades?

•Ifyouarehavingchallengeswithgrades,wouldtutoringhelpbringthemup?Doyou knowhowtoaccesstutoring?

•Doyouhavecopiesofyourtranscript?

•IfyouaregettingyourGEDoronaGEDtrack,doyouknowtheprogressofyourwork? AreyourGEDclassescreditbearing?

SchoolAttendance&SchoolEngagement:

• Doyoufeelthereareotherpriorities/challengesthatpreventyoufromattendingschool andcompletingwork?Howcanwehelp?

• Areyouworkingwhileyouaregoingtoschool?Ifso,howareyoubalancingthat?What supportdoyoufeelwouldbehelpfulwhileyou’redoingboth?

• Whatareyourfamilyobligationsthatmightmakeitdifﬁcultforyoutofullyparticipatein school?

•Ifyouhaveachildorchildren,doyouhavechildcare?Ifnot,doyoufeelthisispreventing youfromgoingtoschool?

• Haveyouconsideredparticipatinginextracurricularactivities?

•Doyouhavesupportfromyourguardian,worker,orschooltoparticipatefullyin extracurricularactivitiesifyouwishtoparticipateinthem?

Transportation&Logistics:

• Howdoyougettoschool?Howlongdoesittake?

•Doyoureceivetransportationhelp?Ifnot,doyouneedit?

QuestionstoAskPriortoaSchoolTransition

•Doyouknowwhereyouaregoingtoschoolnext?Whoisassistingyouwiththis process?

•Doyouknowifyouarestartingschoolontherightgradelevel?

•Doyouknowhowmanycreditsyouhaveearned?Doyouknowwhatelseyouneedto graduate?

•IfonGEDtrack,doyouknowwhatyouneedtogetyourGED?

• HasaBestInterestDetermination(BID)meetingbeenheldtodeterminewhatisthebest schoolforyou?Wereyouinvolvedinthatmeeting?

•Doyouhaveeverythingyouneedtogotoschool?Supplies?Clothes,shoes,etc.?

•Doyouhaveanyconcernsaboutthetransition?

QuestionstoAskAfteraSchoolTransition

• Howwasthetransitionwhenyouchangedschools?

• Areyoumissinganycreditsthatyouthoughtyouearnedinyourpreviousschool(s)?

•Ifyouaremissingcredits,doyouhavetheopportunitytotestintotherightgrade-level?

• Haveyouhadtorepeatanywork,classes,orprojects?

•Whatkindofsupportdoyouneedfromyourschool?Tutoring?Counseling?Ifyouhave anIEPareyougettingadditionalsupport?

•Whatdoyouthinkofyournewschool?

QuestionstoAskYouthinResidentialPlacements&OnGroundsSchools

•Whattypeofworkareyoudoinginyourclasses?Isitongradelevel?Isitchallenging?

• Haveyoubeentalkedtoaboutattendingthelocalpublicschooloff-campusoryour previouspublicschool?

• Howmanyotherkidsareinyourclasses?

• AreyougettingadditionalsupportifyouhaveanIEP?

• Areyouearningcredits,gettingyourGED,ortakingCTEcourses?

• Haveyoueverhadschooltakenawayfromyouasaformofdiscipline?

•Doyoufeelpreparedtogobacktothatgradelevelorthenextgradelevelinyourhome school?

• Hasanyonebeenworkingwithyoutoplanwhatwillhappenafteryouleavethefacility? Who?Whatpreparationhasoccurred?

• Whataresomeofyourmajorconcernswhenyougetout?Forexample:housing,reenrollmentinschool,makingsureyouhavetherightacademiccredits,feelingbehind, others?

•Doyouknowwhatschoolyouwillbegoingtonext?Whatkindofschoolenvironment willyoubemostsuccessfulin?Doyoufeellikeyouarereadytogobacktoyourhome school?

BENCHCARD:YOUTHINTHE JUVENILEJUSTICESYSTEM

RecommendedPractices:

OlderYouthinCourtHearings

1. Useatrauma-informedapproachin yourcourtroom. Thinkaboutwhatthe youngpersongoesthroughdailyasa youth.Forexample:Trytounderstand whyyouthmaybebehavingacertain way–-aretheydoingthistocopewith something?Istheresomethingelse goingoninschoolorathome?Consider whatcommunity-basedalternatives andresourcescouldaddresstheissue otherthansupervisionandplacement.

2. Askyouthwhatschooltheywantto attend. Iftheyhavenotbeengoingto school, ﬁndoutwhy.Forexample,could itbebecausethey’rebeingbullied?

3. Knowabouttheeducationand conditionsoffacilities. Often,youth arecomingoutworsethanwhenthey wentin.Donotsendyouthtofacilities thataren’taccredited,providepoor educationorlimitedoptions,ordonot offercredits.Youthshouldnotbesent awaytofacilitieswheretheywillfall behindinschool.Therearefacilities thatdonotofferthecoursesyouthneed tograduateontime.Theymayoffer differentclassesthanwhatisneeded forgraduationfromtheyouth’shome district,enrolltheyouthintoomany electivecourses,ornotoffercreditbearingcoursesatall.Theymaynot havethespecialeducationservicesa youthneedstolearn.

Iamcapableofsuccessand soismyteam!Iwantyouto know:

• Youthdealwithalotbesidesgoingto schooleveryday,especiallywhenwe havealotgoingonathome.Askus!

•Manyofushadnegativeeducation experiencesinjuvenilefacilities.Weneed youtocheckonusandfollowupwiththe facilityaboutouroveralleducationand educationalneeds.

• Youthtakeclassesandearncreditsthat theycan’tusewhentheycomehome.

•Itcantakealongtimeforustotransition backintoschoolafterplacementwhen wedon’treceivehelportheprocessto transferourrecordsisdelayed.

•Weoftenadvocatedforourselvesto obtainourtranscriptsandschoolrecords fromschoolsorplacementfacilities.

•Weareoftenputinthewronggrade levelwhenweleaveplacementandhave todoextraworktocatchup.

•Weneedadditionalin-schoolsupports whenwereturnfromplacement—more thanbeforewewenttoplacement. Resourceslikecounselingandon-site tutoringmakesthetransitioneasier.

• Havingtogotoanalternativeschool orbeingprohibitedfromgoingtoour communityschoolcreatesmorebarriers togoingbacktoschool.Sometimeswe don’tknowwearen’tallowedbackatour school.Thisdisruptsoureducationand delaysourgraduation.

Askyouthandtheirlegalteamsthefollowingquestionstoensureyouthareinthebest educationalsettingandarethrivinginschoolandathome.

QuestionstoAskYouthinCourt

Thesequestionsshouldbeaskedtobothyouthandadultsinthecourtroom.

SchoolGoals:

•Whatareyourgoals?Doyoufeellikeyou’reontracktomeetthem?

• Hasanyonetalkedtoyouaboutpreparingforeducationandtrainingafterhighschool?

SchoolSupport:

• Areyoulearning?What’seasyforyouandwhat’shard?

• Whatkindofsupportdoyouneedinschooltodowhatyouneedtodo/wanttodo?

• Howareyourgrades?

•Ifyouarehavingchallengeswithgrades,wouldtutoringhelpbringthemup?Doyou knowhowtoaccesstutoring?

•IfyouhaveanIEP,doyouknowwhereyoucangethelpwithschool?Istheschool offeringthesesupportsforyou?

SchoolClimate:

•Doyoufeellikeyou’resafeinyourcurrentschool?

•Doyoufeellikeyouarebeingtreatedasanequaltoyourpeersinschool?

QuestionstoAskYouthBeforeDecidingtoPlaceYouthina JuvenileFacility

•Whatdoyouthinkcausedthisbehavior?

•[Ifapplicable]Whyhaven’tyoubeengoingtoschool?Doyoufeeltherearethings preventingyoufromattending/goingontime?

•Whatsupportsforyouoryourfamilywouldhelpyoustayathomeandoutoftrouble?

•Whatchangeswouldmakeschoolabetterplaceforyoutolearn?

• DoyouhaveanIEP?WhatkindofservicesdoyougetthroughtheIEP?Haveyouhad anymeetingswiththeschoolaboutit?Wereyouinvolvedandabletobringsupportive adultswithyou?

QuestionstoAskYouthinResidentialPlacements&OnGroundsSchools

•Doyoufeelyouarereceivingtherightgradelevelworkwhileinplacement?Doyoufeel preparedtogobacktothatgradelevelorgotothenextgradelevelinyourhomeschool?

•Doyoufeellikeyoucanpickupwhereyouleftoffinschool?Doyoufeellikeyoucan continuewiththesupportiverelationshipsandservicesthatyouhadbeforegoingto placement?

•Whohasbeenworkingwithyoutoplanwhatwillhappenafteryouleavethefacility?

• Whataresomeofyourmajorconcernswhenyougetout?Forexample:housing,reenrollmentinschool,makingsureyouhavetherightacademiccredits,feelingbehind, others?

•Doyouknowhowmanycreditsyouearnedinplacementanddoyouknowifallofthem willcounttowardgraduation?

•Doyouknowwhatschoolyouwillbegoingtonext?Whatkindofschoolenvironment willyoubemostsuccessfulin?Doyoufeellikeyouarereadytogobacktoyourhome school?

ENDNOTES

1SouthernEducationFoundation,JustLearning:TheImperativetoTransform JuvenileJusticeSystemsIntoEffectiveEducationalSystem(2009),at18. https://www. southerneducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Just-Learning-Final.pdf

2NationalWorkingGrouponFosterCareandEducation,FosteringSuccessinEducation: NationalFactsheetontheEducationalOutcomesofChildreninFosterCare,(2018)at1. http://www.fostercareandeducation.org/DesktopModules/Bring2mind/DMX/Download. aspx?EntryId=1279&Command=Core_Download&method=inline&PortalId=0&TabId=124

3 Id.at7

4SouthernEducationFoundation,JustLearning:TheImperativetoTransformJuvenile JusticeSystemsIntoEffectiveEducationalSystem(2009),at15-16. https://www. southerneducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Just-Learning-Final.pdf

5FosteringSuccessinEducation,NationalFactsheetontheEducationalOutcomesof ChildreninFosterCare(2018),at2. https://foster-ed.org/fostering-success-in-educationnational-factsheet-on-the-educational-outcomes-of-children-in-foster-care/